Amazing. I read a lot and sometimes, warning analogy coming, it feels like I’m devouring the same cake all the time, but then one bite of a rogue piece and BAM, someone has changed up the ingredients to make that piece stand out more than a little from all the other pieces. This is what has happened here with The House Guest. Sure I’ve read thriller mysteries before, but this one has a little extra pizzazz & zing. A very easy read that kept me turning the pages as my eyes were drooping. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning and felt it had huge protenial.
But after Ruth when missing, I felt I lost the connection with any of the characters.

It felt kinda rushed in places and felt more depth of some of the characters would of helped a little

But on the whole I enjoyed the book, but only in aspects of introducing me to a new author, whom I'm still very much interested in reading more of

So creepy and thrilling!! This is my first book by this Author and it did not disappoint!! Full of suspense and twists and turns!!

I was intrigued by this premise of this book, and I found the beginning interesting. It's well-written and well-paced. However, when the twist came, the book lost me. The main reason for this was because it just didn't make sense--the culprit(s) didn't need to go through this elaborate set up to insinuate their way into Adam and Ruth's life to get what they wanted--they could have (and would have) simply grabbed it. Because of that I spent a fair few pages certain it was all a double-blind, and there was another twist coming that would make sense of it all. But, before long it became clear that wasn't the case. If I'd bought this book rather than obtained it through NetGalley, I wouldn't have finished it. However, I would try another of his books because I believe this particular plot may just have been too out there for me.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review this book.

This was an easy to read thriller that kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend. Love Mark's previous books so was so glad this one lived up to them.

With thanks to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC

Ruth and Adam are young English twenty somethings on the cusp of great careers.
They are house sitting a New York house for some new friends thay met on a cruise while Ruth appears in a Broadway play.
When Eden appears on the doorstep claiming to be a friend of the owners, they invite her to stay for a few days.

Things quickly start to come off the rails after this.

Who is Eden?
Why is she really here?
Who is the mysterious man following and spying on them?
How will it all play out?

I was hooked early and my attention never wavered therefore I rattled through this very quickly.

A great psychological thriller from an author who is obviously really enjoying herself and at the top of her craft.

A great read.

My first time reading Mark Edward's. I was pleantly surprised with the excellent writing of this author. I read so much that I always look for unique storylines and this book sure had one. With alot of tension, and twist and turns this book kept me on the edge of my seat. A strong 4 star 🌟 for me.
Go order this book, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early release in exchange for my review

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. First, I would like to say this book was well written and flowed well. The story is about Ruth and Adam (primarily from Adam’s point of view) who are housesitting a friends house. One stormy evening, a stranger (Eden) shows up at their door who claims to know the house owners. Who is this person and why is she there? Then Ruth suddenly disappears and Adam has to figure out what is really going on. What ensues is a story that takes you on many twists and turns, many of which I did not see coming! This psychological thriller kept me on the edge of my set, and I couldn’t put it down! I appreciated how the book tied the story of each character up nicely at the end with a slight cliff hanger. Highly recommend! 5 stars!

I really like Mark Edwards books, this one was no different. The storyline did drag a bit in some places but that did not stop it from being a very UNIQUE tale. I would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review.

The holy guacamole is back! Oh yes, The House Guest turned out to be one of those reads that left me completely mindblown and gulping for air... I literally finished reading it in one sitting, unable to stop before reaching that final page. Unputdownable indeed! My first experience with Mark Edwards' work last year, Here To Stay, made me an instant fan, and this story only reconfirms my love for his writing.There is no doubt whatsoever that The House Guest is an absolute must-read for fans of intense psychological thrillers!

There is so much to love in The House Guest... The first thing that stands out is both the plot and its cult element. I really liked the structure of the plot in general with multiple parts; each with a different vibe while also complementing each other. The story starts out with that ominous feel that something is bound to go wrong sooner than later; basically true psychological thriller material that sets the tone for the rest of the story. Afterwards, we have the mysterious missing person case and more action involved as well as a private detective vibe... Only for things to turn even darker and dangerous with the introduction of the cult element. I just loved how the whole cult element was developed in general, and it definitely gave the story an unique touch. It's also quite hard to put The House Guest into a specific genre box, and this multi-dimentional feel is another reason this story stands out for me.

