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The House Sitter
THE PERFECT ESCAPE . . . OR THE PERFECT TRAP?
TWO WEEKS AGO
I woke up in a hotel room next to a dead man, with no memory of the night before.
Panicked, I cleared up any trace that I was there and fled.
ONE WEEK AGO
I was offered the perfect the chance to housesit a gorgeous villa in a remote corner of Italy.
Desperate to get away, I jumped at the chance.
NOW
The owners have unexpectedly shown up at the house. The only problem?
They're the family of the man I woke up next to, two weeks ago.
ONE OF THEM KNOWS MY SECRET.
AND THEY'VE COME TO FIND ME.
TWO WEEKS AGO
I woke up in a hotel room next to a dead man, with no memory of the night before.
Panicked, I cleared up any trace that I was there and fled.
ONE WEEK AGO
I was offered the perfect the chance to housesit a gorgeous villa in a remote corner of Italy.
Desperate to get away, I jumped at the chance.
NOW
The owners have unexpectedly shown up at the house. The only problem?
They're the family of the man I woke up next to, two weeks ago.
ONE OF THEM KNOWS MY SECRET.
AND THEY'VE COME TO FIND ME.
- GenresThriller
288 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2024
32 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
June 19, 2024
A family thriller kicking off with Aahnaya finding herself awake next to a dead man in a hotel room. She has no recollection of the previous evening or who the man is or how he has succumbed to his death. She flees the scene and takes an unexpected job as a house sitter in Italy. What she doesn’t expect is for the family of the deceased man to turn up at the villa she is at, and this starts the spiral of questions behind this families secrets and what piece of the puzzle she plays.
This was a good read, kept me engaged, a broken family, a lifetime of secrets and plenty of twists and turns.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my arc
This was a good read, kept me engaged, a broken family, a lifetime of secrets and plenty of twists and turns.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my arc
June 30, 2024
Just finished this tense and pulse-pounding thriller today and let me tell you something: you in for a treat. With a twist you won't see coming, this is the thriller that everyone should be reading! Mira Shah keeps getting better and better!
April 27, 2025
Fairly predictable to be honest. I liked the way different chapters were from different character’s perspective but it was annoying that it was the exact same parts of the story sometimes but just told from another point of view - I’d rather have it from their point of view but with new info added in/twists etc if that makes sense 🤣 The end dragged on. A lot of typos and mistakes which infuriates me…did it not get proofread?!
November 20, 2024
Aahnaya wakes up one morning in a bed in the London hotel where she works. Only she isn't alone. There's a man in the bed beside her. Aahnaya has no memory of the night before, so she tries to wake him up, hoping he would have some answers. But then she realises that he's dead. Terrified, she runs from the hotel and travels to a remote part of Italy, where she is to look after the holiday home of a wealthy family. It isn't until the family arrive, that she realises she's now stuck in this house with the family of the man from the hotel.
This one started off strong. I mean, there's nothing worse than waking up in a strange bed with a strange guy. Is there? Well, unless that guy is dead. I completely understand why Ana ran. Her time in Italy, before the family arrived, I'm not going to lie, was a little boring. Not much happened, and I found myself drifting a little when I was reading. However, once the family arrived, things started becoming a bit more lively and I found myself fully immersed in the story. I did think some of it seemed far-fetched and I felt like there were still a few unanswered questions at the end. However, overall it was a great thriller.
This one started off strong. I mean, there's nothing worse than waking up in a strange bed with a strange guy. Is there? Well, unless that guy is dead. I completely understand why Ana ran. Her time in Italy, before the family arrived, I'm not going to lie, was a little boring. Not much happened, and I found myself drifting a little when I was reading. However, once the family arrived, things started becoming a bit more lively and I found myself fully immersed in the story. I did think some of it seemed far-fetched and I felt like there were still a few unanswered questions at the end. However, overall it was a great thriller.
November 14, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up
I loved the beginning and the idea really intrigued me but after the first chapter I just got so bored? 5-50% felt like it was just character building and while normally i enjoy fully fleshed out characters it was just boring to read. I felt like i was dragging myself through. I started to get more interested at the 50% mark and couldn't put it down, but the ending let it down.
I loved the beginning and the idea really intrigued me but after the first chapter I just got so bored? 5-50% felt like it was just character building and while normally i enjoy fully fleshed out characters it was just boring to read. I felt like i was dragging myself through. I started to get more interested at the 50% mark and couldn't put it down, but the ending let it down.
December 24, 2024
Pretty good thriller starting in London then moving to Italy. Quite a few characters with plenty of secrets between them. Found it jumped around quite a bit with the different characters and now/then but overall an enjoyable read.
January 16, 2025
Enjoyed it! A nice, twisty, turny and easy read. I genuinely couldn’t wait to get back to it. I do enjoy watching the rich elites of society turn on each other and watch their lives crumble to nothing. I’m a nice person like that ☺️☺️🖤
Read
November 15, 2024Couldn’t get into this one, so much drivel and it doesn’t grab attention in the slightest
January 3, 2025
Good plot, not too much detail, just enough to set the scene. Few good twists.
January 23, 2025
It was so predictable and boring but short so it deserves a two
June 28, 2025
Wasn’t too sure about it at first but improved as got further into the book. A nice read that kept you guessing.
April 16, 2025
This book keeps you guessing, makes you ask a lot of questions. Felt there were a lot of characters with similar names so kept getting confused 🤣
July 31, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, it was very intriguing and it had so much tension between the characters which made me LOVE it even more and kept it very interesting. At times I couldn’t put the book down! And that’s what a book should make you feel. I am still shocked and speechless at some moments within the book.
I would highly recommend people to read this book!
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would highly recommend people to read this book!
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 18, 2025
Two weeks ago, Aahnaya awoke in a hotel room beside a dead man, with no memory of the night before. Panicked, she erased all traces and fled. A week later, she jumped at the chance to housesit a stunning villa in remote Italy her perfect escape. But when the owners arrive unexpectedly, she realises they’re the family of the man she left behind. One of them knows her secret and they’re here to find her.
I enjoyed it, it was quick paced and straight to the point. Would definitely recommend
I enjoyed it, it was quick paced and straight to the point. Would definitely recommend
August 29, 2025
At times this felt repetitive but the twist was pretty good
November 20, 2024
1.5 ⭐️ Preposterous, far-fetched and way too convoluted. The author tried to fit in way too many secrets/twists.
May 8, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I loved loved loved Mira's previous book, Her, and was so excited to read her follow-up. One thing is for sure, she doesn't have to worry about whether this will live up to the first book as it's as good and as intriguing.
There are several characters, our main being Aahnaya, the woman who wakes up next to a dead man. Then we have his family, his mother and his siblings and in-laws, as well as the mysterious Marina. So there's not too many characters to keep hold of.
It's mainly from Aahnaya's point of view, from the time of the event and the weeks after when she's house sitting. This is handled very well and it flits back and forth very smoothly. We also get the viewpoint of Carole, his mother, who gives us a completely different perspective of the goings-ons. There is also a few chapters from the viewpoint of this Marina (I won't go into who that is), who is a great contrast to everyone else. So that's three viewpoints in total and that's a good amount. There's not so many that you get confused, but it's enough for us to get our teeth into.
There was a substory regarding Marina which I wasn't as keen on, but it did help give an extra layer to the character.
It is mostly set in the now, in the 'after' of the event, but there are flashbacks from before the event, just before the event, the moment of, and just after, and it all works seamlessly.
I thought it was an interesting look at the differences between the haves and the have-nots, whether money is the most important thing, or whether family is, whether money can buy you anything, and when it becomes a curse, the differences between the bosses and the staff, those seemed to be lesser than others.
It's a relatively short book, at less than 300 pages. This helps with the thrill of it. It's not a very fast book, nor is it too slow; a lot is character creation, setting creation, building upon what's happened, getting under the skin of everyone an beneath the layers of the story, rather than action, which leaves you on edge and eager to find out what happens but desperate not to finish it too soon.
I will contradict what I said above slightly in that it is slow to begin with, but in a good way. It gives you time to get t know everyone and settle in, and then the last...quarter I'd say is very full-on. Again, not of action, but of dialogue, of conversation, of memories. It's a fascinating way of reaching the conclusion in a natural but explosive way.
For a book that is mostly set in just one house, this had the potential to be a bit insular and repetitive, but if anything, it adds to the claustrophobia of the situation, meaning you have no choice but to focus on the people and what they're saying and what they're doing, rather than being distracted by everything else going on.
