This is the perfect winter thriller!

It’s was so good! It’s filled with suspense and I couldn’t stop reading. I don’t want to give anything away but there were multiple story lines within the book – a mother and a child, a true crime writer stuck in the house during a snow storm and a summer 20 years ago where tragedy happened. It was intense and the twists and secrets were so good. I loved when all the pieces of the puzzle were revealed and how everything unfolded. It’s a great thriller!

A huge thank you to Park Row books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What an epic read. This book was so good! Such a freakin page turner. It had me hooked from start to finish! Heart racing and adrenaline inducing!! Each chapter just propels you to the next because you want to know what is happening and who is who and why?!

This had so many great elements. A true crime writer writing about a crime where the parents were shot and two missing teens and another shot. Who killed this family and where was the girl?? There’s multiple timelines. The girl who survived. A woman and her daughter locked in a basement. And the true crime writer and it’s so fantastic how it all comes together.

This one gave me all the emotions too. I felt so deeply for this woman and her daughter and wanted so badly for them to be ok.

I wanted to know who had done this and to bury them myself. I can’t recommend this one enough!

Holy atmosphere, Batman!

The Overnight Guest had me on edge from start to finish. This story is intense!

I loved the characters and the way their secrets were slowly revealed as all the pieces snapped together.

Setting adds another layer of creepiness to the plot’s complexities.

Perfect pacing, fantastic writing—all the praise!

Imagine finding a child almost frozen to death in the middle of a blizzard.

Well that’s what happens to Wylie one night while she was in the middle of no where escaping her life to finish up her latest book about a family who where gruesomely murdered. Wylie take’s the child in overnight and starts asking where did this child come from.

I can totally see why a lot of people were blown away by this thriller. This book was very well written and plotted with three timelines that end up connecting at about 50% into the book. It was fast faced and filled with lots of twists and turns.

Personally for me this story was very disturbing and emotional, too dark for me. It was more violent than I expected. I would call this one a survival terror thriller. I will warn you there are triggers of physical abuse, child harm and kidnapping.

This was a tense and gripping thriller. Alternating timelines have become a common thriller tactic but they work so well in this book and truly advance the storyline. I really liked Wylie’s grit and liked how she worked to gain the trust of the child. The original murders and the following investigation was probably my favorite storyline - I couldn’t stop guessing who was the killer and constantly was wrong. The major twist was one I didn’t see coming (love that!) Heather Gudenkauf just became an author I need to read more from!

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer. Her latest project has her renting an old farmhouse in Burden, Idaho, in order to better research her next book. Several decades ago, middle-aged couple William and Lynne Doyle were brutally murdered in that very same house. Their teenage son Ethan went missing, as did the best friend of their daughter Josie, a tween girl named Becky Allen who was sleeping over that night. The only remaining survivor of the massacre was 12 year-old Josie herself, who ran into a neighboring cornfield to hide soon after the shooting started.

Josie was never able to identify the shooter, but suspicion quickly fell on sixteen year-old Ethan, who’d hit a rough patch in his relationship with his parents. While police and press speculated as to whether Ethan and Becky had plotted the murders and run off a la Bonnie and Clyde, a traumatized Josie maintained the innocence of both her brother and her best friend, even if she sometimes doubted her own convictions.

Now in the present day, Wylie is looking into the still-unsolved murders and lingering far longer in Idaho than she’d originally intended. Much of this is due to her conflicted feelings regarding her own teenage son Seth back in Oregon:

QUOTE
Wylie wanted to talk to her son. She wanted to apologize for just taking off. She had been so frustrated with him, so tired of the arguments, of Seth pitting her ex-husband against her. And when he took off that night and didn’t come home–that was pure torture. She didn’t know where Seth was, who he was with, didn’t know if he was alive or dead.

Wylie had taken the easy way out as a parent. Seth’s words had hurt her so much. He hated her, wanted to go live with his father. Wounded, she used finishing her book as an excuse, came to this sad, lonely place.
END QUOTE

With a blizzard closing in on Burden, Wylie is resigned to holing up in the farmhouse for just a little while longer, even as a series of unfortunate events cuts off her contact with the outside world. She has enough firewood, though, so should be fine… at least until her dog finds something unusual out in the snow.

At first, Wylie is terrified that the small form nearly frozen to the ground is already dead. When she sees that the little boy is still breathing, she quickly brings him inside. The near feral child regains consciousness but is extremely mistrustful of her, even as she urges him to wait inside where it’s warm while she ventures forth to see where he might have come from. She discovers a crashed truck and an unconscious woman trapped in barbed wire a short distance up the road… but when Wylie returns with wire cutters in order to free her, the woman has disappeared.

Deeply unnerved, Wylie decides to concentrate on helping and connecting with the silent child in her home. Something extremely strange is going on, and she’s determined to protect him from whatever harm may come. But will her own fears hamper her when the crucial moment arrives?

QUOTE
Her rational mind knew that she had nothing to fear, but she couldn’t think. Beads of cold sweat popped out on her forehead and a low hum filled her ears.

Unsteadily, she sat down on the top step. She couldn’t catch her breath; the air wouldn’t fully enter her lungs. It was blocked by something that had lain dormant for years. Something black and oily slid into place and took hold.

Wylie pressed her fingers to her throat as if she could pry away its cold grip. Night had finally found her unprepared, and Wylie felt she might suffocate.
END QUOTE

Interspersed with Wylie’s story are the events of the Doyles’ murder, told from Josie’s conflicted, guilt-stricken point of view. In addition to these is the tale of another girl trapped in an unimaginable captivity. The way these threads intertwine makes for compelling, if nightmarish reading, as we cheer Wylie on not only to uncover the truth but also to prevail against horrifying odds in order to see justice done for both past and on-going crimes.

4 stars

For the most part, this was a fun mystery/thriller. I had a good part of it figured out almost right away, but some of the outcome did still manage to surprise me. I enjoyed the varied perspectives and trying to determine how they would come together in the end, but I’m never going to be a fan of thrillers (or any type of story) that have cops as major characters in this way…just, ugh. I also feel like a lot of the epilogue probably could have been left off, but that’s a style preference. Anyway, I liked a lot about this one, and overall, it was a positive reading experience.

The Overnight Guest , by Heather Gudenkauf, is a mystery/thriller you don’t want to miss. Told over three different storylines and three timelines, it will keep you on the edge wondering what is coming next.

Wylie, a true crime writer, has retreated to an old isolated farmhouse to finish her latest book about a 20 year old crime that took place in this very farmhouse. When a huge snowstorm blows in and the electric and phone lines go out, what could possibly go wrong!?!?

The other storylines include:
- a mother and child held captive in a basement
- the unthinkable events that, in the course of one night ,changed a family forever.

It might seem that with several storylines and time lines things might get confusing, but the narrative runs smoothly. Lots of twists and turns as the storylines come together, some you will see coming, some will take you by surprise.

Mystery/thriller fans will want to check this one out. Happy reading!

This book creeped me out and I could only read in during daylight so I wouldn’t have nightmares. I guess that’s a sign of a good thriller! 3 storylines woven together in rural Iowa. Murder, missing people, unsolved mysteries and lots of secrets. A dark and twisty thriller.

I thought this was a great, suspenseful, isolated thriller. We follow 3 different storylines. One set in present day with our main character Wylie who is a true crime writer staying in a rented house to finish her novel. The majority of her timeline exists during a snowstorm where she is snowed in. The second timeline is 20 years previous, following a horrific murder of a family and following the young daughter, Josie, as they work through the investigation. And the third, is set in an undetermined time following an unnamed woman and her daughter who are trapped in a very abusive relationship.

All of the storylines were great and thoroughly hashed out. I loved them all, each one had me questioning what was actually happening. It creeped me out and pulled on my heart strings. I thought I knew what was happening through most of the novel, but at the end I did have some surprises that I wasn't on to yet.

My favorite story line was of Josie as she was going through all her trauma. She was such a sweet and scared girl who had an amazing relationship with her grandfather. I really was hoping everything would end up ok for her.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early. It'll be hard to beat this one this year.

