Stonecliff Manor is a decrepit, semi abandoned mansion on an island on Lake Michigan. Some of this group of friends have been summoned for the reading of a will, others are their friends who have accompanied them. None are likable and the contest will be to see who is the least likable. Contestants are Kerrigan and Kip, a very unhappily married couple with longtime ties to the island; Mika and Stavros, a fashion designer and her husband who married her for a green card; Ryleigh, described as a nice girl; Daniel, a novelist and Ryleigh’s best friend and Cole, the mansion caretaker. Things quickly go downhill. There’s a nasty storm, people are marooned on an uninhabited island and women start to disappear. Everyone is a suspect. The story is told in alternating voices and concludes with several chapters describing events months and years later.

There’s a lot to like with The Guests. Adriane Lee’s characters all face problems and have secrets that drive the plot. The location is creepy and atmospheric and who doesn’t love a storm on a deserted island? What I didn’t like was the difficulty in understanding the timeline after the island. Without spoilers, I didn’t understand what had happened (and why) after the return to civilization. I wish those last chapters and somehow been part of the island story without all the time in between or with that time blended in a different way. I do like this author and will definitely read her work again. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Adriane Leigh for this ARC.

I struggled to get into this book, probably because I didn't relate to any of the characters. Very few had any redeeming qualities and I didn't really care what secrets they were keeping.

Thank you NetGalley! I loved the premise of this book, especially “locked room” thriller. It started it out with a bang. I just kept finding myself drifting away from the story and not being pulled back in

This was such an exciting and addictive read, throughout I had me unsure of who to trust. The timelines did throw me off at points as it was a bit confusing but I enjoyed everything else.

Ok, so I really enjoyed this book, but I feel like it's super choppy. You have the island itself, then you jump ahead like 9 months, then 6 months etc. It just didn't flow very well. There were so many characters and it was hard to keep them all straight, what their story was, and who their significant other was. This group of people show up on this island for the reading of a will. Who gets the shares? Some want to sell. Some want to kill others. They all seem to have secrets. This whole group is out to get each other, lie to each other, turn people against each other. No one knows who they can trust, and yet they seem to chose the one person to trust most of the time. Didn't see the ending coming. Overall I think I would rec it, but it can def flow smoother.

3.5 stars

The Guests by Adriane Leigh  is a psychological thriller about six people invited to a remote island for the reading of a will.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Joffe Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

  
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Stonecliff Island is a remote island in Lake Michigan, and often without cell service.  But it is beautiful.  It may also be deadly.  Each guest to the island has their own "villa",  as well as access to almost anything they need.  Paradise.

Six people are invited to the island for the reading of a will.  Cole is the only "local" one there, and he is the caretaker of the island.  His job is to make sure everything runs smoothly, and this is his last chance, so he can't screw up.  Cole knows most of the invitees, but not all.

Kerrigan is married to Kip, and their marriage is a sham.  She is an artist, but would struggle without his money.  She invited her best friend Ryleigh along for a week in paradise.

Ryleigh is also a struggling artist, dreaming of a a break in theater.  She brought her dear friend Daniel.

Mika has recently married Stavros, and she has a large stake in the island.

But then, one of the six goes missing, and secrets start to surface.



My Opinions:
I will be up front and say I really hated the start of this book.  The characters were introduced haphazardly, and I struggled to identify each.  I also didn't like anybody (well, maybe Daniel, and sometimes Ryleigh).  My opinions really didn't change from start to finish.

As well, it moved really slowly. 

The story is told from multiple points of view, and we are never sure which, or if all, are unreliable narrators.  Is everyone lying?  There certainly are a lot of secrets.

The twists, however, came fast and furious.  You really had to pay attention!

Overall, it ended  up being much better than I thought, but it took a while to get there.

"Blood is thicker than water, but that summer at Stonecliffe taught me you can drown in either."

That's a very intense way to end it.

---

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me a UPC of this book in exchange for my review, so I will be completely honest... After Chapter Twenty Nine, every thing went kinda messy for me. I was lost from the series of events from then on. But, I have to consider that the copy I received was an "uncorrected proof", meaning, there's still room for editing and finalization. I want to see how they'll clean every thing from the said chapter and how they'll finalize the series of events. Because given what I've read, there's so much potential for this book to be enjoyed by future readers.


For now, I will giving this book a 3 stars.

“The Guests” by Adriane Leigh is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps the tension high from start to finish. Full of twists and suspense, the novel centers around a group of friends who were supposed to be on a trip in paradise,but nothing is as it seems. Leigh masterfully builds tension with unexpected revelations and a constantly shifting narrative that keeps readers guessing. This is a must read for fans of suspenseful thrillers.

Thank you Netgalley and Adriana Leigh for this ARC copy!

It was a great book, however, I did struggle a little with the different POVs in each chapter. That is not the fault of the book at all, though. It is always challenging for me, but I do like a good challenge sometimes.

The story is told from the POVs of Cole, Ryleigh, and Kerrigan most of the time, and two others sprinkled in-between towards the end. They do not know each other, but end all up being trapped on the same island with a strom coming close and a killer on the loose...

