I enjoyed the story. I would describe it as a game of Clue but without and actual murder. There are two stories told in two different times that come together in the end to solve the mystery.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A three generational love story centered around a house. There are lots of unexpected twists in this novel.

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous is the story of an orphan, Beth, who gets whisked off to the grand Raven Hall to live with her new family, The Averells. Leonora, Markus, and Nina seem to be the perfect family until odd incidents start to surface.

There are lies and manipulation gluing the family together. Beth learns how the mother, father, and brother she knew before Raven Hall were fake. The Averells are more fitting, but deceitful. Who is Beth’s real family and how are they all connected to Raven Hall?

I enjoyed the first half of the book. The second half I lost a bit of interest. The end itself was okay. It’s just the story kind of got sluggish.

This book is a little all over the place and hard to keep straight. It centers around Raven Hall, a mansion located in the isolated East Anglian fens. It jumps from different time periods, with Beth in 1988 being taken in by the family that lives at the estate, and Sadie in the present. Sadie has been invited to take part in a murder mystery dinner party at the estate, but has no idea she has a connection to it. A little confusing, but I did enjoy the plot twists and the pull of the house.

To me, the first half of this novel was a five star read. Everything current was here, a gothic mansion, a murder mystery party invitation send to ‘random’ guests, the dual timelines, the different POV we now expect. Our main protagonist is Sadie, a struggling actor who was hired by a production company to act as one of the characters in the mystery murder weekend. By the middle of the second half, I was disappointed as there was so much fluff and disjointed chapters that it was a three star read and the ending feel flat and contrived. For series readers of psychological thrillers this is lacking, but for occasional readers of the genre it will probably be a hit.

This story is split into two years, 1988 and 2019, and one house (Raven Hall). In 1988, Beth goes to live at Raven Hall after her parents die. In 2019, Sadie is an actress who goes to Raven Hall for a weekend to act out a who-done-it party. Something tragic happens in 1988, which puts Sadie in danger in 2019.

I really enjoyed this story and it's characters. Beth and Sadie have no clue what's going on when they first arrive at Raven Hall. I enjoyed every minute of reading. There were no slow parts. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery.

I'm not sure what the author had in mind with this book. It has the back-and-forth in time that many historical fiction has; it has gothic elements; it has a "And then there was None" vibe. However, I never really cared about the characters and there were way, way too many coincidences that were revealed at the end. I kept putting the book down and reading other books which is always a sign that it isn't grabbing me. I did finish because by the middle there were so many mysteries I needed to find out what was really going on.

I liked the back and forth timelines here. Sometimes that doesn’t work for me but it was nicely done. Creepy setting, kept my interest, finished in one sitting!

This was a great "generational mystery". The story is told in both in the modern day and from decades ago, so lots of flashbacks. Of course the mystery of the past is informing the mystery of the present. The whole story centers around a gorgeous, remote house and the families who live there. There are secrets and affairs galore. Super surprise ending that I didn't see coming. Great read.

#ThePerfectGuests
A another wonderful novel from Emma Rous. It has the same twisty and at times creepy vibe that the Au Pair did, but with a more breezy feel. I enjoy Rous' writing and the different voices she narrates with in her novels. It will be a hit with readers who love the suspense without all the gore type mysteries.

The stories of two people, a teenager from foster care and a young woman trying to jumpstart her acting career, are intertwined in this novel by Emma Rous. Told from different decades, both stories pivot towards a grand estate called Raven Hall. The teenager, Beth, is delivered to the mansion in the late 80's by her Aunt Caroline and expected to be a companion to the owner couple's only child who isn't allowed to leave the property for any reason. While it seems that the couple simply chose a child from a foster home, family secrets will eventually reveal that their selection is not as random as it originally seems. Sadie's story begins in 2019 when she takes an unusually well paying acting job that requires no audition. She must arrive at Raven Hall and play the roll of a murder mystery guest for advertising purposes. But does the "too good to pass" offer have sinister strings attached?

I loved this book because of the numerous twists and turns that keep you guessing until the final chapter. In the end, the stories of Beth, now an adult, and Sadie collide, explaining the relationship between both women.

