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The Guesthouse
Seven guests. One Killer. A holiday to remember…
A dark and addictive psychological thriller about seven strangers who find themselves cut off from civilization in a remote guesthouse in Ireland…
Not all the guests will survive their stay…
You use an app, called Cloud BNB, to book a room online. And on a cold and windy afternoon, you arrive at The Guesthouse, a dramatic old building on a remote stretch of hillside in Ireland.
You are expecting a relaxing break, but you find something very different. Something unimaginable. Because a killer has lured you and six other guests here and now you can’t escape.
One thing’s for certain: not all of you will come back from this holiday alive…
A dark and addictive psychological thriller about seven strangers who find themselves cut off from civilization in a remote guesthouse in Ireland…
Not all the guests will survive their stay…
You use an app, called Cloud BNB, to book a room online. And on a cold and windy afternoon, you arrive at The Guesthouse, a dramatic old building on a remote stretch of hillside in Ireland.
You are expecting a relaxing break, but you find something very different. Something unimaginable. Because a killer has lured you and six other guests here and now you can’t escape.
One thing’s for certain: not all of you will come back from this holiday alive…
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2019
203 people are currently reading
1384 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
September 3, 2021
Hannah was getting over her boyfriends death consumed with guilt booze is her best friend she decides to go to Fallon in Ireland where her & ben were going to stay. When she gets there its not what she expects its isolated not near the village where it was supposed to be , when she finally gets there she puts a pass code in too check in but other people are there Mohammed & his father Sandeep a retired policeman who didn't want to this house Why?
Then a few more arrivals came Lucy all dressed in black she didn't talk much but as time goes by Hannah & Lucy become friends , then another family arrives for a break as their house isn't ready to move into yet Liam his wife Rosa & their daughter Chloe WHAT HAVE THEY ALL GOT IN COMMON?
Hannah goes into her room during the night she hears the crying of a child it continued all night & into the next morning it creeped her out. As they all were searching the rooms Hannah found a book but nothing else a note was found inside She's been fed give her no more food just give her water.
But then Sandeep Mohammed's (Mo) father was found dead then Liam , then Rosa what the hell was going on in the Guest House?
Rob the gardener was a quiet unassuming man who was never allowed in the house he kept to himself & when questioned by Hannah he quickly went back to his cottage.
Is there someone who doesn't want anyone knowing what went on years earlier or will the secrets unravel themselves!
I enjoyed this book by Abbie Frost its her debut novel, but i am not sure if this is a ghost story or Psychological it gets you from the start & doesn't stop i couldn't put this down let up the characters were likeable but some had secrets that were never to be found out, i literally could not put this down a good start for Miss Abbey.
Then a few more arrivals came Lucy all dressed in black she didn't talk much but as time goes by Hannah & Lucy become friends , then another family arrives for a break as their house isn't ready to move into yet Liam his wife Rosa & their daughter Chloe WHAT HAVE THEY ALL GOT IN COMMON?
Hannah goes into her room during the night she hears the crying of a child it continued all night & into the next morning it creeped her out. As they all were searching the rooms Hannah found a book but nothing else a note was found inside She's been fed give her no more food just give her water.
But then Sandeep Mohammed's (Mo) father was found dead then Liam , then Rosa what the hell was going on in the Guest House?
Rob the gardener was a quiet unassuming man who was never allowed in the house he kept to himself & when questioned by Hannah he quickly went back to his cottage.
Is there someone who doesn't want anyone knowing what went on years earlier or will the secrets unravel themselves!
I enjoyed this book by Abbie Frost its her debut novel, but i am not sure if this is a ghost story or Psychological it gets you from the start & doesn't stop i couldn't put this down let up the characters were likeable but some had secrets that were never to be found out, i literally could not put this down a good start for Miss Abbey.
December 18, 2025
Listened to this audio on a whim what an ending!
This book took me on a crazy ride that I could not get off.
Hannah was getting over her boyfriend Ben’s death consumed with guilt booze 🥃 is her best friend she decides to go to Fallon a town in Ireland where her & Ben had already booked a romantic getaway.
When she gets there it’s in an isolated area not near the village a long walk ahead of her she gets there puts a pass code into check in but 6 other people are there, Mo & his father Sandeep a retired policeman who didn’t want to come he had a feeling something wasn’t right about the house.
Then a few more turn up Lucy turns up all in black doesn’t talk much but as time goes by she & Hannah become friends, then Liam & Rosa come with their daughter
WHAT HAVE THEY ALL GOT IN COMMON?
Things take a turn for the worse Sandeep is found dead in his room, then LIAM, then Rosa what is going on at The Guest House?
This was a compelling audio that kept me engaged the whole way through a top notch narration by Gloria Sanders will be reading more by Abbie Frost.
This book took me on a crazy ride that I could not get off.
Hannah was getting over her boyfriend Ben’s death consumed with guilt booze 🥃 is her best friend she decides to go to Fallon a town in Ireland where her & Ben had already booked a romantic getaway.
When she gets there it’s in an isolated area not near the village a long walk ahead of her she gets there puts a pass code into check in but 6 other people are there, Mo & his father Sandeep a retired policeman who didn’t want to come he had a feeling something wasn’t right about the house.
Then a few more turn up Lucy turns up all in black doesn’t talk much but as time goes by she & Hannah become friends, then Liam & Rosa come with their daughter
WHAT HAVE THEY ALL GOT IN COMMON?
