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The Night Guests: A Novel
1903. Omaha, Nebraska.
Once a prominent fixture in Omaha’s high society, Nina Wilson is now drowning in debt and disgrace following the untimely death of her father. Her engagement has been broken off, her family’s grand estate has fallen into disrepair, and her mother, consumed by grief, is incapable of running the household.
Attempting to bring closure to her grieving mother, Nina invites a mysterious medium, Leroy Marshall, into their home. But Leroy Marshall’s brand of charisma—equal parts alluring and repellent—leaves Nina feeling deeply unsettled. The man’s presence seems to have awakened something otherworldly in the house itself, and now it’s stepping out of the shadows, refusing to leave.
Once a prominent fixture in Omaha’s high society, Nina Wilson is now drowning in debt and disgrace following the untimely death of her father. Her engagement has been broken off, her family’s grand estate has fallen into disrepair, and her mother, consumed by grief, is incapable of running the household.
Attempting to bring closure to her grieving mother, Nina invites a mysterious medium, Leroy Marshall, into their home. But Leroy Marshall’s brand of charisma—equal parts alluring and repellent—leaves Nina feeling deeply unsettled. The man’s presence seems to have awakened something otherworldly in the house itself, and now it’s stepping out of the shadows, refusing to leave.
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First published January 1, 2025
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About the author
Marina Scott
6 books81 followersFind me on Twitter and Insta. Also, you can find me here: marinascott.com
Marina Scott was born and raised behind the Iron Curtain in Vilnius, Lithuania. She graduated from a local university with a Master's degree in library science, but a short stint in a Soviet library changed her mind about being a librarian in the U.S.S.R. She immigrated to the United States in 2000 and now resides in Salt Lake City.
THE HUNGER BETWEEN US, is out November 1, 2022 with Macmillan/FSG.
Marina Scott was born and raised behind the Iron Curtain in Vilnius, Lithuania. She graduated from a local university with a Master's degree in library science, but a short stint in a Soviet library changed her mind about being a librarian in the U.S.S.R. She immigrated to the United States in 2000 and now resides in Salt Lake City.
THE HUNGER BETWEEN US, is out November 1, 2022 with Macmillan/FSG.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
November 17, 2025
This is a great book to pick up for the spooky season! It's 1903, Omaha Nebraska. Nina Wilson's father passed away. She's now caring for her grieving mother, and left with debt. She invites a local medium to help. But after he arrives, something otherworldly seems to have been unleashed. The tension builds slowly and methodically and the atmospheric gothic vibes just pull you into the mystery. I love books with supernatural,and historical aspects in them, and this one was right up my alley. If you're looking for a hauntingly fantastic book to read this Halloween, definitely pick this up!
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Suzy approved book tours for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Suzy approved book tours for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
October 23, 2025
4☆
Secrets become weapons that turn into nightmares. There is so much going on in this world of haunted people and a haunted house.
Grief plays a huge role in the life of Nina Wilson, and it is grief that drives her mother's behavior and madness. Nina's grief pushes her to the brink but it also unleashes her ability to commune with the dead. Her newfound ability attracts the attention of Leroy Marshall, who claims to be a medium. Together they enter into a business agreement that for Nina grows into infatuation.
The reality of staus and class is also a large part of the story. When Nina's affluent family falls on hard times her peers begin to shun her. Funny how that happens. But, through the use of a little blue book that holds the dark secrets of the well-heeled and her abilities Nina reaps the profits necessary to save herself and the family estate, the Dawning.
The Dawning is a character all its own. The mansion begins to exert its own power, to make Nina half mad, and to be her guardian.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Marina Scott is an author to follow. She has written a suspenseful, thrilling, spooky novel with The Night Guests.
Secrets become weapons that turn into nightmares. There is so much going on in this world of haunted people and a haunted house.
Grief plays a huge role in the life of Nina Wilson, and it is grief that drives her mother's behavior and madness. Nina's grief pushes her to the brink but it also unleashes her ability to commune with the dead. Her newfound ability attracts the attention of Leroy Marshall, who claims to be a medium. Together they enter into a business agreement that for Nina grows into infatuation.
