Careful what you look for. Careful what you find.
After the mysterious death of her beloved sister, Tess is grief-stricken and lonely. She’s forced to BnB Rosie’s old room to pay the bills.
With strangers in her home, Tess discovers a distraction: their possessions.
Tempted into the room while they’re out, she goes through her guests’ things, imagining the stories they hold. These forbidden glimpses into their lives and the chance of being caught are a momentary thrill – the only thing she can feel through the numbing pain of her loss, and the so-far fruitless police investigation.
When handsome and inscrutable Arran takes the room, Tess finds his diary. The entries are about an unnamed woman. Crush or obsession? Slowly, his writing takes a darker tone, and Tess can’t stop reading.
In her compulsion to know, to uncover the truth, there’s something Tess fails to notice.
She’s being watched.
Everyone has their secrets. This one is closer to home.
Never have I read a book where I disliked the main character so intensely. I felt sorry for her as she was obviously dealing with the loss of her sister, but I just found her so unlikeable. From her invasion of her lodgers’ privacy to her obsession with her sister’s ex-boyfriend, everything she did made me wish she was not the protagonist so I didn’t have to hear from her as often.
The story was interesting though, and my dislike for Tess was not enough for me to not want to keep reading to find out what had happened to Rosie. I was invested in what happened to her, both how she died and the period leading up to it, why she began to change. The author gave tantalising clues which kept me interested and allowed me to put up with Tess‘ character flaws.
I was not able to pick the whodunit which pleased me however I was suspicious about the character in question. I could sense something was up but went down a different path with my thoughts. I enjoyed how all characters were drawn into question throughout the book with unwritten suspicion falling on first one, then another.
“Careful what you look for, careful what you find”, the byline on the cover of this book aptly sums up this intriguing book. It is a psychological thriller with multiple narrators. After the mysterious death of her sister Rosie, Tess needs to BnB Rosie’s old room to make ends meet. The charming Arran rents the room for a month. Tess has developed a bad habit of “snooping” in the possessions and paperwork of her house guests such is her loneliness and apparent withdrawal from the world. The handsome Arran has a diary and seems to have some secrets. The reader is at times left wondering if he has anything to do with her sister’s death. There are other’s in Tess’s apartment building who come in and out of Tess’s narrative. This book started slowly but as it continued I found myself going to bed early and reading late to find out how all the stories came together. It is difficult to give a summary of all that happens in this story without creating a “spoiler”. The writing is good and captures well the psychology of all of the characters. I found myself shifting in my sympathies of all of the characters which is a skill for a writer in shaping the reader’s emotions. If you like a psychological thriller you will be drawn in to this story.
The Guest Room by Tasha Sylva had my brain whirring and my fingers page turning. While you are trying to piece together this murder mystery you are wondering who is watching who and is our narrator reliable. This book managed to maintain a tension and evoke a sense of creepy dread. Something bad was surely going to happen to the narrator. Thanks Good Reading for my preview copy.
The Guest Room has everything I love in a psychological thriller. The flawed, unreliable narrator with a tragic past, enigmatic side characters, and the moody London backdrop where potential danger lurks in every shadow. Sylva managed to keep the suspense heightened until the very last chapter, and every time I thought I had it figured out I was soon proven wrong. The story’s conclusion wrapped up a little too abruptly (and perhaps a little too neatly for our protagonist) but I was otherwise satisfied with the plot. I really enjoyed the twist on the theme of stalking and vouyerism, where nobody can be trusted. This sharply-paced debut novel is not for the faint hearted, but perfect for fans of Nicci French, Lucy Foley and Paula Hawkins. I look forward to reading whatever Sylva writes next.
We all know secretly reading someone’s diary is wrong – but it does make for a compelling storyline. In Tasha Sylva’s debut mystery thriller we meet Tess, who’s trying to get on with life while grieving the unsolved case of her sister’s recent death. She has moved into her sister’s apartment and renting out the guest room as a bnb to make ends meet. Enter Arran and his diary – and a sequence of unknowns. While reading, I felt like I was in a hall of mirrors: a large cast of diverse characters appear and crossover, and everyone is watching each other, through windows and even following physically on foot through the streets of London. Three points of view provide different reading paces, perspectives and impressions. Tess: fast, with lots of introspection; Arran’s diary: contemplative and detailed; and an occasional unknown third in bold font, also watching and commenting – and menacing in tone. I was often frustrated with Tess and did question many of her actions and justifications (and I had to suspend belief that phone numbers had not been exchanged between herself and her tenant). This said, it was engaging, and I was genuinely surprised with the whodunnit climactic twist.
The Guest Room by Tasha Sylva is a little different to the fiction that I usually read- I am not a seasoned reader of mysteries/thrillers and this book was a bit of a gentle introduction to this genre for me. I read this book pretty quickly as there was enough suspense to keep me going and the ultimate reveal of Rosie’s (protagonist/narrator Tess’s sister) true murderer was a good twist as were the revelations about Arran’s true motives and identity.
