Excellent book. I really enjoyed the characters and the crazy pace. I will be recommending this to all of my fellow readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this ARC.

Dan and Angie are a middle-aged couple living in Glasgow who met in a bereavement group. His sister committed suicide and so did her mother - 32 years ago. While Dan seemed to have recovered using therapy, Angie still goes loopy every year around 15 November, so this year Dan takes them to Glencoe for a holiday with friends. The pets, a cat and a dog, are left with a hastily arranged house-sitter and all is fine, until they return early due to Dan falling ill. They discover their house in disarray and the sitter, lovely seeming elderly Martha, sprawled naked on the couch. They dismiss her straightaway, but Martha takes rejection badly, and strange things start happening to Angie.

I was drawn to the cover and I really tried to like this but Martha was so unhinged without any background as to what made her so, plus Angie's yearly grief felt excessive. I don't like it when women are portrayed as mentally unstable bunny boilers (even the big burly biker ex was apparently afraid of Martha) without any justification for it, and several events in the book were just over the top. The women have emotional problems but the men are calm and rational. I don't have to check the author's name to know a man wrote this.

Plus the pets had never been in any danger, and part II made absolutely no sense. The author tried to keep up the suspense (The house is creaking! There is a light on in the empty cottage!) but it just didn't work for me. Yes, it's Martha. Yes, she's probably come to kill you, with absolutely no motive. The ending was abrupt, and the final "sighting" was just laughable. By then I had long since given up caring about our protagonists and their implausible story.

Holy moly, fellow book lovers! I just finished Mark Gillespie's "While You Were Gone" and let me tell you – I'm now side-eyeing every delivery person who comes to my door. This psychological thriller has officially made me paranoid about letting strangers into my personal space, and honestly? I'm kind of here for it.

The premise is deliciously simple yet terrifying: Angie and Dan hire what seems like the perfect house-sitter, Martha Hunt, to watch their home and pets while they vacation in the Scottish Highlands. Martha's got stellar reviews, sounds absolutely lovely, and seems like a dream come true. But when the couple returns early due to Dan's illness, they walk into their worst nightmare – house trashed, Martha sprawled naked on their couch, and their beloved pets missing.

Can we talk about how this hits different when you have friends turning their homes into Airbnbs? I literally texted my bestie after reading this because she's doing exactly that, and now I'm low-key worried some psycho is going to trash her place. Thanks for the new anxiety, Mark Gillespie!

What starts as a simple firing-and-moving-on situation quickly spirals when Martha decides Angie is her new obsession. And boy oh boy, does this woman know how to hold a grudge! As Angie digs deeper into Martha's past, she uncovers a trail of destruction that would make your true crime podcast hosts weep with joy.

Here's what really got under my skin though – and I've noticed this pattern in SO many thrillers lately – poor Angie becomes the "hysterical woman" nobody believes while her husband Dan gets to play the reasonable, level-headed one. It's giving major "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss" energy, except the girlboss is actually the villain, and our heroine Angie is fighting for her sanity while everyone treats her like she's overreacting. Sound familiar, ladies?

Mark Gillespie does a fantastic job building tension that had me physically checking my door locks multiple times. The pacing is relentless, and just when you think you've got Martha figured out, another twisted layer gets peeled back. The climax involving flames and... well, let's just say someone doesn't make it out alive... is absolutely bonkers in the best way possible.

Fair warning: this book will make you extremely suspicious of house-sitters, dog-walkers, and basically anyone you've ever given keys to. I'm genuinely considering getting one of those fancy doorbell cameras now, which my husband finds hilarious.

"While You Were Gone" is a solid thriller that'll keep you glued to the pages while simultaneously making you want to install seventeen new security systems. Perfect for anyone who enjoys their psychological suspense with a side of "never trusting strangers again."

Now excuse me while I go change all my locks...

This was such a well written, exciting and well planned book! Kept my interest from page 1 right to the end! The characters were all believable and Martha give me the chills, lol. Thoroughly enjoyed this read and will look out for more from this author
Many thanx to the author, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

Loved the thrill of this book. The main character made some decisions I probably wouldn't have and that makes it frustrating but seriously keeps you hooked the entire time trying to figure out what will happen next!

What a read. As someone who has a velcro Covid cat I have to vet any sitters super carefully so I felt the panic and the relief and man what a wild ride it was after that. Definitely some mental health at play in this book as well. The ending, while not super strong, was perfect for this book.

I just finished Mark Gillespie's While You Were Gone, and it's a fantastic psychological thriller that truly delivers on its promise of domestic dread. From the moment Angie and Dan's perfect house-sitter, Martha Hunt, turns their dream vacation into a nightmare, I was completely hooked. It's filled with twists that kept me guessing, and the unsettling feeling that Martha wants something far more sinister than revenge made for a genuinely gripping read—fans of Frieda McFadden and Shari Lapena will absolutely devour this one!