Things take a turn for the worse Sandeep is found dead in his room, then LIAM, then Rosa what is going on at The Guest House?
This was a compelling audio that kept me engaged the whole way through a top notch narration by Gloria Sanders will be reading more by Abbie Frost.
February 11, 2020
Hannah is a mess. She’s drinking way too much and she’s full of guilt following the death of ex-boyfriend Ban for which she is blamed by many people. She along with six other guests books a room in a remote Guest House in Co Mayo in Ireland which is in the process of renovation. Hannah goes to recuperate and sort herself out but instead she enters a twilight zone. All seven of the guest have links to the house which becomes clear as the book progresses and it’s also apparent they’re all in danger. The question is, who from? Whom can they trust? The story is principally told by Hannah in the present but also with flashbacks to her childhood.
There is plenty to like in this atmospheric story which is provided by the house itself and the unpredictable Irish weather. It has some ghostly and creepy elements and plenty of plot twists. It’s well written and I like how Hannah’s past emerges in the present and connects to the house and the people in it. I think the start is a little slow but once it gets going the pacing is good.
However, I think the plot is too busy, there’s so much going on you’re almost dizzy with the attempt to keep up. I feel some events stretch credulity although I accept many other readers really enjoy this aspect. Why, oh why, do people in novels go stumbling and bumbling around in the pitch black in a dark and very scary house usually on their own?? The instinct is to dive under the covers, or shriek, or both. How many doors, hidden secret rooms and tunnels and so on can one house have? How big is it? It feels on a par with Buck Pal. The premise is not original either as I’ve read similar books before although again I accept I’m the outlier on this one as it’s had many 4/5 star reviews.
However all the above being said, I did enjoy a lot of it. I really like the Gothic feel and if you can suspend disbelief and like a bit of chaotic murder and mayhem in a huge and creepy house then this one is definitely for you!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for the ARC.
There is plenty to like in this atmospheric story which is provided by the house itself and the unpredictable Irish weather. It has some ghostly and creepy elements and plenty of plot twists. It’s well written and I like how Hannah’s past emerges in the present and connects to the house and the people in it. I think the start is a little slow but once it gets going the pacing is good.
However, I think the plot is too busy, there’s so much going on you’re almost dizzy with the attempt to keep up. I feel some events stretch credulity although I accept many other readers really enjoy this aspect. Why, oh why, do people in novels go stumbling and bumbling around in the pitch black in a dark and very scary house usually on their own?? The instinct is to dive under the covers, or shriek, or both. How many doors, hidden secret rooms and tunnels and so on can one house have? How big is it? It feels on a par with Buck Pal. The premise is not original either as I’ve read similar books before although again I accept I’m the outlier on this one as it’s had many 4/5 star reviews.
However all the above being said, I did enjoy a lot of it. I really like the Gothic feel and if you can suspend disbelief and like a bit of chaotic murder and mayhem in a huge and creepy house then this one is definitely for you!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for the ARC.
December 17, 2019
Oh wow what a fantastic book, I read it in just over a day. It was creepy and twisty and right up to the last page I really didn’t know how it was going to end. This book would make a really good film and being that it was set in Ireland would give it the atmosphere.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
November 21, 2019
The Guesthouse is Abbie Frost's debut crime thriller and although it starts a little slowly the story soon picks up the pace. The premise isn't exactly the most original in the world but I appreciate that the various elements are woven together adeptly and was pleased I decided to read it. It follows Hannah, whose alcoholism is beginning to seep into every avenue of her life; she didn't intend on it but it happened as she was attempting to come to terms with the devastating death of her boyfriend. She decides to use a pre-booked holiday to take a break from the mundane and travelled to stay in the remote wilderness of Ireland - known as The Emerald Isle for its lush greenery and scenery. On arrival, she very quickly realises that the house she has rented is miles away from civilisation and even gaining a signal to use a mobile device is problematic. I mean what could go wrong? - stuck in the wilds of waney with no way to communicate and a weather system as changeable as the wind. Then the other guests arrive and the whole tale takes a dark turn. Who will survive to tell their story?
This is a well-crafted story of vacation turning to nightmare before our very eyes and the fact that people are dying one by one, as their past connections to the house are revealed, is a terrifying state of affairs made all the worse by the poor weather conditions, difficulty getting signal to call or communicate and the deeply claustrophobic and unforgiving setting of an isolated part of Ireland. There are ample twists and turns, reveals and surprises and as it unfolds the pages simply fly by. It's well written in a style that grabs you and makes you want to read more and more and the atmosphere is a character in itself as it impacts the whole book and you get the feeling escaping is not going to be a possibility. It has plenty of excitement packed between its pages and the story certainly becomes chilling as time goes on and the incidents progress with everyone terrified for their lives. As you near the conclusion the tension builds into a satisfying climax which is action-packed and dramatic. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
This is a well-crafted story of vacation turning to nightmare before our very eyes and the fact that people are dying one by one, as their past connections to the house are revealed, is a terrifying state of affairs made all the worse by the poor weather conditions, difficulty getting signal to call or communicate and the deeply claustrophobic and unforgiving setting of an isolated part of Ireland. There are ample twists and turns, reveals and surprises and as it unfolds the pages simply fly by. It's well written in a style that grabs you and makes you want to read more and more and the atmosphere is a character in itself as it impacts the whole book and you get the feeling escaping is not going to be a possibility. It has plenty of excitement packed between its pages and the story certainly becomes chilling as time goes on and the incidents progress with everyone terrified for their lives. As you near the conclusion the tension builds into a satisfying climax which is action-packed and dramatic. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
January 16, 2020
Ooh I really enjoyed this creepy, dark and atmospheric read which is perfect for curling up with on a cold night.
