Great suspenseful read! Like a game of clue and who done it and why are we here?! Characters were relatable and I loved how it all came together in the end! A great tale going from the past to present.

Review runs at Shelf Awareness and will not be posted elsewhere until after pub date.

Emma Rous invites readers to join The Perfect Guests at Raven Hall in this gothic thriller with a deep sense of place and a twining narrative that spans decades. In 1988, orphaned young teen Beth is taken in by a couple to be a companion to their daughter at an aging manor house set away from a small village in rural England. In 2019, floundering actress Sadie is invited--hired--to join a murder mystery party at the same home, newly renovated and soon to be rented out for more of these parties. A mysterious young woman tells her own story of Raven Hall in a third narrative, with Rous slowly revealing points of connection while building a creeping tension and dread throughout.
The present-day story is reminiscent of a less humorous and decidedly more gothic version of the film Clue. Characters are assigned names such as "Miss Lamb" by the company that arranged the party and, when combined, an escalating series of small but creepy incidents add up to the classic gothic climax--running from the house screaming. The past plot line feels like Anne of Green Gables gone horribly wrong. The Meyer-Averell family is reclusive for reasons not known to Beth and while her instincts tell her something's not right, she's also grateful that they've taken her in when her own aunt wouldn't. But at what point does gratitude lose out to self-preservation?
Raven Hall holds many secrets and The Perfect Guests keeps Beth, Sadie and the reader guessing if the unease they feel is warranted and who's lurking around the corner.

This tale is told in two time periods: 1988 and 2019. It's a bit confusing at the beginning but as you keep reading you see how it all ties together.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you) and it will be published on January 12th.

Beth is 14 when she's taken to Raven Hall by her Aunt to be a friend to their daughter, Nina. It goes well and she even feels like part of the family. They ask her to take part in a reunion with the man's father and pretend she is Nina. She does, more than once. This is where the plot begins...

In 2019, Sadie is trying to be an actress and has an opportunity to participate in a murder mystery that pays a lot. She says yes. But she doesn't know what she's getting into.

All the actors and actresses get sick here and there and can't participate like they planned. Who is giving them the the drug that makes them sick?

Then there's a confrontation between Beth and Nina that surprises everyone. Even the old lady that keeps to herself is involved. It seems she's part of the family from the past...

It's a real mix of plots and there are victims along the way. It holds your attention and you wonder where the author is going with it.

This book was all over the place, too many characters, too long, too much.
I was given this book by: Netgalley to review.

The book opens on Sadie, a struggling actress trying to make ends meet, who accepts a gig as an actress at a murder mystery weekend in the country at Raven Hall. And that’s all well and good, but the story really gets going when we flash back to the past, when Raven Hall was a private home.

Really, if we had to choose just one main character in this book, it might not be Sadie or Beth (or even Leonora), but rather Raven Hall. Because people who have lived there, are somehow legit, obsessed with it. But I digress.

When we meet Bath, it’s the late 80’s and she has been sent to live with the family who lives at Raven Hall to be a companion to their daughter, Nina. Which is weird and Flowers in the Attic-esque, because why can’t she leave the grounds? Her parents don’t even make up an excuse like she’s sick or allergic to sun or something.

Still, the situation is what it is and Beth makes the best of the situation. Nina does have one friend, Jonas, who is allowed to visit from town and the three of them spend time roaming the estate together. It’s all kind of magical until Nina’s grandfather visits and Beth has to pretends she’s Nina.

I gave this one four stars because it was a good read. But there was some vagueness to the story between Nina and Beth that could definitely have been developed a bit more. Also, there are lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, but ultimately I wonder if they were all completely necessary?

The Perfect Guests would be a great book club read, because I think there is a ton to talk about. And, of course, it would be perfect for anyone who loves the game Clue.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out January 12, 2021

Okay, so THAT happened... I don't even know how to review this one. The beginning was fantastic. The plot rolled out well and the characters were introduced and the scene set in a back-and-forth in time and point of view that worked beautifully right up until the revelations started - and then none of it made any sense and it all felt melodramatic and unnecessarily complicated and it lost me...

