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The Weekend Guests: A Novel
A weekend on the wild, beautiful Dorset coast. Seven adults, six kids. A childminder, the ultimate special treat.
It should be old friends, a stunning house, champagne and wind-strung beaches. But it isn't. Relationships won't stay still. Memories won't stay put. Then the parents take a night out, and come back to catastrophe.
Fourteen years earlier, five students made an irrevocable one they thought no-one else knew about. Until now.
It should be old friends, a stunning house, champagne and wind-strung beaches. But it isn't. Relationships won't stay still. Memories won't stay put. Then the parents take a night out, and come back to catastrophe.
Fourteen years earlier, five students made an irrevocable one they thought no-one else knew about. Until now.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published May 9, 2024
281 people are currently reading
17280 people want to read
About the author
Liza North
2 books91 followersLiza North is a Scottish-based writer of psychological thrillers, OBSESSED and THE WEEKEND GUESTS. She has appeared at various crime and literary festivals and was longlisted for the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey ILP (New Blood) Dagger in 2024.
Also an academic and former journalist, Liza has a BA from Oxford University and a PhD in Philosophy from University College London, and has written for the Financial Times and Guardian. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader, and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters.
Find her on Bluesky, Facebook, X or Instagram as @lizanorthwriter.
Also an academic and former journalist, Liza has a BA from Oxford University and a PhD in Philosophy from University College London, and has written for the Financial Times and Guardian. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader, and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters.
Find her on Bluesky, Facebook, X or Instagram as @lizanorthwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
September 27, 2024
ARC for review. To be published January 28, 2025.
I literally just wrote this same thing about another thriller that I reviewed, I think it was day before yesterday…another day, another fair-to-middling thriller. Maybe GONE GIRL was the last truly original thriller idea out there? I mean, there are some that are better than others, sure, but when was the last time you were truly THRILLED by a thriller. For me, definitely GONE GIRL.
But, I digress. Here, five university friends, Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael and Brandon reunite, with most of their spouses, significant others and children (and, if at any point, you have any idea which children belong to which people you are a far, far better person than I) at Aline’s splendid house by the sea (why is it, in these friendship union books, that if there’s a group of more than two, someone has always become rich? I had a group of friends from high school. None of us are billionaires. J.D. Vance would say it is because we’re those lazy Appalachians who didn’t try hard enough. But he, my friends, is a clueless asshole.)
And, again, I digress. This is not just a happy reunion. Aline has called them all together because someone is threatening to expose a secret they share, a crime they committed. Aline is sure one of the five is turning on the others (um, turn on Aline. She’s the one you want to blackmail, amirite?) So who is it?
Like I said, this is fine. As per Chekhov’s rule the big finish will surprise no one. If it sounds like something you might like, give it a try.
I literally just wrote this same thing about another thriller that I reviewed, I think it was day before yesterday…another day, another fair-to-middling thriller. Maybe GONE GIRL was the last truly original thriller idea out there? I mean, there are some that are better than others, sure, but when was the last time you were truly THRILLED by a thriller. For me, definitely GONE GIRL.
But, I digress. Here, five university friends, Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael and Brandon reunite, with most of their spouses, significant others and children (and, if at any point, you have any idea which children belong to which people you are a far, far better person than I) at Aline’s splendid house by the sea (why is it, in these friendship union books, that if there’s a group of more than two, someone has always become rich? I had a group of friends from high school. None of us are billionaires. J.D. Vance would say it is because we’re those lazy Appalachians who didn’t try hard enough. But he, my friends, is a clueless asshole.)
And, again, I digress. This is not just a happy reunion. Aline has called them all together because someone is threatening to expose a secret they share, a crime they committed. Aline is sure one of the five is turning on the others (um, turn on Aline. She’s the one you want to blackmail, amirite?) So who is it?
Like I said, this is fine. As per Chekhov’s rule the big finish will surprise no one. If it sounds like something you might like, give it a try.
February 8, 2025
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
What does it show that the only character you felt the most sympathy for was the one character you should not be feeling sympathetic towards?!
Okay, to be fair, it did keep my interest. In the sense, that the way the author shifted each specific perspective was vague, and yet, it was still obvious, in the sense, that you can assess that this one person was the culprit, and that as the pieces aligned, you got the sense of which direction it was heading in, when suddenly BOOM it hits you with something completely out of the blue, and yet, it still works, because as it would be said, 'it was serendipity, showing me the way. Pure good luck.' 🥺
And when The Weekend Guests do arrive at the hostess with the mostest, Aline's house for a quiet welcoming retreat, perhaps, it was fate that had them all gathered here together, each judging the other, each unlikeable as the next, each with their own buried secrets ready to come to light. 🤨 I don't think I cared much for them, since as dark academia vibes go - they pretty much followed the typical pattern. It was perhaps each of their endgame that had me feeling slightly disheartened by. That it was not what I think some deserved, and yet, again, 'he would have called it fate.' 😔
“Or perhaps it’s all the things that aren’t being said.They baffle me, these people.”
For so much of their interaction was only ever observed through the narrative in the past. So, in that sense, much of the present's point of view is deceptively misleading, which makes it difficult for me to care for any of them in the present. We get to see how each has their own grievances they're ready to air out, not to mention their own modus operandi, but it is how everything falls apart so hastily after such a cryptic build-up was worth waiting for. 😞
I wasn't too keen on the elusive tie-in of geology; I mean, I see the reasoning behind it, but it didn't merit much of an impact. I tried, really I did - but I don't think it was necessary. 🤔 I do feel that too much screen time dedicated to one character's psychosis could have been trimmed down; it felt a bit too much of a stretch, while also making me feel that what happened in the end was a bit unfair. I know! It is wrong, considering, well, y'know - spoiler.. So much time and energy was spent in building up a persona that could have been condensed in a way to allow the other characters to have some personality - rather than just have them deceptively one-tracked view. It made the set up easy for the reader not to entirely empathize with the group of friends. 🤷🏻♀️
“The course of true love, sometimes, is a one-way ticket to despair.”
