The Guests

Hunt (Lovely Girls) reinvigorates a familiar setup in this devilishly twisty survival thriller. As a category five hurricane approaches southeastern Florida, Lee and Marlowe Davies, their teenage twins, and three family friends are preparing to shelter in place at the Davieses’ beachside home. Moments before Marlowe puts the final shutter in place, a boat in distress heads for a dock near the house, carrying three strangers—Jason, Bo, and Bo’s girlfriend, Darcy—seeking refuge from the storm. Reluctantly, the Davies family agree to take them in. As the night wears on and the storm worsens, tensions rise slowly, until the Davieses realize that Jason, Bo, and Darcy have come to claim much more than a warm place to stay. Within hours, someone is missing, several people are dead, and an additional uninvited guest makes their presence felt, casting doubt on nearly everybody’s motives. Hunt’s skillful sleight of hand and well-drawn characters create palpable menace, placing this a cut above standard-issue locked-room thrillers. It will leave readers breathless. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)