I love the references throughout the book to Spanish language, culture and geography as well as the descriptions of the city of London and it’s landmarks.
What I would criticize is the use of a lot of repetitive descriptive language (how many times can someone describe a brow as being ‘furrowed’ or ‘knitted’?) I also felt that the shopping list cast of characters meant to throw the reader off the scent of the true culprit such as the overly friendly male neighbour, the aloof housemate of the neighbour’s girlfriend, the ex boyfriend etc, was a little overdone.
I’m not a fan of short sentences , but I do like brief chapters and I found the book to be a quick read (it took me 4 days). I became slightly irritated with Tessa’s constant secret delve into the diary, and I found the characters to be thinly drawn and underdeveloped, but it seemed the speedy style was consistent with today’s society of rushed dialogue and busy lives. And so I settled into it and started to enjoy it.
I became totally absorbed in Tessa’s journey of observation followed by unexpected answers in search of the ‘villain’ and there was an element of fear which I felt was quite palpable.
The Guest Room by Tasha Sylva is about a girl called Tess who is trying to cope after the death of her sister. There is alot of stalking that happens in this book. Everyone is doing it. Told from first person point of view. The beginning was very hard to get into but I persisted and did enjoy it, storyline was pretty predictable though. Would have like to read more about Rosie’s murder.
A story woven with so many ‘What ifs’.
I was hooked from the beginning, each time I thought I had the answers, I’d gasp as another suspicious character appeared. I was kept guessing and sitting at edge of my seat, till the very end, an ending I never saw coming…
‘Eyes are a window’ is certainly the truth in this story.
I will be eagerly watching for this awesome and talented author’s next book.
Thank you for sending ‘The Guest Room’ book for me to read and review, it’s was a suspenseful and eye opener of a story to read. The cover of the book was eye
catching too.
This thriller was an intriguing page turner to find who murdered Tess’s sister Rosie. Tess, who is filled with guilt over not being there for her sister in her time of need, is in pursuit of answers.
She BnB her sisters room out to pay the bills but has a weird compulsion to go through her guests items. Her latest guest has a diary which she becomes obsessed with reading & is fascinated with who the girl Arran, her guest, is writing about.
What she doesn’t realise is someone is also watching her.
I found The Guest Room unsettling. There is lots of stalking, secrets and obsession, coming from all characters, Tess mainly. Even though I had my suspicions about ‘who did it’. It still had me enthralled turning the pages to see how it all ends.
I found this to be an interesting debut novel, set in London and surrounding areas.
The story is built around Tess, who is living in an apartment where she and her sister Rosie lived.
Four months ago, her 33yo sister was found dead in a London Park — cracked skull, blood in her brain, a ruptured aneurysm. The police have no clues as yet who the killer might be.
Tess grieves for her sister, contacting the police continuously to ask whether they have new information. Although she does have some work, to make ends meet, Tess rents out her sister‘s room as a BnB.
Strangers come and go to rent. Tess has a strange, dangerous obsession to go through these people‘s belongings when they are not in their room. It gives her a thrill, a sensation to FEEL something, all be it wrong. An excitement to then imagine what is in these other people’s lives. All she has prior to that, is a dull, numbing pain.
Then she gets a young man booking in for a few months, and in his belongings she finds a personal diary, which she can’t stop reading!
Where will this lead her???
This book is intriguing and a very satisfying read. “The Girl on the train” by Paula Hawkins and “The Woman in the Window” by AJ Finn will enjoy this.
Initially the story felt light with superficial details about Tess’s everyday life but then the reader is given ‘snippets’ of information and the mood of the story changes. The story draws us in.
Tess is on a ‘downward spiral’ as she exhibits some risky behaviours. She is starting to unravel, and the story makes me feel uneasy. It feels like “a net is closing around us”, and the suspense is increasing.
The story has several aspects to it, with Tess’s story slowly being told, Arran’s diary entries which reveal more and more. We then have the extra text introduced, anonymously, which adds a further dark element to the story.
It’s beautiful prose which slowly reveals that it is written about Tess, further adding to my uneasiness with the realisation that she is being watched.
The writing is very good, and the style is engaging. The suspense is perfect as the story comes to a dramatic climax.
I really enjoyed this book and found that it was a bit of mystery as I tried to work out who it was that had killed Tash’s sister and when all the pieces fell into place I was totally caught off guard.
Tash is 100% driven to find out who killed her sister and that makes her question everyone and everyone’s motives. When she decides to rent out her sisters bedroom and the bnb house guest leaves the property Tash cant help but pop into his room to look around. Finding a diary she decides to read it and then becomes obsessed with reading each entry to try and work out what he is up to. He attraction to him leads her to feel a little jealous of a female mentioned and also to question his motives.
