3.5 stars

I've loved the last few Mark Edwards' books and so when I saw this book, knew I had to read it too. However, this one never quite hit the spot in the way that the last few of his had. The premise of the book sounded great and whilst it was an enjoyable read, sadly something was missing and it never truly grabbed my attention.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Having read a few of marks book I was delighted to get an arc of his latest . An easy page turner but if I’m honest not one of my favourites from him . Didn’t flow as well as others and just seemed to lack something . 3.5 stars rounded to 4

The House Guest is not the first book by Mark Edwards that I have read. He is one of my favorite authors, hope I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others that I have read.
This one begins with a couple of Brits who are housesitting for a couple they met on a cruise that love in Manhattan. One day a pretty blonde named Eden knocks on the door, soaked to the skin and says she's a friend of the owners and she is invited to stay. This is when things start to go awry. Some of the things that happen from here on out are a litt!e far fetched and seems a bit rushed. All in all it is still a good read.

3.5 stars
Not my favorite Edwards read by far, but he stills knows how to weave a wicked tale.

There is a lot going on here, which I think could be part of the problem. Edwards has always been character heavy, leading to much fun and frustration as I bounce from one to the other labeling them the antagonist only to be wrong. But that didn’t happen here. It was too easy to figure out where the story was going and who the antagonists were.

I do give Edwards credit for always thinking outside the box and trying to bring fresh storylines to his fans.
I look forward to what he comes up with next!

ARC provided by NetGalley

I like Mark Edwards books. They're all fast and easy, page-turning reads.
This one maybe doesn't have the best ending, but it hooks from the beginning. I found the characters a bit unlikeable, especially considering they let a complete stranger into a house they didn't even own, however the plot pace is really fast and overall I found this delivering an entertaining read. I'd recommend for mystery/thriller lovers.

The House Guest is one of those books that you can finish in one sitting. Once it grabs you, it doesn't let you go. Because there are SO many questions. The writing is tight, the pacing of the novel is spot on. I've read some pretty amazing thrillers already this year, but this one is by far my favourite, because this one not only kept me gripped all day long, but the ending - the ENDING - was just so ridiculously good and gasp-worthy that I don't think I will ever recover. I finished the novel, set my Kindle down, turned around and genuinely shouted, "Fuuuuuuuuuck." I have never in my life been so stunned and shocked and awed by a book. 

It's actually really hard to understand what the novel is about by reading the synopsis, seeing the title or looking at the cover. You basically go in to the novel blind and that makes it even more interesting, because when Eden's true purpose is exposed, you genuinely have no idea what's going on. Who she is, where she's come from, what happened on that specific night to Ruth and Adam. You're left with bundles of questions, and the answer is quite brilliant. It's normally something I'd be sceptical about, but it was so well written, so convincing that I was all in.

The novel starts innocuously enough. Ruth and Adam are house-sitting for their friends Mona and Jack who are on a retreat, Ruth is an actress presumably about to hit the big time and Adam is a screen-writer, although it isn't going as well as he would like. They're happy as Larry, until Eden turns up on their doorstep, saying she's a friend of Jack and Mona and that they offered her the chance to stay any time, and because Ruth and Adam are decent British people, with manners, they let her in. Because that's what us British people do! We are polite, thank you very much. Of course, that turns out to be the biggest mistake everrrrrr, because Eden isn't who she says she is and she causes all kinds of mayhem. It was really, really clever how Eden worked her way into Adam and Ruth's lives, because it's not like they could have rung Mona and Jack to check, and Eden knew enough about them to not really raise suspicions. Like, if she'd just rocked up to the door and guessed things about them, you'd be suspicious. But she knew actual, real details. So I totally see how Adam and Ruth fell for it.

