Wednesday, August 29, 2018

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena


 


Publication: August 7, 2018
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Source: Purchased my own copy


A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway...but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in for the long haul.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm.


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An Unwanted Guest was an entertaining and atmospheric read. It was slightly reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

At first I was worried I wouldn’t remember who was who in this book, since there were quite a few characters to keep track of. However, the more I got into the story, the easier it became to remember the characters. Shari Lapena did a really good job with setting the stage for a murder. From the weather to the guests acting suspicious. Everything added to suspense of the story. I think at one time or another I suspected every character of committing the murders. There were a slew of red herrings.

The writing was well done and the pace of the story was good for the most part. There were only a few times towards the end that I thought the story was dragging a little and some parts where possibly not needed. I love a good mystery/thriller and I enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to get absorbed into the story. I found myself needing to find out what was really going on and who was behind it. That ending though was not my favorite. I thought there were a couple of holes in the way things were wrapped up, but apart from that, the story was nicely done.

If you are looking for a good mystery to settle into as the weather cools down, then take a look at An Unwanted Guest. It’s a very easy read and it keeps you guessing all the way to the end.




RATING: out of 5.




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