The premise of The Other Tenant intrigued me and I was excited to get stuck in to the first few chapters of the book.

This is something of a slow burn, but it does move along at a decent pace. There were lots of angles looking at the central plot, however I felt like that meant none were fully explored. I struggled to connect with most of the characters and would have liked them to be more well-rounded.

Having said that, this is a great story and I think it would make the perfect holiday read.

They say she left, but you think she’s been taken.

Marlow leads a simple life and she’s never sure where she will be living next. When her next accommodation is her old school she soon regrets accepting the offer. As old memories start to make her feel uneasy and the fact a previous tenant just disappeared overnight Marlow wishes she was anywhere but McKinleys.

The thing I liked most about this book was the setting, totally immersive and I love it when that happens as I’m in the story rather than just reading it if that makes sense. I really enjoyed this book and thanks to @netgalley for the chance to read it. I also got a sneak peak of this book in a goody bag from the fab @itsthebookparty at the end of last year so I’m pleased I’ve finally read it.

Publication Date - 25/04/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheOtherTenant
#LesleyKara

This is a great mystery thriller.
Marlow is a property guardian and enjoys staying at properties with a bit of history.
When she’s told it’s time to move out of the old church she’s been staying at, she wonders what will be next.
She’s quickly offered a room at an old school but when she realises it’s her old school, she’s suddenly unsure due to what happened when she was there.
We don’t find out until later what happened but just being there is affecting Marlow more than she thought.
The other property guardians are a mixed bunch and when it’s clear a previous guardian has gone missing, Marlow is determined to find out what happened.
This is a great read, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’m a huge fan on Lesley Kara and couldn’t wait to read the new release. It did not disappoint! It felt a little different to her previous work with more characters to follow but I throughly enjoyed trying to piece together the mystery!

Another superb thriller from the excellent Lesley Kara. The central premise involves the concept of property guardians, who act as tenants and caretakers of empty buildings, a really original and fascinating idea. Marlow is a veteran of this kind of tenancy but her latest billet is her old school and the place is full of mystery, intrigue and threat. Well written with a fascinating array of characters, this is a highly enjoyable read.

Having read and enjoyed Lesley Kara's other books I certainly wasn't going to miss reading this ome and I wasn't disappointed.

This was quite a creepy book, set in a creepy location, which had several twists in it. Becoming a property guardian in abandoned buildings it took great mental strength for Marlow to take up a placement in her old school where her best friend had died. She faced her own demons returning to the school, but she also picked up on the mysterious disappearance of a previous tenant. What had happened to her and what linked her disappearance to the current goings on in the abandoned school? Getting involved in finding out what went on was going to put herself at risk. Who amongst the other property guardians could she trust?

Thank you to Netgalley, Lesley Kara and Random House UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A ‘property guardian’ pays reduced rent in exchange for keeping an eye on an otherwise empty property.  Marlow’s latest gig is coming to an end and she’s forced to move somewhere she vowed never to return: her old school. 
 
She knows, almost immediately it was a huge mistake.  The former Victorian school will be turned into apartments, but for now Marlow is haunted by her time there as a student, and by what happened to her best friend.
 
In addition to reliving her high school trauma, sinister things are happening – a previous tenant disappeared without saying goodbye, or taking her stuff.  Who, if any, of the nine other live-in guardians can she trust?
 
As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book!  The idea of a former pupil returning to their school as a property guardian really appealed.  No amount of money would have me revisit those memories! 
 
Marlow, our MC, is curious to the point of reckless, in her pursuit of investigating what happened to the previous tenant.  She ends up unearthing something much bigger and placing herself in real danger.  Perhaps she should remember the old adage in future, and keep her nose out 🤣
 
Told predominantly in the present, from the POV of various guardians, with some throwback chapters to the past.  This approach is effective, both in having us learn more about the characters in the present day, and in understanding the context and history of Marlow’s time as a pupil.
 
It’s a fun and twisty thriller.  The abandoned school setting is atmospheric and foreboding, making it an excellent location for a whodunit.  There’re a few big coincidences and suspend disbelief moments, but I’m cool with that.  I was suitably entertained and gobbled this up in a couple of days.

A huge thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara. Let me start by saying I adore all of Lesley Karas’ books, she certainly knows how to twist a tale.

Fast paced, super twisty and a very compulsive read. The idea of property guardians is one I’ve never come across before and I found it very realistic in this day and age. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Lesley Kara and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for the eBook of The Other Tenant.

Marlow, a young photographer / House property Guardian. Having had to move out of an old church she's currently looking after, she takes up residence at her old school which is up for being redeveloped. This fills Marlow with dread as there is a secret of her past lurking there. A terrible fire and a loss. As Marlow gets to know the other House property Guardians, it becomes apparent there is something else going on. Secrets and a strange stalker who keeps. leaving ominous messages. Marlow is determined to get to the bottom of what's going on.

I found the premise of this book both interesting and engaging, even though it is a slow burn at the beginning. There is enough information given at a good pace to keep you intrigued as the narrative unravels. You take a breather and then the pace starts to quicken with a great pay off at the end. The story is set from several points of view, mostly 3rd person and two first person, which makes a great combination. The old deserted school makes a great atmospheric place for a edgy who- dun- it on a clever level.

