Pierre and Laure are having marriage trouble after he tells her about something from his past. Iris and Gabriel give Laure a place to stay. All four have been friends for years. Then Esme and Hugh move in down the road and have a guest staying with them as well. This book has a lot of characters. Was slightly confusing at first but then I was drawn in. The ending was a shocker.

This is my favorite B.A. Paris book so far! You think that you have it figured out and then boom, the ending shocks you. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this. I’m glad I gave it a try.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. However, I think we spent a little to much time with the main characters and their houseguest, and at times I felt that the day to day lives of them and their neighbors was a little drawn out. The twist at the end was definitely worth the read!

If you want a moderate read that has intriguing parts, and a great plot twist at the end then this is a book for you!

I will admit that I had trouble getting into this book at first and was having a hard time following the story, but this ended up building and being a very enjoyable read for me. Laure’s extended stay as a houseguest of Iris and Gabriel coincides with some personal crises including a local death in a nearby quarry, where Gabriel heard the last words of the boy who died. Although I was not immediately gripped by this book like other BA Paris books, this was still a solid read and enjoyable! 3.5/5 ⭐️
Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I liked the over all story but I feel too many obvious clues were given too early in the story. The story was quite drawn out for my liking and I felt that the same result could have been accomplished with fewer pages. A little more character development may have gone a long way in contributing to a more "who done it" read.

Would certainly recommend to anyone who enjoys books that keep them guessing!

When reading the synopsis I felt that there were probably going to be too many characters for me to keep up with what was going on. However, B A Paris does a great job at helping readers to keep all the characters straight.

There is so much going on with each character that it distracts us and hinders predictions about what the twist is going to be. We learn that all the characters have their secrets, except maybe Hugh, and they all go through great lengths to hide these secrets. Some more so than others. There was always something interesting happening which really made the book great.

Iris and Gabriel met Pierre and Laure while on their honeymoon 20 years ago. Since then, they've remained close friends and often stay at each other's houses when they travel.

When Iris and Gabriel return home early from a trip and find Laure there alone they are shocked but this isn't something new. But Pierre is not with her. With news of their separation, the characters start to try and unravel what happened in their marriage.

But everyone is hiding something from their spouse and each has their own agenda on how to keep those secrets hidden.

I love that the story is being told by Iris and Gabriel. Two different POVs of what's going on around them.
I loved all the twists in the story and just when I thought I had figured out who unalived who, I was very wrong. Well done B.A. Paris. Another exceptionally written book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

OKAY I wasn't sure about this book but it exceeded all expectations. The guessing, the unexpected, THE TWIST. Again, I love a simple murder mystery but I wouldn't say this is simple. I did not expect it to go the way it did and it's clear this author is a pro. I will have to pick up more of her books but this one had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Plus, it was really easy to get into and read (I finished it super quick).

I struggled with the first half of the book because there was a lot of foundation work which was a bit boring and there were a lot of names to keep track of. Once I reached the halfway point though the story picked up. I kept trying to piece together what was happening but I never expected that ending!!! The twists kept coming and it was a delicious story of vengeance and the lengths someone will go to to protect the life they've built. This was my first book by B.A. Paris and I am impressed!!

I am so grateful to B.A. Paris and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Guest. Thank you!!!

