Nicola finds herself going for a weekend away with her six year old son George and her boyfriend Matt. What should be a lovely time away is under threat when there is a mix up with their booking and the only place that has availability is The Loch House. It’s also clear that a weekend away with Matt is the last thing that Nicola wants or needs.

The setting for this story couldn’t be anymore perfect in a secluded part of the Isle of Skye. The guest house is an old building that has been run down and the hosts, I think in Matt’s own words, are like an English version of the Adams family! I instantly got shivers up my spine and would have turned straight back in the car and driven away but with a bad snowstorm, Nicola and Matt have no option but to check in and stay.

Along with what is going on in the guest house, there are chapters from a true crime podcast that run alongside it. I wasn’t sure how it all ties in but it does and when things become clear but it does. The podcast chapters are like little teasers and I was as desperate to get back to them as I was for what would happen next in the house. With a closed off setting and a small cast of characters, it ramps up the suspense and mystery.

I would go as far as saying that The Last Guest House by Caroline Mitchell is her best novel yet. With so much tension on every page I turned, I could hardly sit still in my eagerness to know what secrets the building holds. There are so many unexpected twists that I hardly had time to pick my jaw up off the floor before it was back down there again. Dark, eerie and so grippingly good!

This books starts off strong with my favorite setting of blizzard conditions and a locked room atmosphere. A young couple and her son try to have a weekend getaway at resort in Scotland, but the wrong weekend was booked and the only place with a room during the storm is run down guest house up the road. In desperation, they head into the storm and to the guest house where they are greeted by two eccentric hosts with an odd set of rules such as no phones and no leaving the premises after 9:00 pm. With little choice they take the room but feel like they are being watched. At dinner they meet the other guests and learn that 10 years ago this very weekend the prior host and the guest were murdered and the killer or killers never found. This sets the stage for a mysterious evening where you do not know who is the telling the truth. All the while, every so often the transcript for a true-crime podcast in interspersed detailing a totally different crime in England. As the book progresses we begin to see the correlation in the crimes as we hurtle to the explosive ending.

"The Last Guest House" by Caroline Mitchell is an atmospheric psychological thriller told in the first person from the perspectives of three main characters: Nicola, Matt, and Elita. We get to know them and what makes them tick, and find ourselves rooting for some of them.

Nicola, a police officer, is going with her boyfriend, Matt, and her son, Georgie, to the Isle of Skye to see the northern lights. However, not everything goes according to plan. Due to Matt booking the wrong dates and the hotel being fully booked, they cannot stay there. They are forced to spend the night in the Loch House, which surprisingly has some vacant rooms.

The Loch House gives off odd vibes and enforces peculiar rules: "No smoking in the rooms. No loud music. No phones. No leaving your room after 9 pm." With no other options, Nicola and Matt decide to spend the night there. Other guests are present, none of whom are pleased with the rules. Nerves fray, and tension escalates once the guests discover the gruesome history of the hotel. The eccentric behavior of their hosts only adds to the already intense atmosphere. As night falls and the snow intensifies, it becomes clear that danger is afoot.

The book exceeded my expectations. It was much better and more original than I anticipated. Overall, I found the plot successful in propelling the story forward despite the slow start. The author excels in setting the scene from the very first page. The writing is taut and suspenseful, with the author expertly building tension and atmosphere throughout the book. Segments of a true crime podcast are smoothly interspersed throughout the narrative, heightening suspense and filling in details. Although I'm not a fan of podcasts, I appreciated how the author used them to drop clues to the reader about the events.

The main characters are well-drawn, each with their own distinct personality and backstory. I liked the eclectic mix of characters. I particularly liked Nicola and Elita, finding them relatable and engaging. However, I disliked Matt due to his overly controlling and overbearing nature. The story is tightly plotted, albeit a bit slow-paced. The ending was fitting, and there were some format issues—such as the author's name being inserted every couple of pages—so another round of editing wouldn't hurt. With themes of cults, abuse, religious fanatics, birth defects, and fallible human nature, the author has woven a tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend the book to lovers of the genre seeking a refreshing tale. This is not a story you've read before.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I just wasn't sure about this one. If I don't like a main character I have a hard time finishing a book and I didn't care for Nicola. I kept reading because the the podcasts were intriguing and I wanted to know how that figured in to the Loch House. There were so many twists at the end of this book! I loved it!! A completely original idea, which is hard to find.

