The Guest By Cathryn Grant
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
This is one twisty turney read!!
I wasn't too pulled in in the first 1/3 of the book but then something seemed to grip me and pull me in so I'm glad I didn't give up on it.
Ellie has it all - a faithful husband, 2 wonderful children, her own successful business and a beautiful home. Then a handsome stranger comes to stay - invited by her husband, and a knock on the door from the police wanting to speak to her son about a girl who's gone missing.... Ellies life starts to rip apart by the seams but not everything is as it seems....
The ending to this book twisted in a way I didn't see coming and I could not put this book down in the last third of the book. Kindle Edition Rating 2.75-3 Stars
I received this copy via NetGalley in return for my honest review.
As I stated above this copy was given to me by NetGalley it’s also my very first book I reviewed for them so I was extremely excited to read The Guest. Excited the point of doing cartwheels in my backyard..lol not really but pretty excited still! Unfortunately this book was not for me. The book seems to be about one matter but goes in a completely different direction. Which is all good, it’s what a twist is about but it’s the way it’s delivered I didn’t like.
The whole story moved pretty slow, it had a lot of mundane things thrown in that really could have been cut but then it would be a Novella I’m guessing.
And none of the characters had depth, their personalities were very lacking.
I do have to say I didn’t see the ending coming until the book was almost done, and it was pretty shocking especially with some of the characters moral compasses being what they are.
I think part of me was expecting an A+ book my for my first NetGalley experience but this definitely may appeal to other readers who enjoy mystery/suspense genres who like a slow build and a big pow at the end. Kindle Edition Mixed feelings on this suspenseful domestic thriller by Cathryn Grant. I liked the beginning of the book a whole lot. The writer is adept at building suspense. And the premise is great - what if your husband brings a random guest to stay with you in the house without asking? And the guest is rather scary, but also kind of hot - and you really don't know why he's staying in your house. Two thumbs up on the premise and the initial thrills it brought with it - this was very original for a domestic thriller, and for the first half of the book I read it all in one sitting with great interest.
Unfortunately towards the last third of the book, the story began to fall apart a bit for me. The book took a turn away from its initial focus, so that by the end I felt like too many separate threads and questions from the beginning were not fully resolved. To me, the biggest question was, why did Ellie's husband bring this guy home to stay? I didn't feel like the answer to that (which was the whole premise of most of the book) lived up to my expectations. Also....without spoiling the plot,I will say that I come to a domestic thriller for the either the villain or the hero. I need to either enjoy the deliciousness of a villain enough to want them to get away with it, or despise them enough to want them to get caught. I also usually need to identify with/like the hero(ine) enough to root for them. I did not feel like I was able to connect that way here - I think because certain aspects of the characters and their relationships that came into play the last third of the book were not developed enough in the first part of the book.
Despite that, the book was well-written and I would give this author another try - the first half was very readable and shows she understands how to build suspense and deliver the thrills you want in this kind of book. I would give this book a 3.5. It had potential, but ultimately didn't thrill me like I hoped.
Thanks to NetGalley, Cathryn Grant and Inkubator Books for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Kindle Edition This book was rather a family drama, but then near the end, it becomes a fast pacing thriller. Wow, I did not expect this ending, good good.
Thank you, NetGalley for this book.
Ellie's life was perfect, but still, not entirely true. Kindle Edition Ellie is married with 2 children, loves her husband, owns a gallery that she loves. Looking in from the outside reveals a perfect life ... but that's deceiving.
Seth, her husband has become distant. If she didn't know better, he could be having an affair. And then he invites a stranger, Ace, to stay in there house ... for a week or so. Supposedly Ace is a friend of Seth's cousin .. who Ellie has never heard of.
She finds herself attracted to the newcomer, but she also has a feeling of something not quite right.
A school acquaintance of her son is found murdered and she's devastated to learn that the police suspect him. The murdered girl has been known to bully Brandon .. but she knows that he is innocent.
And then her gallery is broken into and a valuable painting is destroyed. She already suspects Ace of having a problem ... but then she learns something so disturbing she contacts the police.