I loved the dual narrative. First-person for Adam; third-person for Ruth. It added a bit of spice to the novel, and it allowed us to see both sides of what was going on rather than the narrow perspective of one or the other. It still took a while to see the full picture, but, as I keep saying, it was more than worth it. The payoff here was one of the best thriller payoffs I have ever read. I was genuinely shocked and awed. People throw around the term "jaw-dropping" all of the time, but this is one of those cases where it is actually true. Everything about this novel delighted and surprised me. I only guessed one of the twists, which for me is pretty good, because sometimes thrillers can be a bit obvious, but there was none of that here. Edwards clearly knows his craft very well and I was hooked from start to finish.

Adam is such a good narrator, too. Edwards doesn't bother with the trick of making him out to be unreliable, or a liar. There are no plot twists where Adam becomes the "bad guy" temporarily. It's very much a straight-forward narrative of Adam investigating what happened that night in Mona and Jack's house. I really liked Adam as a character, too. He seemed genuine and he came across well, and he was very well-spoken and instead of causing a god-almighty fuss about everything, he went about everything the right way. Thinking how I would act in a similar situation is night and day, because I would be a wailing banshee and no one would ever believe me. It's a bit harder to understand Ruth's character as her chapters are fairly short and in the third-person, and with her being an actress as well, you can well believe anything she does/says is a ploy. I assume it wasn't, but I didn't feel like we really got to know her, but I liked her well enough.

As I said, the ending of The House Guest is immense. Where I'm torn between wanting a sequel and where I'm happy just trying to figure out exactly what everyone meant in my own head, depending on my mood. It was one of those endings where you just sit in shock for 30 seconds, hardly able to breathe because you're not sure you read it correctly. It genuinely made me smile, in a weird serial-killer kind of way. Almost as if Edwards had to have one last laugh at the readers expense and it was magnificent. It fit the book perfectly, with all of the Shakespearean references, and I can only admire his chutzpah.

I genuinely can't rate this novel highly enough. It's the first novel I've read by Mark Edwards and it genuinely caught my attention from page one. I spent my entire afternoon reading it, not even stopping for food breaks, because I was that immersed in it. It felt like I was there, with Adam and Eden and Ruth. I was desperate to find out what Eden's whole game was, and I'm also very curious if Edwards wanted to call Ruth "Eve", to make it a true Adam/Eve/Eden trio, although Eden does herself mention that, which I thought was pretty neat. I can honestly say I was on the edge of my nerves the whole time I was reading this. The plot, the pacing, the writing, the ending, the narratives, it was all perfect. Mark Edwards is a very, very, very talented author and you best believe I'm going to be checking out his other novels because this was a really fun, entertaining, creepy read.

Tis is my first read of Mark Edwards and I am unsure how I have let this happen. I will definitely be buying those other novels I have somehow missed.

Ruth married to Adam have been given the chance to house sit a New York home of Mona and Jack who they met on a cruise. Ruth is making it as an actress and Adam is struggling as a writer. Eden arrives at the door step on a rainy night and professes to know Mona and Jack. Ruth and Adam let her in and she stays for a few days.

This is where the twists and turns begin and I always felt that Eden was not who she professed to be but I didn’t see the whole picture and was amazed at how it all turned out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Mark Edwards for my ARC of The House Guest in return for my honest review.

Utterly brilliant read. Highly recommended.

I have enjoyed Mark’s previous books and, as anticipated, this one did not disappoint.

I was so engrossed that I finished the book in a day however I can imagine that this story may not appeal to everyone.

The storyline was intriguing and completely changed direction from where I initially thought it was going to go. A rollercoaster of a ride.

Already looking forward to Mark’s next book.

4.5 stars

I'm a huge fan of Mark Edwards books so when I saw he had a new release I was excited and automatically requested it, sadly however I was disappointed.

This book follows a young British couple who are trying to make something of their careers in the US. The female lead is an actress and the man is a writer. In the beginning of the book they are house sitting for a couple they had previously met on a cruise ship when a young woman, similar age to themselves shows up at the house claiming to know the owners and with no where to stay they open up the doors to her. Things however take twists and turns throughout and all is not how it seems.

