The Overnight Guest is a chilling thriller novel by Heather Gudenkauf. “Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful.” —New York Times
The Overnight Guest Summary
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.
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About Heather Gudenkauf Author of The Overnight Guest
Heather Gudenkauf author of The Overnight Guest was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At the age of three, her family moved to Iowa, where she grew up. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing impairment Heather tended to use books as a retreat. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted.
Heather graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages and is currently a Literacy Coach, an educator who provides curricular and professional development support to teachers.
Heather lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband, three children, and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Maxine. In her free time Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and running.
Her List of Novels include:
The Weight of Silence
The Overnight Guest
These Things Hidden
Little Mercies
MIssing Pieces
Not a Sound
Before She Was Found
This is How I Lied
The Overnight Guest pdf, Paperback, Hardcover Book Information
- Publisher : Park Row; Original edition (January 25, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0778311937
- ISBN-13 : 978-0778311935
- Item Weight : 9.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.32 x 0.84 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #157 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Books)
- #172 in Domestic Thrillers (Books)
- #185 in Kidnapping Thrillers
- Customer Reviews: 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,807 ratings
The Overnight Guest Reviews
Editorial Reviews
“Heather Gudenkauf is a master of suspense. Weaving together three narratives in an explosive and shocking denouement, The Overnight Guest will have you glued to the page and leave you wanting more.” —Liv Constantine, international bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“The Overnight Guest is not only compelling, it’s addictive. Flawlessly plotted, the story unfolds in layers, each one more shocking than the last. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.” —Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and For Your Own Good
“Heather Gudenkauf’s The Overnight Guest is a tightly woven braid of a novel guaranteed to raise the hairs on the back of your neck and keep you turning the pages deep into the night. Set inside a storm that you will feel beating against your windows, the present and the past will collide in an ending you won’t see coming. Atmospheric, fast-paced and perfectly plotted, I devoured this and you will too.” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of I’ll Never Tell and Please Join Us
“With The Overnight Guest, Heather Gudenkauf once again demonstrates she’s a true master of suspense. Atmospheric and claustrophobic, tense and twisted, this chiller will make you hold your breath as you turn the pages. Cancel your plans when you start reading this one because you won’t be able to put it down.” —Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me
“Chilling, gripping, and gaspingly surprising. The oh-so-talented Heather Gudenkauf has created a modern day In Cold Blood. Her unforgettable characters reveal a devastating story that will chill you to the bone, and then break your heart. With a brilliant structure, an authentic sense of place, and gorgeous storytelling, Gudenkauf proves she is the queen of the rural thriller.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life
“An isolated farmhouse, a deadly snowstorm, and a small child found in the snow—those are the ingredients for Gudenkauf’s latest up-all-night thriller. Scrupulously plotted and layered with multiple narratives that culminate in some explosive surprises, The Overnight Guest is Gudenkauf at her best. A chilling and heart-stopping stunner.” —Kimberly Belle, international bestselling author of My Darling Husband
“Masterful, terrible, and absolutely addicting…Tense, taut, and terrifying.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Riveting…This twisty tale builds to a satisfying conclusion.” –Publishers Weekly
“Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful…The journey is mesmerizing.” —New York Times
Reviews from Amazon Verified Buyers
5.0 out of 5 stars Shots on a Hot August Night…
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022
Verified Purchase
No spoilers. 4 1/2 stars. This excellent mystery, bordering on horror, is told in two time frames…
Burden, Iowa, 2000…
Abby and Jay live in Burden, Iowa. Burden is a small farming community out in the country…
Abby is jogging late one night on a dirt road lined with tall cornstalks when she hears gun shots ring out on the hot August night…
.. she passes a pickup parked along the edge of a cornfield in the moonlight and it immediately raises her hackles…
Meanwhile…
Deb Cutter wakes up and sees that her husband has left their bed. Looking out the window she sees that his truck is gone…
… and so is their son Brock’s truck. Then Deb hears a series of gunshots in the distance…
Also out in the moonlit night…
Thirteen year old Josie and her BFF Becky, who’ve sneaked out of Josie’s room, are jumping on a trampoline in the yard when…
… the girls also hear the shots and begin running for the safety of the cornfields pursued by a man with a rifle…
The man murdered two that night and two more were feared dead. The killer had eventually been identified but never faced justice…
Present-day Burden…
True crime author Wylie Lark is snowbound in an old farmhouse in Burden writing about that crime which happened twenty-two years ago…
… when her old dog leads her to an Injured child in the snow and later to the child’s mother dying in the freezing weather…
This was an excellent mystery with some tense elements of horror mixed in. It was a nail-biter to be sure and one of the best novels I’ve read so far this year.
If you liked this novel you might also like THE REMEDY FOR LOVE by Bill Roorbach.
5.0 out of 5 stars Layered, Beautiful, Thrilling
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2022
Verified Purchase
The author has produced another bestseller and more importantly her best read. I was enthralled by this layered multidimensional story that I literally could not but down. Read it all at one time, so sit some time aside, it is dynamic. She pulled all the components together seamlessly. I have always been an avid reader but due to life circumstances had pulled away and read only one book in the last 18 months. I decided to dip my toe in this one and was immediately hooked. What greater gift can a book give you? That is besides a phenomenal ride. Enjoy the read!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Gudenkauf’s Best Book Ever
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
I love author Heather Gudenkauf. Came across one of her books once, and then read them all. This is her latest psychological thriller, and it was as wonderful as all her others; perhaps her best one yet (but I did love them all!) This novel is fast-paced and had me so nervous at times, that I had to close it after a chapter because I was afraid of what was coming next. Sometimes I could hardly breathe, like one of the characters. Her story moves along but then you’re surprised by the end. Gudenkauf astounds me with her writing. Now I have to wait until her next one, but I’ll be patient.
L. M
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the waitReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 14, 2022
Verified Purchase
It seems a long time since her last release, but well worth the wait. Told from two sides, Wylie’s and the trapped mum and daughter, both linked, but you have to wait to see how. Well written as all Heather’s books are, and nail biting at times, with a twist at the end. Highly recommended
The Thriller girls book club
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow One hell of a thriller.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book kept me up all night and I finished it faster than any other book. It’s was utterly exceptional and I highly recommend. Fast paced, gripping the storyline is incredible , the writing faultless and the plot tight and compelling. I absolutely loved it !
Shelley
5.0 out of 5 stars BrilliantReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have read all of Heather Gudenkauf books and her books get better and better
Please if you can let her know I am a great fan
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