Three seemingly random stories, one in 2000 and two in the present twenty years later, weave together and come to a shocking conclusion in this irresistible thriller. This book was so good I couldn't put it down!
-Twenty years ago, a grisly murder occurs on an Iowa farm. Josie, 12 years old, is injured and the only survivor left behind, while her brother and best friend are missing.
-A woman and her young daughter are being kept in captivity in a basement, held by an abusive man for years.
-A woman struggling with her divorce and custody of her teenage son .retreats to an isolated farmhouse to finish her true crime novel. During a terrible snowstorm one night she rescues a young boy frozen in a snowbank. He refuses to speak to her, and the only clue of where he came from is a wrecked truck on the side of the road. With no way to leave and get help and the phone lines down during the storm, she reluctantly keeps the terrified boy overnight.
This was the perfect book to read while the wind and snow were howling around my own home, while I'm cuddled up in my favorite chair with my blankie and a cup of coffee. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good thriller.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

This was a gripping, chilling, twisty story that I read in one day, I could not stop. Wylie Lark is a true crime author and she needs to finish her fourth book. She needs to focus and have no distractions, so she heads across country to an abandoned and remote farmhouse with her dog, Tas. The farmhouse has a history, it was the scene of a twenty year old crime where three members of a family are killed and a young girl disappears. Once she arrives an unexpected snowstorm hits causing the loss of electricity. When she discovers a small boy in the snow out front, it leads her into situations that she is not expecting nor prepared for.

I loved this book. It actually has three different storylines: the present, the murders twenty years earlier and the POV from a mother and her young daughter. It was a bit confusing at the beginning, but not for long. This is an extremely atmospheric thriller. The remote location, a snowstorm and characters running from something or someone. I found myself gripping my kindle tightly and my jaw dropping a few times. There were several twists as the POVs came together with a satisfying conclusion. I did figure out how they fit together before the final reveal, but there were still some things that I didn't figure out and boy were they doozies. This was a well written story, with well developed characters. Secrets, emotions, and twists that made this a captivating story for me. I recommend this book to those who enjoy crime thillers.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf is a very highly recommended chilling thriller.

Wylie Lark, a true crime writer, is writing her latest book about a murder in Burden, Iowa. She is staying at the farmhouse where two people were murdered and a little girl went missing in 2000. Now a major snowstorm with ice and snow has moved in, cutting her off from the world. When taking her dog out she is shocked to find a child outside laying on her driveway in the snow. She brings the bleeding child inside to warm up and to care for his injuries. The young boy won't speak and appears to have experienced some trauma and abuse.

The storm has made contacting the sheriff impossible so Wylie braves the outdoors again, finding a truck in the ditch, and an injured woman. She leaves her coat with the woman, promising to return with a way to help her get back to the house. However, when she returns, the woman is gone and Wylie can only hope the woman makes her way to the house. In the meanwhile she needs to keep the fire going for warmth while trying to care for a child who refuses to talk.

This masterfully written, well-plotted novel follows three different narrative threads. The main story line is in the present day with Wylie trying to care for the child in the raging blizzard. The second is the story of the murders that occurred in Burden, Iowa, in 2000. The third occurs during an unspecified time and is told through a young girl's point-of-view. The three story lines feature characters with distinctive voices and point-of-views. They are developed as distinctive individuals reflecting their different ages and circumstances.

All three narratives are equally compelling, suspenseful, and riveting. They eventually converge in an unpredictable denouement that I found extremely satisfying after all the tension and anxiety present throughout the novel. The enjoyment is found in the excellent, engrossing, and absolutely gripping journey to reach the ending. 4.5 rounded up
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Park Row Books.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for the advanced reading copy of The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.

The Overnight Guest follows three different timelines/perspectives. The story starts in the year 2000 where twelve year old Josie witnesses a gruesome crime. The first chapter definitely draws the reader in and I didn’t lose interest once. The story was so fast paced.

From there it skips to present day where Wylie, a true crime author, is staying at a remote location writing her next true crime novel. Gudenkauf really knows how to create atmosphere.

The last perspective follows a young girl who lives in a basement with her mother.

Normally when reading multiple perspectives there is always one I am more interested in. This wasn’t the case, all three were equally compelling and incredibly gripping. While the story was predictable and there weren’t really any “surprises” or twists I didn’t see coming Gudenkauf’s writing still grasped my interest and kept me on the edge of my seat.

The title definitely holds different meaning as there is more than one Overnight Guest. This would be a great recommendation for readers who are new to the mystery/thriller genre.

In The Overnight Guest author Heather Gudenkauf has the story going back and forth from August 2000 to the present day. Each section is riveting. The Overnight Guest is a nail biting, edge of your seat story. Ms Gudenkauf does such an excellent job of describing what was going on I could feel the cold wet snow that the characters were dealing with. I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an early copy to review.

