I don't normally use the phrase, but this book was a really good page-turner! I find a lot of contemporary thrillers to be fairly "meh" but this one got to the core of something that I think many people find terrifying...invasion of personal space.
Edwards paces the story really well and I found the short chapters encouraged me to read "just one more chapter". Jeff and Lizzy are such a nightmare and their actions had me cringing and feeling so uncomfortable (the incident with the bed stands out as something small but infuriating!). The general idea of opening your house up to extended family out of kindness and having it backfire so severely means this book is both down-to-earth but also heightened. The events are something that many people will find horrifying and yet it's exciting and dramatic enough for a novel.
The tension builds and there were a few twists and turns I tried to guess, but ultimately ended up being wrong about all of them! This book keeps you guessing and there's a lot of confusion throughout the book that means the reader and the protagonist Elliot don't know who to trust.
Overall, a really good book that kept me interested!

An ingenious plot. Scintillatingly creepy, sinister and oozing with suspense and undercurrents which is the hallmark of Mark Edward’s dark psychological thriller novels. The ending made my toes curl. The content instantly made me think of the theory that there’s a murderer in all of us if we are pushed too far. I relish the fact that I had inlaws that weren’t outlaws. Elliot, an intelligent, married man who has built up his future with a blossoming high-flying career, a beautiful wife and home, finds himself lumbered with his inlaws and sister-in-law who overstay their welcome even on the first day. Dysfunctional with low mentality doesn’t quite describe the family – skilfully drawn characters that you detest. They are definitely an odd bunch of people, and I didn’t comprehend their motives for their actions fully until the end. I thought it was regrettable that Gemma used religion as a prop in an earlier time rather than find the necessary strength to cope inside herself and compensate for the past. Later. I decided that it might be simplistic thinking on my part. I became fond of little Charlie. He was the pure and sweetness amongst the evil. I just might try producing elephant toothpaste, but not the other Scientific experiments. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK.

The first book I’ve read by this author, I was really looking forward to reading it as it has a lot of positive reviews but to be be honest I was a bit disappointed. I read a lot from this genre and this was a middle of the road thriller.

I am a huge fan of Mark’s first psychological thriller The Magpies and it’s still one of the only books that gave me the goosebumps and got right under my skin, so when I heard he had a new book out which was just as good (if not better) I immediately downloaded the book and got stuck in.

Mark Edwards has a definite theme in his books – The Magpies was about the neighbours from hell, The Devil’s Work was the job/office co-workers from hell, Follow You Home is an adventure from hell, Because She Loves Me – girlfriend from hell and so on… so it’s no surprise that Here to Stay features something or someone from hell and this time it’s… IN LAWS and boy oh boy these in-laws are not just from hell – they are from another planet (not literally that was What You Wish For).

So let’s Meet The Robinsons – or rather let’s NOT. Poor Elliott, a 38 year old geek (sorry scientist) who lives on his own in a beautiful house with his cat when Gemma comes into his life (actually she saves it) and two months later after a whirlwind romance they are married and living together. So far so good and then Gemma’s parents and younger sister are returning to the UK after living in France for the last few years and have nowhere to stay – good old Elliott sees it as the perfect opportunity to get to know Gemma’s family and offers them a place to stay for a couple of week. What could possibly go wrong? Well if you leave it to Mark Edwards then absolutely EVERYTHING can go wrong!

I’m not going to give away the storyline but it’s safe to say The Robinsons make my in-laws look normal (and if you know my in-laws then you’d realise how f*cked up The Robinsons are!). This is a story you read with dread in your stomach and find yourself turning those pages almost with your eyes closed because you can’t believe how truly awful these people are and your heart breaks for the situation Elliott finds himself in.

Is this as good as the Magpies? I think so! Highly recommended for lovers of twisted psychological thrillers. 5 stars.

