Marlow has always lived in unusual places, she loved to take photos of abandoned buildings, that’s the main reason she became a property guardian. Of course the cheaper rent is always a bonus, but being on hand to check out buildings that wouldn’t always be able to see by the general public was great.

When Marlow accepts to move into an old school which is due to be rebuilt into apartments is it all going to go as planned? She has a feeling she has made a terrible mistake as something very sinister is happening, can she escape her past?

This was a really great read, a page turning thriller that has you hooked from the start. Highly recommended!

This book is such a good thriller. I've never read anything by this author before but I definitely will again!
The characters are all rather odd, but they made it more intriguing and readable.
I'd never heard of property guardians before, and I don't want to be one added reading this ....
Definitely a recommended read..
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Marlow is one of a group of people who are property guardians, living in an old school set for redevelopment. This school happened to be Marlow’s old school, but has she made the right decision to return?
I had not heard of property guardians before reading this book, so it was a very interesting concept. The characters were fascinating, although quite different, and the story was intriguing enough to keep my interest throughout. However, I have a preference for a bit more intrigue right from the start, and this book was a bit of a slow burn for me. Even so, there is something about Lesley Kara’s writing that sweeps you away, and you quickly become invested in the story. I have read The Rumour and The Apartment Upstairs, and they were both five stars for me. I did not love this one as much as the others, but I would definitely recommend this book and any of this author’s work. A delightful read!

Marlow is a property guardian. In exchange for cheap rent she lives and looks after empty properties until they are ready to be sold or redeveloped.
Although she knows it may be a huge mistake she cannot resit moving into an old school that she has ties to as her next property to look after.
The previous tenant, Hayley, left abruptly. As Marlow gets to know the other property guardians on site and in particular the head guardian Rob, she begins to suspect that Hayley didn’t leave of her own accord. As she starts to investigate Hayley’s whereabouts the whole set up at the school is revealed to be hiding something and more is revealed about Marlow’s past and her own connections to the building.
Told mainly from Marlows POV with some chapters from the other tenants sprinkled throughout, the pace is kept and the tension builds as the story progresses.
Would make you think twice about property guardianship!

I absolutely loved the author’s first two novels and although I’ve been disappointed by subsequent novels I have enjoyed them on the whole.
The Other Tenant is set in the world of property guardians and the main character Marlow takes on a post as guardian at her old school where a tragedy happened when she was a pupil. She joins a group of guardians, replacing her predecessor who seemingly suddenly disappeared.
I loved the creepy and atmospheric school setting where immediately Marlow senses that not all is as it seems. I did find the pace slow and felt that there were too many characters that I didn’t really get to know. This made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the narrative.
An original idea but ultimately a slow read that lacked depth.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Property Guardian Marlow has been moving around temporary stays for some time, but when she is given yhe opportunity to join a group of PG's at a school she knows very well, which soon to be redeveloped, she junks at the chance to address some demons from her past. She is also drawn in to the mystery of what happened to the girl she is replacing as her leaving is a bit suspicious and, sith parts of the school out of bounds, she can't help but start investigating.

This was a very slow-burn of a read with a lot of characters to follow, non of which were very easy to connect with. An interesting story that definitely picked up towards the end.

Marlow has her past trauma back from 2004 when she's in primary school. She's now living as property guardian (PG), an appointed person to live in an empty building or house to keep it safe from squatters and asset-strippers.
She is now being a property guardian at her old primary school, McKinleys School for Girls, with another nine property guardians. This school is associated with tragedy and sorrow for her but she has not many choices.
She finds out that the girl that she replaced as PG, Hayley, was actually left the assignment without saying goodbye and without any trace.
What happened to Hayley?
And, how Marlow managed to hide her past secret from other PGs? Which of them she can trust?

The story is told from multiple POV, and draw me from the very first page as all the sinister things happening built more intrigued to the story. Great reveal at the end 👌

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for this eCopy to review

Wow what a read, I was a bit unsure in the middle of reading The Other Tenant as it seemed like every other thriller I'd read. I am so glad I kept on reading as the shock twists at the end were mind blowing. I truly didn't see them coming. I think part of the problem was that I didn't really warm to Marlow the other characters were interesting and the descriptions of the buildings Marlow lives in as a property guardian are amazing.

The tension and pace does ramp up at the end when all the secrets are revealed, a good holiday read.

The premise of The Other Tenant intrigued me and I was excited to get stuck in to the first few chapters of the book.

This is something of a slow burn, but it does move along at a decent pace. There were lots of angles looking at the central plot, however I felt like that meant none were fully explored. I struggled to connect with most of the characters and would have liked them to be more well-rounded.

Having said that, this is a great story and I think it would make the perfect holiday read.

They say she left, but you think she’s been taken.

Marlow leads a simple life and she’s never sure where she will be living next. When her next accommodation is her old school she soon regrets accepting the offer. As old memories start to make her feel uneasy and the fact a previous tenant just disappeared overnight Marlow wishes she was anywhere but McKinleys.

The thing I liked most about this book was the setting, totally immersive and I love it when that happens as I’m in the story rather than just reading it if that makes sense. I really enjoyed this book and thanks to @netgalley for the chance to read it. I also got a sneak peak of this book in a goody bag from the fab @itsthebookparty at the end of last year so I’m pleased I’ve finally read it.

