An Unwanted Guest
A luxurious mountain lodge in the snow-kissed Catskills, roaring fireplaces, a well-stocked cellar, and the promise of a perfect winter escape. Mitchell's Inn offers an idyllic retreat from the world, a place where you can truly unwind... until the world outside vanishes entirely.
A brutal blizzard sweeps in, severing power, phones, and all hope of leaving. The handful of guests, initially embracing their cozy isolation, soon discover their paradise is a prison. A sudden death looks like a tragic accident. Then another guest falls victim.
Panic spreads as the horrifying truth emerges: someone inside is hunting them. Trapped by the storm, cut off from help, these strangers must brave not only the freezing wilderness but the deadly secrets of their fellow survivors. Who is the killer? And will anyone escape Mitchell's Inn alive?
- Gwen - Riley’s friend
- Riley - Gwen’s friend, war correspondent
- David - Criminal attorney
- Lauren - Ian’s girlfriend
- Ian - Lauren’s boyfriend
- Beverly - Henry’s wife
- Henry - Beverly’s husband
- Dana (Dani) - Matthew’s fiancée
- Matthew - Dana’s fiancé
- Candice - Author
- Bradley - Mitchell’s Inn employee
- James - Owner of Mitchell’s Inn, Bradley’s father
- Margaret Sorensen - Police sergeant
- Guests arrive at Mitchell’s Inn and quickly get snowed in.
- Beverly is hoping the weekend away will fix her marriage but Henry no longer loves Beverly.
- Riley has PTSD from being a war correspondent.
- The power goes out.
- Lauren finds Dana dead at the bottom of the main staircase.
- David thinks Dana’s head wound looks intentional and not accidental.
- Riley remembers that four years ago David was arrested - and released - for the bludgeoning death of his wife.
- Beverly tells the group that she heard Dana and Matthew arguing the night before Dana died.
- Beverly sees texts on Henry’s phone that prove he’s having an affair.
- Bradley and David find Candice strangled to death in her room.
- Riley runs out into the snow and the others are unable to find her.
- Bradley is found dead in the snow with a head wound.
- The power comes back on.
- Henry is found dead with no visible signs of injury.
- Sergeant Sorensen and her team arrive at Mitchell’s Inn.
- Police find Riley’s body in the snow and believe she succumbed to the weather.
- Police find one of Lauren’s earrings near where Bradley was killed and they arrest her.
- Lauren pushed Dana down the stairs and slammed her head on the bottom step because Dana knew Lauren had killed a kid by pushing him off a roof when they were teenagers in a group home, and Lauren was afraid she would tell Ian.
- When Lauren got a note saying ‘i saw what you did to Dana’ she thought it was from Candice, so Lauren strangled her with her own scarf.
- Lauren realized that Bradley wrote the note, so she bludgeoned him with a boot scraper.
- Beverly killed Henry by putting Lauren’s sleeping pills into his scotch, knowing that his death would likely be blamed on Lauren.
I love a good snowed-in thriller, and Shari Lapena never disappoints when it comes to untangling lies. The setup here works so well, stranding a group of guests in a remote hotel during a massive winter storm. Practically everyone staying there has something to hide, and jumping between multiple points of view with short chapters keeps the medium pace steady and claustrophobic.
The story is driven far more by internal suspicion than loud, nonstop action. With so many people carrying private secrets and no way out, watching the mutual paranoia build behind closed doors keeps the tension high. The first major twist lands well, but that final twist right at the end was what really sealed it.
If you like snowbound thrillers, multi-POV paranoia, and sharp final twists, then you will enjoy this book.
- Dana - Dead - Pushed down the stairs by Lauren
- Candice - Dead - Strangled by Lauren
- Bradley - Dead - Bludgeoned by Lauren
- Henry - Dead - Overdosed on sleeping pills slipped into his drink by Beverly
- Riley - Dead - Frozen to death in the snow
- Lauren - Alive - Under arrest for the murder of Bradley
- Murder
- Rape
- Suicide
ISBN: 9780525557647
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
