I really enjoyed this mystery about a group of strangers stranded in a small inn during a snowstorm. It is fair to say this pays homage to Agatha Christie’s “And then there were None.” I started reading Christie in high school and pretty much had read all of her books by the time I finished college. Her plotting was impeccable and I loved her protagonists, but her actual style was less compelling to me than Lapena’s. Lapena makes the story her own with characters you connect to, interrelationships with backstories that matter, and red herrings that are dropped deftly. I love that Lapena ties the whole story up with a review — a la Poirot — of all the hints that would have led us to the actual killer if we eliminated the misleading parts. Definitely a fun read.
An Unwanted Guest – Shari Lapena
Published by Emily Leader
I have been an avid reader since Dick and Jane met Sally. At age 7, I read my parents' first edition of "To Kill a Mockingbird." I am a retired lawyer and so read almost only fiction for pleasure. I'm adding in nonfiction these days, largely on social justice matters but also history, biography, and weird topics that catch my imagination. I used to read only serially, one book at a time. Presently, I read paperbacks, hardcovers, listen to audible, listen to CDs and read online through Net Galley. Covid-19 has caused me to read a lot so I have re-upped my Goodreads challenge for 2021 and am starting to review at least my favorite finds annd, perhaps, some stinkers. View all posts by Emily Leader
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They Called me Bookworm 