The Winter Guest

by Sarah Moss

A gulp-it-down-in-one-sitting novel, The Winter Guest, from Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah Moss, is an enthralling story about how the past will always come to find you in the end.

'I found it intoxicating' - Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
'Deliciously twisty. Destined to be one of those Christmas Eve classics' - Rachel Joyce, author of The Homemade God
'Pure pleasure from start to finish' - Katherine Rundell, author of The Golden Mole

Tell me the worst thing you’ve ever done.

On Christmas Eve, in a hotel on Ireland’s west coast, a man and a woman meet for the first time. As a snowstorm gathers outside windows twinkling with fairy lights, they share a meal, pour wine, propose a toast.

Janice and Gerry may be strangers to one another, but they each have a confession to make.

As the blizzard howls, the night will take an unexpected turn, and their conversation will have consequences far beyond the candlelit table . . .

'A perfectly measured serving of expert storytelling with a deliciously dark twist. I inhaled it in a single sitting. This is classic Sarah Moss' - Jan Carson, author of Few and Far Between

Readers love The Winter Guest:

'Powerful, provocative and a classic in the making. One of my best reads of 2026'
‘The Winter Guest then is a perfect novel for a cold winters evening, preferably beside a warm fire'
'This is a must read. Hands down, you will not read anything better going into the Christmas season'
'Sarah Moss has crafted a perfect tale spun out beside a hotel fireside in the snow-swept darkness of an Irish Christmas'
'This short novella by Sarah Moss was a delectable feast'
'The writing is beautiful and will transport you to a stormy winters night'

Genres: Fiction, Christmas, Novella, Ireland, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Short Stories

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2026

About the author

Sarah Moss is the award-winning author of six novels: Cold Earth, Night Waking, selected for the Fiction Uncovered Award in 2011, Bodies of Light, Signs for Lost Children and The Tidal Zone, all shortlisted for the prestigious Wellcome Prize, and her new book Ghost Wall, out in September 2018.

She has also written a memoir of her year living in Iceland, Names for the Sea, which was shortlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize in 2013.

Sarah Moss is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in England.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past will always come back to haunt you.

“Tell me the worst thing you’ve ever done “ says one hotel guest to another on a snowy Christmas Eve on the west coast of Ireland in the hearing of employee Ryan. Septuagenarian Janice lifts her glass, smiles, let the mutually assured destruction begin, Gerry. Sláinte. Winter guests, just the two of them and Ryan of course- let the stories begin.

I’ve read quite a few of Sarah Moss’s books over the years and consider her a top quality writer, her novels ooze with atmosphere and this novella encapsulates this talent perfectly. The lush, elegant setting of the hotel with the snow and hail beating against the windows, providing an excellent backdrop to this deceptively simple tale. There are enjoyable interruptions to the narrative as Ryan delivers the food with Michelin style aplomb, wine pairings and last but not least, petit fours. There is some well placed humour delivered with the sumptuous feast. Janice eats, talks and then it’s Gerry’s turn. He feels secure enough to be honest.

The storytelling is clever, with continuous prose which matches the evening and feels natural. The writing flows as does the wine consumption. As it’s only the two of them having the in-depth confessions, it feels claustrophobic as if the walls are closing in along with the deteriorating weather. I don’t see that ending coming - well played, that’s a good surprise.

Overall, this is a well written novella, just over an hour or so of your time. It’s a perfect, intriguing autumn/halloween/winter read which I’m going to buy as gifts for friends during the festive season.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan Macmillan/Picador for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review

[Margo Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine, she says, we've a deal, tell me a good story and kill me.

An engrossing novella in which two strangers, Janice and Gerry, the only guests at a snowstorm-bound hotel on Christmas Eve, share a grand dinner and trade stories (Tell me, she says, the worst thing you've ever done...). I was expecting literary fiction, but the set-up has a kind of archetypal, crime mystery artifice to it which hooked me in. There's a compelling sense of key information being drip-fed or withheld. If I have a minor quibble, it's that after such skillful suspense, I'd have liked a more knock-out twist at the end - the story wrapped up elegantly, but not entirely unpredictably. The tone is arch, intelligent, and slightly sinister.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Tell me, she says, the worst thing you've ever done."

Sometimes a book grabs you from the first few lines and you know you are defenceless to not complete it in one sitting. This is one of those book. Sarah Moss has written some incredible books in recent years : Ghost Wall, The Fell and Ripeness to name but a few.

