An Unwanted Guest

An Unwanted Guest was a pleasant surprise and an awesome mystery set in a luxurious country inn in the Catskills. Ten guests come together for a weekend but are snowed in by a terrible storm, and deaths occur- and because there is no cell phone coverage, there is no way to get help. The guests, as well as the inn's owner and his son, are cut off- and a killer is among them. I'm always a fan of a locked room type thriller, and this one totally delivered. How likely is it in this day and age that people would be totally cut off like this? Well, it's pretty unlikely I suppose, but it works somehow, given the circumstances. And usually a story like this is set in an earlier time period, before cell phones and all that, so I give the author props for making it work in a modern context.

This was a fast read, and part of the reason for that is the constantly shifting POV's. That might not sound great if you're a reader who hates multiple viewpoints, but here I thought it worked. We get everyone's perspective, and while there's a good chance that at least one of the POV's is a killer, I thought the author did a great job keeping me guessing. It all made sense in the end, and I did not see the killer coming. I've seen a few reviews that expressed disappointment with the ending, but I thought it totally worked. And as hard as it can be to get to know characters when you're constantly switching POV's, I did feel like I got a pretty good handle on most of the guests. I may not have known who did it, but I had a pretty good idea who didn't, based on the writing.

The inn itself is amazing- can I go there? - with sitting rooms and a cozy library, fireplaces in the rooms, a grand staircase- and the place just oozes quaint atmosphere. The guests include a couple looking for a naughty weekend, an engaged couple, an older couple looking to perhaps repair their marriage, and a couple of single friends, as well as an author writing a book and an attorney. None of them have met, and over the course of a harrowing weekend they will learn more about each other- and themselves- than they ever wanted to know. I like how effortlessly Shari Lapena gets us inside their heads, and makes each character compelling. The POV's sometimes change multiple times in a chapter, but don't let that throw you- it just flows effortlessly.

The inn and the storm are almost characters as well, since they very much influence the turn of events. The author throws in enough red herrings and misdirection to keep readers on their toes, without overdoing it. And I felt like the characters mostly worked and were convincing- the only one I was a little iffy on was a journalist with PTSD. I thought the PTSD was handled well, I just didn't get Riley's character overall. Otherwise I was absorbed in the characters and their ruminations as they struggled with what was happening around them.

There's a surprise too at the end that I loved. Not only did I not see the killer coming but this surprise was an ironic little twist that totally made me smile. Can't say much other than that but the phrase what goes around comes around came to mind. This is one of the more enjoyable thrillers I've read of late and I highly recommend it for a fast- paced, entertaining murder mystery.