A train full of passengers were left stranded in an unknown village when the train track was blocked. They were given a list of B&Bs and had to find their own accommodation in the dark???? I didn't think this would happen, so that's my first problem with this book. Moving on from this, it started to look promising as Charlie and Grace found themselves accommodation in a place where Charlie had stayed a few times as a boy. There was something strange about the B&B owners, and other people in the village shops and pubs hinted that all was not well. Grace started to hear strange voices and noises and this bit was quite creepy. Also there was also something odd about an accident Grace had in Turkey that was not explained. Things were building up, but suddenly Grace and Charlie fled and the rest of the story was told in three chapters, each from a different point of view which told the truth about what happened next, and explained the past. This was not remotely believable and it was a bit of a let- down.

YOU’LL BE BACK SOON…

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley.

This is a intriguing, mysterious and chilling book about a couple om honeymoon. Things get weird from day 1 and are set to get weirder.

Is all as it seems in wedded bliss or are there secrets from the past about to ruin things…

Unpredictable and tense. Cleverly written and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Published 31st December 2020

Grace and Charles are heading off to St Ives in Cornwall for their honeymoon. As they are on the train the storm that is threatening takes a turn for the worse and they are forced to abandon their journey at the next station. They find themselves in the secluded, coastal seaside resort of Saltwater. A destination that Charles visited frequently on family holidays as a teenager.

They shelter at The Anchorage guest house with hosts Pamela and Micheal. Grace is unsettled and convinced that she can hear a child crying and other strange happenings. She is convinced that there are unexplained things happening at the house and is desperate to leave.

Just what secrets is this sleepy Cornish village hiding? Who is watching them? They’re cut off from the outside world and have nowhere to turn? Who can they trust?

I thought this book started off slowly but did pick up pace rapidly and I really enjoyed the plot and conclusion when everything was turned on its head! Very clever plotting and a great story.

Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a rather clever thriller which left me holding my breath in places. Newlyweds Charles and Grace are on their way to a chichi hotel for their honeymoon in St Ives, Cornwall when their train journey is abruptly disrupted thanks to a storm and a rather large tree having fallen on the tracks. It means they have to stay in sleepy fishing village Saltwater. The couple end up booking into The Anchorage, a guest house with a rather forbidding reputation. When Grace starts to notice things move in their bedroom and hears a child sing in the night she is convinced that something or someone wants them out but as the storm continues to blow through the village there is zero chance they can leave. This is a terrifically paced read, one charged with an eery atmosphere throughout. It certain had me holding my breath until the very last page. An excellent plot - highly recommend.

A really well written thriller A couple on honeymoon have to stay in a village because the adverse weather disrupts their train journey A child is heard crying in the night and in the morning a chilling message is written in the guest book "Get out, Dont trust them" At times this story made my skin prickle A good page turner of a story

**Note: A big thanks to Random House UK Vintage, C.L. Pattison and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of “The Guest Book” in exchange for an honest review.**
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Book in One Sentence

C.L. Pattison's The Guest Book offers the readers to delve into the hidden mysteries of a guest house and how it uncovers the dark realities of human psychology.

Introduction

The book begins with a newly married couple - Grace and Charles - on their way to honeymoon. While on the train, a storm hits and they, along with other passengers, are stranded in a little town called Saltwater. Subsequently, we come to know that Charles used to spend his childhood there before his family moved out and he became distant from the lifestyle of the old town gradually. Charles becomes nostalgic over time. They are forced to take up residence in the old guest house named The Anchorage, where Charles used to come with his family as a child. Steadily, we see the dark secrets coming to light that makes the guest house such an unpopular destination for the locals of Saltwater.

Themes

# Psychological Thriller

From the very beginning, we can sense the underlying tone of something sinister. There was much foreshadowing in the process and we see how there is a hint of pathetic fallacy (in this case, the weather outside is acting as a reflection of the internal turmoil faced by Grace). The psychological narratives play an important role in giving structure to the story and develop the dimensions of the characters.

