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The synopsis describes this book as a cat and mouse game. I didn't get that vibe at all from reading this, mostly because it was such a slow burn. While I tend to enjoy a slow burn, this was so slow it became tedious. The story line was executed with perfection, the characters were fascinating and multi dimensional. I was completely and totally obsessed with this book from start to finish and I am unable to stop raving about it!!
To say it's categorised as a thriller, I didn't find it very thrilling - excuse the pun. It's a bit mysterious maybe but honestly, all that build up for, in my opinion, not a fantastic ending. I was really waiting for some big plot twist or a seriously dramatic turn of events. Sadly, it never came. Laila and her husband James. James books a holiday, on an exclusive Greek island resort. James is hoping that this holiday will help them both relax, as they have just gone through an unsuccessful IVF and felt they both needed a break. Laila is so obsessed with having a baby but James thinks they have both gone through enough especially as it's put a great strain on their marriage. But, he loves Laila and wants them to work. The Other Guest by Helen Cooper is a slow-burn mystery. Till about 70% into the story, I felt like reading two stories in parallel. Joanna is a student counselor working at the university and recovering from a broken relationship and then there is Leah whose niece died in a tragic accident a year ago and she is recovering from the trauma of that loss. So there we go, following the lives of these two women who do not seem to have anything in common, Joanna is forming a friendship with a new guy in her life, and Leah is hell-bent on tracing the final moments of her niece’s life at the family-owned resort regardless of the danger and warning signs being thrown at her.The first introduces readers to Joanna Greenfield, the Head of Counseling Services at the University of Derby in England. She lives with her cat and is recovering from her breakup with Luke, who she had been with for 16 years. It isn’t long before she meets Callum Foley, a bartender, and they go on a first date. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she's seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. That being said, there were still certain aspects of the story I liked. The characterization was very well-rounded and the characters did show a lot of personal growth throughout the course of the story.
I found this novel really difficult to put down and several times woke up in the morning with my kindle on my chest! I highly recommend this book, especially if (like me) you’d like to escape these gloomy February days for a couple of weeks but can’t afford a 5* holiday atm… have a 5⭐️ read instead! No really likable characters. I know we were supposed to like the two main characters, Leah and Joanna but, I don’t think we would find our way to each other in a bar. Maybe a passing hello but that’s about as much friendly chemistry I was feeling with either of them. The rest of the characters were 🙄. Laced with secrets and lies, THE OTHER GUEST is a potpourri of tension, red herrings and clues to please anyone’s appetite for the suspense of a well-plotted mystery novel." Leah is an attorney who has been placed on leave after yelling at a client. She decides to visit her sister's resort in Italy where her 21-year-old niece Amy died the previous year. Leah has been avoiding dealing with the death and now wants closure and to say her goodbyes, although the circumstances surrounding the death are not exactly what they seem.There are two seemingly disparate storylines and it’s a good puzzle trying to see how they could possibly connect and for a long time I don’t see how but the author does draw it together well. The atmosphere that is created is really good especially in the Lake Garda setting (and Derby is just, well, Derby!) and the holiday village is utilised very effectively in the plot. I only wish I had cared more for the characters, though I was invested, I never felt like I really cared about any of them (and I should have). Still a solid mystery and enjoyable reading experience, so 3.5 STARS from me. A thriller that relies on misdirection while dealing with issues of family, love, mental health, assault, and suicide. Sinister and beautifully atmospheric, The Other Guest lures you with the promise of a luxury island before revealing its darker, claustrophobic side. I loved it.”– L V Matthews, author of The Twins A domestic noir with a simple story that oozes nuance and fine detail. Have you dreaming of summer, despite the mystery that will occupy your attention' Crime FM
Lying by the pool Laila likes to people-watch (don’t we all! 😂). However, she becomes a tad obsessed with another lady and her family, much to the annoyance of James who is starting to act strange and seems to be harbouring some secrets of his own! With a couple of other suspicious characters, there are certainly plenty of suspects when tragedy strikes at the resort just a few days into the holiday! Pure, thrilling escapism. Whip-smart twists make this summer sizzler impossible to put down. The Other Guest is unforgettable' Chris Whitaker Another hard-to-put-down book from [Heidi Perks]. With so many layers and complex characters, the suspense will keep you gripped throughout' Woman's WeeklyAs soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I had to read it. Set in Northern Italy at an opulent resort, it had the makings of an unforgettable and intense domestic suspense. Unfortunately, it fell quite a bit short of that. Meanwhile, in Central England, thirtysomething Joanna is recovering from a surprising break-up when she is swept off her feet by a handsome bartender. But when she learns that he is on the run from something in his past, and that their meeting may not have been a coincidence, Joanna realized that he may just a bit too good to be true. Negatives aside, I did read the whole story and felt it was readable and an okay story. I just felt a but misguided from the beginning when I expected so much more. felt a little bit let down by this book. The cover and the title really caught my eye, but I didn't really get how they tied in with the book itself.
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