Adam and Ruth are British 20 somethings when they meet an older couple Mona and Jack and develop a quick friendship. Ruth is an actress with a career that seems poised to take off, Jack is a writer still struggling to be heard. When the older couple learns Ruth is rehearsing for a Broadway play they offer their hoke in return for the younger couple housesitting.
One night shortly before Mona and Jack are due to return a young woman named Eden shows up at the door, drenched from the rainstorm claiming to be friends of the older couple and had an open invitation to stay when she was in town.
Adam and Ruth invite her to stay and the three are enjoying each other’s company though Adam sees glimpses that disturb him of Edens’ temper. On the night before the owners return, Eden brings home food and tequila and the three of them drink far too much. When Adam wakes up he discovers that he is all alone. Both Ruth and Eden have disappeared. When Jack and Mona arrive they have no idea who Eden is and believe Ruth left in her own. Jack begins looking for Ruth on his own as no one seems to believe Eden was real Who was this enigmatic young woman who had been staying with them? How did she know so much
Jack is determined to find the answers and bring Ruth home.
This was a really fast paced story that kept my attention throughout. While I have trouble accepting that anyone is as trusting as these two were my skepticism did not detract from the story
Mark Edwards always writes a good. Engaging thriller that keeps you turning pages.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This is scheduled for release on June 2. It is shaping up to be a great season for beach reads.

#TheGuestHouse #NetGalley
Mark's finest work till date. A good read.
When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.
Mark's characters are inspired from real life and so is the story. I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone who loves thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this book.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Mark's latest book. I love all of Mark Edward's books and this one does not dissapoint.
This is such an amazing read. I was pulled straight into the book and it just doesn't let go. I couldn't bring myself to put it down.
Amazing plot and characters. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Well done Mark 😊

Rating: 3.2 / 5

Right, so...let's talk about this.

But...how to begin...

When you think one thing is one thing and then it turns out to be another thing and that particular thing just gets crazier and crazier and slightly ridiculous, then it's hard to judge that thing, isn't it? After all, not only is it so far detached from your expectations, but the extent to which it goes off on its own tangent of weirdness is...well, either off-putting or brilliant. For me, unfortunately, it was more the former than the latter.

Adam and Ruth are your typical couple trying to get by in New York. Adam is a writer and Ruth's an actress rehearsing for her first show on Broadway, and our two young characters find themselves house-sitting in a charming setting while their friends, Jack and Mona, are on vacation in Mexico. One night, enter Eden, a mysterious lady friend of Jack and Mona with nowhere to stay. Gullible Adam and Ruth let her into the house and into their lives, only to have things mysteriously/obviously go wrong.

Premise-wise, this could go in a lot of different ways, since it's just the setup and it doesn't really tell you anything about what to expect. Offhand, I'd even say that it's a great premise to start with, all based off the rule of "never trust strangers and never invite them into your house". BUT, where Edwards chooses to go with this is...slightly problematic, from my point of view.

Now, I really don't want to give any spoilers for this, but at the same time it's kind of hard to talk about what I didn't like without mentioning that. Um...okay, to be vague, let's just say that the initial "big reveal" and direction that goes is like a snowball rolling down a hill--it gets bigger and bigger and more far-fetched, to the point that it crushes all the reader's suspension of disbelief and general caring by the time it reaches the bottom.

In other words, it started off good, but then as the author just kept going and going and building on whatever momentum they had, things get too ridiculous to really be believable or hold any amount of suspense for the reader. Therefore, by the end, my reaction was to roll my eyes more than keep them wide open in anticipation or anything.

In conclusion, it was a good attempt at suspense and mystery and had a good idea going for it at the beginning, but the author went too far and tried too hard with an idea that I just couldn't buy into. Credit given that I was able to read it all the way through though, eye-rolls and all.

Well, this book definitely took a plot turn that I definitely didn’t see coming. It’s the story of Adam and Ruth, a young couple house sitting in New York for a couple they met and bonded with on a cruise. One day, a young woman named Eden comes to the house and explains that she’s close to the owners, and that they told her that she could stay at their home whenever she needs to. That sounds perfectly safe and harmless, right?