The reality of staus and class is also a large part of the story. When Nina's affluent family falls on hard times her peers begin to shun her. Funny how that happens. But, through the use of a little blue book that holds the dark secrets of the well-heeled and her abilities Nina reaps the profits necessary to save herself and the family estate, the Dawning.
The Dawning is a character all its own. The mansion begins to exert its own power, to make Nina half mad, and to be her guardian.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Marina Scott is an author to follow. She has written a suspenseful, thrilling, spooky novel with The Night Guests.
May 5, 2025
I had really high hopes for this book based on the description and gorgeous cover art, but I think it just wasn’t for me. I found the writing repetitive and the characters and plot surface-level. It felt as though everything was told as opposed to shown, which prevented me from engaging with the story or feeling anything at all, unfortunately, and I really struggled to get through it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing an eARC of this forthcoming release in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sharing an eARC of this forthcoming release in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
February 15, 2025
My quote!: “Nothing is as it seems at The Dawning, or in Marina Scott’s eerie and unsettling The Night Guests, both of which are swathed in layers of gaslighting and gothic secrets that, like the heroine, force you to question everything, all while being lulled into a delightfully maddening dream of a tale.”
August 24, 2025
The Night Guests by Marina Scott is an atmospheric, gothic gem that completely swept me away. From the very first page, I felt transported into 1903 Omaha, and right into the faded grandeur of the Wilson estate, where grief, decay, and secrets seep through every wall.
Nina Wilson is a heroine I couldn’t help but root for. She’s caught between duty to her fragile mother and her own growing unease when she invites the enigmatic Leroy Marshall into their home. The tension Scott creates around Leroy is masterful - he’s charming, unsettling, and impossible to pin down. And once his presence stirs something otherworldly in the house, the story becomes deliciously eerie and impossible to put down.
What makes this novel shine is its perfect blend of gothic atmosphere and emotional depth. Scott doesn’t just give us creaking staircases and shadows that move, she gives us a story about grief, family bonds, and the vulnerability of women trying to find their footing in a world quick to dismiss them. The supernatural elements heighten, rather than overshadow, the human heart of the tale.
Marina Scott’s writing is elegant and immersive, weaving dread with beauty. I found myself lingering over sentences even as I raced ahead, desperate to see what lurked in the shadows of the Wilson home. By the end, I was left chilled, haunted, and deeply satisfied.
If you love gothic suspense, historical settings, or ghost stories that linger long after the last page, The Night Guests is a must-read. Marina Scott has firmly secured a spot on my “auto-buy” list.
Nina Wilson is a heroine I couldn’t help but root for. She’s caught between duty to her fragile mother and her own growing unease when she invites the enigmatic Leroy Marshall into their home. The tension Scott creates around Leroy is masterful - he’s charming, unsettling, and impossible to pin down. And once his presence stirs something otherworldly in the house, the story becomes deliciously eerie and impossible to put down.
What makes this novel shine is its perfect blend of gothic atmosphere and emotional depth. Scott doesn’t just give us creaking staircases and shadows that move, she gives us a story about grief, family bonds, and the vulnerability of women trying to find their footing in a world quick to dismiss them. The supernatural elements heighten, rather than overshadow, the human heart of the tale.
Marina Scott’s writing is elegant and immersive, weaving dread with beauty. I found myself lingering over sentences even as I raced ahead, desperate to see what lurked in the shadows of the Wilson home. By the end, I was left chilled, haunted, and deeply satisfied.
If you love gothic suspense, historical settings, or ghost stories that linger long after the last page, The Night Guests is a must-read. Marina Scott has firmly secured a spot on my “auto-buy” list.
October 28, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ for me, but I’m rounding up because I really liked the ending.
This was an Amazon First Reads pick, which I’ve found to be very hit or miss.
But I’m not one to turn down a free book, and I was also looking for some horror since it’s nearly Halloween.
It’s 1903 and we first meet the protagonist, Nina Wilson, who comes from a wealthy and prominent family in Omaha.
Unfortunately, her father had a severe gambling addiction and squandered away all of their wealth before he died.
She’s left with a depressed, emotionally avoidant mother and a large house that is gradually becoming dilapidated.
