Originally published: 19 January 2023

Author: Heidi Perks

Published by: Century

Genre: Domestic Thriller

Length: 416 pages

Reading dates: 20-26 January 2023

She thinks she knows the truth. But what if she’s wrong?

Laila and her husband arrive for a week’s holiday in Greece in desperate need of a reset.

As Laila sits by the pool she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the other family staying in their resort.

Em has no idea who Laila is, or that she has been watching her and her teenage sons and husband so intently.

Five days later their worlds will be blown apart by a horrifying event.

Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she’s seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear.

And what if she’s got it wrong?

Laila and her husband James arrive on a holiday on the Greek Island of Ikos at the luxury resort White Sands. It is a bit of a make or break holiday for them – they have been trying for a baby for many years and after another failed IVF attempt, James decides they need a break. But it soon becomes apparent on their arrival that it isn’t as easy as that. While Laila is content to lie by the pool, James is twitchy.

One of Laila’s main pastimes is people watching. She takes in a newly married couple with quite an age difference, who aren’t acting like newly weds. She also takes a particular interest in Em, her two two teenage boys Isaac and Theo and her husband, fascinated by the dynamics of their relationship.

When a dead body is found in the pool, there is shock and suspicion amongst the guests – Laila is sure she knows what’s happened but everyone is under suspicion.

I don’t want to say any more than that for fear of giving away the plot. The Other Guest is a locked room mystery in that the only suspects are in the resort. The story was engaging and it was interesting to hear from Laila who longs for a child and Em who has two boys. There is some jealousy from Laila who imagines their perfect life but of course, things aren’t always that straightforward.

The Other Guest is a quick read, but I’m afraid it fell short for me as a thriller. I loved the luxury location but I questioned Laila’s decisions and while some of what she thought made sense, much of it didn’t. The reveal was lacking for me which left me disappointed.

Thanks to Century Books for the proof copy.

About the author:

Heidi Perks was born in 1973. She lives by the sea in Bournemouth with her husband and two children.
Heidi graduated from Bournemouth University in 1997 with a BA (Hons) in Retail Management, and then enjoyed a career in Marketing before leaving in 2012 to focus on both bringing up her family and writing.
Heidi successfully applied for a place on the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative online Novel Writing Course and after that dedicated her time to completing her first novel, Beneath The Surface.
She has a huge interest in what makes people tick and loves to write about family relationships, especially where some of the characters are slightly dysfunctional.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiPerksBooks
Website: https://www.heidiperksauthor.co.uk/