I will not discuss the plot any further, but this is pretty much a non-stop roller coaster of a book that packs action, surprises, and plot twists. I was pleasantly surprised because even though I’ve loved some books by author Mark Edwards, the last one I read was one I had to stop before the end due to my low interest level. He keeps the pace fast, forcing you to be engaged as one thing after another happens. Some people mentioned that the ending is a bit silly, and I can see that, but I was glued to reading this from start to finish. A definite page turner.

Thank you to Mark Edwards, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC.

Spoiler alert.. The protagonist, Adam, is the best part of this book. His reactions to the plight at the center of the story are believable and make him a sympathetic character. The author, Mark Edwards, took great care to keep Adam the good guy at the center of the story. However, the rest of the characters came across as unbelievable, in both their reactions and their motivations. At the central, there is Ruth, an up and coming actress who is on her way to becoming famous. She is one moment, gullible, and the next, completely aware of the plot against her. Then, there is Eden: The house guest. The way she was written was confusing. She was supposed to be alluring and plotting, yet, she came across as clueless. There is a cult, crooked cop, murderers, a megalomaniac cult leader, and his followers. Most of these characters came across as caricatures. They were all tough and beautiful. There was a secret cult at the center of this story, yet Adam and his cohorts were able to figure it out in less than a few days. I was hoping for more intrigue, but even with the twists thrown in, I had to fight to keep interested.

When Jack and Mona offer up and coming actress, Ruth and her boyfriend Adam the chance to house sit for them whilst they are at a retreat the young couple are thrilled and jump at the chance. One rainy evening a young woman called Eden arrives on their doorstep claiming to be a friend of Jack and Mona’s making a surprise visit. Not being able to contact their Landlords to confirm Eden’s identity the couple decide to allow her to stay for a few days, a decision they will ultimately regret ,when after a night of heavy drinking, Eden and Ruth disappear without a trace, and upon their return Jack and Mona have no clue who Eden is.

As always with this author nothing is ever as it seems. Many twists and turns to keep the reader entertained.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

A perfect time for me to say: Don't be so quick to answer your door to a stranger. Have we learned nothing from reading books? But I digress...

Ruth and Adam are house-sitting in New York when a young woman shows up dripping wet in the middle of a rainstorm. She tells them she is there to visit the owners of the home who told her she could stop by whenever she wanted.

Children are taught not to talk to strangers, apparently this duo was never told not to let a stranger into a home....

Twists, turns, revelations, a cult (did I say cult? they're not a cult their friends - very special, creepy friends) and a couple of "huh?" moments and an ending that well....hmm....still trying to figure out how I feel about that one. But this was a fast fun read that was outlandish and crazy at times but highly entertaining.

So, in short, entertaining, fast read, and educational - it reinforced not opening the door to strangers, advised me to stay away from creepy pens and proved Mark Edwards creates interesting and original story-lines.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mark Edwards has done it again in delivering an outstanding read which you will want to read in one sitting. Adam and Ruth are house sitting in New York for a prestigious couple that they met on a cruise, while house sitting a mysterious stranger called Eden turns up claiming she is good friends with the owners of the house and was hoping to surprise them, charming at first Adam and Ruth offer Eden to stay in the house until the owners return, it soon appears that Eden is not all that she claims to be, does she even know the owners and are Adam and Ruth in danger? Have they made a terrible mistake?

I throughly enjoyed this addictive thriller and readers alike will struggle to put it down. Mark Edwards is one of my all time favourite authors!

A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

A really chilling read. Couldn’t put this book down. Full of suspense and very well written. The characters were all well brought to life by the great writing and the plot was an interesting one. An excellent read to keep you on the edge of your seat

I love Mark Edwards' writing, so I snatched up The House Guest without even reading the description. And, while it wasn't my favorite Edwards book, it didn't disappoint me either.

The pacing of this book is fantastic. The narration alternates between our 2 main characters, Adam and Ruth, and Edwards always knows just when to change from one character's perspective to the other's. Just when I'm on the edge of my seat to see what will happen next with Adam, we switch to Ruth.

I enjoyed the main characters in this book, Adam, Ruth, and the house guest Eden. The beginning of the book is especially captivating, and the ending is just right. There was one central theme that I didn't really love, but I can't say more without giving away the story. That theme, plus the fact that there were a few places that left me saying "but WHY would he/she do that" is why this book is 3 stars for me.