Oh my word, this book! It takes alot to creep me out or scare me but this book worked a treat, it was actually terrifying. If you want to read a book that keeps you guessing the whole way through and scares you a little, this is it! You guys know I love a book with twists and turns and this totally hit the spot! Gripping, tense and thrilling. Thank you Netgalley, Mark Edwards and Amazon Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

At the outset we meet Elliot- an unassuming nerdy nice-guy scientist living in a mansion in Dulwich worth over a million pounds. He can't quite believe his luck when he meets Gemma who has it all, looks, personality and to top it off she saves his life on the day she meets him. So taken with her, he marries despite only knowing her for just two months. Life is good until the in-laws come to stay a few weeks after the wedding! Elliot's life is about to change drastically!

The author takes us on a rollercoaster ride, with a gripping storlyine with fascinating believable characters with thrills galore. Never a dull moment - I was shocked and surprised at how this man's life could change so very quickly.

Whilst I could not put this down (I read most of it in one sitting), I think the author could have pulled back a little bit on the body count and storyline as I found it got a little bit unbeliavable towards the end. For this reason, I will take off a star, four stars.

Mark Edwards has done it again. I love his books and this one is one of his best..
The main character,Elliot, has a good life with a nice house and a job that he loves but there is something missing. Then Gemma comes along, he falls in love and they marry within months of meeting. Their life is idyllic until Gemma’s sister and parents move in on a “short term “ basis. That is when Elliot’s problems begin and his life begins to fall apart.
The really frightening aspect of this book is that I could see myself doing exactly the same thing, “Of course your family can stay, they must have our bedroom.” The story was so believable and I felt such empathy for Elliot.
This was a well written book with many twists and turns and the ending was totally unexpected.
I don’t feel that my review does this book justice but suffice to say I loved it and would thoroughly recommend it.
My thanks to Mark Edwards, Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to write my unbiased review( well, a little biased to the extent that I love Mark Edwards!).

Here to Stay by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, 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)

Elliott has been a bachelor for a long time.  When he meets Gemma, he falls hard.  Soon they are married, and all is good.  That is, until her parents and sister return from France, and move in to Elliott's home with no clear signs of ever leaving.

The antics of Gemma's family quickly prove to Elliott that he may have made a mistake.  That mistake may have been the quick marriage to the love of his life.  He went into this marriage without any knowledge of her past, and that is coming back to haunt him in a big way.

 
My Opinions:  

I have read a number of books by this author, and they are always a 4 or 5 star book.  This one...I cringed through.  Around the 30% mark, it improved....but not enough.  For a while I seriously considered giving it 1 or 2 stars.

I think it was the plot that disappointed me.  This book was just another "innocent man terrorized by someone", this time the in-laws.  His weakness allows him to be at the mercy of her family.  It was just very frustrating.  Elliott is a scientist, therefore he should be fairly bright....that intelligence did not appear.  The plot seemed preposterous, and the ending was inevitable, and fore-shadowed a little too much, so there was no real surprise.  I didn't like any of the main characters, feared for the life of the cat, and wouldn't have minded if the whole family (Elliott included) ended up jailed or dead.

I think it would be a fast read, but I kept putting it down and going to something else that would not aggravate me....so it took me days of agony....should have just ripped off the bandaid and got it over with.

However.....I absolutely loved the last 10%, when Elliott finally stood up for himself.   The writing of course, was great, typical Edwards style.  I can't complain about that.  I also realized, after I was done, that although I hated the majority of the book, it produced real emotions in me....yes, it was anger and frustration, but it was emotion....so it can't have been a really bad book.

Anyway, I am sure there are others that will love it...this one just didn't do it for me.

OMG.... What a Book... Mark Edwards Best Book.

Compulsive, gripping, tense, heart pounding, dark twisted story, that will shock to the root !!

A beautiful home. A loving wife. "And in-laws to die for."

Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot’s life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige – he just doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.

The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret. And then there are the scars on his wife’s body that she won’t talk about . . .

As Elliot’s in-laws become more comfortable in his home, encroaching on all aspects of his life, it becomes clear that they have no intention of moving out. To protect Gemma, and their marriage, Elliot delves into the Robinsons’ past. But is he prepared for the truth?

From the two million copy bestselling author comes a tale about the chilling consequences of welcoming strangers into your home.

This is a book I will recommend to everyone, this is so compelling, so gripping, tense, in my head I kept guessing how this book was too unfold, but I kept changing my mind...

Who is guilty, how this going to end, what is going to happen to our main character...