The setting in this book of an isolated guest house is brilliant and helped make the book deliciously creepy. There are definitely some strange things going on there which made me very intrigued. The isolation helps add to the atmosphere and tension in the book, especially when the reader realises that the characters are trapped together so the murderer must be one of them.
The story is told from the point of view of Hannah who we are first introduced to in the prologue when she is running away from a burning building which immediately piqued my interest. The story then goes back six days to Hannah’s arrival at the guest house. The reader learns about Hannah’s first impressions of the guest house and her fellow guest which prove to be very interesting.
This story gripped me from the first page, with all the twists and surprises ensuring the book was hard to put down. I was kept guessing about who the murderer was and think I suspected everyone at one point. I thought the ending and final reveal was brilliantly done- a great ending for a fabulous book.
Huge thanks to Rebecca from Harper Collins for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you like creepy, atmospheric thrillers then you’ll love this book.
The setting in this book of an isolated guest house is brilliant and helped make the book deliciously creepy. There are definitely some strange things going on there which made me very intrigued. The isolation helps add to the atmosphere and tension in the book, especially when the reader realises that the characters are trapped together so the murderer must be one of them.
The story is told from the point of view of Hannah who we are first introduced to in the prologue when she is running away from a burning building which immediately piqued my interest. The story then goes back six days to Hannah’s arrival at the guest house. The reader learns about Hannah’s first impressions of the guest house and her fellow guest which prove to be very interesting.
This story gripped me from the first page, with all the twists and surprises ensuring the book was hard to put down. I was kept guessing about who the murderer was and think I suspected everyone at one point. I thought the ending and final reveal was brilliantly done- a great ending for a fabulous book.
Huge thanks to Rebecca from Harper Collins for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you like creepy, atmospheric thrillers then you’ll love this book.
February 11, 2020
I thought this book was good. It was very suspenseful and always had a lot going on. This book wasn’t really for me. It was well written and had a lot of good points but for me it fell flat and got quite boring and dragged on a lot. I also guessed a lot of the twists early on so there wasn’t really any anticipation. I think it will be a popular book for people but for me it just fell flat. I definitely would read more from this author though as I did like her writing style. A decent read but not for me.
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October 9, 2021I listened to the audiobook of The Guesthouse, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Full review to come.
September 18, 2020
1.5 stars out of 5 for The Guest House by Abbie Frost.
This book had a very ghostly, Gothic, haunted house feel to it which is something I have been looking for in books lately. It's about a girl called Hannah who cheated on her boyfriend who then supposedly killed himself so she takes herself away on a holiday to Ireland to get away from the endless bullying on social media from people slating her. She booked this new Air Bnb style place which had special offers as she was one of the first guests. She'd be staying with a handful of other people during her stay and as they all filter in, a storm is brewing. Their lovely vacation is quickly turned into a nightmare as it appears a serial killer has lured them to them building and not all of them will leave there alive. It also seems like they all have something in common.... but can they figure that out?
I feel like Frost modeled this book on becoming a typical slasher type movie.... and my God I found it painful.
Why this book didn't meet my expectations / my irritations with it were as follows:
There was WAY too much going on in this book. Every chapter ends on this giant cliffhanger which at first was fun but quickly became tiresome.
It wasn't original.
The characters... where to start!? I hated how they were all so quick to point fingers at each other. Enoughs enough. It got repetitive and to be honest I don't understand all the raving reviews for this book and people saying how good the writing is because I truly felt the writing seemed quite lazily done!? The dialogue for instance just made me cringe!
Chloe - she is 14!!! WHY did her character come across as that of a 7 year old child?! The others aren't that much older than her for God's sake and seem to be treating her like a child and they seemed more like 40 year olds than people in their early twenties.
And the cat... WHY the cat?! Did any of the characters ever for one moment bother to wonder who was feeding the poor thing while they were staying in this guest house without a host before the author just decided to kill it off serving absolutely no purpose whatsoever?? No.
The twist at the end was ridiculous. The conclusion even worse.
Nope. This book didn't do it for me at all.
Trigger warninngs for child sexual abuse, animal cruelty and general graphic gore.
This book had a very ghostly, Gothic, haunted house feel to it which is something I have been looking for in books lately. It's about a girl called Hannah who cheated on her boyfriend who then supposedly killed himself so she takes herself away on a holiday to Ireland to get away from the endless bullying on social media from people slating her. She booked this new Air Bnb style place which had special offers as she was one of the first guests. She'd be staying with a handful of other people during her stay and as they all filter in, a storm is brewing. Their lovely vacation is quickly turned into a nightmare as it appears a serial killer has lured them to them building and not all of them will leave there alive. It also seems like they all have something in common.... but can they figure that out?
I feel like Frost modeled this book on becoming a typical slasher type movie.... and my God I found it painful.
Why this book didn't meet my expectations / my irritations with it were as follows:
There was WAY too much going on in this book. Every chapter ends on this giant cliffhanger which at first was fun but quickly became tiresome.
It wasn't original.
