The House Guest

December 12, 2022
This engrossing psychological thriller from Mary Higgins Clark Award winner Ryan (Her Perfect Life) thrusts Alyssa Macallen into a world where nothing is as it seems. Bill, Alyssa’s husband of eight years and “a big-deal charity fundraiser,” has left her for no apparent reason. She’s stonewalled by his lawyers and shunned by the members of the Weston, Mass., country club set who have always considered her to be a mere appendage to the famous and extremely wealthy Bill. Despondent and alone, Alyssa walks into a bar where she’s sure no one will recognize her. There she meets Bree Lorrance, a young woman with problems of her own. In need of a friend, Alyssa impulsively invites Bree to stay in her guest house. Then FBI agent Hattie Parker comes knocking at her door. It seems that most of Bill’s fundraising for charity went to line his own pockets, and the FBI thinks Alyssa was a party to the fraud. From that point on, Alyssa’s life spins out of control. Surprise after surprise follows, each of which sends the plot skittering off in a new direction. Ryan is a master of suspense. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, DeFiore & Co.

December 1, 2022
Alyssa Macallan's husband, Bill, abruptly abandoned their marriage, instantly dissolving her enviable social standing. She's still living in the couple's palatial home, but that's vulnerable to Bill's whims, too. Drowning her troubles at a bar, Alyssa meets Bree Lorrance, who's facing far worse problems, and Alyssa staves off her feelings of powerlessness by helping Bree. They bond quickly, and fate seems to reward Alyssa's efforts as her insistence that Bree reach out to her long-lost brother leads to a large inheritance. When the estate's executor, Desmond, shows an interest in Bree, she and Alyssa happily fold him into their circle. Alyssa's lonely life has been unexpectedly changed by these relative strangers who have become her closest friends. Fortune takes a turn, however, when she finds herself at the center of an FBI investigation into Bill's financial practices, and her new friends reveal frightening dark sides. Phillippi Ryan cultivates suspicion about everyone, including Alyssa, in a slow-burning start, and readers who enjoy twists will celebrate the switchback deceptions and Alyssa retaking the reins in this novel's final third.

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January 1, 2023

Ryan's (Her Perfect Life) latest is full of beautiful scenery, privileged characters, and twists and turns. One day, Alyssa Macallan is a devoted wife to her wealthy, difficult-to-please husband, Bill; the next day, she's cast aside. Alyssa is frightened that her devious soon-to-be-ex is trying to financially ruin and gaslight her. What she really needs is a loyal friend, and she finds one in Bree Lorrance. Alyssa offers her new friend a room in her guest house, and they quickly become close. Just in time for when the FBI shows up at Alyssa's door. When they start questioning Alyssa about her husband, Bree makes her an offer she can't refuse, one where they can potentially solve each of their problems. Can Alyssa and Bree trust each other, though? This cat-and-mouse story will have readers wondering who is the cat and who is the mouse. VERDICT The second half of Ryan's binge-worthy novel takes readers on a ride with a satisfying end. Seasoned suspense readers may find it predictable, but fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy.--Anna Kallemeyn

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