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An Unwanted Guest A Novel Shari Lapena Books

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An Unwanted Guest A Novel Shari Lapena Books

Shari's first book, "The Couple Next Door," was so exciting I read it in one sitting. I was delighted when she came out with the second one, which wasn't nearly as fun, but I thought the problem was my mood while reading. I read it, too, in one sitting, and gave it five stars. I pre-ordered "An Unwanted Guest" and could not wait to get my hands on it! I even told my cardiologist that I had to live until August 7th because I really needed to read a new book I'd ordered.

I know it's not easy to write a cozy if you've never tried before. I have to give Shari five stars just for completing one. But there are problems.
I've been forcing myself to pick it up every day for a week now and just can't get interested. The setting is ridiculous. Who in this day and age and in their right mind would go to stay in a dismal old hotel in the back of beyond with no wifi or generator during bad weather? How dumb are these people -- both the owners and the guests?! Why would there even be such a place? The whole "trapped!" business could have been done so much better.

The characters are one dimensional. Even Riley, who I assume is supposed to be the well-fleshed-out crackpot of the group, only seemed mildly (and uninterestingly) schizophrenic. And they all sound/think the same. It's hard to tell one boring character from the other. I was going largely by name and haircolor, although that didn't even keep them straight. And what's with the lawyer? Who made him an expert on anything? He's a lawyer -- they're a dime a dozen everywhere. Why would the owners (and that annoying lawyer) insist on leaving a dead body in place, in full view, in a building full of guests? Put her outside in the ice so she doesn't spread bacteria while she decomposes. Are these characters brain dead altogether?!

I couldn't even figure out the relationships between the characters. Are Gwen and Riley supposed to have a thing for each other? They gaze into each other's eyes, and so forth, but there's nothing else to connect them romantically. And the fighting couple and the breaking-up couple -- everybody is a flat cliche'.

I figured out who the Bad Guy was the same way I used to teach students how to create a Bad Guy people wouldn't suspect. It was no surprise. But again, I have to give Shari credit for finishing a cozy that, because I tend to hate cozy novels, at least followed the rules of Story. And bless her for the end. I was so absolutely delighted by the end I can't begin to express it. The shaky body of the book was forgotten when I read the end. The book deserves to be read just so you can enjoy the ending.


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An Unwanted Guest A Novel Shari Lapena Books Reviews

I loved Lapena’s first two books, but there was something about this book that was just not as satisfying. Sure I didn’t see the ending coming, but there were just so many characters that at the beginning I kept having to go back. Finally I made myself a cheat sheet. So it was good, just not great.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! I recently vacationed in the Catskills and it’s so remote, I could easily see why this group of people was left stranded....The beginning was a little confusing because there were so many characters to meet. However, once you get that part down, the characters are easy to follow along with. I really had no idea who the killer was until three quarters of the way through. That part that I enjoyed the most was the final 2 pages, as one character drove off...well, I don’t want to spoil anything...but I never saw that part coming!! It was interesting to get that characters point of view, because it was just so unexpected. To me, that made up for the fact that I was able to guess who the murderer was before the end. Worth the money!! I definitely recommend this book!
Lapena always knows how to deliver a good twist, but this book was definitely my least favorite of hers. Not so much in terms of the plot as it did keep you in suspense, but at times the setting and the discourse between the characters was almost comical. I felt like none of the characters were deeply developed. The writing was elementary and I felt like I was reading my child’a Fourth grade book. There was a lot of quotes and dialogue but no real development. Once again... three stars because the story kept the page turning but I was disappointed in the overall writing.
I really enjoyed this book the atmosphere, the setting, the complex characters, etc. I actually slowed down my reading because I didn't want it to end. Up until the last couple of chapters I was riveted. The ending was so unpredictable that I expected the "WOW" factor, but if anything, the ending was indeed unpredictable, but also anticlimactic. Not to mention, how the others discovered who the real killer was after all of the fear and uncertainty, was so simple that it bordered was akin to a Scooby Doo moment. I was thinking, "Really! That's it!" However, other than the disappointing ending, I did enjoy the book. The writing is flawless and the characters were very interesting. I really had no idea "Who did it." Unfortunately, I didn't think that the reasons behind the murders were so deleterious that the killer's only choice was murder.
An Unwanted guest was an excellent read! It comes off as a modern Agatha Christie novel with a lot of tension. Admittedly, I was nervous going into this one because readers seemed to have either loved it or hated it, but I am glad I purchased the book anyway because it's one of my favorite mysteries of the year! Shari Lapena has written a fast paced, edge of your seat mystery that is character driven and filled with the sense of unease. Readers are going to have a hard time figuring out "who-dun-it" and will be anxiously flipping the pages until the climax! I found the book perplexing, intriguing, and downright addicting. I may have read it in small snippets, but I was always so excited to get back into the mystery. All in all, this is a fantastic book and I think many who love a good murder mystery will want to grab this one!
Shari's first book, "The Couple Next Door," was so exciting I read it in one sitting. I was delighted when she came out with the second one, which wasn't nearly as fun, but I thought the problem was my mood while reading. I read it, too, in one sitting, and gave it five stars. I pre-ordered "An Unwanted Guest" and could not wait to get my hands on it! I even told my cardiologist that I had to live until August 7th because I really needed to read a new book I'd ordered.

I know it's not easy to write a cozy if you've never tried before. I have to give Shari five stars just for completing one. But there are problems.
I've been forcing myself to pick it up every day for a week now and just can't get interested. The setting is ridiculous. Who in this day and age and in their right mind would go to stay in a dismal old hotel in the back of beyond with no wifi or generator during bad weather? How dumb are these people -- both the owners and the guests?! Why would there even be such a place? The whole "trapped!" business could have been done so much better.

The characters are one dimensional. Even Riley, who I assume is supposed to be the well-fleshed-out crackpot of the group, only seemed mildly (and uninterestingly) schizophrenic. And they all sound/think the same. It's hard to tell one boring character from the other. I was going largely by name and haircolor, although that didn't even keep them straight. And what's with the lawyer? Who made him an expert on anything? He's a lawyer -- they're a dime a dozen everywhere. Why would the owners (and that annoying lawyer) insist on leaving a dead body in place, in full view, in a building full of guests? Put her outside in the ice so she doesn't spread bacteria while she decomposes. Are these characters brain dead altogether?!

I couldn't even figure out the relationships between the characters. Are Gwen and Riley supposed to have a thing for each other? They gaze into each other's eyes, and so forth, but there's nothing else to connect them romantically. And the fighting couple and the breaking-up couple -- everybody is a flat cliche'.

I figured out who the Bad Guy was the same way I used to teach students how to create a Bad Guy people wouldn't suspect. It was no surprise. But again, I have to give Shari credit for finishing a cozy that, because I tend to hate cozy novels, at least followed the rules of Story. And bless her for the end. I was so absolutely delighted by the end I can't begin to express it. The shaky body of the book was forgotten when I read the end. The book deserves to be read just so you can enjoy the ending.