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The Spare Room
Some doors should never be opened...
After a heart-wrenching break-up, Lauren Williams is seeking a fresh start. A work course offers the perfect escape, but when the venue’s accommodation is fully booked, she's placed with an elderly couple in their spare room. It's not ideal, but Lauren resolves to make it work.
Yet as soon as she enters the house, she feels uneasy. Her hosts seem nice but there's something odd about them and a locked room upstairs piques Lauren’s curiosity. After hearing mysterious noises at night she can't shake the feeling there's something sinister going on in the house.
What's behind the locked door? Who is the couple's mysterious daughter? And can Lauren even trust her own instincts?
Desperate for answers, she breaches the forbidden room where she uncovers a chilling secret that changes everything. Entangled in a twisted web of lies, she realises the once-kindly couple may not be who they seem.
With her safety becoming increasingly precarious and her tumultuous past refusing to let go, can Lauren unravel the truth and get out before it's too late?
After a heart-wrenching break-up, Lauren Williams is seeking a fresh start. A work course offers the perfect escape, but when the venue’s accommodation is fully booked, she's placed with an elderly couple in their spare room. It's not ideal, but Lauren resolves to make it work.
Yet as soon as she enters the house, she feels uneasy. Her hosts seem nice but there's something odd about them and a locked room upstairs piques Lauren’s curiosity. After hearing mysterious noises at night she can't shake the feeling there's something sinister going on in the house.
What's behind the locked door? Who is the couple's mysterious daughter? And can Lauren even trust her own instincts?
Desperate for answers, she breaches the forbidden room where she uncovers a chilling secret that changes everything. Entangled in a twisted web of lies, she realises the once-kindly couple may not be who they seem.
With her safety becoming increasingly precarious and her tumultuous past refusing to let go, can Lauren unravel the truth and get out before it's too late?
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2023
400 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
M.I. Hattersley
9 books58 followersM. I. Hattersley was born in Yorkshire, UK. Over the last twenty years, he’s toured Europe in a rock 'n' roll band, trained as a professional actor, and founded a theatre and media company, none of which paid particularly well. To keep the lights on, he’s also held a long list of mind-numbing day jobs. He now writes psychological and domestic thrillers, which, fortunately, let him put all that experience with strange people and tense situations to good use.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
April 18, 2025
This is tagged as a psychological thriller, but it isn’t. 95% of this book is the protagonist questioning her life choices over the past 5 years. I kept waiting for her to get a backbone. Finally the last 10 minutes she did get that backbone, but it was too little too late.
April 27, 2025
Decent enough thriller quick read :)
April 15, 2025
honesty sucked
February 17, 2024
A page-turner.
This started out a bit slow as it drags on with way too much inner dialogue that's very repetitive, but it ended up being a really interesting story and I definitely didn't know where it was heading. I thought it had a cool ending.
This started out a bit slow as it drags on with way too much inner dialogue that's very repetitive, but it ended up being a really interesting story and I definitely didn't know where it was heading. I thought it had a cool ending.
March 11, 2024
huge buildup for a lackluster ending
January 23, 2024
Took forever to get to some real action, it goes on and on describing unecessary details. It's not until it was 80 percent into the story that anything actually happens. Ending dissappointing.
August 1, 2024
Extremely repetitive, drags on in the repetition. Worst book I have read in a long time.
I read it for a book club..hard to finish it was so bad.
I read it for a book club..hard to finish it was so bad.
October 12, 2025
3.5 rounded up ⭐️
New author alert!
New author alert!
August 10, 2023
I loved the pace of this book - the mystery and drive to find out what's really going on in that house. I found the reminders that she had been in the care system a little too repetitive but otherwise this was an enjoyable read.
I did notice one grammatical error and als9 the name of a size character changed from Marsha to Martha! Was that intentional to show she didn't need to care about her that much? Or an oversight in editing? I'm not sure! I ended up coming out of the current page and searching back to make sure I was right about her name being Marsha!!
But that confusion aside, this story was just my cup of tea. If I were her, I would have been out of that house on day 1 though! What I didn't want was a ghost story- I never read those but this isn't that. I won't say what exactly it is, but it's worth a read!
I did notice one grammatical error and als9 the name of a size character changed from Marsha to Martha! Was that intentional to show she didn't need to care about her that much? Or an oversight in editing? I'm not sure! I ended up coming out of the current page and searching back to make sure I was right about her name being Marsha!!
But that confusion aside, this story was just my cup of tea. If I were her, I would have been out of that house on day 1 though! What I didn't want was a ghost story- I never read those but this isn't that. I won't say what exactly it is, but it's worth a read!
April 27, 2025
The main character of this book was so annoying - every second sentence out of her mouth (or in her thoughts) was “This is the first day of my new life” for 5 days… maybe it was ment to come off as a pep-talk but my god.
There wasn’t enough of a thrill with the mystery or general plot for this to be a great book.
2.5/5 rounded up
There wasn’t enough of a thrill with the mystery or general plot for this to be a great book.
2.5/5 rounded up
July 3, 2023
Sigh. The blurb said gripping psychological thriller. Needless to say it was none if those things.
June 13, 2025
Bad writing. Lots of grammatical errors which drove me crazy! Very repetitive. Ending was rushed and anticlimactic. Didn’t love the main character
May 1, 2025
Has the reader of my review ever been to an Airb&b that was just a tad strange and caused you to question whether you should stay or not? My husband and my very first try at it was that way. I had booked it for us in Chicago and the description looked like exactly what we’d like to try…okay, what I’d like to try and good sport husband went along with it. The hand drawn picture of the “art gallery” we were to stay in looked great and the description was appealing as well. I am not unfamiliar with Chicago so I felt the choice was in a good place. Well, the building where multiple artists were supposedly living in, looked a bit shabby after we found it, but in we went. As we got to the second floor up some dusty stairs, we were greeted by a friend of the woman renting the place. She was out of the country and we hadn’t known she wouldn’t be there. . The place was a mess, with two twin mattresses on the floor that had been used by whomever, the kitchen disheveled, and the bathroom not inviting at all. He stated that we would be using the owner’s bed and thus didn’t have to worry about the beds on the floor. We could use the balcony to relax on but at night we should lock ourselves in with the chain and padlock provided, as there had been instances of people climbing onto the balcony and trying to break into the “gallery”. Then he said, we didn’t have to stay if we didn’t want to.
But we said we would, I stripped the bed we were to use, found a washer in the kitchen, and started getting the sheets clean just in case they weren’t, before we went to dinner. We discovered a delightful neighborhood and a good play. After the play we went back to our fabulous Airbnb, put the sheets in the dryer, and found a place to have a late night dessert while the sheets were drying. We went back to our room, chained ourselves in for the night, sort of cleaned ourselves up in the morning and left.
I tell you this story, so you might understand that while Lauren, the protagonist of this book knew she should have left the place people who hired her for an HR position rented for her, but she didn’t. Every page you read will have you saying, “get the hell out of there” but she stuck it out. She wanted to complete her training, and she felt terribly sorry for the elderly couple who owned the old, tired house that was advertised as an Airb&b.
There are many twists and turns to this page turner and the incredibly-talented narrator of the audio version, which I used, made it even better.
But we said we would, I stripped the bed we were to use, found a washer in the kitchen, and started getting the sheets clean just in case they weren’t, before we went to dinner. We discovered a delightful neighborhood and a good play. After the play we went back to our fabulous Airbnb, put the sheets in the dryer, and found a place to have a late night dessert while the sheets were drying. We went back to our room, chained ourselves in for the night, sort of cleaned ourselves up in the morning and left.
I tell you this story, so you might understand that while Lauren, the protagonist of this book knew she should have left the place people who hired her for an HR position rented for her, but she didn’t. Every page you read will have you saying, “get the hell out of there” but she stuck it out. She wanted to complete her training, and she felt terribly sorry for the elderly couple who owned the old, tired house that was advertised as an Airb&b.
There are many twists and turns to this page turner and the incredibly-talented narrator of the audio version, which I used, made it even better.
August 13, 2023
loved this book!
I loved this book it was so good. Hooked from page one. Must read. Very well written. Love the old couple.
I loved this book it was so good. Hooked from page one. Must read. Very well written. Love the old couple.
May 12, 2025
THIS BOOK SUCKED . I was too far in to do a DNF. Oh my god. It was repetitive, it was sluggish, it was exasperating, and to be very blunt: revolting. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
May 30, 2025
3.75, updating from storygraph
May 8, 2025
Way to whiney!
April 24, 2025
This book SUCKED. I like most thrillers but this one didnt even have a plot twist. Dont waste your time
June 19, 2023
There are two types of 'ratings' I give in my head when I read this genre. A good story with a disappointing ending OR a mediocre story that redeems itself with a great ending. This story for me with the first one. I was really liking the ominous creepy vibe of the story and storytelling for the majority of the story but it got to a point where it was obvious to me who Pete was and then then it devolved into a cliched shlocky ending. Not a bad read by any means, but nothing mind blowing. Or perhaps I'd feel differently it if was categorized differently.
March 28, 2024
This girl's ego is something else. 'I'm good at that.' 'I know I'm pretty.' Like wtf?!
It's very repetitive, 'the way I grew up'.
Also this girl is sooo stupid, why tell a stranger you just met where you are staying and who are you staying with?! Why are you leaving your stuff with him, while you're in the bathroom?!
I did enjoy the twists in the last few chapters! But overall, did not enjoy. Found it boring and not gripping.
