Have you ever had a moment when your world fell apart? Something that you never could’ve predicted? Something that knocked the wind out of you, and knocked your socks off and changed every moment of the rest of your life?

Well, yes. That happened to me. Should I have seen it coming? I don’t think so. When I married Bill Macallen we were madly in love. I knew it and he knew it, and everybody knew it. Yes, he was a bit older, and far more well-off, but I was happily in law school, and I have to say, just between us, he swept me off my feet. For someone who grew up scrambling for quarters under the couch cushions, living in Bill Macallen‘s glossy country club world seemed like everything I ever wanted.

Bill was used to the luxury, of course. Once I asked him “Do you know how much a half gallon of milk costs?” And he simply didn’t know. I’m not sure he’s ever been to the grocery store! Anyway, so here’s what happened.

One morning, when I was happily making breakfast, he just appeared in the kitchen, our glorious, beautiful kitchen, with his laptop, and his briefcase, and a roller bag, looking handsome as ever. And said he “needed a break.”

A break! As if I were some TV show he could put on pause. Well, long story a little bit shorter. He left and I was incredibly sad. Thing is, he’s a bit of a– how do I say this. Manipulator.

He spies on me. He moves things, and takes things, and tries to make me feel that I’m always mistaken, or wrong or forgetful. I’m really not. Honestly I’m not. And I know it. Sounds like I’m making excuses. But I’m not. They can’t call you paranoid if something bad is actually about to happen. And I know it is.

But there’s a quote from Maya Angelou I came across, and that’s when I started thinking about my own power. My own agency. My place in the world as me, Alyssa Westland, not as Bill’s wife. Here’s the quote: “You may not control the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

So. I decided to take charge.

Happily, I met Bree Lorrance. Yes, I had gone out for one glass of wine. By myself of course, since Bill took all the friends along with everything else. Bree was a lovely—but reserved– woman, who, as I finally got her to admit, had more problems than I do.

I didn’t ask her to stay in my house, of course. I’m not that impulsive. And certainly not naïve. But I did offer her our guest house, the one behind the pool. My guest house now, I guess, since Bill is gone. That’s when Bree (just between us again), came up with a pretty good idea. A way we could solve each other’s problems.

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, Alyssa, I’ve seen Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. That will never work!”

Well, let me tell you, this is not Strangers on a Train. This is real life.

And then, the FBI agent knocked at my door.

Now, can I trust Bree? And—to take back my own power– how brave will I have to be?

The House Guest
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release: February 2023
Format: Print, Digital, and Audio
Purchase Link

Another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan—but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?

After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they’re smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she’s dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her—leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend.

And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who’s running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others’ problems.

But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can’t always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve.

About the author
Hank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of 14 psychological thrillers, winning the genre’s most prestigious awards: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She’s also investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs. National book reviewers call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her newest is the page-turning standalone The House Guest – a story of psychological manipulation exploring the dark heart of marriage and friendship. It’s Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise! Publishers Weekly raves “Ryan is a master of suspense.” And the Library Journal starred review calls it “Binge-worthy.”

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