The Silent Guest by Sally Rigby is a dark, engaging thriller that kept me on edge. The atmosphere was perfectly eerie, the pacing kept the tension tight, and the mystery unraveled in a way that had me second-guessing everyone.

The story follows DCI Whitney Walker and forensic psychologist Dr. Georgina Cavendish as they team up to solve a disturbing murder — a woman found dead in her home, with no sign of forced entry and no apparent enemies. But as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that someone is watching, and the killer might be closer than anyone realizes.

The dynamic between Whitney and Georgina is a highlight of the book. Their approaches and personalities complement each other well, and I enjoyed the layers to both women’s characters — strong, intelligent, and deeply human. The character work throughout the book was strong, especially with Georgina, whose quiet insight and emotional depth added a lot to the story.

The plot was full of solid twists, and while I did figure out part of the mystery before the reveal, it didn’t take away from the suspense or the emotional punch. The ending was satisfying without feeling overly tied up, and left just enough room to keep me interested in what’s next for this series.

I’m giving this a solid four stars — the writing was sharp, the characters were well-developed, and the suspense was truly chilling in places—an excellent read for fans of British crime fiction with strong female leads and psychological depth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This book was fun - twists and turns all the way!
Thank you to NetGalley!
I was hooked right from the start - and while a few things were predictable, I did not see the big twist coming!
A quick and fun thriller - first time with the author, bu won’t be my last!

This one had me hooked from the start—probably because I’ve used house and dog sitters (yep, even labradoodles!) for 15+ years, and The Silent Guest really leans into that nightmare scenario of letting the wrong person into your home.

Amelia is next-level unhinged, and at first it’s like… why is she doing all this? But as things unfold, you get bits and pieces of the past, and her plan starts to make sense—well, thriller sense anyway. Vivienne, on the other hand, comes across a bit scatterbrained but she’s sharper than people give her credit for. I loved watching her slowly start to realise something was way off.

The tension builds nicely—lots of creepy little moments and that unsettling feeling of not knowing who to trust. Also, the minute the well was mentioned I was like, “Yep, someone’s going down there.” And if it was Willow the labradoodle, I was going to lose it. (No spoilers, but justice for Willow.)

There are some properly dodgy blokes in this too. I had my suspicions, and while it wrapped up a bit too fast for me, I was still yelling “I KNEW IT!” at the end. Bonus points for the counter-counter-attack twist.

If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers with revenge, manipulation and a big ol’ dose of paranoia—this one’s for you. Just maybe don’t read it while leaving your dog with a new sitter…

A fast-paced psychological thriller with a familiar setup. The tension builds well, and the writing is solid, but I found most of the twists pretty predictable. If you’ve read a lot of domestic suspense, this one might feel a bit formulaic.

Still, it’s a quick, engaging read with just enough unease to keep the pages turning. Good for fans of thrillers who don’t mind knowing where it’s headed.

I enjoyed this intense, twisty cat and mouse thriller. I guessed the big twist early on but still enjoyed the ride!

I have read all Sally’s books so was very keen to get stuck into this one. It didn’t disappoint.

The story is written from the angles of two people: Vivienne and Amelia. Vivienne’s husband is a pilot and frequently works away, so when she wants to take her little girl, Lola, to visit family, she employs Amelia to dog-sit. They then start to become friends.

Amelia really wants children but her partner, Tom, doesn’t. When she goes to Vivienne’s house, she wants to cause trouble, but pretends to be a good friend to her. She got a copy made of the front door key and goes into Vivienne’s house when she’s not there to move things around. Amelia does just enough to make Vivienne think that she’s rapidly losing the plot.

A brilliant and gripping read which I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter! I could not put it down. It made me feel as though what was happening in the book was real life. It was maddening in a good way!

Wow! This book was creepy in the best way possible. Nothing is how it seems and you really don’t know what’s happening till the very end. The two main narrators, Could not be more different from each other. Vivienne Hires Amelia to Dog sit for her one weekend while she and her young daughter Lola go away for the weekend. All seems fine at first, but then strange things start happening. The rest of the book is a rollercoaster ride that you want to hold on tight for. Fantastic from start to finish.

This was a solid, quick crime read! I really enjoy Sally Rigby’s style she keeps things moving and the twists come at just the right moments. The storyline was interesting and I liked the police procedural side mixed with the creepier guest angle (no spoilers, but I did not expect parts of that ending).

This book was a page turning thriller from the start!