The characters... where to start!? I hated how they were all so quick to point fingers at each other. Enoughs enough. It got repetitive and to be honest I don't understand all the raving reviews for this book and people saying how good the writing is because I truly felt the writing seemed quite lazily done!? The dialogue for instance just made me cringe!
Chloe - she is 14!!! WHY did her character come across as that of a 7 year old child?! The others aren't that much older than her for God's sake and seem to be treating her like a child and they seemed more like 40 year olds than people in their early twenties.
And the cat... WHY the cat?! Did any of the characters ever for one moment bother to wonder who was feeding the poor thing while they were staying in this guest house without a host before the author just decided to kill it off serving absolutely no purpose whatsoever?? No.
The twist at the end was ridiculous. The conclusion even worse.
Nope. This book didn't do it for me at all.
Trigger warninngs for child sexual abuse, animal cruelty and general graphic gore.
May 29, 2021
I received this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Hannah takes a trip to Ireland to help her grieve her boyfriend Ben, and figure out a way to get the pieces of her messed up life back together. When she arrives at The Guesthouse, she gets to know the other people in the B&B, and weird things begin to happen. Before too long, the guests are trapped in the house while a storm rages outside, and a serial killer stalks them inside.
This book was just....fine. There were certainly elements of the book that left me intrigued and really creeped out, and I liked when it seemed like it was going to be a haunted house storyline and I was disappointed this was not the case. I think this book would have been so much better if it had been a haunted house.
The characters in this felt a bit clunky, and just weird - I didn't really believe them as people. Hannah was just too much of a mess, Chloe was too naive and young and Rosa was too shrill. When you have a storyline that's following a group of people in one house, you need there to be a good dynamic between them all - whether it's hate or love - but I just didn't feel like this happened with The Guesthouse and I was honestly just confused as to why these people were willingly spending so much time together on their holidays (and how none of them had any real plans while on their holidays as well).
I did not like how child abuse and sexual abuse ended up being a plot twist in this book. It was just done in a way I feel could be a bit triggering for people as it really came out of nowhere, and I felt so surprised by it. The end of the book was very over the top and even in thrillers terms, it felt unbelievable and like none of the story could have really happened.
When Hannah takes a trip to Ireland to help her grieve her boyfriend Ben, and figure out a way to get the pieces of her messed up life back together. When she arrives at The Guesthouse, she gets to know the other people in the B&B, and weird things begin to happen. Before too long, the guests are trapped in the house while a storm rages outside, and a serial killer stalks them inside.
This book was just....fine. There were certainly elements of the book that left me intrigued and really creeped out, and I liked when it seemed like it was going to be a haunted house storyline and I was disappointed this was not the case. I think this book would have been so much better if it had been a haunted house.
The characters in this felt a bit clunky, and just weird - I didn't really believe them as people. Hannah was just too much of a mess, Chloe was too naive and young and Rosa was too shrill. When you have a storyline that's following a group of people in one house, you need there to be a good dynamic between them all - whether it's hate or love - but I just didn't feel like this happened with The Guesthouse and I was honestly just confused as to why these people were willingly spending so much time together on their holidays (and how none of them had any real plans while on their holidays as well).
I did not like how child abuse and sexual abuse ended up being a plot twist in this book. It was just done in a way I feel could be a bit triggering for people as it really came out of nowhere, and I felt so surprised by it. The end of the book was very over the top and even in thrillers terms, it felt unbelievable and like none of the story could have really happened.
January 14, 2021
A 'bump in the dark' thriller, had me gripped to the end. Unpredictable and with a strong ending!
November 14, 2022
3.5/5
Nice mystery. Lots of suspense and thrills as things progress from bad to worse.
Nice mystery. Lots of suspense and thrills as things progress from bad to worse.
January 17, 2020
Abbie Frost brings us a tension filled, claustrophobic thriller with The Guesthouse. Following main character Hannah who's life is currently a bit of a disaster, she finds herself heading off alone for a stay in the newly renovated Guesthouse in an isolated part of Ireland, a trip her and her partner should have been making together under different circumstances.
From then on the whole story is set within this creepy, run down old building. Filled with twisting staircases and creepy corridors and seemingly endless rooms to explore, it's so atmospheric and when floorboards start creaking and a young girl can be heard crying at the dead of night, it really does send shivers down your spine.
Due to a horrible storm, Hannah and the 6 other guests find themselves stranded in The Guesthouse with no phone signal or Wi-fi, no access to the nearest village and no contact with anyone from the outside world. The guests are forced to get to know each other under this pressurised environment and so the tension builds.
I felt like we really got to know all the characters in the book, Hannah is our main one whose head we really get inside and learn the most about but I found myself getting attached to the others especially grumpy old Sandeep and young teenager Chloe.
Every character seems suspicious and as if they are hiding something, no one can be trusted here. Secrets start spilling out and the whole book builds towards an explosive, dramatic ending.
I raced through the last 60 pages and my heart was actually pounding. The action really picks up and I really didn't see a lot of it coming! The ending was really good and I was impressed with how well everything came together. Yes it's a slightly unbelievable storyline but that did not spoil my enjoyment of the book in anyway.
From then on the whole story is set within this creepy, run down old building. Filled with twisting staircases and creepy corridors and seemingly endless rooms to explore, it's so atmospheric and when floorboards start creaking and a young girl can be heard crying at the dead of night, it really does send shivers down your spine.
