I have previously read the authors books! Unfortunately this book didn't hold my interest even though it's set in Florida where I live with a hurricane upon them!
You could quickly understand where this was going in general except for a few surprises!
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I enjoyed this story, even with all of the people and their issues and their secrets, The theme of the book
is that everyone has secrets. Some should never be shared.
Another prominent theme is that no good deed goes without the potential for disaster..
This really is an entertaining story that will keep you waiting to see what is going to happen
next, and to whom.
I read almost straight through because I kept figuring things would slow down~leave a good place
to take a break. Not at all. You cannot walk away.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy well written mystery suspense books that clean
up all of the loose ends, and I felt this one did a great job of answering my final questions.
My mission now is to get caught up with the other titles by the Author.
My thanks Thomas Mercer via NetGalley for sharing this delightful title in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

A fast and easy read. This home invasion type of story is nothing new. I found myself skimming through because it was pretty predictable. Not suspenseful at all. Sorry, can't recommend this one.

I've read a few other books by Margot Hunt and really enjoyed them. You can imagine how excited I was to get to this one. Unfortunately, the story is contrived and completely unbelievable. It's melodramatic and corny. There is bad dialogue (which is a pet peeve of mine), and it's filled with dumb characters. Nothing shocking happened.

Overall, I was obviously disappointed. Hopefully this book is the exception of the author's work.

The Davies family has decided to ride out a Category 5 hurricane. Right before the storm hits three strangers show up and they have little choice but to invite them in. As the storm intensifies outside the family soon realizes these strangers have an agenda. The Guests kept me guessing to the very in and was a roller coaster of a ride.

The beginning of this book hit just right for me- a privileged family in a beautiful home preparing for a hurricane, when disaster strikes in the places they least expected. As the storyline progressed, it all seemed to get more and more out of touch, with the twists becoming slightly less believable each time. Overall, predictable thriller that is easy to read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

From the minute I started this book I could not stop thinking about it. Every time I put it down, all I could think about were the characters and what was going to happen to them. When I wasn't working or sleeping, I was reading this book. Go in blind like I did. Extremely highly recommended. I can't wait for the movie.
Publishing January 2024.

This book had me hooked from the start and just continued on making it hard to put down. There were a few lines that were repeatable but the overall story, setting, and characters was well done. I felt semi-connected to the characters as there was enough character development but I wasn't especially attached to anyone, but did care about what happened with them. This was a good quick read with one of my favorite story tropes.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the copy of The Guests by Margot Hunt. If you like locked room thrillers this is the book for you! I had a hard time putting this book down after I started it and the story was so compelling I was willing to overlook how obnoxious Marlowe was. This is a good, fast read and was one of the few books I've read recently that had real twists, A couple of them made my jaw drop. The weather isn’t the only wild thing in this book! I don’t think this is one of the most memorable books I have ever read, but it was fun reading it.

Absolutely five stars all the way for suspense, unbelievable story twists and superbly defined characters.
The Davies family is hunkering down in their coastal FL home as a hurricane heads right for them when srangers who are trying to get out of the raging storm and off their yacht, tie up to their dock.. The Davies invite them in to ride out the storm.
And the story takes off from here.
As the tension ramps up, no one and nothing seems to be exactly as they appear.
Mayhem and chaos ensure as the story takes twists that amaze,
GREAT thriller.
Bravo to Margot.

The Guests is a terrifying psychological thriller. As it begins a level 5 hurricane is coming in and a family has decided to weather the storm in their home. They invited a co-worker to share the safety as well as a friend.

A trio of folks come in on a boat that is being battered and it becomes clear that it is too late to get them to a shelter.

While you can see what is coming it doesn't make it any less terrifying. I will say that the end was one heck of a surprise.

What a fun ride

A Category 5 hurricane is due to strike a coastal town in Florida, where the Davies family resides. Marlowe, her husband Lee, and two teenage twins, decide to take refuge in their beautiful home. Marlowe also invites her assistant and son's best friend to stay with them.

While finishing the last touches on storm proofing the house, three strangers dock their boat at the Davies family dock. They are in need a safety during the storm. Marlowe and her family are happy to invite the three strangers into their home to wait out the storm.

Once they are stuck in the house, things take a turn for the worse. Tensions escalade. Various revelations come out during the mounting tension of the storm. Who are these people that the Davies family invited into their home?

Wow, I LOVED this book. The author does an incredible job setting the scene, making the reader feel as though they are immersed in the storm. The tension felt real. A new and refreshing take on the classic locked room thriller.

