3.5 stars

The Last Guest House  by Caroline Mitchell  is a psychological thriller about a strange hotel and even stranger guests....and then there are the owners!

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Embla Books (and in particular Katie Williams for sending me a widget) and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.....but apologies for the delay in reading/reviewing.

  

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions):
Nicola McKenna, her boyfriend Matt, and her six-year old son George, arrive at The Loch House in a snowstorm.  They were supposed to stay at a rather posh hotel, but Matt screwed up the dates, so they are lucky to get any accommodation in the area.  However, the Loch House has some strange rules, but the strangest are no cell phones, and no leaving the hotel after 9pm.  Nicola, an off-duty police officer, objects.  However, there is nowhere else to go.

The hotel owners are Dorothy and Henry Hill, almost as creepy as the hotel itself.  Other guests include Bea, Sunita, Steph and Joey. and Bruce.  They are all in the area to see the Northern Lights.

Nicola's police senses are working overtime, as she feels that there is definitely something wrong about this house, and it's occupants.  It isn't long before Bruce tells everyone the history of the house, which includes the murder of every person in attendance, exactly 10 years ago.

Then, six-year old George disappears.

 

My Opinions:
Well, this was quite interesting (as are most books by this author).  

The story is told by Nicola, Matt, and Elita.  It is also told through a true-crime podcast.  The combination was quite well done, except it took me a while to start enjoying the podcast, and seeing it's true relevance.

I didn't particularly like any of the characters, except for perhaps George and Elita.  Nicola grated on me.  Even when I found out why she was staying in an abusive relationship, it didn't help.  Two abusive relationships, and it's only now that she thinks she should put her son first?  That, and for a police officer, her mind was all over the place.

However, I loved the hotel, which was a wonderful character in itself, with all the secret rooms.  I wish more was said about the passageways.  It was really intriguing.

As much as I love books about cults, that side of the story didn't work for me.

So, as much as I disliked parts, I did enjoy the book.  Overall, it was definitely a creepy, atmospheric mystery.

Love me some true crime. This also had some good cult themes included. Storyline kept me engaged throughout the whole book. It slowed down a bit in the middle but finished with a bang.

Caroline Mitchell has once again proven why I’m such a fan of her writing. The Last Guest House hooked me from page one and held me in its unnerving, claustrophobic grip until the very end. The remote Isle of Skye setting, the eerie guest house with its bizarre set of rules, and a cast of characters who each hide their own secrets make for a tense, edge-of-your-seat read.
I loved how Caroline layered the suspense—from the creepy atmosphere to the mystery of what really happened years ago within those walls. Each new reveal felt like a shock, and the flashes of backstory (including the inventive use of a true-crime podcast) added a fresh twist that amped up the tension. The writing is sharp and smart, twisting the plot just when you think you have it figured out.
If you enjoy thrillers that combine psychological suspense with an almost gothic flavour, The Last Guest House should go straight to the top of your TBR list. I’m already looking forward to Caroline Mitchell’s next release—she’s a master storyteller and I love her thrilling, addictive novels!

pretty cool and pretty standard but still a fun little worth-it read. would not necessarily reread but its cool

I'm really enjoying Caroline Mitchell books. Tense and quiet, they are so freaken good! Twists and turns I never see coming. Really smart writing. I so enjoy he books and wish she was much more well known!

The premise of this book was great, but it just did not deliver. I did not like it at all. It felt too disjointed--the plot did not flow, the characters felt two dimensional (I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take the two "inn-keepers" seriously. I kept picturing Lurch from "The Addams Family" and Tabitha from the soap "Passions."), the insertions of the pod-cast were jarring and the placement did not move the story along or provide an insight that could not have come from other sources. I found myself not caring, and really wanted to skim. When the reveals came at the end, along with a couple of "twists," I was underwhelmed. I would not recommend this one.

I love Caroline Mitchell and my favourite are her novels where paranormal and thriller are mixed.
The blurb is intriguing and liked the idea of the rules. It's bit slow and I was a bit bored at times.
3.5 uppped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nicola, her partner Matt have travelled to the Is,e of Skye, it was supposed to be a romantic weekend away. Matt had it all planned out but unfortunately things start to go wrong right from the start. Their childcare pulls out, so Nicola's little boy George has to come along too. As they near their luxurious hotel, the weather draws in, a snow storm is approaching, the engine light starts to flicker. Will they make it. Then as they go to check in it turns out Matt has booked the wrong weekend, there is no vacancy. Taking pity on them the receptionist rings around and finds them a room in the last available guest house. The Loch House, isn’t quite as luxurious and the strange owners have weird rules. They must hand over their mobile phones and are not to leave the house after 9pm. With no other choices available to them they have to agree. As they settle in and meet the other guests they both notice things are far from normal. The weather is quickly worsening and the atmosphere is tense. Then George vanishes!