It's riveting and addictive and all consuming, full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks (some that was more guessable than others, but that didn't impact the effectiveness of them). She's created a group of fantastically written characters, if not all likeable. It's full of truths and lies, secrets and promises kept and broken.
Did I prefer Her over this one? Ever so slightly, a smidgen, barely noticeable. I can't tell you exactly why, it's just a feeling. But this is no less fabulous and has definitely cemented Mira as a very talented thriller writer. She has no worries about the second novel curse, and I'm definitely excited about what else she produces.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I loved loved loved Mira's previous book, Her, and was so excited to read her follow-up. One thing is for sure, she doesn't have to worry about whether this will live up to the first book as it's as good and as intriguing.
There are several characters, our main being Aahnaya, the woman who wakes up next to a dead man. Then we have his family, his mother and his siblings and in-laws, as well as the mysterious Marina. So there's not too many characters to keep hold of.
It's mainly from Aahnaya's point of view, from the time of the event and the weeks after when she's house sitting. This is handled very well and it flits back and forth very smoothly. We also get the viewpoint of Carole, his mother, who gives us a completely different perspective of the goings-ons. There is also a few chapters from the viewpoint of this Marina (I won't go into who that is), who is a great contrast to everyone else. So that's three viewpoints in total and that's a good amount. There's not so many that you get confused, but it's enough for us to get our teeth into.
There was a substory regarding Marina which I wasn't as keen on, but it did help give an extra layer to the character.
It is mostly set in the now, in the 'after' of the event, but there are flashbacks from before the event, just before the event, the moment of, and just after, and it all works seamlessly.
I thought it was an interesting look at the differences between the haves and the have-nots, whether money is the most important thing, or whether family is, whether money can buy you anything, and when it becomes a curse, the differences between the bosses and the staff, those seemed to be lesser than others.
It's a relatively short book, at less than 300 pages. This helps with the thrill of it. It's not a very fast book, nor is it too slow; a lot is character creation, setting creation, building upon what's happened, getting under the skin of everyone an beneath the layers of the story, rather than action, which leaves you on edge and eager to find out what happens but desperate not to finish it too soon.
I will contradict what I said above slightly in that it is slow to begin with, but in a good way. It gives you time to get t know everyone and settle in, and then the last...quarter I'd say is very full-on. Again, not of action, but of dialogue, of conversation, of memories. It's a fascinating way of reaching the conclusion in a natural but explosive way.
For a book that is mostly set in just one house, this had the potential to be a bit insular and repetitive, but if anything, it adds to the claustrophobia of the situation, meaning you have no choice but to focus on the people and what they're saying and what they're doing, rather than being distracted by everything else going on.
It's riveting and addictive and all consuming, full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks (some that was more guessable than others, but that didn't impact the effectiveness of them). She's created a group of fantastically written characters, if not all likeable. It's full of truths and lies, secrets and promises kept and broken.
Did I prefer Her over this one? Ever so slightly, a smidgen, barely noticeable. I can't tell you exactly why, it's just a feeling. But this is no less fabulous and has definitely cemented Mira as a very talented thriller writer. She has no worries about the second novel curse, and I'm definitely excited about what else she produces.
June 16, 2024
I got an invitation from Hodder and Stoughton to do a review on Mira Shah's latest novel The House Sitter. I read her previous novel Her which I enjoyed so much and was actually waiting to read more of her books.
Aahnaya finds herself waking up next to a dead man with no memories of what happened the previous night. In a state of panic, she flees the scene and returns back to the apartment. Through the news, she finds that the dead man's name is Sebastian Lowden and is the CEO of the Lowden company. A woman was apparently found fleeing the scene and although Aahnaya knew that it was her, the police believed that the woman was none other than a woman named Marina who bore a resemblance to Aahnaya. Then Aahnaya gets an invitation to house sit a villa in Italy and she goes there, only to find that the Lowdens own the villa. The Lowdens didn't hire the housesitter--who sent Aahnaya the invitation? Is it Marina?
