An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena is all you could ever ask for in a murder mystery. It is a classic who-done-it, set in an old hotel in the middle of nowhere. The characters are all quite interesting and provide many different perspectives into this book that really makes you think.
Author: Shari Lapena
Also by this author: The Couple Next Door
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Rating:
A remote lodge in upstate New York is the perfect winter wonderland getaway . . . until the bodies start piling up.
It's winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful, but Mitchell's Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or just curling up with a book and someone you love.
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. The power's down but they've got candles, blankets and firewood--a genuine rustic experience!
Soon, though, a body turns up--surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body.
Within the snowed-in paradise, something--or someone--is picking off the guests one by one. They can't leave, and with no cell service, there's no prospect of getting the police in until the weather loosens its icy grip.
The weekend getaway has turned deadly. For some couples, it's their first time away. For others, it will be their last. And there's nothing they can do about it but huddle in and hope they can survive the storm.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
The setting for An Unwanted Guest is a little inn situated in a small town that has no wifi or cell service. The inn is maintained in an old fashioned way to provide its guests with a sense of nostalgia for times long ago. The blizzard outside and the fact that the inn loses power to the storm, sets up a recipe for a great mystery.
❀ Multiple Perspectives
The story is told in multiple perspectives and features many characters from different walks of life. It is kind of like a game of Clue, with it’s wealthy businessman and struggling author as pawns in this story that gets more tangled as you read along. Lapena gives you just enough backstory to identify each of the characters’ personalities, yet leaves some room for questioning each one’s intent.
❀ Continuous Plot Twists
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena will make its readers question whether it is possible to really know anyone at all. As you are reading along, the continuous plot twists add a new layer to the mystery. Just when you think that you have figured out where the story is going to go, Lapena throws another curve at you. If you are a fan of classic murder mysteries, I highly suggest picking up this book.
About Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House. She was a lawyer and an English teacher before turning her hand to fiction.
She lives in Toronto.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.