The Overnight Guest: A Novel
The Overnight Guest: A Novel book cover

The Overnight Guest: A Novel

Hardcover – January 25, 2022

Price
$19.80
Format
Hardcover
Pages
336
Publisher
Park Row
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0778333166
Dimensions
6.27 x 1.08 x 9.18 inches
Weight
15.2 ounces

Description

An Amazon Best Book of February 2022: If three narratives leave the station decades apart but converge on a snowed-in farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, how late will readers stay up to see it all play out? The answer—at least when it comes to The Overnight Guest —is: extremely late. Wren is a true crime writer, holed up in her isolated farmhouse to write her new book. As settings go, it’s apt: two people were gunned down at this house decades ago, and a young girl was abducted. But when a storm brings snow—and a boy knocking on her door—some of Wren’s own secrets come a-calling, too. Gudenkauf expertly builds the suspense, confusion, and anticipation to unbearable heights as the plots overlap in ever-decreasing circles, slowly beginning to make their connections apparent. When the explosive denouement finally arrives, it caps an excellent thriller. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor "Heather Gudenkauf is a master of suspense. Weaving together three narratives in an explosive and shocking denouement, The Overnight Guest will have you glued to the page and leave you wanting more." — Liv Constantine, international bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish “ The Overnight Guest is not only compelling, it’s addictive. Flawlessly plotted, the story unfolds in layers, each one more shocking than the last. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time .” —Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and For Your Own Good “Heather Gudenkauf’s The Overnight Guest is a tightly woven braid of a novel guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and keep you turning the pages deep into the night. Set inside a storm that you will feel beating against your windows, the present and the past will collide in an ending you won’t see coming. Atmospheric, fast-paced and perfectly plotted, I devoured this and you will too.” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Us “With The Overnight Guest , Heather Gudenkauf once again demonstrates she’s a true master of suspense. Atmospheric and claustrophobic, tense and twisted, this chiller will make you hold your breath as you turn the pages. Cancel your plans when you start reading this one because you won’t be able to put it down.” — Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me "Chilling, gripping, and gaspingly surprising. The oh-so-talented Heather Gudenkauf has created a modern day In Cold Blood. Her unforgettable characters reveal a devastating story that will chill you to the bone, and then break your heart. With a brilliant structure, an authentic sense of place, and gorgeous storytelling, Gudenkauf proves she is the queen of the rural thriller." —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life "An isolated farmhouse, a deadly snowstorm, and a small child found in the snow—those are the ingredients for Gudenkauf’s latest up-all-night thriller . Scrupulously plotted and layered with multiple narratives that culminate in some explosive surprises, The Overnight Guest is Gudenkauf at her best. A chilling and heart-stopping stunner." —Kimberly Belle, international bestselling author of My Darling Husband "Masterful, terrible, and absolutely addicting...Tense, taut, and terrifying.” — Kirkus Reviews “Riveting…This twisty tale builds to a satisfying conclusion.” – Publishers Weekly “Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful...The journey is mesmerizing.” — New York Times Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • NEW YORK TIMES
  • BESTSELLER“Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful...The journey is mesmerizing.”
  • New York Times
  • A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf.
  • 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.
  • And don't miss these other great stories by Heather!
  • The Weight of SilenceThese Things HiddenLittle MerciesMIssing PiecesNot a SoundBefore She Was FoundThis is How I Lied

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(2.5K)
★★★★
25%
(2.1K)
★★★
15%
(1.3K)
★★
7%
(590)
23%
(1.9K)

Most Helpful Reviews

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THE perfect winter chiller!

Hank Phillippi Ryan blurbed it best — “The oh-so-talented Heather Gudenkauf has created a modern-day In Cold Blood.”

This story. Omg, y’all. My mind was running in constant circles figuring out who dunnit, with Heather proving me wrong every time! This got under my skin. It pulled me in, then spit me out. And I couldn’t of chosen a better time to read it.. during our first winter snowstorm. So I sat home bundled in my blanket with a cuppa hot tea trying to solve this all consuming, multi-layered, mystery-filled-riddle.

I absolutely loved this spine-tingling, horror-filled thriller where the past and present crash head-on.

I read in one sitting. Not to be missed!!!
6 people found this helpful
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Needed better editing

I’m not finished with this book yet but there are some editing errors that have broken its spell a number of times. In one early scene, a pump shotgun turns into a scoped rifle that shoots bullets and then back into a shotgun. There are also run-on sentences and curiosities when imparting dialogue such as in the photo snip— “Santos said…Santos said.” Takes me right out of the book.
2 people found this helpful
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Worthy of 10 Stars!

Heather Gudenkauf is at the TOP of Her Game! This compelling psychological suspense crime thriller— THE OVERNIGHT GUEST is Harlan Coben quality and hooked me from the first page to the last. It checks all the boxes in everything I look for in a killer suspense thriller (and I read a ton - this one is "stand-out" above-the-crowd). Look no further.

FLAWLESS!

From the isolated rural farmhouse setting, no power, no phone, a true-crime thriller author, a blizzard snowstorm, the child, the well-developed characters that draw you in immediately, the intensity, lyrical writing, and plot twists – it has it ALL!

Oh, and did mention a murder-cold case? Missing persons and brutal murder of a family from 20 years earlier on a rural farm (hot summer, cornfield, barn - lots of extremes here, metaphors, and symbols) more than one overnight guest, and a young girl (who loves books) and her mom held hostage by a monster.

I am in awe of Heather's talent. The way she merged the three storylines was seamless. She has been a long-time favorite author of mine, and I have read all her books. Hard to put into words. It is heart-pounding, atmospheric, intense! Still thinking about it.

"Her best yet! #1 Suspense Thriller of 2022. Movie-worthy."

FACT SHEET:
Name: Wylie Lark

Occupation: Novelist
True-crime writer | "The Overnight Guest"

Setting: Burden, Iowa Isolated cabin. Snowstorm.

Timelines:
Present: 2020 Winter Blizzard | Rural
Past: 2000 Summer Heat | Rural

Three Narratives:
Past: Josie Doyle (age 12) shot, fleeing a killer, Parents brutally murdered. Brother and best friend, Becky, missing.
Unknown: young girl and mother held hostage and abused in a dark basement.
Present: Wylie Lark, author, stuck in an isolated farmhouse in the woods, during a snowstorm, with no power or cell reception.

Burning Questions:
Past: Who murdered Josie's family, and what happened to Becky and her brother?
Present: Where did the five-year-old abandoned child left in the snow come from? Where are the parents?
How do the three narratives connect?

"THE NOVEL" to read during a snowstorm or a pandemic lockdown. In this case, you better get this on on order, now! Thank me later.

I loved the girl! The story's heroine and a fan of Wylie. It has emotion, heart, and non-stop action. I plowed through it in record time (one sitting) and utterly addictive and unputdownable.

The scene in the cornfield (past), the basement, and the farmhouse (present) during the snowstorm with the man at door, and the barn —put me into super tachycardia! SO good. Strong women and survivors.

Thriller fans, this is for YOU! I want desperately to see this played out on the big screen. No one deserves it more, and the author is the "queen" of rural suspense thrillers. Highly recommend.

For fans of authors: Harlan Coben, Mary Kubica, Kimberly Belle, Michael Robotham, and Lisa Gardner with HG's winning signature style.

I read the e-book and ordered the hardcover copy and the audiobook narrated by Brittany Pressley (a favorite narrator).

#JDCMustReadBooks
2 people found this helpful
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Figured it all out way too soon!

Not much of a whodunnit! I figured out who everyone in the story was, including the killer not far into the book. I’m having trouble understanding how someone could give this five stars.
1 people found this helpful
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First Rate Thriller

Bought this book based on Amazon's recommendation. Glad that I did. There is plenty of suspense and a plethora of twists and turns. Only criticisms are that, at the climax, one character seems to disappear from the story, and that the last chapter/epilog adds nothing to the tale: the ultimate fate of all the remaining characters should have been left to the reader's imagination. Nonetheless, it is a good yarn. I passed this book to a friend, and he to his fiancee. They loved it, too.
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Wow, what a thriller!

Definitely not what you'd call a "cozy mystery", but a well written suspenseful one with heart pounding action that's hard to put down. It's quite a ride...just make sure to keep your seatbelts fastened.
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Disappointing ending

Women making stupid careless decisions giving us another “What Were You Thinking” scenario
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An intoxicating read!!!

Absolutely loved it. Great story that I had a hard time putting down!
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Great book

I have read every book of Heather and she never disappoints. Another great book. Couldn't put it down.
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Enthralling

Author Wylie Lark research has taken her to Burden in the rural Northwest. Delving into the heart of the story, she stays at the house where the brutal crime happened. Wylie has extended her retreat from a regular life leaving her son with the ex-husband. During a blizzard, Wylie’s isolation is interrupted with a nearly frozen child. She attempts to nurse the terrified child. Other sources begin to threaten them. Will it be possible for anyone to survive the night?
“The Overnight Guest” by Heather Gudenkauf, ingeniously intertwines three stories that keeps the reader on the edge. The author deals with obsession and murder in an artful manner. I recommend this 5 Star suspense novel. Just when you think you have answered one mystery, another twist appears. Heather Gudenkauf has you wondering the truth…who are the real villains?