"In the vein of Lucy Foley's chilling, atmospheric mysteries, a compulsive, psychological thriller about a group of old university friends whose seaside reunion will end in betrayal and murder.

Five old friends...One reunion to die for.

After years apart, old college friends Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon reunite in idyllic Dorset, for a weekend at Aline's beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. It should be the perfect chance to relax, rekindle friendships, and meet each other's partners; plus, there's a sitter to watch the kids.

What most of the guests don't know, however, is that Aline has called them all together for a reason: someone has threatened to expose the dark crime they committed at university. Long ago, these old friends swore one another to silence, and have never spoken of the deed since. But now, menacing postcards have begun to appear - and Aline is convinced it's one of them turning on the rest.

In Liza North's propulsive and unsettling dual timeline narrative, truths emerge, secrets surface, and long-simmering grudges explode - and by the end of this reunion weekend, at least one of them will be dead..."

I don't know why but any book that is basically a murderous version of Peter's Friends is a book I have to read.

I gave this book 4 stars. It had a great plot and was very thrilling for a psychological thriller. The story revolves around a group of old university friends. We all know that many things can change as the years go by and they did indeed have secrets from one another. There is a good reason they have all been called to meet again and its chilling. You will not regret buying this book!

College friends Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon reunite for a weekend at Aline’s house. It’s a chance for them to all catch up.

When in college they all committed a crime, and now an anonymous person is threatening to reveal the secret. Aline has invited them for a weekend to find out who is making the threats.

This is typically the kind of book I would like with its remote location and secrets among friends, but I never really go in to this one. I did not like any of the friends, and it’s just a personal thing, but it did not capture my attention for that reason.

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheWeekendGuests in exchange for an honest review.

The characters in this were a bit too insufferable for my 'fun, immersive thriller reading' preferences, but I appreciated some of the plot twists and reveals.

I enjoyed this novel that kept me guessing until the end. The format of various characters perspectives and the shift from past to present is something I enjoy and engaged as a reader. There are the characters you love and the villains you do not. What crime could these seemingly innocent college students have done so long ago? Why are they just now receiving veiled threats? When set against the Dorset coast, the reunion of old friends teeters between friendly to suspicion to fear and anger as alliances reemerge and old hurts fester under the polite smiles and fancy dinners. Is there an outside force at work having waited for revenge or has one of their group turned against them all?

Special thanks to the publisher for this ARC read!

This book is set to be released January 28, 2025!

Honestly, I haven't had a book make me say "oh for God's sake of course it is" in a long time! I had no idea where this book was going the whole time and I love that! I honestly didn't have any of it figured out!
Awesome read!

I really enjoyed this book, it is really well written. Five friends reunite but all share a secret from their past that has caught up to them. I enjoyed how the story was woven between past and present all building up to a great ending!

This was a good book! The reunion was not a good one, someone dies, but the thrilling and suspenseful themes are so good. It kept me on the edge of my seat, it kept me wanting to keep reading to get to the end of the book and see what was going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I loved the setting for this one. And while the story did hold my interest, there were so many characters I had a hard time keeping track of the relationships. I enjoyed the story even though I wasn't surprised at the twists, but it felt a bit flat overall. I think with fewer POV's it would have given more time to connect with the main characters.

I'm not sure how I feel about this thriller. It's an interesting character study in self-preservation. I called most of the twists, but I still read this in a day and a half, so it kept my interest. The last page really confused me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 28, 2025
Liza North, author of “Obsessed”, brings readers to a secluded Scottish countryside, where secrets long buried, have finally surfaced. For fans of “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, North’s “The Weekend Guests” is a twisty-turny thrill ride!
Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael and Brandon have been friends since university. Life has taken them on separate paths but after they all received cryptic postcards, they find themselves back together again, gathering at Aline and Brandon’s beautiful luxury home in Dorset. Determined to find out who sent the messages, the friends suspect each other until the real truth comes out in a dangerous and terrifying way.
“Guests” has a dual timeframe plot, told back when the five friends are university students and in 2019, when they meet again as adults at the retreat in Dorset. All five of the characters narrate a portion and there are journal entries from the university days, written by Darryl, a housemate of the five friends who has secrets of his own. It is not obvious right away who sent the postcards and we don’t find out until the final pages all of the intricate details but, boy, does North sure know how to tell a story!
All of the characters are complex, with their own back stories and secrets. As young people, they were selfish apart and toxic together but, as adults, they are seemingly competent parents in stable marriages. I loved learning all the intricate details of the characters’ lives, and how they intersected, leading to a combustible reunion.
The ending surprised me, which I didn’t expect. It was realistic and traumatic all at once, and of all the ways North could’ve concluded this novel, I whole-heartedly support the path she chose.
“Guests” has an idyllic setting, which was intriguing, compounded with complicated but relatable characters and a flowing plot. The tension never lets up and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I haven’t read North’s debut, “Obsessed”, but I’m definitely going to check it out to see how it compares. “Guests” has put Liza North on my watchlist and I will definitely be paying attention when more of her novels are dropped.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to NetGalley and the publishers over at Harper Collins for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Weekend Guests is told in two timelines about a group of college friends who meet up after years apart for a weekend in the hopes of uncovering who sent them threatening postcards about their past. What do they know? Will they go to the police? Is there any way to stop them? The Weekend Guests comes out on January 28th and is available for preorder now.

