Last Minute Guest

by Drew Strickland, Andrew Joseph Perez (Narrator)

Listening time: 7 hours and 36 minutes.

He wanted to step out of his comfort zone, but stumbled into a nightmare. One year after his sister’s death, Edward decides to follow through with their dream of opening their guesthouse as a vacation rental. At first, Jax seems like the ideal guest. He’s everything Edward wishes he could be. Handsome, outgoing, and not a care in the world. But as the days pass, things don’t seem to be going as well as Edward expected. Jax is inserting himself into Edward’s life, conveniently bumping into him at his work, and then there are the dates he brings back to the guesthouse. The dates Edward never sees leave… Edward realizes that he has no idea who the man is that is renting his guesthouse. But the question remains, is he prepared to find out?

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 25, 2023

About the author

Drew Strickland is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of the Sheriff Elven Hallie Mysteries along with other twisted crime and psychological thrillers.

He resides in Arizona with his wife and kids. When he’s not writing, he can be found reading, exploring new cities, spending time with his family, and of course, cuddling with his many cats (for real, cats just love him and he loves them).



Connect with Drew:



➜ WEBSITE: drewstricklandbooks.com

➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/drewstricklandbooks

➜ INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/drewstricklandbooks

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new author for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller. It was fast-paced, a bit OTT but in a good way and I loved how it all progressed. Well worth my time!

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ psychological fiction
Publication date ~ book ~ June 25, 2023, audio ~ December 19, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 303 (74 chapters)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 36 minutes
Narrator ~ Andrew Joseph Perez
POV ~single 1st
Featuring ~ slow burn, nothing thrilling

Edward is a socially awkward man with a dead mother and missing sister. He's finally going to start renting out his guest house. Jax will be his second guest and it turns out to be a nightmare.

The socially awkwardness was written well. I did feel bad for him at times, but he annoyed me a lot.

Overall, it was so slowing moving. I was quite bored for most of it honestly, but the ending did surprise me. Dare I say it was maybe one of the most shocking endings I've read.

Narration notes:
I don't really have any complaints with his performance. He played the part well.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[Natalie M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just don’t!

One star for a slightly engaging premise, but thereafter the wheels don’t only fall off, but fail to exist. The whinging and whining of the protagonist is pathetic and annoying, especially in the context of how the book ends (I think you’re meant to pretend the first three-quarters doesn’t happen).

The gaps and holes could be filled with the missing wheels (above) and there would still be place for more. The single POV hampers the story’s progression, and the silences don’t leave you guessing, but rather scratching your head.

Avoid or maybe read the other (glowing) reviews before deciding.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book's socially awkward protagonist Edward gave new meaning to the term "socially awkward"!

You'll need a copy of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" to identify many of his mental disorders.

(He reminded me of a female version of Molly the Maid!)

Best to go into this book blind.

It was pacey and refreshingly different.

I listened to the audiobook read by Andrew Joseph Perez, who did a great job with the narration.

This was my second Drew Strickland book and I am a fan.

4.5 stars.

[SueCanaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not give out 5's.

Somehow Last Minute Guest ended up on my list. I've never heard of the author. On audio, not kidding, I listened to this non stop. Completely hooked.

And, for those of you who AirBnB - oh my gosh. Stop. It's terrifying, lol.

Well done, Drew Strickland. Write more.

[Wendy Del Toro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved everything about this deliciously twisted story. As a reader we know who is behind the "mishaps" that are happening to our hero, Edward. But poor Eddie is naive and seduced by the charms of his new friend Jax and I'm rooting for him all the while to get the upper hand. These two main characters jumped right off the page for me. I got such a Norman Bates vibe from Edward and wanted to shake him so many times to wake up and smell the psycho! But while the reader is presented with the obvious villain there are a few curveballs thrown in to keep me off balance. What is Jax's motivation? I know there's going to be a twist coming and the presentation is clever, there's a few whiplash moments as I neared the end, which was dark and delicious! Loved it!

[Niko · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lonely, socially awkward man takes the plunge and decides to rent out his guesthouse on his property to an overly eager renter whom he thought was the perfect renter, until he wasn’t.

