I received a copy of this book via NetGalley from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion.

“The Visitors” by Catherine Burns is probably one of the darkest books I’ve read in a while. It was amazing! Despite the turmoil going on in Marion’s life, there was a sort of calm vibe while reading this book, which adds to the spookiness. I mean, I finished this book a few days ago, and I STILL don’t know if I should feel sorry for Marion and curse her to hell. I have still so many conflicting emotions on this, so I hope when you read it for yourselves, you can let me know what your thoughts are!

I felt like I was in the middle of a really infuriating episode of Criminal Minds, when the ending was a total mind f%#k, it’s so hard to deal with right now. But I had so much fun reading this novel, and really getting into the nitty gritty details of Marion’s childhood and adulthood. Speaking of which, I loved how we only get pieces of the childhood story as Marion slowly comes to terms with what John has continued to do.

The Visitors is a great psychological thriller which focus on an old spinster, Marion, who lives with her older brother, John.

John has a secret in the cellar of the family home...Does he really keeps captive ladies in there?

Right from the beginning, this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat as it navigates between the younger life of Marion and now when John has a heart attack.The secret of what is in the cellar will soon be discovered by Marion...

My full review can be found on Goodreads.

A suspenseful and chilling tale of family dysfunction and its horrendous effects. Are we a product of our environment? Do we have the capability to change when we've been psychologically damaged? Are we destined to repeat history? These are some of the bigger questions raised in this debut novel. I can honestly say this story kept me up all night glued to the pages. It was more of a slow-paced thriller that sizzled and sizzled until the reveal at the end.

Not quite a keep-you-up-all-night page turner but nonetheless, a psychological mystery. The sibling dynamics in the entire book were so dark & twisted; just as you started to warm to one of them, you immediately change your mind. The last parts of the book was SO worth some of the slower bits!!!

Great read! Kept you wondering what was going to happen. A little dark and twisted loved it!

Marion Zetland has always been told that she is ugly, overweight and stupid. In her mid-fifties, she lives in her family home, a decrepit mansion, with her older brother John. With no friends, and very much under the control of her demanding brother, she spends her time fantasizing about improbable relationships and friendships and cuddling her collection of stuffed toys. As the reader learns more about Marion’s past and her terribly disturbing family, it’s hard not to feel sorry for her. But as more details emerge about just what is going on with her brother, and his ‘visitors’ in the cellar, it becomes apparent that there is more to Marion than meets the eye.
This is a chilling story that is hard to put down, with some really despicable characters. The author really keeps the reader on edge with unexpected twists. I very much recommend this macabre tale! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First line: "<i>Like a white bird, the scream flew up from the depths of the cellar, then became trapped inside Marion's head.</i>"

Stars: 3.5

I am not as impressed with this novel as I thought I would be, especially given the glowing reviews I read before beginning this novel. Although <b>The Visitors</b> has not yet been published, there are a few reviews floating around out there, and there are some praise found at the beginning of the Kindle edition. So let's just say, I was excited to read this because it sounds great. Reality: I was left feeling a bit cheated... and here's why...

1 - I hated Marion, the main character. From page one you can feel the loathing and disrespect she has for herself, and although it is alright to hate the main character at times, I don't really enjoy books where I hate the main character ALL the time... I also didn't anticipate that she would loathe herself until the bitter end. She irritated me in being so "slow", let's say, to understand the situation and events going on around her. There was always reference to the "visitors" but you never really understood who or what they were in clear terms, although given all the foreshadowing from certain conversations or actions, you knew exactly what was going on without being told. And when she did find out what was going on, not only did she do nothing, but she made it even worse - I won't say how or why but I was actually quite disturbed by this. I thought there was a potential scenario where I could grow to like her, and I think I could have if things ended differently.

2 - The passages from Adrian to other mysterious characters did serve as a purpose to show you how certain things occurred.... but there were also passages from other characters we never met...and there was no real resolution to them. I found it more confusing than anything, because I didn't feel it had much bearing to the story.

3 - The ending. I feel like it ended on a cliff-hanger in a certain manner. There wasn't the closure or finality that I was hoping for or expecting... so it left me feeling as though there could be more. I don't want to give anything of the plot away so I will leave it at that.

In conclusion, I was a bit disappointed by this novel but it was worth the read nonetheless. Once again, thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for granting me the opportunity to read this novel.

The Visitors by Catherine Burns is a mystery/thriller is about two single siblings who have lived together most of their life. Marion is a spinster who has convinced herself that she can't stay alone and take care of herself and therefore is reliant on her older brother John. John is a loner and spends much of his time in the cellar. Unbeknownst to outsiders is that John has a sadistic side and forces Marion into situations she doesn't know how to get out of for fear of John's blistering temper and sometimes menacing hatred toward her. Marion craves any type of affection and puts up with John's manipulative ways for fear of being alone.

It's hard to believe Marion is so daft, but rather in denial. She knew about the "Visitors" but chose to push the thoughts from her mind and pretend everything was normal. I suppose it was her way of dealing with the situation and clearly she doesn't have all her faculties, but has startling moments of clarity and common sense when dealing with John. I like how it switches from past to present so the reader can gain insight into how John became so evil. Pretty good for a debut novel. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: August 25, 2017. Novel Publish Date: September 26, 2017.

I gravitated towards The Visitor’s as it sounded creepy and chilling and was listed as “Mystery & Thriller,” so right in my wheelhouse. Don’t expect the twists and turns of a classic psychological thriller. That being said, Catherine Burns managed to hook me in and refused to let me go until the very last page.

This novel is told from the POV of Marion, a middle aged woman who appears to have the mental capacity of a child. The entire plot revolves around Marion and her older brother John, who’s always had a higher than average IQ.

The first ¾ is slow moving, but not to be confused with boring. The last ¼ makes it all worthwhile. Trust me, you’ll want to read this one. Catherine Burns will have you feeling sorry & emphatic, while at the same time disturbed & uneasy – get ready for all kinds of emotions.

They could be anyone’s neighbors…

Although a middle aged spinster living with her domineering older brother in their parents crumbling manor, Marion Zetland sees the world through the eyes of her much younger self. Content to sleep in the attic on a bed covered in dusty teddys she calls her only friends, she ignores the echoes of screams from the basement, justifying every action and choice with her unique sense of reasoning and personal pity. And it’s soon apparent that in Marion’s world, she’s not the only one with a warped sense of right and wrong.

In Catherine Burns’ debut, the reader is treated to a slow burning psychological thriller that moves seamlessly between the subtly creepy present and the tragic flashbacks that border on skin crawling tragedy. The reader will judge for themselves if Marion is a victim or not, however one thing is certain, THE VISITORS will linger in the shadows and under the bed long after the last page is turned.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced, complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I really liked this book. It wasn't a really exciting page turner (thrilling) BUT it still was a page turner. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen. I like how this story was told from a different perspective (not from the abuser or victim). I felt that i was rooting for Marion. I finished it in a bit more than 24 hours. I will definitely recommend and email friends and family about it!!

*Thank you to Net Galley and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

When I started reading The Visitors I figured it would be a typical horror book or perhaps even science fiction from the description and title. It was more horror than sci-fi, but also much more than a simple horror story. I would describe it more as a horror/suspense/thriller. The story jumps back and forth from protagonist Marion's past experiences and her current life. It's a macabre and sinister tale, taking place in a coastal tourist town in England, centering on the familial home of Marion and her brother John.
I was quickly drawn into Marion's world. I felt empathy for her, for her childhood, for her adulthood, for her seeming lack of a life. I was really very sad for her and her unrealized fantasies that replaced real life experiences. Marion's family was very frightening and probably insane, especially her brother, John, who appeared to be very sadistic and evil. None of the characters are particularly likable, most are horrible to Marion, with the possible exception of her aunt. This made the reader feel sympathy for Marion and her rather pathetic existence.
I flipped through page after page quickly, wanting to know the truth about what was going on with all the characters, and in particular, the cellar in her house with its mysterious inhabitants.
The climax and denouement of the book are exciting and unexpected, brilliantly leading up to a thrilling twist!
A very well written book with an exciting plot and colourful characters make this book a great read! Highly recommend!

Kindle Copy for Review

Marion Zetland is a timid spinster living with her overly demanding brother in a small townhouse. In her fifties she still sleeps with teddy bears to hide what her brother has hidden in the basement cellar.

When John has a heart attack, she must enter the cellar and confront what he has down there. The truth will come out as they both have a dark side that has been hidden.

A riveting read.

The book has an interesting premise, but the author didn't explore it the way I thought she was going to. It seemed very much a character study kind of book, whereas I had thought it would be more plot-driven. I found the pace to be very slow.

There also wasn't a single likeable character in the book, and I find those kind of books hard to get through.

As stated above, I did like the premise and it was an alright read overall, but I didn't love the book.

I love the cover. I did enjoy this book and thought it was very well-written but it's not quite what I was expecting. I figured the book would be a little darker than it was, but instead it's more character driven. Sometimes we travel back in time to Marion's childhood, and we see that she was picked on, had no friends, and that her parents didn't pay a whole lot of attention to her and if they did they weren't supportive of her. We can kind of understand how Marion turned out the way she did - a shy, middle-aged woman who just craves some company. It was somewhat suspenseful but overall I'm a little disappointed because it just wasn't what I thought it would be.

You need to read this book.

Eek, what a chilling, thrilling book. I power read through this one, as I couldn't wait to find out what happens. I have read several reviews saying that people dislike Marion - I kind of liked her.

There were several moments while reading this, that I know I dropped my jaw. This book was utterly fascinating.