The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with an ARC of The Overnight Guest in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
I started reading The Overnight Guest around the time Toronto had the historic snowfall and blizzard. Imagine me, sitting all curled up by my big window overseeing the snow bury the city in up to 50cm in the white fluffy stuff.
It was sort of cozy until I got three pages into the book and realized that this is an eerie story.
Throughout most of The Overnight Guest my hair stood up on end and I jumped at every noise.
I was completely unprepared, and unaware that this book would be so atmospheric.
The Details
The Overnight Guest is not holding back. Right from the beginning the reader is thrown into this moody story that works so well with the backdrop of an impending snowstorm.
The isolation coupled with the gruesome murder and ensuing investigation works so well in keeping the reader’s attention.
Truth be told, I had my suspicions about most of the characters in the story. Yet, accompanying them on the journey as the story unfolds is rather satisfying. If that doesn’t sound too morbid.
I can’t decide if I like the protagonist or not, which in this case doesn’t really matter since The Overnight Guest is more of a plot-driven story.
The protagonist is closed off, kind of stand-offish and thinks too much and as a result misses important opportunities.
The plot is fantastic. It’s a dual narrative spanning circa 20 years, telling the story of a horrific murder and its subsequent investigation and the occurrences of a stormy winter’s night as experienced from the protagonist’s point of view.
As I said before, this is an incredibly atmospheric and eerie story. The isolation, the darkness, the protagonist’s anxiety, the details of the murder all make for an eventful reading experience.
The writing is vivid. You are there. Every scene. Every thought the characters have. There are a few scenes that are quite difficult to read, because of their brutally honest and realistic descriptions.
The Verdict
Overall, this is a great read. I was hooked. White-knuckled I read The Overnight Guest cover to cover.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries and Gudenkauf’s storytelling.
