A review by oceanwriter
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book hadn’t been on my radar at all but I was in the mood for a short Christmas read and this one sounded intriguing. 
 
Having no place to go for Christmas Ashley is invited to her friend Emma’s family home for the holidays. Ashley hopes for a magical trip to the English country and maybe even find some romance. She instantly has eyes for Emma’s brother, Adam, and comes to think he might be attracted to her as well. As for the rest of Emma’s family, she’s put off and intimidated by them. 
 
Choosing to make the best of things, she keeps her focus on Emma and Adam, but things grow tense when people around town start talking about how much she looks like a girl who had been murdered earlier that year. Making matters worse, she finds out that Adam is the prime suspect despite his alibi. 
 
While the plot was intriguing, I couldn’t start Ashley, making the section of the book with her journal entries excruciating after a whole. If not for the mystery and short length of the book I might not have continued, but I’m glad I kept reading. The second part of the book picks up immensely and answers a lot of questions. A good mystery to read/listen to in one sitting. 
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