(I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Iris and Gabriel are content in their marriage. It may not be perfect k but it’s ticking along. Their daughter is working her dream job in Greece. The tranquility of their life gets disturbed when Gabriel comes upon Charlie, who is tragically involved in a biking accident. Charlie’s final moments have monumental effects on Gabriel, leading him to distance himself from his wife and his life. Iris and Gabriel go away for a weekend to try to have a break and as they come home encounter their long time friend Laure making herself at home in their home without their knowledge. Laure and her husband Pierre became friends with Iris and Gabriel several years ago on a trip abroad and have maintained that connection by seeing each other several times a year and staying with each other when they’re in town. But this time Laure turns up unannounced and declaring that she will be ending her relationship with Pierre because she has found out he has a secret child.
Then Esme and her husband Hugh move in next to Gabriel and Iris, along with their employee Joseph, and these new people further shift the dynamics of Gabriel and Iris’ lives.
Marital bonds are tested, dark secrets revealed and unreliable characters all add up to a story that is engaging and gratifying.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I am a long time fan of B.A. Paris's novels. But, I found The Guest to be disappointing. The characters were not likeable and talked on and on about their problems.
But, I must say that I was extremely surprise with the twist and the end of the book. It made the slow burn worth the time that I spent reading the book.
All in all 3 stars and I am hoping that Ms. Paris' next novel will be more engrossing.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Guest!

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The Guest

B.A. Paris

3.71
2,064 ratings1,371 reviews
New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another heart-pounding home full of secrets, in The Guest.

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, who they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?

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Genres
Thriller
Mystery
Fiction
Mystery Thriller
Suspense
Audiobook
Adult

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320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 20, 2024


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About the author
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B.A. Paris
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B.A. Paris is the New York Times and Sunday Times Number 1 bestselling author of seven novels including the word-of-mouth hit, Behind Closed Doors and her upcoming thriller, The Guest.

Over 7 million editions of her work have been sold worldwide and her books have been translated into 41 languages. Her novels have been optioned for major screen adaptations with a film of The Breakdown, titled Blackwater Lane, in post production.

Before becoming an author, B.A. Paris worked as a bank trader and teacher in France. Today, she writes from her cottage in Hampshire, England, where she lives with her husband with visits from her five grown-up daughters. She has a newsletter and is on social media @baparisauthor


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Ratings & Reviews
My Review

Denise Satin
281 reviews
4 followers

January 24, 2024
WOW!!! What a twist ending. Never saw it coming. So, our main characters are Iris and Gabriel. Gabriel is a doctor but is on leave due to a traumatizing event. He found a teenage boy from their local area near death in a quarry but he couldn’t save him and his last words to Gabriel left him haunted. Then Iris and Gabriel go away for a few days and come home to find their very good friend Laure living in their house. She lives in France with her husband Pierre but she left him because he told he he had a child with someone else. Then they meet their new neighbors Esme and Hugh and their gardener named Joseph, who has a dubious past. Gabriel tries calling Pierre but he can’t seem to contact him. Then Laure has been their over a month and starts an affair with the Joseph who was helping Gabriel with his garden which Gabriel found helpful due to his traumatizing event. Then Iris overhears Laure fighting with Joseph and then goes for a run and doesn’t come back. She is found dead in the quarry. Oh, prior to that she went on the train from London to France to talk to Pierre but he never showed up. Then the police come investigating Iris’s death with no answers. Then they come back and the police tell Iris and Gabriel that Pierre was murdered,, stabbed to death. It appeared that Iris killed him but how will they know because both are dead. Then their daughter Beth comes home who is taking a break before going to university and his distraught because Laure and Pierre were her godparents. Then she meets Joseph and is attracted to him. Iris is not pleased about this because of his dubious past. He was fired from his last job at a school and had a drinking problem. Well, then Joseph is found dead. It looks like he blew himself up. So many deaths. This book was slow going at first but at the halfway point it really picked and I couldn’t put it down. All is revealed in the epilogue but no spoilers here. B.A. Paris delivers another fantastic thriller. I want to thank net galley and the publisher for this ARC I received for honest review. Another great read!!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, B.A. Paris, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for an honest review.

There are 4 main characters - Iris and Gabriel, who have the perfect life to anyone on the outside looking in. And Laure and her husband, Pierre, who are very close friends with Iris and Gabriel. They are so close that they even share their houses with each other if they are going out of town,

The story revolves around 2 separate incidents. The first is that Laure discovers that Pierre has a child with another woman. The second is that Gabriel discovers a man who has had a tragic accident in a nearby quarry and tells Gabriel his final words before he passes away.

