WINNER OF THE 2020 MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD
The latest thriller from the internationally bestselling author of The Lake of Dead Languages and The Other Mother, a story of mistaken identities and missed chances, forgiveness, and vengeance.
“Carol Goodman is, simply put, a stellar writer.”—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Hunter
ALICE gets off a bus in the middle of a … Times bestselling author of The Red Hunter
ALICE gets off a bus in the middle of a snowstorm in Delphi, NY. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and desperate to protect…
OREN, ten years old, a major Star Wars fan and wise beyond his years. Though Alice is wary, Oren bonds nearly instantly with…
MATTIE, a social worker in her fifties who lives in an enormous run-down house in the middle of the woods. Mattie lives alone and is always available, and so she is the person the hotline always calls when they need a late-night pickup. And although according to protocol Mattie should take Alice and Oren to a local shelter, instead she brings them home for the night. She has plenty of room, she says. What she doesn’t say is that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died thirty years ago at the age of ten.
But Mattie isn’t the only one withholding elements of the truth. Alice is keeping her own secrets. And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman’s past will prove itself unburied, stirring up threats both within and without.
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Goodman is a wonderful writer and always dives deep into her characters. This one has a touch of the supernatural— which I always love. A great story, propulsive and moving.
If you love well-written books with a social message, and are not spooked by the slightly paranormal, like me, you will love this story. You won’t see the twists coming.
Another great book from Carol Goodman, long one of my favourite authors. A woman and her son on the run from an abusive partner. A small town. A snowstorm. A woman with secrets of her who takes them in. Genuinely moving.
Got too convoluted and weird towards the end
Read it quickly which is a good sign for a mystery
Carol Goodman is another new author for me. This book kept surprising me, especially at the end. Not sure what turned me off at the beginning but I’m glad I pushed through because she pulled off a great twisted ending. I’ll be looking for more books by this author. A good read!
Not your typical Carol Goodman read, yet this departure shows just how talented a writer Goodman is. Fast paced, well written, with fully realized characters and a developed plot with its own share of usual Goodman surprises.
Dark. Way Upstate New York. I like the author’s writing style. Dark without being too terrifying.
Loved this book! Couldn’t put it down. First time reading Goodman and won’t be my last. I loved the supernatural element, and was more than okay with her political views being injected into the plot. Was a quick and page-turning read.
Carol Goodman is brilliant..and this twisty emotional riveting book will prove why she is the queen of suspense. Not to be missed!
The Night Visitor’s by Carol Goodman is the latest chilling psychological thriller from this author. I was offered a copy of the book for review from the publisher. Now that we got all that out of the way, I need to tell you how I felt about this book.
First a bit about the book, Mattie is a social worker who has this huge Victorian house that she not only lives in but it is always available to anyone that needs a place to stay, Mattie is sometimes called for a late night pickup for anyone that needs it, the scared women and children who come from abusive homes. Protocol dictates that she should get anyone that shows up for her help to the local shelter. Something about Alice and Oren has her bypassing that rule. Oren reminds her of her deceased brother.
Alice is fleeing an abusive relationship so along with 10-year-old Oren she is ok with spending the night with Mattie after getting off the bus. Oren instantly bonds with Mattie. Mattie had a brother that she lost 30 years previously. He was also 10 years old. Alice has secrets that she would rather not have them known.
There is a snowstorm brewing so Alice and Oren stay. The danger is out there for both of them along with Mattie as each of their secrets come to the surface with deadly consequences. I love psychological thrillers and this one was very good. I liked the writing, each character was written with compassion and mystery. There was also a haunting aspect, Mattie’s brother, even though gone for 30 years, plays a big part in the story. The reader learns what happened to him slowly as the story emerges.
Oren is another mystery. There is something about him that is a bit creepy, he knows things that he shouldn’t. There are other characters that make up the story, Frank, Davis, Matties late mom, Doreen, Atefeh, and Sister Martine. I am not going to go into detail about these characters, but they definitely are a huge part of the story.
I loved the novel, the writing, and the characters, I liked how the story progressed into a satisfying thriller. I told you I love a good psychological thriller right? Yes, I really liked this one. I think if you love a good story you can sink your teeth into, then this book is for you. Go get your copy!
You can always call upon Carol Goodman when you need an atmospheric and twisting tale. Full of half-truths and vengeful ghosts of the past, The Night Visitors will inspire readers to linger long into the night.
Three lives intersect during the middle of a snowstorm.
Alice is fleeing an abusive relationship and is desperate to protect ….
Owen … 10 years old, a Star Wars junkie, who may have a ‘gift’. He bonds immediately with…
Mattie … a social worker who meets Alice and Owen at the bus station and takes them to her huge home to stay until she can find a safe place for them. Owen reminds Mattie of her own young brother who died 30 years ago at the same age as Owen.
But someone is not telling the truth. All three of them have secrets .. secrets that may be deadly.
And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman’s past will prove be brought to the light, stirring up threats both within and without.
This is a well-written tale with unique characters. Several twists and turns will keep the reader glued to the pages from the very beginning to the surprising ending.
Many thanks to the author / William Morrow Books / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is the first book by Ms. Goodman that I have read and it was a cleverly done thriller but so much more!
Oren and Alice are on the run for their lives through an ever increasing blizzard. Alice has finally found a way to rescue Oren from his abusive father even though her own life may now be in jeopardy. They have left behind a dead body, but whose, in the end, is it???
The story is told from two points of view, Alice and Mattie. Mattie is a kind soul, living in a run down, once beautiful Victorian house in a small town in the Catskills. She is a social worker who now usually only consults on cases and helps to find placement for victims.
However on the night that Oren and Alice arrive a blizzard is ever increasing and bending the rules, she decides that Oren and Alice should stay with her at least until morning. Alice is terrified that they will be found. Mattie tries to reassure her “I understand”, Mattie says, “Everyone in our network understands. Your whereabouts will be kept completely confidential.”
I don’t want to spoil even a minute of this twisty, come-out-of-nowhere plot for any future readers but this was a brilliantly plotted novel. There is even a bit of the supernatural, just enough to make things that much more interesting.
This book deals with child and domestic abuse and is careful in pointing out all of the self-guilt and constant fear that lives in the minds of those that are abused for the rest of their lives. I felt as though I knew, perhaps, just a little bit more of how those that are abused view themselves.
However with the unwinding of the plot it also shows that there is help out there, in the form of social workers, police and others that work with the abused so that hopefully, those that are in trouble may find the courage to seek out that help. This story tugged at my heart which is unusual in a thriller. The characters of Alice, Mattie and Oren are so well developed that I felt many things for them, anger, frustration, fear and yet hope for the future.
I highly recommend this book not only for it’s quick moving plot and wonderful writing but also for the messages that it conveys.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.