The Guest - by B A Paris

The plot did not go anywhere. Very predictable and boring. There was no suspense or thrill. Normal drama plot. Her other books were by far better. I wish I had skipped reading this one. Nothing exciting about this book.

When Iris & Gabriel return from vacation to find their friend Laure has essentially moved into their home they're not overly concerned. After all, Iris & Gabriel sometimes use Laure & her husband Pierre's Parisian home while they are away, it's something the couples have become quite used to.... except this time, Laure isn't leaving any time soon. I am so torn about this book that it took me two days to write my review. The description of this book, essentially a house guest that won't leave and starts displaying some very 'Single White Female' type behaviors, seemed intriguing. I imagined how much tension could come from a situation where someone you are close with won't leave. And for a little bit, it seemed like that was the way the book was going. Laure displays increasingly odd behavior..... but then nothing happens for the entire middle of the book. The characters, plus a random (or not?) landscaper as well as a neighbor couple, interact with each other in increasingly bizarre ways. Even about 80% of the way in I truly had no idea where this book was going. The epilogue was absolutely shocking and I did not see it coming at all. I think the author did an awesome job of giving you only certain secondhand information so that you don't guess the ending. and I sat there enthralled as the epilogue unfolded. I generally do not like a wrap-up tell-all epilogue, but I truly enjoyed this one and could not put it down. I just sat there in my office for several minutes after it ended. I'm not 100% sure the end overrides the dragged-out middle, but ultimately I have to conclude it does. Definitely give this one a go, but only if you're willing to stick it out to the end! The narration on this one was pretty spectacular. While the middle dragged, the narration kept me going when I would DNF a print copy. The narrator does a flawless job of switching seamlessly between the English & French accents in a way that made it so easy to keep the characters straight.