4.5 * Really enjoyed this one read it in three sittings ( )

Professor Olivia Sweetman is a historian living a life she never could have imagined she would call her own. She has a successful career as a TV presenter, is a mother to three children, and has a husband whose talent is just as impressive as her own. Olivia is about to release a book about a woman named Annabel, who was one of the first female surgeons in the Victorian era. The book, titled in it's main characters name sake, is slated to become a best seller with a movie option in the works. Just where did the inspiration for Annabel come from?

Olivia stumbled upon Annabel's diary at a quaint museum, where she also met the woman who would eventually allow her access. Vivian Tester is the caretaker for the Ileford Manor, which is the former home to Annabel. The only surviving relative is living in a nursing home, but Vivian is willing to work as Olivia's research assistant on the project and help find whatever information she needs for her book. Vivian is the complete opposite of Olivia. She's older, socially awkward, and obsessed with her dog. Despite their differences, the duo work well together and before they know it Olivia's book is slated for publication. Hidden behind the scenes is a dark truth that could bring down the success of this book and Olivia's career. Just how far is Olivia willing to go to keep the truth hidden?

THE NIGHT VISITOR is a story unraveled through the perspective of both Olivia and Vivian. The book starts off on the night of the launch for Olivia's book, where clearly the woman is expertly hiding a meltdown under the shell of a smile. The story then immediately rewinds to a few months prior to this evening the reader is led through the series of events that lead to Olivia's current state of mind. Each perspective has an unsettling undertone to it, where the reader can tell they are not quite getting the whole truth. Eerie events starts occurring and the truths of each woman's life begin to seep out as they confront each other closer to the book's launch party. THE NIGHT VISITOR is a quick and captivating read that will keep you up late at night frantically flipping pages to get to the truth. This one was nearly perfect for me, with an ending that I was not expecting, however, there were a few storylines that I felt were left unresolved. Overall, this book was an unnerving, atmospheric thrill ride that I did not want to put down! I highly recommend THE NIGHT VISITOR to any bookworm looking for a summer thriller read!

A special thank you to Quercus USA for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Two women. Two viewpoints. Vivian and Olivia plus a lot of dung beetles! Olivia is an attractive TV historian and author whose family life isn't so great, unlike her professional life which is very much on the up. She finds out about an exciting Victorian diary which is in Vivian's possession. Vivian is the polar opposite to Olivia, awkward, clumsy, gauche and not terribly attractive. The problem is that Vivian knows something and Olivia is terrified the secret will out and ruin her reputation. Wasn't sure about this book to start with, but soon found myself totally engrossed in this "battle". Neither lady was particularly nice and both had plenty of flaws and it was fascinating discovering what made them behave in the way they did. A slow burner, but still manages to capture the readers' attention quickly - even managing to make dung beetles sound interesting! Hope there will be a follow up to this story. ( )

I enjoyed the intrigue in the book and found myself looking forward to finding out the full story. ( )

Disappointingly sudden ending. ( )