The Guest by B.A. Paris [Book Review]

Not everything is what it seems! Meet the most annoying houseguest ever in B.A. Paris’s The Guest. Read my review.

B.A. Paris’s newest domestic thriller, The Guest, invites readers into the lives of Iris and Gabriel. They return from a trip to discover an unexpected houseguest, Laure, staying in their house. What begins as simply helping out a friend in need soon leads to a tangled web of uncertainty. Learn more about the story and find out why I gave the book three out of five stars.

What is the book about?

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure’s mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel’s only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known. [GoodReads.com]

My review:

At first, Iris and Gabriel are happy to open their home to Laure, who is dealing with the collapse of her marriage and the absence of her husband, Pierre. Yet, as time goes by with no communication from Pierre, Iris’s doubts start to grow. Could Pierre be missing, or is there a darker mystery developing?

The Guest creates an intriguing storyline with surprising twists, but the narrative feels inconsistent and sluggish at times. Overall, I found the book to be an interesting introduction to the author. While it didn’t top my list of favorites, I’m looking forward to exploring more of B.A. Paris’s work.

I recommend The Guest to anyone who enjoys a good domestic drama with a shocking twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest and thoughtful review.

Find me on GoodReads.com!

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