Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I was hooked from the beginning. The book switches back and forth between 1988 and 2019. I takes place in Raven Hall. Guests are invited to Raven Hall to play a little game sort of like a mystery event and soon find out that there is a motive behind this gathering.

Unknown to each other, they all have something in common and are connected in a way to Raven Hall. I didnt find it difficult to keep the two eras apart and soon was eager to know what the big deal was. The more I got into the story, the more I could not put the book down. The ending of course makes everything clear - the connections - the relations - and a few surprises in between. New author for me but was delighted with her book. #fivestars

This book channeled some Agatha Christie energy. Beth, an orphaned teen, is grateful for the Averell family’s generosity until things get WEIRD. Their daughter Nina is temperamental girl and the parents are controlling and totally up to something. There’s an ulterior motive for wanting her here.
Meanwhile in the present day, as a struggling actress Sadie can’t hold down a job, a relationship or an apartment. She has a bit of a wall up, mostly due to her cold relationship with her mother. But she thinks her luck is turning around when she lands a gig, basically getting paid two months rent to play in real life Clue for the weekend…but the games played in this book aren’t fun. They are twisted. And there’s also an ulterior motive to why she’s here now…hmmm.
You simultaneously read through two timelines, then there’s another presence watching over Raven’s Hall who gives us some extra insight into the past. Emma Rous builds a captivating gothic atmosphere. There are both likable and unlikable characters but that didn’t deter us from the story at all. We wished some of the characters were a bit more developed. The slow burn beginning ramps up in the second half where A LOT happens at once. We really enjoyed how the stories eventually intertwined.
Murder mystery/family drama fans, pre-order this ASAP!
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
(PUB DATE: 1/21/21)

A solid 4.5 rounded up! This one is a lovely, Gothic-tinged domestic(ish) British thriller with YA crossover appeal with some compelling character study and fun guesswork.

You get three POVs that ping-pong across time, and half the fun is trying to connect the dots of who everyone is and how they are related. In 1988, Beth, an orphan with a shitty would-be caretaker aunt (who can't be arsed to halt her career/single life and leaves her niece in foster care), is dropped off to spend the summer with the wealthy Averell family of Raven Hall. Located in a sleepy town in the Fens, the Averell's daughter Nina has an over-protective mom and Beth is there to be her companion. Summer turns into 18 months and Beth integrates well into the family, but for two blips: she falls for Jonah, Nina's only friend, and has to keep it a secret, and the small matter of Nina's grandfather. He's old, rich, and cantankerous, and when he shows up unexpectedly when Nina is ill, Beth has to stand in for her--pretend to be Nina to win over the old man (who holds the family purse strings). It works, but drives a wedge between Beth and Nina. Terrified of being a homeless orphan once more, Beth struggles to reconcile her true self with fitting in at Raven Hall.

In 2019, struggling actress Sadie is invited to a murder mystery party at Raven Hall, where thirty years ago there was a terrible accident. It's a small party, and soon odd things start to happen... Sadie's POV is in third person and, yes, half the fun is trying to puzzle together who everyone is (they're all using code names!) and who connects to Beth's past POV and how.

The third POV is also first person of a young woman, but it's obscured who she is and when she is. I'll not say more for spoiler reasons, but her POV ends up being very interesting, indeed.

All three POVs do eventually tie together in a fun third act, though the third act is also where a few of the narrative choices were a bit disappointing hence the small half star deduction from me. I quite liked the final twist, but there was something hard to explain without some spoilers about one of the POVs in act three that felt a bit heavy on "telling" for me and light on tight, forward action?

This one is GREAT for fans of Gothic tone, old English country manor houses, villages and titled families with secrets, guessing at character identities across time & POVs, and, well, murder mystery parties, ha. (honestly could have used more of that theme/POV but oh well). There were times when I thought of one of my favorite suspense tonal words--languid. I enjoyed sinking into the pages, especially in Beth's POV. It may appeal to some YA readers who also like adult thrillers since a good third of the book is from teenage Beth's POV.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishers for the Advanced Reader Copy in return for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I was sucked in from the very beginning. Set in an old manor? Automatic check in my book. Add in a murder mystery game night? Check and check.

The Perfect Guests was overall a fast-paced, easy read, and I was loving the storyline until it slowed a bit at the end. While I prefer novels not leave you hanging, this one was quite the opposite. There was a bit too much explanation regarding character connections and personal outcomes, it seemed excessive.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery!

The Perfect Guests was a fun read for me, full of twists and turns that I didn't quite see coming. With engrossing characters and an atmospheric house, this book had me reading late into the night. Why was Beth being passed off as Nina? And why the creepy old fashioned dress? Just when I thought I had all the twists figured out, another one presented itself.
It did get a bit slow at the end, but built up to another twisty reveal. Overall, I really liked this one and would recommend, especially for book clubs!

