Cover Image: The Visitor

The Visitor

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Member Reviews

WOW! Kim Slater you have done it again - kept me awake well after my usual bed time so that I could finish this book.
If you are looking for a well written, can't put it down psychological thriller that will hook you in from the very first page to the last then look no further. The characters are well drawn and the plot will keep you guessing until the end.
Easy 5 *****

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The Visitor is the latest psychological thriller from KL Slater. Holly is a timely visitor to Cora Barrett, a lonely old lady in Holly’s hometown of Nottingham.

After the death of Cora’s husband, she has been lacking companionship. Holly’s misfortune is her gain, as she takes her in as a lodger after taking pity on her following an incident at the local post office.

Holly needs a break.

After escaping her troubled family life as a teenager and fleeing to Manchester with her friend Marcus, Holly hadn’t ever imagined she’d return to her hometown of Nottingham.

But that was before she met Geraldine and Brendan and everything changed.

David is Cora’s next door neighbour. He is intrigued by Holly’s arrival at the house and vows to get to know her better despite his own personal reservations about befriending a stranger. His Mother and those close to him don’t think he should get close to Holly but David doesn’t care.

Holly and David begin to tentatively strike up a friendship. Holly feels safe with David, but she can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her. Someone trying to track her down from her past. Someone that she doesn’t want to see ever again.

I can’t say much more about The Visitor without giving anything away, so I’ll just this. The ending I didn’t see coming in a million years. Another brilliant K.L. Slater novel.

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I read – and loved – all her earlier books, but this book just did not have it for me. Maybe I was too focussed on reading a thriller, be cause to me it was a novel with some spooky elements. But the thrilling part only came in the end and it left me with kind of an open end, which I really do not like. But I am too much of a fan to put me off her books, so I will be awaiting her next one eagerly.

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I received a free e-copy of The visitor by K.L. Slater from Netgalley for my review. A psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. A young woman, Holly who lived in a town with her Aunt and his boyfriend. Holly couldn't stand to be around her Aunt's boyfriend any long and decided to leave town with her friend Markus to Manchester. She wanted nothing more than an fresh start. Holly once though life with her Aunt was rough, never fitting in at school, always being the odd one out, etc. Now she find that things are going to get a lot tougher. In Manchester she gets herself in a very bad situation that she needs to get out of. She returns back to her home town with no money and nowhere to go. A woman, Cora, takes Holly in and helps her by giving her room and food for her companionship since she has lost her husband. Holly soon finds that you can't hide from your past. Holly's past has come back to haunt her and it seems everyone has secrets. Cora has secrets, the man next door, David has secrets, Holly has secrets and others in town do as well. So many twists and turns in this book that keep you reading till the very end. Wonderfully written novel that keeps you guessing.

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The Visitor by K.L.Slater is a psychological thriller that is bound to be well received. This is the fifth psychological thriller by this author, and the fourth book I have read… and her novels just get better and better. This is a fabulous read, that will reel you in …one line at a time…

Everyone has a secret in their past.

Everyone pretends to be something they’re not.

But someone is always watching… and that someone is closer than you think.

Holly Newman is a “visitor” following a bad experience in Manchester returns to her home town, Nottingham, 10 years later. She has been through something terrible and now she needs a safe haven in which to recover and build a new future. She finds a room in a quiet suburban area, in the home of Cora Barrett, a lonely old woman who is looking for company and someone to talk to.

“I’m always just a visitor in everyone’s life…I come and go, but nothing ever changes.”

David is a “little different” but a kind person who lives at home with his mother, next door to Cora, and observes everything that happens on the street. David occasionally does the odd job for Cora. He is considered “odd” by society… an outsider, non-sociable who stays at home and will not go out after dark. He works part time as a car park attendant. In his spare time, he watches and records all activity on the street through the use of hidden video cameras.

Holly and David gradually begin to strike up a friendship... both lonely and vulnerable. But Holly can’t shake the feeling that someone from her past might have tracked her down. And David is always watching…

Both Holly and David have dark secrets they would like to keep hidden.