The Winter Guest is a novella that certainly intrigues and piques our natural curiosities as to what would happen when two strangers in a remote West Ireland hotel meet at dinner on Christmas Eve and the question is asked to reveal what is their worst action in life?

Janice and Gerry are the two people in question- Janice widowed and not wanting to spend Christmas at home and Gerry on a visit to see his mother. Against a backdrop of a snowstorm and a sumptuous meal- and Ryan the waiter in attendance- a conversation begins.

Digging deep into the human character, we can all ask ourselves how much would we reveal to a stranger about a major life misdemeanour. Sarah Moss touches the raw edges of the human condition and rather like Claire Keegan and John Boyne scratches beneath the superficial layers of human actions and reactions - the good, the bad and the ugly. Told with humour, intelligence and an attention to details that make this a special read- not a single superfluous word .Sarah Moss once again shows us she is one of the very best contemporary British writers and has crafted a brilliant book

This is a superb winter evening book - well anytime of the year; but certainly a novel I will be buying for friends. This is a book that you will want to talk about.

Powerful, provocative and a classic in the making. One of my best reads of 2026

Thank you to Picador Books and NetGalley for the advance copy for an honest review

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up.

Having read ALL of Moss's fiction and a fair amount of her non-fiction, it's safe to say she's amongst my favorite contemporary authors, perhaps second only to Deborah Levy - and she makes the short list of my 'automatic read' writers. So I was eagerly awaiting her next work - which, like most of her recent endeavors is more novella than novel, coming in at just over 100 pages, and easily read in one sitting.

And that's really my only complaint - I wish she'd return to her longer works, as when she really digs her teeth into a story, few can match her. But her sterling prose is still such a pleasure to read, and her characterization and ear for dialogue so unerringly compelling, one can't complain too much.

This one is rather more of a Xmas bagatelle, telling the tale of the only two guests stuck at a middling Irish hostelry on the coast over the holidays, while a storm rages outside, who strike up a conversation over dinner. [And for a self-confessed 'foodie', who loves me some 'food porn', the descriptions of the dinner are absolutely wonderful, with the guest's observations pricelessly funny!]

After initial pleasantries, Janice, an English widow with an emigre daughter in Australia and a son spending the holidays with his husband's family; and Gerry, visiting his dying mum in the small town he left 25-years previous, make a pact to tell each other the worst thing they have ever done. And that comprises the bulk of the narrative, with a neat little twist in the final paragraph. I won't say more, as the less one knows going in, the better.

Also: this would make a corker of a film; no one should even be considered for Janice other than Dame Helen M., and Brendan Gleeson would make the definitive Gerry! Make it happen!

Many thanks to Edelweiss, FS&G and the author for the ARC.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Queen of the gut-punch novella has done it again! Although this time it's more of an uncomfortable poke, along the lines of The Fell, than the seriously headspinning assault of Summerwater or Ghost Wall.

It is Christmas Eve in a high-end Irish hotel. Outside, a snowstorm is doing its thing, while inside, the hotel's only two guests are about to sit down to dinner. They have never met before, but Gerry approaches Janice and suggests they dine together. Maybe it's the storm, maybe it's the date, maybe it's simply the fact there are only 4 people in the building (waiter, chef); Janice agrees. They settle at their table, then out comes the opening gambit from Janice:

Tell me, she says, the worst thing you’ve ever done.

So begins an evening of excellent food and drink, in cosy and luxurious surroundings, and one of those most intimate of conversations that can often only be shared by strangers.

I really enjoyed this and even as a slow reader, managed to finish in one sitting. For anyone who enjoys a festive read, but doesn't like too much cheese, this could be a good choice.

With great thanks to Pan Macmillan/Picador and NetGalley for an advance copy to read and review.

[Chris · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

A surprising ending, but all in all a bit too short and not 'special' enough to make a lasting impression on me really. I prefer her longer work.
Thank you Picador and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to review this book early. Its publication date is October.

Sarah Moss writes beautifully, she is one of my favourite authors.

I read this short book in one sitting. Full review to follow.

Than k you Netgalley for inviting me to read The Winter Guest.

Tell me the worst thing you’ve ever done.
Janice and Gerry are strangers to one another, but they each have a story to tell, a confession to make.

