Well the final book of 2022 was The House Sitter by @_debbiehowells and what brilliant one to end with!

The book tells a few different stories and we see along the way how they are intertwined. It is fascinating how easily and feasibly the house sitter schemes her way around Europe.

This one hooked me in from the very beginning, taking me on a glamorous adventure. The book is written from different perspectives, and it works really well, with easy transitions. What an intriguing bunch of characters!

There is scope for a sequel - one that could go in so many different directions, so I would love to see what came next if the author did one. Either way, I will be looking out for her next book!

Hurray to seeing Debbie Howells returning to psychological thrillers. This book was a captivating read, full of well-rounded but totally unlikeable characters, dark events and secrets.

The story is told from two different time periods with multiple narrators. However the author is so adept at giving the characters voice, that there is never any confusion.

Starting with the house-sitting scenarios, the scene is set for some real tension, with shocking events. These continue throughout most of the book.

Alternating with this, are the tragic events surrounding the death of a young husband, Oliver, in a car crash.

As you would guess, nothing is at it seems and gradually the secrets start to come out. The reader is taken on a journey, suspecting first one, then another character.

For me, what makes it a four rather than five star read, is that I didn’t personally like/ invest in any of the characters, apart from Jude , as she puts her life back together towards the end of the book. However, despite this, the story had captured my imagination and attention.

The author shows great skill in bringing both the past and the present together, making the events finally fall into place, so seamlessly. Another powerful read from Debbie Howells and the Avon Books stable.

A really great read that leaves you tingling and shivering in fear of what’s going to happen next. I was completely immersed in this book that the pages kept turning until I finished it in a few hours! I didn’t want it to end.

I am a huge Debbie Howells fan and was super excited to get the opportunity to read this novel. It was a great read, not as good as some of her others that I have read but still a great read.

We meet Kat, who is married to Oliver and she has just learnt that he has been killed whilst driving her car. We get to meet Oliver's family, namely his mother who some of the chapters are told through her view point, his father who is highly unlikeable and not a great dad/husband and his brother who is in love with Kat and has been for many years.

We then meet another woman who takes on people's identities and is the house sitter in many different countries.

The chapters are told via different character's view points and does keep you guessing as to what may have happened to Oliver as the police say it could be suspicious.

A really great read, with characters that are cleverly thought about and not likeable in the least.

Thanks to NetGalley, Debbie Howells and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The house sitter is an excellent psychological thriller that weaves the narration between several time lines starting in the present day with Kat, who is told her husband has been killing in a tragic car accident and to a mysterious young lady in the past, running away from her dead end life and living hand to mouth to the mystery of travel and house sitting, unfortunately for her she struggles to make any money, so she has to resort to theft and worse, along the way there are some big plot holes, but the overall story is good and keeps you guessing till the very end.

An amazing gripping read. Lives intertwined leaving me unsure of who was responsible for what and most importantly who was good and who was bad. A scheming international traveller, a wealthy family with deep secrets, a wife who is certainly not what she appears to be and a reformed alcoholic woman who gets embedded into everyone’s lives. A story not to be missed as it keeps you on your toes throughout as more facts get discovered but never enough to be sure of what is going to happen at the end.

Kat receives information that her husband has been involved in a car accident and has died. As Kat begins to investigate what has happened she finds out her husband has many secrets. This book is made up of two separate stories that are linked and come together in the end. One story has to do with Oliver's death and the other story has to do with a woman who changes her name and does housesitting living with the agenda, "Steal from the rich, and kill anyone who gets in your way." There is multiple POV's and the characters are flawed but believable. It is a fast-paced read with a plot that held my attention until the very end. I'm now looking forward to reading another Debbie Howells book. If you love psychological suspense books, then you would love this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for a copy for an honest review.