I will be looking forward to reading more of Lesley Karas books in the future.
4 stars

Bit of a slow burner but always say that doesn't matter if the story keeps you engaged and is intriguing....and this was on both counts
Not overly keen on the characters but all told the story kept me when the characters didn't and I wanted to find out the outcome of the mystery

I’m not sure what to make of this book. It’s billed as a twisty thriller but for me, it just didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. The plot unfolded well at the start but I couldn’t gel with any of the characters and found as the book progressed, the plot seemed to stall. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

Unfortunately I'm on a roll of reading thrillers with plots similar to other thrillers that I have read at the minute - this is my third in a row!!

So because of that, <em>The Other Tenant</em> was quite a predictable thriller for me in terms of development regarding a new tenant getting far too nosey, the collection of character stereotypes that are brought together in this kind of situation (poor yet still privileged), and twists regarding what happened to "the other tenant".

So any negative comments aren't really fair of me because this happens a lot with thrillers, and it's all about which book you get to experience first! So for anybody who hasn't read this kind of plot before, I'm sure you'll love it. It is a well-written book with a lot of good qualities, and Kara is always an author I enjoy.

What did really stand out for me with this book, though, was the abandoned school setting. I loved the atmosphere this welcomed, so this definitely gave the story a unique spin for me which I really liked.

I absolutely love Lesley Kara's books, they have everything I love in them and are always entertaining and brilliant written, this one is exactly the same, I read it in almost one go!
The concept of a property guardian isn't one id ever come across before so I was intrigued - Marlow is a property guardian for an old run down school with several other guardians - que untrustworthy people and lots of mystery.
Highly recommend

Lesley Kara books are always so fun and addictive. I read The Other Tenant in an evening, unable to put it down. The mystery of the old abandoned school had me hooked. A story full of untrustworthy characters, in a place where nothing was as it seemed.

I had not heard of property guardians before but it makes a lot of sense. Marlow was one of a group of people who were living in an old private school that was set for redevelopment. Their job was to look after the place and make sure it wasn’t taken over by squatters and destroyed beforehand. It was an interesting story with plenty happening all the time..

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on April 25th.

Property guardians are quite common in my country. Due to the housing crisis, its often the only kind of property that is available at an affordable rent. As the rent for social housing is nearing 727 pounds a month, many young (and not so young) people are very happy to be able to live somewhere, anywhere, for something like 150 pounds a month. Even if it means you can only stay a year in an old school building.
Having to live in an old school, as Marlow is forced to do in this story, may sound nice because of the size of the rooms. But not for Marlow, as soon as she discovers she has to live with a bunch of strangers in her old school. The one where the biggest tragedy of her life happened. Property guardians are supposed to watch the building and take care it stays safe and will not be overrun by squatters. To er shock and dismay Marlow finds out that the self-proclaimed ‘head guardian’ is keeping secrets and there are multiple signs that the building is not safe at all. Especially not the old swimming pool…
Despite her mixed feelings about living in the building, Marlow decides to find out what’s happening.
It’s always nice to read about a group of people coming together in a story, when you know there must be something strange going on. Who’s having ulterior motives and who’s not?
A nice enough read although it’s not I could really engage with the characters.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this review copy.

I have read most of Lesley Kara’s books and I was looking forward to reading this one.
Marlow is a Property Guardian. She lives in some empty places temporarily until they are re developed. She has been asked to move into an empty room in an abandoned Private school which will be soon re developed. The person who lived their previously (Hayley) had left suddenly and not even saying goodbye to the other eclectic group of Property Guardians living there.
When she arrives, she realises that it is the school that she went they’re as a child and vowed that she would never return after what happened their years ago. And the room that she was expected to move in is now out of bounds because of the roof leaked after bad weather. She has been allocated a room in another part of the school, which she is not happy about. And she soon realises that they haven’t had rain in weeks. She senses that something is not right about the place. What is going on? What happened to Hayley. She is on a mission to find out.
This is another addictive read that I read it mostly one sitting. I enjoyed the premise of this story as I find it quite unique. There was a lot of characters in this story which we could have heard a bit more about as it was centred around Marlow mostly. The only thing annoyed me was some parts of the storyline wasn’t concluded at the end that left me with a lot of questions. 4 stars from me.

I have loved previous books by this author and was very pleased to get this one. however I didn’t really enjoy it at all. The story was unbelievable and the characters lacked depth. It wasn’t my cup of tea at all and such a slow burner.. I would definitely read the next one as I usually enjoy her novels. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I enjoyed this fast paced and twisty thriller set in an old school awaiting redevelopment. Lesley Kara is a gifted storyteller and the novel well written and satisfying. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A very interesting and compulsive read. It moves apace with very differing characters whose personalities are revealed bit by bit. The story has many surprising twists and turns but comes to a satisfying conclusion. Good setting, realistic characters. I would recommend.

A chilling noir thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end, with a gripping storyline and a complex protagonist.