Hey, everyone. It’s no secret I love a good, page-turning mystery. I scored big time with this one.
A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away
Blurb
It’s winter in the Catskills and Mitchell’s Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.
So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.
Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.
Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm–and one another.
My Review
I love it when I come across a book that I don’t want to put down. An Unwanted Guest is one of them. I read it in two days and the only reason I didn’t finish in one night was because I had to sleep.
It sounds like the perfect weekend getaway—a quaint old-fashioned hotel where there is no cell phone service and no Wi-fi to distract its guests. The registry isn’t computerized, and instead of magnetic cards, rooms are locked with an old-fashioned key.
To top it off, the guests arrive during the middle of a winter storm. It’s so bad, in fact, that some of the hotel staff aren’t able to make it to work and a few guests canceled their weekend plans.
Lucky them.
A power outage changes the atmosphere from pleasant to ominous. It’s not long before murder is afoul. First one victim, then two, then a third…
Each of the guests, as well as one staff member, has things from their past to hide. But aside from the companions they arrived with, none of them knew one another before coming to the hotel. Are the murders connected? If so, why?
Written in present tense from varying points of view, this book held my attention to the end. I had suspicions about several of the characters and kept hoping it wasn’t a particular character that I instantly liked. While I figured out the murderer’s identity, there was a totally unexpected jaw-dropping twist at the end.
Unquestionably five stars for this one!
Joan Hall 
This reminds me of Then there were none by Agatha Christie. That is my favourite of her many books so I am sure I would enjoy this.
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It was reminiscent of Agatha’s book (which I read for the first time last year). It’s one I’d heard lots of good things about but hadn’t read. I enjoyed it as well. Christie was a master at leaving readers in suspense right until the end.
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She is amazing.
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Wow, what an amazing review, Joan. When a book captures me, as this one did for you, I don’t want to put it down. I need to grab this one. Thank you for introducing me to Shari. 😊
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I love when a book does that. If I could have read it in one night, I would have. I’m planning to read more of her books.
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I love it when a book grabs me that way, Joan! This sounds like a really great read and it’s on my radar! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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It’s been a while since a book has done that for me. I remember savoring every new release by Mary Higgins-Clark. Once I started reading her books, I didn’t want to stop.
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This sounds like a good one, Joan – and perfect for this time of year. Especially last week, lol.
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It was a perfect time to read. Only a few days after finishing it, I was sitting in the dark. Thankfully warm and safe in my own home!
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Great review, Joan. Thanks for sharing.
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You’re welcome, John. Bet you couldn’t guess how much I enjoyed the book. 😉
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I could guess. 😁
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Sounds great, and I love that title.
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It was riveting.
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Yay! What a great review, Joan. As you know, I positively LOVED this book, and it served to turn the author into an auto-buy for me. The twist at the end was mind-boggling. I think this was also the book that made me fall in love with present tense POV for suspense/thrillers.
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Me too, Mae. I’m so glad to have learns of it through you. I did not see that twist coming. Great job by the author.
She might become one of my must read authors as well.
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Sounds positively riveting AND chilling, Joan, in every sense of the word! I’ve been reading fantasy almost exclusively lately, trying to escape reality for a while, but this one sounds tempting. Thanks for a super review! Adding it to my “future” TBR pile. 😀
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Mystery and suspense is my favorite genre. I positively loved this book, despite the subject matter.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had a feeling you would after I saw Mae’s review. I still haven’t read it yet, and now I’m itching to! Good review!
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I moved it to the top of my list. I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s works.
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I saw you and Mae discussing this. It sounds like my kind of book. Great review!
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It was a great book!
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Just the cover and title alone sucked me in, but your review sold me. I’ll definitely be adding this one to my TBR piles. Thanks for the review, Joan!
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After Mae Clair reviewed the book a few weeks ago, I had to move it to the top. First time I’ve read a book in two days in ages. If you like a good mystery, you’ll like this one.
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I wish you can tell me who did you think it was at the very end?
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Sorry. Wouldn’t want to spoil it for others. 🙂
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I know. It’s so hard to not be able to discuss it 🙂 even in Good Reads, we’re so tamed 😀
Loved your review.
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Thanks. I have seen some reviews (on Amazon) where the reviewer spoils the ending. At least Good Reads has the “spoiler alert” feature. Glad you liked the review.
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Unwanted Guest is my kind of story and has just hit my to-read list running…
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Mae reviewed this a few weeks ago and I knew I had to read it. I think you’ll like it.
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I think so too…
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Ooh, after this fab review, I’m off to check out this book. Thanks for sharing, Joan 🙂
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I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.
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In the best tradition of Agatha Christie – her famous play The Mouse Trap has the characters trapped in a hotel in a storm and it is still a perfect idea for a story. The snow in Texas proves you can get trapped by weather even in the 21st century!
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It is a great story idea. I found it ironic that I read this book only two days before our “storm of the century.”
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Great review, Joan. It hit all the things I like in a mystery.
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It was a page-turner!
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