What happened at the guest house 10 years ago? Where is George? And will they all get out alive?

A tense read, Caroline carefully sets the scene and leads the reader into the story well.
The mix of the podcasts was clever, but led me to the conclusion fairly early on, maybe that was the intention but to me it meant there was no great mystery when the revelations came.. as it was exactly what I had thought.

Overall this was not the best of Caroline’s books but I still enjoyed the ride

Caroline Mitchell is one of my go to authors so was really looking forward to this one. “The Last Guest House” is a gripping and atmospheric thriller full of suspense.

DI Alex McKenna is trying to enjoy a relaxing weekend on the Isle of Skye with her boyfriend following her latest case. Her hopes of a quiet weekend are dashed when their hotel double books them and this is the start of a chain of events that turns their break into a nightmare.

They manage to obtain a room at The Loch House which appears to be the only still with vacancies but as soon as they arrive Alex senses that something is not right. The hotel is situated in a remote location and as snow begins to fall there is a sense of apprehension.

I enjoyed the characters especially Alex and together with an intriguing plot full of suspense I was unable to put this book down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Embla books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Matt and Nora are going to spend a weekend in a luxury hotel but when they get there they don't have a room. With their son George they are seen to a house that use to be a hotel. The owners are very strange with weird rules they make the family follow.
If you like psychological thrillers you will enjoy this one.
Thanks to publisher Bonnier Books and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed the realness of the characters. The plot was fun and followed through, and the location was beautiful!

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

I usually love Caroline Mitchells work, but this one just didn't hit the same for me sadly.
It was still enjoyable, but I found it slow going and I was not too motivated to pick it up a lot of the time

📖 Book Review 📖

The Last Guest House by Caroline Mitchell
Embla Books, 26th April 2024
*contains spoilers*

Marooned in an isolated guest house during a furious blizzard, nine guests are held hostage and all means of communication forcibly surrendered.

As expected from this author, the characterisation is great, although no one character stands out. It's well written with a fair few surprises along the way that demonstrate the dangers of cultism.

The narrative builds slowly until the midway point, when the pace begins to pick up - this is a true slow burner!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Embla and Caroline Mitchell for the eARC provided via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

#TheLastGuestHouse #CarolineMitchell #ARC #EmblaBooks #NetGalley #BookReview #ARCReview

I want to read all the books where people get stranded for one reason or another and then there's a murder. In this case, a couple gets snowed in after they end up staying in a place they didn't plan to. The 6-year-old somehow goes missing and the people weird proprietors act even weirder.
I don't mind suspending disbelief up to a point. I found the twist unbelievable, which was fine, but I couldn't get past one of the main characters being a police officer. Even though she was off duty, she was not a credible character.
It was still fun to watch the story play out. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This locked room mystery was a slow burn with a neat and tidy ending that wrapped everything up quite nicely. The author does a good job of keeping her readers on the edge of their seats right up until the end.

Not sure why but I didn’t enjoy this book like I thought I would.

The story was dragging at times and I feel they had to many characters to really enjoy their stories.

I struggled to finish it as to why it took me so long to complete it. The book is not bad just didn’t hook me in.

This was quite a creepy tale. A guest house run by the equivalent of an Addams family. Previous deaths that had happened at the guest house 10 years ago. Will there be some more deaths now?
A couple (Matt and Nicola) end up having to stay at The Last Guest House when the boyfriend messes up the booking, due to the inclement weather and because all other places are full due to the Northern lighs being visible.
Matt has a very strong opinion how his relationship is going to fo forward, Nicola is having her doubts about staying with him. One young girl living in the walls can watch everything that is going on. Told from 3 points of view, This is a really great thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley, Caroline Mitchell and Embla Books for the ARC in return for an honest review

Nicola has been persuaded by boyfriend Matt, to take some time off from her job as a police officer & go for a romantic weekend away. Along with her young son George, they turn up at the posh hotel only to find there is a mix-up with bookings & the place is full. It's snowing heavily & the only place they can get is an eerie looking guest house. The outside is not the only ting that's weird. The lady of the house insists that they give up their phones & that the doors will be locked at 9pm & will stay that way until morning. There doesn't seem to be any alternative so they have to stay. The other guests don't seem too happy with the arrangements. The house has a bad history. Ten years ago tonight the owner was found shot dead with the other guests lying dead around her- not exactly tailor made for a romantic break! Then George disappears & things turn more sinister.

The story is told from Nicola & Matt's point of view as well as from Elita- an unknown to start with. It is also interspersed with a true crime podcast, which takes a while come to the point. The author created a truly creepy atmosphere with some dislikeable characters. I really disliked Matt! It was a good read but I found the podcasts annoying as I wanted to get back to the guest house! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release. I enjoyed the story and will recommend it.