I actually liked the first few chapters of the book--it was intense, the family dynamics was also intense and the suspect behind Sebastian's murder is unknown. However, after 50% of the book, the book kind of got a bit unrealistic with too much of family drama that you feel like you are watching a soap opera. The ending could have been a little better. Even though this wasn't as great as Her book, this book wasn't really bad and for once who like family drama, then this would be a good thriller for you--worth four stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Aahnaya finds herself waking up next to a dead man with no memories of what happened the previous night. In a state of panic, she flees the scene and returns back to the apartment. Through the news, she finds that the dead man's name is Sebastian Lowden and is the CEO of the Lowden company. A woman was apparently found fleeing the scene and although Aahnaya knew that it was her, the police believed that the woman was none other than a woman named Marina who bore a resemblance to Aahnaya. Then Aahnaya gets an invitation to house sit a villa in Italy and she goes there, only to find that the Lowdens own the villa. The Lowdens didn't hire the housesitter--who sent Aahnaya the invitation? Is it Marina?
I actually liked the first few chapters of the book--it was intense, the family dynamics was also intense and the suspect behind Sebastian's murder is unknown. However, after 50% of the book, the book kind of got a bit unrealistic with too much of family drama that you feel like you are watching a soap opera. The ending could have been a little better. Even though this wasn't as great as Her book, this book wasn't really bad and for once who like family drama, then this would be a good thriller for you--worth four stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
May 7, 2024
2.5 stars
Having enjoyed this authors previous book Her, when I was offered the chance by the publisher to read an advance copy of her latest release, I jumped at the chance.
Once again, I found the writing style easy to read and it all flowed well.
I did like how we got different characters POV's throughout the story as I wasn't expecting it to be there and this did help add some depth to the plot.
Right from the start I was enjoying reading it, but unfortunately I was never invested in the plot or the characters.
This is packed full of rich people drama and that I really liked.
BUT.
The last 40% of this book did go downhill for me. I began to find all the drama overwhelming and as I never cared about the characters it was hard to care about what was going on. It felt like it all became overly complicated and it did feel very dragged out. The plot took WAY too long to wrap up in my opinion.
Right from the start this had 3 star vibes written all over it and unfortunately it never once felt like anything special. Which is a shame because it did start off strong, but I did end it feeling disappointed. I much preferred this authors previous book.
If you are looking for a mystery, domestic fiction, rich people drama book this may be for you, but it didn't quite work for me.
Expected publication date 20 June 2024
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
Having enjoyed this authors previous book Her, when I was offered the chance by the publisher to read an advance copy of her latest release, I jumped at the chance.
Once again, I found the writing style easy to read and it all flowed well.
I did like how we got different characters POV's throughout the story as I wasn't expecting it to be there and this did help add some depth to the plot.
Right from the start I was enjoying reading it, but unfortunately I was never invested in the plot or the characters.
This is packed full of rich people drama and that I really liked.
BUT.
The last 40% of this book did go downhill for me. I began to find all the drama overwhelming and as I never cared about the characters it was hard to care about what was going on. It felt like it all became overly complicated and it did feel very dragged out. The plot took WAY too long to wrap up in my opinion.
Right from the start this had 3 star vibes written all over it and unfortunately it never once felt like anything special. Which is a shame because it did start off strong, but I did end it feeling disappointed. I much preferred this authors previous book.
If you are looking for a mystery, domestic fiction, rich people drama book this may be for you, but it didn't quite work for me.
Expected publication date 20 June 2024
Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
June 26, 2024
Super twisty and a clever plot. This book had me gripped from the very start.
Aahnaya wakes to find herself in bed with a man at the hotel she works at, and he's dead! She doesn't know who he is and has no memories of the previous evening, so she is relieved to be asked to take a housesitting job at a villa in Italy, hoping she can hide out for a while. Until the family of the deceased man arrive at the villa - their family holiday home! Someone has engineered this whole set up but Aahnaya has no idea who and why she is involved.
When a storm cuts them off from the main town, this quickly turns into a locked room thriller and the family secrets come tumbling out, with some shocking reveals and some twists that I could never have seen coming. The writing is engaging and the characters, while not necessarily likeable, are fascinating, in a twisted way! A faced paced and very enjoyable read.
My personal favourite part is this: "You know ... you never told me your name, she continues, unaware of my inner torment.
'Oh, it's Aahnaya.'
Her expression goes slack. This happens a lot.
'It's not a name you hear often, I know. I chose it myself. They used to call me Sharon. I mean, come on! How ridiculous is that?''
So I'm considering a name change - I'll keep you posted! Sharon x
4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Mira V. Shah and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.