Each short chapter is devoted to one of the above characters, to allow the reader to get to know all three characters in greater depth. They all play a part in the overall picture. The different stories all come together.

This is a fast-paced mystery that is sure to please. I did not expect the most surprising twist at the end of the book…OMG I didn’t see it coming. I was probably too engrossed in the story line. This really is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to my favourite publisher, Bookouture via Netgalley for my copy.

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Grab your coffee and get ready for a completely entertaining and captivating novel!

K.L. Slater has become one of my favorite authors that I can depend on for a great story with some jaw dropping twists and a satisfying end! This is my favorite type of psychological thriller. Just plain fun. I never have to worry about overly graphic scenes or gory descriptions with her novels.

This one is well plotted with interesting characters.  I wouldn't say it is fast-paced or unputdownable , BUT it is one that held my interest and I looked forward to picking it up.  It was like watching an addictive series that you couldn't wait to get back too.  I liked the build up of the suspense and the atmospheric tension and anxiety that were a tease to continue.
Alternating POV from the two main characters worked beautifully and I was trying to decide between the two of them just which one would drop the ball first! I had sympathy for both of them for different reasons, but I also wanted to scream at both of them at various times.  I could feel that something bad was going to happen, but couldn't figure out what it was.  I wasn't able to guess the ending and believe me I was trying, but I didn't know which way to look! That's my definition of a great twist.

If you enjoy getting into the minds of some twisted characters (including the creepy) and trying to figure out which shoe will drop next, you should give this one a go!  Loved it!

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Summary:
EVERYONE HAS A SECRET IN THEIR PAST.
EVERYONE PRETENDS TO BE SOMETHING THEY’RE NOT.
BUT SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WATCHING… AND THAT SOMEONE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.
HOLLY RETURNS TO HER HOME TOWN AFTER SOME TIME AWAY – SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH SOMETHING TERRIBLE AND NOW SHE NEEDS A SAFE HAVEN IN WHICH TO RECOVER, AND TO PLAN THE REST OF HER LIFE. SHE FINDS A ROOM IN A QUIET AND LEAFY SUBURBAN STREET, IN THE HOME OF CORA BARRETT.
DAVID LIVES NEXT DOOR TO CORA BARRETT AND HE SEES EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON BAKER CRESCENT. DAVID STAYS AT HOME, AND HE WATCHES: HE LIKES TO FEEL SAFE AND HE DOESN’T LIKE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE. HE WANTS TO KEEP HIS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS SAFE TOO. SO HE OBSERVES THEM, AND HE RECORDS EVERY TINY DETAIL OF THEIR LIVES, JUST IN CASE THE INFORMATION IS EVER NEEDED.
BOTH LONELY AND VULNERABLE, HOLLY AND DAVID GRADUALLY BEGIN TO STRIKE UP A FRIENDSHIP. BUT HOLLY CAN’T SHAKE THE FEELING THAT SOMEONE FROM HER PAST MIGHT HAVE TRACKED HER DOWN. AND DAVID IS ALWAYS WATCHING… BUT UNCOVERING THE SECRET THAT COULD SAVE HIS NEW FRIEND AND NEIGHBOUR COULD BE THE ONE THING THAT DESTROYS HIM.
Our Review:
OMG! K.L Slater has done it again! The Visitor is a psychological thriller with so many twists and secrets you don’t know what‘s real and what‘ s a “story” (as it were…hehe).

Holly seems like a young girl down on her luck with a terrible past…Running back home for safety and security after a devastating experience. What has she really done and what is she willing to do?

David seems to be a man set in his ways. Due to an unknown event, he has severe anxiety and a need for complete control and routine. Looking out for everyone and only trying to do what is right and help. What is this event no one talks about and what is he really capable of?

Cora seems sweet but she too is hiding something as is Mr. Brown who everyone seems to keep at arms length. What are all these people hiding and what will happen when events bring all these people and their secrets together. We absolutely loved this book! K.L Slater is an amazing author, we’ve loved all her books and this is no different! Everyone will want to read this book!!!