That and the fact that I did like the blurb made me keep reading, even when I had to jump back and forth sometimes to keep things clear (which is why I prefer a physical copy usually with these type of books, but again, I do not back down from a good challenge. And it was still a fast read and I of course wanted to find out what was going on, so I kept reading, determined to find out.

This book just was not for me. I hated almost all the characters and I know that is the point but I just didn't even want to hate read about them. They were just not people I had interest in.
But that is just me.
I think other people would be into it.
The cover is gorgeous.

The Guests by Adriane Leigh is an atmospheric, captivating novel that expertly blends suspense with emotional depth. Set in a luxurious, isolated mansion, the story follows a group of strangers whose secrets slowly unravel as they come together for a mysterious gathering. Leigh’s writing is immersive, drawing readers into a world of tension and intrigue, where every character feels layered and complex. The pacing is perfect, with twists and turns that keep you hooked until the final page. The Guests is a page-turning thriller that will keep readers guessing and leave them thinking long after they’ve finished. Highly recommended!

I wanted to love this book because the synopsis sounded right up my alley. I did enjoy the buildup in the beginning but the plot in the middle and especially the ending fell flat for me. It was confusing in parts and hard to keep up with.

I went into The Guests with high hopes, intrigued by the suspenseful premise of a remote island getaway with dark secrets unraveling between six unsuspecting guests. The setup had all the classic ingredients of a psychological thriller—hidden agendas, a luxurious yet isolated setting, and a storm that traps everyone with nowhere to hide. However, I found the book fell short of its potential and ultimately didn’t deliver the gripping tension I anticipated.

The story starts quite slowly, and despite the promise of danger looming on the horizon, I found myself waiting a long time for the plot to gain momentum. The characters, each with their own flaws and hidden struggles, unfortunately, didn’t add much depth or suspense. None of them were particularly likeable or relatable, which made it hard to feel invested in their experiences. Without characters to root for—or even really care about—the story’s tension quickly faded, and I felt no real sense of suspense or worry for anyone’s outcome.

As the mystery unfolded, the plot twists felt forced and overly complex. Rather than heightening the suspense, the turns in the story seemed to add unnecessary layers, making the narrative feel muddled instead of compelling. Even the ending, which should have been a satisfying payoff, left me feeling underwhelmed and unsurprised.

Although I love a good psychological thriller, The Guests didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It had a promising premise but ultimately lacked the tension, character depth, and satisfying resolution that makes a thriller memorable. Thank you to Joffe Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Adriane Leigh for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Guests coming out November 19, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoy psychological thrillers and island stories are really fun for me. This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I couldn’t relate to the characters. There was some cheating going on and I really can’t stand that in books. It was a little slow in the beginning and it was a little confusing with the backstories of the characters. I liked the initial setup, but I couldn’t get into most of it. I would check out another book by this author though.

This was a fast read for me, but with a bunch of unlikable characters and a very far-fetched plot that ties itself in a knot with its twists it left more questions than it really gave answers.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

Interesting group of what seem like "frenemys" set off to a private island near Mackinac Island for a will reading. Most of the guest have a stake in the disposition of the island by blood or marriage but the group is discordant from the beginning. Who is really friend with whom? Once on the island even the caretaker has a past with some of the guest and a small stake on a island teeming with untapped oil reserves. What ensues is a dizzying tale of deceit and double cross that will leave the reader's head spinning. While overall a fun read, there seem to be one too many twists by the time the final score was settled.

Six people are invited to go on holiday, and in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie, not every person will return. I disagree with the reviewer who characterized this as a “locked room” mystery. I can’t stand that sub-genre, and would never read anything in it. This book is much more of a domestic suspense novel than anything, as it meets the textbook definition - it centers around secrets, tensions, and disturbances that arise from relationships between characters. It certainly held my attention and I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

A group of friends head for a vacation on a. private island located on Lake Michigan. We quickly learn that all the guests have secrets. Things take a turn when one of the guests goes missing...and they won't be the last one.

I was excited to read this one as I love vacation thrillers. The description led me to believe this would be a juicy vacation thriller. However, I wouldn't say it is really a vacation thriller/it doesn't really have the elements of a traditional vacation thriller.

I found the first 50-60% of the book quite slow and filled with unnecessary details and annoying dialogue. I'd given this portion of the book 2 stars. It did pick up quite a bit for the last third of the book and had some pretty crazy twists and turns. However, a high degree of suspension of disbelief is required. Quite an implausible plot and really chaotic. It was a bit all over the place and some of the chapters didn't really flow.

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this I did get confused a little with all the characters but then I did like how many their was and finding out their secrets and lies like how they all had their own pov
I love the twists did not see the end coming
Crazy !!

What a fun “locked room” mystery thriller! I was entertained the different perspectives of the multiple POVs. So much negative energy with this unlikeable cast of characters!!
The shocking revelations blew my mind! Toward the end, it becomes somewhat chaotic and confusing. Overall, a good read.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.