Frankly it's hard to believe that it all happened for the reasons described, even with suspended disbelief firmly in play. It was an odd way for it all to tie together (strangely tidy even for this type of mystery) and it felt like the end and the earlier 3/4 of the story were written by different people - or at least on different deadlines... It felt slapdash, given the careful construction until that point, and it was not very satisfying an ending as a result.

Still, I read it through to the end - even if the majority of the story was read with a great deal more enjoyment and zest for turning pages than the last bits...

I love house party style mysteries, the delicious way you get to know each character and their secrets, the suspense the fills each page, the pace that leaves you turning page after page, not being able to wait to find out how the story ends...

The Perfect Guests is exactly this and more. Told from two storylines, Raven Hall becomes a place you envision in your minds eye, it becomes a character within the story that you become invested in.

Did I see the ending? No. In fact, I had a lot of ideas on what could be happening but the truth was never one of those ideas - which is something I love btw! I love when I can be surprised like I was.

Three mysteries in one book, The Perfect Guests is full of twists and turns all linked to Raven Hall, an isolated mansion. In 1988, Beth arrives as an orphan to live with a strange family. In 2019, Sadie comes as an unemployed actress to take part in a game. Something happened in between that left Raven Hall abandoned and derelict. There is also a third story, but it’s not clear if it’s the past, present or future, or how everything fits together. All that we know is that one or more than one person is obsessed with Raven Hall. And what’s not to love, the manor is described in such detail, that it’s like being there. The plot is so well built that every clue fits in its place and the characters are complex and rounded. The last part is too coincidental to be completely believable, but it was satisfying enough that I didn’t mind it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Berkley Publishing Group!

I stayed up until nearly five o'clock this morning, finishing this book.

This is my first foray into Emma Rous' work, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The Perfect Guests flawlessly weaves three separate timelines, and three separate points of view...all without muddying the story. The characters were well-developed and the setting, Raven Hall, was an interesting character in its own right.

Admittedly, I think most readers will intuit the twists easily and early on, although there was one I didn't see coming. I should have...after its big reveal, I realized there were many clues which I simply didn't recognize while reading.

The conclusion is far-fetched, but it mostly works, I think.

Bottom line, Ms. Rous is now a must-read author, as I truly enjoyed her writing.

3.75 stars rounded up.
Available January 12, 2021.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Berkley Publishing Group for my review copy.

A teen forms a connection to a mysterious old house, only to have that connection broken in a horrifying way. Years later, a young actress is invited to the same house for an event and finds herself drawn to it for reasons she can’t explain. Author Emma Rous tries unsuccessfully to fashion a mystery out of separate plot pieces in her latest novel The Perfect Guests.

In the late 1980s, 14-year-old Beth Soames arrives at Raven Hall. The glorious old house stands in the East Anglian fens in England away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Beth has been invited to come and stay with the Averell family; her aunt, Catherine, sets up the arrangement, although Beth can’t imagine how Catherine knows the Averells. Still, Raven Hall is a welcome change from the orphanage where she’s been living ever since the death of her parents and younger brother in a car crash.

At first, Beth approaches her time at Raven Hall with trepidation, worrying she’ll do something to make Leonora and Marcus Averell send her back to the orphanage. Nina is her age and seems to welcome her, yet Beth senses some hesitation on Nina’s part. As the weeks pass, Beth and Nina strike up a friendship that reassures Beth but she still holds a small piece of worry that says the Averells can turn her out whenever they want.

When Leonora and Marcus ask her to participate in a strange game, then, Beth can’t refuse. For the most part, they’ve treated her well. They’ve paid for her education and allowed her to become a part of their high-class, monied world. What harm could it do to go along with their request, bizarre as it may seem?

In London in 2019, struggling actress Sadie Langton receives an opportunity that intrigues her. She’s invited to a rambling mansion to take part in a murder mystery weekend. Apparently a company that hosts parties wants to test the weekend run with actors, and they’re going to pay well to do it.

Sadie could really use the money. Her mother has slipped away with almost no notice, leaving Sadie to deal with the bills and everything else. Sadie’s always felt distance from her mother, and this latest escapade doesn’t help. With nothing urgent tying her to the city, Sadie heads off to the fens.

