This was a bit confusing to get through but overall the story was amazing. I love Sarah Bailey works, I love the Gemma series better. but a must to read if you love a good detective mystery thriller with lots of caracters POV.

Sarah Bailey delivers an engrossing suspense novel with The Housemate, a gripping mystery filled with secrets, twists, and intrigue. From the very beginning, the novel keeps readers engaged as they attempt to piece together the truth alongside the characters.

The story unfolds with a well-crafted sense of tension, making it both a compelling read and a satisfying puzzle to solve. While the plot is rich with unexpected turns, there are moments where deeper character development—particularly for the main characters—would have added even more emotional depth to the narrative.

Nonetheless, Bailey’s writing is sharp, and the atmosphere she creates enhances the suspense, making The Housemate an engaging read for fans of psychological thrillers. With its layered mystery and well-executed twists, this novel is sure to keep readers hooked until the very end.

EXCERPT: Oli comes to an abrupt halt. Through the trees she spies the distinctive blue-and-white chequered police tape and, beyond that, a cluster of people. Two cops in uniform and two male detectives in suits and winter coats stand a little further along.
'Bowman.' Cooper points to the right of the group, where Gregory Bowman's white hair glows through the trees.
Oli's pulse picks up again. She ducks down and creeps further along the fence.
'Where are you going?' Cooper whispers.
She doesn't reply but keeps moving parallel to Bowman. He's homing in on something. She starts to jog, still bent at the middle. Not far from Bowman there's a blur of white: forensic technicians clad in body suits. She trips on a tree root and stumbles against the flimsy wire fence.
Bowman has stopped. Two of the techs are on their hands and knees a few metres from him, crouched over a synthetic sheet, but his face is fixed skyward. Oli knows what she is about to see.
She closes her eyes, opens them. Allows her gaze to scan up.

ABOUT 'THE HOUSEMATE': Three housemates.
One dead, one missing and one accused of murder.

Dubbed the Housemate Homicide, it's a mystery that has baffled Australians for almost a decade.

Melbourne-based journalist Olive Groves worked on the story as a junior reporter and became obsessed by the case. Now, nine years later, the missing housemate turns up dead on a remote property. Oli is once again assigned to the story, this time reluctantly paired with precocious millennial podcaster Cooper Ng.

As Oli and Cooper unearth new facts about the three housemates, a dark web of secrets is uncovered. The revelations catapult Oli back to the death of the first housemate, forcing her to confront past traumas and insecurities that have risen to the surface again.

What really happened between the three housemates that night? Will Oli's relentless search for the murderer put her new family in danger? And could her suspicion that the truth lies closer to home threaten her happiness and even her sanity?

MY THOUGHTS: The Housemates is a well-crafted tightly plotted Australian crime thriller in which the main character is journalist Olive Groves. Oli is dogged, determined but also slightly fanatical, and sometimes more than a little unbalanced. I often didn't like the way she treated Cooper Ng, the assistant she has thrust on her. Cooper is bright, enthusiastic, innovative and looks to the future. When Oli manages to climb down from her high horse and acknowledge Cooper's input, they work well together.

The story is told over two timelines - now (2015) and then, ten years earlier. Between numerous red herrings and the concurrently running threads of Oli's crumbling home life, the newspaper being under threat, and a state premier being charged with historical sex offences, there's a lot going on and it is easy to become distracted from the main storyline.

The denouement is a stunner and took me quite by surprise. Kudos to Sarah Bailey.

However, I do feel that the book blurb gives away too much. A less revealing rewrite would be a plus.

The Housemate by Sarah Bailey is due for publication February 25th, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheHousemate #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Sarah lives in Melbourne, Australia with her partner, three children and cat.

Sarah is currently working on ​her next novel.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Datura Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of The Housemate by Sarah Bailey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

One dead.
One missing.
One accused of murder.

Nobody knows what happened in that house between the three housemates, but when another turns up dead years later, Olive is reassigned to the story. Having been pulled in by the previous case as a junior reported years ago, she finds herself entangled in the case yet again. Can she uncover the truth?

It look me a while longer to get into this book than I thought it would, however once it got going there were points I enjoyed. I loved that there were lots of twists and turns throughout, however in this case the third person narrative got a bit confusing to me with so many different characters involved!

I loved this story so much with the dual POV and timeline and the case was one that was easy to follow but still had some great twists and reveals. I felt like this was one that really kept my interest the whole time! It would definitely have been a 5 star read for me but I did feel as though it could have been just a little bit shorter (around 50-100 pages shorter) and sometimes this caused it to feel like it was lagging or taking too long to get from one point to the other.

Thank you Netgalley, Sarah Bailey and Datura | Datura Books for the eArc of The Housemate.

The Housemate is a medium paced mystery/ thriller with some psychological elements throughout the narrative of this book. Oli, a journalist and a podcaster, Cooper investigate a cold case of three housemates, one murdered, one missing and one accused. When the missing housemate turns up dead, Oli and Cooper try to put the pieces together.

I did enjoy this book and the pacing, character building all seem to flow very well. It didn't grab me like most thrillers but there was enough interest for me to carry on reading. The Housemate does have some nice foreshadowing as the story unfolds and I enjoyed the ending. Not the best book but definitely not the worst. I will be seeking out more of Sarah Baileys books in the future though.

3 stars

Once again, I need to check Goodreads to see if a book is really New or just Rereleased years after the initial release with a fancy new cover.

This has become a problem on Netgalley because no where on the blurb provided does it say it was published in 2021. It just says "A new stand-alone thriller"

The book was your cookie cutter thriller. Woman searches for killer while battling her own demons.

I don't think it'll be enough to get me to look into more of Sarah Bailey.

This is my second Sarah Bailey novel and she again has written an amazing, twisty, engaging thriller with a unique plot.
In 2005, Oli Groves, an investigative journalist in Australia, wrote a story about a Melbourne homicide involving three housemates. Jump forward 10 years and there is new “evidence” so Oli teams up with Cooper Ng on a new podcast series.
As Oli and Cooper find new clues during their search, dark secrets are discovered and the unimaginable happens…
The characters are well-developed, each bringing their own backgrounds and motivations, which adds layers to the narrative. I just loved Oli and Cooper!
The author’s writing is sharp and engaging, effectively establishing a sense of atmosphere that kept me on edge the entire time.
She skillfully weaves suspense into every situation, making the entire story relatable yet intensely gripping. I was captivated until the last page.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Definitely a lot to keep track of in terms of character and plot, making it very slow-burn. I didn't really like any of the characters either. Everything did ultimately come together, so the last 20% was probably my favorite part of the book (could have been a bit shorter to make the pacing faster and I think that would have helped). I didn't really see how it was all going to be related and the mystery being told through investigative journalism was a unique way to do it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this copy!

“Secrets tend to come out eventually, whether they are forced into the light kicking and screaming, or simply float slowly to the surface.”

The Housemate follows Oli, a then junior reporter assigned to what was dubbed the Housemate Homicide in which one girl was murdered, one went missing, and one was accused of murder. Almost 10 years later, the missing housemate is found dead and Oli finds herself launched back into the case. However, this time is different as Oli uncovers a dark web of secrets, threatening both her happiness and her sanity. Can she unravel what really happened that night?

The Housemate is told over a dual timeline, alternating between 2005 and 2015. The dual narrative adds depth to the story and is executed perfectly, just revealing enough to keep you turning the pages, desperate for another snippet of the past. I found myself shocked, horrified and gripped with every revelation and did not see the story going where it does.

At 480 pages The Housemate is a big book, but the suspense is maintained well throughout by a slow intensity that ramps up as the story progresses and more secrets are unravelled. I really enjoyed following Oli’s character and found myself rooting for her to uncover what was really happening, and I was pleased to be given the closure that the ending of this book brings.

I will say, there are quite a few characters to keep track of and to begin with I found this a little confusing, but it does get easier as you read on! I will definitely be looking at Sarah Bailey’s backlist, as her writing style is the biggest standout of The Housemate for me.

Thank you so much to Datura, Sarah Bailey and Netgalley for sending me this advanced copy of The Housemate to read and review. My opinions are my own.

The Housemate is quite unlike anything I've read before. This slow-burn crime thriller feels like a police procedural, but instead it's from the perspective of a journalist. Oli worked on the famous 'Housemates' case back in 2005, where one housemate of a group of three women turned up dead and another went missing. The third woman was arrested for it, but some years later she was acquitted.

Fast forward 10 years and the case is back in the public eye again, and Oli is back working on it. She was sure there was more to it back then, and she's even more sure of it now.

As Oli works her way through the case you'll meet her colleagues, learn about her personal life and get embroiled in multiple mysteries as Oli works through every detail herself. This is a long read and with more personal focus on Oli, straight-up thriller readers might find it sometimes too long-winded and meandering. I didn't mind that: Oli is a great, complex character and I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and her sometimes difficult family life.

It isn't until the last 10% or so that The Housemate really kicks up a gear, but it did keep me guessing throughout. I didn't figure out any of its twists, and felt the payoff of everything was excellently done.

A warning, though: some of the subject matter is dark and difficult, and while the book never goes into much detail, it's worth bearing in mind if you're sensitive to tough subjects.

This is a book with quite a few twists. Oil Groves is a journalist for a Melbourne newspaper, as a junior reporter she covers the murder of a young woman who appears to have been killed by her young female housemate. Meanwhile their third housemate completely disappears.
Fastforward 10 years and Oli is still with the newspaper and it looks like the 'housemate' case may be reopened due to new evidence. Oli is now engaged to widower with twins and juggling work, motherhood and now feeling invested in this case.
The book has quite a lot of characters, and it gets a bit confusing at times, but overall it weaves its threads together well. Oli (short for Olive) is quite frustrating at times with her stubbornness and desire to 'go it alone'.
Thank you Netgalley and Datura Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

This was one twisty, complicated thriller. My only problem with it was that the pacing was really slow. At about 50% through the book I still was not completely invested in the characters or the story as I like to be but I am SO glad I stuck with it because once it picks up speed and everything starts falling into place it is absolutely riveting!
Had it been like that through out this woulve been a five star read.

Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a whirlwind read from the first page. We are swept into this mystery, fuelled by jealousy and want. It was so interesting dipping into our protagonists lives, working out who we could trust.

The Housemate follows a tragic murder at the home of three college girls and the reporter covering their story. The first half felt a bit slow at times but the second half really took me for a ride! There are so many red herrings that you will find yourself thinking around and around in circles. I would recommend this for anyone who loves a good puzzle mystery.

The Housemate is an intriguing thriller centered on three college roommates—Nicole, Evelyn, and Alex—whose lives are forever changed when Evelyn is brutally murdered at a party, stabbed four times. Alex is discovered covered in blood, making her the prime suspect.

Told through dual timelines, part of the story unfolds from the perspective of Oli a reporter on the story, who is now engaged to Dean—the man of her dreams—and helping to raise his twin daughters. Adding to the tangled web of chaos, the twins’ mother, Isabelle, was not only the detective on Evelyn’s murder case but was also murdered years later. Ironically, during this time, Oli was having an affair with Isabelle’s husband.

Throughout the novel, Oli references reporting on Theo Bouris, a convicted murderer, as well as a chilling case of a young girl who was taken from her bedroom—both events occurring around the same time as the original murder.

Years later, with Nicole still missing, new evidence, surfaces, forcing Oli to re-examine the past. Will she uncover long-buried truths?

With so many intertwining storylines, the plot can be overwhelming at times, but overall, the book remains an engaging read. I enjoyed the writing style and the intriguing twists, though the ending was a lot to process. Despite its complexity, The Housemate is a decent thriller that keeps you questioning things all the way through the very last page.

I really enjoyed this book. Really wasn’t sure what to expect and it kept me guessing the whole way through. I loved the way all the different threads weaves together and there were so many unexpected shocks and surprises. I’m a keen thriller reader and this one is up there with my favourites.

I have no idea what to say here. I read this book but have no idea what I read it went out my head the second it went in. It fell completely flat for me. The plot didn't grip me and I didn't care about the characters. If it hadn't been an arc it would have been a DNF.
Thank you to Netgalley, Datura Books and Sarah Bailey for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So sorry 😞 I hate giving negative reviews on ARCs but I have to be honest.

I had this book on my tbr for quite a long time, as it was hard to find here in the US. The author is from Melbourne, Australia and it appeared to have been published there only. Now that I finally gotten the chance to read it, I can't say it was worth the wait, but it was ok. I had trouble connecting with many of the characters which I like to do when investing time in a book. That being said it was alright, gave me some storytime, which what its about anyway.

When the fallout from an earlier murder case with multiple unanswered questions unexpectedly shows up in the form of new developments, journalist Oli (Olive) Groves finds herself once again caught up in a series of complicated and often uncomfortable events.

This story has multiple layers and just when you think you have guessed what is going on, the author skillfully throws you into the deep end once more.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. Don't miss it!