Due to a horrible storm, Hannah and the 6 other guests find themselves stranded in The Guesthouse with no phone signal or Wi-fi, no access to the nearest village and no contact with anyone from the outside world. The guests are forced to get to know each other under this pressurised environment and so the tension builds.
I felt like we really got to know all the characters in the book, Hannah is our main one whose head we really get inside and learn the most about but I found myself getting attached to the others especially grumpy old Sandeep and young teenager Chloe.
Every character seems suspicious and as if they are hiding something, no one can be trusted here. Secrets start spilling out and the whole book builds towards an explosive, dramatic ending.
I raced through the last 60 pages and my heart was actually pounding. The action really picks up and I really didn't see a lot of it coming! The ending was really good and I was impressed with how well everything came together. Yes it's a slightly unbelievable storyline but that did not spoil my enjoyment of the book in anyway.
July 17, 2020
Hannah recently lost her boyfriend, Ben so when the reminder for their holiday to The Guesthouse in Ireland, she decides to get away. Soon after Hannah arrives, several other guests turn up: Mo and his father Sandeep, another lone female traveller Lucy, and a family of three Liam, Rosa, and daughter Chloe. The Guesthouse is remote - an hour's walking distance from the nearest road, and the weather soon turns for the worst trapping them all, and the seven guests begin to realise that someone there has sinister intentions.
I found this difficult to rate as I found it better than a 3 star as it had one or two unforeseen twists, but I didn't enjoy it enough to rate it 4 stars. This is why we need a half star rating system. It is for the most part the usual thriller: lights going out, eerie footsteps, half-glimpsed shadows, etc and characters doing very unwise things such as splitting up instead of safety in numbers. Overall I rate it a slightly above average 3.5 stars.
I found this difficult to rate as I found it better than a 3 star as it had one or two unforeseen twists, but I didn't enjoy it enough to rate it 4 stars. This is why we need a half star rating system. It is for the most part the usual thriller: lights going out, eerie footsteps, half-glimpsed shadows, etc and characters doing very unwise things such as splitting up instead of safety in numbers. Overall I rate it a slightly above average 3.5 stars.
February 5, 2020
A slow burning mystery thriller, set in an isolated bnb with a group of characters who unfortunately all seemed to have the same personality and made it hard to tell all of them apart. The mystery itself kept me gripped but I did find a couple of plot holes which slightly took out the enjoyment of reading it.
January 26, 2020
This was so good! One of my favorites so far this year. If you like country house mysteries, you should give it a try.
November 24, 2021
Almost a 4...
October 11, 2020
It’s my favorite time of the year, the HALLOWEEN MONTH when you get to read and watch all things SPOOKY and SCARY.
This book is the perfect read, exactly what I needed to get my hands on.
ATMOSPHERIC, CREEPY, CHILLY and oh I have bitten more than half of my nails , so quite a NAIL BITING ONE too.
A deserted and hauntingly eerie GUEST HOUSE in a sleepy little town of Ireland. Inviting much? Does it sound like a perfect getaway?
Well it certainly was what our 7 guests needed and so they threw caution to the wind and ignored all red flags and enthusiastically marched to their DEATH, into this gothic GUEST HOUSE. Quite the Daredevils, eh?
We have Hannah, the alcoholic, messed up hair and life girl who has recently lost her fiancé to death after a nasty breakup. So she “STAYS HIGH ALL THE TIME TO KEEP HIM OFF HIS MIND, OHOOO OHOOO.” ( insert TOVE Lo jingle here)
A father son duo, Sandip and Mohammed. Sandip doesn’t want to be here and feels there is something WRONG ABOUT THE PLACE BUT CANT PUT A FINGER ON IT.
A mysterious and enigmatic young woman with purple highlights , Lucy who catches everyone’s attention when she enters through the doors of the guest house.
A NEARLY PERFECT, LITTLE family of three. Liam, Rosa and their demure little daughter, Chloe.
Soon all the HAUNTED HOUSE AND CREEPY events start happening, it’s as if someone is LOOMING OVER YOU ALL THE TIME, a DARK WARPED FEELING.
One of them is the killer, or so you think , or is it really a HAUNTED HOUSE?
I AM NOT TELLING YOU! GO READ IT and take your WILDEST GUESSES on who and why only to be proved wrong by this wonderful author ABBIE FROST who is having the last laugh revealing the ACTUAL PLOT TWIST.
IMMERSIVE READ, and you better wear gloves or you will gnaw and chew away your fingers like me.
This book is the perfect read, exactly what I needed to get my hands on.
ATMOSPHERIC, CREEPY, CHILLY and oh I have bitten more than half of my nails , so quite a NAIL BITING ONE too.
A deserted and hauntingly eerie GUEST HOUSE in a sleepy little town of Ireland. Inviting much? Does it sound like a perfect getaway?
Well it certainly was what our 7 guests needed and so they threw caution to the wind and ignored all red flags and enthusiastically marched to their DEATH, into this gothic GUEST HOUSE. Quite the Daredevils, eh?
We have Hannah, the alcoholic, messed up hair and life girl who has recently lost her fiancé to death after a nasty breakup. So she “STAYS HIGH ALL THE TIME TO KEEP HIM OFF HIS MIND, OHOOO OHOOO.” ( insert TOVE Lo jingle here)
A father son duo, Sandip and Mohammed. Sandip doesn’t want to be here and feels there is something WRONG ABOUT THE PLACE BUT CANT PUT A FINGER ON IT.