She arrives at the mansion, called Raven Hall, and sees that while it may have been a grand estate at one time, it’s certainly suffered through the years. Neglect and damage make the house look worn. The place gives Sadie the shivers, but she has to admit it’s also the best location for a murder mystery.

As soon as the evening begins, however, it’s clear that things are not staying on track. Within hours of arrival, several of the other actors start to feel sick. Sadie begins to suspect that someone wants to hurt her and the others, but why? To what purpose? And why does she feel like she, in particular, is being targeted?

Author Emma Rous tries to pull together several different story pieces, but the end result feels disjointed. Beth’s story seems completely separate from Sadie’s; and while sharp readers may guess early on the connections between them and the other characters, those connections feel forced. The story doesn’t unfold in an organic way.

The climax, too, seems shoehorned to fit a particular premise, but readers might be hard-pressed to pinpoint what the main premise is supposed to be. Should they focus on Beth? On Sadie? On the mysterious third narrator obsessed with Raven Hall who spends her time skulking around the property at an undisclosed time in the past?

Too many story elements will frustrate and bore readers. When the mystery unravels, it’s more of a relief that the book is finally coming to an end. I recommend readers Bypass The Perfect Guests.

3.5 Stars rounded up. If you're able to just kick back and allow yourself to be pulled along for the ride, this is a fun, fast read. But the majority of the twists and turns have a very soapy quality to them. (view spoiler)
But I personally enjoy a book where big twists are revealed and you can't help but notice there's still a good 30% of the book left- so you know there are more twists coming.

A readable who-dun-it, but the plot is just so silly and contrived I couldn't help rolling my eyes at every new plot twist toward the end.

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous is a story that is reminiscent of the board game Clue. Seemingly random people are invited to a murder mystery weekend at an old mansion in the Fenlands. At first, they believe they are actors hired to portray roles but as they get to know each other and investigate a few odd occurrences they realize that they are all there by design. The trick is figuring out who is behind this weekend and why they've been invited. Read and enjoy!

The Perfect Guests was a book that I went in only knowing the author's style from the Au Pair. The author tells the story from several points of view so the reader gets a gentle and slow glimpse of how the story is unfolding. I love this particular style of writing as the reader can try to piece together exactly what's going on on their own or be completely surprised by the end.

The story is of Beth and Nina. Beth's parents and brother are killed in an automobile accident and Beth is taken in temporarily by her Aunt Caroline who eventually finds a family to take Beth in for her. Caroline's character throughout the book is told as standoffish and aloof. Beth finds her way to Raven Hall, a huge beautiful house outside a small village. Beth finds that the family has a similarly aged daughter named Nina and Beth and Nina become fast friends. The year is 1989.

The story is of Sadie. Sadie is an actress and finds herself at an acting gig at Raven hall in the year of 2019. Sadie's story is a clever one and I enjoyed getting to know her.

Overall this was a fun read. It's one I would recommend who like a fun mystery with a twisty ending. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for my advanced copy.

This book is confusing at the best of times. There are too many characters and timelines to keep track of. I felt like I was caught in a twisting tunnel, trying to keep my balance while reading this book. It's one of those books that leaves you scratching your head, wondering what it is you just read.

Did it make complete sense? Are you happy with the outcome? Usually, these feelings and questions would indicate a book that I liked. A book that was so well written that I was still pondering it. That's totally not the case here. I was lost in a haze in so many parts, I'm still experiencing said haze. And that is not indicative of me enjoying a book.

My overall thoughts on this book are, meh. I think that this author's writing just isn't for me. She writes all over the place, probably intentionally to confuse you. I just can't jive with the writing style. I guess I can see why many love it. I, unfortunately didn't.

This is a slow moving story centered around a house in England, Raven Hall. Told through three character's POV at three different time periods. Beth is a teen orphan sent by her aunt to live with a strange family at Raven Hall in the late 1980s. Sadie is a young adult in 2019 who has been invited to play a part in a murder mystery weekend at Raven Hall. The third POV is a young woman who is obsessed with Raven Hall because it was her family's home and after the death of her parents she was forced to leave it.