A book that keeps you guessing, makes your heart beat twice as fast, makes you feel tired for lack of sleep as I had to get to the end...

That is when you know the book is good....

Loved this book, chilling and brilliant.. Loved all the characters, good and bad...

Keep guessing....

Five stars

I've always enjoyed Mark's books, but have felt the last couple were slightly below previous high standards. Well, this one is right back on form. A real life setting, some very nasty characters and some solid twists in the plot along the way. The pace was great

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

This is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read in a long time! I have never read one of Mark Edwards’s books before but this is definitely not going to be the last one of his I will read! A lot of books lately promise to be psychological thrillers but this truly is one. It sucks you in from beginning to end and I don’t think many will anticipate the ending.
The main character Elliot at times gets you so frustrated that you just want to shake him but at the same time you are rooting for him because who could ever expect in-laws like his! It is terrifying what squatters rights can do to the unsuspecting victims.
The basic story is that of a well to do young man who meets a beautiful woman and marries her within months. Her parents and sister move in for a supposedly short visit while looking for a place of their own.
From then on everything goes wrong for Elliot and his well-ordered life totally crumbles.
Thanks to NetGalley and especially to Mark Edwards for the free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Elliot has everything a man his age could want: a successful career helping underprivileged children, financial security, and a beautiful home that is his pride and joy. The only thing he's missing is someone to share it with. So when Gemma blows into his life like a whirlwind, Elliot feels like his life is finally complete.

But what Elliot hasn't considered is that whirlwinds often leave destruction in their wake. When Gemma asks if her parents and sister can stay for a while until they've found suitable accommodation, Elliot readily agrees. But it soon becomes clear that the Robinsons have no intention of leaving, and Elliot's beautiful home, once his place of safety and retreat, is now somewhere he dreads returning to each day.

But how can you make someone leave when they refuse, when even the law is not on your side? Elliot must delve deep into the Robinsons' past to find out who they really are and what they are hiding. But he must be careful. Because if the Robinsons find out he's digging, Elliot may be the one who ends up buried...

Firstly, let me just say: I love, love, LOVED this book. Psychological thriller at its best, this is terse, tense, and brilliantly paced, with the drama ratcheting up wonderfully throughout. I love a good psychological thriller, and my favourites are this kind, where a normal, well-intentioned character finds their very ordinary life turned on its head. The characters were wonderfully drawn and realistic, too, even the lesser characters, which I really enjoyed.

The tension starts almost immediately, and only increases throughout the book - it's not an exaggeration to say that this book is nailbiting; I was literally biting my nails at some points! I was genuinely stressed out for Eliliot, didn't trust anyone in the Robinson family, and just kept expecting the worst.

I was praying the ending wouldn't be a let down (I really hate when I'm reading a fantastic thriller and then the ending lets it down) but this one is PERFECT. The twists keep coming, and I won't say anything other than that so as not to spoil it, but this one definitely had me sweating.

I've enjoyed all of Mark's books, but this one is the best yet. A definite five star read from me!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone's familiar with the stereotypes about overbearing in-laws, but in "Here to Stay" Elliot's new in-laws will make you thankful for the ones that you have, no matter how bad you thought they were! During a community showing of his garden at his old Victorian home that Elliot has painstakingly remodeled and brought back to life, he meets Gemma, a visitor to his property. Elliot falls for Gemma after she saves his life after being stung by a bee (turns out Elliot is allergic to bee stings), and after a short, whirl-wind romance, they decide to marry. Elliot is aware that Gemma must have had a difficulty in her life prior to meeting him- after all, he's seen all the scars from cuts on her stomach that she tries to hide, but he has never brought it up. Just after arriving back from their wedding, Gemma informs Elliot that her parents, Jack and Lizzy, along with her sister Chloe, are arriving from France back to England, and have nowhere to stay. Having lost his own family in a freak accident when he was younger, Elliot sees this as an opportunity to once again have a real family, as is more than happy to have them come stay at his home until they can find a place of their own. However, little does Elliot realize that once Jack and Lizzy move in, they have no intention of leaving, and all aspects of his life start to unravel- his marriage, his job, and his home.