I loved how it always kept me on my toes, and how the switches in point of view between the two main characters helps build a true sense of suspense. Also as far as psychological thrillers go, this book is great at capturing the essence of manipulators and how fleeting control really is.

I felt the end of the book could’ve been drawn out a bit more, but other than that l really enjoyed how the author tied things up!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm publishing for letting me read the ARC of this book! All opinions are mine.

If you’re in the mood for a thriller that’ll keep you up way too late, this one’s for you! I wasn’t sure what I was getting into at first, but I was hooked pretty quickly. It’s wild to see just how far some people will go to ruin someone’s life. Vivienne just wants a nice weekend away, so she hires Amelia, who she’s never met, to house and dog sit. Bad idea! Amelia immediately starts snooping, and when Vivienne gets home, nothing feels right. Soon she’s questioning her sanity and maybe fighting for her life. Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A brilliantly plotted and gripping thriller from Sally Rigby. Vivienne has it all it seems. A perfect house, a handsome husband, a happy intelligent little girl, a dog and a career. But Vivienne is struggling to manage it all so calls in Amelia to house sit one weekend while she’s away. But Amelia has an agenda. And she seems set on revenge for some reason. A twisty story told from different perspectives and the life long damage done when something from your past infiltrates your present. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The author did a wonderful job with this story. She had well-developed characters and an easy to follow storyline. The book flowed well and was a quick read that kept me interested throughout, waiting to see what the outcome would be.
I had guessed one of the twists early in the book but it didn't spoil anything else for me and I was happy with the way the story ended.

This thriller was a gripping and suspenseful read. The plot moved quickly and kept me guessing with unexpected twists and turns. The tension built steadily, and the mystery at the heart of the story was engaging. The characters were interesting, and the stakes felt real. It’s a solid choice for anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and exciting thriller.

The silent guest by sally gigby is a mysterious physiological thriller novel, what happens when Vivienne, a young woman with a supposed perfect life hires a dog/house sitter, so she will be able to leave for the weekend.

Her worker Amelia is anything far from innocent especially when she walks in with a plan, a plan to shatter the life Vivienne has for her, in this mind gripping novel, follow Amelia to find out why she wants to ruin Vivienne’s life and if Vivienne has the perfect life she shows the world

This novel deals with deception, lies, betrayal and love, as I read every part of it, I kept asking for more.

Without going into more details, I would recommend this novel for readers that love a juicy book with detailed mysterious details that will keep them asking for more

I would rate the book 8/10 because I enjoyed it quite much.

This was a decent psychological thriller. There were plenty of those moments where i was left wondering what and why. Sometimes though, it really was just a little unbelievable, and I will also say I saw the twist coming. The latter part of the book also wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly for me, but all in all, this book is worth a read.

Vivienne lives with her young daughter and her husband, who is is often away for work as a pilot. She suffers from extreme anxiety and is often overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a wife, mother, and career woman. Her husband is often away, and that puts even more pressure on Vivienne. One weekend when her husband is not home Vivienne wants to attend a family function. Vivienne needs a house sitter and she hires Amelia.

When Vivienne returns home from her weekend away, strange things start happening. Items are missing and eventually returned, someone has been cancelling her appointments, and pictures are missing. Vivienne thinks that she is going crazy or getting dementia. Eventually, she realizes that all of this has happened after Ameila was her housesitter.

Initially, I wasn’t sure that this was actually a psychological thriller, but as the story evolved, it ensnared me and captivated me. The story is told from 2 distinct viewpoints, that of Vivienne and Amelia. Amelia harbors a personal vendetta against Vivienne, and eventually you will discover why. As Amelia’s schemes materialize, the suspense intensifies and the culmination is startling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

A brilliantly plotted and gripping thriller from Sally Rigby. Vivienne has it all it seems. A perfect house, a handsome husband, a happy intelligent little girl, a dog and a career. But Vivienne is struggling to manage it all so calls in Amelia to house sit one weekend while she’s away. But Amelia has an agenda. And she seems set on revenge for some reason. A twisty story told from different perspectives and the life long damage done when something from your past infiltrates your present. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author & publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was fairly predictable and at times a stretch. A slow burn thriller that did have a couple of unexpected twists.
Vivienne and her husband Miles are going out of town and need a dog sitter. Amelia comes highly recommended but should not be trusted!!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

"The Silent Guest" by Sally Rigby is a suspenseful, twisty read full of secrets and simmering revenge. Just when you think you know what’s going on, another layer unravels. A gripping story that keeps you guessing until the end!