The Other Tenant

The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara is an intriguing psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the very end.

I loved the premise of this novel. To be a ‘Property Guardian' sounded like a really cool idea, especially if it meant living in a really unusual building. However, I don't think I would be as brave as the characters who took tenancy in these empty buildings. The thought of living in an old girls' school or a church would petrify me! Marlow, however, seeks these buildings for rent. The more unique, the better. However, when she finds a room in her old Victorian school, she is hesitant to move in. Could she really live in the same building where her best friend tragically died all those years ago?

When Marlow arrives, she immediately realises she has made a huge mistake. The past keeps coming back to haunt her, and there is something sinister going on. One of the tenants has gone missing, and she suspects the other nine guardians are not being honest with her when she delves into the missing woman's disappearance. But knowing who to trust is problematic, and someone is determined for her not to discover the truth.

I galloped through this book, not wanting to put it down. There was a gothic feel to the book with the description of the buildings, which I loved. This, in turn, then added an eerie presence to the storyline, creating moments when I was on the edge of my seat waiting for something to jump out on the characters. I loved the fact that the other guardians had an air of mystery surrounding them and you didn't know who Marlow could trust. As the pages turned, more information was slowly revealed about these characters, and the storyline opened up, adding more confusion as to what had happened to Hayley and why. I really enjoyed and appreciated this aspect of the novel.

A thrilling read which I would highly recommend.