Like I said before, the cult element is basically the star of the show, but in the beginning the main focus is mostly on the main characters. This is a great way both to get to know the characters in play as well as preparing you for what is yet to come... The story is mostly told from Adam's POV and it was fascinating to see him develop and react to the events as they occur. His girlfriend Ruth is likewise interesting, and through her we get to know more about what happened after she disappeared. Eden is someone I failed to trust from the very beginning, but guessing and learning more about her story and motivation was without doubt entertaining enough. As a whole, not every character is exactly likeable, but they all played their role and felt realistic. It's the perfect cast to tell this story and The House Guest will probably stay with me for a long time.

The writing itself is excellent. I literally wasn't really in the mood to read, told myself to try the first chapters so I would get an idea of what the story would be like, and suddenly hours had past and I found myself staring at the last page. I was hooked from the very beginning, and this is definitely one of those stories you should clear your schedule for. Both the building up of suspense, the placement of the plot twists and the technique of witholding information only to be released at a crucial moment were simply spot on. You get that ominous feel, you get a missing person case, you get a cult, you get a conspiracy plot, you get danger... And you definitely get that satisfied feeling after reading a brilliant story. And talk about an explosive ending! I'll repeat it again: The House Guest is an absolute must-read.

There’s a sinister whiff of Scientology about this addictive thriller from Mark Edwards. As soon as a stranger turns up at the door of Adam and Ruth’s summer residence I was screaming at them not to let her in. Eden is a seemingly harmless blonde from LA, who claims to have met Ruth and Adam’s friends when she dated someone in common, Adam and Ruth are simply house sitting for two older friends who have gone away for the summer. They are on the cusp of big changes in their lives. Ruth is starting on Broadway this summer, after playing the lead in a cult horror film. Adam has finished a play and has an appointment to meet a Broadway producer. There’s a spare room, and Eden seems cool, if a little LA hippy for Adam’s taste. They all get on so well. The only moment Adam wonders if they’ve made a mistake is by the local pool. Eden is hassled by a couple of guys and when Adam steps in she throws them a warning. They’re dead men walking. The day before the house sit ends, Eden pops out for Japanese food but brings a bottle of tequila too. The night is murky, but when Adam wakes the next morning he has the worst hangover ever. When he finally drags himself out of bed, he finds both Ruth and Eden gone.

I read half of this novel in one night it was so addictive, Once Ruth is missing, our narrative splits into two with Adam narrating his search for both women and Ruth narrating her strange encounter with a shadowy organisation, I like the way the author placed just enough doubt into theIr relationship that I did suspect Adam slightly, or wondered if a threesome scenario had got out of hand while they were drinking. There was a potential wedge between the couple, of Ruth being on the cusp of stardom and Adam feeling he will always be following in her wake. While my suspicions were split between several people the author still managed to surprise me a few times! Edwards has a way of writing chapters just long enough to reveal a bit more story while keeping them short enough for me to devour them. There’s often a cliffhanger so I think ‘I’ll just read another before bed’ and before I knew it it was 2am. I started to really feel for Adam, not only rejected for his play but his girlfriend is taken by a cult recruiter who leaves him behind. I enjoyed the strange buddy relationship he makes with the bearded guy he’s seen watching the house. Together they delve into a murky world of conspiracy theories and a cult so secret, it has no name. An excellent thriller that keeps driving you forward. Don’t read if you want a full nights sleep.

A longer version will appear on my blog.

Ruth and Adam are house-sitting in New York when a young woman shows up in the middle of a rainstorm dripping wet. She tells them she is there to visit the owners of the home Mona and Jack. As she knows the owners names they invite her in to dry off and then let her stay the night. That night turns into a week ...........

I really enjoyed this fast paced, action packed and compelling read. It held my attention from the beginning to the end and I read it in one sitting, outside on a nice sunny day during lockdown. Perfect escapism!

When a stranger turns up at the house that Ruth and Adam are house sitting in New York, you know it’s not going to end well, but nothing prepared me for what happens in this book.

Mark has a real talent for taking perfectly normal characters and situations and turning them into an absolute nightmare. Some parts were a bit predictable (character involvement) and some parts were slightly far fetched, but I was hooked. This was an unputdownable thriller that has introduced me to a binge worthy author.

The House Guest is published June 3rd

Thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards and Amazon Publishing Uk for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially intrigued by the premise of this novel and found the first part to be gripping and unputdownable. The characters were well-written and the short chapters kept me absorbed.

