The Guests

With many thanks to Netgalley and Ellie Hudson for the early access arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

Oh Nikki Smith! Yet again I have hung on every word, turned every glorious page and been thoroughly addicted. Could not put this book down. It had everything - a great storyline, brilliant characters and a glorious setting with a descriptive narrative to match. Had a slight touch of Agatha Christie about it (and I say that with the greatest of compliments) with the location and the secrets. A go-to author for me for sure. Just perfect!

I was so surprised to see I had an ARC for Nikkis new book due out in June. It was a brilliant story, I had underlying anxious feelings throughout wondering how it was going to end. Loved the beautiful setting, a place I have wanted to visit for a long time. A story of money, power and greed. People willing to lose everything just to be rich. A great read. Thank you for the opportunity.

Idyllic, Deceiving, Setting…
A beautiful resort in the Maldives, Asana Fushi, shimmers in the dense heat. Every luxury is catered for here but every guest, perhaps every person in this place, holds deep, dark and damaging secrets. How far would these people go to keep them? A luxury holiday in paradise turns fatal in this pacy suspense, with a deftly drawn and mostly unlikeable cast of characters populating a twisting and turning plot bubbling over with menace and tension in an idyllic, yet deceiving, setting. A one sit, tension fuelled ride - the reader will be unable to look away.

What a brilliant read. I didn’t see any of the twists coming - Alexa, Cara, Zach, Cindy and the employee- Devi what a cast of characters and blimey! What. A. Story.
Once I started it, I found it hard to stop, it was so engrossing and entertaining.. I am missing the sun kissed protagonists already. All the stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers. #Netgalley #NikkiSmith prepare to meet #TheGuests

Oh my goodness, what a book!! I gobbled it up in 24 hrs and the ending has left me chilled to the bone. Amazing story that draws you in and makes you feel you are in the Maldives with all these awful people, with the sun burning your back, the sand hot on your feet and the luxury of the rooms making you want to be rich enough to afford to go there.

The characters are well drawn and I really started to feel sorry for some of them even as the horror of what had happened became clear. I’m off to find more books from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

What a read! A page-turner I couldn't put down. despicable people on a luxury island where your every need and whim is catered for. A great story with very well-drawn awful characters, a well-paced plot and perfect pacing. Fantastic!

A very gripping read - lots of twists and turns. Will enjoy reading more by this author. Thanks @netgalley for letting me read this.

You are going to love this book! Tense, twisty and all too believable. Nikki Smith is the queen of the destination thriller!
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for my advanced read.

Nikki Smith's "The Guests" thrusts readers into a tantalizing blend of luxury and suspense as it unfolds within the breath-taking backdrop of the Asana Fushi resort in the Maldives. The promise of paradise takes a dark turn as the author skilfully navigates the complexities of each character's secrets, creating a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The story kicks off with the Hamiltons arriving at the seemingly idyllic resort, welcomed by the staff's promises of a dreamlike experience. The initial allure of champagne picnics on pristine sands, serene snorkelling adventures, and moonlit strolls sets the stage for a vacation filled with opulence. However, as the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that beneath the surface of this paradise lies a web of lies, and the guests are harbouring secrets that threaten to unravel the very fabric of their supposed utopia.

Smith's narrative craftsmanship shines as she intricately weaves together the individual secrets of the characters, creating an atmosphere thick with tension and intrigue. The promise of a once-in-a-lifetime trip spiralling into a holiday from hell adds a gripping layer to the story, and readers are kept guessing about the impending twists and turns.

The characters in "The Guests" are well-developed, each with their own motivations, flaws, and hidden agendas. As their secrets gradually come to light, the tension escalates, and the reader is drawn deeper into the psychological intricacies of the plot. The resort itself becomes a character in the story, with its opulence serving as a stark contrast to the darker undertones lurking beneath the surface.

The novel masterfully explores themes of deception, betrayal, and the consequences of hidden truths. Smith's evocative prose paints a vivid picture of the Maldivian paradise, creating a rich sensory experience for the reader even as the story takes a sinister turn.

"The Guests" is a thrilling page-turner that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Smith's ability to blend suspense with the allure of an exotic location makes for a compelling and immersive reading experience. As the characters grapple with the consequences of their secrets, readers are taken on a suspenseful journey that explores the fragility of paradise and the darkness that can lurk beneath its seemingly perfect surface.

The Maldvies is meant to be a holiday of a lifetime place to relax and enjoy yourself. Not in this page turning book by Nikki Smith where nightmare and hell seems to be the name of the game for this holiday. Set against one of the world's most beautiful places turn into such a nightmare.

Find out in Nikki's brand new book for June 2024 where a champagne picnics on those famous white sands is swapped for secrets galore. This is a must read for those lazy days around the pool with champagne in hand.

