Scan barcode
lavins's review against another edition
4.0
4.25 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Helen Cooper does an amazing job of gripping your attention without needing to overdeliver.
We have three stories, a woman in England, an English woman visiting her family in Italy where they own and manage an amazing, high-end resort and the story of a teenager girl, the niece of the woman visiting in Italy, who died in a tragic accident. Or wasn't it an accident?
Although the pace is slow, every chapter is more or less a cliff hanger which makes the reader eager to know what happens with the characters.
The other nice thing about the story is that it is not quite predictable. You have to wait till the end to figure out who did what and why and I loved that.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Helen Cooper does an amazing job of gripping your attention without needing to overdeliver.
We have three stories, a woman in England, an English woman visiting her family in Italy where they own and manage an amazing, high-end resort and the story of a teenager girl, the niece of the woman visiting in Italy, who died in a tragic accident. Or wasn't it an accident?
Although the pace is slow, every chapter is more or less a cliff hanger which makes the reader eager to know what happens with the characters.
The other nice thing about the story is that it is not quite predictable. You have to wait till the end to figure out who did what and why and I loved that.
paradise_library's review
4.0
Helen Cooper always keeps you guessing. This is because there are always a lot of characters involved and information is only gradually released… Naturally she lets us guess a few things and feel smug about it, but there’s always a little extra that throws you, although this is usually not the final reveal.
The Other Guest hooked me immediately, as I love islands with mystery and intrigue. Desolate yet claustrophobic, they’re an ideal place for dead bodies.
One year ago, Amy drowned in the lake during a storm. Despite a verdict of accidental death, there are still questions to ask and – as usual – women put themselves in danger to try and answer them.
The three POVs worked well, showing us Amy’s versions of events, as well as the current situation, so that we have the bigger picture. Despite clear narrative, it was tricky to understand the characters as there were a fair few of them and we just didn’t have enough time to get to know them.
And of course I was worried about the cat. I am always worried about the cat.
It’s quite atmospheric, with the storm and the scenery, but it’s less of a thriller than Helen’s previous book The Downstairs Neighbour, perhaps due to its slower pace. This felt more like a family drama, as it looked at how people deal with grief. All the characters are grieving, but their reactions are very different. It also touches on reputation, family and parenting and how far each of us will go to protect the people we love.
Well-written and gripping, the ending is satisfactory (although more repercussions could have been given). Overall an enjoyable read and I look forward to Helen’s next book.
The Other Guest hooked me immediately, as I love islands with mystery and intrigue. Desolate yet claustrophobic, they’re an ideal place for dead bodies.
One year ago, Amy drowned in the lake during a storm. Despite a verdict of accidental death, there are still questions to ask and – as usual – women put themselves in danger to try and answer them.
The three POVs worked well, showing us Amy’s versions of events, as well as the current situation, so that we have the bigger picture. Despite clear narrative, it was tricky to understand the characters as there were a fair few of them and we just didn’t have enough time to get to know them.
And of course I was worried about the cat. I am always worried about the cat.
It’s quite atmospheric, with the storm and the scenery, but it’s less of a thriller than Helen’s previous book The Downstairs Neighbour, perhaps due to its slower pace. This felt more like a family drama, as it looked at how people deal with grief. All the characters are grieving, but their reactions are very different. It also touches on reputation, family and parenting and how far each of us will go to protect the people we love.
Well-written and gripping, the ending is satisfactory (although more repercussions could have been given). Overall an enjoyable read and I look forward to Helen’s next book.
thealbatrossreads's review against another edition
5.0
this was sooo good. got me hooked from start to finish
alw96's review
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
raeganlarson's review against another edition
3.0
this book took a while to get into and the plot just could have been better. i really didn’t like the ending and overall it was just not really a good storyline
salreads's review against another edition
4.0
Helen Cooper is so adept at setting off multiple stories, with several POVs which leave you puzzling as to their connection. In the Other Guest Leah is in Lake Garda at her sister’s family owned resort. A year earlier Leah’s niece, Amy drowned.. In Derby Joanna is a counsellor. She is struggling after a recent relationship break up and an attempted suicide on the university campus where she works…Added to this Cooper weaves in the story of Amy’s last hours and a mysterious bartender.
This is the perfect summer read. The Italian setting is beautiful..glistening waters, boats cruising the lake, sunshine and a resort you wouldn’t mind booking into. But underneath secrets and tensions are simmering and thunder storms are brewing literally and metaphorically. At the heart of the story is Amy…the tragedy and mystery of her death haunts the story..
I had no idea how these individual stories would fit together and my curiosity added to the tension. I was happy with each part of the story but probably more so with Joanna’s story which felt most relatable. As the story progresses each story line gathers its own tension - Leah’s efforts to find out how her niece died are bringing her into danger; the bartender has moved into Joanna’s flat, but he isn’t who he says he is….and Amy is in her final hours and minutes…I found myself rushing to the end..
emilyfay22's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0