It's very repetitive, 'the way I grew up'.
Also this girl is sooo stupid, why tell a stranger you just met where you are staying and who are you staying with?! Why are you leaving your stuff with him, while you're in the bathroom?!
I did enjoy the twists in the last few chapters! But overall, did not enjoy. Found it boring and not gripping.
July 31, 2023
It says “gripping psychological thriller” on the cover. Wich is not. I give it 2 stars anyway since the book entertained me. But it’s not a thriller and not at all scary. The ending was also a disappointment.
August 5, 2023
A fun, though creepy
A mysterious bed and breakfast, an old couple, and a creepy daughter, makes a young woman think she should find another place. Should she? A good piece of advice, Always listen to your gut.
A mysterious bed and breakfast, an old couple, and a creepy daughter, makes a young woman think she should find another place. Should she? A good piece of advice, Always listen to your gut.
July 5, 2023
OK.
Took a while to get to things. Thought it would be about something different. Not what I expected. Short book.
Took a while to get to things. Thought it would be about something different. Not what I expected. Short book.
September 29, 2025
A miss for me
Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me, and I’m settling on two stars. While the premise had plenty of potential for a dark and gripping thriller, the execution left me feeling detached and frustrated.
The main hurdle was the protagonist, Lauren. From the start, I struggled to connect with her. Her reactions felt inconsistent—one moment she’s upset at Peggy for not showing her to her room, and the next she’s warmed over by a simple breakfast offer. Throughout the book she often comes across as self-absorbed, torn between ignoring unsettling events and playing detective when it suits her. There are brief glimpses of empathy toward the Clifton family, but these moments are overshadowed by her constant inner turmoil and indecision.
Another drawback was the overemphasis on Lauren’s personal struggles, particularly her fixation on her ex, Graham. His presence looms over nearly every other chapter to the point that it became repetitive and pulled me out of the story. Similarly, the detailed focus on her HR classes and self-improvement journey felt oddly disproportionate in what is marketed as a thriller. Instead of adding depth, these sections often stalled the pace, making the narrative feel more like a personal diary than a suspenseful read.
The actual thriller elements were minimal until the last handful of chapters, and by then, the reveal didn’t land with the kind of impact I was hoping for. There were a few genuinely unsettling scenes—such as the eerie scratching noises Lauren hears outside her room—that hinted at the atmosphere this book could have delivered more consistently.
Overall, while there were flashes of suspense, they were too few and far between. The novel leaned more on personal growth than psychological tension, which left me unsatisfied.
Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me, and I’m settling on two stars. While the premise had plenty of potential for a dark and gripping thriller, the execution left me feeling detached and frustrated.
The main hurdle was the protagonist, Lauren. From the start, I struggled to connect with her. Her reactions felt inconsistent—one moment she’s upset at Peggy for not showing her to her room, and the next she’s warmed over by a simple breakfast offer. Throughout the book she often comes across as self-absorbed, torn between ignoring unsettling events and playing detective when it suits her. There are brief glimpses of empathy toward the Clifton family, but these moments are overshadowed by her constant inner turmoil and indecision.
Another drawback was the overemphasis on Lauren’s personal struggles, particularly her fixation on her ex, Graham. His presence looms over nearly every other chapter to the point that it became repetitive and pulled me out of the story. Similarly, the detailed focus on her HR classes and self-improvement journey felt oddly disproportionate in what is marketed as a thriller. Instead of adding depth, these sections often stalled the pace, making the narrative feel more like a personal diary than a suspenseful read.
The actual thriller elements were minimal until the last handful of chapters, and by then, the reveal didn’t land with the kind of impact I was hoping for. There were a few genuinely unsettling scenes—such as the eerie scratching noises Lauren hears outside her room—that hinted at the atmosphere this book could have delivered more consistently.
Overall, while there were flashes of suspense, they were too few and far between. The novel leaned more on personal growth than psychological tension, which left me unsatisfied.
May 28, 2025
it wasn't that bad. I was hoping the old couple was like the couple from Tales from the Darkside, but that would make this horror and not thriller.
the woman had a hard life growing up in foster care, wanted a better life and second guesses everything.
she also has an odd feeling living with an elderly forgetful couple for a bnb. most women would have walked out, but she stays, curious about their daughter who is coming to visit and the footsteps in the garden.
she meets a nice man on the bus, but like a friend I have, she too thinks he's a serial killer.
she had a break up with "the one" and couldn't let go and brought him up occasionally throughout the book.
overall, I didn't see the ending that this book was leading up to.
and I believe she might have found a healing a lot of us might need.
the woman had a hard life growing up in foster care, wanted a better life and second guesses everything.
she also has an odd feeling living with an elderly forgetful couple for a bnb. most women would have walked out, but she stays, curious about their daughter who is coming to visit and the footsteps in the garden.
she meets a nice man on the bus, but like a friend I have, she too thinks he's a serial killer.
she had a break up with "the one" and couldn't let go and brought him up occasionally throughout the book.
overall, I didn't see the ending that this book was leading up to.
and I believe she might have found a healing a lot of us might need.
