The Housemates is a gripping tale of murder, missing persons, manipulation, and cover-ups. What initially appears to be a straightforward story — one murdered housemate, one guilty housemate, and one missing housemate — quickly unravels into something far more complex.

The premise had incredible potential: a cold case from a decade ago, a roommate presumed guilty, and another who vanished without a trace. When the missing woman is found dead, Oli, a reporter who covered the crime years ago, is drawn back into the mystery. But as she digs deeper, the truth becomes increasingly elusive.

Told through dual perspectives, The Housemates delivers a suspenseful, twist-filled thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The layers of secrets and unexpected turns made for a thoroughly entertaining read.

While I enjoyed the story, I felt it could have been a tighter read. At times, the pacing lagged, making certain sections feel longer than necessary. A slightly shorter narrative would have enhanced the suspense even more.

Overall, this was a captivating read that held my interest the whole way through. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. If you’re a fan of layered mysteries and slow-burn thrillers, this one’s worth checking out!

The Housemate is a riveting crime thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The story follows journalist Olive Groves as she revisits the infamous "Housemate Homicide" case, where one housemate was found dead, another went missing, and a third was accused of murder. As new evidence emerges, Olive must confront her past and unravel a web of secrets. Bailey's masterful storytelling and well-developed characters make this a must read.

I have never read anything from this author before. I thought this book was good. It wasn't amazing but still something I enjoyed reading.

I’ve spent the day thinking this rating over.
I liked the book, but I personally felt it was too long for a mystery/thriller. The plot felt convoluted, with too many cases being discussed at once. I felt that some of them could have been omitted since they had no real connection to the main storyline.
At times, I found myself confused about which case we were focused on, especially with so many character names being thrown around. It was difficult to keep track of who belonged to which case. The timeline also jumps from between the present (2015) and the past (2005), when the original “Housemate” case took place.
One aspect I really I appreciated was the book’s exploration of the ethics of media reporting, journalistic integrity, and the pressure to sensationalize true crime stories.
Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with most of the characters. The only one I felt any real attachment to was Cooper, and he wasn’t even the main character.
The pacing felt uneven, with excessive details in some areas and not enough in others. For a thriller, the stakes didn’t feel high, and there was little suspense until around the 70% mark.
While I enjoyed the read overall, I don’t think I’ll find myself recommending it.

🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶 : 3.75

🄵🄾🅁 🅁🄴🄰🄳🄴🅁🅂 🅆🄷🄾 🄻🄸🄺🄴

☆ Mystery / Thriller
☆ Investigative Journalism
☆ Media Ethics
☆ Cold Case Investigation
☆ Dual Timeline

🄵🄰🅅🄾🅁🄸🅃🄴 🅂🄲🄴🄽🄴

Watching Oli and Cooper’s relationship evolve from reluctant partners to genuine friends was my favorite part of the book.
At first, Oli wants nothing to do with working alongside someone so young and inexperienced. She’s seasoned, no-nonsense, and firmly believes real journalism belongs in print. Cooper, on the other hand, is all about the future. He believes in embrassing podcasts and digital media. They’re polar opposites. Oli is reserved and straight to the point, while Cooper is talkative and driven by emotion.
Their dynamic was so unique, and I loved how they constantly challenged each other.

🄵🄰🅅🄾🅁🄸🅃🄴 🅀🅄🄾🅃🄴

"He never understood her restlessness. Didn't understand how she could be so dissatisfied, want ao much more than she had. But that's because he doesn't know what it's like to have so little."

"Funny how everyone wants her to remember. All she wants is to forget."

"He makes her feel safe, but he can't be her savoir."

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Datura Books, for the advanced copy of this unique book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Arc review:

The Housemate is a dark, layered crime thriller that pulls you into a decades-old mystery full of secrets, betrayals, and shocking twists. Sarah Bailey does a fantastic job creating an eerie, slow-burning atmosphere, but at times, the pacing and character development held it back for me.

The premise is compelling—three housemates, one murdered, one missing, and one convicted. When journalist Oli Groves reopens the case years later, she uncovers twists, hidden motives, and long-buried secrets. The dual timeline adds layers of intrigue, and I really enjoyed piecing everything together.

While the setup is gripping, the middle of the book sometimes dragged, with some investigative elements feeling repetitive. There were moments where I wished the plot moved faster or had tighter editing to keep the tension high.

