BA Paris consistently writes enjoyable books. After coming home to firing a friend in the house, Iris and Gabriel's marriage is put to the test by a series of events. Is their guest the cause? I could not put this down!

The queen of domestic suspense returns following The Prisoner with her latest smashing psychological thriller, THE GUEST. A guest arrives and never leaves, with a web of dark secrets in this chilling, mesmerizing, atmospheric, intense domestic suspense with unpredictable twists, connections, and MURDER.

I squeal with delight seeing a new novel by B. A. Paris. Every book is unique and guaranteed to keep you engrossed from the first page to the last with her winning signature style. I have read all her books, and each one is 5 STARS.

Iris and Gabriel Pelly arrive home from a holiday vacation to find one of their closest friends, Laure, in their home.

They met Laure and her husband Pierre (on their honeymoon) many years ago on their first anniversary holiday in the Bahamas twenty years earlier.

They have been friends since and often vacation together. Years ago, they exchanged keys to their homes when traveling.

Iris and Gabriel have a daughter, Beth (19), who is away in Greece, volunteering at a dog shelter for the summer before she goes to Bristol in the fall. Laura is Beth's godmother.

It appears that Laura and Pierre are having marriage problems as they agreed not to have children, but now he is a father (from an affair). She left to get away, and the couple had not had a sit down to discuss.

Iris and Gabriel feel caught in the middle, and Gabriel tries to reach out to Pierre with no success. Pierre struggles with depression after the tragic death of his father when he was eleven.

Gabriel has not been himself after the death of Charlie Ingram, a student that Gabriel found on a bike path in the nearby quarry as he was dying. Being a doctor, he was unable to save him.

He offered his last dying words to Gabriel, which has haunted him since. They were words to his mother but were not positive, and he has put off meeting with the mother. Gabriel had not been running since.

Gabriel is taking time off from work (a doctor) due to the trauma and has decided to restore the walled garden, a project he promised to work on when they moved to the house fifteen years earlier. He also lost his father four months previously. He wants to finish the project before Beth comes home for a visit.

As time passes, Laura interjects herself into their lives, even going as far as wearing Iris' clothes, sleeping in their bed, and rearranging the furniture and kitchen. She does not seem to be in a hurry to leave.

In the meantime, Iris meets their new enigmatic neighbors, Esme and her husband, Hugh. Esme is much younger than her husband (by twenty years) and pregnant. They also have a gardener, Joseph, with a dangerous past of alcoholism (and sexy, dark good looks). Hugh has an older son, Marcus, in London.

Gabriel and Iris become quick friends with the neighbors, and Laura also puts herself in the middle of the new friendship and their gardener.

Joseph also helps Gabriel with the garden, and something seems off about him.

Strange things occur. Laura is still there and makes no effort to leave their house. She is also acting strange. Then Pierre goes missing.

Numerous things are at play, such as mysterious trips, relationships between these three couples and the gardener, and the connection between Charlie and his mom. And how does Beth connect with these scenarios?

The guilty SECRETS are piling up as the past collides with the present in this gripping, masterfully crafted domestic suspense where nothing or no one is as they appear with a cast of unreliable narrators. From a web of lies, secrets, deception, betrayal, and MURDER. Who is the murderer?

How far will they go to protect their family? TRUST NO ONE.

THE GUEST is psychologically rich, multi-layered, and plot-driven, with an ongoing mounting suffocating sense of dread lurking ahead as you anxiously await how all the chilling events will come together.

Paris fans will delight in this intriguing, enigmatic murder mystery of domestic suspense, as well as fans of authors Mary Kubica, Robyn Harding, and Kimberly Belle.

I was glued to THE GUEST and frantically flipping the pages into the wee hours of the morning to try and solve this well-crafted mystery. You cannot even imagine how all the puzzle pieces fit together. All is unveiled in the Epilogue, which is explosive.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital reviewer copy in advance for my honest feedback.

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries QA Interview with B.A. Paris, where we go behind the book and this mega-talented author on pub day, Feb 20, 2024!

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Feb 20, 2024
Feb 2024 Must-Read Books
Feb 2024 #AuthorElevatorSeries QA

My B.A. Paris Reviews: All 5 Stars and Top Books list yearly.
2016: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
2017: THE BREAKDOWN
2018: BRING ME BACK
2019: THE DILEMMA
2021: THE THERAPIST
2022: THE PRISONER

B.A. Paris INTERVIEWS:
THE THERAPIST
THE DILEMMA

This was my first B.A Paris book, and I have to say that I struggled through this read. I almost didn’t finish this book but I push through it till the end. I’m disappointed with the storyline it seemed so dragged out and very unfulfilling. I’m hoping this is just a one off for her I will try another book of hers in the future just to see if they are any better.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic drama
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ February 20, 2024
Est page Count ~ 304 (p+ 67 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 14 minutes
Narrator ~ Emily Joyce
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ secrets, unlikable characters

Iris and Gabriel are our narrators. They've just come home early from holiday to an unexpected guest. A guest that might very well outstay their welcome.

