B. A. Paris may very well lay claim to the title “Queen of the Domestic Thriller.” Her often twisty, deftly plotted novels have been translated into numerous languages, so her impact on readers around the globe is significant. THE GUEST is her latest effort, and once again she is able to dig into the secrets, shame and sometimes homicidal behavior that may exist beneath the surface of modern domestic life.

British couple Iris and Gabriel are returning home after a much-needed vacation. Gabriel is a surgeon currently on leave from his job due to a traumatic incident he experienced. He came upon the broken body of Charlie Ingram, a young man he knew from town and liked immensely. Charlie had crashed his bicycle at the nearby quarry, and there was nothing Gabriel could do but hold him as the life drained out of him. Charlie’s last words to Gabriel: “Tell Mum I love her.”

"Paris strings you along with bits of new information to keep your mind racing towards a possible outcome. But trust me, you won’t get there before she does."

Still feeling out of sorts, Iris and Gabriel open their front door to find that someone has been there and still could be squatting at that moment. It ends up being Iris’ best friend, Laure, who has a key to their house just as they have one to her and her husband Pierre’s place in Paris. The couples are extremely close, so it makes no sense why Laure is there without Pierre. She reluctantly confesses that they are spending some time apart after she learned that Pierre had fathered a daughter with another woman. Iris and Gabriel tell Laure that she can stay as long as she wants. Gabriel indicates that he will try reaching out to Pierre on his own.

Curiously, Laure is especially clingy with Iris, barely giving her a moment to breathe. Gabriel leaves several messages for Pierre but does not get an immediate reply. When he eventually does, it is cryptic and indicates that Pierre is not ready to talk to anyone yet. Meanwhile, Iris, who is a home decorator, takes Laure to a house on the other side of town that she has had her eye on for a while. They meet the new owners, Esme and Hugh, and their gardener friend, Joseph.

The couples become fast friends, and Gabriel even hires Joseph on a part-time basis to assist with his own home garden project. It is at this point that Paris turns back the alleged picture of domestic normalcy and pulls the rug out from everyone involved. Iris learns that Gabriel has been putting off a meeting with Charlie’s mother, which was requested through her grief counselor. Gabriel cannot bring himself to admit that he had misrepresented what Charlie’s last words were to him.

With that guilt hanging over him, Gabriel must tread lightly around other issues that begin sprouting up. There is the possibility of Joseph, who they learn used to have a violent drinking problem, starting an affair with Laure. Iris claims to have even seen them arguing at one point. While Gabriel still has no success in setting up a meeting with Pierre, Laure says she is going to back to Paris for the weekend to see him. She returns surprisingly quickly, indicating that Pierre never showed up. Something definitely does not seem right, and Iris and Gabriel each have their own thoughts on the matter.

THE GUEST then takes a sudden dark shift that includes a completely unexpected body count. As more secrets start to emerge, the situation turns explosive. Paris strings you along with bits of new information to keep your mind racing towards a possible outcome. But trust me, you won’t get there before she does. In fact, my blood is still a bit icy from the chilling final words of this clever novel.