The Night Guests: a haunting gothic story which a young woman questions her own sanity

The Night Guests by Marina Scott is a haunting gothic story which has the one young woman questioning what is truly going on. It is 1903 in Omaha, Nebraska and Nina Wilson is drowning in debt and disgrace after the sudden death of her father. Once a part of Omaha’s high society, she struggles as her engagement has been broken off, the family’s estate is in desperate need of repair and her mother is consumed with grief. In an attempt to help her mother move on, Nina invites Leroy Marshall, a mysterious medium, into their home. However, Leroy leaves Nina deeply unsettled with his brand of charisma, both alluring and repellent. One he arrives, something seems to happen in the house. Something from another world and now refuses to leave. Now Nina is in a fight she doesn’t know how to fight or that she has a power no one expects.

The Night Guests was an option for Amazon’s First Reads in October and while I am not a gothic story fan, I was intrigued by the premises. Were there really unwanted guests in the house or is someone playing with Nina’s mental health? That is the question that hovers in the reader’s mind for most of the book until the final act. It is a slow burn that keeps readers guessing as the action heats up. There are plenty of shocking moments and jaw dropping events. The Night Guests reminded me of the films The Haunting (1999) and The House of Haunted Hill (1959 and 1999). It was spooky and the atmosphere descriptions were very vivid and I could see this book being made into a movie. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I closed the book with one single word “Wow!” If you enjoy haunting gothic stories, I highly recommend The Night Guests. 

The Night Guests is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook