What a fabulous book by an author that I really enjoy. This is a page turner that kept me up well into the night. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf that I read and reviewed.
This was one of the best book that I have read in a long time. The Overnight Guest was so good with so many surprises and twist that it was one of the books that had me has a reader going “DAMN” when I finished it and still mulling over it the next day.
I loved how Gudenkauf told the story from so many angles and over such a long span of time. This is one of those books that as you are reading you can’t believe what happened to that family and also what is going on to the othe people I the book. Then when you find out how everything weaves together that is where the DAMN comes in. This is on hell of a book that a reader won’t be able to put down.
The Overnight Guest gets five out of five stars!

This was a great slow-burn thriller with multiple narratives that kept me turning the page eager for more. Wylie, a true-crime writer, is writing a book in an isolated farmhouse during a snowstorm. If the isolation wasn't enough, two people were murdered in the house and another went missing without a trace. Out of nowhere, a small child shows up and Wylie takes her in. Where did this child come from? Is she connected to the crimes that happened in the past? This is definitely a great book to read on a snowy night (like I did). I look forward to reading more of Heather Gudenkauf's work!

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer who has taken refuge at an isolated farmhouse in order to focus on writing her latest book. Peace and quiet should be enough to spark her creativity. However, the house Wylie has chosen to work at has a dark history, and that history becomes Wylie's present as her past secrets truly begin to haunt her.

Nervous enough already, she discovers a small child in the middle of a huge snowstorm. The child is all alone and Wylie does what she can to warm up the child, to communicate with and to help the child. At some point she makes the trek in the dangerous weather to try and discover where the child came from. Peace and quiet? Not a chance.

This thrilling book by Gudenkauf has three stories that eventually blend into one - present day for Wylie, the year 2000 involving a couple of teenagers, and the child Wylie found, and soon the child's mother. The story progresses with sharp intensity, bringing everything together as Wylie found herself in a situation that definitely was not of her own making.

Twists and turns, and a well-developed storyline is certain to give readers several hours of reading pleasure. This was definitely a book near-to-impossible to put down, leaving me excited to read more by this talented author.

Many thanks to Park Row and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf was outstanding! There are three different narrators with their own stories in different timelines. In present day a woman named Wylie has come to an old isolated farmhouse to finish her true crime novel. When a huge snowstorm hits she is stuck there. She is going to get wood from the barn and finds a young boy, almost frozen, lying in the snow. She brings the boy into the house and tries to find out who he is and where he came from.
In the year 2000, Josie, a 12 year old girl, lives in rural Iowa and her best friend Becky is coming over to spend the night. Josie is not thrilled that Becky seems to have a crush on her older brother Ethan.
Finally, we get the story of a young girl living with her mom. Her dad only comes to visit sometimes and is frequently abusive and angry.
How do these stories fit together? You will have to read to find out. This was such a great story! They way the chapters alternate had me reading late into the night to see what happens. The tension was so bad I couldn’t put the book down. The characters were very interesting. In my opinion, this is one of Gudenkauf’s best books. Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore to get this. You will not regret it. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I've read and enjoyed many of Heather Gudenkauf's books, and The Overnight Guest was no exception. This is an atmospheric thriller told in dual timelines, which I always enjoy. Although I was able to guess many of the twists, there was one that I didn't see coming! Overall, a very enjoyable read and I look forward to more from this author.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf, is a compelling and thrilling mystery with duel storylines and dual timelines. Even though I felt slightly confused at the beginning, it was so intriguing that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next, and how the storylines would intersect or compliment each other. The author was brilliant, bringing it all to a smooth and satisfying conclusion! Loved it! Enjoyed both reading it, and listening to it via audiobook.
Highly recommended.