What a breath of fresh air! Very glamour, exotic air at that. This book is so masterfully crafted. Its cleverly interwoven so many secrets and lies that the reader is constantly being shocked as things unfold. The characters are well written with such depth, dimension, personality and unique motivations. The setting is as picture perfect and glamorous as you can imagine and the overall narrative so perfectly laid out that you can almost feel the champagne bubble fizzing on your tongue as you read. Perfect for summer, do not miss this one

This book rides on a wave of anxiety both for the cast of characters but also the reader! I found myself frantically reading to try and find some peace of mind with one character somewhere but with a cast of secret keepers, some darker than others, the pace is relentless and the twists keep on coming.
Don't start this in the evening or you will read through the night!

Someone please remind me never to go on holiday with Nikki Smith, as she seems to have a knack of turning gorgeous holiday destinations into brilliantly dark and twisty stories!

And for a book set on Maldives, well let's just say you don't expect everyone on this island to be hiding things in ways that interlink.

Much less the sinister nature of some of these secrets, and as the story unfolds you can see just what lengths one family will go to, to protect either other, or themselves.

Everything is so vividly described, I could see it all so clearly, and I couldn't get enough of this story. I was totally hooked.

And it really is a paradise resort as a setting, and in other circumstances would be a hotel that I would love to visit.

It's another hit novel from this talented author, that I have devoured every word of it, and still would like more.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This was a captivating thriller that had me on the edge of my seats from start to finish. The twists make this novel a page-turner, as secrets unravel and tensions escalate among the guests at a Maldives resort.

As the chapters count down to an event you know is coming; you are left waiting and wondering who to believe and what will happen!

With great characters and a setting filled with suspense the author delivers a thrilling ride that left me guessing until the very end.

Fab story based upon a wealthy family who have made their money through supporting climate change sustainability. An idyllic holiday in the Maldives filled with murder, crime and an ever emerging picture of their dysfunctional family. Great story which I read in 2 sittings

What a book! Honestly couldn’t put it down!! I’m going to be buying Nikki Smith’s previous books now! Highly recommend!

A holiday in the Maldives is a once in a lifetime experience for many. With perfect weather, 5 star service, perfect surroundings and people striving to create environmental efficiency for a better future – what could possibly go wrong? Ego’s, self-preservation, resentment, illness, wealth (profits) and pride, that’s what. There were so many people looking out for themselves that you never really knew who deserved whatever happened to them. Then again, life is rarely straight forward. What a delicious Maldivian rollercoaster.

Perfect holiday read - set in an amazing glamorous location with so many twists and turns. This kept me hooked from start to finish - as soon as a horrifying find on the beach is identified right at the start. Well recommended and I look forward to the next book from Nikki Smith

Nikki Smith does it again. Another enthralling read- this time set in the beautifully picturesque Maldives with clear water, burning sand and a lot of unhappy people trying to escape from their problems. Unfortunately for the Hamiltons, their problems are never far away. Zach- the eco-businessman, his wife Cara and their teenage daughter Alexa all have stresses and the tension builds as they each plot and plan. Nikki is the expert when it comes to suspenseful holiday thrillers and this one does not disappoint. Whatever you think it going to happen, you’re wrong and the twists keep coming. A definite must-read summer thriller.

I spent part of my honeymoon on an almost too perfect Maldivian island so my imagination was running wild with The Guests! It was a real page-turner containing a complex cast of characters with their own motivations, gradually revealed to the reader throughout the book. I loved that no-one was quite as they seemed - the person I thought would be the biggest threat to our protagonist turned out to be the one she had the least to worry about! The twists kept coming to the very end, which was great. I definitely need to grab more reads from Nikki Smith!

I was so excited to see the next destination thriller from Nikki Smith after loving The Beach Party. The Guests is a brilliant almost unbearably tense read - especially if you like your to be families dysfunctional and any new friendships toxic…. Set in the Maldives, a dream holiday destination soon turns into a nightmare, with some deliciously unlikeable characters pursuing their own agendas. I stayed up all night to finish… perfect reading for the beach…

Set in a luxury holiday village in the Maldives, the arrival of a sea plane brings another clutch of rich guests. Life in the village is vividly portrayed. I could almost imagine being there among the palms, enjoying the beautiful backdrop of sun, sea and white beaches. Then there is the opulence of the resort, the accommodation, and a service catering for every creature comfort. Sadly, all this luxury was in some instances, spoilt by the arrogant entitlement of a few of the guests, but I guess that's only to be expected. No one was likeable; in fact some of them were downright awful.

Three sets of new arrivals are central to the story, which incorporates a rich selection of issues, including business ethics, environmental issues, marital infidelity, and blackmail. The structure of the book is set as a countdown between the group’s arrival and the date/time when some unknown event occurs. And when it happens, lives are changed for ever.

It's an unputdownable read which does not disappoint. There are the usual twists and turns to throw you off course and an ending I didn’t see coming. Another great read from Nikki Smith.

Highly recommended.
I would like to thank Penguin, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of The Guests in exchange for an honest review.