When I first read the synopsis, I was hesitant to read this novel because initially I wondered how interesting and varied the storyline could become with a singular main character stuck in the middle of nowhere. Boy, was I wrong. I read so many thrillers that I often forget what they are about after some time. I haven’t forgotten this one because the story is propulsive and addictive. A definite must-read.

This book has been a huge hit for the librarians and patrons at my library. Will be recommending as a great summer read.

4.5 out of 5

I could not put this book down! I started it with the intention of reading the first few chapters and picking it up the next day...three hours later, I finished it.

Wylie Lark, a True Crime writer, is temporarily living in a remote farmhouse while she writes her new book / researching two murders which occurred in the same cottage. During her seclusion there is a winter storm which further isolates her until there is a guest at her doorstep,

The first chapter contains three story lines which appear random however as you read further, you find that they fit together. The pace was perfect and the suspense was excellent. The end was a tad over the top for me, however this is minor when compared to how fantastic of a read this book was!

This book keeps you on your toes, it is intense, chilling, and makes you jump in the middle of the night. This is the type of writing I live for, I cannot wait for the author's next book!


Many thanks to NetGalley and Park Row for providing me with this digital book.

Three stories - a woman alone in a cabin during a storm with an unexpected visitor outside her door, a woman and a child seemingly trapped in a basement by their partner/father, a girl whose family is murdered - all connected. But how?

This mystery (not a thriller) was a bit slow for me. A lot of characters and timelines to keep track of and frustrating to wait for the stories to intertwine. Two of the stories converge a little more than halfway through the book, and the last around 75%. With how the writer introduced us to the main character, plus a lot of her (really stupid) choices, it was really hard too like her/connect with her/root for her. And when you find out why/get the payoff, it was just not enough. But it was a decent enough read - solid 3 stars.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ve read a few of Heather Gudenkauf’s books over the years. And I have liked each and every one that I have read ( Before She Was Found, This Is How I Lied, Not A Sound and Missing Pieces). But I think The Overnight Guest might be her most twisted.

What I Liked:

The cover is completely spooky and sets the scene perfectly.

How the book is laid out- the story is told in past, present and then one section you, as the reader, are not sure when that section is being told. It ups the tension to INCREDIBLE heights.

When all the pieces click together. I think I gasped out loud.



Bottom line: This book was def filled with tense scenes and it hooked me!

I liked this one, but I didn’t love it. The concept was very dark and I’d definitely suggest checking trigger warnings before reading!

It was face paced and an easy read! If you like thrillers, you’ll enjoy it for sure. I’d still recommend giving it a shot, it was good, just not my favourite!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview The Overnight Guest.
There are there plots going on for an author who decides to write a book in an isolated cabin.
Soon things are not what they seem and soon she won’t be alone at all.
A lot of characters. Too many for me and three plot lines slowed me down a few times.
Not one of this authors best efforts. 3 stars

True crime writer Wylie Lark is staying in a remote farmhouse to try and finish the book she started. A massive snowstorm blankets the town and leaves her unable to leave which is perfect for her to finish her writing.

As the storm rages on, the sees a small child out in the snow. She brings the child in only to find out that there is more to the story than she initially thought. Bringing in this child rips open town secrets and secrets that Wylie also was hiding, all connected to this farmhouse.

I found the story interesting since it was from different points of view. I love stories like that and I think Gudenkauf did a great job of it. However, it can get confusing trying to keep everyone straight. But eventually, it will all make sense.

I truly didn't like Wylie but I tried to push that aside since it is clear she has been through a lot of trauma. I found the story of the child and the mom absolutely fascinating and that is what kept my interest the whole time.

Because I read A LOT of mysteries, I eventually figured out most of it in terms of the female characters but the actual culprit was not who I was expecting it to be. This will be a great read for people who like mysteries and multiple time periods and narrators. While I enjoyed the book and the story, it was hard to rate it higher since I didn't like the main character and it was way too slow.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Overnight Guest had three storylines at once, which at first was confusing, but they all merged together. As the story progressed, I easily figured out what was going to happen and predicted most of it. However, that didn't take much away from the story. It was well-written and a page-turner.

In present day, Wylie is in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in a snowstorm. Does it surprise anyone that the power goes out and there is no way for Wylie to contact the outside world? While she's stranded, she finds a boy curled up outside her house, practically freezing to death. She takes him in and he doesn't want to talk. He's ok but guarded.

In a separate storyline, a girl and her mother are being abused by their father. They are kept locked in a basement, deprived of food and fresh air.

In the third storyline, a teenage boy is suspected of killing his parents and kidnapping his sister's friend. The sister was shot and is tramautized and the town is trying to find out who has disrupted their peaceful lifestyle.