5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Heather Gudenkauf for an AAC/ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

Where do I start? This book was the best one yet by this author and that is saying so much. She is such a wonderful and gifted author. Her writing keeps you wanting more. Turning the pages to find out what is coming. This book is the edge of your seat thriller with so much passion and emotion you won't want to put it down. The characters come to life. The story is so real. Like one you would read about in the headline news. You get to know these characters. Feel their love and of course all of their pain and sorrow. The tragedies that befall them. The hurt, sadness and deep loss.

My very favorite line in this book is:
"My name is Josie."
Another favorite quote:
It isn't the dark you have to be afraid of, the girl thought, it's the monsters who step out into the light that you need to fear.

Josie and Becky are best friends. The night their lives changed forever is the plot of this story. The thing that will keep you turning the pages. The horror that will make you not want to put this book down. To find out who did it. Who could possibly do such a heinous thing to a family. Take Josie's life from her. Take Becky's life from her. Take their childhood without a thought. Without any feelings.

This book takes you into the life of a writer. A writer named Wylie. She's here to finish her book. To tell a story. Things take a crazy turn when she discovers a child. A child in the snow who could very easily have frozen to death. Wylie brings the child in and her life will never be the same. In one night her world is turned upside down. So many things are going to happen. Lives will be changed forever.

This night is filled with horrors. With much sadness and lots of fears. Also maybe a bit of hope will shine through if they make it until morning. One thing is for sure. They will never be the same two people. This little child who is saved from the freezing blizzard by this woman who was not looking for anything but the peach and quiet to finish her book.

This story is told from three different time frames. In twenty somewhat years lives were torn apart and no one in these families were ever the same again. A woman and child in a basement. Josie and Becky running for their lives. Wylie and a child in the dark trying to survive a blizzard in a house where people had been slaughtered. Who will survive this night? Who will pay the price for what happened all those years ago? Who will live to tell the story of THE OVERNIGHT GUEST?

This book is excellent. Well written and a true edge of your seat thriller. Filled from start to finish with twists and turns that will have you guessing. Holding your breath. Shedding a lot of tears. A story of love, loss and inhumane grief. Sadness and tragedy. It does have some happy parts too though. Before it all fell apart that is. You have to read this one. It's a must for your list!

Thank you #NetGalley, #HeatherGudenkauf, #Harlequin, #harperCollins, #ParkRow for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts.

5/5 HUGE stars and truly a book you don't want to miss. It grabs you and doesn't let go.

3.5 Rating. Fun and easy mystery thriller. No new ground was conquered here but an entertaining story nonetheless.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60164470

The simple act of inviting a teenage friend over for the night turns into an Iowa murder mystery involving property disputes and long-held grudges. True crime author Wylie Lark returns to Iowa from Oregon on the pretense of finishing her latest book, but also wanting space from her ex-husband and their teenage son. A snow storm strands Lark in the rental home and soon she finds a child and its mother, both injured in a truck accident. Set in the present day, with scenes dating back to August 2000, Gudenkauf presents readers with a good mystery perfect for a fireside weekend read.

The Overnight Guest
By Heather Gudenkauf

A Heart-Stopping Thriller with evocative Descriptions

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Present Day - After arguing with her teenage son, writer Wylie Lark retreats to a remote farmhouse to complete her latest true crime book. A major winter storm has just hit the area. Her dog demands to go out in the middle of the storm. While outside, Wylie is shocked to find a small child wounded and abandoned in the storm. Wylie brings the young boy into the house to warm him up. Searching for the boy’s family, she goes back out in the storm and finds a truck overturned in a ditch and eventually finds the boy's mother, severely caught up in barb wire. After retrieving wire cutters from the barn, she can no longer find the woman. What happened to her? Is she still out there? Why would she leave her child?

2000 - Josie Doyle is excited to be going to the state fair tomorrow with her best friend Becky. Since Josie’s family is leaving early in the morning for the trip to the fair Becky is spending the night with Josie. During the night the two are too excited to sleep. Instead they sneak outside and jump on the trampoline. When the two hear shots being fired in the house they are terrified and run hand in hand for the nearby field of corn. Only steps away from the protection of the corn, Becky trips and falls, and Josie is shot in the arm. Josie continues into the corn to hide, but Becky is nowhere to be found. Who could be shooting at them and why? Is her family ok? Where is her brother Ethan? Was he involved? Where is Becky?