# Horror

It is no surprise that there is a horror element present in the story. From the very beginning, you can sense its potential. However, until you have read the very last page of the story, you are left guessing about the reality - is it really horror or it is just the working of the complex mind? Although we, as readers, are compelled to give the former a nod, we cannot be certain until the very end as Grace's narrative is sometimes explained from Charles' perspectives, which seems more logical and settling. We also get a sneak peek at Grace's past and why her narratives can be tampered with due to her underlying trauma. All in all, it keeps us guessing which side to believe and how it plays a major role in her narration. However, we are still aware of the underlying horror element treading the entire novel. How much of it is justified is only highlighted at the very end of the story.

# Romance

The story starts with a newly wedded couple on their honeymoon and how it comes crashing down with the uncontrollable irony of nature and fate. Although romance is not in the story full-force, we also see how love can be both protective and harmful. Veracity differs from person to person. Even with such a subtle tone, love plays a major role in the story.

# Narration

The narration is tricky and at the same time, foreshadows the crux of the story. We know the two known narrators - Charles and Grace. However, there is a third narrator - someone, who is not disclosed until the very end. We are left confused and keep guessing the identity of the narrator until the very end. The identity does get and uncovered at the very end when the climax happens.

The Ending

As stated earlier, the timing of the climax is at the end. It is definitely not a complaint as the rising action builds up quite steadily throughout the story. The ending is perplexing and shocking at the same time. As a reader and lover of mystery thrillers, I had thought of a lot of scenarios for the ending but kudos to the author for coming up with an unexpected one.

Significance of the Title

The book does justice to the title of the book. The guest book in the story plays an important role in determining the plot of the story. It also foreshadows some of the incidents that are revealed later in the novel. Although it appears once in the story and has been referred to a handful number of times later, the weight it provides to the plot does not go unnoticed.

Final Take

All in all, The Guest Book is a chilling as well as an engaging read. The novel takes you to a place of the supernatural, where dark secrets are hovering all around you. The story was going at a steady pace and by the time I was halfway through it, I could not put it down until the very end. It is a haunting tale, full of twists and turns.

A very suspense driven read.

We follow newlyweds Charles and Grace, who are on their way to an idyllic honeymoon in Cornwall. They are travelling via train during a really bad storm. Their train has to stop and they have to find somewhere to stay. They stay in the local town of Saltwater, which coincidently Charles knows as he used to holiday there with his parents. They try many of the different B&Bs and Hotels in Saltwater only to find they are all full up, so Charles takes Grace to The Anchorage, a guesthouse that he used to stay there with his family, so holds lots of memories for him. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive writing about the surroundings and enjoyed the characters very much, especially Grace.

On the first night Grace wakes to hear a child crying and this is really the start of the story for me. Their phone lines are down, no internet due to the storm so are pretty much stuck. For me this book is so spooky, that I really felt for Grace throughout the book, what should have been a beautiful honeymoon turns out to be something completely opposite.

If you like a twisty read that is spookily brilliant with a plot that just keeps on giving then give this a read.

What a really dark and creepy thriller about a couple who end up stranded in a seaside town during a storm. As they end up in the only guest house left with rooms to spare Grace starts to question why the whole place feels wrong but she can’t explain why. Her husband however used to spend his summers in this place and can’t understand why Grace doesn’t love it as well. As the days drag on stuck there and the locals seem to be very negative about the guest house Grace is slowly loosing her mind and wonders if they will ever get away

This had Rocky Horror Show vibes = a young couple on their way to a hotel get stranded and wander in to a strange and large old house that they end up spending the night in. And then starts the whispers, the noises, the realisation that not all is well here. That's where the RHS vibes end * no monster creation wearing stockings here* but the sense of drama, place, remoteness and chilling vibes are more than enough to keep you reading.
I thought Cornwall was supposed to be nice and charming! Haha it's not in this book!

A thoroughly enjoyable read, this thriller is one of those that you look forward to getting back to that night whilst still at work.
I found myself trying to second guess, right to the end, who was the villain or even if there was one at all.
Enjoyed the macabre aspect of the novel. Just enough to stop it from tipping over to becoming horror story.