In order to cover their expenses she is forced to sell her expensive dresses and silver, the only remaining things that she has from her privileged days.
This probably sounds like an odd comparison, but this book felt like The Guilded Age meets Long Island Medium.
If you’ve watched The Guilded Age, I kept picturing Nina as Marion Brook.
The first half of the book we basically just learn about Nina’s history.
I kept thinking to myself “this is supposed to be horror, right?”
Also, since it takes place in 1903, I figured it would be historical fiction as a secondary theme.
Aside from some scenes where they mention using candles as lights and riding in a horse-drawn buggy, there wasn’t much that made it feel like 1903.
In fact, as I was reading I felt like this could be taking place anytime between 1900-1980.
When I read historical fiction I usually feel like I’m going on a time travel adventure, and I just didn’t get that vibe from this book.
Throughout the book we read letters that Nina writes to her brother, Amos.
And I will say that around the 70% mark there was a surprise that I didn’t see coming.
While I was engaged enough to want to finish the book, I probably won’t remember much about it six months from now.
It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.
I went in expecting horror.
Paranormal, 💯
Horror, not so much.
This was an Amazon First Reads pick, which I’ve found to be very hit or miss.
But I’m not one to turn down a free book, and I was also looking for some horror since it’s nearly Halloween.
It’s 1903 and we first meet the protagonist, Nina Wilson, who comes from a wealthy and prominent family in Omaha.
Unfortunately, her father had a severe gambling addiction and squandered away all of their wealth before he died.
She’s left with a depressed, emotionally avoidant mother and a large house that is gradually becoming dilapidated.
In order to cover their expenses she is forced to sell her expensive dresses and silver, the only remaining things that she has from her privileged days.
This probably sounds like an odd comparison, but this book felt like The Guilded Age meets Long Island Medium.
If you’ve watched The Guilded Age, I kept picturing Nina as Marion Brook.
The first half of the book we basically just learn about Nina’s history.
I kept thinking to myself “this is supposed to be horror, right?”
Also, since it takes place in 1903, I figured it would be historical fiction as a secondary theme.
Aside from some scenes where they mention using candles as lights and riding in a horse-drawn buggy, there wasn’t much that made it feel like 1903.
In fact, as I was reading I felt like this could be taking place anytime between 1900-1980.
When I read historical fiction I usually feel like I’m going on a time travel adventure, and I just didn’t get that vibe from this book.
Throughout the book we read letters that Nina writes to her brother, Amos.
And I will say that around the 70% mark there was a surprise that I didn’t see coming.
While I was engaged enough to want to finish the book, I probably won’t remember much about it six months from now.
It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.
I went in expecting horror.
Paranormal, 💯
Horror, not so much.
January 5, 2026
A strange book—good, but strange. (Also: highly bittersweet. You’ve been warned.) I think it would’ve benefited from a longer page count or including one less shift-in-tone; there are several ultra-gothic themes/influences being played with in three roughly divided sections, but the transitions are very abrupt. A longer length could’ve fixed that issue, allowing more pagetime to bleed from one section to another… but trimming one of the subplots would’ve also allowed space to fold in transitions with more subtlety. *shrug* Tough authorial choices are real.
Anyhoo. 😶
The atmosphere is definitely high quality—likewise, an overhanging sense of gloomth & doomed relationships of various types ranging from familial to platonic to romantic. Very nice. The ghosts & the séance scenes were also done well, so props for that;
I’m a sucker for a good séance novel, whether genuine mediums or frauds trying to make a living—imo there’s nothing that defines Victorian** gothic better than that particular image. 👻 It also does a good job with the prairie/Midwest gothic angle, which you rarely find in historicals—it’s a very specific setting that requires a deft hand to portray without sounding overly hokey.***
4 stars overall; not perfect, but definitely fun in a moody, gloomy, thunderstorm-with-flickering-candles way. (There’s also a tiny thread of cosmic Lovecraftian terror—it wasn’t enough to bother me (I don’t like cosmic terror when it’s a major ingredient), but I’ll mention it anyway to be a good reading citizen. 🤓)
**NB for sticklers: In this case, I’m lumping Edwardian & American Civil War/Gilded Age under the general Victorian label.
