The Overnight Guest by 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.🙷
My Rating: 🌟🌟/5
I would say that this book started off okay. It's dark and atmospheric, just the way I like my thrillers. Halfway through however, I started losing interest and almost DNFed. But it rated so high on Goodreads so I thought the ending must be really good, at least, so I powered through. The ending though predictable, left me with so many questions. It's not because it's a cliffhanger ending, no, rather a lot of the story elements just feel unbelievable.
SPOILER ALERT: Don't read if you haven't finished the book.
Here are some events that transpired in the story that I don't think made sense:
1. When Becky got hold of the shotgun, why did she, instead of shooting Randy with it to save them all wasted the shots by pointlessly shooting at the wall and ceiling until the chamber was empty? Amazingly, and by some miracle, the shotgun just started 'working' again when Becky picked it up but it initially jammed when Randy tried to shoot Wylie with it. So why blow the chance to finally be free by doing what she did?
2. When Wylie found her, Becky was entangled in barbwire, the fencing coiled around her legs biting into skin. Wylie could not get her untangled that she had to leave her to go back to the house to get wire cutters. Becky was stuck outside in the middle of a blizzard for who knows how long without proper clothing, hanging on for dear life. So how did she make it to the house at all?
3. After twenty years of being held captive in the basement, Becky and her daughter finally escaped through the window. Successfully. At first attempt. Why couldn't she have done this sooner?
4. After everything that went down with Wylie and Randy that night, how did Wylie not die?
I give this 🌟🌟. The beginning really is not that bad, just the predictability and plot holes put me off.
Check out other psychological thrillers below!
✌, S
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