⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 enjoyable stars

Like many other readers, I started reading this without knowing the blurb; when Mark Edwards brings out a new book, I have to read it!

Mark never disappoints - easy to read writing style, short snappy chapters, a few twists and turns.

The premise has been done before but in this book you never know who to trust or what will happen next.

Yes it gets a bit silly at the end, it felt a tad rushed in the finale however I recommend you read this book.

I love The authors previous books so was excited to read this and was not disappointed. There are loads of twists and turns which keeps you guessing and makes the story really exciting and could not put it down. The characters are introduced really well and are likeable. Would highly recommend

When two people from England open the door to see a young woman drenched with rain and invite her in, they have no idea that their lives are about to change. The young woman insists she's friends with the couple they are house sitting for, they have no reason to suspect that this isn't true. After only a week the lives of all three will forever change.

This started out good. I would say the first 30% of the book were the best. After that, the story took off in a direction that isn't my cup of tea, to say it nicely. Without giving anything away, it was just a subject that doesn't interest me. It went down hill from there and became too over the top for me.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adam and Ruth are homesitting for a wealthy couple that they met a few months ago on a cruise.
A week before the couple is about to return, a young woman knocks on the door, claiming she is the homeowners' friend. She is drenched with rain and seems harmless, so Adam and Ruth don't think twice about inviting her in.
Little do they know that this was a terrible mistake.

When I saw The House Guest was available to request on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity blindly, without even reading the blurb.
Mark Edwards is an author you simply can't go wrong with, and this book was no exception. He delivered another gripping, unputdownable page-turner.
The story, told from Adam's perspective, takes us on a suspenseful and thrilling ride.
Mark Edwards knows how to keep the tension, and his stories never fail to keep you hooked. I read this book in one sitting.
However, I was hesitating between 4 and 5 stars.
My only reservation is that, like his previous novels, this one didn't grab me by the throat from the very first page, and some aspects felt a little far-fetched. I also had a feeling that the story was lacking something, but I can't put my finger on what it was. Overall, it was a highly gripping and fast-paced book that is bound to keep you madly turning the pages.
I highly recommend it to anyone, and if you haven't read anything by Mark Edwards yet, I urge you to check him out, you won't be disappointed.

The House Guest by Mark Edwards was a captivating and page turning story. Adam and Ruth are a British couple house sitting for friends they met on a cruise, Mona and Jack. Ruth is an up and coming actress, rehearsing for a Broadway gig and Adam is a unpublished writer. They are a few days into their stay when young Eden knocks on the door, claiming to be a friend of Mona and Jack's and hoping to surprise them. Ruth and Adam realize that when Eden learns her friends are not home, she has no where to stay. Mona and Jack are without phones on their retreat, but Eden seems to have knowledge about Jack and Mona, so she seems legitimate. Eden is a welcome addition to the house, and after a few nights, she treats Ruth and Adam to take out dinner and a tequila night. Adam wakes up the next day, sicker than he's ever been, and with no memory of the night. He assumes Ruth has gone to rehearsal and Eden is simply not home. After hours goes by and Ruth doesn't return, Adam begins to ask around. Soon, he realizes that Eden is not a friend, and had a reason to find and take Ruth. Adam, with the help of a man claiming to be the father of another girl taken by Eden, and Wanda, an expert on cults, the three have to figure out where these women keep disappearing to.

This book was amazing. The cult aspect was the cherry on top, as I was very interested in NXIVM. Edwards' writing is gripping, and easy to follow but does not lack detail. All my questions were answered by the end of the book, and the ending was great. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

This book was a wild ride.
The premise is an English couple house-sitting in NYC for their American friends when a beautiful stranger appears on their doorstep in the middle of a deluge (made me think of the scene with Elish Cuthbert from The Girl Next Door, but at night).