On Christmas Eve, in a hotel on Ireland’s west coast, a man and a woman meet for the first time. As a snowstorm gathers outside windows twinkling with fairy lights, they share a meal, pour wine, propose a toast. As the blizzard howls, the night will take an unexpected turn, and their conversation will have consequences far beyond the candlelit table.

I loved this short story which I read in one sitting. Sarah Moss writes beautifully, she draws me in with her words. A book to read and read again.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Sarah Moss' writing, however the story didn't resonate with me. I listened but it didn't 'touch' me unlike her other works.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories and novellas are incredibly difficult to do well. There simply isn't anywhere to hide. You don't have three hundred pages to make me care about your characters, recover from a slow beginning or eventually get around to the point. Everything has to earn its place.

Sarah Moss absolutely nails it.

I am already a huge fan of Moss and at this point she is firmly in auto-read territory for me. If she writes it, I will read it. The Winter Guest is barely over a hundred pages, takes place almost entirely over one meal, and has essentially four characters. Somehow, within that tiny space, she creates something funny, uncomfortable, increasingly gripping and psychologically fascinating.

It is Christmas Eve in a hotel on the west coast of Ireland. A snowstorm is gathering outside and almost everyone else has sensibly stayed home. Janice, an elderly widow who doesn't want to spend Christmas at home, and Gerry, who has returned to visit his dying mother, are the only guests. Ryan waits on them while Donal cooks.

Two strangers. One very good dinner. A lot of wine.

And then Janice asks Gerry to tell her the worst thing he has ever done.

What could possibly go wrong?

What I loved most was how extraordinarily natural the conversation feels. Moss understands all those tiny social negotiations that happen between people who have only just met: the little judgements, corrections, assumptions, moments of showing off, changes in tone and shifts in power. Janice and Gerry don't feel as though they exist to deliver a plot. They feel like two actual people who have found themselves sitting opposite one another for several hours and gradually start saying considerably more than they probably should.

I particularly loved Janice. She is observant, opinionated, occasionally irritating and very funny, especially when she starts objecting to unnecessary culinary terminology. Apparently even impending moral catastrophe cannot prevent a woman from having strong opinions about the misuse of the word "crispy".

Priorities.

And the food! I loved the food descriptions. The meal runs through the entire novella, each course arriving while the conversation becomes progressively more revealing and uncomfortable. There is something wonderfully effective about all that luxury and sensual detail, the wine, oysters, beautifully prepared dishes, warmth and candlelight, while a blizzard is raging outside and the conversation at the table is quietly becoming darker.

It is incredibly atmospheric without Moss ever having to shout LOOK HOW ATMOSPHERIC THIS IS at you.

There is a real Claire Keegan quality to it, and I mean that as an enormous compliment. Not because Moss is imitating her, but because both writers understand how much can be done with very little. A small number of people, an apparently ordinary situation, beautifully controlled prose, and enormous things happening underneath what is actually being said.

Moss also trusts her reader.

For quite a while I wasn't entirely sure where the story was going. I knew something was wrong. The hotel is too empty, the storm creates this strange sense of isolation, and there is something increasingly unsettling underneath what initially appears to be an eccentric Christmas Eve conversation.

Then things begin to click into place.

And suddenly this charming little dinner becomes very interesting indeed.

I don't want to say anything more about the plot because this is exactly the sort of book that benefits from knowing as little as possible. The pleasure is in watching the conversation develop and gradually realising that the dynamics around that table are not necessarily what you assumed they were.

What really impressed me is how much Moss manages to fit into such a small book without making it feel crowded. Guilt, confession, ageing, family, responsibility, judgement, loneliness, the stories we tell about ourselves, and that wonderfully uncomfortable question at the centre of everything:

What is the worst thing you've ever done?

And perhaps more importantly, would you tell the truth if a stranger asked?

Five stars.

Sarah Moss remains an automatic read for me, and The Winter Guest is exactly why. Intelligent, beautifully observed, darkly funny, atmospheric and increasingly gripping, with not a wasted page.

It is also an absolutely perfect book for a cold December evening, preferably with snow outside, a fire going and something considerably less morally complicated than Janice and Gerry's dinner on the table.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Picador for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mike Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Winter Guest' was a delight. Ideal for listening to while curled up somewhere warm on a Winter's day. I recommend you clear your schedule to listen to this all the way through (two hours and twenty-eight minutes) because, once you start, you’re not going to want to stop until you've found out where these confessions are leading.

