Josie was sure she heard the pounding of footsteps behind them, and she turned to see what was hunting them. There was nothing, no one—just the house bathed in nighttime shadows. Abby is jogging late one night on a dirt road lined with tall cornstalks when she hears gun shots ring out on the hot August night… On the downside, there are too many characters and too many perspectives. I also thought that the little girl seemed much older and wiser than her age, adding a layer of unbelievability. The ending was over-the-top and dragged a bit. At the same time, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions. We may exclude any visitor where we believe it to be necessary for the health, safety, or welfare of others, or to protect our property.

There are two timelines and I enjoyed the earlier timeline the most. The present day timeline was interesting, for the most part, but towards the end of the story, I liked it less and less. Too many coincidences and dumb things done. But worst of all for me was Wiley. I didn't care for her hysterics (I'm not saying whether they were justified or not). Wiley doesn't seem very good at interacting with people and her voice acting made her come across as a shrill shrew. I felt like she'd be abrasive if I was reading the story so I think the narration would have worked better for me if the acting was toned down. Too much Wiley was not a good thing for me. Fully realized, wholly absorbing and almost painfully suspenseful...The journey is mesmerizing.” — New York TimesWe should be notified if you intend to have an overnight visitor via the Overnight Visitor Request Form. This thriller is so atmospheric! Three different timelies and all were equally as creepy! Each one being as captivating as the next! I was completely clueless as to how these could even tie in with each other...they seemed unrelated..but they must...right?! A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf.

One of the narratives takes place during the hot Summer of 2000. This story revolves around 12-year-old Josie, who witnesses a horrific crime. If you have a visitor staying between three to seven nights, we’ll issue them a guest key. It’s important that you never give your keysto any visitors. True crime author Wylie Lark is snowbound in an old farmhouse in Burden writing about that crime which happened twenty-two years ago… Thank you, Easter Bunny,” the girl crowed like the child on the candy commercials that she’d seen on television. They both laughed. As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls — and haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child outside in the snow. Bringing the child inside to warmth and safety, she searches for answers. Will she be able to protect the child, and herself, from the dangers lurking outside long enough to be able to reach help? Heather Gudenkauf has been on my must-read list for years. The comments Carol Fitzgerald made about THE OVERNIGHT GUEST in the Bookreporter newsletter got me even more excited than usual for her latest thriller. I am pleased to report that not only was I not disappointed, it is easily one of the most addictive novels I have read in quite a while. And Randy. He’d been so distant, so busy lately. Not only was Randy helping his parents out on their farm, but he was also in the process of refurbishing another old farmhouse with half a dozen decrepit outbuildings, a hog confine, and trying to tend to his own crops. She barely saw him during the daylight hours.

Wylie pressed her fingers to her throat as if she could pry away its cold grip. Night had finally found her unprepared, and Wylie felt she might suffocate. A twenty year old double murder. A mother and child being held captive. And a woman snowed in during a horrific snowstorm who finds a near frozen boy outside her home. Where did he come from? Where are his parents? And how are these three narratives connected?These seemingly unconnected storylines come together in some surprising ways in the end. I liked the twists the author created and the winter setting that made me shiver and presented the perfect atmosphere for the present day storyline. This is contrasted with the thread from 2000, which takes place during a sweltering summer. The stark difference between the two makes for a very atmospheric tale. Nothing is scarier than a winter storm in the middle of no where and coming across a random person that you then have to let into your house. That sounds like my worst nightmare. But that is exactly what happens in this book. Queue shudders. Sometimes what you believe is not always the truth. And the truth.....well, it's far more than the human mind can handle.