The synopsis drew me in and kept me interested…but it went downhill pretty quickly once all of the things that transpired became wayyyy too farfetched.

It became obvious that Jax was just a damn sadist who enjoyed renting from property owners just to ruin their lives but why? What was the purpose? There was no conclusion, no reasoning - just a random renter hellbent on ruining lives. Just silly.

Edward turned out to be batshit crazy after all with his “caretaker” abilities, but even that shocker fell flat after two seconds. The entire book was filled with quirky-ass characters who just made me scratch my head a few times. Book had potential but pretty much went south for me.

[Angi · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Way too slow.

[Jerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow, repetitive, not for me

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was exhausting trying to get through. I think it may be the worst book I’ve ever encountered. The protagonist was giving Incel from the very start. He was so backward and constantly thinking that others were thinking negatively of him or even thinking of him at all. He was entirely narcissistic and the self deprecation was so over the top that annoying doesn’t even begin to describe how irate this character made me. I trudged through and finished it but my.god. Was it hard!

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️… a bit juvenile but I was interested enough to want to finish it and was a little surprised at the ending.

[Amy Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first person dialogue got redundant but it was a good premise for a story. Plot dragged out way too long in what could have been written in a few chapters, but it was entertaining. The last few pages are really the highlight and it takes way too long to get to them.

[Sammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew straight away that ‘jax’ was going to be the guy from the first messages, but the ending!! Omg

[Jasmin Winchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbia circa 2023. THE LAST SENTENCE. Yes!!!

[Clair · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading this author. I thought the cover and title seemed engaging.

POV: Edward is the main character, and he exhibits some OCD and autistic traits, though the book never specifies his neurodivergent condition. He's in his mid-30s, but it seems like this is the first time he's lived on his own.

The book starts with Edward standing at the cliff his sister fell from. It might have been suicide or an accident; the police don’t know. A few months before his sister's fall, their ill mother passed away. There's a lot for Edward to deal with and mentally unpack. He does this with his therapist, who appears multiple times throughout the book. Edward's new plan is to finish a project he and his sister were working on before she died: getting the guest house ready to rent through a VRBO or Airbnb-style app.

Once the guest house is listed on the app, Edward gets weird messages from someone named Robert. He blocks Robert and tries to forget about the messages. Edward then has a retired couple rent out his guest house, but they inform him of a last-minute emergency and abruptly leave after one night. The next morning, a single man named Jax decides to rent the guest house. At first, Jax is fun and friendly, even inviting Edward over for beer and dinner. But soon after, things get weird for Edward.

Is Jax the one causing the problems? Is Edward paranoid? Is he crazy?

This book was marketed as a thriller, but it didn’t feel like one until about 55% through. Before that, it seemed like a slice-of-life book about a neurodivergent man dealing with loss and a mix of loneliness and isolation. Then, at about 75% through, the action ramps up, and the book's pace picks up. There is also a "twist" ending that I totally figured out.

This book was fine. 2 1/2 stars. I am not opposed to reading another Drew Strickland book, but I am also not actively looking for one.

[Rachael Ashak-Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling read! Super fast page-turner!….

This is the 1st work I’ve read by author, Drew Strickland — & now I’m definitely a fan of his writing!
This story is juicy & incredibly unique. His creativity (ability toward depravity?? Lol) is top notch. And such fun to read.
I really can’t say much in the way of specifics without chancing giving any of the important bits of the story away — other than to say surprises & shocks abound, & the twists are beyond satisfying.
The characters within Last Minute Guest are well developed, which increases enjoyment during the final chapters. Strickland’s world building is colorful & adds so much to the tale.
There are some editing blips here & there, but nothing too major or even annoying.
Overall, I really love this story & can heartily recommend it to all readers.
Kudos, Mr. Strickland! And thank you for the thrilling & fun read! :)

[allie luka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total Freida vibes and I’m 100% here for it.
1-at first I was like I need all my family and friends to reads this because his thinking is parallel to mine. But only the first 25% with the anxiety and counting 😂
2-love a male character in this scenario
3-I ate this baby up

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollllly crap! I don’t know how I found this one bur dang it was good!