The story is told mostly as a Christmas Eve dinner conversation between two strangers, the only people who have made it to a posh Irish hotel on the west coast of Ireland during a Red Weather Warning for snow, observed and overheard only by the sous chef turned waiter for the day. One of the strangers is an English woman in her seventies (who claims to be eighty-two) and an Irish man in his forties, back home for the first time in decades, so he can visit his terminally ill mother.

Each stranger has a story to tell, a confession of a sort, describing the worst thing they've ever done.

The conversation is civilised, punctuated with lavishly prepared food and lubricated with fine wines and vintage whisky.

The language is wonderful. Conversational but compelling. I wanted to know how each story would end. How each story was told gave me an insight into the character of the storyteller.

Yet, although there was no overt sense of threat, something about the conversation felt… unpredictable, like the sense you get from a dog you thought was tame but are beginning to suspect is feral.

The luxurious atmosphere, the engaging language, the raging snowstorm, the sense of isolation, come together to create an extraordinary bubble of transitory intimacy and shared transgression that, like all bubbles, must eventually burst.

I recommend the audiobook. Niamh Cusack's narration is pitch-perfect.

[Laura · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This incredibly short novella - it reads more like a long short story - sees two strangers gather over dinner in a snowbound hotel on the west coast of Ireland. When one suggests to the other that they should share the worst things they have ever done, they start to swap confessions. I was a fan of Sarah Moss's earlier work but have struggled with her turn to novellas, which have also got weaker over time ( Ghost Wall > Summerwater > The Fell .) I've also had an increasingly nagging feeling that her characters have become more cliche - this is especially obvious in the section narrated by the young waiter, Ryan, in The Winter Guest, where you can feel the creak of a writer trying to imagine herself into a 'different mindset' and failing: 'Sounds as if everything's hard - harder - with a young family, which makes it a mystery why people have kids.' Moss has written brilliant, complex protagonists in the past, so I don't know why her casts feel increasingly stock. This reminded me strongly of Graham Swift's recent collection Twelve Post-War Tales, where the writing is smooth and accomplished but the endings of each story feel empty and inconsequential. I've been a Moss completist for so long, but I might have to admit defeat.

I received a free proof copy of this novella from the publisher for review.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novella, very detailed characters and story in 128 pages. Although I do think slightly skewed in pacing given the twist

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Picador for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

This is my first book of Sarah's, although I do have a copy of Ripeness.

Ahhhhh it has no speech marks. I hate that with a passion. Normally it causes me to DNF a book, but as this was so short I thought I'd persevere.

I did like that the female protagonist was an older character. Usually old characters are there to tick a box, they're sidelined, there for humour, or to show off someone else's story. But this was her story, front and centre.

The story itself was fine. But there isn't much of it. It's basically the streams of consciousness of two strangers - without speech marks - so it felt very rambling. And dare I say it, don't shoot me, but I didn't see the point of this book. I didn't get the story, the writing style (no speech marks) is one I despise (have I said how much I hate that). It's a rambling conversation that doesn't really go anywhere.

I was sooooo looking forward to this. I even had it pre-ordered before money issues caused met o cancel it. But it's a major let down. I was expecting something wintery and cosy, possibly even Christmassy, with a little edge. But it wasn't any of that. It was very flat, a story that just so happened to take place in the winter.

A book of this short page count should have flown by, and even though I could see the page count going up on my kindle screen, each page felt like hard work and it took much longer to read than it should have.

There is a twist at the end which I admit I didn't see coming (although I am terrible at figuring these things out), and whilst surprising, it did work.

It's just two strangers sharing a dinner and some secrets. Nothing more, nothing less. And it's just very boring.

[Danielle · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

The Winter Guest was an atmospheric and quiet little mystery. The story unfolds over a Christmas Eve dinner between two strangers at a stormy, secluded inn. I really don’t want to say much more about the plot because the slow build and gradual unraveling are half the magic of this book.

I normally wouldn’t choose audio for a novella but I’m so glad that’s how I read it. Niamh Cusack’s narration really made the experience for me and added so much depth to the story. This would make the perfect winter audiobook when you’re looking for something you can curl up with and finish in one sitting. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy!

