The Christmas Guest
On Liars Island, Christmas dinner is a meticulously staged affair. Beneath the sparkling decorations and the clinking of wine glasses, the family’s forced smiles hide a multitude of sins. For years, they've perfected the art of avoidance, especially when it comes to the unspoken tragedy of six Christmases past: the night their mother died.
But this year, an uninvited ghost from the past crashes the reluctant reunion. He’s asking questions, too many questions, about that terrible night. His presence cracks open old wounds and threatens to expose the meticulously guarded truths everyone thought were buried forever.
As a relentless storm rages, isolating them completely on the island, the veneer of festive cheer shatters. Trapped with a stranger who knows too much and a family riddled with secrets, the festive celebration turns into a chilling interrogation. Is the real danger the storm outside, the relentless guest, or the deadly truths lurking within their own blood?
- Marguerite - Turner’s wife, deceased
- Turner Wentworth - Marguerite’s husband, movie studio owner
- Mark - Turner’s assistant
- Rose - Wentworth family friend, lives on Liar’s Island
- Archie - Turner and Marguerite’s son, 31
- Nicole - Turner and Marguerite’s daughter, 31
- Cliff - Turner and Marguerite’s son, 31
- Noah Myers - Rose’s stepbrother, 31
- Ruby - Noah’s stepsister
- Frank - Ruby’s father, Noah’s stepfather
- Terri - Noah’s mother, Ruby’s stepmother
- Present: December 21, 2026
- Ten years ago when Archie, Nicole, Cliff and Noah were all at university together, Noah exposed the truth behind two murders on campus.
- He wrote a book about it called Murder on Hilltop Campus.
- Turner hires Noah to figure out which of his children murdered Marguerite.
- In 2020, Marguerite became trapped in the attic and died of dehydration while Archie, Nicole and Cliff slept in another building on the property. Police ruled it an accident, but Turner believes one of his children trapped her there on purpose.
- Turner invites Noah to spend Christmas with the siblings at his property on Liar’s Island.
- Noah turns down the offer, so Turner threatens to harm Noah and his family, forcing him to change his mind.
- 2020: Archie, Nicole and Cliff are staying with Marguerite during Covid lockdown.
- Marguerite tells them having children was her biggest regret, then kicks them out of the house and tells them to stay in the annexe.
- Present: Turner informs the children that he’s not coming to Liar’s Island for Christmas
- Noah arrives at Liar’s Island with Archie, Nicole and Cliff.
- 2026: Archie becomes enraged when he thinks that Noah is trying to write a book about Marguerite’s death.
- Archie literally throws Noah out of the house and Noah rolls down a hill, falls and blacks out.
- Noah makes his way back to the house and Cliff lets him in.
- On Christmas morning Nicole finds Rose’s body at the bottom of the stairs.
- Next to Rose’s body is a package of paracetamol but inside the package is ibuprofen which Rose was allergic to.
- Noah admits Turner sent him there to figure out which of the triplets killed Marguerite.
- Archie says he caught Rose killing Marguerite and admits they had been sleeping together for years.
- Archie heard Marguerite in the attic screaming for help and did nothing.
- Archie admits to switching the pills, knowing it would kill Rose.
- Archie says he’s going to kill Noah, so Noah runs out of the house and drives away.
- Noah crashes into the water and Cliff rescues him.
- Noah wakes up in the house to find Turner there.
- Turner thanks Noah for solving the mystery and says he is going to pin Rose’s murder on Noah.
- Six months later: Noah is in prison awaiting trial for Rose’s murder.
- Epilogue: Cliff tells Noah that he heard Nicole telling Archie that she is the one who locked Marguerite in the attic, not Rose.
- Archie killed Rose because he found out she was still sleeping with Turner.
- Turner goes missing while aboard his yacht, and Cliff believes one of his mistresses killed him.
- Cliff gets hold of CCTV footage from the Liar’s Island house and wants to take Archie’s confession to the police to free Noah.
A Christmas setting can add an extra layer of tension to a thriller, but this one never came together for me. The story moves between Marguerite’s perspective in the past and multiple perspectives in the present, gradually revealing how the past connects to the events unfolding at the house. There were a few well-executed twists along the way, and I appreciated how the different timelines slowly filled in the bigger picture.
My biggest issue was that the story was slow from beginning to end. I also struggled to connect with the characters. None of them were particularly likable, and the triplets were so unpleasant, even toward each other, that it was difficult to become invested in their relationships. Noah came across as awkward and bumbling throughout, while Cliff was an especially difficult character for me. Although he is thirty-one, the way he was written often made him seem much younger, and I found that characterization distracting.
I also felt like several subplots didn’t add much to the overall story. Noah’s relationship with his stepsister, Ruby, along with the smaller storylines involving Alistair and Dylan, felt more like filler than meaningful additions to the mystery. Instead of building tension or developing the characters in a satisfying way, they slowed the story even further.
There were moments where the mystery pulled me back in, particularly when some of the twists were revealed, but they weren’t enough to overcome the slow pacing or my lack of investment in the characters. The ending also felt rushed and ultimately unsatisfying, leaving me wishing the story had spent less time on unnecessary detours and more time delivering a stronger payoff.
If you like dual timelines, dysfunctional families, and Christmas-set thrillers, then you may enjoy this book.
- Marguerite - Dead - Died of dehydration after being locked in an attic by Nicole
- Rose - Dead - Killed by Archie
- Noah - Alive - In prison for Rose’s murder
- Turner - Unknown - Went missing, suspected murdered by one of his mistresses
- Murder
- Blackmail
- Drug use
- Emotional abuse
ISBN: 9781805504986
Publication Date: September 18, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
