Title: HERE TO STAY
Expected publication: out now
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book Description:
A beautiful home. A loving wife. And in-laws to die for.
Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot’s life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige – he just doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.
The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret. And then there are the scars on his wife’s body that she won’t talk about . . .
As Elliot’s in-laws become more comfortable in his home, encroaching on all aspects of his life, it becomes clear that they have no intention of moving out. To protect Gemma, and their marriage, Elliot delves into the Robinsons’ past. But is he prepared for the truth?
Gemma Robinson comes into Elliot’s life like a whirlwind, and they marry and settle into his home. When she asks him if her parents can come to stay for a couple of weeks, he is keen to oblige – he just doesn’t quite know what he’s signing up for.
The Robinsons arrive with Gemma’s sister, Chloe, a mysterious young woman who refuses to speak or leave her room. Elliot starts to suspect that the Robinsons are hiding a dark secret. And then there are the scars on his wife’s body that she won’t talk about . . .
As Elliot’s in-laws become more comfortable in his home, encroaching on all aspects of his life, it becomes clear that they have no intention of moving out. To protect Gemma, and their marriage, Elliot delves into the Robinsons’ past. But is he prepared for the truth?
My musings:
Author Mark Edwards describes his psychological thrillers as
stories “in which scary things happen to ordinary people”. No kidding! I
actually had nightmares about this book and felt so stressed throughout that it
gave me a tension headache. This is the third book this month where ordinary
people have had their homes taken over by evil houseguests, and I don’t like
it! It freaks me out!!!!
After a whirlwind romance followed closely by marriage to
the gorgeous Gemma, science teacher Elliot feels like his life is complete. He
has everything he can ever want: a loving partner, a beautiful home, a job he
loves and an adored cat who is like a child to him. That’s until his in-laws
come to stay for two weeks – and never move out. Which in itself is terrifying,
except that you have no idea how bad it can get, because these are not your
average family but a bunch of utter psychopaths! Sweet Elliot, whose own parents
are long dead, has no chance against the destructive force that is about to be
unleashed on his life.
This is my third book by Mark Edwards, and he is becoming a
go-to author for me when I want a truly terrifying domestic noir thriller that
messes with my mind. His stories are never predictable, and neither do they
always end the way I would like, i.e. the good guys win, the bad ones get
punished, or swallowed by a black hole, or incinerated by the breath of an
avenging dragon. Instead, there are crazy twists at every turn, some so hair-raising
that if this was a scary movie I would have to turn the volume on low and peek
through my fingers. No such luck here, though. The story slowly unrolled in all
its horrifying glory, and I felt like I had knives thrown at my heart. I am
relieved to hear that this story has not been inspired by the author’s own
in-laws, who apparently are lovely (really????).
As I am sitting here writing this review, I still feel the
remnants of tension in my gut, the sort that only a stiff drink and a night off
the thrillers can fix. At this stage I am determined that I am never going to
have houseguests ever again!
Phew, deep breath! In summary, if you like a tense,
nightmarish thriller that will take over your dreams like the evil houseguests
in Mark Edward’s latest story, then go for it! Disclaimer: if you suffer from
high blood pressure, anxiety or poor impulse control (i.e. book throwing), do
not enter into this without consulting your doctor first. Also, this book is
like reading about a plane crash before embarking on a long-haul flight, so if
your in-laws’ visit is imminent, I recommend skipping it for now. Who am I
kidding? This book is pure hell!!!!! Enter at your own risk! And don’t say I
didn’t warn you ....
Thank
you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free electronic copy of this novel and
for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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