[laura_does_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Christmas Eve on the west coast of Ireland and having been cut off by a snow storm, there are just four people holed up in a luxury country hotel. There’s the chef, one waiter and two paying guests, Janice and Gerry.
Janice & Gerry are strangers but decide to sit and have a cosy candlelit dinner together.
As the storm rages outside, they tell each other a secret, a story that will have far reaching consequences for them both.

My thoughts:
This novella is the perfect book to curl up with for an hour or so on a cold, dark winter’s evening.

An atmospheric, engaging and quiet story of two complete strangers chatting over a beautiful meal had such an authentic feel, where the conversation felt both real and relatable.
I chuckled at Janice’s style of storytelling, where she kept going off on tangents and round the houses (we all know someone who does this) while an exasperated Gerry gets drunker by the minute. I could picture the setting and the characters so well and the descriptions of the many food courses were mouthwatering.

There was a great twist at the end of the book which I enjoyed enormously and I must read more from this author as I found this short story very satisfying and enjoyable.

Which Sarah Moss book do you recommend I read next?

Thank you so much to @picadorbooks for sending me this advanced copy.

UK Publication Date : 1st October 2026

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tell me, she says, the worst thing you've ever done."

This novella was the first book that I have read by Sarah Moss. Due to that, I really had no expectation going in.

The premise of the tale is a simple one. Two strangers meet in a hotel on Christmas Eve. Outside a snowstorm gathers strength. Over a meal, they while away the time together. Perhpas their anonymity to each other makes them bold, as Janice, the older woman, asks her companion what is the worst thing that he has ever done. So each of them open up, and tell their story.

At 120 pages, this is a very quick read. If it hadn't been for me having work being done at my property (meaning that I have been spending a lot of time moving furniture and books), I could easily have read this in one sitting. There is some humour to the tale. Janice, especially, is an interesting character. There is a twist, and I did see it coming, hence me taking off one star.

A nice way to spend some time, especially when the snow and the fire is described - made me long to be able to read this in front of a real fire.

[sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks to edelweiss for the arc!! i like moss's writing and generally enjoy her stuff but i just don't know what the point of this was. i feel like i wasted my time and also why is this coming out in october and not, like, january. humph

[Jan Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly fun and relatively short listen, narrated excellently by Niamh Cusack. The writing is superb, and I will definitely be waiting for the ebook in order to select my favorite (of many) quotes from this one. A great plot and lots of Irish humor with a big twist. Would you confess the worst thing you've ever done to a complete stranger?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

[sam · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐¾ 3.75 Stars

**The Winter Guest by Sarah Moss**

There’s something about a short, atmospheric novel set during a snowstorm on Christmas Eve that immediately had my attention. *The Winter Guest* is a very quick read, but despite its length, Sarah Moss manages to pack a surprising amount into this story. It’s tense, intimate, unsettling, and very much a character-driven exploration of secrets, guilt, and the ways our past can eventually catch up with us.

The setup is simple but incredibly effective. Janice and Gerry are complete strangers who meet in a hotel on the west coast of Ireland on Christmas Eve. Outside, a snowstorm is gathering, while inside they sit down for a meal, drink wine, and begin talking. What initially feels like a chance encounter gradually becomes something much more complicated when they reveal that they each have something to confess.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book. The isolated hotel, the worsening weather, the darkness outside, and the Christmas decorations all create this strange sense of warmth and claustrophobia at the same time. There’s something almost comforting about the candlelit setting, but underneath it is this constant feeling that something isn't quite right. The storm essentially traps these two strangers together, giving their conversation an intensity that probably wouldn't exist anywhere else.

The biggest strength for me was the conversation between Janice and Gerry. It’s fascinating watching two people who know absolutely nothing about one another slowly begin to reveal pieces of themselves. The idea of asking a stranger about the worst thing they've ever done is such a simple premise, but it opens the door to some really interesting questions about guilt, morality, regret, and whether people can ever truly escape their past.

I also liked how the story gradually changes tone. It begins almost like an unusual Christmas encounter between two strangers, but there’s a growing sense of tension as the evening continues. What starts as casual conversation becomes increasingly uncomfortable, and I found myself wondering exactly where Moss was taking the story.

The writing is probably what I'd expect from Sarah Moss: elegant, observant, and very focused on the internal lives of her characters. There are some beautifully written passages, particularly when the story focuses on the weather and the isolated setting. The snowstorm almost feels like another character, closing the world in around Janice and Gerry while giving them nowhere to go.

