B. A. Paris has written another psychological thriller full of secrets, lies, and disturbing entanglements.

Isis and Gabriel are a married couple with a daughter, Beth. They are friends with a couple from Paris and while working on saving their marriage the wife, Laure, comes to stay with them. Despite the friendship Laure overstays her welcome and the relationship grows tangled and fraught with secrets.

Gabriel witnessed the death of a young man in a quarry so he is going through his own trauma. Laure begins to ask questions that are uncomfortable. A new couple moves into the area and it is thought that they will prove a welcome diversion but they only increase the stress.

Isis must untangle the gnarly threads and solve the mystery before it is too late.

The Guest is the new thriller by B.A. Paris and it delivers! The beginning moves slowly but it ends with a twist. I read it in one day. Iris and Gabriel seem to live a quiet life in England, with their daughter currently in Greece. They are faced with two unusual events. Gabriel, a doctor, finds himself at the scene of a terrible bike accident (of a boy he knows) and hears the teen’s last words. This sets Gabriel spiraling down. Meanwhile, Iris and Gabriel return home from a brief time away and find their old friend Laure staying at their house. Her husband has admitted fathering a child with someone else and Laure is devastated. It was difficult for me to believe that Iris and Gabriel would allow Laure to sleep in their bedroom, use Iris’ clothes, rearrange the kitchen and stay for so many weeks. They also become close friends with another couple in town, with secrets of their own. And then there is the gardener… Although parts were unbelievable, the characters are well developed, the story is layered and the book works. With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel seem to have it all: a beautiful home in the British countryside, a daughter happily working in Greece, and good friends Laure and Pierre from Paris, whom they often vacation with. But when a young man has a tragic accident in a nearby quarry, Gabriel is the one to find him and hear his final words, leaving Gabriel with a guilty burden.

As Iris tries to help ease her husband’s trauma, they acquire an unexpected house guest. Laure has seemingly moved in after her husband’s revelation that he has had a child with another woman. Iris and Gabriel insist Laure stay for as long as she needs. But Laure keeps wearing Iris’s clothes, following her every move, and asking her about the recent death of the young man.

Their only respite from the increasingly tense atmosphere in their own home comes from a couple new to town and expecting their first child. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

With fractured relationships and secrets piling up around them, can Iris and Gabriel’s marriage survive?
This book is really twisted – at times I wondered what the heck was going on and why Laure was acting as she did…she went beyond weird and obsessive. It is hard to write more about the book without giving the twists away but this book is WONDERFUL, and I will recommend it far and wide, as I do all of BA’s books.

Please pick it up, savour it and enjoy it --- it’s stellar! (and the ending? ooooooooooooooof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

#shortbutsweetreviews

The Guest starts out very slow, almost too slow and it was really difficult to get into. Stick with it because the second half of the book makes up for that and will keep you guessing until the very end.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, they just weren't relatable to me.
I am a huge B.A Paris fan, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Unfortunately this book was a big miss for me. I was intrigued at the beginning, when Iris and Gabriel come home to find their broken-hearted friend staying in their home, wearing their clothes and sleeping in their bed. The story moves very slowly, and the epilogue dragged on for a while. There was a pretty decent twist but I didn't love how it was handled/the plot holes it left behind. I usually enjoy B.A. Paris' books but The Guest was underwhelming compared to Behind Closed Doors, The Therapist etc.

Thank you to St Martin's Press & Netgalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my favorite books so far this year. I was immediately hooked and wrapped up in the characters. I ended up finishing it in a day because I couldn’t put it down..I definitely have a book hangover and hope I can find another book as good as this one soon! It had a wonderful twist at the end! This one is definitely a must read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a great book and had me hooked from the beginning. I can usually figure out the ending but I did not on this one. Highly recommend!

Thanks NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and B.A. Paris for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorite books by this author. Briefly, Iris and Gabriel have a great life together until their friend Laure unexpectedly moves in with them after she learns her husband Pierre has had an affair and fathered another women's child. Gabriel has also been struggling after finding an 18 year old dying by the side of the road. Their lives are also upended by their new neighbors Esme, her husband Hugh and their live in help Joseph who become a part of their lives. There is a lot going on in this novel and at some points I felt confused. The best part of the novel was the Epilogue where all of the secrets are revealed. I thought this section really saved the book.