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous was a great book! It has that gothic mystery feel, much like her previous book, The Au Pair. The book takes place in 2019 and 1988 with alternating chapters and viewpoints. Beth is in 14 years old in 1988 and an orphan. Her aunt takes her to a big house called Raven Hall to stay with a young couple who has a daughter the same age as Beth. In 2019 we hear from Sadie, a young woman out of work trying to be an actress. She gets an acting job for a mystery murder weekend at a home in the Fens called Raven Hall. How are these stories connected? You’ll have to read The Perfect Guests to find out. I loved the character of Beth. The author put a lot of detail into her character development. This was a really good mystery and I like dual timeline books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
This book very much has the feel of an Agatha Christie novel, however the ending makes you realize that it’s not. There is a lot of mystery in the book and the first part is very engaging. The parallel narrations of 2 different time periods make it very interesting to read. There are plenty of characters that keep the plot going. However the interconnections between them were a little hard to swallow. The book has lots of surprises like a good mystery should but the second part of the book felt like every possible twist was thrown in to mix. I did enjoy the last twist very much and it gave me closure to a few questions I had. Overall the characters are well written and you can almost imagine them all. The description of Raven Hall is lovely and you can visualize it well. All in all it’s a good mystery, probably perfect for a mini series.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC, which I received in exchange for my honest review. I was very excited to be approved to receive an advance copy of this title. The Perfect Guests has a very solid premise. Young aspiring actress Sadie is desperate for a job when the perfect opportunity arises, all Sadie has to do is travel to a country estate for a murder mystery weekend. I love a good locked room mystery and Raven Hall is a captivating setting. The book is told in alternating chapters through the eyes of Sadie and Beth. Beth found herself at Raven Hall in the late 1980's when she was taken in by the mysterious family who lived there.

I expected this book to be reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel with a high body count but that is not the case. The book is well written and fast paced, it's just not what I expected. Raven Hall sounds like a lovely but not overly grand country estate in England. I couldn't quite understand why some of the characters went as far as they did to hang on to the place. While the book fell flat for me, some readers will definitely enjoy it particularly if they are not expecting a murder mystery.

Multiple stories in multiple time periods weave together to tell the tragic tale of Raven Hall. In present time Sadie is trying to make ends meet as an actor when she is offered a weekend gig in the country, It sounds to good to be true and when she arrives things are off. Beth arrives at the house in 1988 as a guest who becomes family until a strange game leads to a tragedy. Interwoven is a story of someone obsessed with the house. Who is it and what will they do to own the house? When the 3 stories collide everyone is in danger, will they survive?

I think this book will be well received. There are twists and turns and the setting is a brooding old mansion. The story weaves current and past timelines very well. The reader is allowed to feel the drama unfolding rather than just being told. I did enjoy the author had a few tricks up her sleeve until the very end! Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

Emma Rous is quickly becoming a must read author for me. I've really enjoyed both of her novels and will look forward to whatever she writes next. This book was well plotted and kept me guessing the entire time. I loved the alternating between past and present and seeing how it all came together in the end. It was a quick-paced book and the setting was wonderful. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a modern day version of a real-life game of Clue. The novel has lots of twists and turns as it explores two different timelines surrounding the estate, Raven Hall, and the occupants of the property. Good mystery book!

This book follows the storyline of two women. In 1988, Beth Soames, a fourteen year old recently orphaned girl goes to live with a family in their large estate home- Raven Hall. She befriends their daughter until the people in the house start to behave very strangely.
2019 Sadie Langton is an actress who is given a part to play in a murder mystery weekend party at a large estate home- Raven Hall. The party soon takes on an evil twist and soon the guests stories start to unravel.
The book follows these two storylines until they start to converge in a suspenseful page turner. If you enjoy a family mystery inside a big English estate house, this book is for you. The author will keep you on edge and guessing right up until the end.

I truly enjoyed The Perfect Guests. This is the first book I have read by Emma Rous. The book is told from different protagonist's views with two storylines. The story begins with Beth who is adopted by a family that live in a rambling old house. Beth's parents and brother have tragically passed and her remaining relative, her aunt, can't wait to drop her off with another family. Beth is the same age as the family's lone daughter. The longer Beth lives in the house, the more questions she has about the family and the house that no one wants to answer. The other storyline is the tale of Sadie who is trying to land her first big acting role. Her agent offers her a job that pays a handsome fee. Sadie will be a playing a guest at a murder mystery event held at a rambling old house. Sadie is very excited to play the role, but once she arrives something seems off. I loved the twists and turns of the story. I was intrigued by the murder mystery event which I have always wanted to do. I highly recommend this book!

The Perfect Guest by Emma Rous is a twisty novel with chapters alternating between characters of the past and present. The only similarity is the location, beautiful, enchanting Raven Hall. In 1988, fourteen year old Beth is living in an orphanage after the tragic death of her parents and older brother. Her only living family member, Aunt Caroline, is unable to care for her full time due to her job, in which she travels often. The family living in Raven Hall invite Beth to stay with them to keep their daughter, Nina, also fourteen, company for the summer. Beth and Nina spend their days swimming, rowing a boat, hanging around the sprawling manor, just like real sisters would. But Beth soon realizes there is something very odd going on with the family, and a game she feels she is in the middle of.

In 2019, Sophie, a struggling out of work actress, receives and invitation to pretend to be a guest at a weekend murder mystery party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, and instructions for her character and the role she will be playing. Sophie really needs the money, and feels she is a constant let down to her mother. When she arrives at the location she will be spending for the weekend, she is in awe of the beauty of Raven Hall. There is little known about the manor, and through some online research, Sophie finds out there was a past tragedy that surrounded the mansion years prior. She realizes quickly, this weekend is not anything she thought it would be. There are definite secrets within the walls of Raven Hall, and the other guests seem as though they are each hiding something as well.

The beginning of the novel was very good. It was very mysterious and left you waiting on the edge of your seat to find out the big secret to the games being played. The characters of the past, Nina, her mother Leonora and father Markus, were very odd. Something just wasn’t normal. Beth was a likable character, you felt sorry for her, not only because of her past tragedy that brought her to Raven Hall but you could see she was a pawn in the family’s twisted game. As the novel continued with Sophia and the murder mystery party, the similarities start to show themselves from 1988 to 2019, and although certain parts were a bit predictable, some things were truly surprising. The final few chapters of the novel started to unravel quickly. It was difficult to keep up with everything going on and how it was all intertwined and came together. The mysterious story of Raven Hall was very interesting, and many of the characters had background stories, which all came together, just not as smoothly as I would have liked. I would give this novel a sold 3.5 stars. It was a fairly quick interesting read.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Berkeley Publishing Group and Emma Rous for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.

While the synopsis of this story sounded like the perfect who dun it mystery, for me it really lost its credibility at the end.
The story is told in 2 different timelines, present day and during the 1980s. The book also switches back and forth to different characters.. The first half of the novel was really intriguing. It was both sinister and had an air of mystery in what secrets lay at Raven Hall. However, the last half of the book, the author seemed to not know which twisty plot to end with. So she decided to throw every twist there was into the ending of the story. It got so confusing and ended up like a bad soap opera. I really enjoyed the first part of this book and just wish the ending was not bogged down by so many different twists.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic!!! I really enjoyed all the twist and turns this book offered.

This books is set in two timeframes, one in 1988, which follows Beth and the other in 2019, which follows Sadie. In 1988, the story is set with Beth being orphaned and brought to Raven Hall which later becomes her new home. Beth soon realizes something isn’t right in this house and with the people in it. In 2019, Sadie is invited to Raven Hall thinking she was invited for an acting job but in reality it was for a deadly game.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

When I read the first chapter or so, I thought oh yay, it's going to be about Murder Mystery Party! What fun. But I'm thinking this party may not be such fun after all. Intriguing start. This is story that takes place in two different eras the late 1980s and 2019. It has a whole cast of characters from eras. It's a mystery/thriller where 7 people are invited to a Mystery Murder Party. Each of the guest has been assigned a role to play. One of them is Sadie. It sounds like it will be great fun, but things go awfully wrong. I really liked this book, and I recommend it as an entertaining read! But at the end I still have some questions, and I'm confused about some of the relationship dynamics. Thanks to Net Galley, Emma Rous, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an early read. I had not read anything by this author before, but I want to read more of her books.

The Perfect Guests is told from two different points of view over two time periods. Each center around the infamous Raven’s Hall.

In 1998, after a horrific loss, 14 year old Beth is taken by her aunt to stay In a rambling manor house in the Anglian hills. The owners of the manor make her feel like part of the family until they ask her to play a game which changes everything.

In 2019, Sadie Langton, a down on her luck actress, is hired to play a part at a weekend party. She is sent a dossier describing her part and a suitcase with her costume. It seems odd but the pay is good. But things get stranger and stranger and soon it seems as if the house itself has eyes. What is really going on and how is it linked to the game of the past.

I enjoyed Rous’ first novel the Au Pair and this one is similiar in style and content. It has a decidedly modern gothic feel and the alternating timelines are effective. I wish it would have moved at a little faster pace. Some areas seemed to really drag. And I think the overall characterization could have been stronger. On the plus side, this book is heavy on atmosphere, which is always a big plus for me and kept me flipping the pages. The ending is well done and surprising and it is overall a strong sophomore novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and fair review.

For a large portion of this book there was a lot going for it: multiple narrators in different times, mysterious happenings, secretive characters and an isolated English country manor. Unfortunately, when Part 2 of the book began, which was about three-fourths of the way in, it all started to go downhill. It seemed rushed, with diverse characters showing up and revealing long held secrets and true identities; as if they couldn’t wait to get everything out in the open. Then, there was the actual end of the book. To that I just want to say, no!

This is the second book by this author I’ve read. In both books I have enjoyed the stories until the end and both times I have been disappointed.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.