***Here’s my chance to campaign for Jen Wheeler’s A CURE FOR SORROW, which is an underrated masterpiece of grief & creepitude.
Anyhoo. 😶
The atmosphere is definitely high quality—likewise, an overhanging sense of gloomth & doomed relationships of various types ranging from familial to platonic to romantic. Very nice. The ghosts & the séance scenes were also done well, so props for that;
I’m a sucker for a good séance novel, whether genuine mediums or frauds trying to make a living—imo there’s nothing that defines Victorian** gothic better than that particular image. 👻 It also does a good job with the prairie/Midwest gothic angle, which you rarely find in historicals—it’s a very specific setting that requires a deft hand to portray without sounding overly hokey.***
4 stars overall; not perfect, but definitely fun in a moody, gloomy, thunderstorm-with-flickering-candles way. (There’s also a tiny thread of cosmic Lovecraftian terror—it wasn’t enough to bother me (I don’t like cosmic terror when it’s a major ingredient), but I’ll mention it anyway to be a good reading citizen. 🤓)
**NB for sticklers: In this case, I’m lumping Edwardian & American Civil War/Gilded Age under the general Victorian label.
***Here’s my chance to campaign for Jen Wheeler’s A CURE FOR SORROW, which is an underrated masterpiece of grief & creepitude.
May 22, 2025
The Night Guests delivered exactly what I was hoping for in terms of the gothic, spooky atmosphere. The book held an eerie mood that lingers long after you’ve finished reading.
That said, something about the story felt like it was missing — though I can’t quite put my finger on what., it just didn’t quite hit that perfect note for me. Still, a very solid and haunting read that I’d recommend to fans of historical suspense with a supernatural twist.
November 6, 2025
A great premise, well written and well narrated, however, I do think it’d be easy to lose the run of yourself if you didn’t pay close attention.
Old family secrets and lies come tumbling out in this gothic tale. The atmosphere of the house is portrayed exceptionally well, I could feel its presence the characters though not so much I’m afraid, I didn’t warm to any of them and equally wasn’t fussed if they got their comeuppance or not.
Give it a go, because it is good it just didn’t meet my expectations but it’s probably perfect for spooky season!
Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook 🎧
Old family secrets and lies come tumbling out in this gothic tale. The atmosphere of the house is portrayed exceptionally well, I could feel its presence the characters though not so much I’m afraid, I didn’t warm to any of them and equally wasn’t fussed if they got their comeuppance or not.
Give it a go, because it is good it just didn’t meet my expectations but it’s probably perfect for spooky season!
Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook 🎧
November 7, 2025
So glad I managed to fit this one in at the conclusion of spooky season.. because it’s definitely spooky!
Set in 1900s Nebraska, nina invites a medium to her home after her fathers passing in hopes of helping her grieving mother, but unfortunately she invites more than just the medium into her home and things start to get WEIRD. This is definitely one of those books that almost feel like some sort of twisted fever dream!
If you love a gothic, historical plot with a heavy side of supernatural definitely give this a try!
The narration was done really well and definitely gave me the creeps a few times! Thank you for the gifted audiobook!
Set in 1900s Nebraska, nina invites a medium to her home after her fathers passing in hopes of helping her grieving mother, but unfortunately she invites more than just the medium into her home and things start to get WEIRD. This is definitely one of those books that almost feel like some sort of twisted fever dream!
If you love a gothic, historical plot with a heavy side of supernatural definitely give this a try!
The narration was done really well and definitely gave me the creeps a few times! Thank you for the gifted audiobook!
October 4, 2025
Very well written for a topic that is not one of my favorites. I am not into séances and talking to the dead. If you are, you might enjoy this book.
October 28, 2025
Not a bad premise, but so repetitive and slow-moving. I don't mind a slow burn, but this one doesn't even show a wisp of smoke until halfway through, and that soon goes out. And I got so tired of reading about his fingers brushing against her wrist or arm or ankle or his breath brushing against her face and cheeks. And the fact that it's told in first-person doesn't help at all – so much telling instead of showing (which only makes the main character even more annoying). Did I mention it's repetitive?
