Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
New York: Berkley, 2021
Description
"The USA Today bestselling author of The Au Pair returns with another delicious, twisty novel--about a grand estate with many secrets, an orphan caught in a web of lies, and a young woman playing a dangerous game. 1980: Beth Soames is fourteen years old when a kind couple finds her playing the violin at her orphanage's yearly fund-raiser. The Averills take her home with them to Raven Hall, a rambling manor on the Norfolk coast. There she runs wild with their daughter, Nina, and they become fast friends. At times, Beth even dreams she's truly part of the family...until she's asked to take part in what seems like a harmless game--and nothing is ever the same. Present day: Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig attending a weekend party. Her anonymous employer sends her a suitcase of clothing, a dossier of the role she is to play, and instructions--it's strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she'll be staying at she can't resist the chance. In person, Raven Hall is even grander than she'd imagined--even with the damage from a fire decades before--but the walls seem to have eyes. As day turns to night, there is something off about the glamorous guests who arrive, and as the game she is meant to be leading begins, it becomes chillingly apparent their unseen host has plans for all of them...including her"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member fredreeca
Give me an old house with a mystery and I am hooked. Raven Hall is the perfect setting for this story. It is a large manor with a past and secrets.
Sadie is an out of work, struggling actress. She receives a good job to work at this unique house. She is to play a dinner guest. Sadie is excited, to
This story is told in two different time periods. In 1988, Beth is an orphan taken in by the Averells. Beth and Nina Averell become quick friends but there is something wrong. Beth is asked to do something weird. She is asked to impersonate Nina on several occasions.
Then the story rotates to Sadie in 2019. When Sadie arrives at the manor she is excited about this new job. But, she quickly realizes everyone is not who they are supposed to be and something is very wrong.
This is a twisted tale and it just keeps the reader guessing all the way through. The setting and the characters are perfectly created to go along with this puzzling story. Do not blink or you will miss something!
Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Sadie is an out of work, struggling actress. She receives a good job to work at this unique house. She is to play a dinner guest. Sadie is excited, to
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say the least. But, it does not go the way she plans.This story is told in two different time periods. In 1988, Beth is an orphan taken in by the Averells. Beth and Nina Averell become quick friends but there is something wrong. Beth is asked to do something weird. She is asked to impersonate Nina on several occasions.
Then the story rotates to Sadie in 2019. When Sadie arrives at the manor she is excited about this new job. But, she quickly realizes everyone is not who they are supposed to be and something is very wrong.
This is a twisted tale and it just keeps the reader guessing all the way through. The setting and the characters are perfectly created to go along with this puzzling story. Do not blink or you will miss something!
Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member marquis784
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
This was a gripping suspense that used multiple narrators with alternating timelines. There is also an unexpected and unidentified narrator who interjects on occasion to had to
In July 1988, Beth Soames loses her parents in a tragic car accident while they were taking her brother to the hospital. Consequently, Beth was placed into a children's home as her Aunt Caroline traveled for work and unable to care for her. One day Aunt Caroline arrives to take Beth to live with Lenora and Markus Averelle at Raven Hall where they have a 14 year old daughter the same age. It seems Nina only has one friend named Jonas who comes to visit on his bike to go swimming. They feel Beth would be a great companion for Nina who they have secluded at Raven Hall, a manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. Beth is pleased to have the opportunity to live with a family and tries to befriend Nina who gives her weird vibes. There are many questions Beth wants to ask, like why isn't Nina allowed to go to school or leave Raven Hall?
Many years later, Sadie Langton is a struggling actress in 2019 who is intrigued when she receives an invitation to play a "party guest" Miss Lamb at a mystery dinner party at the infamous Raven Hall which has seen better days. As the guests arrive, Sadie becomes amused with the other "characters" like Lady Nightingale, Professor Everett Owl and Miss Genevieve Mouse. Aside from the odd characters, the game clues seem to be specific to each guest and not their supposed character. Suddenly, the games begins to feel freaky and personal with fear and paranoia spreading when bizarre things occur.
Apparently there was a tragedy which closed Raven Hall after someone died and the father moved abroad. The house was left abandoned and the guests are to determine who killed Lord Nightingale in his study.
I was unable to put the book the down as I was so drawn into the chaotic, eerie mystery which involved family deaths, secrets, lies, and history that throws the reader off guard when it all comes together.
This was a gripping suspense that used multiple narrators with alternating timelines. There is also an unexpected and unidentified narrator who interjects on occasion to had to
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the mystery. It is a complex story with many characters which at times can get confusing.In July 1988, Beth Soames loses her parents in a tragic car accident while they were taking her brother to the hospital. Consequently, Beth was placed into a children's home as her Aunt Caroline traveled for work and unable to care for her. One day Aunt Caroline arrives to take Beth to live with Lenora and Markus Averelle at Raven Hall where they have a 14 year old daughter the same age. It seems Nina only has one friend named Jonas who comes to visit on his bike to go swimming. They feel Beth would be a great companion for Nina who they have secluded at Raven Hall, a manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. Beth is pleased to have the opportunity to live with a family and tries to befriend Nina who gives her weird vibes. There are many questions Beth wants to ask, like why isn't Nina allowed to go to school or leave Raven Hall?
Many years later, Sadie Langton is a struggling actress in 2019 who is intrigued when she receives an invitation to play a "party guest" Miss Lamb at a mystery dinner party at the infamous Raven Hall which has seen better days. As the guests arrive, Sadie becomes amused with the other "characters" like Lady Nightingale, Professor Everett Owl and Miss Genevieve Mouse. Aside from the odd characters, the game clues seem to be specific to each guest and not their supposed character. Suddenly, the games begins to feel freaky and personal with fear and paranoia spreading when bizarre things occur.
Apparently there was a tragedy which closed Raven Hall after someone died and the father moved abroad. The house was left abandoned and the guests are to determine who killed Lord Nightingale in his study.
I was unable to put the book the down as I was so drawn into the chaotic, eerie mystery which involved family deaths, secrets, lies, and history that throws the reader off guard when it all comes together.
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LibraryThing member carole888fort
The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous is a fascinating novel that is set in the vicinity of the English fens. The story alternates between 1988 and 2019. In the eighties Beth, an orphan living in a children’s home, is selected to live at Raven Hall, an elaborate estate. She is to be a companion to the
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daughter of the house, Nina. The two girls soon become fast friends and all is well until it isn’t! In 2019, an eager actress, Sadie, is invited to Raven Hall, to participate in what she believes is a murder mystery evening. At this point, the night turns into something right out of the Agatha Christie mysteries. There are several invitees, all strangers to each other. The guests do not know who owns Raven Hall now or who organized the bizarre evening. Nothing will be as it seems, leaving everyone bewildered and confused. The rest will be up to the reader to investigate and solve. The Perfect Guests is an excellent choice for a winter evening, by the fire. Emma Rous has written a mystery within a mystery that will hold your attention to the very end. Highly recommended. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member NinieB
I read an uncorrected proof for a 2021 publication from Berkley, which I received through NetGalley. Apparently the book was published in England in 2020. I hardly ever bother with NetGalley but the plug from the publisher sounded intriguing:
"1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt
"2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It's strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she'll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose."
There's more, but you get the idea. Initially it was good reading. We have Beth's story, told in the first person past tense, and Sadie's story, told in the third person present tense, and an unknown woman's story, all being told in turn. It's clearly indicated each time that the voice is shifting, so there's no confusion (although the identity of the unknown woman is mysterious, in a good way).
While we continue to feel suspense because we're told that *something happened* at the end of Beth's story, of course we're not told what it is. The telling itself, however, doesn't lend much to the suspense. And then the way the present-day story develops is . . . disappointing, to say the least.
"1988. Beth Soames is fourteen years old when her aunt
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takes her to stay at Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens. The Averells, the family who lives there, are warm and welcoming, and Beth becomes fast friends with their daughter, Nina. At times, Beth even feels like she's truly part of the family...until they ask her to help them with a harmless game—and nothing is ever the same."2019. Sadie Langton is an actress struggling to make ends meet when she lands a well-paying gig to pretend to be a guest at a weekend party. She is sent a suitcase of clothing, a dossier outlining the role she is to play, and instructions. It's strange, but she needs the money, and when she sees the stunning manor she'll be staying at, she figures she’s got nothing to lose."