A mysterious and enigmatic young woman with purple highlights , Lucy who catches everyone’s attention when she enters through the doors of the guest house.
A NEARLY PERFECT, LITTLE family of three. Liam, Rosa and their demure little daughter, Chloe.
Soon all the HAUNTED HOUSE AND CREEPY events start happening, it’s as if someone is LOOMING OVER YOU ALL THE TIME, a DARK WARPED FEELING.
One of them is the killer, or so you think , or is it really a HAUNTED HOUSE?
I AM NOT TELLING YOU! GO READ IT and take your WILDEST GUESSES on who and why only to be proved wrong by this wonderful author ABBIE FROST who is having the last laugh revealing the ACTUAL PLOT TWIST.
IMMERSIVE READ, and you better wear gloves or you will gnaw and chew away your fingers like me.
May 13, 2020
I like the book for it's simplicity. There's no intricate words or plot or characters. Everything was out in the open.
Hannah was having a hard time in life. She lost both her job and lover. You couldn't help but blamed her for all those things. In fact, some may stop reading.
And then Hannah decided on a gateway. What was promised in the website, wasn't the same as it appeared. The Guest House was secluded and far from civilization. She wasn't alone though. A father and son, a family of three and an uprising singer were there with her.
But, what was supposed to be the time to plan for her future was used instead to finding the fault of The Guest House. Was she the only one hearing the crying in the middle of the night? What about the sensation of being watch? And was the person in her room a dream or real?
When body started piling up, accusation thrown to everyone, Hannah decided to pursue the truth.
If you're not comfortable with child abuse, then avoid this book. Even though it wasn't touch in detail but, whatever was share was enough to help you painted the image and trust me, it's not good.
And The Guest House was straight out from The Haunting. Well, I like to imagine it that way.
Hannah was having a hard time in life. She lost both her job and lover. You couldn't help but blamed her for all those things. In fact, some may stop reading.
And then Hannah decided on a gateway. What was promised in the website, wasn't the same as it appeared. The Guest House was secluded and far from civilization. She wasn't alone though. A father and son, a family of three and an uprising singer were there with her.
But, what was supposed to be the time to plan for her future was used instead to finding the fault of The Guest House. Was she the only one hearing the crying in the middle of the night? What about the sensation of being watch? And was the person in her room a dream or real?
When body started piling up, accusation thrown to everyone, Hannah decided to pursue the truth.
If you're not comfortable with child abuse, then avoid this book. Even though it wasn't touch in detail but, whatever was share was enough to help you painted the image and trust me, it's not good.
And The Guest House was straight out from The Haunting. Well, I like to imagine it that way.
January 19, 2020
Seven stranges, a dramatic old building on a remote stretch of hillside in Ireland. A location that is difficult to access and surrounded by hills and woodland. Mysterious noises, locked doors, secret passages, hidden rooms, a tense and suspicious atmosphere amongst the guests and a vicious killer prowling the house eliminating them one at a time. Throw in gusts of wind and a thunder storm and you have the perfect ingredients for a thrilling murder mystery that is guaranteed to keep thriller readers everywhere frantically turning the pages and snarling at anyone who dares to try to interrupt whilst they are reading. This enthralling story is narrated by our heroine Hannah who is twenty five and struggling to recover after the death of her boyfriend Ben. They had booked the trip to The GuestHouse together before he died and Hannah decides that the trip might do her some good,it would give her a chance to get away from it all. I loved Hannah, I thought she was a wonderful realistic character, who had flaws just like we all do. I loved her feistiness and her determination to uncover the truth behind her disjointed memories and dreams. I also liked Mo, his ex policeman father Sandeep and fourteen year old Chloe. I had mixed feelings about mysterious Lucy and I definitely didn't like Rosa for various reasons. I loved the setting for this book, I always think that nothing adds intensity and atmosphere to a thriller more than a isolated building, sinister looking woodland (especially at night) and trapped victims who are being stalked by a twisted psychopath does. The GuestHouse is so well written that is is difficult to believe that this is actually a obviously very talented author's debut thriller. The characters were vivid and realistic, the story kept you guessing, had loads of unexpected twists and turns and a very intense, shocking final confrontation. Many of the chapters ended in a cliff hanger giving the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this enthralling story and look forward to reading more books written by this author in the future. Worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Rebecca Bryant of Harper Collins and Abbie Frost for sending me a copy of this book and for the opportunity to have a stop on the blog tour
Many thanks to Rebecca Bryant of Harper Collins and Abbie Frost for sending me a copy of this book and for the opportunity to have a stop on the blog tour
January 17, 2020
Psychological Thriller / Mystery / Contemporary
Seven strangers find themselves in a remote guesthouse in Ireland after they used an app, called Cloud BNB, to book a room online for their holidays. They do not know yet, that someone has lured them there, and now they can't escape...
Lets say that this kind of premise isn't very original, its been done numerous times before, e.g. And Then There Were None, In a Dark, Dark Wood, In the Dark, The Carrow Haunt etc. But neverless I enjoy this kind of atmospheric and creepy stories and every author seem to add some new twists and themes to their story. I liked the setting -- isolation, feeling of dread that something isn't quite right in the house, weird things happening. I wanted to find out what is happening next.
