This is an incredibly atmospheric and suspenseful read. Gudenkauf masterfully balances three different storylines that are all equally compelling and it is more than rewarding when the three stories slowly entwine into one. I really admire that the synopsis doesn’t give a lot away and I was pleasantly surprised at what this book entailed. Despite which story we were following each character felt real and their surroundings came vividly to life. Once you have a grip on the story, I do think that a majority of the story is predictable but I absolutely love seeing a mystery being solved so that wasn’t a problem for me. This book does deal with some hard topics and can be quite gruesome at times so please be aware of that if you decide to pick this up. My one issue was with the ending and how rushed it felt. There were a few different pieces put into place and I was disappointed that Gudenkauf failed to fully realize all of them. I also wasn’t a fan of the epilogue and I don’t think it was necessary. This is my second book by Gudenkauf and have to say that I really enjoy the way she is able to make characters and environments come to life so realistically.

She's done it again! I cannot get over how creative this author's brain is. I will forever be a fan!!

This was very exciting, I loved the descriptive writing of the atmosphere. Lots of suspense and tension. I loved the different timelines and different POV’s. This book kept me on the edge of my seat .Thisnone would be perfect to read while being snowed in:. Thank you for the electronic copy.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

My thoughts: I loved the story. It alternates between three different points of view, which somehow all converge beautifully at the end. The character development was excellent. This is my first book by this author, and it will lead to me reading her others.

But… and this has NOTHING to do with the book. This has more to do with the formatting in which this book was sent…

For some reason the formatting of this book was all messed up. Sentences were split, words had extra spaces in them, paragraphs were non-existent. There were even a few times where the page number or title fell in the middle of the page. It was almost unreadable. I’m not sure whether to blame NetGalley or the publisher, but whoever’s fault it was needs to do better. It’s not a secret that these e-arcs are read on devices like the Kindle, so they should be formatted accordingly.

That being said, I DID love the book, and I WOULD recommend it to my friends. I just wouldn’t recommend this particular version on the Kindle.

This exciting mystery kept me reading into the wee hours. I loved the point of views & atmosphere! Highly recommended for a fast paced read!

This is an amazing story! It wasn’t anything like I expected but I enjoyed it so much. There’s three storylines going at once and it takes a while to untangle the threads and see how they all connect. Wylie has her own demons but finding a child unconscious in a blizzard takes things to a whole new level. The things that unfold after finding the child will make the hairs on your neck stand at attention!

This was a fast, page turning thriller that involved 3 mysteries in one. I loved the altering settings of blizzard and sweltering heat and the story had lots of twists that kept me guessing until the end. A great, suspenseful mystery!

Wylie Lark is a true crime author working in the story of a triple murder, that resulted in a missing girl. As a winter storm rolls in, Wylie hunkers down to ride it out in her remote house.

That is until she finds a frozen little boy in her yard, shocked and surprised to see him out there she can’t get an answer out of him when she wonders how he got there. In her search for a car accident or other people, she finds a woman tangled in barbed wire who disappears shortly after.

As Wylie cares for this child, things quickly take a turn for the worse and they all find themselves fighting for their lives as the past meets the present.

This book was AMAZING. I couldn’t put it down, especially once the storm and the story really started picking up the pace. It was an excellent read, and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller!

This book turned out much better than I expected! It started out a bit slow for me, but I loved the dual timelines, the locked room mystery feel, and the smalltown setting. I’m also originally from Iowa and that is where the author lives and sets her books, so I was even more intrigued! I of course had the killer/kidnapper narrowed down to a couple of people, but I truly did not know who it would end up being until the very end, which I loved. I have a few more of Heather’s books on my shelf that I can’t wait to read now.

4.5⭐️
This book was really fantastic!! If you’re a fan of two timelines and figuring out how they are connected, this is for you. The Overnight Guest had a claustrophobic atmosphere, characters to root for, some great twists, and a satisfying ending! It kept me on my toes to figure out whodunnit. I totally recommend this one 👍👍

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP 😊

What a gripping novel to read! Perfect for a snowstorm. Thank you NetGalley and Park Row for this haunting novel. I really felt like I was in the farmhouse with Wylie as she wrote her book.

