14 June 2018

An Unwanted Guest

Crime
Thriller

A 2018 Top Rated Read

By Shari Lapena

Paperback 320 pages
Publisher Corgi (7th Feb 2019)
ASIN B079M2LYRH
ISBN-13 978-0552174879

'Tense. Unpredictable. Unputdownable. Shari Lapena's novels are domestic noir at its finest.' Simon Kernick


📕My Review

As guests arrive at a remote hotel in the Catskills for a relaxing weekend break, a blizzard begins to rage. The roads become treacherous and completely impassable. The hotel is cut off. Everyone's trapped inside without electricity or a phone line. Undeterred, they resolve to pitch in until power can be restored and the roads cleared. But when a body turns up they're faced with the seriousness of their situation - NO landline, NO mobile phone coverage and therefore NO help! When a second body is discovered, their worst fears are realised - A KILLER WALKS AMONGST THEM...

This book is a fantastic whodunit in the traditional sense. Think Agatha Christie with a modern twist and you'll be bang on the money. You'll be kept guessing as the tension mounts, fingers are pointed and alibis fall apart. It's eerie and atmospheric; the deteriorating weather adding to the increasing feeling of helplessness and survival.

Yes, we have the stereotypical Christie-esque assemblage of characters - the handsome heir and his beautiful fiancée who may (or may not) be a gold-digger, the discredited lawyer trying to rebuild his reputation, the cheating husband and the eligible young woman...

Whilst some may consider it too clichéd, I personally loved it. My teenage years were spent reading every Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novel I could lay my hands on, so for me An Unwanted Guest was a successful nostalgic trip back in time.

If amateur sleuthing is what you're after, I highly recommend you book a room at Mitchell's Inn and await the oncoming storm.

My thanks to Shari Lapena, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for providing a copy of this book.

Barnsey's Books Rating 

Other reviews:

📗The Blurb

A remote lodge in upstate New York is the perfect getaway . . . until the bodies start piling up.

It's winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful, but Mitchell's Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a book and someone you love.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in for the long haul. The power's down but they've got candles, blankets, and wood--a genuine rustic experience!

Soon, though, a body turns up--surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. They can't leave, and with no cell service, there's no prospect of getting the police in until the weather loosens its icy grip.

The weekend getaway has turned deadly. For some couples, it's their first time away. For others, it will be their last. And there's nothing they can do about it but huddle down and hope they can survive the storm.

📘The Author

Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House. She was a lawyer and an English teacher before turning her hand to fiction.

She lives in Toronto.

Shari Lapena's website

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