[Wesley Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I will recommend it to others. The suspense/surprise was really nice- I’ll check out more from the Author.

[Lynne Tereshko · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 The first 3/4 of this book moved very slowly, but the ending caught me off guard and made me pay attention!

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and predictable with a couple twists but would not have guessed the ending. No bad language except just a couple words near the end and no sex.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was HOOKED this was so fast paced and frustrating but I. a good way idk how I just stumbled upon this on hoopla this was so good def listen to this on audio

[Parkway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lead me to the water and let me drink. I always cheer for the weak. It was a fun book 📖

[Shantel Gibb · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE ENDING THOUGH 👏

[Glen Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The main character was so anxious throughout, and I just felt so bad for him. Then throughout the book he becomes a bit more brave. There were a bit too many twists at times, but I would rather have too many twists than not enough.

[Word Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded to 4
Audiobook version

I really enjoyed this book. There were a few minor things that deducted stars, but overall I enjoyed the story and the narration.

First, the story

This is a new author for me and I can say I’ll check out more of his work.
I felt like the story was well written and flowed well even with a few parts that seemed to bog down and a few annoying moments. I’ve been getting a lot of books lately that are poorly written or edited and that have a juvenile feel to them. This was not one of those. Lonnie’s character and Jax’s character had a few poorly written lines and felt a little immature in places but not enough to be distracting or ruin the story for me.

The plot moved well and I felt it was fast paced. I didn’t feel like it drug on as some other reviews note, but there were a few places that were sluggish and didn’t need as much detail or time spent on them as there was. There were definitely some predictable parts but again, not enough to ruin the story. I enjoyed the twists at the end even though I figured something was going on with the family story from the beginning and by the last few chapters knew not everything had happened the way it was described to have happened. By the last chapter when it was revealed I had already guessed one of the twists to a T, but rather than feel like “awe man, I hate when it’s so obvious I guess it” like I usually do, I had more of a “yes, I was right! Dang. What a creeper!” feel because I felt like it was done well. The two other twists were a shock to me and a nice surprise. I kept waiting for one more “of crap” twist at the end between two characters and I was really hanging on the edge waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn’t and I realized I could let the breath out I was holding, I was like “dang, you got me Drew Strickland. I was totally expecting xyz there!” One of those twists you want and don’t want to happen at the same time. It was nice to have thst surprise too.

I especially liked the POV and MC being neurodiverse and the way his anxiety and OCD were portrayed. It was so true to life and well done it really made me feel his level of anxiety, relate to his OCD, root for, connect with, and feel for him. One review stated he was whiny and annoying. I didn’t get this vibe at all. I guess as someone who battles crippling anxiety and OCD, I picked up on why he behaved the way he did and why he felt so real. It’s not stated that he’s autistic, but I could see allusions to this very clearly. He reminded me in many ways of my autistic nephews with certain thoughts, ticks, and behaviors. I felt like the author did a stellar job with this character and highly enjoyed him.

Lonnie’s character was probably my least favorite as he was the most over the top, simply just annoying and the whole hippie bro code attitude was over done. I didn’t much care for him and didn’t care what happened to him. I liked he chose to be friends with the MC and always seemed to have his best interest at heart, without judgment or ridicule, I just didn’t care for him beyond that.

The way the next two characters were written were factors into my rating.

The Jax character. He too was over the top and annoying, but he did have a few traits that made him cringy in the good “yep dude’s definitely giving serial killer vibes” way. What I didn’t like was how everyone but the MC Edward seemed to just go along and think he was such a smooth, great, believable guy. Especially the cops. I can suspend reality to an extent, but this just didn’t fit with how the character was written. He wasn’t written as a good enough creeper to believe no one saw through his BS and everyone would just believe every word he said or like him. Had he been a little better developed and creepier or smoother, I would’ve been able to buy into it. He was portrayed a little too juvenile and ridiculous to have that scenario be believed. He was definitely not a Ted Bundy type but he’s supposed to give off that vibe and you’re supposed to feel like he is. This character just missed the mark there for me.