After finishing the book, I came to the conclusion I did like the plot of the story but for some reason did not connect to the characters. The first 25% of the book was really hard for me to get through. I struggled with the dialogue between characters. At some times, it seemed really choppy. I will continue to read books by this author as I usually love them.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an excellent read that kept me hooked! The characters were so well done and believable. Highly recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I'm not sure if it's because I have read such amazing past BA Paris books that my expectations were high. The pacing was off, the characters were too one dimensional for me to become invested in, and there was a lot of telling rather than showing. The initial mystery and plot didn’t pull me, but the twist definitely shocked me and I did not see it coming.

While this one wasn't my favorite, I still recommend fans of B.A. Paris to give it a try. Despite my experience/opinions, there's still a lot of high reviews for this one.

not my favorite by this author

This starts out well. A British couple come home and find their French friend has left her husband because he confessed that he fathered a daughter years ago. The visit is expected to be short-term, but it drags on.

The writing is good and I liked (or disliked) the characters, but it was just too slow. There was a chunk in the middle where I started to skim and then skip chapters just to speed it up. I missed the finding of some bodies, but I didn't care enough to go back and get the details.

The ending was unexpected and I liked the way it was handled.

The beginning and ending were 5 stars; the middle 3. Averaging to 4.

When they arrive home from vacation to a friend in their home, Iris and Gabriel are taken aback, but glad to welcome her in her time of need. Laure learned that her husband, Pierre has fathered a child out of wedlock but will not provide her any other details, other than he wants to be a part of his daughter's life.
Laure quickly begins overstepping around the home and when her time has come to return to her job and husband she drops the bomb that she plans on staying with them indefinitely.
As they try to enjoy time with some new neighbors to get away from Laure for a bit, they decide to employ their gardner but soon learn he has a very shady past.
As the rumors circle about Laure and Pierra, Iris and Gabriel are ready to be back to their lives but what will it cost them?
The twist at the end just about did me in!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel. I am a big fan of many of B.A. Paris’ books but haven’t totally LOVED her most recent releases (The Prisoner). I liked this storyline but thought I was about to be sorely disappointed at the end… until I read the epilogue. This is one heck of an epilogue and the sole redeeming factor for this book. 3.5 stars rounded up.

BA Paris is one of my favorites. The story does not disappoint and kept me going through the last page. Thanks for the opportunity to read now.

Yup, she/he did it again. ( I still don't know if B.A., Paris is male or female.) In any case, I have read all of Paris' books and loved them. Again, Paris put together a cast of believable, semi-flawed characters and wove a web of murder, deceit, and intrigue around them. Paris then threw in a twist that made my head spin, and it was found in the most unusual place. Classic Paris. If you crave domestic drama at its finest and you have plenty of time to read because you won't be able to put the book down, pick up The Guest.

Going into this book I was a fan of Paris books and this book didn't disappoint. I must have had 10 different theories while reading this book....but gosh, the ending. So so good. Highly recommend!! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published February 20, 2024.

This is the 7th book I’ve read by this author. I’ve given her books everything from 2 stars to 5 stars. While this one was lacking a fast-pace it was a solid, well-thought out murder mystery / psychological thriller. I continue to be a fan!

I found myself struggling to become engrossed in the mystery lines presented within this book. These storylines include a couple's ill-fated relationship following the discovery of the husband's secret child from another woman, and a man's depression stemming from the haunting last words of an 18-year-old who vindictively declared he would never forgive his mother.. Friendships but are they really...you never know who to trust in this book. I thought what I read was true then the ending happened

HOLY WOW. The literal only words I can think right now after finishing this book.

Let me start off by saying I love B.A. Paris’s books. Every time she has a new novel come out- I immediately purchase it. But this one… might be my absolute favorite so far.

The beginning was a bit confusing to me- but is all thoroughly explained towards the end of the book. I did feel some parts of the story dragged on a bit, but realized later on it was completely necessary to have a clear explained line of events throughout the story for the ending.

Speaking of the ending … OMG. Completely shocked. I had to reread it twice bc I was so mind-blown. Insane. Never saw it coming. Absolutely brilliant!!

This is the story of a very unlucky couple. Iris and Gabriel have their careers, a beautiful home, and an almost grown daughter, Beth, who is away at school. And then, right from the beginning, there's an accidental death in the quarry, their good friend, Laure, comes to stay with them due to marital problems, and nothing will be the same. This story felt long and drawn out at times, often, and I'm not sure why I kept going but I'm so glad I did. While I can't say this is my favorite story by B.A. Paris, I can say it sure packs a punch like no other.