I had virtually given up reading psychological thrillers until Sally Rigby asked me to read this one. In recent years there's been such an abundance of the mediocre and the mundane - and usually on offer for just 99p.
I wasn't expecting anything as unique and dark as this story. The author cleverly manipulates her two female leads - Vivienne and Amelia - till there is a blurred line between right and wrong; good and evil.
When it comes, the denouement is brutal and shocking - and a very real twist in the tale. Two strong women; two characters from very different worlds suddenly thrown together...and the terrible way in which they have to adapt to survive.
This superb novel reminded me of Ruth Rendell; her early novels, when she was writing at her most innovative and redefining the genre. This thriller surely awards Sally Rigby a position in the Crime Writers Hall of Fame.

Book review: The Silent Guest by Sally Rigby.
Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted ARC of this totally unsettling and utterly addictive psychological thriller.

Let me just say—this one messes with your head in the best way. From the opening line, “I’ve been waiting years for this moment,” you know you’re not in for a gentle domestic drama. You’re in for a slow, precise unspooling of obsession, revenge, and the kind of psychological sabotage that makes you question your own grip on reality… even as a reader.

Our unnamed narrator is the kind of character who slips through the cracks—carefully crafted, deeply calculating, and absolutely ruthless. When Vivienne Campbell needs a housesitter, this woman makes herself the perfect candidate. What Vivienne doesn’t know is that her weekend away will mark the start of her carefully curated life unraveling thread by thread. And the reader is right there, complicit in the manipulation, watching as Vivienne begins to question her own memory, her safety, and her very identity.

The pacing is brilliant—tight, deliberate, and just twisted enough to keep you nervously flipping pages while glancing over your shoulder. Sally Rigby doesn’t waste time with red herrings or convenient plot gimmicks. Instead, she dials up the tension in the small things—misplaced items, subtle gaslighting, eerie familiarity—and lets the pressure simmer until it finally boils over. One quote that chilled me: “She thinks she’s losing her grip on reality. She’s starting to believe she might be dangerous to her own family. Maybe she should just… disappear?” The calmness in the narration makes it all the more chilling.

What I loved most was the balance between sinister plotting and emotional undercurrents. You don’t just witness Vivienne’s collapse—you feel it. You wonder how far she’ll fall. You question who the real victim is, and just when you think you have it figured out… you don’t.

This is one of those books you inhale in a day, then think about for a week. It left me rattled—in the best possible way. If you’re a fan of Shari Lapena, Claire Douglas, or any psychological thriller that dances on the edge of obsession and justice, The Silent Guest absolutely delivers.