This story is based in a small Greek island which has holiday homes. The story of a murder taking place during a holiday is certainly not particularly original. One guest, Laila, has been having unsuccessful IVF treatment so it is not surprising that she becomes obsessed by a family with two teenage sons. Then the elder boy, Isaac, is murdered. Laila also has the unwelcome news that her husband James, was involved in the death of his first wife on an adjacent island, something she didn’t know. So who murdered the boy? He had been heard having an argument with his brother the same afternoon. But James remembers seeing the body on his way home, drunk. The younger brother is an obvious suspect but does his mother know more than she is letting on? The book is well written even if the outcome is fairly predictable. It is an easy read, not high on drama or suspense.

This was an entertaining story, which held my interest but I'm afraid I found the characters irritating (especially Laila) and not very convincing. The ending was a bit predictable so I wouldn't describe this as more than an acceptable holiday read.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Thanks for letting me this in advance. It was good fun. A Greek murder mystery. One for round the pool

This is a great summer read, a great murder mystery, well written and had me guessing to the end. Although the characters are very self-involved and self-centred, this is an enjoyable read nonetheless!!
Laila is being whisked off to a Greek Island luxury holiday resort, by her husband James. She is not used to splashing out on luxuries let alone boutique resorts. Whilst lying on her sunbed she becomes wrapped up and involved in some of the other guests lives. Her holiday and her marriage take some unexpected twists and turns.
No spoilers!!
A modern tale of how wrapped up we can become in our worlds and not see what is right in front of us.
Highly recommended!!
Thank you NetGalley for the early read much appreciated!!

I am a big fan of Heidi Perks and I was delighted to be approved for this new novel.

Laila is on holiday with her husband and we quickly learn this is a make or break holiday for their marriage. Laila has struggled to conceive and her determination and obsession to become a mother has placed a significant strain on her marriage.

On holiday, she quickly notices a family in the same resort, a perfect family in her eyes and everything she has ever wanted. However a tragedy in the resort turns everything on its head and everything is not quite as it seems.

This book is told over a dual time line as well as a dual perspective. I love books like this where the reader is one or two steps behind the story, knowing what is happening but never quite knowing what events lead to it.

The character of Laila is complex and completely believable. You genuinely feel her pain at not being able to conceive and the pressure this places on her and her marriage.

When the events do unfold and the reasons revealed, I was a little underwhelmed however that should not take away from what was a really interesting and intriguing read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have liked previous books by this author but this failed to entertain me. The plot was weak and often repetitive. The characters lacked brightness. The ending was disappointing.

Many folk people watch on holiday to some extent - observing behaviour, designing a back story but Laila takes it further than most. She and James were the perfect couple whose lives were being ripped apart by many failed IVF attempts. The secrets and lies they have kept from each other belie this premise. Just as a secret is about to be exposed the story is abruptly moved to another scene.
Alongside James and Laila's story and their childless marriage is the dilemma of a mother (Em) as to the loyalty she shows to her sons, how far she will go to protect them.
It certainly kept me guessing. Three and a half stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Heidi Perks/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

James books a holiday for him and his wife Laila to a 5 star resort.
The resort is lovely to imagine, as I will certainly never experience one! But the story isn’t all I hoped it would be.

Much of the plot is focused on sub plots that have little to do with the murder that happens, and rather than add to the intrigue, it takes your focus away from the only bit of “thriller” in the book.

The lack of real suspense really took my enjoyment away.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

With travel chaos looming as Brits take to the skies for their summer vacation, maybe curling up with The Other Guest in your back garden may be a good alternative. The Other Guest is set on a mythical, tiny, Greek island called Ixos, apparently a relatively short boat ride from Crete. Ixos has a luxury boutique hotel called White Sands and this is chiefly where the action happens. The story, or potential murder mystery thriller, is one really about relationships and frankly it held little menace or thrills. However, if you are in to novels where relationships are the raison d'être then this one is for you. Personally, I found it a bit slow and in that regard over-lengthy. Occam’s razor would have been the best choice for the detectives especially as the statistics weigh in its favour when looking for the most likely suspects.
Just one niggle; interestingly when it comes to describing the dishes on offer at the restaurant, we are advised there is tzatziki and moussaka but obviously we are too dumb to know the Greek for beef stew and fish-roe mousse as well! Oh well, perhaps we never moved on from Shirley Valentine.
I am afraid it's a three star review from me.