This is a stunning psychological thriller filled with angst and tension from the very first page. The characters are deftly drawn ... warts and all. The ending was quite unexpected with truths revealed that left me almost breathless.
Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Kindle Edition
She told him to make himself at home. He did.
Life has been good to Ellie – she owns a successful art gallery, is deeply in love with her husband, Seth, and has two beautiful children, Brandon and Simone.
But not everything is perfect…
Lately, Seth seems to have something on his mind and has become cold and distant. And things don’t improve when he invites the mysterious stranger Ace to stay in their home.
Ace is charming, but Ellie can’t help feeling there’s more to him than meets the eye, that he has some kind of agenda. She’s also aware that she is dangerously attracted to him.
Then a girl at Brandon’s school is murdered, and Ellie is beyond devastated when the police tell her they think her son might be involved.
Ellie knows in her heart that Brandon is innocent and she feels certain that Ace is somehow connected to the disturbing things that are happening. She starts to dig for the truth and uncovers the terrible secret that will change her life in ways she can’t imagine…
The stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of K. L. Slater, Teresa Driscoll, and Andrew Hart. The Guest
Cathryn Grant Ý 8 REVIEW
Ellie’s husband Seth has invited a friend of his cousin to move into their home. She is unhappy about this man Ace moving in and the fact that her husband has lost his job and didn’t tell her.
Her teenage son is having problems and school and the police have questioned him about the disappearance of a school friend because he had a crush on the missing girl.
A thriller with lots of twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review. 3 Kindle Edition Seth and Ellie have two children Brandon and Simone. She runs a successful gallery and they seem to have a good life together, however Seth invites Ace a friend of his cousin to stay, Ellie is displeased. Seems like that’s not the only thing Seth is keeping from her.
When a girl from Brandon’s school goes missing the police start to question him, it soon becomes a murder investigation and Brandon who was bullied by the victim is the number one suspect.
Things take a turn for the worst when her gallery is broken into and a valuable painting is destroyed. She suspects Ace and starts to look into his past.
This is such a great psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my sofa. Loved the twist at the end which I never saw coming!!
A must read book but be warned you will not be able to put it down - so clear you’re diary for a few hours.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review. Kindle Edition I received an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley and the publisher in return for an honest review. The release date for this book is 24 May 2020
I had extremely high hopes for this book. The premise was inviting and I was excited to get to review it. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it at all. The stories seem to drag on for me and though it was tagged as a thriller with twists and turns, it didn’t live up to its potential. I found the characters to be one dimensional and lackluster. The ending didn’t give me the chills I think the author was looking for.. Overall, I was extremely disappointed. Kindle Edition 4☆ A Twisty Thriller Mystery.
The Guest is a Twisty and at times dark Thriller Mystery.
I don't want to go too much into detail as the blurb gives enough away to capture your intrigue.
What would you do if your husband invited a complete stranger into your home and into your family?
What if this stranger was intriguing, sexy, almost too good to be true, yet somehow dangerous?
Then things start to unravel....a murder, a break in, your son a suspect.... is this stranger at the heart of it all or is it someone closer to home?
There is plenty of what ifs, lies, secrets and suspense, and a few lil twists that keep you enthralled.
This book is a slower paced start and towards the end the tension built nicely.
Overall a good thriller mystery that has a few threads that weave together to keep you guessing.
Thank you to Dampebbles Tours and Inkubator Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2020/0... Kindle Edition The Guest is the first book I have read by Cathryn Grant, but definitely won't be my last. I appreciated that the story was told from only the perspective of the main character, Ellie. Many thrillers are told from multiple POVs. While I enjoy this, it was a refreshing change to have only one POV to follow. I liked how the thread of suspense was gradually woven throughout the story. This nail-biting tale of the intricate workings of family dynamics kept me feverishly turning pages until the shocking conclusion. Betrayal, guilt and fear are feelings that lead to unthinkable actions in this engrossing thriller! Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for my ARC! Kindle Edition