Two honeymooners are on the train to Cornwall during a bad storm when their journey is brought to a halt due to a large tree blocking the railway line.
They finally find a, off the beaten track, b&b to stay in which Charles ( the groom) had stayed in when he was a child.
Grace, the bride, finds the place spooky and hears a crying child in the middle of the night. She then finds a warning written in the guest book telling them to leave.
Spooky, psychological thriller told from the POV of the honeymooners- unfortunately I didn’t particularly warm to either of them, particularly Charles.
Stranded there for days due to the storm. They have no phone or internet and are cut off from the rest of the country.
A bit slow at the start but picks up pace halfway through.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.
3 Stars ⭐️

The Guest Book is the perfect escapist suspenseful read 😱😱😱
It starts with a prologue - an unnamed character is being chased by someone she trusted when suddenly she’s engulfed by an enormous wave.
Cut to now we follow our main protagonists, a newlywed couple on the way to their honeymoon in St Ives. They’re on the train, excited. But there’s a battering storm and a tree falls in front of the train, which subsequently comes to a halt several stops early in a town called Saltwater. It’s early evening, a drizzling night in February. Passengers are told to evacuate the train. The couple, Charles and Grace, follow everyone else out of the station in a desperate attempt to find a vacant b&b. They walk and walk. Everything is booked. Until Charles, who frequented the town of Saltwater as a child, remembers a hotel called The Anchorage. It’s a bit more broken down than he remembered. Crumbling and isolated. The owners are grateful for the couples’ arrival. They’re the only customers alone.
For Charles it’s a stop down memory lane, but Grace recovering from an accident in Turkey and on medications, starts to hear unexplainable voices and once she hears stories from the locals she’s determined the owners are hiding something...including her husband.

The narrative is from 3 characters POV. It’s all in first person. 2 of them are Charles and Grace which creates lots of tension as we see their marriage cracking. And then there’s an unnamed POV, which creates suspense throughout the read. By the end everything slots into place.
The setting and atmosphere is eerie yet captivating. At times the hotel almost feels haunted. It has such a desolate mood. The setting of a seaside made me terribly nostalgic for seaside trips, as I sit at home in lockdown.

I did find the ending, however, a little predictable and it ventured into cliche a little. Nonetheless this was a rather satisfying read. I loved the atmosphere, the gloom of the Anchorage which was almost a character in itself, and the tension in the couples’ marriage. A haunting read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK and C.L. Pattison for this ARC in return for my honest review. This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Full of tension, the book was filled with a dark and brooding atmosphere. The village of Saltwater itself became as important as any of the other characters. I loved it.

Charles and Grace wanted a quiet staycation honeymoon, but when their train terminates early due to a storm up ahead, they wonder if they made the wrong decision. Forced to take shelter in the nearest seaside town, Saltwater, they discover their fellow passengers have filled all the recommended B&Bs to the brim. There is only one guesthouse left. Unlike the rest of Saltwater, The Anchorage is entirely deserted.

For anyone who likes or has read the work of Shari Lapena, then this is the book for you. It is so different from your usual, psychological thriller, it is so much more and so gripping. This is the type of book you read in one sitting by a cosy fire on a cold, winters night. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and read it in two sittings. It was atmospheric with a bit of a supernatural element to it. I really liked the main character Grace and loved the creepy setting and unexpected twists. I would definitely recommend this book and will be reading the authors previous books.

Unfortunately not the book for me.
I liked the storyline, but not the characters.


Thank you to the publishers via NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of recently-married Charles and Grace and their honeymoon that doesn’t go to plan. I enjoy thrillers, so I was excited to read this as it sounded just my cup of tea. I found the plot to be slightly slow paced at times during the beginning, but it certainly quickened up as it progressed. I did enjoy how dark this was, certainly a creepy tone to it.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t my favorite psychological thriller of late, but it was perfectly serviceable and did the job. The epitome of a three star thriller

I really liked this book - it's great on a cold winter's evening! I thought the twist was unexpected and well executed. The only slight thing I would say is that the ending felt a little rushed? But other than that, I really enjoyable read!

Loved this, was a little bit far fetched on occasions and this did annoy me a little, I think I would have been so much more determined to find a way out! That said its a good story and I did enjoy it.