I enjoyed this twisty story that was full of surprises and will recommend it to library patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It started out intriguingly enough...and then you hit the first "twist", which then telegraphs all of the other twists that come after it, so it falls staunchly in the "predictable" category. But then it starts giving one over-the-top twist after the other, to the point where you start laughing and shaking your head, wondering where else Rous is going to go with the plot...and then she tops THAT with even more twists. There will be an audience who will love it...and there will be the audience, like myself, who's read enough of these thrillers that you see she clearly felt she needed to keep piling on to try to make it different from the other thrillers out there.

The pacing is a bit off...I was more interested in the present day story than the past, but we got more of the past story instead. Then you realize Rous couldn't spend more time in the present until the last quarter because of what she set-up. But the book definitely could be trimmed a bit to keep interest levels high. The guests don't really stand out much, and you're consistently trying to remember who is who, but again, you can't learn much about them until the twists start flying at you.

It's a fast read...and not the worst book I've ever read. But it's a bit "much" for what it turned out to be.

This book started out strong. I loved the multi-perspective storytelling and the jumps in time. It kept me guessing as to where the plot was going and what was going to happen next. I liked the characters and could feel the tension growing. But the last 1/4 of the book was a letdown for me. It felt hurried and far-fetched. I felt like the author tried to throw every thriller/mystery trope in the mix. The ease of the writing from the first half is completely lost in those last pages and it is clunky and doesn't fit with the rest of the book. I wanted to like this more, but the ending was subpar.

Wow.... just wow. What a twisted, awesome book. This author did such a good job of combining both the past and present and intertwining all the characters storylines. I was thrown off SEVERAL times, and even the last line of the book had me shaking my head. This book was just SO WELL DONE. I plan on rereading it, to pick up on the things I originally missed. Definitely will add to my must-read list.

Did you read the Au Pair by Emma Rous? If so, you know she is a master of the twisty thriller, and her novel The Perfect Guests is just as engaging. Picture a lavish weekend at an old but famous estate playing a murder mystery game with a group of guests. How the invite list was developed is not explained to you, but you are offered a handsome salary to act a part in this weekend. As you study your character and then travel to the estate, you think about how you will be able to make your rent payments for a few months, and how there is potential for a regular gig with this event company. Could there possibly be a catch?
I dove into The Perfect Guests and pretty much read until I finished. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie or my favorite game of clue, but with a modern twist and flashbacks to fill in the gaps, The Perfect Guests was a very entertaining read. Early on, I began to spot connections, but the depth to which each character’s identity and role was resolved was very satisfying. Like watching a play, there is no prop unused, and no extra characters to flesh out the story…everyone is someone. If you like a good mystery, The Perfect Guests should be on your to be read list!

Gothic suspenseful novel with a little Agatha Christie thrown in. Imagine being cast in a murder for mystery scenario only to discover that some things have some realism to them. I loved it! Will go back and read the author's previous book. Already have recommended it to several people..

What starts out as a playacted murder mystery becomes too real for these guests. Told in alternating timeline chapters, old secrets unfold one by one.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved the author’s first book, The Au Pair and couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed the cast of characters, plot and setting. With that being said, while I enjoyed this book, it didn’t capture my interest as much as the first.

This book keeps you guessing until the very end, As the character’s stories unfold, the mystery only thickens. Two young women, one without parents due to tragedy the other friendless due to something more sinister. Friends who become like sisters. But not is all it seems, and secrets shroud their idyllic life and the estate they call home that has irreversible consequences.

This book was fine. I think had I read it two years ago, I might've liked it even more. But lately, I've read a few thrillers with secret babies or mixed up parents and I find it a bit repetitive. It's a bit predictable. That said, I liked the multiple POVs, especially Lenora's. I wish more time was spent on the dinner party. I love a murder mystery game and felt that aspect of the plot had a lot of undeveloped potential. Overall I'd call The Perfect Guest a good beach read, quick and fun in quarantine, but nothing special.

This was readable and fun, if a little generic and predictable. This mystery was fairly traditional and twisty, and light on violence. The characters were believable, but not very deeply drawn, and this is definitely a plot-driven book. If you're a sucker for a manor house, like I am, you will probably like this one. Good pick for the fireside on a chilly night.

The Perfect Guests alternates between three points of view: Orphaned Beth lives at Raven Hall for eighteen months as a companion to an odd family's teenage daughter; an unidentified someone visits the Hall on the sly after her family loses the house; and Sadie, an aspiring actress, is hired to play a role in a murder mystery weekend staged at the once-abandoned Raven Hall. These three appear and reappear at different points in time as more is revealed about the Hall and its unfortunate history, until finally the three women collide in the present. Beth's narrative is primary and conveys very well her precarious situation as a guest at the Hall, making her reluctance to confront her increasingly strange circumstances believable and sympathetic. This well-written mystery will satisfy fans of stories about young women that interweave past and present.

A satisfying book with many twists and intertwined characters which will keep the reader guessing until the end. I finished this one in less than a day, because I didn’t want to put it down! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-galley.

Nice mystery with a few twists, my favorite! I love when all the story lines knit into each other like this. Only one drawback for me was that I wished we knew why Leonora was so obsessed with Raven Hall.

A book about murder mystery party set in a remote mansion and family taking in an orphan girl under unusual circumstances? Sign me up please! Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. From the first page, I was drawn into this story and finished it in one night, which hasn’t happened in months. The story alternates between 1988, and the story of Beth, an orphan who is brought to live with Nina and her family in their remote mansion Raven Hall, with that of present day Sadie. Sadie is a young actress who is hired to participate in a murder mystery party at Raven Hall. The story moves quickly, and I found myself turning pages so quickly to finish! At one point, I will confess that I smugly thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong. A gripping read!

A gothic novel filled with twists and turns set in 1988 and present day. Orphaned Beth has been asked to live with a family in their huge manor home to be a companion to their daughter Nina. This suits her aunt Caroline, as she has no wish to raise Beth herself. Beth and Nina soon become best friends and Beth is grateful Leonora and Markus has given her a home. But Beth is always worried about being sent back so when Leonora asks her to play a little game and pretend to be Nina for the grandfather who’s never seen her, she’s more than happy to do so.
In present times we’re introduced to Sadie, a young actress, who has been asked to play a mysterious part in an old manor home. She gladly accepts the job as her income is erratic, and her mother is always on her about this.
It takes a while for past and present to become clear but by by the end of the book all is clear.
A good gothic read to enjoy.

A fun little read. There were a couple of points I thought she was stretching too thin toward the end, but they ended up knitting back together nicely.

I loved this book! Seriously loved it. I enjoyed how the story was told through three timelines as was not at all confusing. Emma Rous did an amazing job of trying together all of the loose ends at the end of the book. Such twists and turns. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I was sad when the book ended.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved all of the twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. I loved that I wasn't able to figure out all of the mysteries while reading so it had the shock value I wanted. I guessed incorrectly so many times, which makes me a terrible detective...I would be a horrible guest at this murder mystery party!

In 1988 Beth Soames is 14 years old when she travels to Raven Hall with her aunt. Beth develops a fast friendship with the daughter of her hosts. Beth starts to feel like Nina and her family are like a second family to her, until they ask her to perform a small favor. Fast forward to the present day and actress Sadie Langton is asked to portray a guest at a party. She’s given clothes, along with a fake name and past. It’s weird, but it pays well and she needs the money. As past and present collide the secrets of the past surface. This creepy read is perfect for a hot summer night, you may find you don’t need the AC