The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

Brenda’s thoughts

What the book is about

To finish her latest book, crime writer Wylie is holed up in an isolated farmhouse with some deadly history. The tension and suspense increase with every page when a snowstorm and an overnight guest bring danger to Wylie’s door. Told through two timelines and a narrator that feels like Emma Donoghue’s “Room.”

What I loved

The tightly woven, perfectly paced, suspenseful story that gave me a nagging feeling as the layers unfolded, I should be able to figure out who this overnight guest is. My mind was racing, trying to keep up with the pace, knowing that the reveal was coming. I almost pieced some things together only to find Heather Gudenkauf was one step ahead of me. I enjoyed forming some theories about how the timelines and characters come together.

The Atmospheric and claustrophobic setting that sent chills up my back and had me needing to grab a cup of cozy.

The twisty tale that builds with every turn to the story, the exciting story’s climax, and the satisfying ending.

Why you should read this one

For the tightly woven, fast paced absorbing story with twist, turns and reveals that you might or might not see coming.

Lindsay’s thoughts

Packed with tension and suspense!

True crime writer, Wylie Lark, is spending a few months living in a remote farmhouse cottage focused on writing her new book. She is researching two murders that happened in the same cottage which involved the disappearance of a teenage girl. A wintry storm adds to her isolation until she discovers a small child stranded at her doorstep…

This was an intense thriller! I was anxious and on the edge of my seat for the majority of this novel. Every single page was gripping, atmospheric and suspenseful. This was one of the most binge-worthy, unputdownable books I’ve read in a while!

There are several storylines introduced in chapter one. Seeming random at first, each storyline flowed smoothly and fit together seamlessly by the end. The way this novel unfolds is a brilliant and perfectly paced puzzle that kept me hanging on every word. Each character and storyline added an intriguing amount of tension and kept me guessing as to how it would all come together.

My one small issue was that the conclusion was overly dramatic and not as gripping or believable as the remainder of the story. It took my enjoyment down just a tiny bit as it didn’t fit with the amazing-ness of the rest of the book.

Overall, an amazing read that I highly recommend to thriller fans. This will be on my 2022 Favourites List! 

We received a copies from the publisher

Penny for your thoughts!! Have you read this one? Loved it? Adding it?