I think my main reason for landing on 3.75 stars rather than going higher is that, while I appreciated what the novel was doing, I didn't become quite as emotionally invested in the characters as I had hoped. Because the book is so short, everything happens very quickly, and I sometimes wanted more time to understand Janice and Gerry beyond the things they were willing to confess. There are also a few moments where the story felt slightly too deliberately mysterious for me.

That said, I actually think the novella's short length works in its favour overall. This is definitely the kind of book you could sit down with and finish in one evening, especially on a cold winter night. It has that almost cinematic quality where you can imagine the snow piling up outside while these two strangers sit across from each other, slowly revealing things they perhaps should have kept buried.

I also appreciated the central idea that **the past doesn't necessarily stay in the past just because we've decided to leave it there**. Both characters are carrying things with them, and the story explores how our actions can continue to affect us long after we think we've moved on. There’s something quite haunting about that idea, particularly within such an intimate setting.

Overall, *The Winter Guest* was a compelling little read. It isn't a huge, sweeping story, but it doesn't need to be. Sarah Moss takes one night, two strangers, a snowstorm, and a couple of uncomfortable confessions and turns them into something tense and thought-provoking.

I wouldn't necessarily say this was a perfect read for me, but I definitely enjoyed the experience. The atmospheric setting, the increasingly tense conversation, and the exploration of guilt and secrets kept me turning the pages, and I think the story will work particularly well for readers who enjoy literary fiction with a darker edge.

**A short, atmospheric and quietly unsettling story about strangers, secrets, and the things we can never completely leave behind. 3.75 stars!**

[Jessie · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

On new years eve, a man and a woman meet for the first time. They ask "whats the worst thing you've ever done" through the evening they share their tales, and confess these sins, finding comfort in strangers. It was a slow build up, but worth the read with a really satisfying ending.

A good pocket book

[LX · Rating 4 out of 5]

4! Thank you so much for the proof!

This was a short read but the build up, the little details, and just how it goes was fantastic!

[Maheen · Rating 2.25 out of 5]

It had potential but lost it. There was so much rambling in storytelling you completely could lost interest and forget what you were reading. The twist wasn't great for me and book was bit too short for me

[Pgchuis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Janice and Gerry are the only two guests at a posh hotel in terrible weather one Christmas Eve. They agree to eat dinner together as it would be awkward not to, and are served by Ryan the waiter. They tell each other the story of 'the worst thing they have ever done', each in a stream of consciousness style, interspersed with Janice making pedantic comments or rambling off-topic, and with Ryan serving yet another course. Janice goes first and her story was boring, vague and bizarrely unbelievable. Then Gerry tells his story and it is marginally more interesting and more believable and then there is a twist at the end.

I have no idea what the point of all this was.

[em · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
An interesting concept with a great twist, however I could not get into the writing. It felt like I was forever waiting for the penny to drop, it was almost agonising how slow this short book felt. Atmospheric and good characters, just very slow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheWinterGuest #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! I think the audio and narrator did a great job of building a sense of the atmosphere. A little eerie, claustrophobic, tense with the snowstorm outside and the solitude of just the two guests and Ryan.

Janice and Gerry were both intriguing. Janice's dryness and blunt comments added a little levity to it all and had me really liking her character. It's such a short novel and I don't want to give anything away, but her "confession" was definitely the more intriguing of the two. The way she kept derailing from the story to draw it out, and the way Gerry kept pointing that out, had me itching to hear more of it, but never to the point of *over* frustration. It kept my interest at just the right pace and distance, close enough to reach and pulling me along. I definitely admired her character even more after she finished her story, even if I wanted more clear answers like Gerry did. The intentional open-endedness yet insinuation was enjoyably grating, if that makes sense.

I will say I found myself less interest in Gerry's confession/story, which was unfortunate because, as the latter half of the story, it made it drag on a bit for me and lost my intrigue. Janice's story had more of a pull for me, and Gerry's seemed more... typical? I almost felt like the ending should have been flipped when regarding what each character respectively did. That's just my opinion, but I felt like the end just fell flat for me because of the discrepancy I felt with the two stories' intensity and implications. I also feel that the ultimate ending in the present sense (as to what happens when the confessions are done) was clear as soon as Gerry started telling his story, which made the ending fall a bit further flat for me.

