The Perfect Housemate by Lorna Dounaeva
Genre: Domestic thriller
Read: 26th March 2024
Published: 28th March 2024
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
You let her in. You shouldn’t have…
I was so nervous about someone new joining our house share; after everything that happened with my parents, my friends are like my family. Our imperfect but well-loved house is the only place where I can be myself. But when Poppy knocks on our door, blonde hair, wide eyes and a friendly smile, we all agree she’s a perfect fit. I just wish I could shake the feeling that I’ve seen her before…
At first, everything runs smoothly. But one day, Poppy arrives home with my housemates in tow. She says she ‘forgot’ to invite me to the movie. My stomach drops. As she sidles up to my friends, I’m gripped by a familiar panic. If Poppy is from my past, will she turn my friends against me? Will she tell them the secret I’ve so carefully buried?
I feel like Poppy’s watching my every move. My home used to be the place where I felt most comfortable. But as she places a delicious home-cooked meal in front of me, I don’t even feel safe eating here.
I have to find out who she really is, and what she wants.
And when I do, will she realise too late which one of us is truly dangerous?
An absolutely gripping page-turner about the dark secrets harboured by the people closest to us. Fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and Sally Hepworth won’t be able to put down The Perfect Housemate!
MY THOUGHTS:
You let her in...you shouldn't have...
A delightful domestic thriller with an air of toxicity that just reels you in. This is a quick and easy read that I devoured in one sitting, despite its rather annoying characters.
June and her housemates - Tamsin, Kimmy and Flick - are struggling to make the rent, pay the bills and feed themselves in their spacious Clapham house. So they decide to advertise for a fifth housemate.
Enter Poppy. Almost at once she falls in love with the house and the basement room they have prepared for her. June had painted it a sunny yellow that she found welcoming but soon after moving in Poppy had gone over the walls with a deep aubergine colour. The effect was rather creepy but somewhat stunning coupled with the fairy lights she adorned the room with.
It isn't long before strange things begin to happen though everyone thinks that June is just being paranoid as she seems intent on the fact that Poppy has taken an instant dislike to her. From her missing library card to to her stolen bike to her profile being added to random datig sites, June is sure Poppy is behind the incidents. And then when the entire household goes down with gastroenteritis after eating June's beef stew, except Poppy of course who refused to eat it on the grounds she hates mushrooms, June begins to wonder if Poppy had somehow poisoned the stew that made them all ill. But no one wants to hear June's accusations.
Then Kimmy comes home excitedly sporting an engagement ring after her boyfriend Ralph had popped the question. Soon she begins planning her wedding and she insists all the housemates are her bridesmaids. But first, the hen do...which turns out to be a week in Mykonos!
But June won't be going to the Greek island with them because she will have met a fate that will preclude her from the event. But as she hears her housemates start the day and ge ready for their holiday, she tries to alert them to her whereabouts...but will they hear her in time?
OK so most of the characters were pretty annoying and not many had any redeeming qualities. And yet it was pretty clear that the most obvious suspect wasn't the one behind it all. I kind of had it figured out but it still didn't ruin my enjoyment.
An addictive read from the start with several twists to keep you guessing.
I would like to thank #LornaDounaeva, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePerfectHousemate in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Lorna lives in Surrey with her husband and three children, who keep her busy wiping food off the ceiling and removing mints from USB sockets.
Social Media links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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