Mark Gillespie delivers a chilling and unforgettable tale in While You Were Gone, a suspenseful story that taps into the everyday fear of leaving your home—and your pets—in someone else’s care. What starts as a seemingly ordinary arrangement quickly spirals into a sinister descent, anchored by a deeply unsettling antagonist who will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page.

Gillespie expertly builds tension, weaving psychological unease into every chapter. The pacing is sharp, the atmosphere claustrophobic, and the emotional stakes high—particularly for anyone who’s ever trusted a stranger with something precious. The narrative doesn’t rely on gore or shock for impact; instead, it’s the creeping dread and subtle unraveling of reality that make this story so effective.

At the heart of it is a disturbingly memorable character whose actions are as unpredictable as they are horrifying. Gillespie’s ability to draw such a vivid portrait of madness and obsession is a testament to his skill as a thriller writer.

While You Were Gone is a perfectly crafted psychological thriller that preys on real-world anxieties and turns them into a nightmare. It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes the most terrifying monsters are the ones we willingly let through the front door.

2.5/3

This book felt like a fairly typical example of the "innocent-looking old woman turns obsessive" storyline. The premise wasn't particularly novel, and I went into it with that expectation, even though I had some minor hopes for a fresh take on a familiar trope.

The story centers on an old woman hired by a couple for a last-minute house-sitting job, looking after their dog and cat. They seemed to trust her well enough, until an unexpected change of plans brought them home and shocked them all. While it wasn't a groundbreaking read, I did keep turning the pages, mainly out of curiosity to see how the obsession unfolded and what the next development would be.

It's a straightforward read if you're in the mood for a predictable thriller that moves along at a steady pace.

Lots of twists and turns in this book. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. I definitely recommend this book.

This was a gripping mystery that had me on edge, questioning every interaction. The tense atmosphere made for an unsettling read, and as the chaos unfolded, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling it left behind.

Creepy. Twisty. Completely addictive. While You Were Gone had me side-eyeing every house sitter I’ve ever seen.

From the moment Martha enters the picture, you know something's off, but you can't figure out what. I flew through the pages trying to guess where it was going, and just when I thought I had it all figured out... nope. Mark Gillespie threw in a twist that totally blindsided me.

This is one of those books where you find yourself yelling at the characters, questioning everyone’s motives, and wondering how something so simple—a pet-sitting gig—could turn into such a total nightmare. If you love psychological thrillers with seriously messed-up characters and jaw-dropping moments, this one’s for you.

Trusting Martha was a mistake. Firing her? Even worse. Buckle up.

haha i was pulled into this plot with all its eerie glory. right until the end it held you there. the tension that is built from the start and never wavers is just fab. you see how the characters i being impacted and you can almost feel the jittery nerves in your own body. ive got to admit that whenever there are animals involved im all at a tither to begin with. i need to know that no harm to animals went on! so when this couple leave there most precious pets in the care of someone else and then come home to chaos i was instantly in the tense "oh no" mindset.
i couldn't put this one down. i had to know where it was going. i had to know how it was going to end for all our characters.
this book is good. it has a perfect pace and clever plot that doesn't let up. and the end wasn't just a twist or climax for tick boxes. it was the right ending. the best ending.
this is a must for anyone that reads the blurb and think they might like it. because you will, and a whole lot more besides.

The premise had potential, but the unbelievable plot and outlandish, unlikeable characters made it hard to stay engaged. I found myself skimming sections, more frustrated by their decisions than invested in the story. Im sure a lot of readers will still enjoy it but I'm just too type A to have questions left unanswered and I get really annoyed by other people's stupidity when it comes to making decisions lol.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to read and review While You Were Gone by Mark Gillespie.

Honestly, I almost DNFed this book at the prologue. It felt like the Angie, the main character, was explaining too much. Another part that made me want to DNF was when Angie didn’t tell Dan about the Martha incident after her car was vandalized. Can we stop with the “keeping things from others” trope? It doesn’t make for a stronger FMC.

I’m somewhat happy that I pushed through because it ended up being an entertaining read, and I finished it in about 24 hours.

Excited at the prospect of their forthcoming holiday in the Scottish Highlands, Angie and Dan are convinced they have found the perfect house sitter to look after their pets in the form of Martha. But an early return from the trip reveals decidedly otherwise...

To their dismay, firing Martha makes the situation even worse. While this story requires a suspension of disbelief, it is both creepy and entertaining entertaining. Mark Gillespie is beginning to hit his stride and this will be enjoyed by fans of Freda McFadden. It gets 3.5 stars.

A mixed bag for me, the writing was strong but the characters and plots occasionally dropped into outlandish slapstick territory for me which made it hard to engage with.

This was a great book. Looking forward to reading others from Mark Gillespie! Thanks for the opportunity.

Angie and Dan return early from their holiday to find their house sitter in a stunning situation. They have no idea how unhinged Martha is when they report her behavior and have her fired from her job, but they are about to find out. This is a page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. A must read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Thank you to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for allowing me to review the arc of this book.

I personally found this book a little bit slower to get into however it did not disappoint. Enjoyed the storyline and the twists through out the book.