Aahnaya wakes to find herself in bed with a man at the hotel she works at, and he's dead! She doesn't know who he is and has no memories of the previous evening, so she is relieved to be asked to take a housesitting job at a villa in Italy, hoping she can hide out for a while. Until the family of the deceased man arrive at the villa - their family holiday home! Someone has engineered this whole set up but Aahnaya has no idea who and why she is involved.
When a storm cuts them off from the main town, this quickly turns into a locked room thriller and the family secrets come tumbling out, with some shocking reveals and some twists that I could never have seen coming. The writing is engaging and the characters, while not necessarily likeable, are fascinating, in a twisted way! A faced paced and very enjoyable read.
My personal favourite part is this: "You know ... you never told me your name, she continues, unaware of my inner torment.
'Oh, it's Aahnaya.'
Her expression goes slack. This happens a lot.
'It's not a name you hear often, I know. I chose it myself. They used to call me Sharon. I mean, come on! How ridiculous is that?''
So I'm considering a name change - I'll keep you posted! Sharon x
4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Mira V. Shah and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.
January 1, 2025
I almost gave up on this within the first 30 pages, because I couldn't get used to the writing style, but promised myself to give it until page 50 ... and on page 47 I had not only gotten used to it, but the book took a turn that made me drop any ideas of giving up on it!
The book is split up into three acts, and the first one is definitely just to set the scene - the book gets a lot more interesting in the second two, with the last one almost reminding me of "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Knives Out" in the way it goes through all the suspects, all the possibilities, and all the new secrets that are revealed on almost every page. By that time it had definitely turned into a page turner, and I had to know what happened next.
In the end, it mostly delivered. Most of the ends were tired up, and most of my questions were answered (with one glaring omission, where I'm wondering if I just accidentally skip past it), and the motive kinda made sense.
So a good book, but not a great one.
... but seriously - can anybody tell me who actually invited Aahnaya to house sit, and why she looked so much like Marina???
The book is split up into three acts, and the first one is definitely just to set the scene - the book gets a lot more interesting in the second two, with the last one almost reminding me of "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Knives Out" in the way it goes through all the suspects, all the possibilities, and all the new secrets that are revealed on almost every page. By that time it had definitely turned into a page turner, and I had to know what happened next.
In the end, it mostly delivered. Most of the ends were tired up, and most of my questions were answered (with one glaring omission, where I'm wondering if I just accidentally skip past it), and the motive kinda made sense.
So a good book, but not a great one.
... but seriously - can anybody tell me who actually invited Aahnaya to house sit, and why she looked so much like Marina???
May 12, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The House Sitter by Mira V Shah is an easy-to-read, twisty, "rich people drama" psychological thriller with different characters ' POVs throughout the story. I must say I found it hard to connect with the characters. None of them felt reliable. I liked the end of the book as many secrets were open and so many things made sense!
How would you feel to wake up in the hotel room next to a dead body with no memory of what happened last night?
How would you feel if you found out there was more than one body in the hotel that night?
You would run! So when Aahnaya received an offer to house-sit a villa in a remote corner of Italy she jumped at the chance without a second thought! Did she escape? Unfortunately NO! The villa she house-sits belongs to the other dead body family and now they all are there... So as we can guess things get complicated and many carefully hidden secrets will come out leaving you with an open mouth!
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this copy!
The House Sitter by Mira V Shah is an easy-to-read, twisty, "rich people drama" psychological thriller with different characters ' POVs throughout the story. I must say I found it hard to connect with the characters. None of them felt reliable. I liked the end of the book as many secrets were open and so many things made sense!
How would you feel to wake up in the hotel room next to a dead body with no memory of what happened last night?
How would you feel if you found out there was more than one body in the hotel that night?
You would run! So when Aahnaya received an offer to house-sit a villa in a remote corner of Italy she jumped at the chance without a second thought! Did she escape? Unfortunately NO! The villa she house-sits belongs to the other dead body family and now they all are there... So as we can guess things get complicated and many carefully hidden secrets will come out leaving you with an open mouth!
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this copy!
May 14, 2024
An intoxicating blend of Italian sunshine and family secrets. I really enjoyed Mira's first story and was very glad to have the chance to read an early copy of The House Sitter.
Aahnaya wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead man. He's a complete stranger to her and she has no memory of what happened to lead her to this predicament. She quickly flees the hotel, and finds that she has been offered a dream house sitting role looking after a villa in the Italian mountains. When she arrives there, the other staff are surprised to see her but quickly make her welcome. The British family who own the villa then turn up, also unaware that Aahnaya is there. There's a link between them and the dead man which comes as a huge shock to Aahnaya.