And that is the other part that struck a nerve with me of how the entire premise was really showing what does friendship mean - a way of showing the averse sides of what a friend means - to see how one can either place too much value in hoping for one, to try and stronghold one into following one's motives, while also sacrificing too much in the face of saving one. 🥺 The sacrifices, as well as the desperation that takes a hold of us in our attempts to cling onto even a false pretense in the hopes that it can be our salvation. 'I just wanted to spend time with you. Is that so wrong?' At times, I felt it was an unfair portrayal of a culprit, who was also an undeserving victim, as well. Yes, our past does play a part in shaping our characters, but to have it disregarded as such felt wrong to me; even when justice was served, it was on the bitter end, which did not leave me feeling with much closure. 😕
I will say, though, I was invested; it was a good mystery. 👍🏻 Yes, I continued reading onward because I needed to know if my own assumptions would be accurate. It starts off an eerie note that alternates between different timelines, ultimately leading up to the final moment. For when the stars do align, I really was gobsmacked and I do applaud the author for making sure that you have to keep reading, otherwise, you will miss out. 👏🏻👏🏻 And as much as there are some parts of it that could have been handled differently, and even though it is a bit of a predictable stretch, the fact that I did have the 'oh' moment of surprise is something I have to take into account and appreciate how it did play out.
“Some things you won’t be allowed to forget.”
What does it show that the only character you felt the most sympathy for was the one character you should not be feeling sympathetic towards?!
Okay, to be fair, it did keep my interest. In the sense, that the way the author shifted each specific perspective was vague, and yet, it was still obvious, in the sense, that you can assess that this one person was the culprit, and that as the pieces aligned, you got the sense of which direction it was heading in, when suddenly BOOM it hits you with something completely out of the blue, and yet, it still works, because as it would be said, 'it was serendipity, showing me the way. Pure good luck.' 🥺
And when The Weekend Guests do arrive at the hostess with the mostest, Aline's house for a quiet welcoming retreat, perhaps, it was fate that had them all gathered here together, each judging the other, each unlikeable as the next, each with their own buried secrets ready to come to light. 🤨 I don't think I cared much for them, since as dark academia vibes go - they pretty much followed the typical pattern. It was perhaps each of their endgame that had me feeling slightly disheartened by. That it was not what I think some deserved, and yet, again, 'he would have called it fate.' 😔
“Or perhaps it’s all the things that aren’t being said.They baffle me, these people.”
For so much of their interaction was only ever observed through the narrative in the past. So, in that sense, much of the present's point of view is deceptively misleading, which makes it difficult for me to care for any of them in the present. We get to see how each has their own grievances they're ready to air out, not to mention their own modus operandi, but it is how everything falls apart so hastily after such a cryptic build-up was worth waiting for. 😞
I wasn't too keen on the elusive tie-in of geology; I mean, I see the reasoning behind it, but it didn't merit much of an impact. I tried, really I did - but I don't think it was necessary. 🤔 I do feel that too much screen time dedicated to one character's psychosis could have been trimmed down; it felt a bit too much of a stretch, while also making me feel that what happened in the end was a bit unfair. I know! It is wrong, considering, well, y'know - spoiler.. So much time and energy was spent in building up a persona that could have been condensed in a way to allow the other characters to have some personality - rather than just have them deceptively one-tracked view. It made the set up easy for the reader not to entirely empathize with the group of friends. 🤷🏻♀️
“The course of true love, sometimes, is a one-way ticket to despair.”
And that is the other part that struck a nerve with me of how the entire premise was really showing what does friendship mean - a way of showing the averse sides of what a friend means - to see how one can either place too much value in hoping for one, to try and stronghold one into following one's motives, while also sacrificing too much in the face of saving one. 🥺 The sacrifices, as well as the desperation that takes a hold of us in our attempts to cling onto even a false pretense in the hopes that it can be our salvation. 'I just wanted to spend time with you. Is that so wrong?' At times, I felt it was an unfair portrayal of a culprit, who was also an undeserving victim, as well. Yes, our past does play a part in shaping our characters, but to have it disregarded as such felt wrong to me; even when justice was served, it was on the bitter end, which did not leave me feeling with much closure. 😕
I will say, though, I was invested; it was a good mystery. 👍🏻 Yes, I continued reading onward because I needed to know if my own assumptions would be accurate. It starts off an eerie note that alternates between different timelines, ultimately leading up to the final moment. For when the stars do align, I really was gobsmacked and I do applaud the author for making sure that you have to keep reading, otherwise, you will miss out. 👏🏻👏🏻 And as much as there are some parts of it that could have been handled differently, and even though it is a bit of a predictable stretch, the fact that I did have the 'oh' moment of surprise is something I have to take into account and appreciate how it did play out.
December 5, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 28, 2025
Liza North, author of “Obsessed”, brings readers to a secluded Scottish countryside, where secrets long buried, have finally surfaced. For fans of “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, North’s “The Weekend Guests” is a twisty-turny thrill ride!
Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael and Brandon have been friends since university. Life has taken them on separate paths but after they all received cryptic postcards, they find themselves back together again, gathering at Aline and Brandon’s beautiful luxury home in Dorset. Determined to find out who sent the messages, the friends suspect each other until the real truth comes out in a dangerous and terrifying way.
“Guests” has a dual timeframe plot, told back when the five friends are university students and in 2019, when they meet again as adults at the retreat in Dorset. All five of the characters narrate a portion and there are journal entries from the university days, written by Darryl, a housemate of the five friends who has secrets of his own. It is not obvious right away who sent the postcards and we don’t find out until the final pages all of the intricate details but, boy, does North sure know how to tell a story!
