I enjoyed this one, and it kept me guessing till the end. The amount of secrets between these characters will keep you guessing as well. Who is telling the truth, and who is the liar? I loved following the relationship between a married couple and their friends. Recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The story follows Iris and Gabriel who return from vacation to find an old friend Laure staying at their home. Over the next following weeks things get pretty weird. Laure is sleeping in their bed instead of the guest room and she rearranges the kitchen cabinets. The story was good just a little far fetched. Iris and Gabriel were just too nice to Laure when she is trying to take over their house.

This is my first book by B.A. Paris and it won’t be my last! There are 3 couples that this story follows. Once I got all their names down and knew who each of them were then it became more enjoyable.
I am a big fan of thriller books and I really enjoyed reading this with all the twists and turns. I did not see the ending coming at all!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book.

Been looking forward to this one as I loved The Silent Patient and it did not disappoint.
Loved the characters and multiple POV but it took a bit to get everyone figured out and to be able to keep track.
The twists and turns were epic and I'm already looking forward to the next!

If I were to sum up “The Guest” in one sentence, it would be Benjamin Franklin’s wise saying that “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” This latest novel by B.A. Paris features her trademark twists and turns, upending things just when the reader thinks they have figured out the puzzle. It is always a pleasure to read a thriller that does not have an easy, obvious solution, but rather relies on subtleties and revelations. Also, despite containing potentially disturbing topics, the story is primarily psychological and devoid of gore. Three couples form the primary characters in “The Guest,” each with secrets of their own. Iris and Gabriel are the main focus, and through them, especially, readers see the debilitating effects of holding onto secrets, contrasted with the fallout of bringing those secrets to light. As with lies, secrets pile up: “It seemed to Gabriel that roots, like lies, were insidious.” Just how insidious, and just how far some might be willing to go to keep their secrets, readers will have to find out for themselves.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley and was not required to post a favorable review.

B.A. Paris is one of my favorite suspense authors and this one did not disappoint. It's basically a story that revolves around two married couples and long-time friends--Iris and Gabriel live in the country and Laure and Pierre who lives in Paris. One day Laure shows up and asks to stay for a while - she and Pierre are having marital issues and she just wants to get away. And there's where the whirlwind starts as we see Laure vastly outstay her welcome and more and more intrigue and mystery come to light about what is really going on in this novel. Everyone is keeping secrets and it all culminates quite late in the pages in an explosive denouement I did not see coming. It's twisted and taut and great fun to follow. If you like unreliable characters, plots that go every which way, and fascinating character studies, I recommend you pick up The Guest.

"The Guest" by B.A. Paris is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Iris and Gabriel return from a holiday to find their home invaded by their friend, Laure, whose presence quickly turns their lives upside down. As tensions escalate and secrets begin to unravel, Iris and Gabriel find themselves caught in a web of deceit and danger.

Paris expertly weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, keeping readers guessing with every twist and turn. The atmosphere is tense, the characters are compelling, and the pacing is relentless. As secrets from the past come to light, "The Guest" becomes a heart-pounding race to uncover the truth before it's too late.

With its gripping storyline and chilling suspense, "The Guest" is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers. B.A. Paris once again proves herself to be a master of the genre, delivering a captivating and unforgettable read.

The Guest is the latest release from thriller writer B. A. Paris. This domestic drama centers around a married couple, Iris and Gabriel, and their unexpected house guest who shows up one day and refuses to leave. Laure is an old friend from their past, part of a couple they made friends with years ago, and after discovering that her husband has a child no one knew about, she flees to their mutual friend’s house, feeling betrayed. There is also a new couple who has moved in next door, whom Iris, Gabriel and Laure befriend, and who become intertwined in their drama. When Laure’s husband refuses to communicate with her, or respond to his good friend Gabriel (and we later find out why), the mystery begins.

The pacing of this story is slow, but kept me invested, out of sheer curiosity. It has an unreliable narrator, which usually intrigues me, but it’s also deeply imbedded with the lack of communication trope, and it was immensely frustrating how the characters refused to simply express their feelings and communicate with one another. Also, many of the character’s decisions and behaviors felt absolutely nonsensical, which made the plot as a whole feel unrealistic and a bit silly.

The Guest is more of a sordid, secretive drama than a pure thriller, and we spend a lot of time in the character’s heads and with their conversations. The twist at the end is entertaining and an enticing addition to the conclusion, though not entirely surprising. I enjoyed this story and it’s a quick read, I just wasn’t as enamored with it as I’d hoped to be.