The story is told from multiple points of view, Aahnaya herself, then Carole, the matriarch of the family, and the mysterious Marina, The stories are interwoven wonderfully, with time jumping back and forward to build a fabulously rich atmospheric and detailed story.
Aahnaya wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead man. He's a complete stranger to her and she has no memory of what happened to lead her to this predicament. She quickly flees the hotel, and finds that she has been offered a dream house sitting role looking after a villa in the Italian mountains. When she arrives there, the other staff are surprised to see her but quickly make her welcome. The British family who own the villa then turn up, also unaware that Aahnaya is there. There's a link between them and the dead man which comes as a huge shock to Aahnaya.
The story is told from multiple points of view, Aahnaya herself, then Carole, the matriarch of the family, and the mysterious Marina, The stories are interwoven wonderfully, with time jumping back and forward to build a fabulously rich atmospheric and detailed story.
June 6, 2024
Aahnaya wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead man with no idea what happened. Panicked, she flees to Italy to house sit and is later surprised when the family who own the house turn up. The only problem is they are the dead man’s family. Will they figure out the hidden secrets?
On reading the synopsis I thought this sounded like an intriguing storyline with plenty of mystery. The story is told in different voices which was interesting and there are quite a few characters involved, however many are unlikeable. I did find that some characters had similar sounding names, which sometimes threw me slightly, although this wasn’t a major issue.
I found the pacing to be a bit off and I didn’t really connect with the story, struggling to remain invested. However saying that, this definitely wasn’t a bad novel and I can see others finding this an enjoyable mystery with plenty of drama. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
On reading the synopsis I thought this sounded like an intriguing storyline with plenty of mystery. The story is told in different voices which was interesting and there are quite a few characters involved, however many are unlikeable. I did find that some characters had similar sounding names, which sometimes threw me slightly, although this wasn’t a major issue.
I found the pacing to be a bit off and I didn’t really connect with the story, struggling to remain invested. However saying that, this definitely wasn’t a bad novel and I can see others finding this an enjoyable mystery with plenty of drama. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
June 16, 2024
This is mainly told from the point of view from Aahnaya. She wakes one morning and finds herself next to a dead man. She has no idea who he is or how she ended up there. It is in the hotel where she works.
Aahnaya also house sits, so when she sees a job come up to look after a villa in Italy, she decides to go.
The Lowden family comprises the mother, Carole, and her adult children, Daniel, Miranda, and Jasper.
Marina, Seba's friend. She is looking for answers and to what happened to her mother.
When all these characters come together, there are plenty of revelations. Some were a shock, and others I had already guessed.
Quite an enjoyable read with some unlikeable characters. I loved the setting. Once they were in the villa and then cut off from the rest of the village after the storm gave it a more sinister atmosphere.
I would say I'm not sure why two characters were given similar names, I found it confusing at times.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the invitation to read this in return for an honest review.
Aahnaya also house sits, so when she sees a job come up to look after a villa in Italy, she decides to go.
The Lowden family comprises the mother, Carole, and her adult children, Daniel, Miranda, and Jasper.
Marina, Seba's friend. She is looking for answers and to what happened to her mother.
When all these characters come together, there are plenty of revelations. Some were a shock, and others I had already guessed.
Quite an enjoyable read with some unlikeable characters. I loved the setting. Once they were in the villa and then cut off from the rest of the village after the storm gave it a more sinister atmosphere.
I would say I'm not sure why two characters were given similar names, I found it confusing at times.
Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the invitation to read this in return for an honest review.
August 26, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Aahnaya wakes up one morning in a hotel, the hotel where she works, next to a dead man. Aahnaya has no memory of how she came to be there and has no idea who the man is, so she runs. She is then contacted to house sit for a familys empty property in Italy. She jumps at the chance as this is her way of ridding herself from the situation until everything calms down. But the situation darkens, until it comes to its final conclusion.
This started off quite slowly, and really built up the tension throughout. The characters were perfectly written, and all had flaws and some of them were perfectly irritating. I liked the way the story was written and weaved all the elements together to reach the conclusion. The descriptives used to describe Italy were lovely, and made me want to book a ticket there. Overall, a solid and twisty thriller.
