Florida author Margot Hunt returns following Lovely Girls with her latest locked-in thriller, THE GUESTS — A hurricane is brewing on the southeastern Florida coast in this chilling tale of a family and art trapped by a storm and their uninvited guests.

Hurricane Celeste was to make landfall in September on a Tuesday along the Intracoastal waterway as a Category 5 with winds of up to 150 miles per hour and storm surges of up to 12 feet.

Marlowe Davies takes refuge in their waterfront home (Marlowe, Lee, their teen twins, Tim and June, and their close friends). Lee is an attorney and his heiress wife, Marlowe. As in Florida, it is always stay or go? They will be prepared. The other family is Tim's friend, Zack, and Marlowe's assistant, Isabel. Staying secretly in June's room is her best friend, Felix.

Marlowe was in the process of facilitating her deceased parent's multi-million dollar donation of paintings to the Norton Museum. Thomas and Katherine Bond loved art with eclectic taste and traveled all around the world to collect it. They dream of donating their collection here in the Bond Wing at the Norton.

The family did not evacuate in time and is now awaiting the storm. Little do they know, one twin is hiding a friend upstairs. Worse yet, uninvited guests with an emergency dock on their property. They have no choice but to take in the three unknown people.

Three strangers dock on the family's shore before the storm descends—Brothers Jason, Bo Connor, and Bo's girlfriend, Darcy. They take them in even though they are uninvited guests, providing them a haven. Who are these people, and what do they want?

At first, they seem okay, but as the storms intensify, so do the tensions. Who will make it out alive? Celeste is a monster, planning to consume everyone in its path. Will the Coast Guard be able to save them>

THE GUESTS is a locked-room thriller, but you may have to set disbelief aside to find it believable or to be entertained. It wraps up in the Epilogue one year later. I also enjoyed the references to the Norton Museum here in West Palm Beach, where I reside.

Told from Marlowe's POV and other characters with some flashbacks for more of a popcorn thriller. While I did not enjoy this one as much as her other books or audiobooks, if you enjoy storms and locked-room thrillers, you may enjoy THE GUESTS.

My eighth by the author, and since I am a Floridan, I always enjoy revisiting the fictional beachside town of Shoreham, Florida. I love her audiobooks as well. I have lived through many hurricanes in Florida, the Keys, and North Carolina, so I always enjoy stories set in the areas. I did not think this one was as engaging as her other books.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced digital review copy for my honest opinion.

I look forward to listening to the audiobook narrated by some of my favorites with a possible higher rating: Amy McFadden, Sarah Naughton, Michael Crouch, Soneela Nankani, and A.J. Beckles.

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My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 9, 2024
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What a fantastic read! I thoroughly enjoyed this one and loved having a couple of WTF and OMG moments.

"The Guests" by Margot Hunt is a gripping and suspenseful novel that explores the dynamics of a family forced to shelter strangers during a devastating Cat 5 hurricane.

The story revolves around the Davies family, who, in an act of kindness, opens their doors to 3 strangers seeking refuge from the impending hurricane. Initially, the atmosphere is filled with hope and camaraderie as the characters bond over their shared vulnerability. However, as the storm intensifies, so does the underlying tension within the house.

Margot's descriptive prose is evocative, vividly describing the hurricane's destructive force and the way it affects the characters. Her writing allows readers to feel the mounting fear and uncertainty that accompanies a natural disaster of this magnitude.

Margot's ability to create a palpable sense of impending doom adds to the overall intensity of the story. I was very anxious while reading this book but that's what made it seem realistic and such a remarkable story!

"The Guests" will keep readers engaged from start to finish, with its well-crafted plot, complex characters, and atmospheric setting. Prepare to be swept away in this tale of secrets, danger, and the fight for survival.

The Guests by Margot Hunt is a highly recommended locked-room thriller set during a Category 5 hurricane. Admittedly, you have to set disbelief and some logical reasoning aside, but once you decide to go for it, you will be entertained either by the action or betting who will survive.

Hurricane Celeste is due to arrive very soon and attorney Lee Davies and his heiress wife, Marlowe, along with their teens, Tim and June, are planning to ride out the Category 5 storm in their palatial home. Joining the family is Tim's friend Zack and Marlowe's assistant, Isabel. Staying secretly in June's room is her best friend, Felix. Just as handyman Mick Byrne finishes putting up their hurricane shutters with help from Tim and Zach, a stranger docks their boat at the house.

As they head down to the dock to see who they are, an accident incapacitates Mick and the strangers help carry him into the house. The strangers are brothers, Jason and Bo Connor, and Bo’s girlfriend, Darcy. Once they are in the house, Bo seems charming at first, but as the storm begins to intensify, tensions begin to rise with these uninvited guests. It is soon clear that they are not safe.

Each chapter is told through a specific character's point-of-view, with Marlowe being the prime voice. There are a few flashback chapters to provide background details. Yes, there are several times eye-rolling may happen and you have to suspend all disbelief, but if you are able to just roll with the action as written, it is very entertaining. There are some twists, surprises, and soap-opera material in the plot along with the more predictable parts.

The Guests is a fast-paced thriller that will hold your attention to the end if you commit to getting through the hurricane with these people. Me thinks it wasn't really written with character development in mind and wants all focus on the action, secrets, twists, and locked-room aspect of the plot, which I happily obliged to agree to do.
Disclosure: My complimentary review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A category 5 hurricane, a house full of people you aren’t sure you can trust and high priced pieces of art. Throw in complete strangers who seem to be stuck in the storm…all of this makes for a very high action fast read!! I was team Marlowe from the start! You won’t regret reading this book it was a quick read packed with action!!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for allowing me to read the ARC!!

Here for this! The Guests was the perfect storm (pun intended) of sinister characters, drama, and suspense throughout the book. The idea of having strangers in your house that may want to cause you harm is deeply unsettling and this book layers on a hurricane that leaves you sheltering in place. Very enjoyable!

This is fast-paced and packed with tension! Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the early copy to read and review!

I liked this story. Was it perfect? No. Were the characters shallow? Yes. Did I care about what happened to them? Eh, not particularly ,if I'm being totally honest. But the story was fast-paced and packed with high-tension, mid-thrill moments. There are a LOT of twists and this gets CRAY CRAY so buckle in, friends. Like, the reasoning/ full story is WILD. All that said, I did keep turning pages in a rush because: 1. it is an easy read 2. short chapters helped and 3. I wanted to know what happened for one character in particular :)

I liked that the author left some breadcrumbs about some characters. There were twists that were out of left field but it was a good mix of "I guessed that" and surprising.

Overall, would recommend if you like high tension as this is all set in one SUPER stressful day and night spent locked in a house in a hurricane.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Mercer for the chance to read this book. It starts as a category 5 hurricane is about to hit the coast of Florida. The big house is secured and the family inside is safe. Until they spot a boat heading for their dock. With little choice they take in the three "guests" - two brothers and a bikini clad young woman. All is jovial as they eat, drink and chat until one of the brothers makes a pass at June, the 16-year-old daughter of the homeowners. Her twin brothers' best friend Zack intervenes, and one push is all it takes for Zack to fall, hit his head and die. Then the story takes a turn and the reasons for the guests to appear and motives and lies are uncovered. There's plenty of action as tension builds and the storm rages on. Once the storm eases up and the family being held hostage looks for a way to escape, the truth is out, shots have been fired and it's a situation there seems to be no escape from. It's scary to think this could happen to you kind of thriller. I enjoyed the book and would easily recommend it.

3.5/5 ⭐️
A family decides to weather out a serious hurricane instead of evacuating and find themselves hosting strangers that have secret, deadly intentions.

This one started out slow, but it had some good twists! I think in general the writing didn’t build suspense enough, but once I got to part two, it picked up enough for me want to continue.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Guests by Margot Hunt is a page-turning suspense novel.
This well-written psychological thriller kept me enthralled through the entire book.
Her writing flows seamlessly and I was drawn into the story immediately.
The character development in this one was brilliant.
This book was so good I didn't want it to end.

Thank You NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you Netgalley, Margot Hunt, and Thomas + Mercer for the advanced reader ebook!! This book was great! I love a good thriller with the setting during a raging storm! I couldn’t put this one down and there were some great great twists! High recommend!

Margot Hunt is one of my favorite authors so when I saw The Guests, I knew I had to read it.

It didn’t take me long to get into the story and get completely enveloped in the plot. I am a big fan of locked-room mysteries if they are done right, and this one was! I liked the idea of the family being locked inside because of the hurricane however the bigger danger isn’t outside, it’s in the house which is way more frightening.

Synopsis:

When a Category 5 hurricane is poised to hit their coastal Florida town, the Davies family takes refuge in their waterfront manse. Marlowe, Lee, and their teenage twins invite their close friends to wait out the storm in comfort and style.

Uninvited are the three strangers who dock on the family’s shore right before the storm descends. Brothers Jason and Bo—and Bo’s girlfriend, Darcy—are a charming, helpful trio in need of a safe haven that the family is only too happy to provide.

But as the storm outside grows more threatening, so does the tension in the house.

Soon, the lines between family, friends, and strangers blur. Danger mounts with every pointed finger and broken confidence, and long-held secrets are revealed one after another until only one truth remains: not everyone is going to make it out alive.



Due out on January 9.