This book has multiple POVs. This can sometimes be confusing and messy. Not with this book. It fit together perfectly and actually contributed to the growing tension and fear. There were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Guests, it was such a tense thriller that engages you from the very beginning. The title and common sense tell you that no good can come of inviting strangers into your home while no one can leave and for an undetermined time But some great fiction and close friends and family with ulterior motives and secrets ramp up the suspense immensely.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I had never heard of the author before, but I thought the premise of this thriller sounded intriguing and was pleased when I received the ARC to read and review. The beginning was a bit slow as the Hunt set the scene, but soon started to pick up. I liked that the novel moved through a variety of different perspectives and the short chapters kept the plot moving along. The swirling hurricane outside gave the story great atmosphere and a constant sense of danger beyond what was going on inside the house. Unfortunately, I did find a lot of elements of the story to be pretty predictable with some relatively glaring holes in the overall pacing/intent behind the crimes.
Overall, a quick thriller read.

The Davies family is preparing for a category 5 hurricane that is scheduled to hit their Florida town. Marlowe and Lee and their two children, along with a few close friends are prepared and hunkered down in their beautiful home. Unforeseeably, a boat pulls up and three strangers dock, seeking refuge from the coming storm. But was their arrival planned? And do they have a hidden agenda? As the storm progresses, the atmosphere in the Davies’ home is strained and tensions begin to rise. Deeply hidden secrets emerge, and the strangers true intentions are revealed. As the story climaxes, it becomes apparent that not everyone is going to make it through the storm. Lots of crazy twists bring the story to an edge of your seat finish.

I loved it! This book was so exhilarating with plenty of twists I did not see coming! And as a Florida lover myself, I loved the setting!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent writing.

THE GUESTS
BY: MARGOT HUNT

WOW! I was so exhilarated to see that my all time thriller writer Margot Hunt had written a new novel called, "The Guests," that I downloaded it immediately without reading the synopsis. I dove into it immediately and it was incredible! I devoured it in one sitting and this is definitely a book that delivers a suspenseful reading experience that had me racing through it but had me sad to finish it. I am very picky about my thrillers which explains why I haven't requested them, but I knew that I would love this and my instincts were spot on. I'm also a lot more likely lately to save my five star ratings for only the best of the best and this is one that fits that criteria.

I discovered Margot Hunt as my must read thriller writer several years ago when I read, "For Better and Worse," which is a top five on my list of lifetime favorite thrillers. It's like this one being truly phenomenal in character development and plot resulting in an addictive reading experience. I also highly recommend this author's "Lovely Girls," as well making all three when including this one as truly phenomenal. What makes Margot Hunt's thrillers so compelling is her writing capacity to imagine uniquely distinctive tropes that aren't like so many thrillers that you have already read before that are sadly common these days. That is the main reason why I don't read as many thrillers as I used to because so many are telling the same story over and over. Believe me when I tell you that this author doesn't recycle or reinvent the same old tiresome repetitive theme. I know that I am guaranteed a story that I haven't encountered before with this rock star thriller writer whose voice is always fresh. At least with the three titles that I have cited above, she delivers a taut propulsive pulse pounding suspense driven edge of your seat roller coaster ride that builds a crescendo that is unforgettable.

This one in particular is akin to peeling the skin off an onion with layer by layer revealing a new revelation about the antagonist's motive for his actions. I would recommend if considering to read this one going into it as blind as I did for a much more exhilarating experience. There are characters to root for hoping that everything turns out okay. Not everybody turns out to be what you are initially inclined to believe who they are making for explosive discoveries as the narrative unfolds. The setting is atmospherically ominous that is richly described and could easily be a character in and of itself. I've seen mixed reviews after I read this so I'm glad that I had enough faith in Margot Hunt's talent that I didn't read them or the synopsis prior to reading this. I loved it! I highly, highly recommend this to all thriller lovers looking for something different but chillingly realistic with some added fantastic storytelling!

Here is my review for "Lovely Girls.":
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4839527055

Here is my review "For Better and Worse.":
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2473980222

Publication Date: January 9th, 2024

A huge thank you to Net Galley, Margot Hunt and Thomas & Mercer for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheGuests #MargotHunt #Thomas&Mercer #NetGalley

I enjoyed the storyline. The characters are interesting and well described. Would recommend

Thank you to Margot Hunt, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc of this book.

Thin plot, almost non-existent character development, and some pretty terrible dialogue makes for two stars.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62713634