I am always down to read about a group of friends who did something bad in the past and are trying to live with their secret. I don't know why that always gets me excited about a Mystery but it truly does. I also love the looming sense of dread creeping throughout the novel while more and more twists unfold. Sadly, this aspect of the novel didn't work for me as well as I would have liked. I felt like several of the twists were obvious while others were the obvious bait and switch tactic that authors like to use in well read genres. I think if you're going the obvious route then you absolutely have to take it there. You have to go a step too far to make it still pay off in a Mystery novel. If you're going to go with the bait and switch tactic, then it needs to still make sense in the context of the story. I need to be able to go back and reread this from the beginning and have it all still work. I don't feel like the author ever did that with the twists in this novel. I also really didn't like the ending. I won't say hated, but it's close. It was a foreshadowed ending that lined up beautifully but felt absolutely absurd. I think there are readers who can roll with this ending and readers who can't and I fall into the second camp.

It felt like all of these characters and all of these settings are done so well. I felt like I was there. Each character felt real and distinct from other characters and, depending on perspective, I could really love them too. I think that's an underrated aspect of this novel. The chapters are told in alternating points of view that each has a slightly different idea of who the other characters are. You don't always get that in multi-POV novels. It makes you think about how we see ourselves and how we see others which was interesting. Especially in one particular POV that I won't spoil here. This book did give off some truly creepy and unsettling vibes which was exactly what it was going for, I'm sure. So, I would say in that aspect it was a success. I just don't think that I could abide by the twists in this one.

Overall, I think this is actually a good Mystery for those who are new to the genre. I think coming in with no preconceived notions will really help readers of The Weekend Guests.

I enjoyed this book. The way the author described everything made me get a great visual of the settings. I liked the alternating viewpoints as well. Big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc!!

Thrillers are one of my favorites but I’m always weary when trying new authors/plot lines/etc because they can be such a hit or miss. This one did not miss! Chilling and suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat. I found that I did not hate the main character or question the judgements made. Thank you to NetGalley, Liza North, and her team!

the synopsis of this sounded like it was made for me; dual timeline, weekend getaway with old friends, psychological thriller, part of it set at university, betrayal and murder. however, the writing felt a bit choppy to me and things that were meant to be big reveals weren’t shocking to me at all. none of the characters were particularly likeable either which didn’t help. overall, it was a bit of a miss for me which is disappointing.

thanks to netgalley and harper perennial for my advance copy of the weekend guests by liza north. all opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of Lucy Foley, I figured this story would have that same sort of vibe. And it does, to a point. Five old college friends reunite at a secluded, cliffside house. Unbeknownst to them, one friend has orchestrated the reunion to rehash something they were a part of in college, The atmosphere is extremely well done. I thought the characterization was pretty good compared to a lot of these sorts of stories (and there are a LOT), and the storyline kept me involved. We have the usual dual timeline telling, past and present, and I stayed interested. I guess the only drawback for me, was the huge cast of characters. Not only do we have the original 5, but we also have their partners and kids. WHEW! Overall, I did really enjoy this one and the ending was deliciously dark and creepy! I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Liza North and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of January 28.

Deep buried secret among college friends? Moody setting? Check and check. From the description alone, I knew that I had to read The Weekend Guests -- and boy was I right! I loved Liza North's writing style and character development, it kept me hanging on for the entire ride. 10/10 recommend!

I received an advanced copy of this book from Harper Perennial and Paperbacks via NetGalley.

The story follows five college friends—Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon—who reunite at Aline’s newly renovated, cliffside home in Dorset. What begins as a weekend of nostalgia and laughter soon turns dark when unsettling postcards threaten to reveal a secret crime from their university days, sparking suspicion that one of them is betraying the group.

North skillfully weaves the past and present through a dual timeline, building intrigue as secrets unravel and tensions rise. While the initial pacing is slow, the alternating timelines create an irresistible pull, drawing readers deeper into the mystery. The suspense ramps up halfway through, shifting into a gripping exploration of loyalty and deception.

The characters are richly developed, each bringing their own complexities and flaws. Aline’s poised demeanor and Brandon’s perfect image set the tone for an opulent but ominous reunion. Rob’s abrasive personality and Sienna’s unreliability amplify the unease, while Darryl stands out as a compelling wildcard whose motivations remain shadowed until revealed. Even minor characters, like the enigmatic Phyllis and the nanny Milly, add depth to the story.

The book may start slowly, but it ultimately captivates with its well-executed plot and multi-layered characters, making it a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

5 friends meet for a reunion at one of their houses on the beach. Years ago something happened that they have kept quiet about, but now someone knows and Aline is trying to get to the bottom of it. What happened? Who is threatening to divulge their secret?

Told from multiple points of views in dual timelines. I felt the story lacked the suspense or thrill that makes one want or need to keep reading. Only once I got to the 75% mark did I find myself needing to keep reading. There were far too many characters and I kept struggling to remember who was married to who and which child belonged to who.

3.5 stars.

This book had a lot of great potential, but ultimately fell a bit flat for me.

There were so many characters and so many POVs. I didn’t have trouble keeping everyone apart, but I’m still unclear on why so many POVs were needed to tell the story. It became hard to connect with the characters because we barely got to know them before we were zooming off to someone else’s POV. I will say that the exception here is Darryl, but I truly do think it’s because we got so much time with him since he was the sole narrator of the past.

The story was also slow to move along. At 55% in, I still felt like little had happened. However, the author did start building to something more exciting after that point and I became interested in what was happening.

The storyline with Phyllis was sort of…unnecessary? From the moment the reader meets Phyllis, it’s easy to tell what’s going on with her and I’m not sure her storyline served much purpose. We already know Darryl is mentally unwell, but I guess the author just really wanted to highlight that.

The Afterwards/Epilogue also confused me greatly.

I enjoyed how the author weaved the “mystery” aspect of this book, but I just feel like the groundwork for it was a little shaky. I do think I’ll read more form this author in the future, though.