A review by what_heather_loves
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

"Christmastime is here again. And I am waiting, as I always do, for one or more guests...All I did was throw a pebble into a still pond. The ripples did the rest. I suspect she will know all about it. As she likes to tell me, she knows everything.
What other guests might arrive? I picture a knock on the door, a flashed badge...If it happens, it happens. I suppose I am prepared."

An American student is thrilled to be invited to a fellow student's Cotswolds home for Christmas, but should have been more wary. The antithesis of cosy, festive crime, this is a chilling novella about a victim, a predator and an accomplice. Split into two parts, the first is told through historic diary entries found during a tidy and the second provides a huge twist and context - I can't say more or spoil the plot. Atmospheric engrossing and tense, I read this in two sittings, although it could be read in one, at 124 pages.
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