The Other Guest

April 2, 2022

The latest from Cooper (The Downstairs Neighbor) features a niece drowned in suspicious circumstances; two players, not one, with false identities; a family torn apart but it's not clear why; and everybody hiding something. There are two story lines, with separate characters, and they connect only at the end of the book. A year ago, Joanna (a counselor) was headed for marriage. It fell apart and now she's met a bartender, Callum. He's appealing but elusive about his past --well, about everything. After a mysterious accident, he ends up in her apartment because he has nowhere else to go but she catches him out in lie after lie. Should she tell him to leave? The second story line features Leah (a lawyer) who is trying to come to terms with the death of her niece. She visits her sister's and brother-in-law's luxury holiday village in Italy and something's off. Her sister has migraines, her brother-in-law (whom she's never trusted) is secretive and controlling, her remaining niece is visibly falling apart. Eventually, Joanna's and Leah's stories connect, but how, when they've never even met before? VERDICT There's an audience for moody thrillers but this one is plodding and implausible.--David Keymer

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May 9, 2022
At the outset of this strong psychological thriller from Cooper (The Downstairs Neighbor), London lawyer Leah arrives at Il Mandarino Luxury Holiday Village on the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda. The exclusive resort is the dream of her sister Charlotte’s husband, Gordon Wynne, whose goal is to provide the ultimate getaway spot for the wealthy. It’s the first time Leah has returned since the drowning death of her 21-year-old niece, Amy, nine months earlier. She soon senses that something is dreadfully wrong within the family: no one speaks of Amy and photos of the young woman are no longer displayed. She resolves to find out what really happened. Meanwhile, back in England, Joanna Greenfield, the head of counseling services at the University of Derby, is wracked with guilt over the suicide of a student and is still reeling from her recent split from her long-term boyfriend. What is it that links Leah and Joanna’s lives? The complicated truth emerges with Scheherazade-like elegance from the viewpoints of Lean, Joanna, and Amy. Credible characters enhance the suspenseful plot. Cooper remains a writer to watch. Agent: Hellie Ogden, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (U.K.).

July 15, 2022
Three storylines involve the unexpected, suspicious death of a 21-year-old woman in Italy. Amy is--was--the 21-year-old daughter of a polished couple who run a luxurious Italian lakeside resort. Her sister, Olivia, is 17 and working hard to become the same kind of gracious, beautiful, focused hostess as their mother, Charlotte. Their father, Gordon, dreamed of creating a high-end resort, and now that he's managed it, his entire focus is on retaining it. Leah, Charlotte's sister, was very close with Amy and never truly grieved the loss of her niece. She's forced to take compassionate leave at work one calamitous day when everything boils over and her grief at Amy's death can no longer be contained. The first thread follows the last eight hours of Amy's life as she plots her secret escape from the resort to Scotland, where she will finally attend college. The second follows Joanna, the head of counseling services at an English university, who's putting her life back together after her long-term partner breaks up with her. The third follows Leah's visit to the resort nine months after Amy's death as she tries to process her feelings and find some answers despite being stymied at every turn. Author Cooper has created a twisty tale of darkness and light, calmness and storm, rigid facades and underlying messiness as the three storylines unfold independently before resolving together as one in an unexpected fashion. A thriller that relies on misdirection while dealing with issues of family, love, mental health, assault, and suicide.

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Starred review from July 1, 2022
Cooper follows Downstairs Neighbor (2021) with another difficult-to-put down thriller. Leah visits a resort on a lake in northern Italy that is owned and operated by her sister, her sister's husband, and the couple's daughter. Still coming to terms with the death of her sister's other daughter, Amy, who drowned a year before in unsettling circumstances, Leah is disconcerted to find that Amy seems to have been all but forgotten by the family--she is never mentioned, and no photographs of her are on display. Everyone is behaving suspiciously, and Leah is mysteriously threatened when she starts asking questions. The suspense builds at a steadily increasing pace, as does Leah's discomfort with her family's behavior. Meanwhile, back in England, Joanna, on the mend from the abrupt breakup of a long-term romance, finds herself drawn into an unsettling relationship with a handsome bartender, who seems to already know all about her. Both Leah and Johanna get caught up in what escalates into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Neither of them--they are complete -strangers--has any idea of the extent of the lies and deceptions that hide a terrible truth involving both of them. Brilliantly characterized, boldly plotted, and boasting an ending that readers will think they have figured out only to have everything turned around. The perfect vacation thriller.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2022
Cooper follows Downstairs Neighbor (2021) with another difficult-to-put down thriller. Leah visits a resort on a lake in northern Italy that is owned and operated by her sister, her sister's husband, and the couple's daughter. Still coming to terms with the death of her sister's other daughter, Amy, who drowned a year before in unsettling circumstances, Leah is disconcerted to find that Amy seems to have been all but forgotten by the family--she is never mentioned, and no photographs of her are on display. Everyone is behaving suspiciously, and Leah is mysteriously threatened when she starts asking questions. The suspense builds at a steadily increasing pace, as does Leah's discomfort with her family's behavior. Meanwhile, back in England, Joanna, on the mend from the abrupt breakup of a long-term romance, finds herself drawn into an unsettling relationship with a handsome bartender, who seems to already know all about her. Both Leah and Johanna get caught up in what escalates into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Neither of them--they are complete -strangers--has any idea of the extent of the lies and deceptions that hide a terrible truth involving both of them. Brilliantly characterized, boldly plotted, and boasting an ending that readers will think they have figured out only to have everything turned around. The perfect vacation thriller.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.