Aahnaya wakes up one morning in a hotel, the hotel where she works, next to a dead man. Aahnaya has no memory of how she came to be there and has no idea who the man is, so she runs. She is then contacted to house sit for a familys empty property in Italy. She jumps at the chance as this is her way of ridding herself from the situation until everything calms down. But the situation darkens, until it comes to its final conclusion.
This started off quite slowly, and really built up the tension throughout. The characters were perfectly written, and all had flaws and some of them were perfectly irritating. I liked the way the story was written and weaved all the elements together to reach the conclusion. The descriptives used to describe Italy were lovely, and made me want to book a ticket there. Overall, a solid and twisty thriller.
March 23, 2024
With many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily
I was completely blown away by Mira V Shah’s debut novel so I was super excited to get the chance to read her follow up. And boy what a follow up! This is a brilliant story perfectly plotted and executed. Beautifully written and the author sets the scene to perfection giving the reader a true sense of being in Italy. Mira’s ability to completely draw the reader in is incredible and leads to a captivating and engrossing read. A tangled web of secrets and lies is weaved throughout the book and just when you think the author has delivered the final twist she throws in a quite brilliant last chapter. Another fabulous read sees Mira V Shah becoming a definate go-to author for me. Mesmerising
June 23, 2024
I loved this author’s previous book, Her, so I was looking forward to reading this standalone thriller. A fairly short read but, to be honest, it doesn’t need to be any longer; it packs a punch & delivers on plot so no further explanation is necessary.
Aahnaya wakes in a hotel bedroom next to a corpse. She doesn’t know who he is or what has happened, so she makes herself scarce. Fast forward a couple of weeks & Aahnaya has secured a house sitting job in Italy, perfect for her to try & sort herself out. Unfortunately, when the family arrive at the house, they are the family of the dead man. Let the games commence…
Well paced with a relatively small cast of characters, this was an enjoyable read. Flitting between timelines, plenty of secrets are revealed including where exactly Aahnaya fits in it all. Recommended.
Aahnaya wakes in a hotel bedroom next to a corpse. She doesn’t know who he is or what has happened, so she makes herself scarce. Fast forward a couple of weeks & Aahnaya has secured a house sitting job in Italy, perfect for her to try & sort herself out. Unfortunately, when the family arrive at the house, they are the family of the dead man. Let the games commence…
Well paced with a relatively small cast of characters, this was an enjoyable read. Flitting between timelines, plenty of secrets are revealed including where exactly Aahnaya fits in it all. Recommended.
April 9, 2024
Desperate to get away from the situation where she found herself waking up in bed next to a corpse, Aahnaya takes what seems like a heaven sent opportunity to be far away from that mess by going to Italy for a house sitting gig in a remote part of the country.
To her horror, she discovers that the people who own the property are in fact the family of the dead man. Her presence there is clearly no accident, let alone an escape...
This is an interesting, if occasionally a little unevenly paced, story about secrets, lies and the ways in which they can play out. Overall, an enjoyable read, it gets 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
To her horror, she discovers that the people who own the property are in fact the family of the dead man. Her presence there is clearly no accident, let alone an escape...
This is an interesting, if occasionally a little unevenly paced, story about secrets, lies and the ways in which they can play out. Overall, an enjoyable read, it gets 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
June 21, 2024
While reading 'The House Sitter', I was reminded of episodes of 'Murder, She Wrote'.
The suspects are all brought together; they each provide an account of events; the crime-solving sleuth joins the dots and presents the culprit.
I enjoyed the author's first book, 'Her', and read 'The House Sitter' because I was sent an advance copy. Unfortunately for me, this book fell short of being "different" or a "standout" read. The storytelling felt uncoordinated, with the second act feeling drawn out and the third act really picking up the pace, to the point where I was left wondering — what was that ending!?!
A good, easy read, requiring very little brain activity!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the early copy.
The suspects are all brought together; they each provide an account of events; the crime-solving sleuth joins the dots and presents the culprit.
I enjoyed the author's first book, 'Her', and read 'The House Sitter' because I was sent an advance copy. Unfortunately for me, this book fell short of being "different" or a "standout" read. The storytelling felt uncoordinated, with the second act feeling drawn out and the third act really picking up the pace, to the point where I was left wondering — what was that ending!?!
A good, easy read, requiring very little brain activity!
Thanks, NetGalley, for the early copy.
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