All of the characters are complex, with their own back stories and secrets. As young people, they were selfish apart and toxic together but, as adults, they are seemingly competent parents in stable marriages. I loved learning all the intricate details of the characters’ lives, and how they intersected, leading to a combustible reunion.
The ending surprised me, which I didn’t expect. It was realistic and traumatic all at once, and of all the ways North could’ve concluded this novel, I whole-heartedly support the path she chose.
“Guests” has an idyllic setting, which was intriguing, compounded with complicated but relatable characters and a flowing plot. The tension never lets up and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I haven’t read North’s debut, “Obsessed”, but I’m definitely going to check it out to see how it compares. “Guests” has put Liza North on my watchlist and I will definitely be paying attention when more of her novels are dropped.
Expected publication date: Jan. 28, 2025
Liza North, author of “Obsessed”, brings readers to a secluded Scottish countryside, where secrets long buried, have finally surfaced. For fans of “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, North’s “The Weekend Guests” is a twisty-turny thrill ride!
Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael and Brandon have been friends since university. Life has taken them on separate paths but after they all received cryptic postcards, they find themselves back together again, gathering at Aline and Brandon’s beautiful luxury home in Dorset. Determined to find out who sent the messages, the friends suspect each other until the real truth comes out in a dangerous and terrifying way.
“Guests” has a dual timeframe plot, told back when the five friends are university students and in 2019, when they meet again as adults at the retreat in Dorset. All five of the characters narrate a portion and there are journal entries from the university days, written by Darryl, a housemate of the five friends who has secrets of his own. It is not obvious right away who sent the postcards and we don’t find out until the final pages all of the intricate details but, boy, does North sure know how to tell a story!
All of the characters are complex, with their own back stories and secrets. As young people, they were selfish apart and toxic together but, as adults, they are seemingly competent parents in stable marriages. I loved learning all the intricate details of the characters’ lives, and how they intersected, leading to a combustible reunion.
The ending surprised me, which I didn’t expect. It was realistic and traumatic all at once, and of all the ways North could’ve concluded this novel, I whole-heartedly support the path she chose.
“Guests” has an idyllic setting, which was intriguing, compounded with complicated but relatable characters and a flowing plot. The tension never lets up and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I haven’t read North’s debut, “Obsessed”, but I’m definitely going to check it out to see how it compares. “Guests” has put Liza North on my watchlist and I will definitely be paying attention when more of her novels are dropped.
March 21, 2025
I can't remember why I decided to pick up The Weekend Guests by Liza North but I am willing to bet it was based on the gorgeous cover. I am a sucker for a solitary building on the water, and the tagline “Five old friends. A reunion to die for” sounded incredibly ominous and intriguing. I thought it started out strong, but as the book went on, I just found myself not caring at all about the characters or what was going to happen to them. I mostly just finished this one to finish it, and it probably should have been a DNF for me.
The most likely reason I finished was down to listening to the audiobook, and I did enjoy Elliot Chapman & Catrin Walker-Booth’s narration. They narrate for multiple different viewpoints, and I found myself wishing there was one narrator for each character. The Weekend Guests has some very nice atmospheric qualities and I enjoyed the Dorset setting and dual timelines. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this character-driven story, but it also felt like something I had read before. This is the author’s sophomore novel, and I would be open to checking out whatever she writes next.
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Read this if you enjoy books that revisit old sins, focus on past trauma, and slow burn explorations of shared guilt.
The most likely reason I finished was down to listening to the audiobook, and I did enjoy Elliot Chapman & Catrin Walker-Booth’s narration. They narrate for multiple different viewpoints, and I found myself wishing there was one narrator for each character. The Weekend Guests has some very nice atmospheric qualities and I enjoyed the Dorset setting and dual timelines. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this character-driven story, but it also felt like something I had read before. This is the author’s sophomore novel, and I would be open to checking out whatever she writes next.
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Read this if you enjoy books that revisit old sins, focus on past trauma, and slow burn explorations of shared guilt.
June 16, 2025
The Weekend Guests by Liza North is about a group of friends who, in 2019, get together for a reunion but there is something sinister afoot. I thought the story was good until halfway through then it became like I know what you did last summer! There were two timelines and a bunch of characters that were hard to keep track of. The ending was interesting though.
April 5, 2025
3.5 Stars
"The Weekend Guests" is a gripping thriller that plunges deep into the tangled web of relationships among university friends. Bound by a sinister secret and complicated dynamics, their get-together takes a chilling turn.
The narrative unfolds across dual timelines and various perspectives, keeping you on your toes as you piece together the complexities of their past and present. North cleverly introduces an eerily mysterious character with a chilling presence, heightening the suspense and intrigue. Who doesn’t love a wildcard thrown into the mix to stir the pot?
When one friend invites the group and their families to her stunning cliffside home in Dorset, it quickly becomes apparent that hidden agendas are at play. What starts as a weekend getaway turns sinister, revealing underlying tensions and shocking revelations.
Throughout the story, some moments will leave you breathless, and others may leave you scratching your head. Despite the occasional confusion with the large cast of characters, the plot is entertaining, with some genuinely shocking “ick moments” that will linger in your mind. Overall, it’s a medium-paced ride filled with twists and unforgettable moments.
Thanks to the author and Harper Collins for providing an ARC through Edelweiss. All opinions are my own.
"The Weekend Guests" is a gripping thriller that plunges deep into the tangled web of relationships among university friends. Bound by a sinister secret and complicated dynamics, their get-together takes a chilling turn.
The narrative unfolds across dual timelines and various perspectives, keeping you on your toes as you piece together the complexities of their past and present. North cleverly introduces an eerily mysterious character with a chilling presence, heightening the suspense and intrigue. Who doesn’t love a wildcard thrown into the mix to stir the pot?
When one friend invites the group and their families to her stunning cliffside home in Dorset, it quickly becomes apparent that hidden agendas are at play. What starts as a weekend getaway turns sinister, revealing underlying tensions and shocking revelations.
