Review: The Overnight Guest

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller about a true crime writer confronted with a mysterious "guest" during a terrible snow storm. Wylie has isolated herself in a secluded old farmhouse that was once the scene of a horrific crime. She is researching the tragic events for her next book and, one evening as a massive storm blows in, she discovers a young boy outside half frozen in the snow. As she attempts to help the boy and find out why he has showed up at her door, she realizes he has escaped from someone or something very bad, and is not yet out of danger. The book also bounces back to the timeline of the crime that occurred in the old house, and the reader learns about a young girl named Josie, who was the only survivor of the grisly events of that summer night.
This story was compelling and drew me in. I really felt the tension as Wylie found herself cut off by the storm and discovered the child outside her house. At the same time, Josie's storyline was sad, horrific, and mesmerizing. The icy winds and freezing snow were described just as well as the sweltering heat and oppressive summer sun.
One big twist I figured out fairly quickly, but another twist did surprise me. Once all of the events really came to a head and Wylie was confronted with true danger, the action kind of felt a little unbelievable and there was a loose end or two that I felt needed to be addressed. But I really did enjoy this book and read it pretty much in one sitting.
If you enjoy thrillers, suspense, and mystery, I would recommend this book.

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