Probably my least favourite of Caroline Mitchell’s book. I really did not enjoy until the last thirty pages when explanation of characters occurred and events escalated to be somewhat exciting .The bulk of the book had characters searching for six year old George in a house that reminded me of a spook house at a carnival . I found the book repeated information that the reader was previously aware of . The book did discuss important topics like cults, spousal abuse, religion, birth defects , and most importantly the love and support of family.

Oh, this was good!

First of all, it’s legitimately creepy. I felt like I was stuck in that hotel with no way out.

And I trusted no one – not even our main character.

Now, I get sooooo tired of books using true crime podcasts as a plot vehicle. It was clever the first billion times, right? But just when I swear to never read another one…comes this book. The author used the podcast so cleverly! Rather than being tired of it, I was eagerly reading each podcast entry in order to ferret out the clues the author drops there. The author absolutely did this right.

The book is atmospheric, the plot clever, and the characters fully realized. This was simply a fabulous read!

• ARC via Publisher

Another great book from Caroline Mitchell.
Thoroughly enjoyable. Dark and twisted with excellent characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Please note this is a 3.5.

This book manages to build really good atmosphere inamongst the rest of the content, with a strong mystery connected to the guest house and the caretakers. The group that are all drawn to the guest house are an interesting collection of people, and the story is very successful in keeping the reader guessing. I enjoyed the context changes, even though they were rapid and perhaps a little confusing sometimes, however, I do think that some of the writing could have been a little stronger in places. This book would really benefit from less of a focus on the face value traits of the characters in places, like the career and personality trait pieces.

I do think that the ending could have done with a little more love too - there is a huge build up but less so on the delivery. This is a really good mystery book to curl up with on holidays on a rainy day, and it's certainly evocative - it just could have been taken a little bit further for me for it to be outstanding.

I have already read the Slayton thrillers series by Caroline Mitchell and loved each of them so when I saw a new book being released I just had to get my hands on it early.

From the first chapter this book provided the dark, creepy atmosphere that I have come to love and expect from Caroline Mitchell.

If you’re looking for a who done it ending, twists and turns, cults and so much tension look no further than this book. It had everything I hoped it would have and more.

The book was well written including podcasts which added to the excitement as I tried to work out the link between the two story lines.

This book definitely deserves 5 stars.

This is an incredible read. Truly brilliant. I have read Caroline’s books since her first and they get better and better! I have spent a lovely day curled up on the sofa devouring this clever, atmospheric read. This has shot to my favourite read this year.

The book that has everything
Caroline Mitchell does it again! She doesn't seem able to write a bad book. Certainly The Last Guest House is one of her best and I've read them all. It's got crimes past and present, for the police to investigate, it's a thriller, it's spooky++. It certainly keeps you guessing and the twist at the end....well! You'll have to read it for yourself to find out more. Definitely a 5* recommendation from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THIS RIGHT HERE IS WHY CAROLINE MITCHELL IS THE QUEEN OF CRIME!!!

I can not tell you how much I loved this book! It had all the boxes. Mystery, crime, short engaging chapters, that high a reader gets needing to know whodunit while their eyes are so tired but you just need to keep going until it's done.

This was the PERFECT way to send a gloomy storm filled Australian autumns day.

The first chapter was unsettling and ramps up the intrigue level fast.

I enjoyed the jumping between the different POVs and adding in the podcasts bits.