I really enjoyed how this story flowed and I would love to read more from this writer. This book would make a great choice as a gift for Mothers Day for those with Mums that love mystery with a little romance on the side.
A well written, exciting thriller with many twists, turns and plenty of interesting characters to keep you entertained! A real page turner, I enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Tess, who is quite complicated but very interesting and I loved the overall suspenseful nature of the book which kept me on the edge of my seat!
An intriguing story and promising first novel! The first two chapters are a slightly awkward introduction to the main character (the narrator) and what’s happening in her life; I must say she didn’t particularly appeal to me at first as we have little in common but she did grow on me as I read on. Bold print pages, also in the first person, but clearly from the point of view of a different protagonist appear at regular interval throughout the book and help create ansense of dread. One quickly gets drawn into the story and can’t help but keep turning the pages to see what happens next. The main character develops over time and seems at times to verge on becoming unhinged yet remains believable although one wonders how she gets away with some of things she does – but that’s what books are for: entertainment and escapism. The writing is lively, mostly dialogues and the narrator’s thoughts; even her guest’s diary entries are anything but passive and add to the mystery. Overall an enjoyable thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.
In today’s world, it is very common for people to rent out rooms or their houses to strangers but the question is “Would you be comfortable having a stranger stay in your home?”. What if it all goes dangerously wrong?
This debut novel by Tasha Sylva grips you right from the start as you are introduced to Tess, who is renting out a room to help pay the bills. Immediately, Tess’ erratic behaviour is unsettling and you are conflicted over whether you like her or not. As you discover the sad reason behind her behaviour, it is too late. You are already questioning her sanity and fearing for her safety.
Then Arran (a stranger) starts renting her guest room and your discomfort and anxiety intensifies. What is his story? What are his intentions? Tess also wants to know more about him and commits the ultimate sin – reading his private diary. Who is he writing about? Is Tess in danger in her own home?
In The Guest Room, Sylva takes you through a rollercoaster of emotions from revulsion to pity to fear and the ride doesn’t stop until the final few pages. This novel is a highly recommended thrill ride. Strap in!
Tess is grief-stricken after the mysterious death of her sister Rosie. She is forced to BnB Rosie’s old room to pay the bills.
While her guests are out, Tess goes through their possessions, imagining the stories they hold. The chance that she may get caught is a momentary thrill, the only thing she feels through her painful loss and fruitless police investigation.
When handsome Arran takes the room, Tess finds his diary and can’t help but read it. The entries are about an unnamed woman.
In her obsession to know the truth Tess fails to notice she is being watched. However, in her grief-stricken state, Tess was also quite self- absorbed so I expect her observations of things would not be so keen.
This is a brilliant psychological thriller which kept me guessing for a while, however, the suspect is often the one person we least expect.
I loved this book. It is absolute compulsive reading and I was correct with who the suspected killer was in the end.
My first impression of the book was that it was going to be a dark psychological thriller, with a lot of stalking involved. Which it was, but definitely not in the way I expected.
The story is told from three perspectives, one of which is unidentified, giving the whole book a dark, sinister feel.
As the characters grow the guessing game starts, and continues right to the very end. The twists and turns thrown in both help move the story as well as build the intrigue.
At times the connections between the characters seemed a little forced, and while adding to the plot, I did question the need.
I was a big fan of the settings in the book, ranging from dark empty spaces to crowded city spots with both allowing glimpses of character as well as each other.
The ending of the story, and in particular also help adding to the intrigue, with lots of dark empty areas perfect for people who don’t want to be seen.
I found the relationships between the characters a little difficult at times, they seemed to progress too quickly and then at times just disappear.
The last chapter of the story was almost an epilogue without a big time difference and nicely tied up loose ends as well as providing a future.
The debut novel by Tasha Sylva is a cracker! A psychological thriller with the main character, Tess, exhibiting voyeuristic tendencies after she lets out her sister, Rosie’s, room following her death. Tess does not respect the unspoken agreement of a host not to snoop through the belongings of her guest. She meets her match in Arran, whose diary she reads with ruthless compulsion and who, in turn, writes about a woman she believes to be herself – or is it Rosie? Or, indeed another? A book that all will enjoy and not want to put down.
Tess, is all-consumed by her sister’s unsolved murder and seems to not have anything else to do in her life but to get involved in others while trying to solve the mystery. An unrealistic premise for a story, but still somehow had me captivated as far as psychological thrillers go. It was an easy read with some interesting characters which made the read more bearable. Good plot twist at the end, which made me think back to what clues may have been available to me earlier on. It read a bit like an ABC or BBC fictional series where I wonder if some of the story might be too unbelievable, but interestingly something I would watch.