I loved Margot Hunt's "Lovely Girls" so I was dying to read her latest, "The Guests!" It did not disappoint! I could not put it down! The Davies family decides not to evacuate during a Category 5 hurricane. Marlowe, Lee, their children and a few close friends decide to hunker down and wait out the storm. But right before the storm makes landfall, 3 strangers dock their boat in front of their home. Why were they on a boat during a Cat 5 hurricane? They were cold, wet, and traumatized. Marlowe thought it would be horrible manners to not invite them to stay at their home too. I mean, could you turn your back and leave people outside in a hurricane? But as the storm becomes dangerous, so do the guests. Action, suspense, and a plot that will keep you guessing- this is a good one! Thank you NetGalley and Amazon publishing for the ARC. I just reviewed The Guests by Margot Hunt. #TheGuests #NetGalley

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this awesome eARC.

The Guests cements Margot Hunt's first place standing as the Queen of the psychological thrillers. This story has so many clever misdirections and shocking discoveries, as well as a steady dose of CONSTANT spellbinding suspense!

As the characters in the story decided to stay in their home despite a hurricane (of the most destructive rating) I too have held firm when hurricanes were headed towards me, more times than I really care to consider).

However in this case, the hurricane is the LEAST of this families worries when they open their home to strangers, two men and a woman, who are much more deadly than they initially appear.

Don't miss this one, it is among the top thrillers of the past year (or two). I will be er miss future offerings from this author - rating it an easy solid 5 stars!

I really liked the premise of this one. Cat 5 hurricane on it's way, too late to evacuate, unexpected "guests" arriving that need help.

It started out good and I was invested. Then things just got crazy and not really in a good way. Too much happened to make it believable. Just too much! I would have enjoyed it more if there was less happening and it was more realistic.

I did like a couple of the characters. But most of them not so much.
I liked how it was told from multiple points of view.

If you like over the top, crazy books then this one is for you.!

This is my first book from this author. I would read more by her only because of the great reviews fellow readers have given the other books.

Thanks to netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc.

When a lower-grade storm suddenly turns into a Category-5 hurricane, Marlowe wonders if she and her family should’ve evacuated. But it’s too late as the hurricane bears down on them. And to make matters worse, a boat suddenly appears at their dock. Unable to turn the three strangers away, Marlowe is forced to offer them shelter during the monster storm. But something is wrong right from the start. And it’s not just the three castaways that are going to be revealing secrets during this hurricane.

Margot Hunt knows how to craft a good story. What seems straightforward at first never, ever is. And that’s what is so good about her books. You can never, ever take anything at face value, because there’s always a good twist coming. And this book is no different. I was frantically turning pages by the middle of it because I was so into it and had to know how everything untangled in the end.

And the ending was worth the wait! There’s no rushed endings here, things are carefully crafted to make sure that everything is done just right. That’s what is just as important as the twists and the story itself. If the ending isn’t up to par, it can ruin the whole “experience;” but that’s not the case here. It ends with the appropriate outcome for the story as a whole.

For some South Florida intrigue, I can’t think of a better author to turn to than Margot Hunt. And “The Guests” is another great entry to her impressive catalogue. Full of intrigue, twists and chock full of surprises, you’ll want to keep reading far into the night…..and never invite another guest into your home again.

4.5🌟
On the hunt for a tension-filled thriller that will have you white-knuckling your kindle? Well, this is that book!!

Heart pounding! Edge of your seat! Reading late into the night! That and so much more!

The Davies family missed their chance to evacuate for the cat 5 hurricane bearing down on Florida, and their home is directly in the path. They’re on high ground and boarding up every window, so fingers crossed, they’ll safely ride this monster out.

But what if the hurricane itself is the least of their worries? Believe it or not, there are far worse dangers than what a hurricane can blow in.

As the Cat. 5 approaches, three strangers dock their boat at the Davies’ pier. With nowhere to go, of course the Davies will welcome them into their home to ride out the storm.

Locked in a house with strangers. No phones, no power, no way to call for help. Who will survive?

Once again Margot Hunt delivers a chilling and suspenseful read! I did have a few guesses along the way that were correct but was shocked at the absolute unexpected twists!

Already looking forward to her next read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer

I really loved this and couldn’t stop reading! A locked room thriller but during a category 5 hurricane. What could go wrong? I loved the storyline and the ending as well.

Secrets lies, and a hurricane add up to a surprisingly unsurprising thriller from Hunt. The characters felt like caricatures and the scenario forced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A miss for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
I found "The Guests" by Margot Hunt
to be an addictive & twisty suspenseful thriller that pulled me in right away & didn't let me go until its final page.
I enjoyed the author's writing style, how she told the story by connecting her main characters through
alternating chapters.
This is the 2nd book that I have read by Ms. Hunt & I will definitely be on the lookout for her next book.

This thriller just didn’t hit for me. I was hoping for more tension and that ever present sense of foreboding, and I just never felt that. I just wasn’t connecting with the characters and their motivations, and because of that I wasn’t rooting for them to fight and survive.

All in this book just wasn’t for me sadly.