Last month I was delighted to share again my review of The Fake Date by L.H. Stacey – first read in 2018, reissued by Boldwood for a whole new set of readers to enjoy (you’ll find my post here). And today (13th November) we have another – The House Guest, originally published by Choc Lit as House of Secrets, now available as an e-book, in paperback and audiobook, with a great new cover. This was Lynda’s first published novel – let’s take a closer look…
A woman on the run…
Madeleine Frost knows she has to get away from her partner Liam. His behaviour has become increasingly controlling and Maddie fears for her safety and that of her young daughter Poppy.
Desperation leads Maddie to the hotel owned by her estranged father – the extraordinarily beautiful Wrea Head Hall. The reunion is tense, but Maddie’s father agrees to her staying as his guest for as long as she needs.
Maddie’s whereabouts must stay a secret; but as she spends time getting to know her new home, she discovers the house has its own shocking past and secrets of its own. Secrets that could cost her dearly…
And when Liam makes it clear he wants Maddie back, she has to reassess everything. Because when Liam wants something, he gets it – no matter who he hurts…
Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, Sue Watson, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.
Once again, I’m going to share again my original review, unchanged from 2016 but just lightly edited… and I think I must explain that while it’s now (quite rightly!) being marketed as “an addictive, gripping psychological thriller”, I had been rather expecting a straightforward romance…
I really did enjoy this book a lot, even though it turned out to be something totally different from what I initially expected – this isn’t in any way the sweet love story with a country house setting that you might have been predicting in the first quarter.
The author’s excellent at creating characters. Liam really is a superb anti-hero – something about him sets your teeth on edge from the time you first meet him, and as time progresses his “Maddie darlin’” sends shivers up your spine. He was never really going to smile and let Maddie just walk away, was he?
I’m not the world’s biggest fan of children in books, but young Poppy is really well drawn and I really liked her interactions with everyone – she brings out the soft side of Bandit, and Maddie’s love for her warms your heart. I liked Maddie’s feisty sister Jess too – there’s an excellent scene with some golf clubs early in the book that brings out her character, and the whole back story about why the sisters are so different adds an interesting extra layer to the story. I really felt for Maddie’s father too – I struggled to get a clear picture of him at first, but really liked the scene where he talks with Jack about his feelings, and the ice skating scene was beautifully done and very touching.
And as for Wrea Head Hall, it’s almost a character in its own right, brilliantly drawn and a perfect setting for the unfolding story. There are some excellent bits of description that bring it to life – the Christmas scenes, Halloween, the grounds, and the detail of the interiors.
Maddie’s arrival at the hall and her first encounter with Bandit is very well done. Bandit is a great romantic hero – I really liked his vulnerability, his background story, the gentler side he shows with Poppy, his thoughts as he runs through the woods, and the way he becomes Maddie’s protector. I must admit I was a tad less keen on Maddie herself – some of her actions seem really badly thought through, and I wanted to give her a good talking to. The putting herself in danger is totally inkeeping with the best gothic tradition – but it didn’t stop me wanting to throttle her at times.
As the story progresses, the tension cranks up to a level that makes the book difficult to set aside – scene after scene, every one vividly drawn, sometimes quite chilling (that breakfast scene!), some edge-of-the-seat writing when I had no idea where things were going. The book’s climax is really excellent, and I read it through my fingers, with dry mouth and pounding heart.
But if I was surprised by the way the story turned really rather dark and tense, I was more surprised by the historical thread after the diaries were found: but the way it all worked through was very good, and added more emotional depth to the story. And I really did like the way the story threads all tied together at the end.
To sum the book up? I really enjoyed it. In some ways it wasn’t the book I expected, with its darker edges: but in other ways it most certainly was, and totally satisfied – even exceeded – my expectations as an involving love story (several, in fact) with a very different twist. The author writes really well and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she tackles next.
And, I have to add, I most certainly wasn’t disappointed (or surprised to the same degree!) by any of the wonderful books that followed. If you missed this one first time round, it’s a book I’d very much recommend…
About the author
L. H. Stacey is the bestselling psychological suspense author of over seven novels. Alongside her writing she is a full-time sales director for an office furniture company and has been a nurse, an emergency first response instructor and a PADI Staff Instructor. She lives near Doncaster with her husband.
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