Throughout the story, some moments will leave you breathless, and others may leave you scratching your head. Despite the occasional confusion with the large cast of characters, the plot is entertaining, with some genuinely shocking “ick moments” that will linger in your mind. Overall, it’s a medium-paced ride filled with twists and unforgettable moments.
Thanks to the author and Harper Collins for providing an ARC through Edelweiss. All opinions are my own.
February 5, 2025
I had a really hard time with this novel. Between the ensemble casts in two different timelines, it was harder to follow than it needed to be.
But aside from all that, it simply wasn't very good. There were cliches aplenty, but surprises were few and far between. And to top it off, I kinda hated the ending. Moving on.
But aside from all that, it simply wasn't very good. There were cliches aplenty, but surprises were few and far between. And to top it off, I kinda hated the ending. Moving on.
December 7, 2024
I'm not sure how I feel about this thriller. It's an interesting character study in self-preservation. I called most of the twists, but I still read this in a day and a half, so it kept my interest. The last page really confused me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!
Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!
February 7, 2025
Five old friends... One reunion to die for…
Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon were friends when they went to a University together. They all reunite for a weekend at Aline's beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend is anything but…Aline has a secret - someone knows about the dark crime they covered up years ago.
They all swore never to tell a soul…but post cards appear proving someone talked…
I really liked the Dorset coast setting - no spoilers but it definitely adds depth to the story. We get this solid sense of tension while reading this book. While I did guess a few things right, I also was also surprised at a few twists. I really liked the use of dual timelines in this story - we go back to their University days and I also liked then use of the post cards and journal entries.
These characters are flawed and problematic…but can they redeem themselves? I liked the Multiple POV and how we get to know the characters. The one in particular really brings the creep factor.
You probably aren’t going to like them, but I still wanted to see what would happen and to understand what they did.
I personally liked the ending - was it a little far fetched? Eh, maybe - but I found it to be satisfying and hey, this is fiction - anything goes!
Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon were friends when they went to a University together. They all reunite for a weekend at Aline's beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. What was supposed to be a relaxing weekend is anything but…Aline has a secret - someone knows about the dark crime they covered up years ago.
They all swore never to tell a soul…but post cards appear proving someone talked…
I really liked the Dorset coast setting - no spoilers but it definitely adds depth to the story. We get this solid sense of tension while reading this book. While I did guess a few things right, I also was also surprised at a few twists. I really liked the use of dual timelines in this story - we go back to their University days and I also liked then use of the post cards and journal entries.
These characters are flawed and problematic…but can they redeem themselves? I liked the Multiple POV and how we get to know the characters. The one in particular really brings the creep factor.
You probably aren’t going to like them, but I still wanted to see what would happen and to understand what they did.
I personally liked the ending - was it a little far fetched? Eh, maybe - but I found it to be satisfying and hey, this is fiction - anything goes!
January 28, 2025
The Weekend Guests by Liza North. Thanks to @harperperennial #oliveinfluencer for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Old college friends reunite for a weekend but they don’t know they were called together for a reason.
I liked this one a lot more than I thought it would. I’m just tired of locked room mysteries with friends from the past reuniting. This one has dual timelines. I found the past chapters, narrated by a mysterious character, very interesting. I was looking forward to finding out how that character tied into the present timeline and I was not disappointed. I did wish we got to know the children a bit more as there was an exciting scene towards the end with them, but I hadn’t gotten to know them well enough to know who was who. Overall this was a fast paced and intriguing read.
The Weekend Guests comes out 1/28.
Old college friends reunite for a weekend but they don’t know they were called together for a reason.
I liked this one a lot more than I thought it would. I’m just tired of locked room mysteries with friends from the past reuniting. This one has dual timelines. I found the past chapters, narrated by a mysterious character, very interesting. I was looking forward to finding out how that character tied into the present timeline and I was not disappointed. I did wish we got to know the children a bit more as there was an exciting scene towards the end with them, but I hadn’t gotten to know them well enough to know who was who. Overall this was a fast paced and intriguing read.
The Weekend Guests comes out 1/28.
June 19, 2025
(3.5 ⭐️)
Rtc.
Rtc.
December 9, 2024
Five university friends reunite at the luxurious second home of two of their group on the Dorset coast. They bring their children and partners to the reunion which promises to be a fun-filled weekend of champagne, wind-swept beaches, and reminiscing about the old days. But trouble is ahead because they have been keeping a dark secret. Old resentments resurface, tensions rise, and by the end of the weekend, at least one of them will be dead…
What a book! Dark, eerie, nail-biting and addictive, The Weekend Guests is a first-class thriller with a cinematic edge. Liza North has an instant fan in this blogger and I will be reading anything else she writes. Opening with a chilling prologue that sets the tone for what’s to come, the book oozes a sinister and foreboding tension from beginning to end. The dark secret we know the friends have hidden for years only adds to that, a constant, malevolent presence that lingers over every page just waiting to be exposed. And I was in Ms. North’s thrall as she twisted the beauty of the Dorset coast into a suitably terrifying backdrop for this propulsive claustrophobic thriller. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted and fast-paced, this was a sensational introduction to Liza North’s writing. I devoured it greedily, forcing myself to put it down in the early hours when what I really wanted to do was keep reading to the end.
The story is told in dual timelines by multiple narrators and moves seamlessly between them. Each of the characters are richly drawn, flawed and unlikeable. But there is one who stands out amongst them all: Darryl. Their neighbour and acquaintance from their time at university in Edinburgh. The flashbacks, which all take place during their time at university in 2001, are told through Darryl’s diary. And, boy, did this guy give me the creeps! Strange and unsettling, he made my flesh crawl and my unease turned to horror as the full truth about him was revealed. Darryl also added to the questions about the secret as now I not only wanted to know what the secret was, but how he was connected to it all.
So, if you’re looking for a thriller that will have your heart pounding and keep you glued to the pages, then this book is for you.
