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Book Review : The Weekend Guests by Liza North

I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Weekend Guests by Liza North.

book cover for The Weekend Guests by Liza North.  On the edge of a cliff, a house with its lights on stands out in a darkening sky.
  • Category : Crime, Thrillers & Mystery
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Constable (29 Aug. 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1408716240
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1408716243

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FIVE OLD FRIENDS.
A REUNION TO DIE FOR . . .

A weekend on the wild, beautiful Dorset coast. Seven adults, six kids. A nanny: the ultimate special treat.

It should be perfect: old friends, a stunning house, champagne and windswept beaches. But it isn’t.

Past grudges won’t rest. Secrets won’t stay put.

And by the end of the weekend, at least one of them will be dead.

Perfect for fans of THE HUNTING PARTY by Lucy Foley and ONE OF THE GIRLS by Lucy Clarke, this is a gripping locked-room thriller brimming with secrets and lies.

The Weekend Guests Review

First off, I’m going to say that The Weekend Guests is a story that made me feel uncomfortable.  Yes, this is a world that will push you out of your safe boundaries and make you question your morals. I felt conflicted!  Is it wrong to cheer when karma comes calling?  Who am I to judge? I do love a story that makes me consider why I reacted the way I did and am I right or wrong to feel that way … and this world provided me lots of opportunities. 

The format of the weekend in 2019 and flipping back to the past in 2001 is perfect for building tension and suspense.  At first, their relationships with each other in the past while at Uni appear to be carefree but it’s clear from the heavy and foreboding atmosphere in 2019 that there are undercurrents.  I wanted to believe one thing was possible quite early on from the past, even though in my heart-of-hearts I knew it wasn’t going to be. 

There’s one character who made my skin crawl from the moment we’re introduced and the foreboding I felt just grew and grew. Such an array of feelings!

There’s another character I want to highlight but haven’t found the words that won’t give too much information. Guess I need to let you discover for yourself.

I felt ambivalence plenty of times.  It’s such a skill to give important information without the full picture, leaving a lot of space for interpretation. I learned a lot about myself, wanting to be right but not wanting to be right about one specific thing!

There are twists (yes, plural) that I didn’t see coming even though I was so invested in the story.  And I was shocked at some events.

I’m not sure how I felt about the ending.  It is fitting but I admit to being upset about a couple of the characters in particular.

Oh what a ride!  The Weekend Guests is nerve-wracking, deliciously dark and I loved it!

About the Author

Liza North is a writer, academic and former journalist. Her first Scottish-based psychological thriller, Obsessed, was published in 2023. Educated at Oxford University and University College London, she has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, and spoken at literary and crime writing festivals including Bloody Scotland. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters.


Find her on Facebook, X or Instagram as @lizanorthwriter.

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