October 27, 2025
This book was so impossible to make any headway and finish. The plot never moved and you would keep thinking something has to happen and nothing would. I have never read something so poorly put together and going nowhere.
Read
January 2, 2026dnf @ 37%. the premise seemed so promising but it’s so slow to get through and the writing felt very surface level. i was trying to hold out until it got more spooky but it never did
October 29, 2025
I’m not sure why the overall rating for this book is lower; all my Goodreads friends seemed to love it. It is a fun read for spooky season or anyone who enjoyed Gothic stories.
This book takes place in the early 1900s in Omaha, Nebraska, with a family that has gone through more than its share of difficulties. The oldest, beloved brother has gone to a hospital away, the father has died and the mother is suffering from all of her loss, and now poverty. To try to help her mother, Nina invites Leroy, a well-known medium to her house. Shortly after they are acquainted he moves in, and Nina tries to figure what has happened and what is happening with her family and her family home.
I love a moody house that becomes a character in a book, and this one has quite a feisty one. There are lots of eerie characters and things that happen from the seances - characters who don’t want to go back through the veil, and those who are temperamental.
Nina also writes letters to her brother who is gone, which tell more about the story.
“Not gambling, of course, which is considered a regular pastime. Poverty is utterly more sinful. It offends.” Ch 1
“…being poor will ostracize you in a blink of a moment. No one tells you that being poor has a special shameful cadence—like a broken piano string—that follows you wherever you go.” Ch 2
“Grief is a canvas, the one we can change—or, rather, I’d say reshape. We can channel it into something else, something that would bring you peace. But it takes time.” Ch 7
“The energy of this house has changed. Your daddy never repented. Your brother never saw the error of his ways. The house must’ve absorbed their sins.” She pauses, looking at me solemnly. “Turned angry.” Can the walls absorb the energy of the people who used to live here?” Ch 8
“Madness is like a dream: you can pretend it’s not there; you can get away from it if you don’t think about”
…
“Or maybe it is the house wailing for my sanity.” Ch 11
“There are moments in life that change everything, but you don’t realize it until it’s too late to catch yourself before the fall. “ ch 12
This book takes place in the early 1900s in Omaha, Nebraska, with a family that has gone through more than its share of difficulties. The oldest, beloved brother has gone to a hospital away, the father has died and the mother is suffering from all of her loss, and now poverty. To try to help her mother, Nina invites Leroy, a well-known medium to her house. Shortly after they are acquainted he moves in, and Nina tries to figure what has happened and what is happening with her family and her family home.
I love a moody house that becomes a character in a book, and this one has quite a feisty one. There are lots of eerie characters and things that happen from the seances - characters who don’t want to go back through the veil, and those who are temperamental.
Nina also writes letters to her brother who is gone, which tell more about the story.
“Not gambling, of course, which is considered a regular pastime. Poverty is utterly more sinful. It offends.” Ch 1
“…being poor will ostracize you in a blink of a moment. No one tells you that being poor has a special shameful cadence—like a broken piano string—that follows you wherever you go.” Ch 2
“Grief is a canvas, the one we can change—or, rather, I’d say reshape. We can channel it into something else, something that would bring you peace. But it takes time.” Ch 7
“The energy of this house has changed. Your daddy never repented. Your brother never saw the error of his ways. The house must’ve absorbed their sins.” She pauses, looking at me solemnly. “Turned angry.” Can the walls absorb the energy of the people who used to live here?” Ch 8
“Madness is like a dream: you can pretend it’s not there; you can get away from it if you don’t think about”
…
“Or maybe it is the house wailing for my sanity.” Ch 11
“There are moments in life that change everything, but you don’t realize it until it’s too late to catch yourself before the fall. “ ch 12
May 24, 2025
In 1903 Omaha, Nina struggles to keep her deteriorating home and care for her ailing mother when her father suddenly dies leaving his debts behind. Out of desperation, Nina seeks the help of a mysterious local medium.
Gothic horror, spooky houses and societal commentary? Yes please.
This book was so atmospheric and at times truly unsettling. Some of the plot twists were surprising, but there were some that I felt like the solution had been so heavily hinted at that it became frustrating that it took the whole book for Nina to figure it out. The story held my interest, though it did feel repetitive or lagging at some points. Never for too long though, I overall felt invested the whole time.
