The Last House Guest: A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

This book was exciting and well written. The characters were well written and each character has their own story that came together in the end. The story has an exciting twist at the end.

This is a great read, especially for autumn, when it all takes place as the summer season is winding down in Maine and the local workers hold their annual party at one of the cottages. But last year Avery’s best friend died at that party, and now everything has to be faced, which means uncovering what really happened that night. Soon Avery is all on her own as she tries to uncover the truth, and when the revelations start to hit, one after another, they leave you reeling with the character, to where she doesn't know who to believe or to trust. I have no idea if the author has worked in this position of looking after cottages, or if she’s ever navigated that tricky territory of a local person among affluent summer visitors, but she delivers much insight into that situation. The subtleties of gestures, expectations, boundaries, and fashion are all perfectly explored, without resorting to clichés. The narrator’s the outsider who can give us an honest view, and she pays careful attention. Chapter to chapter, past to present, everything is densely woven. Always pulling you on with new clues, mysteries, and details. As Avery tries to reconstruct what happened at a party through flashbacks, it gets a little repetitive, but each time more is revealed, with both the past and present shifting with each telling. And the twists keep coming, which keeps you reading, because now it matters even more.

I read this book for work, but I got to choose it from a list of unassigned books. I chose it because, well, I'm a thriller reader. Avid to the core. I read and write in this genre. There are good and not-so-good things about The Last House Guest. I'll compact them into two lists to better explain them. The Good 1. The plot moves quickly. I did not feel like I was stuck in a total quagmire, trying in vain to get out. The chapters are short enough and digestible for readers like me who have short attention spans. And, yeah, this is how a good thriller should be paced. 2. There are some relate-able characters. Faith is a minor character who plays an important role and comes off as infinitely more likable than the narrator, Avery. Connor is also relatively likable and believable. But we do not get to see a lot of Connor or Faith, Avery's two former friends. 3. The description of the scenery is vivid enough for me to get a clear idea of what fictional Littleport is supposed to look like. These passages are some of the best parts of the novel, in my opinion. On to the Not-So-Good Things 1. Some of the language gets repetitive. I don't think I've ever seen "fulcrum" used as often in a novel. 2. The language can get lofty. Even for an adult thriller novel, it comes off as excessive. I would suggest that the author tone down some of the word choices to make the book more accessible. Some readers might also find this to be a bit pretentious. 3. What the hell is with the concluding chapter?! First off, Detective Collins' demise is not at all fulfilling. The showdown between Avery, Parker, and Collins just feels like a blip, not a climax. Then to have Avery reveal she has been investing all along, setting herself up to survive her split with the Lomans... It didn't feel right. It kind of made me dislike Avery even more. At no point in the novel did I feel sorry for her, but I had hoped that she would leave Littleport for good in the end. 4. It's not that thrilling. The format feels repetitive. Avery goes somewhere she shouldn't. Avery hears odd noise. Avery sees shadowy figure. Lather, rinse, repeat. I'm divided on how I feel about this novel. Parts of it are really good, and parts of it are just... bland. I don't know. Maybe it caters better to a younger audience. But, if it is trying to do that, the elevated lexicon gets in the way.

In The Last House Guest, Megan Miranda crafts a gripping mystery set in the divided coastal town of Littleport, Maine. The story follows Avery Greer, whose summer friendship with wealthy visitor Sadie Loman turns tragic when Sadie is found dead under suspicious circumstances. While the police declare it a suicide, Avery is left grappling with grief and mounting suspicion from the community, where tensions between year-round residents and summer guests run high. As Avery confronts the aftermath of Sadie's death, she feels the weight of blame from those around her, including a local detective and Sadie's brother, Parker. Determined to clear her name and uncover the truth, Avery delves into her friend’s life, navigating a tangled web of relationships and hidden secrets. With the stakes rising and trust eroding, she realizes that someone knows more than they are letting on. Miranda's novel is filled with dizzying plot twists and unexpected revelations that keep readers on the edge of their seats. The Last House Guest is a smart, atmospheric read that not only captivates but also explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the lengths one will go to seek justice. With a strong female protagonist at its center, this thriller is sure to engage readers looking for a suspenseful and thought-provoking tale.

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda is gripping and unpredictable, and you know you cannot trust any of the characters. Avery Greer works for the Lomans, who own rental property in her small town, Littleport, Maine, which is a tourist attraction during summers. After going through some tough times, Avery was given the opportunity to work with the Lomans because their daughter Sadie took a shine to Avery, and became her best friend. This friendship was only for the summer months when the Lomans relocated to Littleport. It was an unlikely friendship that sparked strange rumours, but had held strong for ten years. Then one summer, as the season is drawing to a close, Sadie is found dead; her death ruled a suicide. A year later, Avery is still not over the incident and Sadie's brother and a police detective are suspicious of her. As Avery stumbles into one problem after another, she realizes that the police were too quick to close the case, and there is a strong possibility that Sadie was murdered. Unfortunately, the closer she tries to get to the truth, the more it seems to implicate her for the murder. The book is fast paced, with something new being revealed in every chapter, the narrative jumping back and forth between the two summers. The chain of events is such that you cannot trust anyone, not even the narrator herself, who seems to reveal something new in her story every time you think you know what happened. Though the real character of a town supposed to be dark and evil, never really comes through, I was relieved not to have to read through unlimited lines of prose dedicated to a town. Overall, a good, interesting book after a long time.

The whole story came together in the end. It all has to do with the ending. Never would have guessed who did it. definitely didn't guess correctly.

Worth reading

The Last House Guest is a mystery that takes place in a small New England Tourist Town. “Sadie” is found dead during the big end of the year party where tourists and locals join together to finish all the bottles left at the end of the season. But no one seems to remember what happened. Did she really commit suicide or was she murdered? A’s thoughts: No one is a suspect but everyone is suspicious. Miranda took an old concept of “a girl dies at a party” and put an interesting spin on it. Though I would not say there were dizzying plot twists as the cover suggests, it was a good book. She forces you to question not only those around town but also the main character herself, the relationships she had with her closest friends and the dynamics of a small tourist town. Bonus points given to any mystery book I can’t predict the ending to and this one definitely threw me. C’s thoughts: The Last House Guest was a good read. I finished it in 2 days! It was fast paced enough to keep me engaged but it wasn’t a book that I will keep talking about for weeks to come. Throughout the book you really weren't sure who you could or couldn’t trust as new information was revealed about the night of the party and I was constantly changing my “who-done-it”. In the end I was completely surprised! It reminded a little of Verity by Colleen Hoover in the way Miranda had you second guessing even the main character.