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Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,
With everyone enjoying the latest Knives Out Mystery, the Glass Onion, I thought it would be fun to review one of my favorite whodunit mysteries. Bundle up and grab some cocoa, this will be one snowy murder mystery.
An Unwanted Guest is Shari Lapena's third thriller. It is published by Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In it, we are introduced to the Mitchell's Inn, a beautiful, small hotel located high in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Family-owned, it is well worth the exorbitant booking price, boasting posh rooms and classy living. Only six of the twelve rooms are booked for the snowy -forecasted weekend, with a skeleton crew on duty. Ten guests are slated to arrive ahead of the storm, and the hotel is prepared with firewood, oil lamps, and an impressive menu of drinks and culinary delights. A beautiful weekend is ahead.
We are introduced to our cast of suspects...
- Beth and Henry Sullivan- an older married couple on the verge of divorce.
- Candace White- true crime novelist who wishes to finally write her first work of fiction. But she cannot help but be suspicious as she recognizes one of the guests.
- David Paley- a criminal attorney with a dark past that he may never escape.
- Dana Hart and Matthew Hutchinson- seemingly happy couple engaged to be married. Hutchinson is heir to a fortune. Matthew's mother does not approve of Dana. And Dana is a woman whose beauty enchants.
- Gwen Delaney- a troubled past prevents Gwen from happiness. She holds a terrible secret that haunts her.
- Ian Beeton and Lauren Day- the newest couple of the group. Ian and Lauren have recently met, and now they plan a romantic weekend for two.
- Riley Shuter- New York Times war journalist suffering from PTSD.
Soon the group of strangers begins to check in, meeting hotel owner James, and his son, Bradley. The evening progresses with food and drink as James and Bradley do their best to accommodate their guests as the only hotel workers. The first night is successful. Then a scream is heard the next morning and one of the guests lies dead at the bottom of the hotel's grand staircase. An accident? Perhaps. But it soon becomes a question of homicide when another guest is found dead. What was once a peaceful Winter holiday at a beautiful hotel has turned deadly. No one trusts their fellow guests, and the stakes are high as two questions are presented: Is one of them a killer, or has a stranger come to the hotel ready to kill them all?
An Unwanted Guest was a fun whodunit with a cast of suspicious characters that added tension and mystery to the narrative. I read this novel in one day, and could not stop reading it. Page after page I was determined to figure out who the killer was, and I was very surprised when the identity was revealed. Lapena's writing is quick and to the point, making this book a fast read. The atmospheric and often claustrophobic setting added suspense as we maneuvered in the snow, the dark, and through treacherous corners of the hotel. No one was safe, and everyone had a motive to murder.
I read this book with the narration of actress, Hillary Huber. She was a slow and meticulous reader which added a lot of tension to the story. I enjoyed her presentation, as I have on other works before, and she was a perfect fit for this story.
An Unwanted Guest was a great way to spend an afternoon. It held my attention throughout and gave me a solid four-star read. I look forward to picking up Shari Lapena's other novels soon.
Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading.
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All written content (c) Copyright 2023 by Thomas Bahr II
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