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  • An Unwanted Guest

  • Written by: Shari Lapena
  • Narrated by: Hillary Huber
  • Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (138 ratings)

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An Unwanted Guest

Written by: Shari Lapena
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
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Publisher's Summary

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Not a Happy Family

“A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Agatha Christie.”–Good Housekeeping

“Another nail-biter perfect for an all-nighter.”–Entertainment Weekly

A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing—maybe even romantic—weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity—and all contact with the outside world—the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead—it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something—or someone—is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm—and one another.

©2018 Shari Lapena (P)2018 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“A new thriller that will give you serious Agatha Christie vibes...if you’re one of the many people who counts [And Then There Were None] among their favorite books, you will love An Unwanted Guest...A deftly crafted and expertly paced thriller that will keep readers guessing (and terrified) until the very end.” (Bustle)

“Proving that time periods may change but people do not, Lapena delivers a solid whodunit with an ending that would make Dame Christie proud.” (USA Today)

“This compelling and realistic modern take on the country-house mystery will gain new fans for the author and is definitely one to hand to devotees of Agatha Christie and her modern interpreter, Sophie Hannah).” (Booklist)

“[A] well-sculpted domestic thriller...highly suspenseful...Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.” (The Associated Press)

What listeners say about An Unwanted Guest

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Audible Rocks!!!

This is my first audiobook and I found myself pleasantly impressed. Such a great thing to listen to a book while doing things like sewing and cooking. I would imagine it would be good for long road trips as well. This book was good. Not a favourite by any means but it had good character development. Can’t wait to try another book. #Audible1

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Agatha Christie with a twist

I think of this book as a cute homage to Agatha Christie's novels, with a little twist. It's best enjoyed sitting by a fire in the winter as the snow gathers outside. However, I would stay away from the audiobook. Unfortunately the narration is one of the worst I have seen. It's over enunciated, wooden, and the narrator chooses odd choices for her emotional emulation of what the characters must be feeling. Most people just sound petulant at all times, whether they are scared, or angry, or just having a chat. I still finished the book because I'm a fan of this genre. #Audible1

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mysterious and Entertaining

I absolutely love Sheri Lapena's style of writing. That was a busy, scary few days for the resort guests, proprietor and owner. Awesome twists!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

classic murder mystery

Interesting story and cast of characters that had me guessing “who done it?” until the end. Reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel – a classic murder mystery. You can’t help but wonder how you would fare stranded in a secluded Inn with guests dropping like flies around you. Looking forward to Shari Lapena’s next work. #Audible1

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

what a weekend!

wow, mystery, murders, romance and lies surrounded with a storm and power outage all during the course of one weekend.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

O k story but narrator a struggle

The story was o k but I really struggled with the the narrator. I considered returning it. her tempo sounded robotic, her voice was nasaly and it just kind of droned on so it was hard to keep engaged in the story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Worth a listen if you can get past the narrator

I almost turned this off after 5 minutes of listening. I honestly thought it was being narrated by a robot. Eventually I got used to it but my gosh the narrators voice is robotic. I did enjoy the setting and the overall mystery, it kept me guessing. Eventually I started to put things together but as I said the mystery was good. The biggest flaw for me personally (other than the narrator) was the characters. The characters had about as much depth as a kiddy pool. Copy and paste them into any other book and it wouldn’t make a single difference. There was one character (the lawyer) that was actually interesting and I preferred his POV the most. But the forced romance was atrocious (sorry), the girl in the romance had no character traits other than being a bad friend, and a bad person. Her only motivation was hooking up with the lawyer. They had about as much chemistry together as Kristen Stewert and Robert Pattinson in twilight lol. The others are forgettable. Despite it sounding like I didn’t enjoy it, as I said the mystery and setting was also decent. Quick listen, good for a weekend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great read

This is the third book I have read by her and have never been disappointed. She is a master at her craft.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Shari lapena never disappoints! I literally binge listen to all of her books! Great author! And a great mystery writer! #audible1

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ending Felt Slapped Together

The ending felt a little hasty and rushed through. Still enjoyable, but I wish there was a little more to the ending.

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