Beth's story is the one with the most forward motion. She is told she's there to be the daughter of the house's play mate. They're fourteen so that phrase is just weird. As time passes it is clear she's there for other reasons. Eventually all three timelines converge and many secrets are revealed. Things are all wrapped up neatly in a little bow by the end.

This was a decent story, but the pacing was too slow. I think telling it in three parts would have worked better than the alternating chapters. A prologue with Leonora's part, Beth's part, then Sadie's weekend would have made for an easier flowing story for the reader. If you like a good mystery and dysfunctional characters you should check this book out when it is published in January.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

DNF'd around 25%. I just found it to be incredibly boring, and after a while, I decide I simply didn't care about the mystery or how the two stories tied together.

𝑵𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆, 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒛𝒐𝒐.

The Perfect Guests begins in the summer of 1988 with orphan Beth Soames being driven by her Aunt Caroline to meet the Averalls. If Marcus and Lenora’s daughter, Nina, takes to her she will become her companion. Maybe she will even be as welcome as a sister. They seem to have everything, class, money and love but it is love she has lost and longs for. She hasn’t begun to realize the importance the imposing, grand estate of Raven Hall will have on her life. If she can behave herself and fit in as her aunt urges, then she may be able to stay. Unwanted by her aunt after the car accident that took her parent’s lives, she longs for comfort and family, which she finds at the beautiful estate in East Anglian fens- a far cry from the children’s home she was sent to.

The girls become close, although the two are nothing alike, they soon begin sharing confidences with Nina even sharing her friend Jonas with Beth, cementing the acceptance she needs. Just as she is becoming accustomed to the family, Lenora and Marcus have a strange request, what could going along with it hurt, it’s for the best. Terrible things will happen, is it because she goes along with the couple’s silly game? Sadie does her best to please them even when she begins to notice suspicious actions. She doesn’t want to blow it, only to be sent away when she finally belongs but it is possible to ‘unsee’? Is it better not to question things? Does that make her party to deception? Is she tainted by tragedy?

2019 Sadie Langton’s acting jobs have been falling through but her agent Wendy has fantastic news. A murder mystery company wants Sadie which means no need to audition and the pay is beyond excellent for one weekend of work. She is invited to play a game… at Raven Hall. Supplied with vintage costumes to fill her role, instructions follow, if nothing else it’ll be fun and much needed money, surely her mother would agree, disappointed by her career choices as she is. She accepts not aware that at Raven Hall someone else is waiting, watching… lurking- are they taking the role too far? The other participants seem uncomfortable, suddenly it is all beginning to feel personal. Sadie learns about Raven Hall’s dark history and the ghost that remains after a once happy family abandoned it in the 1980s. Someone is pulling all their strings and there is so much Sadie doesn’t know about Raven Hall or even herself. A guest doesn’t return after she goes outside for a cigarette alarming everyone and other sinister things begin to occur- it’s dawning on Sadie that they aren’t pretending anymore. Will it cost Sadie her very life?

The past and present meet, family skeletons are released and it all boils down to inheritance and deception. It was a decent read, mostly I enjoyed the characters in the past, Beth and Sadie’s friendship. I didn’t expect the paths that the author took which were interesting, I also enjoy that every single character has their own intentions, even Beth at the beginning. It’s not bad to want a family and love, but who isn’t self-serving in some way? I would have liked more chapters about Sadie and her childhood as I didn’t feel as invested with her as I was with Beth. As a reader one of my pet peeves is each chapter going back and forth, I always feel it flows better with a part 1 and a part 2 into past and future but that’s a personal gripe. Other than that, Rous threw me off with the little deception Marcus and Lenora pulled because my mind was expecting something else entirely, so well done there. I enjoyed it even if it wasn’t as composed at the end.

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Berkley Publishing Group

Entertaining read which centers around a mystery murder planned at an old estate called Raven Hall. The book is told in alternating chapters of past and present and moves quickly through the first half., but the second half gets a little convoluted and confusing. The ending is a bit far-fetched but all in all a fast-paced story which fans of gothic mansions wil enjoy.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon