This book sucked me in from the very first chapter, which wasn't surprising because this author is AWESOME! I think she is one of the most underrated authors out there. Her books are SO good! I loved how there were three different stories going on at once. It took me awhile to completely figure out how they are all intertwined and I loved it!

What a great read. Told from three different perspectives this book kept me engaged from the beginning. The character development was strong and I really cared about the outcome. It also had some great twists. Highly recommend.

This will be a good winter read. It's very suspenseful and I liked how the story went back and forth and finally connected. It did remind me a bit of the book Room.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG, I had a complete melt down when I was approved to read and review the Overnight Guest. Heather Gudenkauf is an auto-buy author for me and a force to be reckoned with. Her writing style is always on point, the first chapter draws you right in and consumes me with an overwhelming addiction. Each page adds more and more to the nail biting feeling that starts to rise in my chest. I can not contain my excitement, one more chapter is never enough.

The Overnight Guest, is a book I devoured in one sitting. I didn't expect anything less. This is probably one of my favorite books of the year and I will be purchasing this novel for my reading group for our February 2022 read.

The Overnight Guest is due to release January 25, 2022 and this is one you do not want to miss.

Excellent story! I could not put this down! I think this may be her best book yet! Highly recommend and look forward to reading more novels by this author!

This is my sixth Heather Gudenkau] story. The other five were GREAT ~ I am a fan!
I was sooo excited when I got this early release.

The story timeline go back and forth between now with Wylie Lark~ now in a snow storm; and then a blistering summer several years ago with two murders and a missing girl!

Now: Wylie Lark is an author who is staying at a remote farmhouse to work on her fourth true crime book. When a snowstorm happens, she believes it and a cozy fire will be the perfect inspiration she needs to write. However, in the middle of this snow storm she sees a young child half buried in her front yard.

Hmmm ~ don't want to give too much away but this story had me on the edge of seat with my my heart pounding
Story is very disturbing and emotional.
I had to stop every once in a while to take a deep breath to lower my rapid heart rate.
As I mentioned I am a fan but don’t remember a story like this one.

Yep Heather Gudenkauf does not disappoint!
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Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing ~ Park Row for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 25, 2022

OMG this story gripped me from the start and never let go. Told from the perspective of a true crime writer following a midwestern murder from 20 years prior, this story is atmospheric, haunting and one I couldn’t put down.

This novel begins as three novels in one. Thus, the first third of the novel is a little confusing and slow moving, but then the pace really picks up and the three story lines are each compelling. In one, a 12-year-old girl survives a horrific crime. It’d be terrible anywhere, but it’s particularly unusual for this small farming community. In another, all we know is that a little girl and her mother are locked in a basement, and their continued existence is at the hands of a violent man. In the third, a woman is trying to finalize her true crime novel when, in the middle of a wicked snowstorm, she finds a little boy nearly frozen to death near the remote home she’s renting. Survival becomes more complicated as the night wears on.

I can’t say why I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 without giving away too much, but it’s a fun read all in all.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, which RELEASES JANUARY 25, 2022.

Pretty Good Read!

3.75 stars

The Overnight Guest is an atmospheric and gripping thriller about a missing teenage girl linked to a horrific crime and the true-crime writer who attempts to unravel the missing pieces.

There are three central mysteries. One involving a crime from the past. The other two are centered around events in the present. All are linked together.

There are a lot of characters and three different timelines to keep track of. This was a little tricky to navigate in the beginning, but I caught on quickly. All of the narratives take place in rural Burden, Iowa. All three are compelling and made me want to keep on reading!

One of the narratives takes place during the hot Summer of 2000. This story revolves around 12-year-old Josie, who witnesses a horrific crime.

In the present moment, we are introduced to Wylie’s perspective. Her story is shared against the backdrop of a blizzard. Wylie, a true-crime writer, has rented a house in Burden to work on her next book. While hunkered down for the blizzard, she discovers an injured boy nearly frozen to death in the snow. She takes him in as her overnight guest.

Then there is a story of a little girl. All the reader knows is that she is living in a basement room with her mother.

If you are like me and read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, the events will not be surprising. I guessed two out of the three mysteries. Had I been able to keep track of all of the characters and read a little bit closer, it would have been easy to solve the third. While this didn’t have any major surprises, and I guessed what was happening, I enjoyed seeing how the events unfolded.

My favorite perspective was the one told during winter in the present moment. I was transported to the rural country house, surrounded by tree limbs covered in ice, and the blizzard conditions made me shiver. This setting added an extra layer of creepiness.

On the downside, there are too many characters and too many perspectives. I also thought that the little girl seemed much older and wiser than her age, adding a layer of unbelievability. The ending was over-the-top and dragged a bit. At the same time, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.

On the upside, I loved the seasonal element that encompassed the narratives. There is a bit of blood and gore and also some difficult-to-read scenes involving emotional and sexual abuse. The title has multiple meanings as there is more than one overnight guest. Overall, this was a compelling and chilling read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Having returned to the town where her family was murdered and her best friend went missing over 20 years ago, true crime writer Wylie Lark is finally ready to tackle the true crime story about her own family. Needing time away from her ex-husband and her out of control teenage son, Wylie rents a farmhouse out of town and away from prying eyes and wagging tongues. When a severe snowstorm arrives cutting her off from any help, Wylie discovers first a child and then a woman in the snow. There is something dreadfully wrong about this pair and when Wylie begins to piece together their story, she realizes that she is much more involved in their tale other than rescuing them from the snowstorm. The tension builds as Wylie recalls what happened to her family that fateful night in alternating chapters with a current police investigation. Who can they trust? The friendly neighbor? The police? Their family? Everyone is a suspect and red herrings abound keeping the reader frantically turning the pages until the very end.

Such a fantastic read! Heather Gudenkauf has once again brilliantly written an unforgettable thriller! The Overnight Guest is paced at lighten speed and I truly never wanted to put my kindle down because I had to find out what happened! The twists and turns were well-placed and plentiful—I think I pulled my jaw off the ground at least a dozen time throughout this book! The Overnight Guest is a 5+++ star novel that will have you staying up way past your bedtime! I highly recommend this gem to all mystery/thriller fan—a true must read!

Heather Gudenkauf held me and my over thinking mind captive all day long. My back, my legs but mostly my brain cells are seriously numb! The pacing, the characterization, slow burn mystery building, high tension, the cabin in the woods theme meets the Room plot line executed impressively!

This book keeps you on the edge of your seats, pushing you bite your nails harder and scream louder!

Can you imagine you’re in the middle of blizzard, trapped in one hundred years old farmhouse as creaky and contrary as old man had only the basics: the electricity and water?

Quick correction: now it’s out of electricity without landline. True crime author Wylie Lark is trapped in this claustrophobic place in the middle of the winter. Why she insisted to choose this place and why she stayed so long even though she’s planned to leave in one week?

After her argument with her teenage son who decided to leave her alone to go to his father’s house, she finds herself working on the next true crime novel project, living secluded, isolated life!

Now in the middle of the blizzard, lights go out, landline is not working and she finds an unexpected guest lying on the front yard: a little boy who is wounded, scared, acting like caged animal. How did he get hurt? How did he arrive in the middle of the blizzard? Why is he not talking and why is he so scared?

We move back and forth between 2000 and present to learn what happened in the same farmhouse: somebody killed the members of Doyle Family (mother and father): Josie Doyle, 12, got shot and her best friend Becky with her 16 years old brother are missing!

Did the killer take them or could her own brother be responsible from those massacres who argued a lot with her parents lately? Two timelines and another additional POV of little girl reminds us of Room’s Jack who is locked in a basement with her mother whose abused by her own father, are keeping our attentions alert. I personally enjoyed each timelines, kept squirming, screaming as I flipped the pages as fast as I could.

All those stories intercepted very wisely. Till the last chapters, I was about to give five stars but the last vengeance parts are a little overrated and long. The culprit turns into something between Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers who resists to die like a cat with nine lives which made me roll my eyes several times. And there are still some unanswered parts about the motives of the murderer.

Long story short it was still unputdownable, exciting, wild ride I truly enjoy! I’m giving four heart pounding, claustrophobic, high tension stars! If the last chapter may have been shorten a little bit, it could be possibly five starred read for me!

As a big fan of the author I highly recommend this fantastic, shocking, surprising wild ride!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

*I give a rating of 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 since I cannot give half ratings on here.*
Wylie Lark is a true crime writer who is renting an old farmhouse while trying to finish another book. With a huge winter storm outside, trapping her inside, she finds a child lying on the ground outside the home. But unfortunately the child will not speak, not even to answer basic questions. However, that’s not the only issues that Wylie has, she fights her own internal battles as well. And perhaps being in the house where a brutal crime occurred doesn’t help, but where did the child come from? And how can she help if she cannot get any answers?

So at first I was thinking I wouldn’t like this one. I’m not a big fan of books that switch from past to present, but when you read this one and get to a certain point, it fits very well for the plot. This one had me on edge a lot, and reading very fast to figure out what was coming next, especially at the end. The only thing I found annoying is that this book did not format well with my kindle or kobo. The text was a bit messed up, and that bothered me a bit, but not so much I still didn’t enjoy it.