Twining stories and multiple perspectives kept me reading this novel of a woman who discovers her husband has been living a lie and a house sitter who preys on her clients. Oliver is dead, Kat's mourning but she's also concerned, as are his parents that the car accident that killed him is more suspicious than the police think. At the same time, the house sitter is making her way around Europe. No spoilers from me on how this works out but fans of the genre might guess a fair amount of the twists, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

A scheming traveller - Across Europe a young woman with no name and no fixed appearance hops from empty villa to vacated apartment to dormant summer house under the guise of house sitter. Her agenda? Seal from the rich and kill anyone who gets in her way.

A grieving wife - One stormy night in England, traveling home down narrow country lanes, a fatal car crash leaves Kat's husband Oliver dead. But as Kat begins to mourn his loss, she discovers something that suggests she never knew her husband at all.

This is a fast paced read that held my attention throughout. There are two stories running throughout the book, and I loved how they joined together seamlessly. It's told from multiple perspectives. The characters are well fleshed out, but I didn;t really like any of them. Everyone seems to be hiding something. I did guess how some of the story was going but not it all.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #DebbieHowells for my ARC of #TheHouseSitter in exchange for an honest review.

The House Sitter is a novel full of deceit, unlikeable characters (which I always enjoy reading about!) and some really horrible family members!

We’re told the story through multiple perspectives, adding intrigue to the narrative, but we start the novel with an elusive ‘house sitter’ who travels through Europe “looking after” people’s homes whilst they’re away – but in fact stealing from them and much worse… This sets a mysterious feeling to the story, as we wonder who this person is and how she links with the story. We then swing back to the UK, as Katherine, Oliver’s wife, and his mother Jude discover Oliver has died in a car accident that seems increasingly suspicious. But both women – and Oliver’s brother Joe – discover that Oliver has been leading a secret life…

The plot moves between the house sitter’s chapters and the people mourning Oliver’s death. I don’t want to give too much away about the storyline but the reader soon begins to unpick the reality of Oliver’s situation. There were some parts which felt a little too convenient and far-fetched to me – mainly with the housesitter storyline if I’m honest – but it’s still an enjoyable, fun read!

I liked that the characters in this novel didn’t refuse to believe the evidence right in front of them, as often happens in novels, and each of them had their flaws – in fact, there wasn’t really anyone who could be said to be perfect (or hugely likeable) in this novel! Again, for me, this is a positive and feels much more realistic.

Despite the twists, I did guess some of how the book would end but it didn’t hamper my enjoyment. It’s a really fun read which kept me wanting to read on, and I’d recommend it.

The House Sitter is an alluring, dark, unsettling and disconcerting thriller which had me practically holding my breath for the entire ride. The various points of view are told with tremendous skill and insight into human nature. The characters, some detestable, others likeable, are adept at deception and think nothing of piling on the lies until, in some cases, there is no escape. Death is no accident.

Kat's life is shattered one day when police tell her about the death of her commercial pilot husband Oliver in a car accident. Oliver's parents and brother immediately rally round Kat and offer support as they share unimaginable grief. But it's not only Oliver who has a past.

A young woman quits her uninspiring job and decides to get rid of her belongings to live a new life housesitting in summer houses throughout Europe. Owners are only too happy to have their homes looked after in their absence. She enjoys her moments in the sun, fitting in with the local rhythm and meeting people until events start happening which cause her to make frequent changes like a chameleon.

What I liked best is the uniqueness of the story and how flawlessly the stories connected. Though I hated most of the characters, the angst is precisely what I look for in a thriller. Thriller readers, be prepared for a nail-biter!

My sincere thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this unforgettable stunner, leaving me thirsty for more!

Kat just learned that her husband, Oliver, was killed in a car accident. Soon after that she finds out that he was not the man she thought he was...
This thriller is told in multiple POVs and timelines that eventually come together. It started strong but I quickly lost interest. It was super predictable, the formatting was weird (but I chalk this to being an ARC and hope the problems are fixed before the release). And one POV is told in italics. Entire chapters in italics. That's a big no for me, it makes it so much harder to read. But the characters, though unlikeable, were well written and complex.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book comes with high praise from many reviewers and is told via multiple points of view from various times and locations and covers pretty much 2 separate stories and set of events that are linked and do, eventually, all come together
Not as complicated as I make it sound tbh and the various chapters are character headed to keep you on the right track
It is an unusual tale with a malevolence throughout but has to be said it has a glum feeling to it due to the stories and there isn’t really a break in this even for the odd bit of dark humour
The characters are written to be unlikeable and the author does that very well 😎
There was one massive bugbear to me re the plot, and this gives nothing away, and that was in this day and age who would let someone house sit without Police checks or checking references?, surely no one?, however this happens throughout and did remain a niggle for me
Still it’s a well written, different take on a theme we all know and was persistent enough in its intrigue keep me reading it