I've been a big fan of Gudenkauf's books for years now! Her latest, set in rural Iowa, moves along at a fast pace. It books the reader in from the very start and I had a hard time putting it down! True crime writer Wylie Lark has moved to Iowa to finish her latest book - while also avoiding her ex-husband and moody teenage son. In the summer of 2000, a terrible crimes takes place at a farmhouse with only young Josie surviving. And in an unknown location, a nameless girl recounts her sheltered life with her mother - and the terror her father inspires.

The pieces all fit together nicely. While some parts are easier to see coming, there are real surprises, too. The basement plot line is a bit reminiscent of ROOM - but not overly so, since this isn't the focus of the book. I enjoy Gudenkauf's writing and was thoroughly engaged with this one. True crime writing in fiction sure seems to be cropping up a lot lately. The horrors of extremes of Midwest weather are clear here from the brutal heat of summer to the terror and isolation of a blizzard in the winter. I am looking forward to seeing what Gudenkauf writes next!

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer. She decides to rent a secluded farm house and finish her writing. This farmhouse has a history as 20 years ago two people were murdered there. Now there is a terrible snow storm and an overnight house guest. Where had this person come from? What are they running from? She must face her past and uncover the truth.

It switched time lines between 20 years ago and the present. Eventually everything collides and the truth comes out. This was gripping story of friendship and protecting those you love.

Once you start reading The Overnight Guest, you better cancel all your plans. You will not be able to put this book down. I read it in less than 24 hours.

Wylie Lark has hidden herself away in Burden, Iowa, where a horrific murder took place twenty years ago. She hopes that being there on the scene, in an isolated farmhouse, away from her irritating ex and angry son, will let her focus and finish her latest true crime book.

When a snowstorm makes leaving the house impossible, Wylie isn’t worried at first. But as she’s trying to prepare for the inevitable power outage, she stumbles across a young child, half-frozen, outside her door.

The story is told from different viewpoints, in different time frames. We see events unfold in the year 2000, when the crime occurred, through the viewpoint of twelve-year-old Josie Doyle. We get Wylie’s viewpoint in the present day. We also see the story of a mother and child, clearly held against their will in harsh, abusive conditions. It wasn’t immediately clear to me how these three threads were interwoven. But then the twist came, and BAM! It was stunning.

The creep factor is pretty high with this book. The setting – one woman, alone with her true-crime thoughts, in an isolated place. The environment – a snowstorm, no power, no heat, she’s cut off from any aid. The unexpected – a half-frozen child, miles from anywhere, with no one else in sight. You think you’re all alone, and you’re not. That’s bad enough. And then your unexpected visitor won’t speak a word, and is clearly agitated, and you have no idea why. That gives me the frissons, me.

Ms. Gudenkauf does a good job creating an engrossing setting and filling it with characters that draw you into their story. If you like a thriller that will get your pulse pounding and send shivers down your spine, pick up The Overnight Guest.

I absolutely love Heather Gudenkauf books! In The Overnight Guest, like all her novels, the reader is engrossed in the story right away. The was different because there were three different storylines that if figured were connected but at first I didn't not see how. As the story went, I did figure out the connection which made me even more invested in the storyline as a whole. The story of a true crime writer and a crime that happened had me turning pages as quickly as I could to see how the book would resolve. Another great book by Heather Gudenkauf full of mystery and dark characters along with characters that you really wanted to root for and see how everything worked out for them.

This one was a good thriller that kept you guessing and wanting more. Very fast paced. I would recommend to anyone who likes thrillers to read. It was fast paced and you kept wanting to keep going in

The story pulled me in immediately: an unsolved crime, a child found in a snowstorm, and a narrative of captivity — so compelling that I had to read it slowly so that I could savor each twist and turn. Best read in bed with enough blankets to keep you warm, this book will keep you guessing until it’s electrifying conclusion. Highly recommended for those who love good storytelling and atmospheric suspense.

