This was my second time reading Shari Lapena. “The Couple Next Door” was totally fun for me.... especially the ending....where I found myself dying of laughter. Most commonly, a tenant is someone who has entered into a lease or rental agreement with the landlord. However, there are situations where someone who was once a guest gains the status of a tenant through their own actions or the actions of the owner. Houseguests who have been asked to leave and overstayed their welcome are technically committing a crime—trespassing. Despite this fact, getting rid of a trespassing houseguest can be challenging. Trespassing Laws and Penalties A cast of characters shut in a confined space, cut off from the rest of the world, when the bodies start dropping. Whodunnit? I can guarantee you that most people are not going to want to do that, though," says Portman. "They have a gut feeling that this person is trustworthy, then it goes south and that's how lawyers make their money."

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena is a new thriller that will give you serious Agatha Christie vibes . . . if you’re one of the many people who counts [And Then There Were None] among their favorite books, you will love An Unwanted Guest. . . A bone-chilling story featuring a cast of intriguing characters, each one with a secret of their own, An Unwanted Guest is a deftly crafted and expertly paced thriller that will keep readers guessing (and terrified) until the very end.” The writing was what threw me off. It was.....really bland. And made the whole experience really slow and plodding...uninteresting. The characters were another poor aspect. None of them were likable or relatable and almost everyone made really, really stupid decisions regarding how to stay alive. This book would be the perfect winter read when cozying up by the fire, while it’s storming outside, or trying to figure out a puzzling mystery within this book. I loved the Agatha Christie vibe throughout this entire book. When I say that though, it’s got a more And Then There Were None type of feel. A bunch of strangers are together during a certain amount days, and slowly, one by one, a guest gets murdered. Ten guests arrive for the weekend, and one by one, they drop like flies. Are the guests’ deaths an accident or are they being been murdered? The roads are closed because of the snow and since the Inn has no power, no one can call the police. Everyone is frightened and suspicions are high. All of the guests start investigating and boy do things start to get interesting! Who can you trust? The single criminal attorney there to get away from it all? The journalist who has secrets to keep and is a ball of nerves? The writer who keeps to herself and disappears constantly? One can never tell! I have thought about annoying the guest by making them pay for their stay in my house. It may be a good idea. Let them buy the food by themselves if they eat a lot or contribute to your electricity bill. Try to convey that nothing is free and your kindness has limit. Don’t afraid to cost them a little of money. I think this way can work for you. 10. Assign Them Chores

When Does a Houseguest Become a Tenant?

The stage is set for couples seeking the perfect getaway weekend from the trials of daily life in upstate New York surrounded by the Catskills and Mother Nature on sporatic hormones. It's the getting there that should have alerted our characters that this is going to be the most challenging weekend of their lives. Traveling on roads with zero visibility may be the death of them. Perhaps. And then the electricity goes out. Cut off from the outside world, the guests are thankful to have such cozy accommodations. But then one of the guests turns up dead. With access to the lodge unpassable, the guests must face the fact that there are only two options: one of them is a murderer, or there is an unknown, extra guest at the lodge… Proving that time periods may change but people do not, Lapena delivers a solid whodunit with an ending that would make Dame Christie proud.” However, I loved the premise of An Unwanted Guest so I thought I’d give it a go. An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena: Plot

A] well-sculpted domestic thriller . . . highly suspenseful . . . Twists are subtly revealed with aplomb, taking the story to increasingly unpredictable levels.” This murder mystery gave me all the CLUE vibes and I loved it so much! A large cast of characters trapped in a remote hotel during a snowstorm with no electricity or cell service? Yeah, sign me up.An Unwanted Guest is very well written and a fast paced read! The story started out similar to Agatha Christi's And Then There Were None with many characters to keep up. Not very original in my opinion, but I still enjoyed the read nonetheless. Each character has the potential to be the killer and I like that I couldn't guess who it was. I love that twist at the end. This is my first read from the author but it won't be the last. I highly recommend everyone to read this book! The setting for this is a family-run hotel where our guests go to escape from the world, reconnect within their relationships and unwind. This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I found the premise and initial setup thoroughly intriguing. Just like the best Golden Age mysteries, there is a limited set of suspects, and everyone is acting questionable and hiding something. In fact, the cover of the book compares this to Agatha Christie, which is high aspiration indeed. This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.

For example, say you open your home to a friend who needs a place to stay and your friend generously offers to give you some money to defray expenses. Great, you think—that makes life a bit easier. Not so fast. If you accept money in exchange for allowing a person to stay with you, that person might be considered your tenant under state law—even without a written lease or rental agreement.Young girls may get this tip immediately. How many young men following you? Do you hate them? If that, you can try to learn how to get rid of unwanted house guests by turning off your charm instead of trying to enchant him. It means that you have to be less beautiful than you are. Men love you when you are cute and beautiful, so when he comes, why don’t you pretend ugly and you can make him run away politely. 3. Limit Talking With Them Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Shari Lapena, publisher Penguin, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest. What about a little white lie? Let the unwanted houseguests know that you have already promised to share the beds with a group of freeloaders. Therefore, there is no empty room for them. However, be careful because your unwanted guests may know them. 12. Annoy Them

As the guests arrive at the beautiful, remote Mitchell's Inn, they're looming forward to a relaxing weekend in the forest miles from anywhere. I tried to fill in my reading with the audio version on a long drive and I don’t recommend listening to this one. The narrator has an odd robotic cadence and I agree with the reviewer who said it was like being read to by Siri. SHARI LAPENA delivers an atmospheric, appealing and cleverly written read here that has an old-fashioned whodunit storyline, a huge cast of characters and an extremely eerie and haunting setting. Even though this book has several characters in it I was never confused in who was who or had any trouble in keeping them all straight. And without spoiling, I have to say the very last chapter left me with a grin of pleasure on my face. It was perfect! The last little twist left me giddy with excitement. I can’t wait for readers to discover this book! The useful way to get rid of the intention of unwelcome houseguests is annoying them. If they would like to go to bed early, make a lot of noise or play the music loud. Prepare some foods to which they are allergic. They will understand that it’s difficult for them to be in harmony. I am sure that they will be fed up with staying with you and want to leave immediately. 13. Just Tell Them To LeaveFirst, you should apologize and tell them that you do not want to be impolite. Try not to be rude. Then, convey your feelings so your guests understand that you have done hanging out. 14. Limit Their Access To Your Computer Shari Lapena wraps An Unwanted Guest in icy, treacherous roads, power outages, howling winds, snapped off tree branches, and oh by the way.....MURDER. Thank you to Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. But the storm is unrelenting - the snow has not stopped falling and soon the roads are not drive-able. The guests and the owner and his son are trapped at the Inn for the weekend! Everyone remains in good spirits. They will make the most of it! They enjoy some drinks and make small talk in the lobby. Everyone goes to bed with hopes of still enjoying their weekend until the next morning when a body is found! It appears their relaxing weekend will not be so relaxing after all.