Thank you netGalley for this advanced copy. So I would have to say this is the best book by Heidi in a long time. The last few have been hard for me to get through. This one was not! I loved all the secrets that were coming out from "relationships." While I feel parts were predictable, it had some good suspense. Good book! I also love book set on the beach!

The setting was executed well, particularly for the main character who doesn't usually experience that kind of luxury.

While the death of one of the guests fits the criteria of being a thriller, most of the plot didn't. There's a lot of exploration of the main character's fertility issues and marriage. I wasn't expecting so much background. Occasionally it came at the cost of making the tension and thrills rise.

The ending, for me, wasn't surprising. It felt somewhat deflated.

To be fair, the author is a great writer and where she does create suspense she does this well.

Not sure about this book. Too many sub plots that didn’t really add anything. I read it in one sitting but I must admit the ending was disappointing

I love murder mystery books but this one just didn’t hit the mark with me. The hotel setting was easy to imagine, the characters all had mysteries surrounding them but I just felt the pace of the book fell flat. I found myself skimming over some parts when it just seemed to be going in circles. I’m really sorry, I tried hard to find the positives but this just wasn’t a book I enjoyed

It was an OK read. I found the characters not very likeable and it became a bit repetitive with the inner turmoil. I enjoy people watching as much as the next person but Leila took It too far.

Thanks to Net Galley And Random House UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
James and Leila are on holiday in a five star Greek resort reset their marriage.
Laila is a people watcher and gets caught up in the lives of the other holiday makers
On day 5 one of the teenage boys from the family of four is found dead in the pool. Policies are questioning everyone in the resort and treating the death as suspicious. Everyone has their secrets including James and Laila.
I found the characters somewhat irritating and felt the book lost momentum but a light easy read.

#TheOtherGuest #NetGalley
A fun read. 4.2/5 🌟
Laila and her husband arrive for a week's holiday in Greece in desperate need of a reset. As Laila sits by the pool she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the other family staying in their resort. Em has no idea who Laila is, or that she has been watching her and her teenage sons and husband so intently. Five days later their worlds will be blown apart by a horrifying event. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she's seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. And what if she's got it wrong?
It started off really well but it's ending was so so. I didn't expect it to end like that.
Although it was a Fun read from starting until it's middle point climax.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for giving me an advance copy.

I think I might be missing something!
The title and the cover were both which caught me and the thriller categorisation too, of course. Unfortunately, I was let down by all of them.

The cover does not fit, as the main women characters don’t ever enter the water to swim, to my knowledge; title seems odd, maybe be -s is missing but maybe it’s just an ill fitting title which makes little to no sense in connection to this book. And lastly, a thriller this was not.

I found the plot never really moved anywhere, the characters were unlikeable and overall, a lot of loose ends, plus a fall-flat ending.
Meh, very meh.

I did read and finish this book quite quickly, so there must be something good about it, but it truly mostly felt like a letdown.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I raced through this one.

Laila becomes obsessed with some of the other guests on a luxury resort holiday. She is there to mend her marriage but she is more concerned with everyone else. I mean I like people watching but OMG!

A gripping thriller with themes of motherhood and infertility but the ending was a disappointment for me

I enjoyed this up to a point and then it sort of meandered off point but then I was persevering and whilst I wasn’t richly rewarded with regards to the plot and characters . It was a suitable ending, I didn’t really vibe with any of the characters, or if I did it was brief nod of recognition along the lines of ‘oh yeah, me too’