As I mentioned in my first post last week, I was extremely lucky to win a signed ARC of Mark Edwards' soon to be released new thriller, The House Guest via a Facebook competition he recently ran. I am a huge fan of Mark's work; his solo thrillers and those he co-wrote with the equally brilliant Louise Voss, so you can imagine how over the moon I was to win this.
Despite it not actually being released until later this year, I am beyond excited and proud to announce that Mark has allowed me to post this - spoiler free - review of The House Guest on my humble and very new book blog - so no pressure at all!!
I actually think Mark Edwards is a pseudonym. His real name is Ron Seal because he does exactly what he says on the tin, or book cover to be precise....
Ron Seal.........Ronseal.........Ron...........no????
Clearly showing my age and/or poor sense of humour!!
Let's try again...
If Stephen King is the Master of horror, then surely Mark
Edwards has to be the King of psychological thrillers. Mark’s ability to turn
every day domestic situations into nightmare scenarios of epic proportions is
astounding. His previous thriller, Here to Stay, had me shouting at every page in
the same way that those gripping binge watch TV series do (or if you’ve seen
Tiger King on Netflix recently you’d be shouting at the TV for completely
different reasons)!
The House Guest is no exception to this. Don’t be mistaken
from the title alone in thinking that this is a similar premise to Here to Stay,
which involved the in-laws from hell that completely overstayed their welcome.
The House Guest will send you down a path which is both unbelievable, yet completely
plausible in equal measure! Here’s the cover synopsis;
When British
twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer
house sitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of
professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.
So, the moment Eden
turns up on their doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to
share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be
a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New
York.
They know you’re not
supposed to talk to strangers – let alone invite them into your home – but after
all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.
As suspicions creep in
that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they have
made a terrible mistake…
Mark hits the ground running from the very first page and
does not let up in this compulsive, page turning read. Although from the outset
there is a clear sense of unease and foreboding which cloaks Eden’s arrival, it’s
not until the end of Part One of the book when things really change gear and
the nightmare becomes reality. The plot then takes the reader down a dark path
of mayhem and mistrust, with twists and turns coming thick and fast on every
page.
I have deliberately avoided saying anymore as to do so would deprive readers of the jaw drops, OMG and "didn't see that coming" moments that I experienced reading it. What I will say however is that for me, there were some visually imaginative elements of Gone Girl, Single White Female and Roman Polanski's Frantic peppered throughout, wrapped in an almost "Hitchcockian" blanket. This is purely my own comparison and absolutely does not suggest anything to do with the plotline
As always, Mark has taken what could be an ordinary tale of
life in suburbia and twisted it in his own inimitable style to provide a fast paced,
often uncomfortable, but totally nail-biting thriller. Great characterisation, visually
descriptive depictions of a hot, sweaty New York summer and gripping scenarios
that will have you turning the page for that “one more chapter” at bedtime. I genuinely
could not put it down, and aside from (reluctantly) having to go to sleep,
pretty much read it in one sitting. The only downside to this now of course is
that I’ve got an even longer wait for his next release!
The House Guest is published by Thomas & Mercer and will
be released in print and e-book format on 3rd June 2020
If you don't already, (and if not why not), you can follow Mark on Twitter @mredwards, join his Mailing list by clicking on the link where you will also be rewarded with the "Short Sharp Shockers" box set, or find him on Facebook and Instagram on Mark Edwards Books and @markedwardsauthor respectively.
Once again, huge thanks to Mark for allowing me to post this review, and thanks for reading!
