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Erica Robyn Reads

a horror book review blog

Recent Posts

A Bleak Remedy by D.S. LaLonde | Book Review

Book cover of Ushers by Joe Hill - featuring a brightly colored winged beings silhouette

Ushers by Joe Hill | Short Story Review

Interview with Stephen Kozeniewski

[Book Review] An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

January 14, 2019      Erica Robyn      22 Comments

An Unwanted Guest book photo

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena is a cozy murder mystery that centers around an interesting cast, all of whom have brought more than just their overnight packs of baggage with them!

This was the perfect read for a cold January day! I could not put it down.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Can you imagine being snowed in at an inn with a bunch of strangers out in the middle of nowhere? That alone sounds like a nightmare to me! But add in a murderer that is on the loose and a power outage?! No thank you!

But that is exactly the situation that this cast of characters finds themselves in when they have traveled to an inn for a nice weekend away. This tale beings on a very snowy and windy Friday afternoon, and ends on a Sunday evening. But not everyone who arrived at the inn walks out of there alive.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the characters and some initial notes about them:

  • Gwen Delaney is taking Riley Shuter for a weekend getaway to help Riley relax after being in a war-zone as a reporter.
  • David Paley, a criminal attorney, is determined not to think of work for the weekend as he spends time away from the city. 
  • Lauren Day and Ian Beeton are a couple that want a naughty weekend away. They come across Gwen and Riley who’s car had gone off the road, and drive them to the inn. 
  • Beverly and Henry Sullivan are in a rough spot in their marriage. Beverly is hoping to fix the rift between them while they are away for the weekend. 
  • Dana Hart and Matthew Hutchinson are engaged and want a relaxing weekend away from wedding planning before the big day arrives. 
  • Candice White is there for the weekend working on a book and trying not to worry about family. 
  • James and Bradley are a father and son duo who own/run the inn.

Very early on, I realized that I disliked many of the characters. This usually kills a story for me, but in this case it just worked. Each of the characters was just so interesting to me! I loved learning more about each of them and seeing just how much personal baggage they all brought with them.

I won’t talk too much about the actual story-line, as this is definitely one you want to read on your own! I will say two quick notes about the ending in the two paragraphs below, so feel free to skip those!

Try as I might, near the end of the book, I could not even wager a bet on who the killer was. When it was revealed, it was so wonderfully done. I immediately wanted to start reading again to see if I could pick up on it the second time around!

And then… this book had my all time favorite elements… There was a very last bit that made me close the book and immediately stare into space thinking, “Woah, what?!”

Bravo!!

Beware, the slight negatives:
My only slight irk is simply that there was a lot of repetition.

Many of the characters, especially Gwen and Riley, thought the same things over and over and over again. Some of this repetition made sense based on the situation that they were in, but other times it was just a little irritating.

Also, where the book jumped perspectives quite a bit, there was a lot of recaps that kept occurring that I didn’t love simply because repetition is my major reading irk. If I hadn’t read this book in two sittings, I don’t think I would have picked up on the repetition as much… but I still had to note it. That all being said, that actually didn’t affect my overall rating in the slightest!

My Favorite Passages from An Unwanted Guest

Her thoughts are speeding away with her like a runaway train headed for catastrophe.

How dangerous people can become when they’re scared…

My Final Thoughts on An Unwanted Guest

Overall, I really enjoyed this read! I loved how I was totally sucked into the story, even though I didn’t love all of the characters. I was so antsy to see what would happen next! And that ENDING!


Snag a copy through Bookshop to help support local indie bookshops:

Thanks for reading!
If you enjoy cozy murder mysteries, I would love some recommendations! Feel free to give a shout to your favorite book from this genre in the comments below.

Here are a few more recent posts you might like:

  • A Bleak Remedy by D.S. LaLonde | Book Review
  • Ushers by Joe Hill | Short Story Review
  • Interview with Stephen Kozeniewski

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bark's Book Nonsense says

    January 14, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I'm pretty sure I have this on my overdrive wishlist. If not, it's getting added now! I have a recent thing for characters I dislike in murdery books like these πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:48 pm

      Wahoo!! Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Katherine P says

    January 14, 2019 at 7:42 pm

    Repetition in a book can drive me crazy. After awhile it's like "I get it!" Other than that this does sound like a good read!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      Same! Thankfully in this one it didn't ruin my overall feelings about the book! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Lark says

    January 14, 2019 at 10:22 pm

    I enjoyed this one a lot, too. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      πŸ˜€

      Reply
  4. Angela Lawrence says

    January 15, 2019 at 12:58 am

    I definitely want to read this one!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      I'd love to hear your thoughts!

      Reply
  5. BiblioSanctum says

    January 15, 2019 at 4:23 am

    I really enjoyed this one too. I just love murder mysteries like this – where the characters have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide πŸ™‚

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      πŸ˜€

      Reply
  6. chucklesthescot says

    January 15, 2019 at 9:35 am

    This one has been on my wishlist for a long time and I hope to get it this year. I already have two others by the author that I haven't read.

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 15, 2019 at 1:50 pm

      I definitely need to check out more!

      Reply
  7. Barb says

    January 15, 2019 at 1:53 pm

    You've got me so excited for this one. I wasn't a huge fan of The Couple Next Door but this one sounds much more promising!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 16, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      πŸ˜€ I hope you enjoy it if you pick it up!

      Reply
  8. Olivia-Savannah says

    January 16, 2019 at 9:59 am

    I would not like to be snowed in there either, unless I had enough books to keep me warm and cosy while we waited out the weather! I am impressed that even though you disliked a lot of the characters the book still worked for you. That takes quite the something. Great review ^.^

    My recent post: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2019/01/4-mini-reviews-shakespeare-edition/

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 16, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Right?! πŸ™‚ Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Diva Booknerd says

    January 17, 2019 at 7:22 am

    I'm such a fan of cosy mysteries, being able to read a thriller without it scaring you senseless. The premise reminds me a little of Cluedo with the characters being snowed in. Wonderful review Erica, looking forward to checking this out!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 19, 2019 at 5:28 pm

      πŸ˜€ Enjoy!!

      Reply
  10. Tanya Atkinson says

    January 17, 2019 at 6:42 pm

    I love an ending that can throw me for a loop! Glad this was such a top notch read!

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 19, 2019 at 5:29 pm

      Me too!! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  11. Lindsi says

    January 18, 2019 at 12:12 am

    I feel like everyone is reading good mysteries these days! I've added so many to my TBR! I'm really happy you enjoyed this one. I'll have to see if my library has a copy.

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? πŸ’¬

    Reply
    • Erica Metcalf says

      January 19, 2019 at 5:30 pm

      Definitely!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you can snag it!

      Reply

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Erica Robyn of Erica Robyn Reads
Hello! I’m Erica, a Mainer living in New Hampshire who runs on hot tea, good books, and loud music. Join me as I seek out amazing horror tales and help support the indie horror community!
 

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