I've always enjoyed Mark's books, but have felt the last couple were slightly below previous high standards. Well, this one is right back on form. A real life setting, some very nasty characters and some solid twists in the plot along the way. The pace was great

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

This is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!  I have never read one of Mark Edwards’s books before but this is definitely not going to be the last one of his I will read!  A lot of books lately promise to be psychological thrillers but this truly is one.  It sucks you in from beginning to end and I don’t think many will anticipate the ending.  
     The main character Elliot at times gets you so frustrated that you just want to shake him but at the same time you are rooting for him because who could ever expect in-laws like his!  It is terrifying what squatters rights can do to the unsuspecting victims.  
     The basic story is that of a well to do young man who meets a beautiful woman and marries her within months.  Her parents and sister move in for a supposedly short visit while looking for a place of their own. 
     From then on everything goes wrong for Elliot and his well-ordered life totally crumbles.  
     Thanks to NetGalley and especially to Mark Edwards for the free advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely brilliant. One of my new favorite authors. I was hooked from page one!! Chilling and disturbing. I loved it!!

Elliot has everything a man his age could want: a successful career helping underprivileged children, financial security, and a  beautiful home that is his pride and joy. The only thing he's missing is someone to share it with. So when Gemma blows into his life like a whirlwind, Elliot feels like his life is finally complete. 

But what Elliot hasn't considered is that whirlwinds often leave destruction in their wake. When Gemma asks if her parents and sister can stay for a while until they've found suitable accommodation, Elliot readily agrees. But it soon becomes clear that the Robinsons have no intention of leaving, and Elliot's beautiful home, once his place of safety and retreat, is now somewhere he dreads returning to each day. 

But how can you make someone leave when they refuse, when even the law is not on your side? Elliot must delve deep into the Robinsons' past to find out who they really are and what they are hiding. But he must be careful. Because if the Robinsons find out he's digging, Elliot may be the one who ends up buried...

Firstly, let me just say: I love, love, LOVED this book. Psychological thriller at its best, this is terse, tense, and brilliantly paced, with the drama ratcheting up wonderfully throughout. I love a good psychological thriller, and my favourites are this kind, where a normal, well-intentioned character finds their very ordinary life turned on its head. The characters were wonderfully drawn and realistic, too, even the lesser characters, which I really enjoyed. 

The tension starts almost immediately, and only increases throughout the book - it's not an exaggeration to say that this book is nailbiting; I was literally biting my nails at some points! I was genuinely stressed out for Eliliot, didn't trust anyone in the Robinson family, and just kept expecting the worst. 

I was praying the ending wouldn't be a let down (I really hate when I'm reading a fantastic thriller and then the ending lets it down) but this one is PERFECT. The twists keep coming, and I won't say anything other than that so as not to spoil it, but this one definitely had me sweating. 

I've enjoyed all of Mark's books, but this one is the best yet. A definite five star read from me!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone's familiar with the stereotypes about overbearing in-laws, but in "Here to Stay" Elliot's new in-laws will make you thankful for the ones that you have, no matter how bad you thought they were!  During a community showing of his garden at his old Victorian home that Elliot has painstakingly remodeled and brought back to life, he meets Gemma, a visitor to his property.  Elliot falls for Gemma after she saves his life after being stung by a bee (turns out Elliot is allergic to bee stings), and after a short, whirl-wind romance, they decide to marry.  Elliot is aware that Gemma must have had a difficulty in her life prior to meeting him- after all, he's seen all the scars from cuts on her stomach that she tries to hide, but he has never brought it up.  Just after arriving back from their wedding, Gemma informs Elliot that her parents, Jack and Lizzy, along with her sister Chloe, are arriving from France back to England, and have nowhere to stay.  Having lost his own family in a freak accident when he was younger, Elliot sees this as an opportunity to once again have a real family, as is more than happy to have them come stay at his home until they can find a place of their own.  However, little does Elliot realize that once Jack and Lizzy move in, they have no intention of leaving, and all aspects of his life start to unravel- his marriage, his job, and his home.

Is this book unbelievable?  Absolutely!  But is sucked me in, just waiting to see what form of hell Jack and Lizzy bring to Elliot's life next!  If you didn't appreciate your in-laws before reading this book, you will after!  This was the first book I've read by Mark Edwards, but looking forward to check out more of his novels.
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Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, so a guy meets a girl, they fall in love and after 2 months decide to get married; her parents are moving back to the UK but are in between houses, so they invite them to stay. No big deal eh?
Well no big deal apart from this is a Mark Edwards book and he is the master at taking the ordinary and twisting it into something terrifying.
My skin was crawling as soon as Lizzie and Jeff Robinson entered the picture and I didn’t even know why! Reading the book, for me, was such a visual experience, I watched as each page played out like a movie in my head and all the time I was screaming at Elliot to get out and run!
A cast of unreliable narrators spin a twisted plot line and left my head turned! I didn’t know who was telling the truth or indeed what the truth was anymore! Full of expertly plotted twists and turns turned an ordinary everyday situation into a nightmare from hell. I read this in two sittings but could easily have pulled an all nighter to finish it off in one sitting!
Magpies was the very first book of Mark Edwards I read and I didn’t think anything he could write would ever trump this but I have to say Here to Stay is right up there with that one! 
If you are reading this book and you are thinking about inviting your in-laws over to stay you may want to think again!
This review will also appear on my Blog over at Chapterinmylife