I didn’t care for the detective’s partner at all. He was just a butthole and also written too over the top cheesy to be believable. He would definitely spend his career in various training classes in reality on how to communicate, speak to others with empathy and unbiased behavior, and how to handle, well, his job.

Another reason I rated this a 3.5 rather than a true 4 was because to me there was a glaring plothole and missed opportunity in explaining why Jax does what he does. We are never given a reason for his actions, why he’s killed before, why he claims to be who he is, or what drives him. While it didn’t detract from the story, it was a huge miss to me that would’ve definitely enhanced the story. I felt like I was missing a key element of the story at the end I’d have liked to have had and my curiosity not satisfied here.

As a side note, I felt like Tim’s girlfriend’s reaction was too swift a change and that section was blown over too quickly. It also left me wondering if Tim’s name was ever cleared. I’d have just liked to have known it was. Poor guy. This wasn’t anything that detracted from the story or contributed to rating.

The Narration
At first I didn’t think I’d like the narration at all. Coming off some really terrible books and even more terrible narrations, I was definitely expecting the worst when the story opened, but was pleasantly surprised by the end how much I enjoyed it. At first the narrator comes off too strong, too fast, and over the top, but once I was a couple chapters in and realized the MC Edwards mental state and his anxiety/OCD/possible autistic issues, the narration really grew on me as it really depicted this character well. I felt like Edward was real and telling a true account. The way the narrator portrayed him absolutely made me like Edward more and feel for him.

The narrator did an excellent job of distinguishing characters and making it very clear who was speaking when and portraying the moods and emotions throughout the entire book. He had great pacing and fantastically done accents and attitudes minus two exceptions below. I would definitely listen to another book he narrates.

The last reason for this being a 3.5 rather than a 4 was the way the narrator read Lonnie and Quinn. In reality he probably did a great job on Lonnie based on how he was written, but it was just too much and too annoying for me. Literally think stoner hippie parody. I just didn’t enjoy the voice he used for this character or the way his lines were read. Quinn was the same. The voice used for her was so incredibly grating and annoying I couldn’t like her. It was probably the worst voice the narrator did to me. It was the equivalent of a female narrator trying too hard to make a deep male voice and sound like a macho dude. It was too high, too nasally, and too much accent. Both furthered my dislike for these characters and not care what happened to them. These voices just didn’t do it for me and left me feeling more “ugh no” than anything.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. I’ll definitely be checking out other works from both the author and narrator based on this one!

[Christine Abruzzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, but.....

I liked the premise of the story and it was interesting. But, I almost quit at the half way point because there were just so many pages to skip with info we had already been given numerous times. Could have been about 50 pages shorter and told the same story. I did like the end and liked the story enough to give it 4 stars.

[Lynn Mccorry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the book, 4 stars for the ending. 3.5 stars overall

I’m in a few different minds about this book. I didn’t love it but didn’t really dislike it either. I guess there were parts I liked and other parts, not so much.

I found the story to be a bit lack lustre. I didn’t like the main character. I felt that there was just too much reference to his social awkwardness. The ending was surprising and pretty good, but when you pair that with the rest of the book, it all becomes a bit unbelievable.

Overall, not too bad a read and if you are looking for a relatively short thriller, it’s worth giving it a go.

[Pheadra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about a young man( Edward) who appears to have a version of Aspergers Syndrome and counts repeatedly to ground and calm himself. He has lost both his mother and sister and sees a therapist. A project he's completed is his guesthouse, which he is encouraged to rent out by his friend Lonnie. When his overnight guests do a disappearing act in the middle of the night, he takes in a kast minute guest, Jax, who turns into a nightmare. I loved the twist at the end and the writing style was easy to read. 4 and a half stars.

[Darcie Streetman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall storyline was good. The character development was terrible. I was so sick of hearing about this character’s anxiety, that I almost didn’t finish. Very annoying. It took a long time (more than half way into the book) before anything was engaging.