Warning; Do not start this book at night This is one you will not be able to put down and then, when you are done, you will not be able to sleep. The three main story lines are each riveting on its own, and just in case the reader is getting bored with one (not likely), Gudenkauf mixes them up frequently to keep you fully engaged. The multiple timelines work well to ratchet up the suspense as we move between August 2000, the present day, and an unnamed timeline reminiscent of Emma Donoghue's ROOM.

In 2000, Josie and her best friend Becky were out in search of a missing dog when they heard shots and ran toward Josie's farmhouse and the safety of home. What they found and the investigation that followed is the gripping subject of one timeline. In the present day, Wylie Lark is a true crime writer who has rented that farmhouse to become immersed in the setting of the book she is writing about the 2000 event. The third story line, written in italics and undated, tells us of a young girl and her mother being held captive in a basement. The reader may not have much difficulty predicting the relationship between the narratives before the big reveal, but that does not detract from the tension. And when the murderer is finally revealed and the pieces coalesce, it happens with a bang!

Gudenkauf writes a great plot, but she also does a skillful job with characterization. The author allows us inside the heads of Josie, Wylie, and the little girl, giving us a sense of their thoughts as they deal with living in an unsafe world and their terror when that world closes in on them. The various offerings for villain are complex enough that even though they are seen only from others' perspectives, the reader can buy into each as a true possibility. Background characters have depth, guiding the reader to reflect upon the effects of such violence in a place previously considered safe.

The writing about the locale, whether it is the cornfield in triple digit summer heat or the dangerous outdoors in the midst of a vicious snow and ice storm, transports the reader and helps bring a strong sense of reality to the brutal events. There are a few loose ends that are never resolved and a less than completely compelling motivation for the killer, but those only emerge upon reflection and in no way detract from the experience of reading the book. Gudenkauf has done a masterful job in writing a thriller that is full of suspense, character driven, AND transportive. I will definitely be heading off to read others by her and will watch for future books.

A tense and atmospheric mystery/thriller.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer, staying in a secluded farmhouse in a small town to write her latest novel. Years earlier, vicious killings took place at the same exact farmhouse. Now, as a terrible snow storm rages outside, Wylie should have plenty of time to settle in and finish the book…until she finds a young child outside in the snow and brings him inside so he doesn’t freeze to death.

DUN-DUN-DUN!

I enjoy the use of separate story threads that eventually tie together, and it’s used very well here. We follow three timelines/events, and I found each one compelling. There were some twists I suspected, and a few that pleasantly surprised me. I found this to be gripping and fast-paced, going darker than I thought it would go.

And talk about atmosphere! It’s cold where I live now, but I read this inside and with heat, and still shivered from the descriptions of the cold and brutal snow setting. I recommend reading this one whilst wrapped in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate. The hot chocolate can be substituted with wine, obviously…and I’m guessing you know which beverage I chose.

Now available.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf was a wonderful read. The story embedded in the pages of this book is packed with enough mystery and suspense to pull readers in and have them turning the pages to the very end.

I have enjoyed Gudenkauf’s work in the past. Therefore, I went into 🎧︎The Overnight Guest expecting to be engaged. She did not disappoint. She delivered a spellbinding tale of murder, kidnapping, and abuse.

There were three storylines, which at first appeared to have no bearing on each other. However, as the story slowly developed, the connection between all three threads became crystal clear. One storyline was centered on a crime that occurred in 2000. The others were focused on the present. There was a lot of movement between each of the narratives, however I had no issues following the story. All three pulled me in and had me eager to see how it would unfold.

It didn’t take me longer to figure out the connections between each of the thread. It took me a little longer to guess the villain’s identity. Although there were no surprises with this one, it did not take away from the enjoyment of watching all aspects of the story unfold. Although the abuse aspect of the story proved a bitter pill to swallow.

The characters, except for the antagonist, have each gone through their own personal hell. Despite this, they displayed an inner strength, which proved beneficial in fighting their demons at the point when most needed.
I wish I could say more about this one, but the reader needs to go in blind.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, The Overnight Guest was an intense and well paced read. It’s a story that is guaranteed to keep you turning the pages into the wee hours.