Elliot is a privileged-minded bachelor, honest and hardworking. He likes to help others and put his knowledge at the service of those who need it. He lives in a quiet residential neighborhood, where everyone knows each other and live together in harmony and respect.

He lives a peaceful existence between work and home which he shares with his cat, Charlie. And though he’s not obsessed with control, each thing occupies its place and every step he takes is previously thought and meditated.

Elliot is not an impulsive person nor to be carried away by the moment. However, when he knows Gemma he changes his attitude and his way of life radically.

Gemma Robinson is a young, beautiful woman with a certain melancholy air that makes her even more attractive. She’s attentive and gentle to Elliot. They barely know each other but Elliot skips all his convictions for her and he decides to give her a chance.

When his in-laws arrive to spend a season with them, Elliot longed to live as a family as before, surrounded by people at home and even with a little chaos. He knew that between Gemma and her parents something serious had happened, but he was willing to do his part so they could reconcile. He never imagined they’d turn his life into complete hell.

This is not the first novel I read by Mark Edwars, I’m familiar with his style and I knew what to expect, but still Here to Stay has surprised me a lot and it has far exceeded my expectations.

Here to Stay is a novel of details and nuances, to read it slowly. Here to the very least, it’s important. But at the same time, the plot requires a fast reading rate. It’s imposible to stop and when you do you can’t stop thinking about it. What will happen next or in what secret their characters hide.

It is a novel that provokes all kinds of sensations. Reading it is the closest thing to going on a roller coaster. I felt sorry for some characters while others only provoked me very negative feelings, but they all looked like real people to me with which I could cross the street at any time.

Told in the first person and from Elliot’s point of view, I empathized with him from the first moment. There were many times when I felt overwhelmed by what I read. I could feel his love and surrender, but also his pain, his frustration and despair. I enjoyed his analytical mind in seeking solutions to problems or how he acted towards every unexpected new twist in his life.

This is a page-turner that stays in your mind forever.

I really liked the cover. It is very appealing designed. The writing style is pleasant and very fluently to read. The characters are very well described and look well thought out and consistently interesting. The tension is always present. The descriptions of surroundings, feelings and scenes were also very good. The story is told pleasant and it succeeds from the first pages to dive directly into the story. The storyline as a whole is very coherent and it seems very understandable and authentic. A very fascinating story that you won't like to stop reading.

Here To Stay by Mark Edwards is a novel about in-laws and all the trouble they can bring. When Elliott meets Gemma, they quickly fall madly in love and get married. Everything is going smoothly until her parents arrive to stay along with her recluse of a sister Chloe. 

Slowly and bit by bit, things begin to unravel. Who are Gemma's parents and why won't they leave?

I really enjoyed this book as it was a different take on the psychological thriller genre. I especially loved the ending. You should read this if you like psychological thrillers and are looking for something a little different. 

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I received a copy of Here To Stay by Mark Edwards from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I give this book  4 stars! Here To Stay by Mark Edwards was a suspenseful read and I highly recommend it. Although the main character seems a bit aloof to his in-laws , it's overall a great dramatic story.

This book was just ok to me. Partly predictable as it starts off on the whirlwind romance & marriage & along come the in-laws that you know aren’t going to leave. I don’t think this was one of Mark Edwards best .

This was my first book by Mark Edwards, but it certainly will not be my last. 

The story follows the life of Elliot and his whirlwind marriage to his wife Gemma. Life is blissful until his in-laws, Jeff and Lizzy, come to visit with their youngest daughter, Chloe, and the story quickly descends into a living nightmare! His in-laws, refusing to leave, become the least of Elliot's problems as Edwards delivers twist after unexpected twist. I read this gripping book in one heart-pumping adrenaline-fuelled day and it was fantastic! It has been a while since I have absolutely loathed a character and Jeff and Lizzy were unbearable! 

Then, just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was one final massive plot twist that left my jaw on the floor. An easy 5 stars, I highly recommend this book!

This book was not even close to what I expected since I read the synopsis. It started as any good quality thriller and turned very dark very fast.

It all starts with The Robinsons. Selfish, unrepentant and wicked family, that brings atrocity and misery anywhere they go. This time, their victim is Elliot - Gemma's, the eldest Robinson's daughter, new husband.