There are a lot of different perspectives to read from, but it’s not confusing. And I love different perspectives so that’s a positive for me. I also did predict everything that happened, except one thing, and it was a surprising twist. I don’t mind when I accurately predict something when I’m reading, so it ruined nothing for me.

Overall, this was a very good read for me. I started it and finished it in one day, and that was with taking some long breaks throughout the day. If you like crime related thrillers, check this one out when it releases!

Wylie Lark takes a trip to an isolated farmhouse to write her true crime novel…. the same house it happened in. The secrets of the past reveal themselves along with the child she discovers outside in the snow.

There were a lot of parts to this book, but they all came together in the end. I was confused by the time jumps, but after a few chapters I got used to the characters and understood what was going on. I liked how it all tied together in the end and the characters started to relate to each other. It slowly build up and then the ending was an exciting bang. There was also an unexpected twist that got me!

“Homes were supposed to be a shelter from the elements, a fortress to keep out evil, and her home had betrayed Josie in the worst possible way.”

The Overnight Guest comes out 1/25.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - -
I absolutely devoured this book!!
Wylie is writing the true crime story of her life. She is living in the home where the murder happened. Her family was murdered, she and her friend ran, but her friend was never seen again - Who took her? Is she alive? Who murdered her family?
As a storm gathers she finds a child in the snow and brings her in. She goes back to find the woman in the truck - but she's gone? She will freeze to death - where did she go? Why are they out in this weather? It seems as if they are running away? The child won't speak?
As the days move on she slowly finds the answers and when there is a knock on the door - they began to fear for their lives?

Wylie Lark is holed up in an isolated farmhouse during a snowstorm, virtually cut off from the outside world. This suits her just fine. Until he goes outside and finds a small child almost frozen in the snow. Is she really as isolated as she thought?
Several different storylines, a lot of characters and some slight confusion (on my part) that came together really well. There was one unanswered question that bugged me a bit, unless I missed it, so I may have to go back and search! I really did enjoy this book, Heather Gudenkauf just never disappoints!

“The Overnight Guest” by Heather Gudenkauf was nearly impossible to put down. A chilling thriller that seamlessly blended elements of mystery and suspense this book gave me more chills than some of the horror novels I’ve recently read.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer finishing up her latest book at an isolated farmhouse in Iowa. The book is about two people murdered and a girl who disappeared in the very house she’s currently residing. As a blizzard sets in, Wylie comes across a small child in the snow outside. Once inside, Wylie realizes that the child is terrified, traumatized and keeping secrets. As Wylie vows to protect the child, she quickly realizes she may not be as safe in her isolated location as she thought.

This book held a wonderful surprise—it’s actually three mysteries in one with three separate timelines. Gudenkauf, with her addicting plot and well-crafted characters, weaves a spell over the reader and it’s hard to put down the book. Just when I thought I had things figured out, she’d throw curveball after curveball, quickly unraveling my theories. The book was masterfully suspenseful and I was truthfully more jumpy reading this than some of the horror books I’ve recently read. Atmospheric, dark, intense and face-paced, this is one thriller you will want to kick off your 2022 reading list.

This book was by far creepier than I had expected. I loved every minute of it! Heather Gudenkauf has a way of making you feel like you are part of the story observing the horrible events as they happen, but you have no way to stop them because you are frozen in fear. But that didn't stop me from reading furiously to find out what would happen next. You will be quickly hooked by this fast paced thriller. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the very last word.

Heather Gudenkauf does not disappoint! The Overnight Guest is a taut, atmospheric thriller chronicling the mass murder of a mom, dad and son, their daughter left injured and the disappearance of her best friend. Wylie, a true crime author ventures to a desolate farm in Iowa to write about the crime and quell some demons of her own. Well crafted, believable characters tell the story alternating between the past and the present. I highly recommend this book to fans of Ruth Ware or Gillian Flynn.

A fast paced, dark psychological thriller, The Overnight Guest is a terrifying blend of stalking, abuse and murder. There are three very separate story lines, spanning decades.

True crime writer Wylie Lark tries to finish her latest work of non-fiction as a blizzard rages outside. Leaving the warmth of a fire to venture outside to find her dog, she discovers a nearly frozen small child. Where did he come from and…who is looking for him and why?

After hearing shots, twelve year old Josie and her best friend Becky run to Josie’s home only to be hunted down by a killer. The local police investigate the worst crime their small department has ever seen. They are joined by the FBI.

Locked in a cellar, a mother is raising her daughter. There is little food. There are no toys. There is aggression and violence.

Set aside enough time to read The Overnight Guest from start to finish. It is truly unputdownable and deserves 5 stars and more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Heather Gudenkauf for this ARC.