Publication Date - 25/04/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#TheOtherTenant
#LesleyKara

This is a great mystery thriller.
Marlow is a property guardian and enjoys staying at properties with a bit of history.
When she’s told it’s time to move out of the old church she’s been staying at, she wonders what will be next.
She’s quickly offered a room at an old school but when she realises it’s her old school, she’s suddenly unsure due to what happened when she was there.
We don’t find out until later what happened but just being there is affecting Marlow more than she thought.
The other property guardians are a mixed bunch and when it’s clear a previous guardian has gone missing, Marlow is determined to find out what happened.
This is a great read, with a few twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’m a huge fan on Lesley Kara and couldn’t wait to read the new release. It did not disappoint! It felt a little different to her previous work with more characters to follow but I throughly enjoyed trying to piece together the mystery!

Another superb thriller from the excellent Lesley Kara. The central premise involves the concept of property guardians, who act as tenants and caretakers of empty buildings, a really original and fascinating idea. Marlow is a veteran of this kind of tenancy but her latest billet is her old school and the place is full of mystery, intrigue and threat. Well written with a fascinating array of characters, this is a highly enjoyable read.

Having read and enjoyed Lesley Kara's other books I certainly wasn't going to miss reading this ome and I wasn't disappointed.

This was quite a creepy book, set in a creepy location, which had several twists in it. Becoming a property guardian in abandoned buildings it took great mental strength for Marlow to take up a placement in her old school where her best friend had died. She faced her own demons returning to the school, but she also picked up on the mysterious disappearance of a previous tenant. What had happened to her and what linked her disappearance to the current goings on in the abandoned school? Getting involved in finding out what went on was going to put herself at risk. Who amongst the other property guardians could she trust?

Thank you to Netgalley, Lesley Kara and Random House UK for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A ‘property guardian’ pays reduced rent in exchange for keeping an eye on an otherwise empty property.  Marlow’s latest gig is coming to an end and she’s forced to move somewhere she vowed never to return: her old school. 
 
She knows, almost immediately it was a huge mistake.  The former Victorian school will be turned into apartments, but for now Marlow is haunted by her time there as a student, and by what happened to her best friend.
 
In addition to reliving her high school trauma, sinister things are happening – a previous tenant disappeared without saying goodbye, or taking her stuff.  Who, if any, of the nine other live-in guardians can she trust?
 
As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book!  The idea of a former pupil returning to their school as a property guardian really appealed.  No amount of money would have me revisit those memories! 
 
Marlow, our MC, is curious to the point of reckless, in her pursuit of investigating what happened to the previous tenant.  She ends up unearthing something much bigger and placing herself in real danger.  Perhaps she should remember the old adage in future, and keep her nose out 🤣
 
Told predominantly in the present, from the POV of various guardians, with some throwback chapters to the past.  This approach is effective, both in having us learn more about the characters in the present day, and in understanding the context and history of Marlow’s time as a pupil.
 
It’s a fun and twisty thriller.  The abandoned school setting is atmospheric and foreboding, making it an excellent location for a whodunit.  There’re a few big coincidences and suspend disbelief moments, but I’m cool with that.  I was suitably entertained and gobbled this up in a couple of days.

A huge thanks to Bantam and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara. Let me start by saying I adore all of Lesley Karas’ books, she certainly knows how to twist a tale.

Fast paced, super twisty and a very compulsive read. The idea of property guardians is one I’ve never come across before and I found it very realistic in this day and age. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Lesley Kara and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for the eBook of The Other Tenant.

Marlow, a young photographer / House property Guardian. Having had to move out of an old church she's currently looking after, she takes up residence at her old school which is up for being redeveloped. This fills Marlow with dread as there is a secret of her past lurking there. A terrible fire and a loss. As Marlow gets to know the other House property Guardians, it becomes apparent there is something else going on. Secrets and a strange stalker who keeps. leaving ominous messages. Marlow is determined to get to the bottom of what's going on.

I found the premise of this book both interesting and engaging, even though it is a slow burn at the beginning. There is enough information given at a good pace to keep you intrigued as the narrative unravels. You take a breather and then the pace starts to quicken with a great pay off at the end. The story is set from several points of view, mostly 3rd person and two first person, which makes a great combination. The old deserted school makes a great atmospheric place for a edgy who- dun- it on a clever level.

I will be looking forward to reading more of Lesley Karas books in the future.
4 stars

Bit of a slow burner but always say that doesn't matter if the story keeps you engaged and is intriguing....and this was on both counts
Not overly keen on the characters but all told the story kept me when the characters didn't and I wanted to find out the outcome of the mystery

I’m not sure what to make of this book. It’s billed as a twisty thriller but for me, it just didn’t grab me as much as I thought it would. The plot unfolded well at the start but I couldn’t gel with any of the characters and found as the book progressed, the plot seemed to stall. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

Unfortunately I'm on a roll of reading thrillers with plots similar to other thrillers that I have read at the minute - this is my third in a row!!

So because of that, <em>The Other Tenant</em> was quite a predictable thriller for me in terms of development regarding a new tenant getting far too nosey, the collection of character stereotypes that are brought together in this kind of situation (poor yet still privileged), and twists regarding what happened to "the other tenant".

So any negative comments aren't really fair of me because this happens a lot with thrillers, and it's all about which book you get to experience first! So for anybody who hasn't read this kind of plot before, I'm sure you'll love it. It is a well-written book with a lot of good qualities, and Kara is always an author I enjoy.

What did really stand out for me with this book, though, was the abandoned school setting. I loved the atmosphere this welcomed, so this definitely gave the story a unique spin for me which I really liked.