This took me a while to finish as I struggled with the characters and did not relate to any of them.
I found the style of writing added to my problem with the novel. I became annoyed with the narrow minded police who did not follow procedure and jumped to conclusions, the relationship between the house sitters who were really caretakers or support staff, and the back stories which did not really add to the story.

I'm sure there are many who will love this, but unfortunately it was just not for me

A book that kept me guessing. Just how exactly is the trickster and who is there real victim? The narrative spins back and forth, keeping me unsure of who was duping whom. A young couple become helpers for an elderly woman, Iris, who then goes missing. Suspicion falls on the pair, but what’s their story? Are they whom they see,? Is Iris?
I enjoyed the unraveling of the story and the setting.
I smiled at many parts and thought certain characters got what they deserved.
It’s a good lesson in always be wary.

I think (I hope) this could be the start of a great new series.

It’s Lydia’s lucky day when she meets Iris. It’s Iris’s lucky day when she meets Lydia. Or is it? If only we could see into the future what different choices we would make. This is a story narrated before Iris disappears (and judging by the amount of blood, was murdered) and after her disappearance, when the police, especially rookie cop Maureen a likeable but flawed character, are desperately seeking answers. The tension builds beautifully as the characters of Seth and Lydia are fleshed out and their dark secrets emerge. You can well imagine them being capable of murder, especially Seth, an extremely unlikeable, volatile character.

I thought this was an ingenious plot. To say more would be to include spoilers.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The House Sitter by Ellery Kane is a twist-filled thriller that explores several different characters' perspectives. The story starts off from the perspective of Iris, an old woman, and then shifts to Maureen, a police officer, and Lydia, who Iris has hired to be a "caretaker" of sorts. When newly-pregnant Lydia gets a gig taking care of Iris, whose memory has recently begun to fail her, she thinks that this is her big break. But what will happen when police respond to an emergency call and finds Iris missing? Has she been murdered?

Here is a gripping excerpt from the Prologue:

"The dispatcher heard the breathing first. The frantic gulps of panic. Then, a woman’s voice.
“Help me.” Two small words, made even smaller by her hoarse whisper.
“What is your emergency?” the dispatcher asked again, when the woman said nothing more. The silence stretched, taut as a bowstring, with only the woman’s breathing to mark the seconds ticking by. “Ma’am, are you still there?”
The dispatcher waited, attentive to the quiet maelstrom of the woman’s terror.
“Someone’s in the house. I have to keep quiet.”"

Overall, The House Sitter is an unputdownable thriller full of twists and turns. One highlight of this book was that it was engaging and kept my interest from the first page. That's pretty difficult to do and not very common in books that I've read in this genre. Usually, books take a dip near in the middle or start off slow, but I didn't find that at all in this book. I did take off 1 star, because I didn't find the ending very satisfying. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

The first thing that intrigued me to request this was the cover, and then the plot description. I have read so many thrillers recently that are along this plot line, so I was somewhat hesitant to start this one. However, even though I didn't find myself really connecting with the characters, and the story did feel somewhat familiar, I still enjoyed it. Ellery Kane is a great writer, and I really enjoyed her style. I will be looking for more by her to read. While this wasn't my favorite thriller of the spring, it was decent. 3 stars.

70 year old Iris Duncan is presumed dead and the two care givers she hired a few months ago are suspects. But there is so much more that the two house sitters are hiding, from the world and from each other. Rookie cop Maureen can see something is not right and much to the irritation of her boss, she keeps investigating on her own.
A rather lengthy plot but has a mix of crazy characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

What happened to Iris Lydia, and Seth after the 911 call from Iris' house? That's the question rookie cop (and former musician - but aren't you always a musician?) Maureen Shaw is determined to answer. Iris had a big house and slowly failing health when she fortuitously met Lydia. She invited Lydia and her partner Seth to move in and everything seems good until it isn't. This has an interesting set up and some intriguing characters. I found myself hung up, however, on Maureen who, while entertaining, is not the one who would have been investigating and who has a complete disregard for police procedure. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC,

The House Sitter by Ellery Kane
Published: June 14, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 298
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Ellery Kane is a forensic psychologist by day and a novelist by night; she has been writing--professionally and creatively--for as long as she can remember. Just like many of her main characters, Ellery loves to ask why, which is the reason she became a psychologist in the first place. Real-life is stranger than fiction, and her day job often inspires Ellery's writing. Evaluating violent criminals and treating trauma victims, she has gained a unique perspective on the past and its indelible influence on the individual. And she's heard her fair share of real-life thrillers. Ellery lives in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a picturesque setting that provides the backdrop for many of her novels. If you don't find Ellery interviewing murderers behind prison walls or pecking away at her latest novel, she is probably at the gym landing a solid jab-cross to a punching bag; riding bicycles with her special someone; or enjoying a movie the old-fashioned way--at the theater with popcorn and Milk Duds.