What a book! Dark, eerie, nail-biting and addictive, The Weekend Guests is a first-class thriller with a cinematic edge. Liza North has an instant fan in this blogger and I will be reading anything else she writes. Opening with a chilling prologue that sets the tone for what’s to come, the book oozes a sinister and foreboding tension from beginning to end. The dark secret we know the friends have hidden for years only adds to that, a constant, malevolent presence that lingers over every page just waiting to be exposed. And I was in Ms. North’s thrall as she twisted the beauty of the Dorset coast into a suitably terrifying backdrop for this propulsive claustrophobic thriller. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted and fast-paced, this was a sensational introduction to Liza North’s writing. I devoured it greedily, forcing myself to put it down in the early hours when what I really wanted to do was keep reading to the end.
The story is told in dual timelines by multiple narrators and moves seamlessly between them. Each of the characters are richly drawn, flawed and unlikeable. But there is one who stands out amongst them all: Darryl. Their neighbour and acquaintance from their time at university in Edinburgh. The flashbacks, which all take place during their time at university in 2001, are told through Darryl’s diary. And, boy, did this guy give me the creeps! Strange and unsettling, he made my flesh crawl and my unease turned to horror as the full truth about him was revealed. Darryl also added to the questions about the secret as now I not only wanted to know what the secret was, but how he was connected to it all.
So, if you’re looking for a thriller that will have your heart pounding and keep you glued to the pages, then this book is for you.
February 21, 2025
This just wasn’t my cup of tea and I don’t really have much reason of why.
The story was fine but I wasn’t engaged. I didn’t find myself caring for the characters or really the outcome at all. Maybe it felt too similar to other books that I’ve read that I couldn’t immerse myself in the story? I’m not quite sure.
I think a lot of people would enjoy this but honestly I just wasn’t feeling this one.
The story was fine but I wasn’t engaged. I didn’t find myself caring for the characters or really the outcome at all. Maybe it felt too similar to other books that I’ve read that I couldn’t immerse myself in the story? I’m not quite sure.
I think a lot of people would enjoy this but honestly I just wasn’t feeling this one.
May 20, 2025
Liza North's sophomore novel, "The Weekend Guests," presents a psychological thriller that twists the familiar trope of the reunion weekend into something far more sinister. Following her debut "Obsessed" (which was longlisted for the UK Crime Writers' Association's John Creasey First Novel Dagger award), North demonstrates her skill at crafting a narrative where the weight of past sins bears down on present lives with devastating consequences.
Set against the dramatically unstable landscape of England's Jurassic Coast, the novel follows five former university friends who gather for a weekend at a luxurious clifftop house. What begins as an awkward reunion soon spirals into a deadly reckoning as anonymous threats force them to confront a long-buried crime. North skillfully employs a dual timeline narrative, shifting between events in 2002 and 2019, gradually revealing how one moment of carelessness and subsequent cover-up can send shock waves through decades.
Layers of Deception
The novel's greatest strength lies in its intricate structure—a geological metaphor for the layered deceptions of its characters. Just as the Dorset coast is formed of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous strata, North builds her narrative in stages, each revelation adding pressure to the unstable foundation below.
The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, primarily those of the five former friends:
- Aline: The magnetic, manipulative host whose renovated clifftop home serves as the reunion setting
- Brandon: Aline's American husband, increasingly disillusioned with his marriage
- Michael: Still harboring an unrequited love for Aline despite his marriage to Nikki
- Rob: The perpetual bachelor whose womanizing masks deeper insecurities
- Sienna: Recently separated and returning from California with twin daughters and unspoken motivations
Most intriguing is the inclusion of Darryl Arniston's perspective through diary entries from 2002. As an unstable outsider to the friend group, his obsessive documentation provides crucial context to the mystery while raising questions about reliability and truth.
The novel also introduces Milly, the teenage nanny whose connection to the group's past crime gradually emerges as the most consequential thread in the narrative. Her storyline provides the emotional core that elevates the novel beyond mere thriller conventions.
Atmospheric Tension and Inevitable Collapse
North excels at creating a sense of atmospheric dread. The renovated house on crumbling cliffs serves as both setting and metaphor—a beautiful facade constructed on an unstable foundation, much like the friends' relationships and carefully curated lives. The author weaves the geological instability of the coast into the narrative with skill:
"The rain falls heavy and hard and often. It hits the salt surface of the sea, the broken shells and gleaming shingle of the beach. Further up, it sinks into the soil, filters into the Cretaceous chalk and broken rocks beneath, filling them like a sponge."
The weekend unfolds against worsening weather, matching the escalating tensions. A night hike along "The Pirate's Path," skeet shooting in the garden, and a final dinner in a lighthouse—each social activity becomes increasingly fraught as secrets surface and alliances shift. The literal collapse of the cliff in the novel's climax feels both shocking and inevitable, nature's judgment on human hubris.
Character Development: Uneven Ground
Where the novel occasionally stumbles is in balancing its large cast. While Aline emerges as a compelling antagonist—charismatic, calculating, and capable of justifying her moral failings—some characters remain frustratingly underdeveloped. Brandon and Michael often feel more like satellites in Aline's orbit than fully realized individuals with agency. Rob's womanizing feels like a character shorthand rather than a developed trait.
Sienna is more successfully drawn, her guilt and fear palpable, though her motivations sometimes feel muddled. The peripheral characters of Nikki (Michael's wife) and Cass (Rob's girlfriend) primarily serve as foils to highlight the exclusionary dynamics of the core group.