I hope you love it and check out other Mark Edwards book! Thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another amazing novel by Mark Edwards. This book, like many others of his are so intriguing because they are a type of horror that can happen to everyday people.
Meet Adam and Ruth, a happy couple who are working on their careers. Ruth, and actress finally starting to get noticed for bigger roles; and Adam, a screenwriter who is waiting for a big break. They are lucky enough to meet a wealthy couple on a cruise and get a chance to housesit for them in New York.
One day a stranger shows up who claims to know the owners and they let her stay for with them until the owners are due to return.
Things just go downhill from there. This book works at a steady pace to make you feel uneasy about things happening, but like the characters, you just think, coincidence and move forward.
Then things happen that cannot be explained away, people go missing, others die, and you have to keep your balance wondering what happened!
As someone who loves Psychology and the study of human behavior, this book was fascinating to read about the cult mindset. Mark Edwards really did his research while writing because it was so on point and relating to studies and articles surrounding these groups of people.
The end of this book was an incredible twist that I was not expecting! I especially love the connections to his previous books and could see expanding further.
Thank you @netgalley @markedwards and @amazonpublishing for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

WOW!!! This was an awesome book. I can not say too much without giving spoilers. I could not put this book down. I could see this book turning into a movie. It had me guessing throughout the whole book. This is the first book I have read by this author. Based on this book I will check out other books by this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and thrillers.

Adam and Ruth are house sitting and an unexpected knock at the door on a rainy night brings Eden into their world. They are not sure about her but she seems to know the house owners so well.
Then after a drunken Friday night Ruth and Eden disappear and Adam is left reeling. He cant find either of them. Then he is befriended by the grey bearded man and drawn into what is a hunt for Ruth and a secret cult.
Quite a good book. Enjoyed it snd I didn’t guess any part. Which I think makes a great book

Fantastic! The premise of this book is brilliant- a young British couple housesitting for another couple they know in New York. One night a young woman turns up at their door claiming to know the couple who own the house... this is where it starts. It doesn’t take long to build the story up and at that point you are sucked right into it, wanting to know every twist and turn and just when you think that’s it - another one comes.. I will Definately be recommending this to the users of the library.

The House Guest, by Mark Edwards, is a fun escapist romp! I enjoyed the change of scenery, as this is Edwards’ first book set outside of the UK, wholly in New York City. It is a smart, witty tale of an average bloke, writer Adam, married to a talented actress, Ruth, who invite a “stranger” into the home they are house-sitting. Our hero, Adam, is a regular guy who becomes inadvertently sucked into a dangerous situation. And the mystery then ensues. As in some previous Edwards’ novels, the protagonist Adam is portrayed as an “Everyman” bumbling through the investigation of the events that transpire in this book. The story is told in first person as Adam’s narrative so we experience the thoughts, calculations and doubts of the central character, which I believe is more engaging for the reader. The plot is funny, if a bit overreaching at times, and a cast of quirky characters plays out the story line and the final act, much like a 19th century farce. There are twists, turns and plenty of action. And without spoiling the ending, I sense that Edwards leaves room for a follow-up novel in the future!
I am a solid fan of Mark Edwards’ writing, beginning with his Magpie series, and I look forward to more of his solo novels.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and Net Galley for the digital ARC

What a creepy setting, a couple is house sitting for a couple they met while on a cruise. One rainy night, someone shows up claiming she is a friend of the homeowners and she is invited to stay. This is a page turner, it is twisty but somewhere in the middle it falls apart and it becomes another story to me. I was expecting a twist but not this. I think there should be a disclaimer warning. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley! This is my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic! I found myself drawn into the story from the get go. The storyline is an interesting one, and had me wondering what would happen next.

Mark Edwards does it again! The beauty of a Mark Edwards novel is that you never see it coming. I read A LOT of mysteries. And he always catches me off guard with that last twist. The House Guest is no different. Ruth and Adam, 2 Brits visiting and working in NYC, are housesitting for acquaintances they met on a cruise. One day a vibrant woman shows up in their doorstep claiming to know the owners of the house and manages to insert herself in their lives. I cant give away much more but know this. You will never, EVER guess where this is going.

House sitting and someone who claims to know the owners of the house shows up... what do you do? I enjoyed reading and trying to figure out what was going on, who all was involved, and how were they going to get out of the situation.