“Some people go their whole lives without looking up.”

Iris has lived quite the life, her mother abandoned her at a young age, but in the orphanage, she made friends with another lost soul. Their friendship sparked generations, and when Dolores died of an apparent suicide, Iris knew that was wrong. Lydia and Seth are down on their luck until they meet a kind old lady who needs help. Their paths crossed at the right time to save each other.

This was a very twisted story from page one. I enjoyed how this story was told. Between alternating timelines and narrators, the story unfolded dramatically and efficiently.

The characters were well done. Deeply complicated, and all deal with trauma from the past: secrets and devious plans, and ulterior motives.

I enjoyed how this was almost like a story within a story, but with everything connected and intertwined in some way.

The last five or so chapters are absolute game changing. As things start to settle and the picture becomes clear, the twists start to unravel in a way you will never see coming.

Seth & Lydia are down on their luck, a big part of which is caused by his gambling. She works and he spends her cash at the track resulting in a stay in a scummy motel a few days away from homelessness.

Lydia meets Iris, an elderly widow who lives in a large home that has become far too burdensome to keep up alone. Iris invites Lydia and Seth to stay with her in exchange for housework and a generous salary. But something goes wrong and Iris ends up missing, presumed dead.

This book is told in alternating time periods, both before and after Iris' disappearance. We also follow along the investigation in which a rookie, Maureen, makes a lot of headway in the case but is reprimanded for overstepping despite having good instincts.

It's really hard to give any other details without spoilers. I was able to predict certain aspects of the ending but not all of it and I enjoyed playing detective with Maureen. I would like to see more of her character in future books.

Thank you to the author, Ellery Kane, publisher Bookouture and Netgalley for the advanced review copy! Review to be posted on Goodreads, Bookstagram, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This story started off very strange with odd characters who made questionable, improbable choices. Then the story suddenly jumped forward a couple weeks to the police going to their house after a scuffle involving a gun. Things crawled after that . . .

I didn't much care for this story. At first I was intrigued as all three characters were so odd and I wondered why but that was quickly apparent. Too quickly. The dialogue was awful. Terrible. The plot was so forced. No one in this story was a "house sitter."

The House Sitter
by Ellery Kane
3⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date 14 Jun 2022
Publisher : Bookouture
Description :
She’s in your home. But can you trust her? Newly pregnant and down on her luck, Lydia thinks her fortunes have changed when a customer at the café where she works offers her a job and a room in her plush Pacific Heights home.
It’s been years since Iris’s husband Dean died in his sleep and Lydia soon becomes the daughter Iris never had—making her cups of tea, helping her with the bills, and taking charge of Iris’s daily medications now that her memory has begun to fail.
Then one night, someone makes an emergency call from the telephone in the pristine kitchen. The police arrive to find the house has been turned upside down and no sign of Iris or Lydia. Dark and cold, this isn’t the welcoming family home it once was, and why has the telephone line been severed? As the police unravel what happened that night, they discover a clue in Iris’s past that makes them question whether the two women met by chance after all. But who has everything to lose ?
💥🤷‍♀️🏠MY REVIEW💥🤷‍♀️🏠

I was hooked from the start. I thought wow this one was going to blow me away but sadly about 16 chapters in it becomes really slow and so boring that I had to stop reading it and start reading something else.There was three things that really irritated me about the book. One being the title does not match the book, the other is there is way too many descriptive details, the third is there was too much repeating. I also found all of the characters to be totally unlikeable except Iris and Officer Maureen Shaw the rookie cop. In order to finish this book I would read about 3 chapters then switch to another book.The only thing that kept me reading was the fact there's a frantic 911 call from Iris and a gunshot is heard.When the police and paramedics arrive there's no body, but signs of a struggle and a lot of blood on Iris's bed. Was Iris murdered? If so then who killed her? And why?
Seth and Lydia say they have no idea what happened that night because Iris had kicked them out the day before over the paint color for the rails. She wanted brown. Seth painted it black. Seth however has a gambling addiction and will do anything to get money to place his next bet. Not to mention he already has someone after him over the huge amount of money he already owns him. Did he kill Iris so he could get the money owed to him? Did Lydia do it? There is something very off with her. About 80 % into the book it finally picks back up. While I did not love every minute of it, it did have some places that I did love. It had secrets, lies, drama and an unforgettable ending.
*******Disclosure*******
I received a free E- ARC copy of this book from netgalley prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review. I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing books from net galley, publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review , just an honest one.
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Iris, an elderly widowed woman, is struggling to take care of her home especially since she has broken her arm. When she meets Lydia, a young waitress in a diner, she takes a liking to her. When Lydia loses her job, Iris has the perfect solution: she hires Lydia and her boyfriend Seth as caretakers.

Wow, what a wild ride this book was! Nobody is who they seem and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, it threw me for another loop. This was my first read by Ellery Kane but it won’t be the last!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! “The House Sitter” released June 14th.

