Really struggled to connect with the characters, it felt forced and predictable at every turn, I really wanted to like it but unfortunately I had to push to keep going so I could finish it

Mira V Shah is now one of my favourite authors. This is the second book of hers that I have read and I devoured both. I was drawn into this from the very beginning, it grabs you and hooks you from the very beginning. Set aside some time when you read this as you're going to want to just keep going until you finish. Superb writing.

It took me a while to get into this book, as I got a little bit confused about the plot (however this may be due to the Kindle format as it didnt really pull through and so I had a hard time to read this one). I got Agatha Christie vibes!

Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, twisty and entertaining. I liked the good storytelling
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Two weeks ago: I woke up next to a dead man in a hotel room, with no memory of the night before. Panicked, I fled, leaving no trace.

One week ago: I leapt at the chance to house-sit a stunning villa in remote Italy, desperate for escape.

Now: The owners have arrived unexpectedly. They’re the family of the man I left behind. And one of them knows my secret.

The story unfolds through multiple viewpoints—Aahnaya, Carole (the matriarch), and the mysterious Marina—interweaving timelines to build a rich, atmospheric thriller.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Thought this book was great. Will read any back catalogue work. Well written. Pacey and twisty with just the right amount of tension. My kind of book.

As an avid reader of anything and everything that is new in the thriller genre, I am always looking to discover exciting new literary voices. This thriller had a lot of promise, so I was delighted to be granted a free e-ARC in exchange for the book review that now follows.
Firstly, this novel starts with a popular thriller trope: the ordinary citizen finding themselves in an extraordinary situation that demands an instant escape from their predictable, familiar surroundings. In this case, the individual is hotel employee Aahnaya. One morning, she wakes up next to a deceased man with no recollection of what has happened. Given the chance of a house-sitting in Italy, Aahnaya is soon on her way, but any hopes of finding peace under Mediterranean skies are shattered when the dead man’s family turns up in her bolt hole, forcing her to investigate his death after all. The plot is executed well, but I found the various points of view a little grating, as more focus on Aahnaya as an unreliable narrator would have added to the novel’s depth. Overall, an engaging read that should deservedly net the writer some new followers.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for the free ARC granted to me in anticipation of an unbiased book review.

A bit too Agatha Christie for my taste. Lots of characters and situations falling neatly into place to bring the story along but failing to provide much of a thrill

I enjoyed the spooky tense elements of this book. The plot was well paced and written. Overall The House Sitter was enjoyable, and I will be looking out for future titles by this author.

I unfortunately didn't love this book, it might have been a me or a timing issue but something just fell a little flat resulting in a DNF. Although it wasnt for me the atmospheric eerie nature will definitely be for others!!

A fast paced read with plenty of twists .
Aahnaya finds herself in a hotel bed with a dead man at the side of her .
She has no memory of how she’s got there and how the man has appeared beside her , she leaves the hotel and finds her self mysteriously asked to house sit for the Lowden family.
The Lowdens own the hotel she worked in and the dead man is a member of the family .
The story that unfolds is full of jealousy , guilt and arrogance .
Will Aahnaya find out the truth ?
A cleverly written story with some loathsome characters making for a cracking read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

I liked the creepy setting and cover of THE HOUSE SITTER. It had all the elements, that I look for in a book. This was a fun read. I'll be recommending it to customers.

Thank you for my gifted copy!

Super twisty and a clever plot. This book had me gripped from the very start.

Aahnaya wakes to find herself in bed with a man at the hotel she works at, and he's dead! She doesn't know who he is and has no memories of the previous evening, so she is relieved to be asked to take a housesitting job at a villa in Italy, hoping she can hide out for a while. Until the family of the deceased man arrive at the villa - their family holiday home! Someone has engineered this whole set up but Aahnaya has no idea who and why she is involved.

When a storm cuts them off from the main town, this quickly turns into a locked room thriller and the family secrets come tumbling out, with some shocking reveals and some twists that I could never have seen coming. The writing is engaging and the characters, while not necessarily likeable, are fascinating, in a twisted way! A faced paced and very enjoyable read.

My personal favourite part is this: "You know ... you never told me your name, she continues, unaware of my inner torment.
'Oh, it's Aahnaya.'
Her expression goes slack. This happens a lot.
'It's not a name you hear often, I know. I chose it myself. They used to call me Sharon. I mean, come on! How ridiculous is that?''

So I'm considering a name change - I'll keep you posted! Sharon x

4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Mira V. Shah and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

Having loved the author's debut, I was eagerly anticipating their latest release. Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the quality of the previous one. While the premise promised a thrilling read, the execution fell short in several areas.

One of the main issues I encountered was the character development. Unlike the well-rounded and engaging characters from the author's debut, the characters in this book felt underdeveloped and unrelatable. This made it difficult for me to connect with their journeys and invest in their outcomes.