However, the plot twist turns the second half into an almost completely different novel. The plot becomes far-fetched and silly. The group involved are vague with no real meaning behind their purpose or creation beyond vague passing comments. As such, I found the second half to be rather flat and disappointing.

Worth a read if you're after a quick read, entertaining story and are willing to suspend disbelief.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

A perfect summer, a perfect stranger, a perfect nightmare. Enough said, I’m sold!
When Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to house sit in New York, they jump at the chance. When Eden shows up at the door claiming to know the home owners, they quickly invite her in and let her stay. After one night of heavy drinking and celebrating, Adam wakes with little memory of the night before and no sign of Ruth or Eden. As Adam grapples with the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend, everything starts to point back to Eden.
This was a really fast paced book with lots of twists which for the majority, kept me glued to the pages. There really wasn’t much that I didn’t like about this book. However, towards the end, I wasn’t totally feeling the plot anymore. Overall I did like it and will certainly read more of his books. If you’re a fan of Harlan Coben, you should definitely read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and Mark Edwards for an advanced copy of this book.

This is my third Mark Edwards book, and he certainly did not disappoint. This book was incredibly fast paced and kept me guessing. The plot was interesting, but I did find the characters a little frustrating at times-specifically Ruth. I found her too willing to accept her situation at times that it seemed out of character.

I appreciated how the chapters were broken down into manageable sections and left me on cliffhangers each time. It made me not want to put the book down! If you’re looking for a quick, thriller read, I would pick this one up!

This novel starts off really well with a stranger arriving soaking wet on a rainy night on the NY doorstep of Adam and Ruth who are house-sitting for friends. Eden claims to know the couple who own the house, Jack and Mona, and says she was invited to stay with them whenever she was in town. Adam and Ruth invite her in to dry off and change her clothes and then, not wanting to send her out into the rain with nowhere else to stay, they invite her to stay. A generous action they will later have cause to regret.

I've enjoyed quite a few of Mark Edwards' books and was really looking forward to this one. However, while this one started out really well, it disappointingly failed to deliver. Initially, as events occurred following Eden's stay at the house, the plot was quite intriguing but once the explanation was revealed, it lost it's momentum and fell a bit flat. I was also disappointed that it was never explained how the network could actually do what it said it would for people when this seemed central to it's success. The characters also started off well but I didn't feel that their subsequent actions (particularly Ruth, Eden and Mona) were justified by what we had been shown of their natures and felt that Gabriel was just too much of a cliche!

I am lost in a maze of convoluted thoughts and dizzying lights from disco bulbs still swirling my brain around from reading Mark Edward’s “The House Guest”. I am almost certain, that at some point around halfway or so, I think someone swapped out my copy and left me with another book entirely. As things went bloody crazy and I cannot tell you what was straight up or down or 6 ways from Sunday after that! I cannot make sense of what I read enough to provide a very sensible review. Here is my best attempt.

We go from a story about a cute house-sitting couple and a strange house guest who does not seem to want to leave, and tragedy as the girlfriend suddenly goes missing one day. This is followed by an entire other story as far as I am concerned, and it goes like this:

Cults? Check.

Murder? Check.

Relationship still even matter? Not really.

Random character/Father trying to save his daughter in this cult? Initially thought so?

Now Daughter trying to kill father, possibly. Say what?? But then this spin I could not stay focused on long enough as we then we had…

Cult Initiations with genital brandings? Check. (Now that one stayed with me).

What was the goal at the end of the day from reading this………………….? No more Checks left because I already left the building.

Oh heck, I guess I have got one more check:
Hot Mess? CHECK!

This review a Hot Mess? CHECK

*Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley for providing the digital review copy

I LOVED this book from the minute Eden was introduced. I was so intrigued and enthralled by this character.

As the book went on, I was so caught up in the story and desperate to know how it would unfold. I had so many questions: Who is she? Who is lying? Who is to blame? Who is holding the gun?

My favourite thing about the book by far is its structure - short, snappy chapters and cliff hangers at the end of each one that keep you guessing and make you want to keep reading every time.
This is my first read by @markedwardsauthor and I really hope this is a prominent feature of his work.

This is gripping, chilling, thrilling and undoubtedly worth five shiny stars!

After a great start that made me look forward to a very intriguing story, the second half of the story did not live up to first for me unfortunately.