Seven strangers find themselves in a remote guesthouse in Ireland after they used an app, called Cloud BNB, to book a room online for their holidays. They do not know yet, that someone has lured them there, and now they can't escape...
Lets say that this kind of premise isn't very original, its been done numerous times before, e.g. And Then There Were None, In a Dark, Dark Wood, In the Dark, The Carrow Haunt etc. But neverless I enjoy this kind of atmospheric and creepy stories and every author seem to add some new twists and themes to their story. I liked the setting -- isolation, feeling of dread that something isn't quite right in the house, weird things happening. I wanted to find out what is happening next.
March 29, 2020
Variation on a theme...
Following the death of her boyfriend, Hannah’s life is spiralling out of control. She’s behaving recklessly and drinking too much, and her friends and family are getting very tired of her. So when she receives a reminder about a booking she and her boyfriend had made to stay for a few nights in a guest-house in Ireland, she decides to go. But as soon as she arrives spooky things begins to happen, while bad weather and storms means she and her fellow guests find themselves cut off from the outside world. And then the deaths begin...
There seems to be a little trend of books at the moment taking the premise of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None – a group of people carefully collected together in an isolated spot by someone with a grievance who then sets about bumping them off one by one. It’s certainly an excellent set-up and the trick is to do something original within the overall structure so that it doesn’t just seem like a copy of the great original. Frost’s basic story isn’t particularly original – after all these years of psychological thrillers it would be hard to find an angle that no one else had used – but she handles it well and uses the general spookiness of the house to good effect to create an atmosphere of enjoyable tension.
I must admit I groaned a bit at the beginning. Every cliché of the last few years is trotted out – from the hungover alcoholic woman whose family and friends are all fed up with her and whose life is a mess because of something unspecified that happened “that day” in the past, up to and including the obligatory drunken vomiting scene (does anyone enjoy reading about people vomiting?). Happily, while it continues to tread fairly well-worn ground throughout, Frost writes well (and in past tense – hurrah!), and makes the excellent decision to remove the opportunity for getting drunk from Hannah as soon as she arrives at the guest-house. Once she sobers up, she becomes a much more interesting and enjoyable lead character – a lesson all fictional drunks could learn from!
The underlying story is dark and again perhaps too well-trodden to really surprise, but although I guessed parts of the plot and saw some of the twists coming, it’s done well and, once the rather slow start is out of the way, the pacing picks up so that it becomes a page-turner. The characterisation is a bit patchy – some of the characters are very well done, others less so, but happily I lost my initial antipathy to Hannah herself and gradually found myself on her side.
It’s not one to think too hard about or to analyse too deeply. There are, perhaps, too many bits that require a hefty suspension of disbelief. But the pacing and spookiness make it an entertaining read overall and it all culminates in an exciting and nicely over-the-top thriller ending. Once I got into it I enjoyed it a lot, finding myself reluctant to put it down, which is exactly the effect a good thriller should have.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Following the death of her boyfriend, Hannah’s life is spiralling out of control. She’s behaving recklessly and drinking too much, and her friends and family are getting very tired of her. So when she receives a reminder about a booking she and her boyfriend had made to stay for a few nights in a guest-house in Ireland, she decides to go. But as soon as she arrives spooky things begins to happen, while bad weather and storms means she and her fellow guests find themselves cut off from the outside world. And then the deaths begin...
There seems to be a little trend of books at the moment taking the premise of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None – a group of people carefully collected together in an isolated spot by someone with a grievance who then sets about bumping them off one by one. It’s certainly an excellent set-up and the trick is to do something original within the overall structure so that it doesn’t just seem like a copy of the great original. Frost’s basic story isn’t particularly original – after all these years of psychological thrillers it would be hard to find an angle that no one else had used – but she handles it well and uses the general spookiness of the house to good effect to create an atmosphere of enjoyable tension.
I must admit I groaned a bit at the beginning. Every cliché of the last few years is trotted out – from the hungover alcoholic woman whose family and friends are all fed up with her and whose life is a mess because of something unspecified that happened “that day” in the past, up to and including the obligatory drunken vomiting scene (does anyone enjoy reading about people vomiting?). Happily, while it continues to tread fairly well-worn ground throughout, Frost writes well (and in past tense – hurrah!), and makes the excellent decision to remove the opportunity for getting drunk from Hannah as soon as she arrives at the guest-house. Once she sobers up, she becomes a much more interesting and enjoyable lead character – a lesson all fictional drunks could learn from!
The underlying story is dark and again perhaps too well-trodden to really surprise, but although I guessed parts of the plot and saw some of the twists coming, it’s done well and, once the rather slow start is out of the way, the pacing picks up so that it becomes a page-turner. The characterisation is a bit patchy – some of the characters are very well done, others less so, but happily I lost my initial antipathy to Hannah herself and gradually found myself on her side.
It’s not one to think too hard about or to analyse too deeply. There are, perhaps, too many bits that require a hefty suspension of disbelief. But the pacing and spookiness make it an entertaining read overall and it all culminates in an exciting and nicely over-the-top thriller ending. Once I got into it I enjoyed it a lot, finding myself reluctant to put it down, which is exactly the effect a good thriller should have.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
January 17, 2021
"Hannah's trainers skidded on the marble floor of the hall. She grabbed the wooden rail along the wall to steady herself. Had to keep on her feet, had to get out."