The story, although based on a unique idea, came across as disjointed and somewhat unbelievable. As a reader, I found myself struggling to stay engaged, particularly as the plot grew increasingly complicated in the latter half of the book. The complexity of the story made it challenging to follow and piece together all the connections, which significantly dampened my interest as I progressed.

While this book does have its strong points as a thriller, it didn't work for me as I had hoped. The initial excitement and curiosity I had were overshadowed by a lack of character connection and an overly convoluted plot. Overall, it was a nice thriller but not one that left a lasting impression.

I loved this author’s previous book, Her, so I was looking forward to reading this standalone thriller. A fairly short read but, to be honest, it doesn’t need to be any longer; it packs a punch & delivers on plot so no further explanation is necessary.

Aahnaya wakes in a hotel bedroom next to a corpse. She doesn’t know who he is or what has happened, so she makes herself scarce. Fast forward a couple of weeks & Aahnaya has secured a house sitting job in Italy, perfect for her to try & sort herself out. Unfortunately, when the family arrive at the house, they are the family of the dead man. Let the games commence…

Well paced with a relatively small cast of characters, this was an enjoyable read. Flitting between timelines, plenty of secrets are revealed including where exactly Aahnaya fits in it all. Recommended.

While reading 'The House Sitter', I was reminded of episodes of 'Murder, She Wrote'.
The suspects are all brought together; they each provide an account of events; the crime-solving sleuth joins the dots and presents the culprit.
I enjoyed the author's first book, 'Her', and read 'The House Sitter' because I was sent an advance copy. Unfortunately for me, this book fell short of being "different" or a "standout" read. The storytelling felt uncoordinated, with the second act feeling drawn out and the third act really picking up the pace, to the point where I was left wondering— what was that ending!?!
A good, easy read, requiring very little brain activity!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the early copy.

I really enjoyed Mira V Shah’s debut, and have enjoyed The House Sitter, her second novel just as much!

Two weeks ago Aahnaya woke up in a hotel room next to a dead man, with no memory at all of the night before. In sheer panic, she cleared up any trace that she was ever there and fled. One week ago the perfect escape presented itself; a chance to house sit in a beautiful villa in a remote part of Italy. Aahnaya jumped at the chance to get away, but fast forward a week and the owners unexpectedly arrive at the house. The most concerning thing about their arrival? They are the family of the man Aahnaya woke up next to...

I really enjoyed the fast paced nature of this book and there was such great mystery and so many secrets just waiting to be uncovered. This story had the most intriguing cast of characters and I loved the complexities within the family who arrive at the villa sending Aahnaya into a real spin!

The setting of Civita di Bagnoregio in Italy was amazing! It came to life through Mira’s beautiful descriptions and I just couldn’t resist searching the place online to see photos. I felt that it really helped build the tension and atmosphere within the story too.

I also absolutely loved the big reveal around the 60% mark of the book because it took me completely by surprise! The secrets just kept on revealing themselves from this point onwards too, right up until the last page. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough to see what would happen next!

Having enjoyed The House Sitter so much, I’m really looking forward to seeing what Mira writes next!

A family thriller kicking off with Aahnaya finding herself awake next to a dead man in a hotel room. She has no recollection of the previous evening or who the man is or how he has succumbed to his death. She flees the scene and takes an unexpected job as a house sitter in Italy. What she doesn’t expect is for the family of the deceased man to turn up at the villa she is at, and this starts the spiral of questions behind this families secrets and what piece of the puzzle she plays.

This was a good read, kept me engaged, a broken family, a lifetime of secrets and plenty of twists and turns.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my arc

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Her by this author I was so pleased to be offered a copy of this title. Unfortunately I did not feel this tale lived up to the quality of the previous book. I did not find the characters as well developed; I found the story disjointed and unbelievable and I was not engaged with the characters.
I am really sorry but this was not for me. Two and a half stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Mira V Shah/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is mainly told from the point of view from Aahnaya. She wakes one morning and finds herself next to a dead man. She has no idea who he is or how she ended up there. It is in the hotel where she works.
Aahnaya also house sits, so when she sees a job come up to look after a villa in Italy, she decides to go.
The Lowden family comprises the mother, Carole, and her adult children, Daniel, Miranda, and Jasper.
Marina, Seba's friend. She is looking for answers and to what happened to her mother.
When all these characters come together, there are plenty of revelations. Some were a shock, and others I had already guessed.
Quite an enjoyable read with some unlikeable characters. I loved the setting. Once they were in the villa and then cut off from the rest of the village after the storm gave it a more sinister atmosphere.
I would say I'm not sure why two characters were given similar names, I found it confusing at times.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the invitation to read this in return for an honest review.