The last few chapters were the strongest part of the book. The final twists were unexpected and satisfying, tying the mystery together in a believable yet still surprising way.

Overall, The Housemate is a solid thriller with a gripping premise, but slow pacing and some character frustrations held it back for me. If you enjoy slow-burn crime stories with layered mysteries, this is definitely worth a read—but don’t expect a fast-paced thriller!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I am finding so many good books by Australian writers these days. Some of these are women’s fiction while others are the crime stories of authors like Jane Harper. I’ve read other title by Sarah Bailey (for example, The Dark Lake) and she is an author whose books I always want to read. At over 450 pages, this one kept me immersed for a while.

Readers follow protagonist and journalist Olive Groves as she revisits events from nine years earlier when she was a junior reporter. What happened with the three roommates back then? What will come to light now?

Here is a twisty tale that will keep readers on edge. Those who like their stories a bit dark may well want to reach for this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Datura for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was a fast paced easy to follow thriller that will easily help cleanse your pallet when you’re needing a reset!

The Housemates is a story about murder, missing people, manipulation and cover-ups. What seems like a story of a murdered housemate, a guilty housemate, and a missing housemate, warps into a story that runs much deeper. As Bailey’s tense and fast paced story develops, the reader is exposed to the toxicity of corruption and abuse. Both adults and children are involved in the storylines about abuse and manipulation so be prepared if you plan on reading it.

I’m being vague because if I say too much I’ll spoil some part of the book, there are many things at play! I knew there was going to be a twist but I didn't expect the story to unravel the way it did. This was my first time reading Bailey’s work and I enjoyed the atmosphere and storyline she created

Great, twisty story. Who can be trusted and who cannot. Kept me guessing until the end. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Sarah Bailey's THE HOUSEMATE is a strong example of suspense crime writing done right. Full of twists and turns, the tension builds perfectly throughout the narrative, leaving the reader desperate to keep reading. The middle third could use perhaps a little more momentum, but I think this is due to the sheer number of characters and moving parts involved, which made it somewhat trickier to follow in this section. But as Olive starts to piece everything together, we tumble towards a climax that you don't see coming, and fits the narrative super well.

The Housemate by Sarah Bailey is a gripping psychological thriller that follows Kate, a journalist who becomes entangled in the mysterious past of her new housemate, Olivia. The novel masterfully builds tension, exploring themes of trust, deception, and hidden secrets. Bailey crafts well-developed characters, particularly Kate, whose vulnerabilities add depth to the story, while Olivia remains enigmatic throughout. The suspenseful plot and unpredictable twists keep readers on edge, though some twists may feel formulaic. Overall, it’s a fast-paced, atmospheric thriller that will keep you hooked until the end.

Nearly a decade ago 3 female housemates were inseparable. They even looked alike. But one fateful night one housemate is in jail accused of murdering a second while the third went missing. Crime reporter Olive Groves worked the original scene as a junior reporter. When the missing housemate turns up dead, the case is reopened and Olive is once again assigned the story. Pairing up with a young techie podcaster, Olive is not entirely pleased and barely tolerates Cooper. As dark secrets and lies start to emerge so does the danger. Who can Olive trust and has she put her new family in the crosshairs? A riveting, fast paced tale. Thank you to Watkins Media and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This had potential. A long ago case, one roommate murdered, one roommate missing, and one guilty. The missing woman’s turns up dead and the case is re looked at by Oli, a reporter who reported on the crime 10 years ago. However, nothing is as it seems. She looks deeper into the why and the how.

I say it had potential because the synopsis got me in, but the story was mediocre at best. Oli was annoying and flat, the story was complex beyond necessity and so slow going. I had such a hard time getting through this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC!!

*The Housemate* by Sarah Bailey is a gripping thriller that masterfully intertwines journalism with psychological suspense, ensuring readers are captivated from the very first page.

Almost a decade ago, journalist Olive (Oli) Groves was on the scene of the notorious Housemate Homicide, where one housemate was murdered, another went missing, and a third was arrested. Now, as the missing housemate is discovered, Oli finds herself once again pulled into this shocking case. Partnering with Cooper Ng, a millennial podcaster, Oli is determined to uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. However, as they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover more secrets than they ever anticipated.

This novel is undeniably intriguing! I particularly appreciated the dynamic between Cooper and Oli. From the outset, I was drawn in and eager to piece together the clues alongside them. With a narrative brimming with tension, suspense, and unexpected twists, *The Housemate* is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

The Housemate is a twisty, unpredictable thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story was filled with surprises, and just when I thought I had figured it out, it threw me for a loop. While the pacing was a bit drawn out at times, the plot’s surprises made up for it. I found myself conflicted about the main character—I'm still not sure how I feel about her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and plan on reading more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and Datura, for providing me with an advance copy.

Sarah Bailey’s suspense thriller The Housemate is told from the POV of Olive Groves, an investigative journalist in Melbourne. She worked on The Housemates Homicide nine years before and it was labelled that by the papers. It took me time to really get into this book and I didn’t love all the characters. Once it got its groove the story became more captivating


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

First, I’d like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for sending me this stunning work of fiction.

Even though I'm a diverse reader and read 'a bit of everything', I've read my fair share of mysteries and thrillers. Even though there are many options to go through, The Housemate has something I rarely find in a book - stone cold realism and raw emotions. It's easy to find oneself barraged by a sea of fluff, metaphors and indirect commentary and that's why finding a book like this one is so precious.

Alongside the main character, Olive Groves, multiple others are laid bare with their emotions and traumas to be seen and analyzed by us, the readers. The way The Housemate is written is extremely easy to read and I partially attribute it to how human it all sounds. Every struggle, pain, joy, obstacle and regret is none other than human. And in a way, despite being relatable, the characters' actions can almost be understood.

What I found commendable about Bailey's work is that she identifies where the old and the new blend together and addresses this blurry line in a very attractive way. This is done when talking about the theme of investigative journalism and the media as a whole, as it evolves and transforms into something more digital - something more easily consumed. I thoroughly enjoyed Olive's inner monologues about the significance of this evolution alongside her investigation of what really happened that one fateful night ten years ago. It was a greatly appreciated detail that shouldn't be overlooked.

Overall, this was a book I devoured. It wasn't to be eaten course by course, it was to be consumed as a whole - a raw compendium of all that's flawed and complicated, in other words, all that's human. I believe it was a physical manifestation of what it means to exist. Nothing's black or white but rather, everyone lives in a sea of gray. This was a riveting journey and one I can only recommend to fellow readers.

The Housemate by Sarah Bailey is a suspenseful thriller novel that blends journalism and psychological suspense. This book will definitely keep you hooked from the very beginning.

Almost ten years ago journalist Olive (Oli) Groves was able to get on the scene of the infamous Housemate Homicide where one housemate was dead, one went missing and one was arrested for the murder. Now nearly a decade later when the missing housemate is found, Oli is once again thrust into the shocking case. Teamed up with Cooper Ng, a millennial podcaster, Oli is determined to get to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago. But the more Oli and Cooper dig into this mystery the more secrets come to light.

This was definitely an intriguing novel! I really liked the contrast between Cooper and Oli especially. From the beginning of this novel I was engaged and interested in piecing together the clues right alongside with Oli and Cooper. With a plot that is jam-packed with tension, suspense and twists and turns The Housemate is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sarah Bailey, and Datura Books for this ARC. Publication day is February 25th 2025.

This book kept my attention all the way through, it had so much intensity and suspense running throughout that kept me drawn to it.

The Housemate is an intriguing, complex mystery with an assortment of likable and detestable characters. Ten years ago, journalist Oli was sent to a crime scene on Paradise Street where three friends lived in an ordinary townhouse. That morning, one friend was discovered brutally murdered, another was missing, and the third was hauled away in handcuffs. In the present, the missing friend is finally found - dead. Oli is once again put on this story; however, this time, she is partnered with the energetic and ambitious podcaster, Cooper. Will they finally be able to solve the case and discover what truly happened between the friends all those year ago?

I finished The Housemate with mixed feelings. I found the book to be well-written with interesting, morally gray characters. The author does a good job of portraying the changing atmosphere of media today and the conflicting attitudes towards journalism and reporting. I absolutely loved Cooper! He was by far my favorite character. Oli was an excellent unreliable narrator, as was Alex. What I did not overly enjoy was the overall mystery. I felt that there were too many pieces the author was trying to force together. Between the mystery of the housemates, the Premier, the missing child, the murder of the wife, and the campus corruption - it was all just too much. By the end, I was having a difficult time remembering how everything and everyone related to the story. Then, to add to all of that, there was Oli's love life that we were following. Overall, I found The Housemate to be a decent thriller with some unexpected twists.