This was a good time, and I look forward to reading more from this author! Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Gothic horror, spooky houses and societal commentary? Yes please.
This book was so atmospheric and at times truly unsettling. Some of the plot twists were surprising, but there were some that I felt like the solution had been so heavily hinted at that it became frustrating that it took the whole book for Nina to figure it out. The story held my interest, though it did feel repetitive or lagging at some points. Never for too long though, I overall felt invested the whole time.
This was a good time, and I look forward to reading more from this author! Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 29, 2025
This book is beautifully written. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I typically don’t read “scary” books, and The Night Guests made me remember why. It has a haunting vibe from start to finish, and at times, it was hard for me to read at night because I was spooked.
The character building was perfect. There was not too much or too little information about the characters. The scenes were beautifully written, which made them very easy to visualize.
I loved the way Marina included elements of grief and sadness. This helps remind those of us who have experienced profound grief and sorrow that we all deal with it differently. I’m usually pretty good at knowing what’s coming next, but not in this book. There was a scene where, once I realized what was transpiring, I literally sat straight up in surprise. The author's transition was seamless!!
The character building was perfect. There was not too much or too little information about the characters. The scenes were beautifully written, which made them very easy to visualize.
I loved the way Marina included elements of grief and sadness. This helps remind those of us who have experienced profound grief and sorrow that we all deal with it differently. I’m usually pretty good at knowing what’s coming next, but not in this book. There was a scene where, once I realized what was transpiring, I literally sat straight up in surprise. The author's transition was seamless!!
November 26, 2025
ALC 4 Stars!
Haunting + Early 1900's Setting + Spooky Seances + Responsive House
This book follows Nina, who is drowning in a debt her father has left behind and trying to take care of her grieving and ill mother. Nina tries to get help for her mother by contacting a local medium, Leroy Marshall, in hopes of contacting her father and showing her mother that he is now at peace. With he debts piling up and feeling at a loss, Nina convinces Leroy to come to their house and help connect her mother to the spirit world.
While Leroy is at the house, Nina comes to realize that she actually has the ability to communicate with spirits and the otherworld. Her and Leroy embark on a mission to perform their own seances to help people in their community as well as pay off Nina's family's debt. But everything seems a little too good to be true and once hidden motives are revealed, Nina has a hard wake up call about Leroy Marshall and his companions.
The plot twist in this book got me so good. I was not expecting that. Well maybe a little, but I was hoping it wasn't true. I gasped out loud when everything was revealed! I loved how the house started to become reactive to everything going on and from 90% to the end I was hooked! I did find the beginning to be a little slow but the end of the book really won me over with that plot twist!
I enjoyed the narrator and would definitely recommend this to those who like haunted houses and horror!
This book was sent to me from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Haunting + Early 1900's Setting + Spooky Seances + Responsive House
This book follows Nina, who is drowning in a debt her father has left behind and trying to take care of her grieving and ill mother. Nina tries to get help for her mother by contacting a local medium, Leroy Marshall, in hopes of contacting her father and showing her mother that he is now at peace. With he debts piling up and feeling at a loss, Nina convinces Leroy to come to their house and help connect her mother to the spirit world.
While Leroy is at the house, Nina comes to realize that she actually has the ability to communicate with spirits and the otherworld. Her and Leroy embark on a mission to perform their own seances to help people in their community as well as pay off Nina's family's debt. But everything seems a little too good to be true and once hidden motives are revealed, Nina has a hard wake up call about Leroy Marshall and his companions.
The plot twist in this book got me so good. I was not expecting that. Well maybe a little, but I was hoping it wasn't true. I gasped out loud when everything was revealed! I loved how the house started to become reactive to everything going on and from 90% to the end I was hooked! I did find the beginning to be a little slow but the end of the book really won me over with that plot twist!
I enjoyed the narrator and would definitely recommend this to those who like haunted houses and horror!