They met Laure & Pierre on holiday almost 20 years ago and have remained close since. They live in different countries, but have been known to stay in each others houses from time to time.

They meet Esme & Hugh, who live close by, and soon begin hanging out frequently.
Joseph lives on their property and does the gardening for both families.

I didn't really like any of the characters really, especially Laure. I'm not one for extended house guests, or any house guests really, so she for sure overstayed her welcome IMO.

It's pretty much a drama and not a thriller. I wasn't sure how they would, but the side plots all came together nicely with the main one. And while I must say the super long (54 minutes and 15 seconds) epilogue did take me by surprise the leading up to it felt like it took an age. Overall, I can see this one being a big hit mystery lovers.

I was lucky enough to have an ebook and an audio copy.

Narration notes:
Emily did an okay job. She was frantic when necessary, but I could have went for a male narrator, which is why I did prefer reading over listening. Her accent was a little difficult for me to understand sometimes as it always sounded like she was saying Law and not Laure. Maybe that's just my American ears.

As much as I’ve loved other books by Paris, this one was not my favorite. The characters were not very interesting and their actions didn’t seem to make sense sometimes. The writing was very good, and the story was intriguing, but as a whole, the book was a bit disappointing. I will still read more by this author, and hopefully this book was a one-off. Maybe it was just me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
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B. A. Paris strikes again with another banger coming for you in 2024. I loved this story. I was sucked into this one right from the beginning and my head exploded by the end of it.
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This book is the definition of drama - drama between couples, drama between friends, between lovers between new acquaintances. It was like watching an episode of housewives. This was lit. There was so much tension in this that you could feel it radiating from the pages. Paris does a great job at creating such tension from having a friend become an unwanted guest which also led to some serious tension as things begin to unravel.
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What a domestic drama/thriller.. I loved how this one unfolded, it’s fast paced, it’s easy to read and it will have you thinking it’s going to go in one direction then boom, you are left shocked and unable to believe what just happened. And that epilogue though, man – that was mind blowing, I did not see that coming at all, but it is one hell of an ending.
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I listened to this one while reading alongside through my kindle. Emily Joyce was the narrator and I love what she did with this story. She did a great job making this one unputdownable.
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The Guest releases 2/20, be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, B. A. Paris, St. Martins Press and MacMillan Audio for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Going in, I had pretty high expectations for this book and luckily, it lived up to those expectations!

B.A. Paris is an author that I always find myself enjoying and this was pretty good! I rated this book only 3 stars due to the fact that it was incredibly slow and boring, up until the epilogue. I was worried when I got to the epilogue at first because the story had ended, and we got answers for not a single thing that happens in the book. You are slowly set up for a big reveal, and get absolutely nothing.

But then you read the epilogue, and everything comes together. There was a lot of foreshadowing throughout the story that hints at the ending of this story, and leads you to figure out the biggest plot point of the story. I came up with a lot of theories, and the way things tied together was close enough to what I thought.

I definitely thought that there was going to be more of a story when it came to Esme and Hugh. It seemed so weird to me that they just showed up out of nowhere, and that Esme was so incredibly friendly. I was slightly disappointed with their involvement in the story.

This was a solid read, and I would suggest it to others, especially those who enjoy B.A. Paris in general. Thank you to NetGalley, B.A. Paris and St. Martins Press for the eARC of The Guest.

This book was ok for me- it was a bit of a slow burn but had a good ending. The story centers on Iris and Gabriel, who come home from a vacation to find that their friend Laure has taken up residence in their home after a fight with her husband. Laure’s visit lingers and she gets on their nerves, but her husband has been hard to reach when they try to intervene. At the same time, a new couple moves in a few doors down and there is fascination across the boards with their gardener named Joseph.

Not a lot happens through the first half of the book, though there is a general sense that all isn’t as it seems. I thought Iris could have stood up for herself more in multiple scenarios but I thought the depiction of both her marriage and her friendships seemed realistic. I enjoyed the side story about Gabriel working his way though the grief of having found the body of a local boy. The action in the last couple chapters of the book is good, and the ending surprised me. I was satisfied with how it all turned out.

Overall, I liked the story but the actual read was a little slow. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found The Guest by B.A. Paris to be overall- fine. The book is slow to pick up, with many characters and subplots happening at once. It picks up at the 50% mark but the ending felt very annoying to me. It felt pretty out of left field and random.