I will not say anything more due to spoilers however the route that this book took I didn't like, I actually found it not very interesting and at sometimes laughable the characters were also not likeable and not people you were routing for. With all that being said however Mark Edwards writing style is always written in a way that is rather fast pace so it was still a fast read and yes I will read more from the author because I have enjoyed several of his books in the past. I recommend the lucky ones, the magpies and because she loves you.

Ruth and Adam are a happy young couple enjoying a summer in New York when a mysterious woman appears on the doorstep of the house they're housesitting. Eden is vivacious, beautiful and quickly becomes a confidant and close friend of the couple. But is she telling the truth about who she is? When Eden and Ruth disappear, Adam is left with a lot of questions and a suspicious detective who's convinced he's responsible for whatever happened.

As a fan of Mark Edwards, I always pick up his newest book with great excitement. He does a great job of building suspense and suspicion about Eden and her motives early on, and Ruth's disappearance was a great twist. I felt some of the momentum wane towards the end, and the ultimate reveal that Eden is part of a cult was just a tad far-fetched. It felt like there was more of a focus on action than suspense at times, which was enjoyable but a bit of a departure from his other work.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as the premise sounded unusual and I have read and enjoyed other Mark Edwards’ books. Sadly the characters were two dimensional and the writing was a bit flat. The upside was that it isn’t a long or hard read, but I want a bit more from my psychological thrillers these days. A good beach read but not particularly memorable.

This book was okay. It only took a couple of hours and about half way through it had started to be pretty predictable.

THE HOUSE GUEST. My new Mark Edwards favorite!
New York City. Two house sitters...a rainy evening...and a charming surprise visitor.
Oh the set up... Oh the secrets... and Oh how the plot thickens.
I liked the narration, the storyline...albeit a bit out there, the characters and the conclusion.
Fast, entertaining read, but be on the lookout..."They're Everywhere."...or are they?
Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and author for the "Read Now" opportunity.

I have read and enjoyed some of the author's previous books. This book was ok. The book started off well and kept me interested. However the ending was absurd and unbelievable. I still look forward to reading his other books.

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Mark Edwards for a copy of "The House Guest" in exchange of an honest review.

I really enjoy Mark Edwards books and this one left me spinning. This psychological thriller left me reeling with it's fast pace, suspense and very much tongue in cheek moments of drama. There were plenty twists and oodles of tension to keep the reader engrossed in this thought provoking read. I loved the weird ending and irritating characters and would definitely recommend this author and book. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a satisfyingly quick read. It has got a stranger as a house guest, murders, and a strange, murderous cult. It is the perfect example of an unputdownable page turner, and I have a strong feeling I might see it adapted for one of the OTT plarforms soon!

The plot turned out to be a little far-fetched at the end. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read.

I liked what Mark wrote in The Retreat, and this is what prompted me to request the copy of this book when I first saw it was available. And I am glad I did.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: Recommended.

I received a free copy from Netgalley to review.

Below is the blurb

"When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…"

I really enjoyed this book. Ok it is far fetched (I hope!) and an easy read but not really much to say other than I enjoyed the story, it kept me wanting to keep reading more and had plenty of plot twists to keep me going. Difficult to say much more without giving the story away really.

I am a Mark Edwards fan but this book just didn’t wow me. The premise was intriguing and I finished the book. The plot line was a bit too all over the place and this just wasn’t my favorite.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved all of Mark's books that I have read before and this one didnt disappoint. Creepy and taunt. Twisty and will keep you guessing. Loved every page

This book went places I totally did not expect. The suspense was great and I was not able to predict at all what was going to happen.

This book is divided into 3 parts. The first part focuses on what happens when a mystery woman appears on the doorstep. Basically, she is not who they think she is. The second and third parts are where things get really crazy. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll leave it at that.

The main character, Adam is relatable and someone that I was happy to cheer on throughout his journey.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook.