The Overnight Guest: A Novel – A NYT Bestselling Psychological Mystery Thriller
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Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful...The journey is mesmerizing.” —New York Times A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author 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. And don't miss these other great stories by Heather!The Weight of SilenceThese Things HiddenLittle MerciesMissing PiecesNot a SoundBefore She Was FoundThis is How I LiedEveryone Is WatchingThe Perfect Hosts Read more
Publisher : Park Row
Publication date : January 25, 2022
Edition : Original
Language : English
Print length : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 0778311937
ISBN-13 : 35
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.32 x 0.84 x 8 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #25,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #49 in Ghost Mysteries #88 in Ghost Thrillers #132 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Books)
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
I couldn't stop reading The Overnight Guest. The story follows true crime writer Wylie Lark as she gets snowed in at a farmhouse with a dark history—the very place where a horrific crime happened decades ago. When she finds a frozen child outside in the blizzard, the tension completely skyrockets.The author does a masterful job juggling three separate narratives: the present-day storm, a tragic summer night in 2000, and a mysterious captive family. The contrast between the freezing winter weather and the sweltering summer past made the book so vivid and atmospheric. Gudenkauf weaves these threads together seamlessly for a wild, pulse-pounding conclusion. It is an incredible popcorn thriller that will give you literal chills!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2026 by Destiny Carpenter
Format: Kindle
What lay before them was no animal. It was a little boy, frozen to the ground. Heather Gudenkauf's "The Overnight Guest" is a suspenseful story that kept me glued to the pages while a billowing storm raged outside my own window. The chilling atmosphere of a secluded farmhouse during a snowstorm paired with a mysterious guest and a decades-old murder is a recipe for a gripping read. The way Gudenkauf weaves together the present-day narrative with glimpses into the past kept the story dynamic and suspenseful. While the shocking twist ending was well-executed, I have to admit it fell within the realm of possibility for an avid mystery reader like myself. Perhaps that's a testament to Gudenkauf's skill in building suspense and planting subtle clues throughout the narrative. However, even if I predicted the major reveal, the journey of uncovering the truth alongside the characters remained highly engaging. What truly impressed me about "The Overnight Guest" was the seamless blending of storylines. The past and present narratives intertwined effortlessly, creating a complete and cohesive picture. Gudenkauf's writing is crisp and engaging, effectively conveying the chilling atmosphere and the emotional turmoil of the characters. Overall, "The Overnight Guest" is a well-written and suspenseful thriller. While the twist might not surprise seasoned mystery readers, the journey of discovery and the chilling atmosphere make it a worthwhile read.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024 by Mon
Format: Paperback
EXCELLENT PLOT! A DEFINITE PAGE TURNER! THIS AUTHOR HAS A WONDERFUL TALENT. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2026 by sitandread
Format: Paperback
Worth the read but it got sluggish in the middle. Also, flipping back and forth between times/years/characters took some effort!
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026 by Mary D
Format: Kindle
This book has some fun little moments in it and keeps us reading in the hope of payoffs to some interesting set-ups. But the bland, boring American farmland setting, instead of being incorporated in an artful way (as other novels set on far land--or on the English moors or in rural towns--create compelling atmosphere from bleak, spare landscapes, extreme weather and tight-lipped, stoic characters), makes for too joyless and featureless a world to invite us to invest much in our characters. The relationships, characters and premise had potential. But readers find ourselves inventing deeper nuances and more interesting twists than the book ever delivers. The plot feels like a crossroads with every path forward looking so much more fun and dark and beautiful than the plain dirt road our author tugs us ploddingly along. "The Overnight Guest" also suffers from that trick--disrespectful to the reader--used in too many thrillers to create unearned suspense: Inviting us into a protagonist's thoughts and memories, but with our heroine somehow never acknowledging (or even thinking about, in passing?) the most pertinent piece of information about them: Unlike with a fun, artfully-unreliable first-person narrator, whose skewed POV is character- and plot-driven and playfully invites readers' own insight and detective-work, the nonsensical-withholding device employed here is artificial and gives the reader nothing to do but wonder why the pertinent piece if info was kept from us. It's a bulky piece of plot machinery kept under a tarp that our author can rip off at whatever point in the story her editor recommends a surprise-reveal to keep us reading. "Oh. Yep; I thought that's what was under there," and "But why tho?" is all the feeling evoked in the reader. Other scattered lil twists can be guessed early and easily; then it's the slog of waiting for characters too obtuse to be believable, as they stumble around in the dark long enough to finally trip over obvious realizations, such as *literally recognizing people from their lives*. Do they all have concussions, or face-blindness, or what? The climax has characters making so many dumb, weak decisions and failing to take the only sensible action in so many life-or-death moments that we cease to care what happens to them, as they don't seem overly concerned with survival. Sadly, the tame, treacly resolution has us wishing for anything juicy or interesting: a darker twist that's actually well set-up, but never arrives, or a creative new life-arrangement for our story's survivors; even. moment of beauty or insight borne of the relationships or characters' memories: anything that could make us feel something.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2026 by Morgan
Format: Kindle
This story was very intense and kept your attention from beginning to end. Hard to put down. Definitely recommend it.
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2026 by Amazon Customer
Format: Kindle
“Until now, she had learned to control light and dark. She couldn’t outrun it any longer. She squeezed her eyes shut.” This really grew on me by the end…it ran rather lukewarm in parts in the middle, but the ending is what really made me settle on 4/5 stars. There are three different perspectives the story takes place under: Wiley’s, a crime writer, in the present at an isolated farmhouse as she’s trying to finish her next novel, in the year 2000 when multiple familial homicides have occurred, and from the perspective of an abused mother and her child who are stuck within the confines of a small room. At first, they don’t seem related, but as the story progresses it begins to dawn remarkably on you just how interrelated they are. Wiley is used to running, it’s her go-to course of action when the going gets tough and she doesn’t know how to handle her emotions or her son, Seth. This time she just stays away longer, the quiet of the countryside keeping her company. Her emotions run high, and the snowstorm snows her in as only she and Tas, a stray mutt she takes in, try to make do with the resources they have. However, when Wiley makes the trek outside to scope things out, she comes across a little boy buried under snow on the ground, seemingly lifeless at first glance. The story only builds from here. Wiley does some serious introspection and looking back into her past: only to discover that what she should try to do is stay and work things through more often even if it pains her, is uncomfortable, or hard, as some of the most rewarding things are and come to be. “Homes were supposed to be safe havens, meant to protect. It was supposed to be a shelter from the elements, a fortress to keep out evil, and her home had betrayed Josie in the worst way.” The way the story was written didn’t always work for me: I thought the number of times people were throwing up was overdone and so were some of the more gruesome descriptions. I get that that can be the nature of the book, but sometimes it felt too much and distracted me from sitting with the heaviness and meaningfulness of the scene more fully. “She would be free from the black shadow that she had been trying to outrun, the shadow that haunted her for years.” However, the ending was what I really loved, as it was strong and left me with many thoughts and points of richly laid out inquisition. And Josie and Becky, who were part of the 2000 perspective, were completely heartwarming to read about, as was their genuine girlhood friendship, which involved jumping on a trampoline under the stars. Read this for an action-packed journey, which takes place in the haunted eeriness of the countryside and inclement weather with lots of revelatory insights surrounding love, grief, and loss.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2022 by Gabrielle Grosbety
Format: Kindle
"Hooked" hit different—it's like watching a family meltdown in real-time, except you're safely tucked on the couch with snacks instead of calling your therapist. The title alone had me hooked (yes, I went there), and the characters? Chef's kiss levels of chaotic. Legitimately top-tier thriller material that makes you wonder why you're not reading it *right now* instead of reading my gushing review.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2026 by Mags