The Guest by Jess Ryder
Published by Bookouture
Publication Date: 21st June 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
338 pages
Book Description:
When I first set eyes on Westhill House with its breath-taking views of the sea I knew Jack and I could make this our forever home.
It may be falling apart with an overgrown garden, but with some tender loving care, we can repair this beautiful building and perhaps our relationship too…
But the more time I spend renovating our new house, the more time Jack is spending at work.
At least Lori is here to keep me company.
She has her own troubles yet she always listens to mine.
She’s helping to restore the house, uncovering its secrets one by one.
Like the children’s drawings under the wallpaper in the back bedroom.
The hidden papers underneath the floorboards in the turret room.
And the fact that Westhill House is a place women used to go to feel safe…
Lori seems to know a lot about Westhill House.
The question is, why?
A gripping, spine-chilling read brimming with secrets and lies. If you loved The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us or The Woman in the Window then this dark, twisting psychological thriller from Amazon chart bestseller Jess Ryder is guaranteed to have you gripped.
Buy your copy here:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B07PY3XWW5Social
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2HU1lWN
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2WtdAgZ
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/XpNV30odjF7
My Review:
The first thing to mention about this book is that it contains some trigger factors, the main one being domestic violence which may cause concerns for some readers.
As seems to be a popular style for a lot of books at the moment we have the two time frame thing going on again, the now and the then and the reader's task is to make the connection(s) between the two. I almost managed to be successful in this case but my thought process lacked the detail involved in the story - unsurprisingly, as the author trickle feeds information to us along the way.
Stella has inherited some money from her parents who were tragically killed together in a hit and run accident. She decides the sensible thing to do with the money would be to invest in property and finds herself strangely drawn to Westhill House in Nevansey, a coastal town which is yet to be up and coming. Boyfriend Jack tags along, nowhere near as enthusiastic about the project as Stella.
Then one dark night a stranger named Lori comes literally crashing into their lives - and is reluctant to leave. Jack has his doubts about Lori's story, something doesn't add up. Stella however has been brought up to help anyone in need and is keen to act in a manner she believes her parents would have done, and goes above and beyond to support Lori in her hour of need. I have to admit I was on Jack's side on this one, and felt Stella was far too generous with her favours. I felt it was just a matter of time before things went horribly wrong, especially once Lori's story started to get more holes than a colander. There was definitely a lot more going on than we were being allowed to see.
Mixed in with Stella's story we get to know details of another timeline a number of years previously. Kay has found herself with a young baby following a misjudged fumble with a Spanish waiter on her very first foreign holiday. Fortunately for her, her parents have stood by and helped her through the first few years of her daughter's life but at the first sign of a young man showing honourable intentions they are quick to encourage her to get married and settle down. But how do Stella and Kay's stories connect? There clearly has to be some reason we are being told the two stories - and who on earth is Lori?
I love the way the house seems to be holding all the cards in this story, as if it needs to reveal the secrets it has held within its walls for decades before it will allow Stella to bring it up to date and move on comfortably with the next stage of its life. It's as if the house is yet another character in the story and it won't rest until it gets rid of its shady past. I think the demons of the past were certainly tackled, but I didn't feel like I reached a 100% satisfactory conclusion by the end of the book and it might be an interesting idea to have a follow up book to find out what happened next for Westhill House moreso than the human contingent of the story. There's a thought Ms Ryder....
My thanks to the author, Jess Ryder, and Noelle Holten of Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this engrossing novel which kept me up way past my bedtime in my quest for answers.
About the Author:
J
ess
Ryder is the author of three psychological thrillers - 'Lie to Me' (April 2017)
and 'The Good Sister' (August 2017), and The Ex-Wife (June 2018) -all published
by Bookouture. She also writes books for children, teens and young adults as
Jan Page, with many titles published including 'Selina Penaluna'. With many
years' experience as a scriptwriter, she loves watching television crime drama.
Jess is a passionate reader and particularly enjoys thrillers. She blogs about
writing, reviews books and interviews writers at www.jessryder.co.uk and
www.janpagewriter.com.
Jess lives with her partner in London, UK and has four grown-up children.
Jess lives with her partner in London, UK and has four grown-up children.
Author Social Media
Links:
Website: http://jessryder.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessryderauthor
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