The novel's most successful character development comes through Milly, whose evolution from victim to avenger to something more complex forms the novel's moral center. Her sections provide the emotional weight that grounds the more sensational elements of the plot.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Well
- Setting as character: The Jurassic Coast isn't merely backdrop but an active element in the unfolding drama
- Structural craft: The dual timeline and multiple perspectives create a compelling puzzle
- Thematic depth: Explorations of guilt, complicity, and self-deception elevate the narrative
- Atmospheric tension: North excels at building unease through environmental details
- Moral complexity: The novel avoids simplistic judgments, presenting characters whose actions fall in morally gray areas
Where It Falls Short
- Pacing issues: The novel takes time to find its rhythm, with early sections feeling somewhat meandering
- Character imbalance: Some key players receive less depth than their roles in the plot warrant
- Dialogue occasionally feels functional: Conversations sometimes serve plot advancement at the expense of naturalness
- Predictable elements: While the climax delivers, some reveals follow conventional thriller patterns
- Overreliance on coincidence: Some plot developments strain credulity, particularly Milly's infiltration of Aline's household
Thematic Resonance: The Price of Silence
North's exploration of moral compromise and the corrosive power of secrets gives "The Weekend Guests" its thematic weight. The novel asks: How far would you go to protect a life you've built on deception? At what point does self-preservation become cruelty?
The characters' varying responses to their shared crime reveal their moral cores. Brandon's growing discomfort, Sienna's crippling guilt, Rob's compartmentalization, Michael's weakness, and Aline's ruthless pragmatism represent a spectrum of human responses to complicity. That these five onetime friends took different paths from the same starting point makes their reunion all the more explosive.
Particularly effective is North's examination of privilege—how wealth and social status shield some from consequences that would destroy others. Aline's certainty that she can control any situation, even one involving a shotgun, stems from a lifetime of smoothing over problems with money and connections.
Final Assessment
"The Weekend Guests" is an atmospherically rich psychological thriller that doesn't quite reach the heights it aspires to but delivers a satisfying reading experience nonetheless. North's eloquent prose and structural craft elevate what could have been a conventional reunion-gone-wrong narrative into something more thoughtful and unsettling.
The novel's exploration of guilt, complicity, and the limits of friendship resonates beyond its final page. Its greatest success lies in making readers question what they might do in similar circumstances—how far they would go to protect themselves, and at what cost to others.
Set against the dramatically unstable landscape of England's Jurassic Coast, the novel follows five former university friends who gather for a weekend at a luxurious clifftop house. What begins as an awkward reunion soon spirals into a deadly reckoning as anonymous threats force them to confront a long-buried crime. North skillfully employs a dual timeline narrative, shifting between events in 2002 and 2019, gradually revealing how one moment of carelessness and subsequent cover-up can send shock waves through decades.
Layers of Deception
The novel's greatest strength lies in its intricate structure—a geological metaphor for the layered deceptions of its characters. Just as the Dorset coast is formed of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous strata, North builds her narrative in stages, each revelation adding pressure to the unstable foundation below.
The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, primarily those of the five former friends:
- Aline: The magnetic, manipulative host whose renovated clifftop home serves as the reunion setting
- Brandon: Aline's American husband, increasingly disillusioned with his marriage
- Michael: Still harboring an unrequited love for Aline despite his marriage to Nikki
- Rob: The perpetual bachelor whose womanizing masks deeper insecurities
- Sienna: Recently separated and returning from California with twin daughters and unspoken motivations
Most intriguing is the inclusion of Darryl Arniston's perspective through diary entries from 2002. As an unstable outsider to the friend group, his obsessive documentation provides crucial context to the mystery while raising questions about reliability and truth.
The novel also introduces Milly, the teenage nanny whose connection to the group's past crime gradually emerges as the most consequential thread in the narrative. Her storyline provides the emotional core that elevates the novel beyond mere thriller conventions.
Atmospheric Tension and Inevitable Collapse
North excels at creating a sense of atmospheric dread. The renovated house on crumbling cliffs serves as both setting and metaphor—a beautiful facade constructed on an unstable foundation, much like the friends' relationships and carefully curated lives. The author weaves the geological instability of the coast into the narrative with skill:
"The rain falls heavy and hard and often. It hits the salt surface of the sea, the broken shells and gleaming shingle of the beach. Further up, it sinks into the soil, filters into the Cretaceous chalk and broken rocks beneath, filling them like a sponge."
The weekend unfolds against worsening weather, matching the escalating tensions. A night hike along "The Pirate's Path," skeet shooting in the garden, and a final dinner in a lighthouse—each social activity becomes increasingly fraught as secrets surface and alliances shift. The literal collapse of the cliff in the novel's climax feels both shocking and inevitable, nature's judgment on human hubris.
Character Development: Uneven Ground
Where the novel occasionally stumbles is in balancing its large cast. While Aline emerges as a compelling antagonist—charismatic, calculating, and capable of justifying her moral failings—some characters remain frustratingly underdeveloped. Brandon and Michael often feel more like satellites in Aline's orbit than fully realized individuals with agency. Rob's womanizing feels like a character shorthand rather than a developed trait.
Sienna is more successfully drawn, her guilt and fear palpable, though her motivations sometimes feel muddled. The peripheral characters of Nikki (Michael's wife) and Cass (Rob's girlfriend) primarily serve as foils to highlight the exclusionary dynamics of the core group.
The novel's most successful character development comes through Milly, whose evolution from victim to avenger to something more complex forms the novel's moral center. Her sections provide the emotional weight that grounds the more sensational elements of the plot.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Well
- Setting as character: The Jurassic Coast isn't merely backdrop but an active element in the unfolding drama
- Structural craft: The dual timeline and multiple perspectives create a compelling puzzle
- Thematic depth: Explorations of guilt, complicity, and self-deception elevate the narrative
- Atmospheric tension: North excels at building unease through environmental details
- Moral complexity: The novel avoids simplistic judgments, presenting characters whose actions fall in morally gray areas
Where It Falls Short
- Pacing issues: The novel takes time to find its rhythm, with early sections feeling somewhat meandering
- Character imbalance: Some key players receive less depth than their roles in the plot warrant
- Dialogue occasionally feels functional: Conversations sometimes serve plot advancement at the expense of naturalness
- Predictable elements: While the climax delivers, some reveals follow conventional thriller patterns
- Overreliance on coincidence: Some plot developments strain credulity, particularly Milly's infiltration of Aline's household
Thematic Resonance: The Price of Silence
North's exploration of moral compromise and the corrosive power of secrets gives "The Weekend Guests" its thematic weight. The novel asks: How far would you go to protect a life you've built on deception? At what point does self-preservation become cruelty?
