This was my third Megan Miranda book and while I had some mixed thoughts about the second one I read, I did enjoy them both. This one was no exception to that.

Thanks so much to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

This book follows Avery Greer, a young woman who forges an unlikely friendship with Sadie Loman, daughter of the prestigious family who owns most of the property in Littleport, Maine, a sleepy, picturesque tourist destination. While locals and tourists don't often become friends, after the death of Avery's parents, and later, her grandmother, the Loman's take Avery under their wing, at Sadie's insistence. On the night of one of the last parties of the summer, Sadie is found dead, her death ruled a suicide. The following year, the local detective starts asking Avery more questions, and Sadie's brother, Parker, returns, further complicating things. Avery knows someone knows more than they are letting on, but can she figure out who would want Sadie dead without implicating herself?

Firstly, I really enjoyed Avery's character and the way Miranda wrote her side of things. The whole story is told from her perspective, in two timelines, Summer 2017 (when Sadie died) and Summer 2018 (the current timeline). Avery is working for the Loman family, managing the rental properties and I really loved this career path for her and the way Miranda described it. I'm not sure I've ever read another book where a character has this job and it really helped add to the nostalgia/perfection feeling about Littleport.

In terms of the mystery, I truly had no idea "whodunit." I had a few suspects in mind but was never able to figure out how or why they could have killed Sadie. I was ready to blame everyone from Avery to Sadie's mother - but never had enough information to fully figure it out. Miranda is very smart about the way she sets up her mysteries and makes it difficult to figure it out until she wants you to - which I really appreciate in a thriller.

There were a few details that seemed a little foggy to me and I wish they had been a bit clearer to help the story. I'm not sure what happened with Parker and his girlfriend, there were some illusions, but not clear details. And perhaps most annoyingly, I had no idea how old Sadie or Avery were supposed to be when this was all happening. Some of their friends around the same age were finishing up degrees but who knows how old they were. This normally wouldn't be a huge deal to me but I couldn't get a firm grasp on what was the petty behaviour of a teenager and what was the petty behaviour of an adult.

I think what really saved this book were the setting and the big reveal at the end. There was a chunk in the middle where things didn't necessarily slow down, they just seemed a little less ~ important~? I know they were still valuable to the story as a whole, but there were some moments that I was waiting for things to get going again. There was also some mention of Avery being some sort of town outcast - but as far as I could tell, that was never really delved into. I'm not sure if I missed it or if it wasn't as obvious.

Overall, this was a good book with a strong setting and solid twist.

This is my second book that I have read from this author. I truly enjoyed this book. I honestly couldn't put it down! I just kept reading because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I really enjoyed Avery as a character with her tragic past and her need to be a part of Sadie's world. I wasn't sure how the book would end and I liked that I was kept guessing. I would definitely recommend this novel to those who enjoyed All The Missing Girls and those who enjoy a good mystery/thriller and like a good "who done it"

When Avery's best friend kills herself while the rest are enjoying the Plus One Party, everyone is shocked and heartbroken. A year later everyone is coming back for a dedication ceremony in honor of Sadie Loman, Avery just can't fathom that her best friend would kill herself. She decides that she will not rest until she knows the true account of what happened to Sadie. She will stop at nothing, even if that means she may end up with more information than she has bargained for.

This review may also be seen on Amazon.ca and Goodreads.com

Thank you to Simon&Schuster for allowing me to read the advanced copy of The Last House Guest. Thank you also to Netgalley!

This is the story of a young woman named Avery in a beach town- locals live year round, while wealthy people from the city come and invade the area every summer. She befriends the daughter of one of the wealthiest families on the island. But one night a tragic accident happens, and Sadie is killed. Avery is on a mission to figure out exactly what happened to Avery- and if it was an accident. I have read a few other titles from this author and really enjoyed them. However I wasn’t impressed with this story. I feel like Avery would jump to crazy conclusions about what had happened to Sadie- things that no normal person would have figured out on their own. And the “twists” in the story were pretty underwhelming and predictable.

This book had me a little confused at the beginning. I purposely chose not to learn about the author or her genre. The first few chapters were calm, picturesque and captivating. Slowly, as the plot developed, I became aware that this was not going to be an ordinary mystery. There were intriguing twists and turns involving a cross section of people from the past and present. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read with a ending that was not at all predictable.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Avery Greer became an angry, destructive teen after her parents were killed in a car crash. She pushed away in a frenzied rage from all her childhood friends and even her boyfriend Connor when her Grandmother died a few years later, leaving her with no family.
Then one day, Avery meets Sadie Loman, whose family owns all the rental properties in coastal Littleport, Maine. Avery becomes part of the "in" crowd, and Avery once again finds that sense of "family" that she had lost.
Sadie's family is at first alarmed by Sadie's adoption of Avery as a friend. Fearing that Sadie's association with Avery will corrupt or drag Sadie down to Avery's "Townie" level, Sadie's family decide to elevate Avery - paying for her schooling, giving her a managerial job and allowing her to live in the guest house behind the Loman mansion. Sadie has always despised her brother Parker, who can do no wrong in her parents' eyes.
But Sadie is a law unto herself and seems to be plotting and planning something. Unaware of Sadie's plots, Avery notices that a large sum of money has been siphoned out of the company's accounts by Sadie, and Avery feels compelled to report the missing funds to Sadie's father, not wanting suspicion to fall on herself. Sadie and Avery's friendship suffers, and once again Avery is on the outside, looking in at someone else's happy family. But are the Lomans all they seem?
One fateful night, Sadie's body is found on the rocks below the bluff behind the Loman's mansion. Everyone becomes a suspect, including Avery. When a note surfaces, along with a diary, Sadie's death is ruled a suicide, but Avery is not convinced that her passionate, daring friend could have taken her life when she'd shown no signs of depression in the past. Then some mysterious happenings in the resort rouse the police's suspicions, and Avery is their prime suspect.
I am a huge fan of Megan Miranda. I am not sure why the author is scaling down the romance element in her adult mysteries: the ending left me with a very unsatisfying, open-ended feeling regarding Avery's relationship with Connor. I liked the dynamic between Connor and Avery. I didn't expect happily ever after, but I feel the author could have mentioned poor Connor as still being an important part of Avery's life in her summing up.
Die-hard mystery lovers (who don't care for messy relationship resolutions) will enjoy the twist at the end of this story: I certainly didn't see it coming until just before the big reveal! There is a constant atmosphere of dread and suspicion that will keep all mystery lovers glued to the pages of this well-written book.

I really liked Megan Miranda’s last two novels, but this one left me wanting. As Avery searches for what really happened to her best friend the year before, we travel back and forth in time . But none of the characters really grabbed my attention and I didn't find myself caring too much about what actually happened. Having said that it was a quick and easy read and only took a few hours to get through .