Publication Date: January 28, 2025
In the vein of Lucy Foley’s chilling, atmospheric mysteries, a compulsive, psychological thriller about a group of old university friends whose seaside reunion will end in betrayal and murder.
Five old friends . . . One reunion to die for
After years apart, old college friends Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon reunite in idyllic Dorset, for a weekend at Aline’s beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. It should be the perfect chance to relax, rekindle friendships, and meet each other’s partners; plus, there’s a sitter to watch the kids.
What most of the guests don’t know, however, is that Aline has called them all together for a reason: someone has threatened to expose the dark crime they committed at university. Long ago, these old friends swore one another to silence, and have never spoken of the deed since. But now, menacing postcards have begun to appear—and Aline is convinced it’s one of them turning on the rest.
In Liza North’s propulsive and unsettling dual timeline narrative, truths emerge, secrets surface, and long-simmering grudges explode—and by the end of this reunion weekend, at least one of them will be dead . . .
It’s been almost two decades since a group of five friends has gathered, but a reunion takes a sinister turn.
Author Liza North delivers a psychological thriller with The Weekend Guests. United by a shared secret, someone is determined to bring it into the open.
The story unfolds rather slowly, so it takes a bit for the action to begin. The author uses the past/present timeline shift to build the characters. As with any university friend group, the stereotypical roles are represented. Aline still holds court as the leader, but even though the friends have led separate lives, they still have unresolved issues under the surface.
Those unresolved issues provide an interesting angle to the story, especially when jealousy and lies resurface. The isolated atmosphere sets a sinister tone that sets the mood.
The Weekend Guests serves up a reunion tale that ramps up the tension until it spills over with devastating consequences.
Liza North is a writer, academic and former journalist. Her first Scottish-based psychological thriller, Obsessed, was long-listed for the UK Crime Writers’ Association ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in 2024. Educated at Oxford University and University College London, she has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, and spoken at literary and crime writing festivals including Bloody Scotland. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters.