3 Stars
7/10

The House Sitter by Debbie Howells is another brilliant book by an amazing writer.
This he book was thrilling, tense and exciting, and kept me tearing through the pages.
Such a good read. I loved the writing and I found the story so gripping and compelling to read.
Full of twists, turns and absolute shocks. Fantastic, loved it!
An unputdownable thriller. That's twisty and unpredictable.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Avon,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Amazing book! You will never consider letting anybody housesit for you after reading this!
This book is so well written and the two storylines are very cleverly intertwined. I read this in 24 hours and even woke up in the night to read another couple of chapters!
I did guess the twist but in no way did it spoil my enjoyment of the book. Fantastic - a definite must read!

I was so excited to see Debbie Howells writing psychological suspense again! She has such a knack for keeping readers on the edge of their seats and her spectacular narrative suspense is peppered with just enough short-term suspense to keep readers guessing. This long-awaited book proved to be everything I was expecting … and more!

The characters are amazing! What I especially loved was that each one had a unique voice; their name, personality, and ‘methods’ were refreshingly differentiated. The ‘house sitter’ was so expertly crafted that I couldn’t wait to see what she’d get up to next and when potential harm was headed her way, I was yelling at her to vacate the premises….despite her being despicable and scheming! That takes skill. Thank you to the author!

I loved how Howells was able to keep me in the dark. I had no idea how everything was going to connect and was completely surprised by the reveal. Most of all, I appreciated the in-depth characterization. Howells knew her ‘house sitter’ so well and it enabled her to present this complicated, multi-dimensional person and slowly reveal what is hidden beneath the surface. As she interacts with different people I saw different layers and different aspects of her character. When the big reveal arrived, I smacked myself up the side of the head and yelled, “Of course!” Howells got me again.

You’ll think differently about turning the key and walking away from your property the next time you go on vacation…I promise! You need to put this fantastic, five-star book on your TBR pile.

Please keep writing psychological suspense, Debbie Howells. You have an incredible gift that begs to be shared.

I was gifted this copy by Avon Books UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I was drawn to the cover of The House Sitter. The story fits well. Howell’s packs in the wow! I love how they keep you guessing who the house sitter is between past and present. Kat and Oliver kept me guessing! The connection between the two stories is layered perfectly.

A gripping thriller that is unputdownable. I won’t be inviting anyone over to house sit anytime soon.

I really enjoyed this book, a great story line with interesting characters and it kept me on the edge of my seat with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

Kat is at home and receives the terrible news that her husband has been killed in a car accident.. so why does she feel a bit of relief? It was her car that was tampered with, after all. His family rushes to her side and together they try to make sense of what happened and what they’re finding out about Oliver.

Also narrating from an unspecified time, a free-spirited woman is making her way through the world by house-sitting and scamming, with a little murder here and there. But only when she has to.. she’s not a monster! We know she will probably end up being important in our other story and timeline but we have no idea when or now.

The story started out strong kept me hooked. I had hoped for the end to tie up a bit cleaner but it was still really good, even though no one beat up Ana for being really annoying. They were complex characters, flawed and believable, and built naturally instead of the endless chapters of character-building that peeves me in many books. Definitely recommend, just don’t take their AA advice. You don’t just have a final AA meeting and you’re cured, it’s something you continue but that’s a conversation for another time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

A scheming traveler, a grieving wife and a plot to kill. I became immersed for the entire time I was reading. And the ending, I did not expect it.
Well written and an overall great read!