This book was sent to me from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 3, 2025
There is a lot to digest
This was a novel about seance's and emotions. I'm not even.sure i.understood them all. I thought when she gave back what she took, her talents would be over. I really need to ponder on this for awhile. There are so many feelings going through my head and I don't know if I can put them to.paper. I did enjoy the book and I couldn't put it down but I was also repelled a little bit of it. I thought evil permeated the house but why? So many questions. I wish this had cliff notes! I.will try.And gather my thoughts.
This was a novel about seance's and emotions. I'm not even.sure i.understood them all. I thought when she gave back what she took, her talents would be over. I really need to ponder on this for awhile. There are so many feelings going through my head and I don't know if I can put them to.paper. I did enjoy the book and I couldn't put it down but I was also repelled a little bit of it. I thought evil permeated the house but why? So many questions. I wish this had cliff notes! I.will try.And gather my thoughts.
October 14, 2025
I blindly picked this for my Amazon first reads choice, and it has been so interesting! This is a spooky, atmospheric, and creepy read. If you’ve ever watched The Haunting on Hill House on Netflix, this reminds me a lot of the house that’s forever changing and the mom who is always restlessly wandering the halls.
A family deals with the madness that comes from grief, and is open to anything to get any closure from their loved ones. They invite a renowned psychic medium into the home to speak to their dearly departed father, and Nina discovers quickly that she too can speak to the dead. She is very skeptical and thinks it’s all in her head, but there are several scenes with ghost children appearing to her with the atmosphere of the room getting colder and everything you can imagine that comes with a haunting.
She finds her power by accepting her gifts, becoming a medium, and exposing everyone in the whole town who has done her wrong. The ending was quite satisfying and I fear everything points to everyone in Nina’s life being literal trash. This was a perfect October mood read if you like haunted houses, seances, feminine rage, and ghosts 👻.
A family deals with the madness that comes from grief, and is open to anything to get any closure from their loved ones. They invite a renowned psychic medium into the home to speak to their dearly departed father, and Nina discovers quickly that she too can speak to the dead. She is very skeptical and thinks it’s all in her head, but there are several scenes with ghost children appearing to her with the atmosphere of the room getting colder and everything you can imagine that comes with a haunting.
She finds her power by accepting her gifts, becoming a medium, and exposing everyone in the whole town who has done her wrong. The ending was quite satisfying and I fear everything points to everyone in Nina’s life being literal trash. This was a perfect October mood read if you like haunted houses, seances, feminine rage, and ghosts 👻.
October 29, 2025
I am nearly half way through this book and still, all that is happening is possible brief ghostly visitations in the vicinity of the self-centered, self-pitying and churlish narrator. (She’s a bit of a dolt, too. For example, she takes a child’s toy soldier in the first pages and can’t seem to figure out said child wanting it back.) The writing is doing me in, as it is clumsy, hackneyed and often anachronistic. I think life is too short to waste more time on this tedious tale.
October 14, 2025
2.5⭐️
This had so much potential, but it really fell short. It took a long time to get going, and I thought we were finally at a good point, and then it changed. This was just trying to do too much. Disappointing.
This had so much potential, but it really fell short. It took a long time to get going, and I thought we were finally at a good point, and then it changed. This was just trying to do too much. Disappointing.
November 13, 2025
This book was really terrible. I can’t explain it, but it’s bad. I’m not sure why I finished it except maybe I thought it would get better? It did not.
June 9, 2025
"The Night Guests" is a captivating and atmospheric mystery novel set in the early 1900s. This skillfully written ghost story echoes the haunting psychological depth of Edgar Allan Poe and the dark Southern Gothic tones of Flannery O'Connor. With a chilling sense of place and a plot that unfolds with increasing tension, the novel grips you from the first page. I couldn’t stop reading Scott’s brilliant blend of suspense, emotion, and the supernatural. It’s a must-read for fans of literary horror and historical mysteries. A perfect Halloween read!
October 24, 2025
Nina Wilson and her family used to be members of the upper crust of Omaha. But the revelation of her father’s gambling addiction and debts upon his death, and the exile of her brother for “studying” in upstate New York (aka treatment for some bad habits), her and her mother have been exiled by their former “friends.” With her mother lost in grief, bills looming, and little prospects for a future and even less to save their crumbling home, possible salvation comes from the unlikeliest of all places: a trendy new medium, Leroy Marshall. Marshall promises to save her mother and offers to give her an out. But, a true skeptic at heart, Nina, as she begins experiencing strange things, she is forced to question what she truly believes.