What starts as as a really intriguing premise straight out of a lifetime movie takes a turn halfway through. The first 25% of the book I was invested. I thought there was going to be scandal and intrigue; I prepared myself for a femme fatale/ pyscho stalker Lifetime Movie book with some Gone Girl vibes. The book, split into three parts, just gets more convoluted and the plot more cartoonish with each new part. It tries to be too much all at once and it left me rolling my eyes and picturing an evil villain twirling his mustache and laughing Dr Evil style. At the 70% mark I was exasperated and not enjoying the ride. The reveal about Eden's motivations had be rolling my eyes. At 80% I wanted to DNF (but being my first ARC I wanted to see it through); it did not get better.

It's a very quick read and will appeal to people who like layered action like a fast-paced criminal drama tv show. For me, it lacked the nuance of a complicated antagonist nor was I a fan of the secret. And all of a sudden in chapter 15 a new POV is introduced. The book does include a few welcome plot twists. Ultimately, I didn't really care about any of the characters, but if I had to choose one, I thought Eden was interesting.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller by Mark Edwards. I found it exciting and I was always looking forward to picking it up to read more of it. I enjoyed reading about the different characters and finding out who was behind the main plot of the story. I highly recommend this book and I gave it 4 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my first book by Mark Edwards, but I will definitely be reading more of his work.

OMG this is most definitely one of the best books I've read by one of my favorite authors. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and totally wanting more after you have finished it! If I could give it more then 5 stars I totally would.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

This book is the culmination of the clichéd plot points often encountered in books regarding cults.

Psychological thrillers work well if the reader can connect himself with the narrator. But here the characters remain two dimensional. There are just cut out pieces of regular people.

You could just read the book. Nothing special!?!?

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon publishing for the ARC version of this book.
This is my first book by Mark Edwards and I am certain I will read some of his other work for sure!

The greatest thing about this book was the brisk and rapid storytelling that doesn't leave you with even a one ounce of boring.
Every sentence is swift and re-telling form of art that holds you and even though you know that only awful things are to come you cannot stop reading and you cannot put the book down.

I was guessing almost until the end who the actual bad guys/girls are, if Adam - the main storyteller is going to wake up and find himself on an alien planet or something equally crazy! 😂

Mark's way of describing the events gets you thinking that you are certain you know what will happen or maybe just doubting your criminality mind a little bit. But then the twists come one after another and you are entirely stricken by the turn of the events because you realize that the finale should have happened just in a way that it did - but then again it would also be 'normal' if it have ended entirely different.

That's the strong point of the book - the author could have finished the book in various different ways that would made more sense maybe for a such book but I liked how well it have all played out and how the author played with all these ideas we read about every day in a very alluring manner - people and their good and bad sides are revealed, their true or false remorse, the idea that humans always try to be a part of something bigger, that childhood as always plays such a huge part in forming us and that goodness might be hidden always and everywhere are all the reasons you should put this book on your authors to automatically read.

3.5 stars

SPOILERS SPOILERS


This was a fun read. Lots of twists and turns in the plot.
The good guy became the bad guy,and the bad guy came good sort of thing.
There was always another lie uncovered and you didn't know who to trust.
Follow that up with a cracking ending and it's all good.
Except... a few things bugged me.
Namely the speed in which they expected Ruth to be brainwashed and join the cult.
You'd think a bit longer than a few days.
Also,the head of cult lost it way too quick to be running anything along these lines.
Small niggles... but ones that kept with me all through the book

Another great book from Mark Edwards. Its such an honor to be asked to read his work before its published. This book starts slow but quickly escalates into a thrill ride. The characters are relatable and interesting. The storyline has just enough ups and downs, twists and turns to keep you engaged. I haven't read a single book from Mark that I didn't like.

This book was a slow burn for me. I didn’t love it, but it in the end, it was a decent thriller. I’m not sure if I found that characters too annoying to give the book a fair chance; I spent a lot of it shaking my head and criticizing their decisions. I’ve heard wonderful things about the author, so I am going to give his other books a try.


Adam and Ruth, a British couple, agree to housesit in New York for a couple they meet on a cruise. During their sitting, a stranger by the name of Eden shows up and says she is a friend of the homeowner. They told her she could stay at their place whenever she was in the area. Against what seems to be common sense, they invite Eden to stay with them. Cue creepy music…. This is when things go sideways.