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Wow ! What a superb book by K L Slater,having read all her previous books i knew what to expect but The Visitor is the best yet.Told through the eyes of Holly,David and Cora the book had me gripped from the first page,after a chequered past Holly and with huge secrets to keep buried finally finds solace in moving in with Cora back in Nottingham,she then meets David the strange man next door who has secrets of his own to keep,throw Cora who also has her own secrets to hide and you do get a book which you will not be able to put down.The story bounds along and had me gripped from page to page and the ending when it came !! just wow i never guessed that ! A 5 star read yet again from Kim Slater.

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EXCERPT: ...she was in no rush. She could wait.

When Holly was prepared to open up a bit and trust her with her personal history, then Cora would tell her the truth.

That was, the truth about what Harold was really like.

Not the other truth.

She didn’t intend telling anyone about that until she'd made up her mind exactly what to do.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Everyone has a secret in their past.

Everyone pretends to be something they’re not.

But someone is always watching… and that someone is closer than you think.

Holly returns to her home town after some time away – she has been through something terrible and now she needs a safe haven in which to recover, and to plan the rest of her life. She finds a room in a quiet and leafy suburban street, in the home of Cora Barrett.

David lives next door to Cora Barrett and he sees everything that happens on Baker Crescent. David stays at home, and he watches: he likes to feel safe and he doesn’t like to leave the house. He wants to keep his friends and neighbours safe too. So he observes them, and he records every tiny detail of their lives, just in case the information is ever needed.

Both lonely and vulnerable, Holly and David gradually begin to strike up a friendship. But Holly can’t shake the feeling that someone from her past might have tracked her down. And David is always watching… But uncovering the secret that could save his new friend and neighbour could be the one thing that destroys him.

MY THOUGHTS: The Visitor by K.L. Slater had me sitting up until 1am doing the 'just one more chapter, then I'll go to sleep' routine. Once started, I couldn't bear to put it down. So be warned, if you plan on reading this, and you should, clear your diary.

This is a slow burner of a book, but from the start you can feel that something isn't right. My grandmother used to say 'I can feel it in my water', and I could. There are veiled references to what has happened in the past, and Slater slowly removes the veils one by one to reveal the truth. In fact, the dance of the seven veils is a wonderful parallel for The Visitor. It is a mesmerising read. It took over my mind so that I could think of little else but this cast of misfits, their secrets and machinations. Because none of them are what they seem. They all have secrets, things to hide. Some you will guess, some you won't. But I defy anyone to guess the ending.

5 mesmerising stars ☆☆☆☆☆

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Visitor for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

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A great story with a chilling and really unexpected twist. Highly recommended. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture!

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Fantastic novel, very Harlan Cobenesque! I look forward to reading many more as there is nothing better than a good old psychological thriller.

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One of those books that packs a punch at the end. Totally unexpected and totally worth it. I never saw it coming and it just helped me love the book so much more. It was certainly not boring before and I like I am sure a lot of people did kept reading into the night. Its a story about people first of all and their interactions with other people both in their family circle but also how they deal with strangers. There are some very different characters and we get to know them all sometimes not until the end. I will happily recommend this book to all mystery fans. It is a great read and I look forward more from this author. A totally delightful book that I received from #NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Nice twists, nice surprises, but the entire book was a bit too heavy on the foreshadowing for my liking. Holly is running from something in her past and is not at all what she seems. She meets a kind older lady who takes her into her own home. Next door is David, a 40 year-old who has some mental issues that have caused him some problems in the past. He starts to become obsessed with Holly. While I enjoyed the book by the end, I would have preferred less of the "wait until you see what happens next" type comments at the end of several chapters. Instead of adding to the suspense it feels cheap. If you can ignore that, The Visitor is a well thought out thriller.

