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. The main star of the show, though, was Il Mandrino itself. The luxury resort, the employees, the family running it-It all had a creepy Stepford Wives vibe to it that I really enjoyed. I wish that aspect had been fleshed out more and made to be even more ominous. Hier haben wir zwei Perspektiven von 2 Frauen, die nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Wir haben einmal Leah, die ihre Schwester besucht, nachdem Tod ihrer Nichte und wir haben einmal Joanna, die nach der überraschenden Trennung von ihrem Verlobten, auf einen Barkeeper trifft und ihn in ihre Wohnung lässt ohne zu wissen wer er eigentlich ist. As Laila sits by the pool she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the other family staying in their resort.

Joanna Greenfield lives in Derby, England and is the head of counseling services at a university. Learning how to live alone following the break up of her 16 year long relationship, she meets an enchanting man, Callum, one night at her local bar who is a compassionate sounding board for the very closed off woman. When, in the middle of the night, she receives a phone call from the hospital telling her he has been in an accident, Joanna decides on the spur of the moment to help this handsome and engaging stranger. 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. Thank you to the publisher and Heidi Perks for allowing me to read this book as part of a blog tour!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 I loved the premise of two women who don't seem to be connected, but ultimately get entangled in some dangerous situations that reveal their connection. The Other Guest is a very pictorial read as the people, their emotions and, above all, the sketching of the beautiful surroundings of the Italian Lakes, are perfectly done. The fact that they stand hand in hand with a possible murder, makes for absolute reading perfection. I was very excited (maybe a bit too excited) to read The Other Guest so it’s a bit surprising that I found this an okay read, nothing wrong with it really, but there just wasn’t enough in it to get me really excited about it. I did enjoy the holiday setting in a lush 5* resort on a Greek island and Leila’s people watching. It felt oddly relatable although I don’t think – I hope not – I’m that much into it as Leila. As the narrative unfolds, readers are completely drawn to the parallel stories. 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. The connection between Joanna and Leah comes late in the story, but it’s a welcome surprise. The prose is finely honed, and the characters are fully formed. Each one is given a healthy inner life, as a well as interesting and gripping outer experiences. Readers will find themselves immersed in the plot and will be eager to find the answers to the mysteries that arise.

Unfortunately, I 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 tie in with the book itself. Laila has been taken away on a luxurious holiday by her husband James. After many failed attempts at IVF, James has told Laila he no longer wants to try for a baby and hopes this holiday will be exactly what they both need. 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 FMI thought the ending of the book was very satisfying. There were a couple red herrings along the way. All of the loose ends were tied up nicely but not in a way that seemed too “happily ever after”. What did I like? It was interesting enough that I listened to the end. Btw, that end was a little disappointing and nothing about this book was anything but depressing. Both Joanna and Leah get into dangerous situations in the book, some due to their own making which ramped up the anxiety on their behalf. Some were due to their natural curiosity and helpful natures. Each of them acted in a way to endanger themselves on occasion. This reader enjoyed the anxiety for their safety in those scenes. The author did an excellent job crafting the suspenseful parts of the tale. The way she tied the diverse elements together was very satisfying. 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! 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 cleverly-plotted thriller in a luxurious and sun-drenched setting, where two seemingly-unconnected stories come together in a totally unexpected way. A great holiday readAs 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. Leah arrives in Il Mandrino, a luxury holiday village on Lake Garda owned by her sister and brother in law. A year ago Leah’s much loved niece Amy tragically drowns and she is astonished to find that all traces of Amy seem to have been airbrushed out but why?? In addition to this strangeness the dynamics in her sisters family are also odd seeming both strained and distant. Leah’s scepticism over Amy’s death is now amplified. Meanwhile in Derby, Joanna is trying to recover from a very sudden break up of a long-term relationship. She has no desire to be alone one evening and so calls in at a pub where she meets a kind and friendly barman, nothing out of the ordinary there except that a week or two later she finds herself drawn into something most unexpectedly .

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 WeeklyThe Other Guest by Helen Cooper is available on July 26th. I look forward to reading more from the mega-talented Helen Cooper. A normal, every day joe gets himself mixed up with a womanizing asshole and finds himself chasing after a girl, who drowns in front of him but doesn’t try to save her? All he wanted was her phone. Could he not think through this?