These storylines all merge together and it does make sense. All loose ends are tied up and everything makes sense in the end. It's a good read, even if it is predictable.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! By the time I got to the end, my jaw was super clenched from the buildup of tension. Three storylines are craftily woven together in a scary, dark, quick-paced thriller. It's so full of suspense and tangled tension.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf is a chilling thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is set in an isolated farmhouse where two people were murdered decades earlier and a girl disappeared without a trace. The woman who owns the house, true crime writer Wylie Lark, is snowed in and decides to stay in the house while she writes her new book. As the storm gets worse, Wylie discovers a small child in the snow just outside, she takes him in and begins to search for answers.

With The Overnight Guest, Gudenkauf has crafted a taut, suspenseful thriller with plenty of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. This is also the first book I read by the author and it has made me interested in reading more of her books.

So much love for this book! There are three separate story lines that are equally compelling, and for a while I was uncertain as to how these stories would come together. But they absolutely do, and the ending is a fast-paced race for survival and justice. Highly recommend for people who enjoy a strong sense of setting in their mysteries.

This was a great little thriller. Her books are just the right speed for me. This was a tad on the predictable side but that didn't take away from the ride at all. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you so much to @harpercollinsca for the complimentary digital review copy of The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf in exchange for an honest review. The Overnight Guest came out on January 25, 2022 - available now!

Writer Wiley Lark is staying in what many think is an abandoned farmhouse to get through writing her true crime novel during a massive snow storm. She finds a child laying in the snow just outside the farmhouse, and brings him outside, trying to get get some answers about how he got there but the child isn't giving anything up.

I don't want to give anything away about this fascinating, addictive thriller, but know that it has some of my favorite elements. Creepy atmosphere, multiple timelines and kept me hooked. I kept telling myself I should put this down and to go sleep, but ended up staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish this one off.

I haven't read anything by Gudenkauf before but I will be looking our or her books in the future!

Pick this one up if your looking for a quick suspenseful thriller to bring forward every fear you have about being in an abandoned farmhouse in a massive winter storm.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
 
❄️ This is a great thriller with a locked-room element that I really enjoy. Confinement in thrillers makes the tension increase tenfold IMO. Throw in a terrible snowstorm and things get even more intriguing!

❄️ The story is revealed intricately and amazingly from three POVs and different timelines. At first, you will feel like you are reading completely different stories, and each are compelling separately, but when you get to that one little sentence that ties everything together it is a wow moment!

❄️ I thought the characters were realistic, the story was well-developed, and the ending was very satisfying. I can easily see this being a movie some day (but read the book first)!

❄️ There is some content that may be an issue for some readers. I won’t list content warnings here though, because I think they are spoilers for this particular story.

❄️ This is the second book I’ve read by the author and it definitely won’t be my last!
 
Thank you to @NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing - Park Row for providing a electronic copy for me to review, which I have done honestly and voluntarily.

Took me a bit to settle into this one there was a lot going on but once I got comfortable it was great. This was an absorbing read with a complex plot.

There's just something about a snowstorm with the power and phone lines cut out that makes for a chilling setting. And honestly, the setting for this book was everything! I was hooked from the beginning and definitely felt creeped out. I enjoyed the multiple POV, which created a nice anticipation to the story. The description of the scary scenes were so well done that I caught myself holding my breath a few times!

The Overnight Guest was a great, fast-paced thriller that I'd definitely recommend to others. This was my first read from this author, and I'm so happy to have a few backlist options to check out!

(3.5 stars rounded up to 4)

A small-town murder in August of 2000; a mother and daughter enduring hardship; a lone woman escaping her family to research and write about crime in an abandoned farmhouse. At least, Wylie thinks it's abandoned, until an overnight guest is discovered and all three stories/timelines quickly become interwoven.

This novel started off with a gripping, entertaining pace. I was able to guess some of the connections from one storyline/POV to another, but there were plenty of other little twists and turns that took me by surprise. Unfortunately, the conclusion fizzled a little bit for me and felt kind of dragged out. But otherwise, this was a very fast, entertaining, highly readable thriller!

I really enjoyed this mystery; it’s the first book I’ve read from the author but I need to check out more. The Overnight Guest follows true crime writer, Wylie Lark, in the present day. She’s working on a book about a murder that happened over 20 years ago. While we got Wylie’s current POV, we also get the story from 2000 when this particular murder happened. In between these sections, there is also the POV of a young girl who is locked up with her mom (her “chapters” if you will are all in italics).

All of the POV’s eventually overlap in the end. I had some guesses as to how certain things connected, and what happened in 2000, but I didn’t get everything right. I love being able to figure out some twists in a mystery, but it’s always nice to have surprises too, and that was The Overnight Guest for me.

It’s hard to talk about this one without giving things away, so I’ll just say that I definitely recommend this for those interested! It was a pretty quick-moving mystery, and by the time you get to the middle of the book, you NEED the answers.

This book had me hooked from the beginning! The book has three storylines that quickly turn into an intricate dance that slowly reveal a tragic crime and the long lasting effects. The foreboding atmosphere in the beginning leads to a tumultuous snowstorm where answers are finally revealed. Great atmosphere and a wonderfully woven plot line have me wanting more by Heather Gudenkauf! Thanks to NetGalley for a copy for an honest review.