I really enjoyed this book. Not like anything I've read before in terms of the actual story which was refreshing. Keeps you guessing with who is linked to who and how. I also really liked how the book ended. Was it a cliff hanger, or wasnt it!? Who knows! I will be looking for more Mark Edwards books to read following on from this and would definitely recommend.

Wow what a book, I have just read this as an ARC. It is the best I have read in this genre. The way it's written is so smooth and flowing. Some of the characters you like turn out to be awful people and the some of the characters you don't like turn out to be heroes. It's brilliant. There are twist and turns in every chapter. One minute I'm smiling the next I gasp with shock at the next twist that I in no way saw coming.
Fantastic book and I will definitely be reading another of Marks books.

I absolutely LOVE Mark Edwards' books!!! He has such a knack for bringing characters to life and gaining a reader's attention immediately. I was constantly trying to guess what was going to happen next but was consistently wrong. Overall, a great read!!

Fantastic! Absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller.
This book is not what you think it’s going to be, you think you know.....then it blows you out of the water and sets you on a different path completely! Very fast paced, excellent array of characters and it keeps you questioning to the end. This was a fast read as I was gripped and struggled to put it down!
A 5⭐️ rating from me and please add it to your reading pile as you won’t regret it!!

I loved this book, only the 2nd I have read from this Author and it won't be my last!

The two main characters Adam & Ruth house sit in New York for friends who they met on a cruise. A stranger appears at the door soaked and looking for the owners. Adam & Ruth invite her in. And that's where the drama starts!

The characters are written into the story in a well believed manner, you can sympathise with the individual situations they all having going on in their lives.

As you get deeper into the book there seems to be a twist every chapter that left me thinking surely not! No way! But in a good way! I would never have expected the book to turn out the way it did, it was fast paced and surprising, everything this genre should be.

Well done Mark! Looking forward to the next one!

This was the first Mark Edwards book I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. It was fast paced and intriguing throughout. A British couple meet an American couple on a cruise. The American couple will be going away to some sort of retreat and are looking for a couple to look after their home. In steps British couple Adam and Ruth who are delighted to look after a fabulous house in a trendy area while Ruth starts her acting stint on Broadway.

Adam is a writer and (as expected from a writer) he becomes the only infallible character in the book. One night a girl called Eve knocks at the door, hoping to be greeted by the owners who have invited her to stay there anytime at all (according to Eve). Finding out they are away, she starts to leave, only to be encouraged by Adam who invites her to stay.

One fateful evening when they are partying on Tequila, Ruth and Eve disappear, leaving Adam with the worst hangover of his life. So starts a journey into the unknown for Adam as he meets characters and situations far beyond his experiences to date.

The book is a fast read and difficult to put down once started. The end of the book is expected in one way as you hope for a positive ending, and surprising in others. It’s an excellent read, very satisfying.

Adam and Ruth, a couple from England, have landed on their feet. After meeting a wealthy couple they’ve been invited to house sit for them whilst they need a place to stay in New York. During the last week of their stay a captivating stranger appears on their doorstep – a friend of the house owners, why wouldn’t they invite her in and let her stay, too?

However, all is not what it seems, and this story follows the young couple, who quickly learn you shouldn’t always trust strangers. But, in this day and age, who can you trust?

I’m glad I took a leap of faith with this book, as I enjoyed it more than The Magpies. Whilst that did have a fantastic story, and Edwards clearly has a way of creating a huge amount of tension (not to mention a lot of creepiness), this was infinitely better.

The characters were believable, and I admire the way the main character of Adam wasn’t some big, hulking alpha-male. In fact, he was quite pathetic and wimpy, and at times I wanted him to grow a backbone and stop being so sad, but it worked.

The story was well-written and pacey, with the right amount of twists and turns to have you second-guessing yourself throughout. However, I felt the end was just a little too rushed. I know it’s hard to come to a nice gradual stop, but it felt like there were only so many pages he could dedicate to the story, so, quick, here’s a resolution. It’s a shame, and the reason I can’t give it a five stars.