The characters' varying responses to their shared crime reveal their moral cores. Brandon's growing discomfort, Sienna's crippling guilt, Rob's compartmentalization, Michael's weakness, and Aline's ruthless pragmatism represent a spectrum of human responses to complicity. That these five onetime friends took different paths from the same starting point makes their reunion all the more explosive.
Particularly effective is North's examination of privilege—how wealth and social status shield some from consequences that would destroy others. Aline's certainty that she can control any situation, even one involving a shotgun, stems from a lifetime of smoothing over problems with money and connections.
Final Assessment
"The Weekend Guests" is an atmospherically rich psychological thriller that doesn't quite reach the heights it aspires to but delivers a satisfying reading experience nonetheless. North's eloquent prose and structural craft elevate what could have been a conventional reunion-gone-wrong narrative into something more thoughtful and unsettling.
The novel's exploration of guilt, complicity, and the limits of friendship resonates beyond its final page. Its greatest success lies in making readers question what they might do in similar circumstances—how far they would go to protect themselves, and at what cost to others.
August 6, 2024
Another split timeline book, which I don't normally enjoy. However, the transitions between 2002 and 2019 were well defined and integral to the story.
I felt the characters were very shallow and perhaps would have benefitted from more in-depth exploration of their individual stories. To be fair, none of the main players had any redeeming features, and I found myself swaying between dislike of some to intense hate of others. Aline, the golden girl to whom everyone has pandered her whole life, was particularly loathsome.
The Phyllis storyline was creepy and again not explored fully. Daryll, although unlikeable in the extreme, was probably the most interesting character.
Glaringly obvious clues to the denouement are used throughout the book, so the ending wasn't entirely a surprise.
It was an easy read that I managed in two sittings. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I felt the characters were very shallow and perhaps would have benefitted from more in-depth exploration of their individual stories. To be fair, none of the main players had any redeeming features, and I found myself swaying between dislike of some to intense hate of others. Aline, the golden girl to whom everyone has pandered her whole life, was particularly loathsome.
The Phyllis storyline was creepy and again not explored fully. Daryll, although unlikeable in the extreme, was probably the most interesting character.
Glaringly obvious clues to the denouement are used throughout the book, so the ending wasn't entirely a surprise.
It was an easy read that I managed in two sittings. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2025
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperPerennialAndPaperbacks for the book #TheWeekendGuests by #LizaNorth. This book has secrets and keeping the past covered up during this reunion of five college friends. After receiving little notes about what happened years ago, Aline has rallied up her friends, Michael, Brandon, Siena and Fob to find out who is behind this. Can they figure out the mystery and come out alive?
July 5, 2024
The weekend guests was somewhat of a chore to get though. It felt like very little happened and not one of the characters sparked any interest. I didn’t care what had happened or what was going to happen to them. The pace was sedate with even the climax barely picking up speed. Certainly not one I’d read again.
April 1, 2025
I did not enjoy this book. I felt like I kept getting lost trying to differentiate all the different characters… there’s literally 8 POVs… that’s too many to try and keep everybody’s story straight. I also felt like at about the 30% mark, I still didn’t know what the point of this story was or where it was going. The whole thing just fell flat for me, it was anti-climactic and boring overall.
June 6, 2025
Terrible, I almost DNF’d but I stuck with it in the hopes it would finally get better. It didn’t.
January 6, 2025
Rating: 3.5 stars
I *almost* DNF'd this book right from the jump, as it's told in dual timelines which is not my jam. It switches back and forth from the "present," set in 2019 and told in the third person past tense from the POVs of a group of friends, to the "past" starting in 2001 and told in the form of the (first person present tense) diary entries of Darryl. I was really confused as to which was the past and which was the present because my brain kept trying to think 19 comes before 01, haha. It took me a few chapters and some flipping back and forth to realize which timeline was the current action and which was the flashback sequence.
Part of the "mystery" of this thriller is just WHAT secret this group of friends is hiding, now that they've started receiving mysterious and vaguely threatening postcards. The book ends with several plot twists, some of which I saw coming from the very early (and obvious) foreshadowing, and the most surprising of which (what their big secret is!) was also the most ... I don't know, *sad trombone* is the only way I can think to describe it. All this build up and the flashback sequence finally gets to what they're all hiding and I was sitting there like, "...Really? That's it?" *sound of balloon slowly deflating* From there the "who dunnit" aspect and the final comeuppance were predictable, but still enjoyable.
I *almost* DNF'd this book right from the jump, as it's told in dual timelines which is not my jam. It switches back and forth from the "present," set in 2019 and told in the third person past tense from the POVs of a group of friends, to the "past" starting in 2001 and told in the form of the (first person present tense) diary entries of Darryl. I was really confused as to which was the past and which was the present because my brain kept trying to think 19 comes before 01, haha. It took me a few chapters and some flipping back and forth to realize which timeline was the current action and which was the flashback sequence.
Part of the "mystery" of this thriller is just WHAT secret this group of friends is hiding, now that they've started receiving mysterious and vaguely threatening postcards. The book ends with several plot twists, some of which I saw coming from the very early (and obvious) foreshadowing, and the most surprising of which (what their big secret is!) was also the most ... I don't know, *sad trombone* is the only way I can think to describe it. All this build up and the flashback sequence finally gets to what they're all hiding and I was sitting there like, "...Really? That's it?" *sound of balloon slowly deflating* From there the "who dunnit" aspect and the final comeuppance were predictable, but still enjoyable.