This book takes place in 1903, making it a delicious gothic, ghostly story that transports you to the Midwest at the turn of the century.
First, I loved the setting of Omaha. We tend to get these “society” stories set mostly in cities like New York and Boston, or even New Orleans, but rarely the Midwest or the recently established American Frontier, so I didn’t really think about it having a high society scene. But it did, apparently, and it was just as cutting a vicious and cutthroat as any bougie city you could think of. It added this great element to the story.
And the creepy factor in this one was dialed up to 11. I was absolutely creeped out by certain things in this book, and was really desperate to find out what was going on. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a wild ride and I was totally here for it! The twists and turns were so good and I had my jaw open for the last three chapters at least!
And that’s not to say that there weren’t bombshells in the previous chapters. Because the entire book had some bombs. It’s a real page-turner. But boy could it get dark at some points. This isn’t a fairytale, not by a long shot.
And that ultimate ending *chef’s kiss*. Perfect.
If you like spooky, gothic tales, go get this book. You won’t be disappointed.
This book takes place in 1903, making it a delicious gothic, ghostly story that transports you to the Midwest at the turn of the century.
First, I loved the setting of Omaha. We tend to get these “society” stories set mostly in cities like New York and Boston, or even New Orleans, but rarely the Midwest or the recently established American Frontier, so I didn’t really think about it having a high society scene. But it did, apparently, and it was just as cutting a vicious and cutthroat as any bougie city you could think of. It added this great element to the story.
And the creepy factor in this one was dialed up to 11. I was absolutely creeped out by certain things in this book, and was really desperate to find out what was going on. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a wild ride and I was totally here for it! The twists and turns were so good and I had my jaw open for the last three chapters at least!
And that’s not to say that there weren’t bombshells in the previous chapters. Because the entire book had some bombs. It’s a real page-turner. But boy could it get dark at some points. This isn’t a fairytale, not by a long shot.
And that ultimate ending *chef’s kiss*. Perfect.
If you like spooky, gothic tales, go get this book. You won’t be disappointed.
November 17, 2025
I was drawn to The Night Guests by Marina Scott because of spiritualism and mediums. Nina has to find a way to pay for her family’s upcoming tax bill after her father’s death. Her mother is mired by grief and invites a known medium into their house so that she can reconnect with her husband in spirit form. Nina learns the tricks of the trade but actually has the gift of seeing ghosts and connecting to spirits beyond the veil. Leroy, along with some colleagues, intend to swindle Nina and her mother. The last portion of the book surprised me and went somewhere that I never suspected. A true gothic horror masterpiece! I will add Caitlin Kelly to my list of favorite narrators. ALC was provided by Brilliance Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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December 13, 2025
Trigger & Content Warnings
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a father
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a father
October 31, 2025
There is more going on in this book than you initially guess. My emotions went all over the place, as did my ideas of the likely twist. I was wrong, very wrong. I enjoyed this book! Very gothic horror, had a great dark and heavy imagery throughout. Deeper significance to human emotion hidden within the ghosts and spookiness. Very well done!
October 4, 2025
The Night Guest by Marina Scott, let me just say upfront I don’t mind a surface level reading experience and as far as the story and plot goes it really was a good one I really enjoyed every character with the exception of Nina. She was annoying and at times came off as a no it all but ultimately I did root for her. I do want to say this book was set in 1903 but it gave off the vibes of a book set in the mid to late 1800s. I guess since they lived in Omaha and small towns or the last to move up in line I can forgive that. I also don’t like in a book where someone loses all their money or their dad left as in this book and instantly the house is in Decay as if as soon as he left all the nice features of the house turned old and ugly. I don’t know why authors do this. He had only been dead a year and when you read the book it as if the house was falling apart already. I still would recommend it it is creepy Erie And has a real psychic with real paranormal happenings and I love all of that just not Nina so much. #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview
October 19, 2025
My first reads selection this month was a winner. Great gothic story felt like I was reading one of the classics
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