“The Overnight Guest” by Heather Gudenkauf was nearly impossible to put down. A chilling thriller that seamlessly blended elements of mystery and suspense this book gave me more chills than some of the horror novels I’ve recently read.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer finishing up her latest book at an isolated farmhouse in Iowa. The book is about two people murdered and a girl who disappeared in the very house she’s currently residing. As a blizzard sets in, Wylie comes across a small child in the snow outside. Once inside, Wylie realizes that the child is terrified, traumatized and keeping secrets. As Wylie vows to protect the child, she quickly realizes she may not be as safe in her isolated location as she thought.

This book held a wonderful surprise—it’s actually three mysteries in one with three separate timelines. Gudenkauf, with her addicting plot and well-crafted characters, weaves a spell over the reader and it’s hard to put down the book. Just when I thought I had things figured out, she’d throw curveball after curveball, quickly unraveling my theories. The book was masterfully suspenseful and I was truthfully more jumpy reading this than some of the horror books I’ve recently read. Atmospheric, dark, intense and face-paced, this is one thriller you will want to kick off your 2022 reading list.

This book was by far creepier than I had expected. I loved every minute of it! Heather Gudenkauf has a way of making you feel like you are part of the story observing the horrible events as they happen, but you have no way to stop them because you are frozen in fear. But that didn't stop me from reading furiously to find out what would happen next. You will be quickly hooked by this fast paced thriller. It pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the very last word.

Heather Gudenkauf does not disappoint! The Overnight Guest is a taut, atmospheric thriller chronicling the mass murder of a mom, dad and son, their daughter left injured and the disappearance of her best friend. Wylie, a true crime author ventures to a desolate farm in Iowa to write about the crime and quell some demons of her own. Well crafted, believable characters tell the story alternating between the past and the present. I highly recommend this book to fans of Ruth Ware or Gillian Flynn.

A fast paced, dark psychological thriller, The Overnight Guest is a terrifying blend of stalking, abuse and murder. There are three very separate story lines, spanning decades.

True crime writer Wylie Lark tries to finish her latest work of non-fiction as a blizzard rages outside. Leaving the warmth of a fire to venture outside to find her dog, she discovers a nearly frozen small child. Where did he come from and…who is looking for him and why?

After hearing shots, twelve year old Josie and her best friend Becky run to Josie’s home only to be hunted down by a killer. The local police investigate the worst crime their small department has ever seen. They are joined by the FBI.

Locked in a cellar, a mother is raising her daughter. There is little food. There are no toys. There is aggression and violence.

Set aside enough time to read The Overnight Guest from start to finish. It is truly unputdownable and deserves 5 stars and more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Heather Gudenkauf for this ARC.

A well-crafted thriller that blends the mystery of a brutal killing in the past to the present danger of a snow bound true crime writer and the ghosts she unwittingly invites inside. A compulsive read.

Brrr.... chilly night, chilling read.

Wylie Lark needs to focus and finish writing her book. It will be her fourth true crime book. She packs up Tas, her geriatric coonhound mix and her bags and heads fifteen hundred miles away to a remote farmhouse. It is the scene of a twenty-year old crime. There shouldn't be any distractions- the house has no Wi-Fi or T.V.

What she didn't expect was.... a raging snowstorm, loss of electricity, and an overnight guest.

This was a well paced crime mystery with a few timelines that come together in the end. There is suspense, some moments I found myself holding my breath, plenty of unease, and a literal "gasp" moment.

The end comes together brilliantly with the different timelimes revealing the secrets that lingered. It was a claustrophobic, darker than I was expected mystery.

Recommend to crime mystery readers.

This Author never disappoints. She has done it again with this amazing book. The beginning, the middle and the end (3 storylines) are merged seamlessly together. I had no clue for most of the book what would happen. The Author is an excellent storyteller and I hope she continues to write for many more years. Read this book. I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and The Author for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book,

The Overnight Guest is a wild and gripping ride. Gudenkauf had my heart racing for the entire first half of the book; there was so much suspense it almost made me uncomfortable at times (in the best way possible).

There are several points of view, timelines, and narratives, which has the effect of confusing the reader and making the suspense and mystery all the more tangible. I was in the dark as much as the characters were, and that lead to a very realistic feeling of fear and uncertainty as I read.

The fast-paced read does turn into more of a slow burn at the halfway point. As a reader you will likely start putting some of the pieces together and begin wishing for the resolution so you can test your theories, but in the last few chapters the action really ramps up.

Gudenkauf also does an excellent job of using the setting and atmosphere to contribute to the thrill of the storyline. As a reader you almost feel as though you are right beside the characters who are all in extremely vulnerable and downright scary situations.

This was the first novel by Gudenkauf I have read, and I find her writing to be most comparable to Karin Slaughter (one of my favourite authors). I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a terrifying read, it is not for the faint of heart.

Thank you to Parker Row Books and Netgalley for the free digital copy in exchange for a fair review.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: domestic abuse and violence

It took me a little while to get into this one. You’re basically reading three seemingly unrelated stories with multiple POVs and years between them. Once I got to the halfway point, I was racing to see what happened and how everything would connect. There were enough clues along the way that you could figure things out, but the way everything came together still felt clever. I’d definitely recommend this book. It was better than average, 3.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Every once in a while you read a book that you know will stay with you. One that you’ll recommend endlessly, and probably read more than once. The Overnight Guest is a haunting story that I know I will be thinking about for a long time.

The storyline goes between the present in Wylie’s point of view, the past where tragedy unfolds and the point of view of an unknown little girl. Each point of view is easy to follow, and transition between. And each character is so vividly developed, you can see them as you read each page. The story is intriguing and draws you in from the very first line.

Keep and eye out for this book to be released in January 2022 and make sure you add it to your TBR because it’s one you don’t want to miss!

True crime and a white out blizzard? You can't get much better than that.. this book has multiple story lines, the first being a true crime writer who is staying in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere Iowa to try and work on her current book and the second storyline telling about a tragedy that be fell a family and what really happened at that same farmhouse all those years ago. About half to 2/3 through the book you will see where these story lines cross and how they are related to each other.

The characters in this book are interesting and well-rounded, and the story itself is great, a mystery / thriller told as true crime.. just excellent..... Also had a few twists I did not see coming at all!! Would recommend for anyone who likes mysteries / thrillers or true crime!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for my own honest review.

Gudenkauf is one of the best writers . She has a way. Of making middle America seem sinister but plausible with twists and turns of plot an excellent empathetic flawed but believeable characters . Another hit .

My thanks to Park Row Press/Harlequin, Heather Gudenkauf and Netgalley.
I must admit that I really enjoyed this book!
It was entirely preditable, and just one of those stories where I knew what was going on. Still, I had a depth of feeling for these character's.
I felt the sorrow. It may have been predictable, but the people kept me interested.
I hate books that I've already figured out, but I'm giving this one a passing grade because it made me feel!

Jaw dropping, heart stopping, a read it all in one sitting because you have to know kind of book. This book grabs you be the heart from chapter one and grips you till the very last stunning page. This book right here is deserving of more than 5 stars. One of the BEST books I have read in years. I started this book at 2:30 in the afternoon and knew I was in trouble. I read every spare second and well into the wee hours of morning till I finished. The characters are simply astounding, the dynamics are impeccable. The horrifying weaving storyline draws you right in. This book is so fast paced, so scary and terrifying. It combines a wonderfully thought out storyline with breakneck speeds and suspense galore. This book needs to top your reading list, I adore this author and this book easily topped my favourites written by her, and that is huge as she has so many amazing books. This story was that gripping. I’m still breathless thinking about it the next day. Absolutely amazing!

As always Heather Gudenkauf brings suspense and terror to middle of nowhere America in the best way. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and had me up reading well past bedtime to see what happens next. It isn't very often a book as me afraid to turn out the lights, but this one did just that!

I love Gudenkauf's books and started reading this one as soon as I received it, and it did not disappoint! The story is set in small town Iowa - I am from Iowa and knew a few of the exact location references from the story! There are three storylines to track in this book. First, Wylie, who is spending some time alone in an old farmhouse so that she complete work on her most recent crime novel. She embraces the quiet and isolation, but encounters fear when a winter storm hits and she finds a small child outside, and sees traces of a car accident. A second story line describes the story of a young girl named Josie and her friend Becky who lived in the area 20 years prior and experienced a violent attack at Josie's house.

This book has some violence and gore, but the mysteries will keep you turning the pages quickly!

So the title of the book and the description I read are a little misleading but luckily I was able to get into the storylines (there are actually 3) as the book had pretty good pace and distinct voices in the separate stories. It is a tiny bit gory, coming from somebody who doesn’t read horror or anything gory hardly ever, and it was very atmospheric. The writer does a great job with setting and descriptions.

As I read this I had No Exit vibes coming through at times.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

This is the ultimate read for the holiday season! A frightening mystery set in a secluded house pushes all of the right buttons for readers who enjoy a closed-room murder case. I had to read with the lights on! A terrific storyline combined with a good character development made this book a treat!

Oh gosh another gripping read from the author and this one made me tear up with one word! Yup I know it’s a psycho thriller. Best friends, Josie and Becky, were enjoying a sleepover at Josie’s house when they heard gunshots and ran. Gunshots led to the death of Josie’s parents and her brother, Josie let go of Becky’s running through the corn fields. It’s a regret Josie lived with every day, she became a true crime writer. This one had me hooked from the start! Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

Wow! What a book! at the end of the book, I wanted to cry and cheer at the same time! This book had suspense, intrigue, and such a storyline that was chilling yet heart breaking at the same time! I was on the edge of my seat yelling kill him kill him!! My son thought I was crazy lol I absolutely enjoyed reading this book so much I highly recommend reading this one! Its so worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! A big thank you to Heather Gudenkauf for your amazing words! I loved this book! Its my first book by this author but definitely won't be my last!