There's more, but you get the idea. Initially it was good reading. We have Beth's story, told in the first person past tense, and Sadie's story, told in the third person present tense, and an unknown woman's story, all being told in turn. It's clearly indicated each time that the voice is shifting, so there's no confusion (although the identity of the unknown woman is mysterious, in a good way).
While we continue to feel suspense because we're told that *something happened* at the end of Beth's story, of course we're not told what it is. The telling itself, however, doesn't lend much to the suspense. And then the way the present-day story develops is . . . disappointing, to say the least.
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LibraryThing member melaniehope
While the synopsis of this story sounded like the perfect who dun it mystery, for me it really lost its credibility at the end.
The story is told in 2 different timelines, present day and during the 1980s. The book also switches back and forth to different characters.. The first half of the novel
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told in 2 different timelines, present day and during the 1980s. The book also switches back and forth to different characters.. The first half of the novel
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was really intriguing. It was both sinister and had an air of mystery in what secrets lay at Raven Hall. However, the last half of the book, the author seemed to not know which twisty plot to end with. So she decided to throw every twist there was into the ending of the story. It got so confusing and ended up like a bad soap opera. I really enjoyed the first part of this book and just wish the ending was not bogged down by so many different twists.I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member marykuhl
This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sadie an aspiring actress is invited to spend the weekend at Raven Hall for a Murder Mystery that the company who owns the home is starting up. Beth, a teenage orphan is taken in my Leonora and Markus.
Told from 2 main POV,
Sadie an aspiring actress is invited to spend the weekend at Raven Hall for a Murder Mystery that the company who owns the home is starting up. Beth, a teenage orphan is taken in my Leonora and Markus.
Told from 2 main POV,
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Beth 1988 - 1989 and Sadie 2019, and then a story of a previous resident of Raven Hall mixed in. These two stories and timeframes collide. This was a fast paced, easy to read novel. I wanted to keep reading to A) figure out why Beth was taken in by this family, why was she part "of their game" and B) what is going on present day, who is in charge. The author does a great job of tying up all questions. I flew through this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Emma Rous. Show Less
LibraryThing member Twink
I adore twisty, turny plots that surprise me. Emma Rous's new book, The Perfect Guests releases today - and it is most definitely a twisty tale!
Rous starts us off in the past where fourteen year old Beth visits "Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens" with her aunt. (Bonus
Fast forward to present day and meet struggling actress Sadie. When she's booked for a murder mystery weekend, it sounds like easy money. Guess where the event is being held? Uh huh at Raven Hall. And the game isn't quite what she had expected....
Oh, Rous does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on their toes! The book flips between past and present at Raven Hall. I thought I had figured out the connection between the two time frames - but was happily wrong! Rous has penned an inventive plot line that makes for addictive reading. The Perfect Guests is reminiscent of closed room murder novels - a favorite of mine. Eight players...which one could it be?
The final answers are a bit of a stretch, but the run up to the final pages is a wonderful escapist read. Perfect for a snowy day inside.
Rous starts us off in the past where fourteen year old Beth visits "Raven Hall, a rambling manor in the isolated East Anglian fens" with her aunt. (Bonus
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points for setting!) Beth becomes friends with the daughter, Nina. But her parents aren't quite the people they present.Fast forward to present day and meet struggling actress Sadie. When she's booked for a murder mystery weekend, it sounds like easy money. Guess where the event is being held? Uh huh at Raven Hall. And the game isn't quite what she had expected....
Oh, Rous does a fantastic job of keeping the reader on their toes! The book flips between past and present at Raven Hall. I thought I had figured out the connection between the two time frames - but was happily wrong! Rous has penned an inventive plot line that makes for addictive reading. The Perfect Guests is reminiscent of closed room murder novels - a favorite of mine. Eight players...which one could it be?
The final answers are a bit of a stretch, but the run up to the final pages is a wonderful escapist read. Perfect for a snowy day inside.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous is a 2021 Berkley publication.
Just go with it!
I loved the Au Pair, so naturally, I was very curious to see what Emma Rous would present us with next.
1988- Raven Hall
Fourteen-year-old Beth, an orphan, is brought, by her aunt, to live with the Averell’s and their
Fast forward to 2019-
Sadie is an actress who has been offered a part in a Murder Mystery weekend at Raven Hall. It’s a plumb opportunity and she desperately needs the money. Things get off to an interesting start, but things rapidly go awry as shocking secrets rise to the surface, turning this into a party Sadie will never forget…
This is a well-plotted, supremely addictive psychological thriller. The downside, for some, might be the necessity to suspend belief at times, and the slightly uneven pacing. The dual timeline does require some deeper focus, but I thought the story had imagination, and a bit of originality, too. The atmosphere crackles with tension and challenges the reader with a complex puzzle that piece by piece weaves a tale of secrets and sinister machinations.
Overall, while her sophomore effort isn’t quite at strong as her debut- it’s pretty darned close! Definitely an author I’m exited about!!
4 stars
Just go with it!
I loved the Au Pair, so naturally, I was very curious to see what Emma Rous would present us with next.
1988- Raven Hall
Fourteen-year-old Beth, an orphan, is brought, by her aunt, to live with the Averell’s and their
Show More
daughter, Nina, who is the same age, but is never allowed to leave home. Beth desperately wants to please her new foster parents, which means getting along with Nina, which is easier said than done, sometimes. As time passes, in a slow dawning horror, Beth realizes she has been brought to Raven Hall for another reason altogether… Fast forward to 2019-
Sadie is an actress who has been offered a part in a Murder Mystery weekend at Raven Hall. It’s a plumb opportunity and she desperately needs the money. Things get off to an interesting start, but things rapidly go awry as shocking secrets rise to the surface, turning this into a party Sadie will never forget…
This is a well-plotted, supremely addictive psychological thriller. The downside, for some, might be the necessity to suspend belief at times, and the slightly uneven pacing. The dual timeline does require some deeper focus, but I thought the story had imagination, and a bit of originality, too. The atmosphere crackles with tension and challenges the reader with a complex puzzle that piece by piece weaves a tale of secrets and sinister machinations.
Overall, while her sophomore effort isn’t quite at strong as her debut- it’s pretty darned close! Definitely an author I’m exited about!!
4 stars
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LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
This reminded me very much of Emma Rous' first book, The Au Pair. The writing style and set up of the book was so similar I kept thinking I had already read this book. It was good enough but fairly predictable. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
LibraryThing member Jynell
Thank you @Berkley for including me in the book tour for The Perfect Guests, providing me with a digital copy to review and give my honest opinion. I'm still not sure where to begin writing my review, but I'll do my best.
Emma Rous wrote a fabulous thriller, one where the end was very unpredictable.
In the 80's, Beth moves to Raven Hall to live with the family there, always unsure of her place and whether she'll be turned out or not. In modern day, Sadie, an struggling actress, is invited to Raven Hall to perform in a murder mystery weekend.
First, I felt rather old that the 80's was the "historical" time period. I don't want to admit that I'm as old as I actually am. Second, I was absolutely unsure how these two narratives fit together.
Without giving anything away, the "crash" of the timelines was beautifully executed. For anyone looking to dive into thrillers, this is a great read as it's not scary as much as creepy and it definitely gives the reader some great thrills.
Emma Rous wrote a fabulous thriller, one where the end was very unpredictable.
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Told in various view points and timelines, Emma still made it quite clear which character and which story was being told.In the 80's, Beth moves to Raven Hall to live with the family there, always unsure of her place and whether she'll be turned out or not. In modern day, Sadie, an struggling actress, is invited to Raven Hall to perform in a murder mystery weekend.
First, I felt rather old that the 80's was the "historical" time period. I don't want to admit that I'm as old as I actually am. Second, I was absolutely unsure how these two narratives fit together.
Without giving anything away, the "crash" of the timelines was beautifully executed. For anyone looking to dive into thrillers, this is a great read as it's not scary as much as creepy and it definitely gives the reader some great thrills.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SusanKrzywicki
I couldn't follow all the characters - between the two timelines and the changing names and the secrets, I just couldn't do it.
Awards
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — January 2021)
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0440000483 / 9780440000488