If you want a good twisty, turny thriller, then this is the book for you!! Just when you think you have it figured out, se other wrench gets thrown in. A great twist at the end too.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Once again I’m confounded by B. A. Paris and her books. I’ll enjoy one and will be completely put off by the next. This one lands right in the middle.
The Guest centers on a couple, Iris and Gabriel. The come home from a weekend away to find a friend staying in their home. She has completely taken over their home, sleeping in their bed instead of the guest bedroom and wearing Iris’s clothes. The guest and her husband have had a major blow to their marriage and she ends up staying for months. The husband has disappeared and now the guest has died. Did she kill her husband? What is actually happening?
Intriguing? Yes. Incredibly slow slow burn? Also yes. Every time I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down but I can’t exactly say why as nothing really happened.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, I certainly did not see that ending coming. I was fully ready to give this one 3-3.5 stars up until the epilogue, which actually shocked me. This book is a classic domestic thriller with lots of suspicious characters and many twists and turns. However, up until the end I found the twists pretty predictable. Overall, I would recommend this book because it was a quick read with an enjoyable ending!

After devouring B. A. Paris’ debut novel, Behind Closed Doors, I have since read every book released by the author. Unfortunately, none of the books have compared to her first book, including the author’s newest release, The Guest.

The story centers around married couple Iris and Gabriel. When returning from vacation, the couple is greeted by their friend, Laure, who has been staying in the house. Laure and her husband, Pierre, had a bit of a disagreement and she needed some time away. In addition to Laure, we meet Iris and Gabriel’s new neighbors, Esme and Hugh and their houseguest, Joseph. Iris and Gabrie’s college-age daughter makes an appearance throughout the story. Oh and prior to the start of the book, Gabriel witnesses a tragic accident that resulted in the death of a teen.

Well, with all the different characters who are introduced, here’s the kicker . . . NOTHING really happens in the book until the epilogue!!

I’m not sure what to make of The Guest. It is a quick read and if you enjoy a slow burn, then this is definitely the book for you! Personally, I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the book.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and B.A. Paris for the advanced copy of The Guest in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a fast and super entertaining read. I was constantly on my toes and when it came to the big reveal I 100% did not see it coming.

Admittedly this author can be hit or miss for me but this one was absolutely a hit and I think thriller fans everywhere will enjoy it!

The Guest will be on US bookshelves February 20!

Well, I read 25% of this book one night and the following day I read the remaining 75% in one sitting. I very rarely do that, so that tells you how engaging the story is!

It’s engaging. It starts with a very strange situation and the weirdness just keeps on coming. With short, very interesting chapters, it didn’t have one slow or boring part throughout.

The characters are rich and well-written. Some of them are despicable and have terrible morals and motives, but sometimes you just have to love to hate a character!

I, unfortunately, hated the (way too long) epilogue. Of course, it was necessary, but I thought it was just such a cop out to write it that way. Like an after-the-fact rehashing of everything that happened, but from a different perspective. Eh.

Overall, if you want to get caught up in some serious domestic drama, then this one is for you!

The Guest is B.A. Paris latest release coming out in Feb. and it is packed with domestic suspense. It is about 2 couples whom had been friends for about 20 years, Laure + Pierre and Gabriel + Iris. Gabriel + Iris comfort Laure as she comes to stay with them when her relationship crumbles based on the fact that she finds out Pierre had fathered a child at some point in their relationship, but does not know who, when or if it’s certain. And not only was he unfaithful, but they had decided they were not having children of their own to make matters worse.

A common thread I notice lately (not just this writer!) that communication is lacking in a lot of these “close” relationships. Iris felt Laure over stayed her welcome several times and it was putting strain on them. I know I would have no problem telling even my best friends to leave or even take a break from us, as I know they would me, if either of us were going through the same thing. It boggle’s my mind, but communication is also the most common issue in relationships it seems (friendships/romantic) so it makes sense. It still had me wanting to shout at times “just tell her it’s time to go!?” BUT especially with close relationships, there’s usually a level of respect where you just “know.”

I had a feeling about Pierre’s daughter about midway through but that doesn’t discount the lead up and all the roads it takes to get to the end of the book. I have only read one other book by this author- The Therapist- so I am looking forward to reading more.

Publication date for this book is Feb 20, 2024. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to B.A. Paris, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc! Lots of characters to keep track of but I would say a quarter of the way through I had them sorted out. You have two married couples and an invited house guest that just won’t leave! Domestic thriller that I enjoyed!

Oh my goodness!!! The twists and turns in this book are crazy and I loved every single minute of this story!

I am a huge fan of B.A. Paris books and this one definitely did not disappoint. Iris and Gabriel are happy to let their friend Laure come and stay with them when her marriage begins falling apart. What follows is lies and deceit and the deadly obsession with keeping a secret safe.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this amazing book!

3.75! It was my first book by B.A. Paris, but it won’t be my last.
It started slowly, but 15 percent of the way in I was fully invested in figuring out all the twists and turns and I couldn’t put it down. I read the whole book in a matter of a few hours.
I did figure out the big twist with Pierre early on, but there was so many other pieces to the puzzle that the epilogue was still satisfying!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.