Is it possible for a book to have too many "OMG, I didn't see that coming!" moments? Emma Rous seems to want to test this in her book The Prefect Guests. There are so many twists and turns that you may be tired of them by the end. Also, too many narrators. Overall, an enjoyable read in its genre, but also hard to follow at times.

A great read with a gothic vibe. I couldn't help thinking that it had that Withering Heights type feel to it. I was quickly drawn into the story and I enjoyed the time switch aspect. This book held my attention and as I was reading I was thinking of who I could gift it to this Christmas! The end of the book felt like rapid fire plot reveals but all in all a rollicking creepy good time! Thank you so much publisher, Emma Rous, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a page-turning thriller/mystery that I absolutely loved. Two parallel stories take some time to reveal how they are related. Set in 2019 and 1988, the current day story is that of Sadie, a struggling actor. Sadie is paid to act out a dinner party in a grand home. In 1988, we meet Beth who is taken to live with a family after her parents are killed. Beth becomes fast friends with the young daughter in the family. Soon, she realizes that this family has some abnormal habits. Unfolded in a steady pace is a perfect twisty tale.

<i>The Perfect Guests</i> is definitely a page turner!! Beth is sent to live at Raven Hall with Nina, Markus and Leonora after her family is in a tragic accident. To Beth, it feels magical—a huge house and an automatic best friend and sister. But sinister things lurk behind the walls of Ravel Hall.

In present day, Sadie is an out of work actress, who is given a last-minute role at a murder mystery dinner at Raven Hall. The guests are in place and it seems like the evening will be perfect. Too perfect.

Put the <i>The Perfect Guests</i> on your To-Read list now. This well-written and dark novel will definitely surprise you.

I enjoyed this twisty story that was full of surprises and will recommend it to library patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It started out intriguingly enough...and then you hit the first "twist", which then telegraphs all of the other twists that come after it, so it falls staunchly in the "predictable" category. But then it starts giving one over-the-top twist after the other, to the point where you start laughing and shaking your head, wondering where else Rous is going to go with the plot...and then she tops THAT with even more twists. There will be an audience who will love it...and there will be the audience, like myself, who's read enough of these thrillers that you see she clearly felt she needed to keep piling on to try to make it different from the other thrillers out there.

The pacing is a bit off...I was more interested in the present day story than the past, but we got more of the past story instead. Then you realize Rous couldn't spend more time in the present until the last quarter because of what she set-up. But the book definitely could be trimmed a bit to keep interest levels high. The guests don't really stand out much, and you're consistently trying to remember who is who, but again, you can't learn much about them until the twists start flying at you.

It's a fast read...and not the worst book I've ever read. But it's a bit "much" for what it turned out to be.

This book started out strong. I loved the multi-perspective storytelling and the jumps in time. It kept me guessing as to where the plot was going and what was going to happen next. I liked the characters and could feel the tension growing. But the last 1/4 of the book was a letdown for me. It felt hurried and far-fetched. I felt like the author tried to throw every thriller/mystery trope in the mix. The ease of the writing from the first half is completely lost in those last pages and it is clunky and doesn't fit with the rest of the book. I wanted to like this more, but the ending was subpar.

Wow.... just wow. What a twisted, awesome book. This author did such a good job of combining both the past and present and intertwining all the characters storylines. I was thrown off SEVERAL times, and even the last line of the book had me shaking my head. This book was just SO WELL DONE. I plan on rereading it, to pick up on the things I originally missed. Definitely will add to my must-read list.

Did you read the Au Pair by Emma Rous? If so, you know she is a master of the twisty thriller, and her novel The Perfect Guests is just as engaging. Picture a lavish weekend at an old but famous estate playing a murder mystery game with a group of guests. How the invite list was developed is not explained to you, but you are offered a handsome salary to act a part in this weekend. As you study your character and then travel to the estate, you think about how you will be able to make your rent payments for a few months, and how there is potential for a regular gig with this event company. Could there possibly be a catch?
I dove into The Perfect Guests and pretty much read until I finished. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie or my favorite game of clue, but with a modern twist and flashbacks to fill in the gaps, The Perfect Guests was a very entertaining read. Early on, I began to spot connections, but the depth to which each character’s identity and role was resolved was very satisfying. Like watching a play, there is no prop unused, and no extra characters to flesh out the story…everyone is someone. If you like a good mystery, The Perfect Guests should be on your to be read list!