That said, I was still thoroughly engaged for most of the story (Janice's portion, primarily) and enjoying much of it, and the atmosphere was again wonderfully crafted through the audio. The narrator did a fabulous job with narration, from the pacing to the characters' personalities, to the side comments, as well! Everything was conveyed in a way that felt fitting for each character, and the pauses, inflections, and descriptions made the setting come to life. I felt a little chilly and tense while listening, so I think it was a job well done! Definitely recommend this one on audio, especially as the print edition doesn't have dialogue tags.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to listen to and review early; all opinions are my own.

[Martin Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this 2026 novella by Sarah Moss, we find ourselves at an expensive, remote, Irish hotel on Christmas Eve. There are only two guests: an older woman, apparently widowed, with grown up children living far away, looking for a comfortable way to spend Christmas, and a wealthy business man, home to see his sick mother.

Alone in the dining room together, the guests share confidences. It’s that idea that secrets are more easily shared with a stranger than with someone you know. People who are part of your circle have a vested interest in a particular version of the truth, while a stranger seems to offer a neutral safe space, like a therapist. In a way the business of writing and reading a book might be comparable - confidences shared with a stranger in a cosy one to one situation.

On the other hand you don’t know who strangers really are. They are not necessarily some obliging blank page on which you can write your story. They have stories of their own, which may or may not conflict with yours.

The Winter Guest is a great read, beautifully written, funny, unsettling, and thought provoking. Maybe the moral of this cautionary tale is that there are no neutral strangers. Strangers are people too.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Winter Guest has a very small cast of characters. There are Janice, Gerry, Ryan and Donal, who all meet one winter’s night at a hotel on the west coast of Ireland. Janice and Gerry are the hotel’s only guests with a snowstorm brewing outside, Ryan is the waiter for the evening and Donal the chef. Janice and Gerry sit together, two strangers who only have each other for company and they end up sharing the worst things they have ever done over a lavish four course meal.

This is a perfectly formed novella, a tiny book with only 128 pages but so much detail packed into them. The characters’ thoughts and feelings leap off the page and the descriptions are sumptious, transporting me to the hotel with all its finery. I didn’t know where the story was going initially and just enjoyed the interactions between Janice, Gerry and Ryan (who, standing quietly to one side of the table, witnesses it all), until just before the end when the direction it was going in dawned on me with an ‘aha!’ moment.

The Winter Guest is beautifully written and portrayed, the perfect short read and one that would be ideal for a winter evening in front of the fire.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Winter Guest by Sarah Moss is a quiet but deeply atmospheric book, short enough to be devoured in a single sitting but so beautifully written that you will want to savour every word.
It is Christmas Eve in a hotel on the west coast of Ireland and only two guests and two staff members remain. Though strangers the guests sit down to eat together and over the course of a frankly delicious sounding meal they talk, just chit chat at first, but eventually the conversation brings both to confessions that have far reaching consequences.
Though it may be short this book was a real treat, beautifully atmospheric with descriptive details that simply felt "right" for want of a better word and characters that intrigued and whose conversations had me completely engrossed.
This is a book where the less you know going in, the more you will enjoy the experience so please trust me and pick it up if you get the chance.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never actually read anything written by Sarah Moss, but I was pleasantly pleased by this story.


In winter guest we basically get two people who are sharing their secrets over a dinner while they are snowbound at an Irish hotel. Janice is an older woman who may be in her 70s or 80s. Gerry is an Irish man who in in his 40s and has come home for the first time in decades to see her ailing mother.

There is another character who plays a significant role in the story, and that is the waiter who is kind of lingering and eaves dropping a bit on the tales.

This is a novella, so it's a perfect bite sized morsel with a pretty delicious little twist!

I also listened to the audiobook and I think the narrator was perfect. I really got sucked into the story that Janice's character was telling. And I loved how it really felt like a little old woman was telling me one of her darkest confessions.


I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Helen · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Devoured in one sitting with my ears and eyes. Ended in the perfect place after making me shiver and laugh. I will be buying it for a few people for Christmas.
Warning: do not read whilst hungry!

"None of which, Gerry says, is a criminal offence.
Well, she says, there was a great deal of artificially coloured buttercream on some very small buns, in my view a decent cake should be able to stand up for itself, but, no, not criminal. I'm coming to that.
She decapitates another langoustine, breaks its abdomen and feels off the shell and legs in one ghost piece."