The Christmas Guest

A Novella

De: Peter Swanson

Narrado por: Esther Wane

“Delicious…I defy you to stop reading The Christmas Guest once you begin.”—New York Times Book Review

New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family’s Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village’s grim history.

Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma’s aloof and handsome brother.

But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she’d ever imagined?

Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.

©2023 Peter Swanson (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Really Great

I love all of Peter Swanson's books. But this was a particularly juicy one. It's written in an old school style but with a little bit of the Peter Swanson vicious spin. Also a great narration.

Loved

I love a twisted Christmas story. Very fun and entertaining. It’s a quick one, but packs a lot in. Great performance.

Swanson does it again

I love his twists and his insight into the darkest onslaughts of the human psyche.

Haunting Christmas Ghost Story

On the tradition of Christmas ghost stories, this is a haunting mystery with a satisfying twist!

Odd, unexpected short read, still some good Swanson in there

Not my favorite. Pretty out of left field for my favorite author. Definitely not his best. But still gotta love his writing style, the plot twists, and his characters. I was happy to read it.

A Holiday Thrillers Minus the Thrills

Not terrible but not good enough that I’d want to recommend it. I wish this had been a fleshed out a bit more. It needed more tension.

Fun quick festive read

Kept me wanting more! Would love to see a sequel. It’s ended in a way that people could interpret it totally different. What a fun book to dissect in a book club holiday meeting!

Meh just okay. Not worth a credit

I normally like Peter Swanson books but found this one fairly boring. The reveal/twist was different and surprisingly but not satisfactory and then the story just puttered.

Mediocre

The twist in this was interesting but that was about it. The writing felt like a man who does not understand young women. It contained so many stereotypes. The actual storyline made up 1/3 of the book and left out key details, while also adding in too many unnecessary details.

Great story; perfect length.

Peter Swanson has done it again; one of the best authors I’ve ever read!! Great plot!!