The Overnight Guest

by Heather Gudenkauf

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

She thought she was alone…

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

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

467 pages, Library Binding

First published January 25, 2022

About the author

Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including The Overnight Guest and her most recent thriller Everyone is Watching. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence, was an instant NYT bestseller and remained on the list for 22 weeks. Gudenkauf’s critically acclaimed novels have been published in over 25 countries and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Her books have been featured on many Best Of roundups including lists by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, Apple Books, GoodReads, and more. Her eleventh novel, The Perfect Hosts will be released on November 4, 2025. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is freaking scary, dark! My favorite kind of high tension mystery! And it’s finally OUT!

My back, my legs but mostly my brain cells are seriously numb! The pacing, the characterization, slow burn mystery building, high tension, the cabin in the woods theme meets the Room plot line executed impressively!

This book keeps you on the edge of your seats, pushing you bite your nails harder and scream louder!

Can you imagine you’re in the middle of blizzard, trapped in one hundred years old farmhouse as creaky and contrary as old man had only the basics: the electricity and water?

Quick correction: now it’s out of electricity without landline. True crime author Wylie Lark is trapped in this claustrophobic place in the middle of the winter. Why she insisted to choose this place and why she stayed so long even though she’s planned to leave in one week?

After her argument with her teenage son who decided to leave her alone to go to his father’s house, she finds herself working on the next true crime novel project, living secluded, isolated life!

Now in the middle of the blizzard, lights go out, landline is not working and she finds an unexpected guest lying on the front yard: a little boy who is wounded, scared, acting like caged animal. How did he get hurt? How did he arrive in the middle of the blizzard? Why is he not talking and why is he so scared?

We move back and forth between 2000 and present to learn what happened in the same farmhouse: somebody killed the members of Doyle Family (mother and father): Josie Doyle, 12, got shot and her best friend Becky with her 16 years old brother are missing!

Did the killer take them or could her own brother be responsible from those massacres who argued a lot with her parents lately? Two timelines and another additional POV of little girl reminds us of Room’s Jack who is locked in a basement with her mother whose abused by her own father, are keeping our attentions alert. I personally enjoyed each timelines, kept squirming, screaming as I flipped the pages as fast as I could.

All those stories intercepted very wisely. Till the last chapters, I was about to give five stars but the last vengeance parts are a little overrated and long. The culprit turns into something between Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers who resists to die like a cat with nine lives which made me roll my eyes several times. And there are still some unanswered parts about the motives of the murderer.

Long story short it was still unputdownable, exciting, wild ride I truly enjoy! I’m giving four heart pounding, claustrophobic, high tension stars! If the last chapter may have been shorten a little bit, it could be possibly five starred read for me!

As a big fan of the author I highly recommend this fantastic, shocking, surprising wild ride!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Overnight Guest is the second novel I have read from Heather Gudenkauf. The first was her 2020-release, This Is How I Lied, which I really enjoyed, ultimately giving it 3.5-stars and rounding up.

In this one, I feel like Gudenkauf's writing is elevated to a whole new level! I was impressed.



Wylie Lark is a True Crime writer. In the course of her work, she frequently travels to the locations where the crimes she is writing about have taken place.

She currently finds herself alone, staying at a remote farmhouse where a brutal double homicide once occurred, with a vicious snowstorm bearing down on her.



As horrifying as this may sound to some, Wylie isn't concerned. She's got a fireplace and enough supplies to last her until the storm passes.

When her dog alerts her to something he has found just outside the house, Wylie expects it to be some sort of animal, who wasn't able to find shelter in time and succumbed to the elements. What she doesn't expect is for it to be a child, half-frozen and unresponsive.



As the truth of the child's sudden appearance begins to be revealed, Wylie realizes she may not be as alone as she once thought.

Will she be able to protect the child, and herself, from the dangers lurking outside long enough to be able to reach help?



Y'all, this novel is intensely-gripping. It follows both Wylie's present timeline, as well as the perspective and timeline of a girl who lived in the house at the time of the gruesome murders.

But that's not all! There's a third perspective of a child that is quite disturbing.



The way Gudenkauf paced out the reveals of each perspective, drawing them together into one unsettling conclusion, was so well done. It kept me completely engrossed.

There was some really creepy moments in this. Reading on my kindle, in the dark, while home alone, on the night of a windstorm, I'll admit to being scared. I had to read something else for a bit just in order to be able to sleep that night.



I loved the In Cold Blood vibes I picked up from this. It wasn't overdone, but felt like a respectful nod to that work.

Overall, I had a ton of fun reading this. It featured some of my favorite tropes and was fast-paced and exciting to read. I would definitely recommend this one.



Thank you to the publisher, Park Row Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to reading more from Gudenkauf!

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Good Read!

3.75 stars

The Overnight Guest is an atmospheric and gripping thriller about a missing teenage girl linked to a horrific crime and the true-crime writer who attempts to unravel the missing pieces.

There are three central mysteries. One involving a crime from the past. The other two are centered around events in the present. All are linked together.

There are a lot of characters and three different timelines to keep track of. This was a little tricky to navigate in the beginning, but I caught on quickly. All of the narratives take place in rural Burden, Iowa. All three are compelling and made me want to keep on reading!

One of the narratives takes place during the hot Summer of 2000. This story revolves around 12-year-old Josie, who witnesses a horrific crime.

In the present moment, we are introduced to Wylie’s perspective. Her story is shared against the backdrop of a blizzard. Wylie, a true-crime writer, has rented a house in Burden to work on her next book. While hunkered down for the blizzard, she discovers an injured boy nearly frozen to death in the snow. She takes him in as her overnight guest.

Then there is a story of a little girl. All the reader knows is that she is living in a basement room with her mother.

If you are like me and read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, the events will not be surprising. I guessed two out of the three mysteries. Had I been able to keep track of all of the characters and read a little bit closer, it would have been easy to solve the third. While this didn’t have any major surprises, and I guessed what was happening, I enjoyed seeing how the events unfolded.

My favorite perspective was the one told during winter in the present moment. I was transported to the rural country house, surrounded by tree limbs covered in ice, and the blizzard conditions made me shiver. This setting added an extra layer of creepiness.

On the downside, there are too many characters and too many perspectives. I also thought that the little girl seemed much older and wiser than her age, adding a layer of unbelievability. The ending was over-the-top and dragged a bit. At the same time, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.

On the upside, I loved the seasonal element that encompassed the narratives. There is a bit of blood and gore and also some difficult-to-read scenes involving emotional and sexual abuse. The title has multiple meanings as there is more than one overnight guest. Overall, this was a compelling and chilling read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

[Yun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand that thrillers are meant to be popcorn reads and so they're held to a different standard than other genres. But they still have to meet a certain bar, and The Overnight Guest just did not get there whatsoever.

Let's start with the characters. When it comes to thrillers, I’ve seen a lot of dumb characters, but Wylie has got to be the dumbest of them all. She makes one bad decision after another, and it's honestly painful to follow along as she blunders around. At one point, someone actually spelled out for her what really happened, and she still couldn’t put two and two together.

The rest of the characters were pretty much cardboard cutouts of typical thriller characters — scared victims, worried mothers, serious investigators, and shady would-be villains. No one really came alive, so it was hard for me to care what happened or whodunnit.

This story has so many separate storylines, and yet not one of them was compelling. The triple narrative threads, in theory a good idea that should have them converge into a single cohesive narrative, was in actuality just a vehicle for the story to jump around every few pages. Just as I'm getting into whatever the current storyline is, bam! I'm yanked out to somewhere else.

As the story moves along, it starts to rely on an ever growing list of coincidences and plot holes and just plain ridiculous developments to propel it forward. Each time something absurd happens, I'm amazed at both the gumption of the author and the gullibility of the reader that it's actually allowed to stand.

I feel like there's a turning point maybe two-thirds of the way through, and after that, it’s pretty clear what happened and also what’s going to happen. And then the rest of the story is devoted to spelling out in long form what's already obvious, to the dread of every reader on the verge of a slump, including me.

I’m honestly a little confused by the high ratings on this one. If you’ve read any thrillers at all, you’ll see what’s coming from a mile away. And unless cheering on foolish and slow-witted characters is your jam, I don't see what else this one has to offer.

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[Joey R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars— I can’t believe I am giving this book 2.5 stars after the first three quarters of it was so entertaining. In fact I was considering a 5 star rating until I got to a certain part of the book I like to call — “The Most Ridiculous Coincidence in The History of Books.” If you have read this book you know it occurs about 80 percent in and to say that it is beyond belief is an understatement. The book alternates between the story of a horrible crime that occurred in the past and a writer who comes to town to write about these events 20 years later. Without spoiling the plot, here are just a few of the things that happen on the night the overnight guest arrives at the author’s home:
Blizzard ☑️
Cell Phone broken to pieces and landline out as well so can’t call for help☑️
Author discovers a small child freezing to death on her driveway because she happens to be walking her dog in a blizzard —later discovers the child wandered away from a car accident ☑️
Let’s just say the random persons involved in the crash in front of her house hold a very special connection to the author and the case she is writing about☑️
Potential villain in case owns and drives a snowplow that also randomly arrives at the author’s home on this night☑️

And don’t get me started on the outright stupidity of the final conflict/fight scene between two of the characters involving some of the biggest thriller cliches ever … malfunctioning gun anyone?

If you are able to suspend your common sense for the last quarter of the book, then this one is for you. Otherwise, you might want to avoid getting invested in a book with great promise but ends as a huge letdown.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting mystery/thriller!

Gudenkauf's books are kind of hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a hit. There are three separate storylines:
--Present day with true crime writer Wylie hunkered down in a house in order to finish her book. One night a horrible ice storm hits and Wylie finds a young boy nearly frozen to death. When she brings him into the house he won't speak, and when she goes to investigate where he came from, she finds an injured woman and a wrecked truck.
--The year 2000, a family with a rebellious teenage son and a younger teen daughter who has a friend come to stay the night
--A woman and her young daughter, the woman is being abused by the girl's father

These seemingly unconnected storylines come together in some surprising ways in the end. I liked the twists the author created and the winter setting that made me shiver and presented the perfect atmosphere for the present day storyline. This is contrasted with the thread from 2000, which takes place during a sweltering summer. The stark difference between the two makes for a very atmospheric tale.

I did guess most of what was going on after a bit, but the journey to bring the three threads together is the best part. The narrative moves quickly and kept me engaged throughout. The parts about the mom and the girl had shades of Room and the abuse was pretty difficult to read, that was my least favorite of the storylines because it felt really "been there done that" for any seasoned reader.

Overall, it is a captivating tale with some intrigue and surprises that make the book worth reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[MarilynW · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
Narrated by Brittany Pressley

True crime writer Wylie Lark likes to get right into the scene with her writing. She's actually staying at the location of several long ago murders as she finishes up her latest book. She's isolated herself from everyone and now there is a winter storm that shuts down travel. Power and telephone lines could be next. Not to worry, she has enough of everything she needs to last a few days before she'll need more supplies.

When she finds a small child on her driveway, under the snow, things get more dire. But still, there is nothing she can do at the moment, other than take care of the child as best she can. But the child won't speak to her and seems scared of her. Eventually Wylie goes out to search for a few answers and finds out way more than she expected.

There are two timelines and I enjoyed the earlier timeline the most. The present day timeline was interesting, for the most part, but towards the end of the story, I liked it less and less. Too many coincidences and dumb things done. But worst of all for me was Wiley. I didn't care for her hysterics (I'm not saying whether they were justified or not). Wiley doesn't seem very good at interacting with people and her voice acting made her come across as a shrill shrew. I felt like she'd be abrasive if I was reading the story so I think the narration would have worked better for me if the acting was toned down. Too much Wiley was not a good thing for me.

I figured out a lot of things before they were revealed but that isn't something I mind. The story had me interested mostly but the actions scenes towards the end of the book seemed so long and tedious. I guess this story wasn't a good fit for me but it's partly because it's a subgenre that I usually avoid. Thank you, Jayme, for letting me blather about this story, even though you read it long ago and don't remember it anymore. 😂

First published January 25, 2022

[Michael David (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tense and atmospheric mystery/thriller.

Wylie Lark is a true crime writer, staying in a secluded farmhouse in a small town to write her latest novel. Years earlier, vicious killings took place at the same exact farmhouse. Now, as a terrible snow storm rages outside, Wylie should have plenty of time to settle in and finish the book…until she finds a young child outside in the snow and brings him inside so he doesn’t freeze to death.

DUN-DUN-DUN!

I enjoy the use of separate story threads that eventually tie together, and it’s used very well here. We follow three timelines/events, and I found each one compelling. There were some twists I suspected, and a few that pleasantly surprised me. I found this to be gripping and fast-paced, going darker than I thought it would go.

And talk about atmosphere! It’s cold where I live now, but I read this inside and with heat, and still shivered from the descriptions of the cold and brutal snow setting. I recommend reading this one whilst wrapped in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate. The hot chocolate can be substituted with wine, obviously…and I’m guessing you know which beverage I chose. 🍷

Now available.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Storygraph and The Book Review Crew Blog

This was a very atmospheric tale because it takes place during a blizzard, at an isolated farm and the weather and location were certainly important elements to the story. The author did a marvellous job of describing the setting. The story sucked me in right away and held my attention throughout so I was able to get through this in a couple of sittings.

This is how you do a psychological thriller right, it has excellent pacing, short chapters and lots of tension. I loved the format of the story with multiple points of view and different timelines seamlessly woven together. The characters were engaging and the plot was intense.

Even though part of the storyline was predictable I enjoyed the journey to get there and the reveal of the culprit was a surprise. The child character and her situation were flawlessly written and were so well done that it made me feel bad for her and I can't believe how sad I felt for a fictional character. This would have been a five star read for me but the coincidence between the two female leads was just not believable and the ending of the bad guy was a cliche, But the story does deserve four stars for the entertainment value alone.

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite types of thrillers. Multiple storylines and leaving it up to you, the reader/amateur armchair detective, to connect all the dots and just maybe figure out how it will all come together. Who’s up for the challenge?💁🏻‍♀️

Wylie is a true-crime author. She presently rents a secluded home in the middle of nowhere to finish her latest book. Who could have predicted she’d find herself in the middle of a massive blizzard, leaving her cut off from everyone?

Josie is an average twelve-year-old girl who’s having her best friend Beckie sleep-over. Unfortunately, and sadly, there’s a great deal of tension in Josie’s home between the parents and the brother. This may not turn out to be the carefree, fun-filled night they were hoping for.

There is one more crucial storyline threaded into this book. But what kind of a friend would I be if I spilled the beans?! You’ll just have to let it unfold as you read along. No spoilers here!.🤫

Some of the twists I saw coming, and others totally surprised me. To me, that’s a great combo. When I finished, I actually went back to skim a few parts to see how I missed some of the shockers. And yup!🙋🏻‍♀️. The trail was right there, hidden in plain sight. I just missed it. Might be losing my touch! Lol!

Heather Gudenkauf writes a superb, captivating😉 thriller that just might keep you guessing throughout!

I flew through this book in only a few sittings. It was supposed to be a buddy read but sadly I left Susanne far behind as I just couldn’t put it down. (Sorry Susanne)💕

I’ve always enjoyed this author’s works in the past and am looking forward to her next.

A pseudo-buddy read with Susanne🤣💞

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.

[Sydney Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 or 5 I can’t decide!!! I loved this omg everyone was right

[Lindsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Packed with tension and suspense!

True crime writer, Wylie Lark, is spending a few months living in a remote farmhouse cottage focused on writing her new book. She is researching two murders that happened in the same cottage which involved the disappearance of a teenage girl. A wintry storm adds to her isolation until she discovers a small child stranded at her doorstep…

This was an intense thriller! I was anxious and on the edge of my seat for the majority of this novel. Every single page was gripping, atmospheric and suspenseful. This was one of the most binge-worthy, unputdownable books I’ve read in a while!

There are several storylines introduced in chapter one. Seeming random at first, each storyline flowed smoothly and fit together seamlessly by the end. The way this novel unfolds is a brilliant and perfectly paced puzzle that kept me hanging on every word. Each character and storyline added an intriguing amount of tension and kept me guessing as to how it would all come together.

My one small issue was that the conclusion was overly dramatic and not as gripping or believable as the remainder of the story. It took my enjoyment down just a tiny bit as it didn’t fit with the amazing-ness of the rest of the book.

Overall, an amazing read that I highly recommend to thriller fans. This will be on my 2022 Favourites List! Thank you to the publisher for my review copy!

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

FROM THE SYNOPSIS:
“ True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside”

FROM THE ABOVE SYNOPSIS, I somehow thought that this book may have the Supernatural vibe, that I love to read about…boy, was I wrong!

Had I realized that a third of the book would have a narrative that I steer clear of, because I don’t enjoy it…I would not have requested this book. But, I did, so, I won’t give spoilers on what that part of the story is, since it isn’t mentioned in the synopsis, and I will just share a brief description the other two narratives…

The Past-a double murder and two missing kids from the Doyle farmhouse just outside of Des Moines, Iowa.

The Present: The small child who turns up outside the “Murder House” where Wylie is TEMPORARILY staying to pen her True Crime novel about the events that occurred there, will have a link that will help her to solve those very same crimes.

Hmm…convenient…

I immediately had the “mystery narrative” MOSTLY figured out-but there WAS a surprise at the end that I didn’t coming. Unfortunately though, I just didn’t love it as much as I had hoped to.

What I did love?

The atmosphere! Author Heather Gudenkauf had me doubling up the blankets and searching for hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) as I read about the blizzard which kept Wylie and the child snowed in.

It did make for a fun discussion with DeAnn who really enjoyed it, and read it in a day! Be sure to check out her fantastic review!

THIS TITLE IS NOW AVAILABLE!!

Thank you to Park Row for my gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good multilayer mystery!

The Overnight Guest is a dual timeline story; a blistering cold night in the present-day and hot summer of 2000.

Wylie Lark is a true-crime author from Oregon. She rented an old remote farmhouse in Burden, Iowa for some peace and quiet to finish her latest book. With snow and sleet, the lights begin to flicker, Whylie let an old stray dog out to do its business. Tas's taking too long... so Whylie goes out to find the dog. She sees a little boy lying on the ground in the snow so she brings him inside. Brrr!!

There was a crime committed in the same town in August 2000 told by a different narrator. I decided to delete it all and think it's better not knowing. It's very riveting and I want to warn you in advance that you won't be able to put the book down. 😉

Although I guessed two major mysteries correctly, I didn't see the third one coming. It was right in front of my face! Anyway, good times! It's fun to see how it all played out. I wish the book ended at 90% because I find a teeny tiny part leaning towards a B-rated horror movie.

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

**** Made my TOP TEN of 2022! Highly recommend!

What a way to start the year! When you love a book so much that you know it is going to make your top ten of this year! My first read of the year and it was absolutely fantastic!

This thriller is so atmospheric! Three different timelies and all were equally as creepy! Each one being as captivating as the next! I was completely clueless as to how these could even tie in with each other...they seemed unrelated..but they must...right?!

A true crime author...who chose a creepy old secluded farmhouse to get her writing mojo on...EEK! Snowed in...all alone..what could go wrong? ALOT! The answer is ALOT could go wrong!

A mother and daughter ...kept in a basement?! Okay this timeline really freaked me out!

A mother and father found shot to death in their own home...and their son is missing...hmmm

Seriously I can't recommend this book enough!! If you love a book that keeps you on your toes...in the dark...guessing...ignoring everyone around you because you just can't stop reading it...this is that book in my opinion!

This was a buddy read with my book bestie Javier and it gave us alot to talk about! This was my first book by this author and I can't wait to read her backlist!!

Thank you so much to Park Row for my gifted copy!!

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus)]

Back on pause 😅
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Someone posted a little 5 star review somewhere and I thought hmm this one looks good. Maybe I can casually pick it up with no pressure and see if it helps my slump.

I get over here to GR lmao and it looks like I had a similar idea last year around the exact same time and never finished it 😩

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I'm not even sure what I'm in the mood to read these days. Sigh. I know I need to read something a little different bc I'm feeling slumpy...

Anyway, this one still seems fitting for winter. ❄️☃️

╰┈➤ˎˊ˗ True crime writer Wylie Lark finds herself snowed in during her retreat to finish up her current novel. When she receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm. 👀

[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brrr.... chilly night, chilling read.

Wylie Lark needs to focus and finish writing her book. It will be her fourth true crime book. She packs up her bags and heads fifteen hundred miles away to a remote farmhouse. It is the scene of a twenty-year old crime. There shouldn't be any distractions- the house has no Wi-Fi or T.V.

What she didn't expect was.... to pick up a stray dog outside the farmhouse, a raging snowstorm, loss of electricity, and an overnight guest.

This was a well paced crime mystery with a few timelines that come together in the end. There is suspense, some moments I found myself holding my breath, plenty of unease, and a literal "gasp" moment.

The end comes together brilliantly with the different timelimes revealing the secrets that lingered. It was a claustrophobic, darker than I was expected mystery.

Recommend to crime mystery readers.

Thanks to NG and the publisher for my review copy! OUT January 25, 2022

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An exciting, gripping, complex (perhaps a bit confusing?) mystery that kept me reading but left me with quite a few continuity qualms. The main character in the present tense acted in a frustrating manner for someone who knew a snow storm was coming, but the other two POVs had me gripped from start to finish. Highly recommended for a fast paced read!



*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Overnight Guest” is an engaging page-turner of a novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, until the reveal. And then it went unnecessarily on and on. Why Ms. Gudenkauf, why?

The story involves a true crime writer who is staying in the house where a horrendous crime took place years ago. While there, a snowstorm (and this is an Iowa snowstorm) occurs, white-out conditions, and no electricity. The writer, Wylie, hears a vehicle crash, and goes outside to investigate. She finds a tiny boy half frozen in her yard. Next she finds a woman trapped in barbed wire and also half frozen.

The page turning begins. The boy and woman are frightened of someone. Wylie tries to help, but both clam up.

Alternating chapters provide a back story of the horrendous event that occurred at that farmhouse. Author Heather Gudenkauf weaves the backstory into present day.

Thank you GR friend Tania for your great review. This is a fantastic thriller. I recommend it as a novel that you can read in a weekend and it will take you away….

[Michelle]

DNF @ 25% - No rating

I was so looking forward to this one from the moment I heard about it so it saddens me to tell you that I cheated and read a spoiler review just so I could sit this one aside. Three different storylines / timelines and you would think one would have piqued my interest but it wasn't to be. Onwards!

[John Wiltshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to set a scene for you. Two women huddling in a cupboard. One (we'll call her Becky) has recently escaped from a 20-year imprisonment in a basement by a psychopath. The other (Whylie) has just trapped the men she believes this to be in a shed and run back to tell Becky she's safe. We have a dramatic end of chapter moment when Whylie rushes to the cupboard, sinks down inside it and exclaims, "You're safe, Jackson Smith is trapped in the shed." (I paraphrase and make up names here because I can't be bothered to get them right)
Then we have another whole chapter of the two women chatting, apparently reliving old times when they knew each other.
Another man comes to the door, knocking and calling out. How exciting is this?
Becky freezes. "It's him!"
Whylie frowns. "No, I told you a whole chapter and lots of girlie chat ago that I had Jackson trapped in the shed."
Becky. (Big reveal.) "But it's NOT Jackson that kept me prisoner for twenty years, raped me every day and night, fathered countless children on me which he then murdered, it was this man, currently knocking on the door." She sees Whylie's (and the reader's expression). "Whoops, sorry, maybe I should have mentioned that before the hours of girlie chat. My bad."
Whylie throws the towel in and refuses to read any more of this utterly dumb book.
Oh, no, that was me. 85% in and I've given up!
But that little scenario at 85% wasn't my own gripe with this book. It starts quite promisingly. But the woman in the basement is such an overused trope now it's got to be done really well to be convincing. This woman has pretty much free access to the rest of the house apparently (she can unlock the door seemingly whenever she wants to). The house has a telephone and a car and keys, and the man is routinely away all day. The basement also has a window, which when she finally decides to escape through she just smashes and leaves by.
I am bewildered by all of this. Starved, beaten, abused, raped, imprisoned and yet you could have walked out at any time seemingly. You know the guy. Your family live down the road. You're a local. Everyone knows you and you must know they're all looking for you...
No, no, no. Life is getting shorter by the day and I only have so many good reading days left to me. I'm not wasting it finishing the remaining 15% of this one.

[Katie Colson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listen. It’s fun. It’s fast. It’s *fine*.
If you’ve read a thriller before, you won’t be shocked by this. But I had a good time reading it. It filled the time and I don’t regret it. Decent read.

[Marialyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories that have a background of a snowstorm howling in the wind, so when this book started with a little girl being found on the doorstep of a true crime writer, it had all the makings of a story I would love. Wylie Lark is stunned to find her solitude interrupted by the appearance of this child who wouldn't speak, but needed to be inside because of the bitter cold.

As if this was not offsetting enough, the house that Wylie was in had been the scene of a grisly murder of two adults and a missing child. Originally suspicion fell onto the son of the murdered couple, but later that evidence whittled away.

The three story lines in the book, initially threw me off, but as the author, Heather Gundenkauf, wove the pieces together, she created a well-done thriller with just the right amount of secrets, lies, and atmosphere.

We learn of a horrific killing, of a daughter escaping and a friend who was staying overnight missing, all of which happened in the past. The daughter Josie, was left alive but was able to flee with the murderer is hot pursuit.

The years go by and still no person has been brought to trial. Years later, we are introduced to Wylie, a true crime writer, who has rented the very same place where the murders had occurred. It's a stormy night filled with ice and snow and in this isolated place Wylie finds a child, silent and fearful, who Wylie tries to help. There had been an accident so Wylie ventured out to find if anyone was hurt and finds who she assumes is the child's mother badly hurt. She helps her as best she can, and decides to go back to the house to try and get help. When Wylie returns, the woman is gone and the story veers to the dangerous world that Wylie finds herself entrenched in.

I enjoyed this story and was particularly moved by the haunting atmosphere the author created. While one might have guessed some concepts, many were shed by revelations that indeed created the twists and turns of the tale.

Thank you to Heather Gundenkaug, Park Row, and NetGalley for a copy of this thriller which has already published on January 25, 2022

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes what you believe is not always the truth. And the truth.....well, it's far more than the human mind can handle.

Heather Gudenkauf has created a multi-tiered sketch in time that takes us back and forth to what was and what still is. She's done a fine job in carving out characters who are so complex and so broken that the pieces laid at the feet of the readers will be a task of great proportions.

Wylie Lark barricaded herself in miles and in emotionally distant ties from her husband and teenage son. Wylie, a true crime writer, convinces herself that finishing her latest book is her only objective. She half-way admits that the stress within her family is suffocating her. Like many with avoidance syndrome, she packs up and travels to Iowa to rent a house where a heinous crime had been committed. She needs atmosphere to help her set a tone for the final chapters. As we travel with Wylie, we know there's a huge price to pay for isolation.

The weather is one of the key characters in The Overnight Guest. A howling snow storm is hurling itself toward this small community. The roads will become impassable and the heavy ice will take out the power. Wylie's main effort is to keep the fire going in the main room. That means a trip to the barn where there's stored wood. Once outside, Wylie's eyes hit upon a small child laying helpless in the snow. She's not even sure if the child is still alive. Who would abandon a little one in the middle of a blizzard?

And here's where Gudenkauf will switch gears to the year 2000 with the lead-up to the horrendous crime that took place on this farm. We'll be glued to those pages. Then she'll flip to a side story that may have connections to that child. Then it's back to modern day Wylie and the blizzard. Danger is casting giant shadows on the wall of that old farmhouse. Wylie never bargained for that....

The Overnight Guest is well written and set up where there is no down time in the storyline. The time flipping is guaranteed to keep the readers on their toes. Sometimes we just need to take a detour from the reality that we are all in. The Overnight Guest will certainly do that. Take this book, submerge, and don't come up until the last page. Oh, yeah......

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf is a 2022 Park Row publication.

Wylie Lark, a true crime writer, while in a tug of war with her teenage son, travels to a remote farmhouse where an unsolved murder took place twenty years ago.

As a dangerous winter storm approaches, Wylie discovers a child, half frozen, a little way from the house. Bringing the child indoors, she struggles to gain trust, unable to even extract a name from the frightened child. She quickly learns, though, that someone is looking for this child, and that person is very dangerous...

The book has three narratives- that of Wylie and her ‘overnight guest’, and the history of the old farmhouse in which there were several murders, plus the disappearance of a young girl who never found. The third narrative tells the story of a mother and child who is at the mercy of the child’s abusive father.

The three threads are a little confusing in the beginning, and had me wondering what the narratives had in common, but once I got the hang of it, I was able to piece the puzzle together, which painted a horrifying prospect, and created an incredibly intense scenario. It’s been a while since a book caused my palms to sweat, but this one came close.

The author managed to keep me off guard with some nice red herrings, but it didn’t entirely prevent some predictability. I was not a fan of the epilogue, which is very weak, and seemed tacked on as an afterthought.

Still, this is a very strong thriller and I enjoyed it, overall.

4 stars

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Overnight Guest is a tense and highly atmospheric thriller and held my attention to the very end.

Wylie, a true-crime writer, is finishing up her latest book about two murders and a missing teenage girl that occurred about twenty years prior in the town of Burden. And she has decided to complete this project in the isolated farmhouse where it all happened.

But a snowstorm is brewing, and as Wylie prepares to tuck in for the night, she notices a child lying on the side of the road. After Wylie brings in the child, she tries to coax answers from him and figure out how he got there on this bone-chilling night.

It’s probably best not knowing more than that when going into this gripping thriller.

There are three main perspectives across three different timelines, plus a few extra scattered throughout. The distinct voices and even the use of italics for one narrator made it easy to follow along with each POV.

This book hooked me right from the beginning and delivered a few surprising twists. The settings in this book were what made it so atmospheric. One timeline takes place during the heat of summer and another in the dead of winter. Each had me sweating and freezing in turns.

The middle section dragged ever so slightly, but the majority of it had me on the edge of my seat.

This was my first time reading Heather Gudenkauf, and I am now excited to read more books by the author.

Thank you to Park Row for the arc provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

Finally finished this and am just as surprised at the 4- and 5-star ratings on here as I was when I first started it. Poorly written with an annoying lead who kept making dumb mistake after dumb mistake, and constant POV switching and different timelines that often failed to hold my attention. Really had to push myself to finish this. All of the characters were one-dimensional and I didn't care about a single person. Plus the mystery was easily solvable and nothing was a surprise. This entire book just lacked any sort of depth and was a chore to read.

Not sure I'd want to try this author again, to be honest.

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the book is about

To finish her latest book, crime writer Wylie is holed up in an isolated farmhouse with some deadly history. The tension and suspense increase with every page when a snowstorm and an overnight guest bring danger to Wylie's door. Told through two timelines and a narrator that feels like Emma Donoghue's "Room."

What I loved

The tightly woven, perfectly paced, suspenseful story that gave me a nagging feeling as the layers unfolded, I should be able to figure out who this overnight guest is. My mind was racing, trying to keep up with the pace, knowing that the reveal was coming. I almost pieced some things together only to find the author was one step ahead of me. I enjoyed forming some theories about how the timelines and characters come together.

The Atmospheric and claustrophobic setting that sent chills up my back and had me needing to grab a cup of cozy.

The twisty tale builds with every turn to the story, the exciting story’s climax, and the satisfying ending.

Why you should read this one

For the tightly woven, fast paced absorbing story with twist, turns and reveals that you might or might not see coming.

I received a copy from the publisher

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
Wyllie Lark is a true crime writer she is staying at the farmhouse that holds secrets & a murder 2 people were murdered in cold blood , also the disappearance of a girl who disappeared decades earlier never to be seen again.


Wyllie Lark relaxes by the fire & the complete silence so she can write her next 📖.
For me this wasn’t as good as expected as I found it a bit distracting with the dual plots & timelines I found it hard to try & follow this one, don’t get me wrong this is a compelling read but one I could not follow.

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Park Row Press/Harlequin, Heather Gudenkauf and Netgalley.
I must admit that I really enjoyed this book!
It was entirely preditable, and just one of those stories where I knew what was going on. Still, I had a depth of feeling for these character's.
I felt the sorrow. It may have been predictable, but the people kept me interested.
I hate books that I've already figured out, but I'm giving this one a passing grade because it made me feel!