“It isn’t the dark you should be afraid of, the girl thought, it’s the monsters who step out into the light that you need to fear.”
The Overnight Guest is a 2022 bestselling thriller book by Heather Gudenkauf. Nominated for Best Mystery & Thriller in the Goodreads Choice Awards, the story follows true crime writer Wylie Lark who is snowed in at the isolated farmhouse she has retreated to write her latest novel. Years earlier, two people were murdered and a young girl vanished without a trace. With the storm outside worsening, Wylie soon finds herself trapped in with the secrets of the building, and within herself. Then, she discovers a small child wandering outside. Bringing her inside for some much-needed warmth and shelter, she soon realises that she isn’t as isolated as she first thought and that someone is willing to do whatever it takes to find her. If you’re in the mood for more tense atmospheres, domestic secrets and unexpected twists, join us at What We Reading for the best books like The Overnight Guest!
No Exit – Taylor Adams
We’re kicking off our list of books like The Overnight Guest with Taylor Adams’ No Exit. On her way to Utah to visit her dying mother, student Darby Thorne finds herself caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. She’s forced to hunker down in a remote highway rest stop. Inside, she finds a coffee maker, some vending machines and four strangers.
Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby steps back out into the storm and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car is a little girl, locked in an animal crate. Trapped in a terrifying position with a child’s life on the line, Darby is forced to work out which of her fellow travellers is a kidnapper, break the girl free and find a way of escaping.
The Family Upstairs (The Family Upstairs #1) – Lisa Jewell
Not long after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home to find the letter she has been waiting her whole life for. She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents but also that she is the sole inheritor of a grand mansion in the affluent Chelsea district in London. In an instant, everything about Libby’s life is upended.
Twenty-five years earlier, the police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. Upon their arrival, they discovered a healthy ten-month-old baby in her bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen were three dead bodies, dressed all in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. The four other children reported to live in the property were gone. One of the best Lisa Jewell books, The Family Upstairs is the perfect dark follow-up thriller for anyone who loved The Overnight Guest.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Family Upstairs
The Quiet Tenant – Clémence Michallon
Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a well-respected figure within the upstate New York community where he lives. He is the sort of man who lends a helping hand when he can and has a good word to say about everyone. But, Aidan also has a dark secret that he’s kept hidden from the town and those closest to him. He is a kidnapper and a serial killer. He has taken the lives of eight women and has his next victim, Rachel, imprisoned in a back garden shed for the past five years.
However, when his wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Cecilla, are forced to move. Aidan is forced to bring Rachel with them, introducing her to his daughter as a friend who is in need of a place to stay. As the three of them begin to settle within the boundaries of their new living situation a local restaurant owner named Emily begins to fall for the handsome widower, she finds herself inadvertently drawn into Rachel and Cecilla’s orbit. Similar to The Overnight Guest, The Quiet Tenant is a gripping thriller that delves into the effects of trauma, survival and the dynamics of power.
The Other Woman – Sandie Jones
Emily thinks that Adam is perfect. The sort of man she never thought she would meet. Yet, lurking in the shadows is a rival; a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves more than anything.
Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother, Pammie. There’s nothing that a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and Emily is soon about to find out just how far Pammie is willing to go to ensure she gets exactly what she wants: Emily to be gone permanently. Similar to The Overnight Guest, Sandie Jones’ The Other Woman is a deliciously twisted, fast-paced thriller about a woman’s struggle with a manipulative mother-in-law-to-be.
Every Last Secret – A.R. Torre
Cat Winthorpe has worked hard to get to where she is today. She has a gorgeous home, respect in her community and a successful, handsome husband, William. Then the friendly couple next door move in. The good neighbour that she is, Cat welcomes them in with open arms and a warm smile.
Neena Ryder isn’t quite the same level of socialite that Cat is. A life coach with off-the-rack dresses, deep personal issues and a husband who is a far cry from William, she’s desperate to climb the social ladder. But her new surroundings only reinforce all the things she doesn’t have in her own life, namely Cat’s husband. As Neena’s infatuation escalates to the point of obsession, so does her friendship with Cat. But, beneath the pleasantries is a wealth of temptations, secrets and toxic jealousy that author A.R. Torre slowly peels away in her tense drama, Every Last Secret.
Hidden Pictures – Jason Rekulak
Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she gets a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell, where she is set to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. She is immediately taken with the job. She gets her own living space, starts running at night and has the stability she has been craving for. Mallory also forms a bond with Teddy, who is a sweet but shy boy who never goes without his sketchbook. For the most part, his drawings are completely normal. Until one day, when he draws something eerily different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s corpse.
Teddy’s artwork soon becomes increasingly unnerving, with his stick figures rapidly evolving into lifelike sketches well beyond the abilities of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder whether these are glimpses into a long-unsolved murder, relayed through by a supernatural force. Aware of how crazy it sounds, she nevertheless embarks to decipher the drawings and save Teddy before it proves to be too late.
All The Dark Places (Detective Rita Myers #1) – Terri Parlato
Another one of the best thrillers from 2022 like The Overnight Guest, Terri Parlato’s All the Dark Places is a dark domestic mystery perfect for any fans of Heather Gudenkauf. Inside Molly Bradley’s home, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate her husband’s fortieth birthday. However, by the time morning rolls around, Molly discovers Jay’s body on the floor of his office with his throat brutally slashed.
Detective Rita Myers is brought in to investigate the crime and is immediately convinced that someone within this small social circle killed Jay. Someone who was there celebrating that night. Soon, however, a series of shocking revelations leave Molly questioning whether her husband was everything he seemed to be. And, until Molly works out who she can truly trust, she won’t be able to stop herself from becoming the next victim.
Check Out Our All The Dark Places Review
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
