Laila and her husband arrive for a week’s luxury holiday at the exclusive White Sands resort on a stunning but tiny Greek island.

They’re in desperate need of a reset on their relationship. As Laila sits by the pool, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another family staying in the resort.

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Em has no idea who Laila is, or that she has been watching her and her teenage sons and husband so intently.

Five days later Em’s world is blown apart by a horrifying event. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she’s seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. And what if she’s got it wrong?

My Review

I am sorry to say that I really didn’t like Laila. I have two children and four grandchildren, so I can’t possibly understand how she feels about not being able to have any, but her fixation is blowing her marriage apart. Her husband James wants to stop after five failed IVF attempts, her family and friends also think she should give it a break for a while. The devastation following each failure is taking its toll on them and their relationship.

So James decides to use their savings to take Laila on a five star holiday to the Greek island of Ixos. The hotel is unimaginable luxury, everything should be perfect. Laila is angry that he spent the money reserved for the next round of IVF on the trip, but James felt they needed the reset.

Then Laila becomes obsessed with a family staying at the resort – mum Em, husband Rob, and two teenage boys Isaac and Theo. Laila calls it ‘people watching’ – some (me included) would call it stalking. Is it because they have children? Or because they are rich? Or is it something else? I found Laila’s behaviour rather odd and a bit creepy.

Then tragedy strikes and a body is found floating in the pool. At this point, I would have thought that the hotel would be totally evacuated, and the guests found alternative accommodation. But maybe it’s because there could be a killer amongst them that they have to stay put – if the death was suspicious that is. Not much of a happy holiday. I hope they got a refund.

Poor Em. I really liked her, and Rob is such a supportive person. Even if he is a bit uptight and boring – he’s better than James, who’s starting to look like he’s not all Laila thinks he is. What secrets does he have, secrets that never came out before they married ten years ago. She never spends time with his family – he keeps them apart. What could they tell her?

Because she has spent time hanging around Em’s villa, Laila has information that might tell the police what happened. If she’s got it right that is. And how can she tell Em without being accused of stalking her, which she is.

‘Oh what a tangled web we weave
‘When first we practice to deceive,’ (It sounds very Shakespearean, however it actually comes from Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, writer of novels, plays, and poems.)

But I digress. I think this quote most definitely applies to Laila. In fact the more everyone lies – and she is not the only one – the deeper the hole they dig themselves into.

The Other Guest is a story full of murder, secrets, lies, misunderstandings, twists, obsession and stalking. Of marriages falling apart, and insurmountable grief. It’s a fabulous holiday read – honestly!

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the Author

Multiple Sunday Times bestselling growing brand author for Century, with over 580K copies of her books – Now You See Her, Come Back For Me, Three Perfect Liars, The Whispers – sold to date.

Heidi’s debut novel Now You See Her was selected for the 2019 Richard and Judy Book Club and was optioned for TV from the production company behind BBC One’s ‘The Miniaturist’. She is a graduate of the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative Online Novel Writing Course and lives with her family in Bournemouth.

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