REVIEW
THE OVERNIGHT GUEST is a heart-stopping thriller. It has multiple storylines, which are creatively woven together. The writing is excellent, and the smartly structured story keeps you captivated.

Author Heather Gudenkauf has developed evocative descriptions and well-drawn characters who will touch your heart. You can’t help but feel their sadness, their fear, as well as their relief. Gudenkauf is the best-selling author of several books, including Before She Was Found (2019) and This is How I Lied (2020).

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing
Published January 25, 2022
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

I’ll admit that in the past I wasn’t really one for mystery or suspense novels. But, I know, one of the things I love about being a reader is that our tastes evolve and change over time.

Because I’ve decided to branch out and read genres that I normally would never have liked, I am able to find gems like The Overnight Guest.

Told in alternating timelines, this story managed to keep me guessing from the very first page. I was sucked right in as the story started with some intensity. And the rest of the story was just a way to unravel what the beginning was about. Giving the reader just a little bit of information–just enough to keep me guessing. I love the direction the author took with this, as I was thinking one thing was going on–but, I was wrong. As a reader who generally tries to solve the puzzle the whole time (and not just read it lazily, letting the story unfold) I can honestly say that I was thoroughly confused and wasn’t entirely expecting the ending of this one. Which just made the story all the more intriguing.

Wylie, the main character of this story, was a great character to see the story through. She was just as confused at times as the reader. Seeing her story unfold was highly engrossing.

I can’t wait to read more from Ms. Gudenkauf.

I’ve read a few of this authors work and I have enjoyed them, this one was no different! Very well written, fast paced, grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go! Lots of fun twisty thrills, chilling chills, and some great shocks! Highly, highly recommend this rollercoaster thrill ride!

Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of The Overnight Guest in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist

I started reading The Overnight Guest around the time Toronto had the historic snowfall and blizzard. Imagine me, sitting all curled up by my big window overseeing the snow bury the city in up to 50cm in the white fluffy stuff.

It was sort of cozy until I got three pages into the book and realized that this is an eerie story.

Throughout most of The Overnight Guest my hair stood up on end and I jumped at every noise.

I was completely unprepared, and unaware that this book would be so atmospheric.

The Details

The Overnight Guest is not holding back. Right from the beginning the reader is thrown into this moody story that works so well with the backdrop of an impending snowstorm.

The isolation coupled with the gruesome murder and ensuing investigation works so well in keeping the reader’s attention.

Truth be told, I had my suspicions about most of the characters in the story. Yet, accompanying them on the journey as the story unfolds is rather satisfying. If that doesn’t sound too morbid.

I can’t decide if I like the protagonist or not, which in this case doesn’t really matter since The Overnight Guest is more of a plot-driven story.

The protagonist is closed off, kind of stand-offish and thinks too much and as a result misses important opportunities.

The plot is fantastic. It’s a dual narrative spanning circa 20 years, telling the story of a horrific murder and its subsequent investigation and the occurrences of a stormy winter’s night as experienced from the protagonist’s point of view.

As I said before, this is an incredibly atmospheric and eerie story. The isolation, the darkness, the protagonist’s anxiety, the details of the murder all make for an eventful reading experience.

The writing is vivid. You are there. Every scene. Every thought the characters have. There are a few scenes that are quite difficult to read, because of their brutally honest and realistic descriptions.

The Verdict

Overall, this is a great read. I was hooked. White-knuckled I read The Overnight Guest cover to cover.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries and Gudenkauf’s storytelling.