Hannah is a mess. Twenty five years old, jobless and back living with her mother. After the death of her boyfriend, a death everyone blames her for, she turns to drink and starts losing herself. When she receives an email about a holiday that she and her boyfriend should have been going on, she decides to go on her own. The Guest house is an isolated building in Ireland, completely disconnected from civilisation. She and the other guests soon start noticing that things aren't as they seem, especially when they start dying...
Okay so I absolutely loved this one. From start to finish it was the gift that kept on giving.
This was a dark and twisty thriller that had me desperate to get to the end and find out what was going on. An excellent debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author.
Hannah is a mess. Twenty five years old, jobless and back living with her mother. After the death of her boyfriend, a death everyone blames her for, she turns to drink and starts losing herself. When she receives an email about a holiday that she and her boyfriend should have been going on, she decides to go on her own. The Guest house is an isolated building in Ireland, completely disconnected from civilisation. She and the other guests soon start noticing that things aren't as they seem, especially when they start dying...
Okay so I absolutely loved this one. From start to finish it was the gift that kept on giving.
This was a dark and twisty thriller that had me desperate to get to the end and find out what was going on. An excellent debut novel and I can't wait to read more from this author.
August 18, 2021
This book is CRAZY!! The whole time, I was toggling back and forth wondering if this was a haunted house story or a psychological thriller. There's a lot of creepiness going on and plenty of shady characters-including our protagonist Hannah.
The ending wasn't even in the ballpark of what I was expecting. Was it in the realm of believable? Not really but, with fiction, I'm okay suspending belief if it's in the pursuit of a great narrative. IMO, this book was pretty great and I look forward to reading more by Abbie Frost in the future.
The ending wasn't even in the ballpark of what I was expecting. Was it in the realm of believable? Not really but, with fiction, I'm okay suspending belief if it's in the pursuit of a great narrative. IMO, this book was pretty great and I look forward to reading more by Abbie Frost in the future.
February 29, 2020
The Guesthouse is a dark, suspenseful and intriguing mystery by Abbie Frost. Before her boyfriend died, Hannah had planned a trip to The Guesthouse, but she decides to go anyway, to relax and to get her life back.
However, as a group of strangers come together in this house on the isolated Irish coast, she soon discovers this will be no relaxing holiday.
Dark secrets abound in this spooky, ghostly setting, which Hannah will need to figure out before it’s too late. Nothing is as it seems, and what is real? And who should she trust?
There are several novels out now that use this storyline of a group of strangers trapped, and in danger, but the many twists and turns of The Guesthouse had me gripped from the start, and guessing right till the end.
The characters are skillfully drawn, their stories entirely credible, and it was hard to figure out which one I should have sympathy for.
I look forward to more dark tales of suspense and tension from this talented new author.
However, as a group of strangers come together in this house on the isolated Irish coast, she soon discovers this will be no relaxing holiday.
Dark secrets abound in this spooky, ghostly setting, which Hannah will need to figure out before it’s too late. Nothing is as it seems, and what is real? And who should she trust?
There are several novels out now that use this storyline of a group of strangers trapped, and in danger, but the many twists and turns of The Guesthouse had me gripped from the start, and guessing right till the end.
The characters are skillfully drawn, their stories entirely credible, and it was hard to figure out which one I should have sympathy for.
I look forward to more dark tales of suspense and tension from this talented new author.
December 29, 2021
I felt like I was plodding through the muddy fields surrounding this supposedly isolated guesthouse. I found it really dull and slow. I gave up half way through as i wasn’t enjoying it at all. I like books that are so good I cannot put them down.
We live in the countryside but I have never known a property to be so isolated that there are no roads or lanes leading to it and it takes an hour to walk there from where you leave your car. How was it ever built, how was their furniture delivered? Quite ridiculous.
It takes great talent to write a good thriller (and I have read many) and I am afraid Abbie Frost has a lot to learn.
We live in the countryside but I have never known a property to be so isolated that there are no roads or lanes leading to it and it takes an hour to walk there from where you leave your car. How was it ever built, how was their furniture delivered? Quite ridiculous.
It takes great talent to write a good thriller (and I have read many) and I am afraid Abbie Frost has a lot to learn.
September 2, 2020
Yeah didn’t love this. I thought it was ridiculous that Chloe was just kind of like, oh dang my parents are dead that sucks dude. And then just GETS OVER IT?? Maybe I missed it but I didn’t get the impression that she was upset at all. If I found out my parents were murdered I THINK I would be a little bit of a mess. Also, I liked Lucy throughout the story but when she ended up being one of the killers, I was underwhelmed. And Hannah is like YOURE A KILLER and Lucy was like, oh calm down I ONLY killed Jack Roper. Oh is that all? And then at the end everything is all hunky dory. Wut lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2020
This book started out okay for me. A group of people unknowingly lured to a secluded B&B in Northern Ireland find that things are not as they seem. The first half went very quickly with lots of creepy things happening, especially to Hannah. Then it started to lag. How many long dark corridors with locked doors can there be in a big old house? Lots and lots, apparently. I found that I had to speed read the last 100 pages.
June 14, 2021
Fairly ploddy and predictable, few likeable characters and then just plain grim towards the end. I was listening to the audio book and deleted with just 40 minutes to go as it had become a wholely unpleasant experience.
June 23, 2020
Oh so creepy! I really loved the story and a twist you will never guess! An isolated close circle mystery you must read. No spoilers! I highly recommend it!
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