Blog Tour - An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Today I am super excited to be participating in the blog tour for Shari Lapena's latest novel, An Unwanted Guest.

We can’t choose the strangers we meet.

As the guests arrive at beautiful, remote Mitchell’s Inn, they’re all looking forward to a relaxing weekend deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. They watch their fellow guests with interest, from a polite distance. 

Usually we can avoid the people who make us nervous, make us afraid.


With a violent storm raging, the group finds itself completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody can get in – or out. And then the first body is found . . . and the horrifying truth comes to light. There’s a killer among them – and nowhere to run.

Until we find ourselves in a situation we can’t escape. Trapped.


I have loved both of Shari Lapena's previous novels, A Stranger in the House and The Couple Next Door, and when I was asked if I would like to take part in the blog tour for her latest release, An Unwanted Guest, I jumped at the chance and may have squealed just a little as I got the confirmation email. 

Shari's novels are very cleverly written, there is an every day scene which very quickly turns to disaster for the characters and the rest of the book is filled with the investigation into who did the terrible crime. 

An Unwanted Guest quickly reminded me of an Agatha Christie Miss Marple style situation as guests travel to a remote hotel and on the first day one of the guests is murdered. Of course everyone is under suspicion and all the guests (and staff) are trying to find out who killed Dana. Add to this that bad weather draws in a snow storm means no one can get in or out of the hotel and with telephone and electricity both being cut off due to the adverse weather they must endure a scary few days until the authorities can be told of the crime and the body removed. However of course during those few days will all the guests and staff be safe with a murderer in amongst them?

I absolutely loved this book. Shari is a brilliant author who is able to write fantastic crime novels where the reader is able to discover the clues as the characters do themselves. I was transported to The Mitchell Inn, where it was cold and eerie with no lighting except the oil lights and the dwindling torch light from the guests iPhone torches. I enjoyed the story and truly could picture myself there as an observer watching the characters as they tried to decide which of them was the killer, trying to decide who they could trust, who to keep an eye on. When the murderer was revealed I had not seen it coming. Each of the guests had their own back story which could of meant any one of them, or the hotel owner and his son, could of done it. There is always a sneaky twist right at the very end of the books which I don't believe that anybody will foresee.

I read this book in the middle of the summer but was transported to the middle of winter and terrible snow and I felt I travelled on a roller coaster of a journey while reading it. I really do enjoy Shari's books and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to Anne Cater and to Bantam Press for inviting me to take part in this blog tour, in return for an honest review, I have really enjoyed it.