However the author does remind you about 40+ times that the main character is a police officer before the first half of the book is even over. Could use an editor to clean that up. It’s as if you could possibly forget this person’s occupation by the time you got to the next page.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

Wow!! I really enjoy Caroline's books and this is the best standalone of hers I've read! The story starts with Nicola (a police detective) , her partner Matt and son George on a trip to the Isle of Skye to witness the Northern Lights. When they reach the luxury hotel that Matt has booked them in to they are told that they are there on the wrong dates and the only place on the island left with spaces is The Loch House. As they head to the guest house a winter storm comes down leaving them with no choice but to stay in the creepy house where the door is locked behind you and your mobile phones are taken from you at reception! The guest house is run by Dorothy and Henry, an elderly couple who are terrified of something and the talk soon turns to murders that had taken place 10 years previously. This story is a very quick read as you struggle to put it down! I particularly love the way the characters are described and the atmosphere in the room when all the guests are together and as the story develops, you really feel you are there. The book also runs a concurrent story following a murder mystery podcast and you are left wondering what the significance of this is. The ending is fabulous and I highly recommend this thriller to all who enjoy a well written and fast paced book that leaves you breathless! Many thanks to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

A brilliant plot from one of my favourite authors.
Gripping and creepy, a dark and dingy old guest house is not all as it seems. The snowstorm outside added to the atmosphere.
Likeable and unlikeable characters, it drew me in.
Loved the true crime podcast running along side the story, giving snippets of info to get me thinking!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the early copy.
Highly recommended.

I was intrigued by this book and enjoyed it but I felt it was a bit too long. By the end of the book I was mainly just reading it to get through it. If it was even 30-40 pages shorter I think it would never held my attention better.

I was drawn to the description of this book, being set on the Isle of Skye, as it's one of my favourite places in the world. Tie that in with psychological thriller and I just had to read it

The story start distracted me a little, with the main characters (Nicola, Matt and George) driving through the onset of a snowy blizzard, towards a grand hotel to watch the Northern Lights, however on arrival, they discovered that their booking was unavailable. With many tourists flooding the island to see the lights, every other hotel and guest house were fully booked, apart from one. The Loch House.

This is where the story really starts, and the excellent description of the guest house really put me on edge, and the author brought all the characters to life with her descriptions.

Fear, worry and being on the edge of the seat. What happened all those years ago, and why are the guest house owners, Dorothy and Henry, filled with anxiety for this night?

The only downside I found in this book was not off the story itself, but of the layout on my kindle. Every few pages, the name of the book appeared halfway down the page, right in the middle of the text, and every so often, the authors name was there too. This distracted and confused me the first couple of times I noticed it, as I was wondering why they were in the story, but soon I realised something wasn't quite right, so I just skipped over it in the text.

This book will give you chills. The atmosphere is spooky but exactly right for the book.
Nicola her partner and her soon have travelled to Scotland for a break. Unbeknown to her the time at the hotel that is booked is incorrect. They are all directed to Loch house a beautiful old mansion with a few too many secrets.
There are several characters in this book other than the 'main' characters and they are not at all as they seem. A really good read. Thankyou for advanced copy.

Creepy ad hell for a start, love Caroline Mitchell she never fails to brings it to the table! This is a riveting thriller that hooks readers from the very first page and doesn’t let go until the final, shocking reveal. With its intricate plot and well-developed characters, this novel is sure to keep you turning well into the night.

I loved this book! It has a perfectly dark atmosphere that you can’t help but immerse yourself in. Nicola, her boyfriend, Matt, and her son, Georgie are traveling to the Isle of Skye to see the northern lights. Things go downhill almost as soon as they set off – a major snowstorm hits and the beautiful hotel room they booked is unavailable. Fortunately, there’s a room available at The Loch House, which they’re able to reach before getting caught in the storm. But there’s a reason this place is not fully booked like everywhere else. Can you guess why??

It's a gorgeous old building that has seen better days, but it has a sinister feel to it as soon as they walk in. The owners are quite eccentric, but are they dangerous, as well? There is a history to this place that Nicola and Matt had no idea about. By the time they hear it, it’s too late to leave. Will they be safe until morning, or will The Loch House claim three more victims?

There’s so much more I could say but I’m trying to keep it mysterious and not accidentally spoil anything. The history of The Loch House is horrific and central to one of the key mysteries of the story. There are hidden characters in more ways than one! It’s a really engaging story and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would turn out. It would be a perfect horror movie that I would love to see on screen. Anyone would, especially after reading the book. Which I recommend to everyone!