January 1, 2025
My feelings on this one are very conflicting.
I absolutely loved Darryl’s chapters from 2001/2002. He was a complex character with so much depth and intrigue and honestly his parts of the story are what kept me going. My only issue with him is the unanswered questions I was left with - his story felt unresolved after so much buildup.
The chapters set in 2019 with the rest of the characters felt very mid. There wasn’t anything special about them, the characters were flat, and they slowed the story down immensely. It wasn’t until the very end that it felt like there was a point to them and I think a lot of it could have been cut in favor of wrapping up Darryl’s loose ends.
Overall this wasn’t the worst thriller I’ve ever read and I did find it hard to put down.
I absolutely loved Darryl’s chapters from 2001/2002. He was a complex character with so much depth and intrigue and honestly his parts of the story are what kept me going. My only issue with him is the unanswered questions I was left with - his story felt unresolved after so much buildup.
The chapters set in 2019 with the rest of the characters felt very mid. There wasn’t anything special about them, the characters were flat, and they slowed the story down immensely. It wasn’t until the very end that it felt like there was a point to them and I think a lot of it could have been cut in favor of wrapping up Darryl’s loose ends.
Overall this wasn’t the worst thriller I’ve ever read and I did find it hard to put down.
March 26, 2025
Solid start with a lackluster finish.
I felt like this story droned on just for the finish to leave me incredibly confused. Darryl’s chapters where a much needed break from the hum drum of these unlikely friends and everything fell apart the second he exited the story. I feel like his character could have been much more interesting and complex, as well.
Overall, if you like a thriller set in Scotland, give it a shot. Just know you may not find it to be all that thrilling.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
I felt like this story droned on just for the finish to leave me incredibly confused. Darryl’s chapters where a much needed break from the hum drum of these unlikely friends and everything fell apart the second he exited the story. I feel like his character could have been much more interesting and complex, as well.
Overall, if you like a thriller set in Scotland, give it a shot. Just know you may not find it to be all that thrilling.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
December 11, 2024
Special thanks to the publisher for this ARC read!
This book is set to be released January 28, 2025!
Honestly, I haven't had a book make me say "oh for God's sake of course it is" in a long time! I had no idea where this book was going the whole time and I love that! I honestly didn't have any of it figured out!
Awesome read!
This book is set to be released January 28, 2025!
Honestly, I haven't had a book make me say "oh for God's sake of course it is" in a long time! I had no idea where this book was going the whole time and I love that! I honestly didn't have any of it figured out!
Awesome read!
March 29, 2025
Collage friends reuniting in an ideal sea location for the weekend. Brought together by Aline, who has other motives. Someone is threading to reveal a dark secret they all share. I’ve read a few other books with a similar storyline. This one though was lacking for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for an advanced copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for an advanced copy.
December 17, 2024
Thanks for the ARC! This book has dual timelines, between present day and back in the day for a group of college friends. The perspective from the timeline in the past made me legitimately anxious and repulsed, so I guess that speaks to the writing… but I hated feeling that way 😂 The character legit scared me.
Felt like an average thriller, nothing that blew me away and the final reveals fell a bit flat for me.
Felt like an average thriller, nothing that blew me away and the final reveals fell a bit flat for me.
January 29, 2025
Imagine a clifftop home in Dorset, a dual timeline narrative, and generous helpings of dramatic suspense mixed with guilt and consequences. The result? An atmospheric, deeply unsettling psychological thriller.
March 27, 2025
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks to Goodreads and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to provide a review. This was truly a slow burn that led up to a very explosive and twisted ending.
January 27, 2025
Received as an ARC from a giveaway. Release date: January 28th, 2025.
This is a story about 5 friends who have a reunion at one's beautiful house. However this isn't just a happy reunion, Aline brings her friends back together when she believes someone is trying to out their secret of a crime committed years ago when they were in college.
This book took me a little while to get into as it is a dualtime-line. However, once I got into it I didn't want to put it down. I did find myself going back to check dates to see how things were progressing. Personally, I just have a hard time going back and forth at least until things started to ramp up. The beginning of the book was a little slow in my opinion. But overall definitely worth the read! I enjoyed the character building a lot in this book as you feel you start to really know the characters.
Thank you goodreads and Harper for the opportunity! This was my first ARC and I am honored to have been chosen!
This is a story about 5 friends who have a reunion at one's beautiful house. However this isn't just a happy reunion, Aline brings her friends back together when she believes someone is trying to out their secret of a crime committed years ago when they were in college.
This book took me a little while to get into as it is a dualtime-line. However, once I got into it I didn't want to put it down. I did find myself going back to check dates to see how things were progressing. Personally, I just have a hard time going back and forth at least until things started to ramp up. The beginning of the book was a little slow in my opinion. But overall definitely worth the read! I enjoyed the character building a lot in this book as you feel you start to really know the characters.
Thank you goodreads and Harper for the opportunity! This was my first ARC and I am honored to have been chosen!
February 6, 2025
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
Five college friends reunite after time apart, seemingly to simply reconnect. But there is a darker undertone, a crime from the past that is threatening to resurface, punishment promised by mysterious postcards.
This was a very suspenseful book. I honestly never saw the ending coming. The characters are all highly unlikeable (except the children), but that seems to be the point. This is not a group to root for, even while you as a reader are so involved in their lives. I wouldn’t recommend the characters as friends, but I would recommend this book.
Five college friends reunite after time apart, seemingly to simply reconnect. But there is a darker undertone, a crime from the past that is threatening to resurface, punishment promised by mysterious postcards.
This was a very suspenseful book. I honestly never saw the ending coming. The characters are all highly unlikeable (except the children), but that seems to be the point. This is not a group to root for, even while you as a reader are so involved in their lives. I wouldn’t recommend the characters as friends, but I would recommend this book.
dnf
February 12, 2025DNFing this really early at just 4%. I think I’m just over this trope.
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