Since the moment the Robinson's stepped their feet into Elliot's beloved old Victorian house - his life as he knows it starts to shatter with a rapid speed. It takes a matter of days for the family to show their true colors and for Elliot to regret the day he met his wife. He finds himself in an ineluctable position, with his personal and professional lives on an edge of ruin.

How far the person can go to get their life back... While reading the novel, I kept thinking: what would I do if I were to find myself in a similar situation? Phenomenal read, with a spine chilling ending. I undoubtedly recommend this book to any suspense/thriller lover. Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

A really cleverly written book.  This had me raging with emotions.  Frustration at Elliot and Gemma and pure dislike for the in-laws who have infiltrated themselves in to Elliots beautiful home. The story moves cleverly from a love story to a dark and disturbing situation. A really gripping read with some awesome twists.

What a mind-blowing read! I expected this to be a brilliant read since I have enjoyed all previous titles by Mark Edwards. In the end, Here to Stay ended up surpassing my expectations.

Elliot and Gemma got married after only 2 months of knowing each other. That isn’t the crazy part. What had my head spinning was the fact that Gemma’s family soon moved in with them and simply refused to leave. Can you imagine your new in-laws doing that? I think I’d have disappeared. Simply walked out of the home and left everyone behind. Luckily, Elliot didn’t do that. If he had, then we would have missed out on one helluva read.

This book is twisty. There was something ominous in the atmosphere from the first to the last page. I could see the storm coming but couldn’t look away. I wanted to witness the destruction but didn’t know just how bad it would get. My mind was reeling with questions. As the dangers heightened, so did the suspense.

This was a shocking read. It was tense, twisty, captivating, very well-written. I lack words to explain just how good a read it was. I was so hooked to the narrative that I did something I haven’t done in years. Read under the desk! Yeah, I used to do that in school while lessons were going on and now in my 30s, I found myself unable to put the book down and so I had to find creative ways of reading it a work. Good thing I didn’t get caught, Mark Edwards would owe me rent money now 🙂

Captivating, terrifying, definitely a page-turner not to miss!

Well author Mark Edwards has done it again, another outstanding book that left me shocked and a little bit speechless.

What a story this was, it literally swallowed me up whole. Just absolutely brilliant and I was gripped from start to finish.  

All of the characters were well written, so much so that there are times when you question as to who really can be trusted abd who can. I really liked the character of Elliott but he even surprised me by the end, in a good way. 

As always with Mark's books, they are always gripping, fast paced, edge of seat in eager anticipation as to what would happen next and a couple of twists thrown in for good measure.  So can definitely highly recommend this one.

This was a first read for my from Mark Edwards and I have to say that I am still digesting this one! I thought that the characters were well developed and that the story line flowed really well. Once I started this book though it was hard for me to put it down! 

Elliot has lead a very conservative life. It has just been him and his cat, Charlie, for al long time.  He has worked hard fixing up his Victorian home that he lives in and runs an educational non-profit. One day when Elliot is having a public viewing of his garden, he meets Gemma. Once Elliott and Gemma start taking, things progress very quickly. Elliot has been dating Gemma for about 3 months when he has a near death experience. Having made it through that experience he decides to embrace life and live it to the fullest. He asks Gemma to marry him. 

With things moving so fast for Elliott and Gemma, they have not had time to introduce Elliot to Gemma's parents. When Gemma asks if her parent's and younger sister could move in for a little bit while they look for a house in transition from France, Elliot agrees to the arrangement to keep his new bride happy. Little did Elliot know that this was going to be the beginning to all his problems. These are the in laws from you know where!!

When Gemma's parents fall in love with Elliot's house, they tend to stay around for way too long. You have heard of people overstaying their welcome, well these in laws sure did! You will never guess some of the things that go on while Gemma's parents and sister stay with Elliot and Gemma. It will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure and make you want to hurry up and read to find out what is going to happen next. 

I highly recommend this book for those that like the suspense and psychological books that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

As expected, I absolutely loved this book! Mark is an incredible author. He really knows how to draw his readers in. From page one I was on the edge of my seat excited to see what happened next. I love trying to guess and I had worked part of it out. But there was still so much I did not see coming. Mark clearly loves a twist! 

The characters were very believable. It was very easy to fall in love with some of them, but also to feel pure hatred for others. I really sympathised with Elliot and shared all his frustrations. It's one of those books you just want to scream at and must resist the urge to throw across the room. The Robinsons really are the in-laws from hell! 

This is a must read for any fans of psychological thrillers. An easy five stars!

This was great - when a book compels me to keep reading rather than do anything else that was needed to be done in the house today.
Elliott and Gemma have a whirlwind romance and spend a few blissful months together. This is - until her parents need somewhere to stay for 2 weeks. The problem is they won't leave. They like Elliott's house and they plan to stay. Whether Elliott and Gemma like it or not.