I love a book with a thoughtful twist, and B.A. Paris achieved that again with The Guest. I absolutely loved this book. It kept my attention the entire time. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read that sucks you in from the very first chapter.

This was my first B.A. Paris book but it won’t be my last! The beginning was a little slow but it picked up as the book went on. I did not see the end of this book coming! I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know how it ended! Great read!

This book ended up being a very pleasant surprise! When I first started reading this book, I will admit that I did have trouble keeping up with all the different names/characters. There aren’t that many characters, but there are three main couples that are dealt with. Two of the couples, Iris & Gabriel, and Laure & Pierre are our two main couples of focus. Then we have the new neighbors who moved into the village, Esme & Hugh (okay- got it?). Once I had everybody situated, this book was smooth sailing…

I wasn’t sure where this story was going at first, and it sure did move in a bunch of directions! The Epilogue of this story also made my head spin as I did not see any of that coming!! This story played out very well. With that, I do recommend reading this as I think this has some nice twists that many readers will enjoy!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book, which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own.

Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist!

The Guest is a compelling read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers with a touch of mystery. B.A. Paris delivers a captivating narrative that will leave you questioning the motives of each character and contemplating the thin line between truth and deception. Highly recommended for fans of the genre!

This book was a bit of a slow burn but once it picked up it was fire! 🔥 (pun intended) I feel like she kept us guessing until the very end which I did not see coming at all. 5 stars!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Guest.


Gabriel and Isla return home after a much-needed vacation and find their lifelong friend, Laure, waiting for them. She makes the shocking announcement that she’s left her husband, and asks to stay with them for a while. It doesn’t take Laure long to make herself at home, but the more details that come out of her sudden separation, the more Gabriel and Isla realize they may have gotten themselves into something much worse than they could have expected.

B.A. Paris delivers again with a domestic thriller that I couldn’t put down. Right from the jump I was sucked in, and I found myself needing to know what in the world was going on. She takes you on a twisty ride, building to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion.

My only negatives center around some clunky editing choices. The prologue was unnecessary, as it was filled with far too many names we hadn’t learned yet, leaving me confused and not necessarily interested in who these people were. That same prologue was repeated word for word later in the book, so I felt it should have been omitted completely. There was another instance of choppy editing where one chapter ended and the other began with a major, mid-book reveal, but it was so jarring I thought I’d accidentally skipped a chapter.

Overall, I’d give The Guest 4/5 stars if you love B.A. Paris, this book will not disappoint.

After going through a B.A. Paris reading slump…. I thought the is one was more like her original two books. I really enjoyed this book. It was even and fast paced. I would recommend.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. While the storyline was gripping and I wanted to keep reading to know the ending, the characters were extremely unlikeable. I listened to most of the book on audio, which helped me push through to the end. The book follows a couple, Iris and Gabriel. Their friend, Laure, appears and asks to stay with them for an extended time due to finding out her husband Pierre has a child. They meet another couple, Esme and Hugh, who live in the same town. While everyone's stories tied up in the end, it was hard to follow each problem that arose, especially because the characters were so annoying.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a slower mystery with a touch of family drama.

Eeeek! This novel makes you think that sometimes you may not know your friends as much as you think you do…and giving them access to your home may not be the smartest idea.. Another great Paris novel that kept me guessing until the very end! The only reason I rated 4/5 stars is because some of the plot seemed a little far fetched.

I was strangely intrigued by it all, despite being at times quite implausible. A couple (Iris and Gabriel) get a visit from an unexpected guest Laure who as it turns out, has some issues with her husband Pierre, and needs to get away. Both couples are friends for a long time, and are close. The first half of the book is mostly family drama, of how Laure is irritating and rather an annoying guest. As the story progresses, we meet other cast of characters and, as the saying goes, the plot thickens. In the second half is where the thriller part comes in, and the path picks up. The ending definitely delivers and makes it a rather good thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the book. It was published on Feb.20, 2024.

This is one of my favorite authors. This book is a slow burn mystery with an unexpected twist. I couldn't have guessed the ending, but I'm not sure I liked the characters or the ending. This book keeps you intrigued until the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book! It is well written, engaging and surprising. So many twists and turns.
When a couple come home from vacation, one of their friends has moved into their house. Laure, the friend has left her husband Pierre. The two couples are close but rather angry that Laure has taken over their home.
Pierre isn’t responding to their constant calling and Laure says he has left her because he has discovered that he has a child with someone else.
So much happens in this book and the end is a WOW!
I highly recommend it.