Wylie Lark is a true crime author who has taken some time away from her home in Oregon to do some writing in Iowa where her next story takes place. She rents an old farm house where the murders took place to do the writing. One night during a terrible snow storm she finds a child in the snow and a wrecked truck in the ditch. Where is this child's family and why are there out in the cold all alone. This story is told in three different parts. Wylie's story of the farm house. The story of the murders that happened in the farmhouse. And the story of a mother and a child. How are all of these things connected? A story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.


I have read a few Heather Gudenkauf books in the past and each one has left me with my mouth agape. This one was no different. I had to find out what was going to happen. There is shock after shock in this story. Horrific incidents that take place that you can never imagine. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen in this book. It's been a while since I've read a book I want to keep coming back to. This has definitely helped me to come out of my slump. While some things may have been predictable there were enough surprises to keep me going.

I highly recommend this book!!

Whoa. What a thriller this was! I have not read this author before, and I loved the way she set the story up, moving from past to current day, telling the story in three timelines, each building to a shocking reveal and a fantastic ending. Wylie Lark is a true crime writer that is snowed in at an isolated farmhouse working on her new book. She doesn’t plan on staying long, just needs to get this book written and then she will leave. The storm is getting worse, but she has a fire and enough food to get her by so she’s good for a while. I should mention that at said farmhouse two people were murdered and a girl disappeared without a trace.

Wylie starts to focus more on the murders as the storm rages on, until she discovers a small child out in the snow. She brings the child in to get warm, and it gets real from there, but that is all I am going to say because you really need to read this yourself. It is suspenseful, shocking, atmospheric, and very well done, I absolutely loved it. The audio is narrated by Brittany Pressley, one of my faves, and it was amazing.

I highly recommend this one and cannot wait to read this author’s backlist. Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

The Overnight Guest is one of the fastest thrillers I have ever read. It combines a past and present storyline, as well as one more storyline of undetermined character and time frame. Each of the three POVs was shocking and suspenseful and the way they all crashed together at the end made for a very well done plot that was very plausible and believable.

I don't feel like enough character development was there, however, so while I felt the plot flashing by I also didn't feel very immersed in the book as a whole. But sometimes, that could be just what a reader needs: a fast story, something to read in a day or something to distract from life.

Overall, I did enjoy it, but without that depth I don't think it will be a story that stays with me. If you prefer your thrillers binge-able, this one is for you.

I received a digital copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am a huge fan of novels by Heather Gudenkauf so of course I was thrilled to get a copy of her latest, The Overnight Guest. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the plot and reading along, learning about Wylie Lark and her life. I really enjoyed reading the alternate POV’s, parts from Wylie’s POV and then parts of someone else’s POV from their life. There are many twists and turns and shocking revelations that I did not see coming and I absolutely loved it!

A fast paced novel that will have you flipping the pages to see what is going to happen next. Who is the child that Wylie found outside in the middle of a snow storm, in the middle of nowhere? Where did the child come from? Why is the child alone? A gripping thriller that you will devour!

Ack! Love, love, LOVE everything about this book!!!

If every single book in the world could involve a snowstorm and bad deeds, I would be happy for the rest of my life! When the book is written by Heather Gudenkauf, that’s just the cherry on top of the thrill-sundae!

An old crime collides with new crimes, and I was here for all of it. The setting provides an atmosphere that will have you shivering and reaching for the nearest blanket.

Throughout the journey, I was constantly trying to guess, and I was still stunned by the revelations. So much darkness. So much tension. This will be one of my biggest hits of the year!!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.

Wylie Lark is looking forward to spending time in a remote cabin in the middle of winter. She desperately needs a break from distractions to hunker down and write. But shortly into her stay, she finds a boy in the snow, freezing and barely alive. How in earth did he get there, and who is with him? Soon Wylie will learn that she is not alone out there, from a potential enemy, or her past.

This took me a second to get into, mostly because I had to work fairly hard to keep track of who was who, and what timeline we were in. But once I did, I was hooked! Such a chilly and harrowing atmosphere, great characters, lots of complexities. It's a great book to enjoy if you're ever having a snow day!