Is this book unbelievable? Absolutely! But is sucked me in, just waiting to see what form of hell Jack and Lizzy bring to Elliot's life next! If you didn't appreciate your in-laws before reading this book, you will after! This was the first book I've read by Mark Edwards, but looking forward to check out more of his novels.
.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, so a guy meets a girl, they fall in love and after 2 months decide to get married; her parents are moving back to the UK but are in between houses, so they invite them to stay. No big deal eh?
Well no big deal apart from this is a Mark Edwards book and he is the master at taking the ordinary and twisting it into something terrifying.
My skin was crawling as soon as Lizzie and Jeff Robinson entered the picture and I didn’t even know why! Reading the book, for me, was such a visual experience, I watched as each page played out like a movie in my head and all the time I was screaming at Elliot to get out and run!
A cast of unreliable narrators spin a twisted plot line and left my head turned! I didn’t know who was telling the truth or indeed what the truth was anymore! Full of expertly plotted twists and turns turned an ordinary everyday situation into a nightmare from hell. I read this in two sittings but could easily have pulled an all nighter to finish it off in one sitting!
Magpies was the very first book of Mark Edwards I read and I didn’t think anything he could write would ever trump this but I have to say Here to Stay is right up there with that one!
If you are reading this book and you are thinking about inviting your in-laws over to stay you may want to think again!
This review will also appear on my Blog over at Chapterinmylife

I really liked the cover. It is very appealing designed. The writing style is pleasant and very fluently to read. The characters are very well described and look well thought out and consistently interesting. The tension is always present. The descriptions of surroundings, feelings and scenes were also very good. The story is told pleasant and it succeeds from the first pages to dive directly into the story. The storyline as a whole is very coherent and it seems very understandable and authentic. A very fascinating story that you won't like to stop reading.

Here To Stay by Mark Edwards is a novel about in-laws and all the trouble they can bring. When Elliott meets Gemma, they quickly fall madly in love and get married. Everything is going smoothly until her parents arrive to stay along with her recluse of a sister Chloe.

Slowly and bit by bit, things begin to unravel. Who are Gemma's parents and why won't they leave?

I really enjoyed this book as it was a different take on the psychological thriller genre. I especially loved the ending. You should read this if you like psychological thrillers and are looking for something a little different.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of Here To Stay by Mark Edwards from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book 4 stars! Here To Stay by Mark Edwards was a suspenseful read and I highly recommend it. Although the main character seems a bit aloof to his in-laws , it's overall a great dramatic story.

This book was just ok to me. Partly predictable as it starts off on the whirlwind romance & marriage & along come the in-laws that you know aren’t going to leave. I don’t think this was one of Mark Edwards best .

This was my first book by Mark Edwards, but it certainly will not be my last.

The story follows the life of Elliot and his whirlwind marriage to his wife Gemma. Life is blissful until his in-laws, Jeff and Lizzy, come to visit with their youngest daughter, Chloe, and the story quickly descends into a living nightmare! His in-laws, refusing to leave, become the least of Elliot's problems as Edwards delivers twist after unexpected twist. I read this gripping book in one heart-pumping adrenaline-fuelled day and it was fantastic! It has been a while since I have absolutely loathed a character and Jeff and Lizzy were unbearable!

Then, just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was one final massive plot twist that left my jaw on the floor. An easy 5 stars, I highly recommend this book!

This book was not even close to what I expected since I read the synopsis. It started as any good quality thriller and turned very dark very fast.

It all starts with The Robinsons. Selfish, unrepentant and wicked family, that brings atrocity and misery anywhere they go. This time, their victim is Elliot - Gemma's, the eldest Robinson's daughter, new husband.

Since the moment the Robinson's stepped their feet into Elliot's beloved old Victorian house - his life as he knows it starts to shatter with a rapid speed. It takes a matter of days for the family to show their true colors and for Elliot to regret the day he met his wife. He finds himself in an ineluctable position, with his personal and professional lives on an edge of ruin.

How far the person can go to get their life back... While reading the novel, I kept thinking: what would I do if I were to find myself in a similar situation? Phenomenal read, with a spine chilling ending. I undoubtedly recommend this book to any suspense/thriller lover. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.