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly 😊

This was a heart-stopping story! No one is as they seem. I was hooked a few pages in! The whole book you must decide who is in danger? Is it Lydia the down on her luck waitress who got offered a job that seems to good to be true? Or Lydia the sweet widower who is just trying to help someone she met by chance? Did they meet by chance or is one of them up to something sinister? One night something goes really wrong. You can follow along as the police try to piece together the chain of events. Make sure you pay attention to details or you might miss something important!

Thanks netgally and Ellery Kane for the giving me the chance to read this one. This story of two sibling con artist who meet the wrong mark was pretty good. I loved one of the main characters, Iris, and did not expect the little twist with her. Overall it was a pretty good read.

Thank you so much Bookouture, netgalley and Ellery Kane for the ARC of this book.

I listened to parts of this on audio as well as the ebook.

The story was entertaining and had me hooked the whole time. The writing between past and present was a good way to unravel the truth and was told in multiple POVs to keep us entertained throughout.

The pace was a little slow in some areas but once it picked it I couldn't read fast enough.

The narrator of the audio was good and I feel like other than being slow to pick up pace it was a really good read!

Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Ellery Kane for giving me this opportunity to read this thriller.

I’m always hooked with the thriller topic related to house, home, locked room, basement, trust, betrayal etc..It gives me the intense gripping sensational fulfilment.

A wealthy 70-year old lady Iris Duncan lived alone. She felt unsafe and needed someone to take care of her, then she hired or let’s say invited Lydia and Seth to stay at her luxurious house in order to taking care of Iris. Prepare the meals, remind Iris to take the medication, do some housework..

But one day, 911 received a call for help from Iris and the police heard a gunshot. When the police arrived to Iris’s house, no body was found. Where was Iris?

I like the way the author building up the story by crossing before/ after and the plot development. However I was a bit struggling in understanding the dialogue and writing style. Still I’m looking forward to reading Ellery’s next fiction!

Sadly this was another that just didn't hit the mark with me.

I felt it was slow, the characters were too unlikable (if that makes sense), the dialogue didn't flow and in many parts it felt forced.

But I did love the way this author sets the scene, and the descriptions used were perfection!

I'm relatively new to the thriller genre, so for me, many books are hit or miss as I compare every story I read now to the one story that made me want to read more thrillers. But I think I will go back to my romcoms, because I know most of the time I'm always happy with their endings. That is not to say this book wouldn't be a 5 star in many people's opinions, but for me I just didn't love it.

I would give this author another chance with a different/new book, as the scene setting and descriptions were fabulously crafted. I actually felt like I was in suburbs of San Fran.

Seth and Lydia are engaged as live in carers for elderly Iris after Lydia meets her in a cafe where she is working.. The couple move in and set about looking after Iris, who is very forgetful, and restoring the house which has fallen into disrepair following the death of Iris's husband Dean.. But all is not as it seems and, after Iris makes a call to the police in the middle of the night, an investigation starts into her disappearance with Seth and Lydia as the chief suspects. The writer is adapt at creating cliffhangers which make you want to read on to solve the mystery. The characterisation is also excellent from the moody aggressive Seth to the seemingly passive Lydia. However, the most interesting character is trainee cop Maureen who breaks all the rules in her efforts to find the missing Iris..
The author is very honest with the reader so it is possible to work out the truth at the heart of the story but this in no way detracts from the enjoyment of reading such a clever novel. I would like to read more from this author and would love it if Maureen became a recurring character.

1. The blurb mentions Mark Edwards. NO. NO WAY. NEVER.
2. No one is this book is a "House Sitter".
3. Every man in this book is terrible.
4. The dialogue in this book is AWFUL. TERRIBLE. THE WORST I'VE EVER READ.

Thanks but...skip this one.

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Bookouture. The opinions are my own and freely given.

The House Sitter will be released June 14, 2022

Cast of Characters
Iris - 69-year-old widow
Lydia - 24-year-old, former waitress/house sitter
Seth - house sitter
Officer Maureen Shaw - rookie cop

Lydia and Seth move into Iris Duncan's San Francisco Victorian style mansion in order to help her with general maintenance around the house and help to take care of her as her memory is failing. But one night, Iris calls 911 stating someone is in her house and the dispatcher hears gun shots.

So, from the prologue, I was captivated. But then I lost interest and couldn't read more than a chapter at a time. Until the end of course when everything came together. This told from the perspective of "BEFORE" and "AFTER" which is the time of Iris's 911 call.
There were a few things about this book that I had guessed. so, I guess you could say it was predictable, but not in a "I don't want to finish this now" type of way. Since there was no "big reveal" or "AH!!" moment (due to me figuring out parts of it), I am only giving 3 stars. It wasn't a waste of time, or a disappointment, it was alright. Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Ellery Kane.