Lately, I have been reading more thrillers than romances as at the beginning of January I felt that every romance book I tried was just blah and ended up being a DNF. I have seemed to have more luck with thrillers and this particular author, I have read 5 of her prior books - one I didn't enjoy which was Missing Pieces but the other 4 were amazing and ranged from 1 - 3 star, 1 - 4 star and 2 - 5 stars. The Overnight Guest will be added to the 4-star pile. The book starts with a murder that rocked the small town of Burden and remained unsolved - a murder that left one girl alive Josie and the other Becky missing. Now twenty years later, a true-crime writer who has a dark secret Wylie Lark is back in Burden and writing a book about the crime. What she doesn't expect is that by the end of the book she will have discovered the "real truth" about what happened that fateful night twenty years ago and uncover some horrible secrets. During her stay, there is a massive snowstorm and Wylie hears her dog barking and out in the snow discovers a child left for dead. It turns out that the child and her mother were in a horrible truck accident and running for their lives. Can Wylie help save them both before it's too late and what happens when she learns the identities of the woman and child? The Overnight Guest has three storylines POV's running through the book - we have Josie from twenty years ago leading up to that night and the night in question, Wylie - in the present writing her book and then a family where the mother/daughter are in danger. I liked the twist of this book and it also happened to encompass my favorite tropes of new identities that the last chapter was another of my favorites and one of the reasons I forever recommend the book The Never List by Koethi Zan. So, if you loved The Never List by Koethi Zan, Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy, or The Ice-Cream Girls series by Dorothy Koomson - then you will love The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.

What a thriller! Three separate story lines combine by the end of the novel. The suspense builds and as a reader you feel the fear building as the story reaches its climax. A woman returns to Iowa to finish her true crime book. She is dealing with personal problems and has recently sent her son to live with her ex. She wrestles with her lack of commitment to her son and her inability to finish her book. She has rented an old farmhouse in a deserted area. On a cold, stormy evening, she finds the body of a child in the snow. What is the child's story? Will she be able to rescue the child and herself?

Oh my goodness!
What a twisted read!
As I read The Overnight Guest, I kept thinking it couldn’t get any more intense and then, it would!
The author does a great job of intertwining three different plots. I know I was kept guessing right up until almost the end of the book. And, then, I was still surprised with the outcome.
I do have to say, some of the things going on seemed a bit……too drawn out.
Definitely a creepy, suspense mystery……
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions are solely my own.

I read this book in the midst of a winter snowstorm, so that added to the drama of the story. A true crime writer is staying in a deserted farmhouse in order to research a grisly murder that occurred years ago for her next book. A creepy setting, in a snowstorm, with no power and unexpected visitors. This book has some graphic descriptions of the murder and other incidents, so be prepared for that. I could have done with a little less realism in the crimes and maybe a little more reality with respect to the main character (vague, but I don't want to disclose too much). I'm not sure I'd choose to read this book again. A bit over the top for me.

The Overnight Guest
Heather Gudenkauf
January 25, 2022

This very well written novel by Heather Gudenkauf begins in present day with Wylie Lark heading to Blake County Iowa to continue writing a true crime story about a horrendous murder that took place in the summer of 2000. She and her husband were on the cusp of divorce. Her son, Seth, at fourteen had decided living with his dad would be best and left the house. With that, Wylie packed the car, locked the house and messaged her ex-husband. She hoped he could do better with Seth than she had. The drive was tough, she was trying to outrun a winter storm. She did her best to pick up groceries but lines were so long she gave up and made her way to the country rental. Yes, it was the same house where the crime took place. No one wanted to rent a home where murders took place and never been solved. It was cheap and gave her a realistic feel to the narrative she wanted to set down.
Each chapter is written with the date it took place giving the reader historical info regarding the execution and the family it involved. There is also the diary of a mother, daughter and father brought to us in Italic print. This sad tale coexists with Gudenkauf’s frightening suspense.
The Overnight Guest will be published by Park Row Books on January 25, 2022. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review Gudenkauf’s latest novel. Her fans know what a great suspense read this will be. If this is your first by Ms. Gudenkauf it is creepy, grizzly, and heavy duty suspense. It will keep you on edge, don’t read after midnight. The Overnight Guest is one not to miss.