May 24, 2023
Received an ARC from this author and the review I leave is both voluntary and honest.
This gripping story revolves around poor Lauren, who after a messy break up, tries to start rebuilding her life. She moves to a new city and starts a new job, which requires her to go on a training course and its then that her life goes spiralling out of control once again. Her new company arrange for her to stay in the spare room in the house of an elderly couple. Lauren tries to immerse herself in her course, but her nights are disturbed by strange noises in the house and shadowy whispering figures in the garden. Something sinister is going on behind the ever locked doors of number 47 Cranbourne Street and Lauren is determined to find out what.
This gripping story revolves around poor Lauren, who after a messy break up, tries to start rebuilding her life. She moves to a new city and starts a new job, which requires her to go on a training course and its then that her life goes spiralling out of control once again. Her new company arrange for her to stay in the spare room in the house of an elderly couple. Lauren tries to immerse herself in her course, but her nights are disturbed by strange noises in the house and shadowy whispering figures in the garden. Something sinister is going on behind the ever locked doors of number 47 Cranbourne Street and Lauren is determined to find out what.
July 18, 2025
I'm not mad at it! Spare Room turned out to be an engaging audiobook, featuring one of my favorite tropes—an old, batty British lady who adds an endearing, charming touch. The main character had her fair share of annoying moments, and at times, the dialogue felt a bit repetitive. However, the pacing struck a good balance, blending thrill and mystery in just the right proportions to maintain interest throughout. While it may not be the best book I've ever read, it had a unique premise, kept me entertained, and left me genuinely satisfied with its conclusion. If you enjoy a story with a solid mix of suspense, intrigue, and a dash of quirky characters, Spare Room is definitely worth your time.
September 15, 2025
meh.
Not terrible, but a little boring and slow. And I don't need to be told over and over and over again that she had a hard childhood and that she can't get over her ex, who took away all her self-confidence which is why she can't trust herself; after the first few times it felt like the author was beating me over the head with these details. And the main character was kind of all over the place, overwhelmed by anxiety and a need to please one minute and brash and brazen the next. It was well written enough to keep me from giving up entirely, but the overall storyline wasn't really interesting enough to warrant an entire book, in my opinion.
Not terrible, but a little boring and slow. And I don't need to be told over and over and over again that she had a hard childhood and that she can't get over her ex, who took away all her self-confidence which is why she can't trust herself; after the first few times it felt like the author was beating me over the head with these details. And the main character was kind of all over the place, overwhelmed by anxiety and a need to please one minute and brash and brazen the next. It was well written enough to keep me from giving up entirely, but the overall storyline wasn't really interesting enough to warrant an entire book, in my opinion.
July 28, 2023
Fast paced! Lauren’s new job books her accommodations at what she thinks is like a B&B but turns out a spare room in a creepy old house with creepy old people and it just gets creepier!
“What is going on?” I murmured as I turned each page!
So why the 3 Star rating? 2 things: I desperately wanted to get out of Laura’s head which was impossible bc it is written solely from that perspective. Her negative thoughts were forever repetitive. And next bc the ending was so unsatisfying! I expected a creepy ending to a creepy book but that didn’t happen.
“What is going on?” I murmured as I turned each page!
So why the 3 Star rating? 2 things: I desperately wanted to get out of Laura’s head which was impossible bc it is written solely from that perspective. Her negative thoughts were forever repetitive. And next bc the ending was so unsatisfying! I expected a creepy ending to a creepy book but that didn’t happen.
April 17, 2025
The Spare Room by M.I. Hattersley
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Imogen Church
📕 Genre: Psychological Thriller
📖 Read: April 2025
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.”
‧₊˚✧ 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬 ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ An Odd Couple with Dark Secrets
ꕥ Strange Noises in the Night
ꕥ Woman Looking to Start Over
This was a very interesting read. I will admit, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen, how it was going to end and who were the good guys and who were the bad ones. Definitely a compelling, fast paced thriller that had me guessing the entire time. Definitely worth the read!
𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥.𝘢𝘯𝘥.𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨/
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Imogen Church
📕 Genre: Psychological Thriller
📖 Read: April 2025
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.”
‧₊˚✧ 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬 ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ An Odd Couple with Dark Secrets
ꕥ Strange Noises in the Night
ꕥ Woman Looking to Start Over
This was a very interesting read. I will admit, I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen, how it was going to end and who were the good guys and who were the bad ones. Definitely a compelling, fast paced thriller that had me guessing the entire time. Definitely worth the read!
𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥.𝘢𝘯𝘥.𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨/
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews