The title sucked me in right away here! A good read, had me hooked from the start! Nice writing style, would read more by this author!

4.5★s
A Good Place To Hide A Body is the fifth novel by best-selling British author, Laura Marshall. Penny Whitlock’s parents are finding it difficult to make ends meet and, while she would like to help out, at fifty, recently divorced, working from home as an accountant and trying to support her nineteen-year-old son as he attends Uni, she’s pretty much in the same boat.

Their once-beautiful Victorian is now dilapidated, but the cellar has a kitchenette and small bathroom, and with the help of handyman Bob, is made fit for a tenant. The letting agent brings around Cooper Brownlow, fifties, fit, attractive and rather charming. And is he flirting with Penny? Mandatory payments made, he moves in.

But Sissy and Heath soon have complaints: noise, visitors at all hours, and has the man been inside their house? Penny has seen the baggie of weed in his sock drawer, but feels it would be unreasonable to criticize a harmless indulgence. But things don’t improve, and Penny is a bit distracted by his attentions, and makes what is, in hindsight, a poor choice.

Also distracting her, a nineteen-year-old son who seems more interested in smoking weed than attending Uni, and an ex-husband who appears to think she can act as his therapist regards relationship problems with his new, much younger girlfriend.

When the complaints come from the tenant, though, Penny’s suspicions are aroused, and what she discovers in a clandestine visit to the basement annexe is disturbing. The agent’s sympathies lie with the tenant, who is expertly covering tracks and getting his version heard before the Whitlocks get a chance to speak. And the guy has a six-month lease. What now?

Much more can’t be said without spoilers, but there is a body, and it needs to be hidden if a prison term is to be avoided. It gets moved about a bit, Penny’s not sure if the young, smart Detective Constable is fooled by their story, and she learns that her parents are perhaps not as frail as she has believed up to now. Marshall gives the reader plenty of black humour in a tale that would translate well to the screen. Very entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

📖 NetGalley Review

A Good Place To Hide A Body by Laura Marahall
Hodder & Stoughton, 4th July 2024

This fun read centres on Penny and her elderly parents, who are having some financial difficulties. In light of this, they decide to rent out their basement to a seemingly respectable middle-aged gentleman. A decision which they have cause to regret. The synopsis alone gave me Pacific Heights vibes. For anyone not around in 1990, it's a fantastic film where Michael Keaton plays the lodge from hell. Anyway, I digress.

One evening, Penny receives a frantic phone call from her father asking her to go over to see them. To cut a long story short, the lodger has been killed!

This book explores the problems of ageing and sharing your home with strangers. It's hilarious in some parts, especially when Penny and her father are trying to hide the body. The literary style is pleasing, and the story flows with ease.

Penny is likeable and believable. I found myself empathising with her a great deal, and her mother Sissy is a brilliant character too, full of fun and wit.
It's a not too serious thriller I'd highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Laura Marshall for providing an eARC via NetGalley; this is my unbiased review.

I thought this was an okay read.it kept me entertained ,and was a pretty good paced book.it didn't really grab me, but I wouldn't put anyone off reading it either.

“Everyone is capable of murder, they just need to meet the right person”
An addictive read with brilliant short snappy chapters
Although I didn’t gel with any of the characters, it was a still an entertaining mad caper which was so funny
The perfect summer holiday mystery
Thanks @lauramarshallauthor @hodderbooks & @netgalley for the funny, entertaining read

Laura Marshall is an absolutely delight. Dark, intense, atmospheric but just so exciting. I've held Laura Marshall to such high expectations and she never lets me down, coming in with another killer thriller with a fast pace, amazingly grey characters and explosive twists.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thriller with humourous undertones, well-written with plenty of twists and turns. A recommended read.

A Good Place to Hide a Body" had me hooked right from the start. The story is full of twists and turns, with interesting characters that really draw you in. The dark, creepy vibe makes it even more gripping, and I found myself flipping pages late into the night.

It does slow down a bit in the middle, but the pace picks up again with a great ending that ties everything together nicely. If you’re into mystery and crime with a psychological twist, this one’s definitely worth checking out!

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley this was exactly what I needed for the Bank Holiday weekend which wasn’t as planned weather wise.
Brilliant I loved this,
I loved the character of Penny and understood her exasperation with elderly parents and then a dead body! I couldn’t put this down.
Lots of surprises and great characters.
This really kept me entertained and is highly recommend it.

The story is narrated by Penny, a divorced woman in her 50s, juggling the challenges of raising her teenage son, Zach, while caring for her elderly parents, Sissy and Heath. As her parents struggle with aging, physical limitations, and the financial burden of maintaining their large family home, Penny is unable to provide the financial help they need. In a desperate move, they decide to rent out the self-contained basement annex, where the seemingly perfect tenant, Cooper, moves in.

But Cooper isn’t the answer to their problems—instead, he becomes the source of new ones. What begins as a hopeful solution quickly turns into a nightmare, as Penny and her parents find themselves terrorised by the very person they thought would help.

While there are moments of humour and lightness, the underlying sense of dread and tension is palpable. The tenant’s horrifying behaviour, simmering with pure evil. It’s a gripping and intense read.

I really enjoyed this book, which has a dark humor I appreciate. I definitely laughed at some inappropriate parts- The story might be a bit exaggerated, but it is full of suspense and unexpected twists, and its simple to read and follow. It's one of those books that can easily get you out of a reading slump. It’s fast-paced, well-written, and really fun to read. Don't read any reviews or spoilers before you start! Thanks Netgalley for an e-ARC.

Laura Marshall does it again! A Good Place to Hide a Body is gripping, twisting and thrilling. I will definitely be recommending this book to any thriller lover.

I thought this was really cleverly done I liked the cross of it being thriller but with some humour in it as well.
Sissy was my favourite character and I really think she could be the star of her own series!
I always think that sometimes the simplest storylines like having a nightmare neighbour or tenant is so much more sinister as it really could happen to anyone!

Overall this was a book that I flew through and really enjoyed.

An entertaining read with plenty of dark humour and laughs. Penny’s life seems to centre around everyone else. Her teenage son, her elderly parents - even her ex-husband. No-one pays her any attention, until she persuades her parents to take in a lodger and Cooper moves in. However, appearances can be deceptive and Cooper turns out to be the tenant from hell who refuses to leave. The police pay no attention to his anti-social behaviour and criminal dealings - if only there was an easy way to get rid of him…
Easy to read, although I found Penny to be a slightly frustrating protagonist.

Thanks to Hodder and Staughton, and NetGalley for the eArc of the book. Really appreciate it.

So, we start off the book with Penny, who looks after her parents, whining about what an inconvenience they are. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this one too much as the narrator slightly grated on me. She improves as the story goes on, which is what made me give it a 4 star in the end.

I don’t want to give the entire plot away, so I will just say I could t put it down in the end, and was anticipating that the murderer will get caught. But it wraps up nicely and enjoyed the twists in the story.

An entertaining novel with an unusual heroine and lots of twists and turns. Full of dark humour and interesting choices, it hooked me from the beginning and I enjoyed reading it throughout. I particularly liked Penny's parents - Sissy was very entertaining throughout. This is a perfect holiday read.
Thank you Netgalley.

Penny will do anything for her elderly parents. But getting rid of Cooper is harder than it seems. He is the tenant from hell, and manages to get away with it every time. But one night, her parents find a permanent solution and Penny needs to help them clean it up.
The story is told from Penny's point of view. A great read.

Penny’s parents are struggling to cope money wise do they rent out their small basement flat to Cooper Brownlow. Not one if their better ideas. He’s into drugs and all sorts of other things. And then won’t leave the flat. He dies and this is how to get rid of his body and the hilarity that ensues. Pennys mother is a consummate actress. It’s really very clever and just when you think you know what’s going on it goes somewhere else completely. Loved it.

I really enjoyed this and I now want some back stories of the Mum! It was funny, silly, and enjoyable - I would recommend for a light read