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I really like this author and was loooobg forwarc to reading her latest book . I read this in one sitting and found it an easy read but one which seemed to hold all the excitement to the last few chapters making the majority of the book a very long build up . 3.5 stars and my thanks to netgalley and bookouture for my chance to read

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Holly escapes her past from Manchester and and arrives back in her hometown 10 years later where she boards with Cora. Cora’s neighbor David is a 40 year old who still lives with his mom. He works as a part time car park attendant and the rest of the afternoon watches people in his neighborhood. Holly and David strike an odd friendship where each have their secrets that they want protected for if revealed can have deadly results.

The Visitor was a slow building psychological thriller with a completely unexpected outcome with quite a bit of twists and turns. An exciting read with intriguing characters that I thoroughly enjoyed and cannot wait to read the next one by K.L.Slater

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

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I have read this author's 4 previous books and mostly enjoyed them. This one was just average for me. I just didn't like the characters and I think that inhibited my ability to get engaged in the book. I didn't find anything that happened in the first 90% of the book to be that entertaining and when the reveal came in the last 10%, it was not what I expected and I appreciated that, but I think I also wasn't really guessing too much because I think I didn't really care. I also thought the flashbacks were pretty uneventful and knew something had gone on in the past that was significant to the story, but again it just all moved too slowly for me. I received a free copy from Net galley in exchange for a review.

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"I'm always just a visitor in everyone's life...I come and go, but nothing ever changes."

Holly grew up in Nottingham but ran off to Manchester for a better life. Things happened and she's now returned to try and make a new start. She's been taken in as a "visitor" by elderly Cora Bennett and soon gets a job selling furniture. But, poor Holly, nothing ever seems to go right. Has her past caught up with her?

David is an odd duck who's had his share of problems -- and he still lives at home with mom at age 40. Although he's on meds and has a job of sorts, he's consumed with monitoring all that is going on in the neighborhood. Keeping everyone safe. He lives right next door to Holly and can't help but notice that she seems to need his help. Is he offering friendly protection or is he a stalker?

The chapters are told in the alternating point of view of Holly and David. Also shifting back and forth in time for the history of each, we finally come to present day and some interesting revelations. It seems that neither of these two are really the people they pretended to be.

I had a hard time dredging up any empathy for either of the main characters, nor did I identify with them. There was a huge sense of menace as the reader knew something was off and that bad things were coming, but not quite from which direction. After all the hints that were dropped, it was not so much a twisty or surprising conclusion as it was a relief to finally have the salient points exposed. I don't really like when dangled snippets and then have an abrupt shift just when the truth is about to be revealed! Regardless of these annoyances, I did enjoy this pscyholgical drama and am glad that I'll never meet Holly or David.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoy the titles by K.L. Slater and will definitely read more from her.

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The Visitor follows Holly, David and Cora. David and Cora are next door neighbours and Holly is renting out a room from Cora. David likes to watch over the street and know what is happening at all times. Holly is trying to get away from recent events and wants to be safe and alone.

I found the first 50 pages to be boring. They were too descriptive for my taste and I was getting tired of David watching over the street and Holly being super secretive.

The novel picks up and you get a glimpse of what happened to Holly in the past. You also get to see the secrets that the 3 individuals are hiding and of course not everything is what it seems. I wanted to know what was going to happen, but once I got to the ending it wasn’t anything special and I thought, really that’s it?

Wouldn’t recommend as it just had too slow of a start and I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters.

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Another winner from an author that has fast become one of my favourites.
Shame I cannot give it more than just five stars as it really was that good and more.
This was one of those books that I literally could not leave alone and I read it in just two sittings. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future as you know when you pick one up you are in for a rollercoaster of a ride.

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I always feel I'm in a safe pair of hands when I pick up a K L Slater book. She can be relied upon to write a gripping psychological thriller with a twist you never see coming, and she's done it again with the Visitor.
Holly is escaping her past when she takes up the offer of living in with the elderly Cora. Both are strangers to each other but Holly wants to start afresh and so gets a job and tries to settle down. But Cora has a secret to hide from Holly, and then there is Cora's neighbour David who is also acting strangely. Told from each point of view it keeps you guessing right to the end.
Loved it.

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