After Laure discovers her husband has a child with another woman, she runs to stay with Iris and Gabriel while she figures out what to do next. While she is there, Gabriel going through his own grief about the final words the man in the quarry told him.

As the months goes on, Iris and Gabriel discover how challenging it is to have Laure as a houseguest. More characters are introduced that play a big part in all their lives. And then the story takes a wild turn. I did not see the twist coming at all.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat. 4/5 stars.

I've read, I think, all of B.A. Paris' books so far and really enjoy them. She's really good with psychological thrillers.

Description:
Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, who they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?

My Thoughts:
Lots of secrets and twist and turns in this one. Yes, I was surprised at the end. This is not my favorite book by B.A. Paris, but it is a good mystery. I have to admit I got tired of Laure pretty fast though. I wouldn't want anyone moving in with me for such a long time for sure, even my best friend. Iris and Gabriel see a lot of tragedy in the span of the book - so much for one couple it seemed extraordinary. Laure was Iris and Gabiel's guest, and some new friends of theirs have a guest as well - and he seems suspicious after they get to know more. Three are red herrings here and I'll be honest, I didn't guess the ending. Recommended to mystery lovers.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication February 20, 2024.

If you've started this book and are about to dnf, don't. Keep reading. This is not as much of thriller as some of her other books. The ending is worth pushing through some of the mundane dialog and daily lives of the characters. The story is more annoying than psychologically thrilling (in my opinion). The story centers around a married couple that has a rudely obtrusive houseguest. Most of the characters are lying, liars that lie. Secrets lead to a trail of deaths.
Thanks NetGalley for the read!

A twisty domestic drama/thriller that had me hooked from the start. The Guest was just what I needed to get out of a reading slump. With constant twists, good character development, and different perspectives, I couldn't put it down.
Following three separate couples, BA Paris introduces them wonderfully to give you enough time to understand each of them & not mix them up.

Another masterfully drawn thriller by one of my auto-buy authors, B.A. Paris.

"Some secrets never leave."

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all, but as you know, nothing's as it seems in a B.A. Paris novel, and this is no exception. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time, and received the gift of an unexpected twist at the end. An excellent novel by a Queen of Suspense!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In true BA Paris fashion, I was intrigued from the beginning. This book is a slow burn, with small bread crumbs being left along the way. When the final twist was revealed, I was shocked!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. This one was somewhat a slow read. Not a whole lot of details. While I thought the plot was good and liked the twist at the ending, this wasn’t one I’d recommend to others who like the fast paced thrillers.

Iris and Gabriel come back to London from a respite trip to find their longtime friend, Laure, in their home. Laure is getting some distance from her husband, Pierre, and their home in Paris, after he told her he had an affair and a child was born out of that.

Iris and Gabriel are figuring out what to do with Laure, as she’s overstaying her welcome. Meanwhile, they become fast friends with new neighbors, Esme and Hugh, and a gardener who came with them. The gardener friend, Joseph, comes with a troubling history.

Secrets begin to surface, and some prove to be dangerous.

Commiserating with Esme, after finding out her husband had cheated on her wasn’t difficult. Her actions, though worrisome, were understandable.

Paris also did a nice job of showing the difficulties Iris and Gabriel struggled with, in their relationship and in figuring out what to do with their close friend.

A few obstacles prevented me from fully enjoying the read. First, the red herrings needed to seem more like believable contenders in the story. Second, more hints of the culprit needed to be sprinkled in the main part of the novel. Too much explaining was done in the Epilogue. The thirty-some pages shouldn’t have been spent explaining what had already happened but should have focused primarily on after it was all over.

N.B. I really wanted to enjoy this newest work of B.A. Paris, especially since she (in writing BEHIND CLOSED DOORS and THE PRISONER) was a catalyst in enjoying thrillers as a genre for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.