From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant comes the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong: two men lie dead in a suburban living room, two women are on the run from police, and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams.When Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party, she expects a certain amount of debauchery. She takes … amount of debauchery. She takes their young daughter to Manhattan for the evening, leaving her Westchester home to the men and their hired entertainment. What she does not expect is that the entertainment—two scared young women brought there by force—will kill their captors and drive off into the night.
With their house now a crime scene, Kristin’s and Richard’s life spirals into nightmare. Kristin is unable to forgive her husband for his lapses in judgement, or for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But for the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, the danger is just beginning.
more
Once again Chris Bohjalian proves to be a master storyteller!
Richard Chapman reluctantly agrees to host his younger brother Philip’s bachelor party at his own home. He suspects Philip’s friend Spencer may be hiring “strippers” for the occasion. What he doesn’t expect is two young women and their Russian bodyguards who show up at his door. Things escalate quickly from drinking, partying, sex and then suddenly to murder.
Richards home, as well as the home of his wife and daughter, becomes a crime scene covered in blood and gore with his life in turmoil. What was to be a simple bachelor party ends up threatening his marriage and his career.
Alexandra shares her history in alternating chapters as the current disaster unfolds. Through her we learn of the many hushed cruelties visited upon young girls forced into the sex trade.
Although fiction, the author’s in-depth research into child sex trafficking gives us an eye-opening account of this excrutiating reality.
It is easy to see why Chris Bohjalian is a favorite author of mine. His storytelling is incredibly compelling and with each and every novel of his, that I have read so far, I am totally captivated by his brilliant writing.
The ending left me with some unanswered questions, but all in all, another wonderfully written thriller from Chris Bohjalian. The subject matter in particular disturbed me, but that’s a good thing in this case. People are justifiably outraged about slavery and its legacy in this country, but I think sometimes in all the debates we forget that slavery is still with us and still part of our economy. It’s more comfortable to think sex trafficking and other forms of slavery are things that happen overseas or in the past, far away from here, but this book and a couple others I’ve read recently have covered the issue of modern day slavery in the United States. What I particularly liked about this story is how Bohjalian skillfully shifts point of view and shows a variety of reactions, evoking empathy for the principal characters in the story, at least the ones who deserve the readers’ compassion. There are several twists I didn’t anticipate, which I always appreciate about his books. I felt deeply for the main character and how she suffered–he did a wonderful job with her perspective and the other women’s POVs. I also appreciated the redemptive arc for the primary male character. Bohjalian’s deft treatment of the sex trade in this country and its sometimes devastating effects on all involved left me with a lot to ponder
A Book Club read about human trafficking & kidnapping of young girls he’s a great writer has new book out now
I’m not sure what the title means, but this is a wonderful thriller that starts with a bachelor party gone wrong. Fascinating.
Chris Bohjalian delivers a real page turner but that certainly does NOT mean this is an easy read.
Two stories unfold. The first is about a bachelor party that goes seriously wrong. And how that one evening then threatens the lives of an ordinary family — where each member must suddenly face his/her worst fears. It’s a powerful demonstration of how vulnerable we all are because any life can be altered dramatically by a single event. The second story is of a young Armenian girl who, through no fault of her own, becomes a sex slave.
The descriptions of the brutality she is submitted to is so difficult to read that there were times I had to put the book down and take a break. And the psychological suffering both she and the family suffer is intense. So, just be ready for it.
A bachelor party turns into a bloody mess. I binged this read in 2 days, sleepless nights. My body was still jarred days after finishing it. Stunning perfection!
Violence, immorality, guilt, paranoia, evil–just too dark for me.
This was a very riveting and gripping read for me. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out which way this situation would turn. I think it’s a situation that could most definitely happen and just like this, has happen to many people. What I mean to say, you go into a situation thinking it’ll just be a fun time and it turns into a complete horror story. A bachelor party, a couple of strippers, a night of fun. Well, you never could prepare yourself for what actually happens in this story. However, this is also a bit more about a marriage, expectations, trust and family. Also, this was a prime example of how low some will get when backed up against the wall. Morals and ethics are a struggle with all of these characters.
I was not expecting the ending and was overcome with emotions at the outcome. There were a couple of characters I would have like to put them in their place. Philip and Spencer were total slime-balls and I had many words in my head with them. The narration in the audio book was very good and depicted the characters and situations very well. Story with consequences, executed very nicely.
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fiction
2016
The book exceeded my initial expectations. This is the first book I’ve read written by this author. The story begins immediately without much fluff to pull you into the plot and toy with your emotions. This well-written novel explores the concepts of sex trafficking, violence, and crime as it unfolds “innocently” at a bachelor party in an upper class New York home.
The story vacillates between the main story and the personal narration by one “sex slave” offering details to her disturbing and tragic family life.
This book might not be for everyone. It does handle the horrific topic of sex trafficking in a palatable fashion. The topic was weaved into this story and not the story itself. The end result is a reminder that life is precious and people can be resilient under the most extreme situations.
Well written and thought provoking.
How a bachelor party can turn on “the nice guy”.
A very play-it-by-the-rules, nice family man hosts a bachelor party at his home that is planned by his brother. The strippers kill their bodyguards. The strippers were already living a nightmare and now so is this man’s family. This book is intense and something you will not soon forget.