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The Uninvited Guests: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A grand old manor house deep in the English countryside will open its doors to reveal the story of an unexpectedly dramatic day in the life of one eccentric, rather dysfunctional, and entirely unforgettable family.
Set in the early years of the twentieth century, award-winning author Sadie Jones’s The Uninvited Guests is, in the words of Jacqueline Winspear, the New York Times bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries A Lesson in Secrets and Elegy for Eddie, “a sinister tragi-comedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion.”
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"This is a book that is going to take some time for me to absorb after reading it. I want to say I loved it, but I think "love" is too strong, and like isn't quite right either. I am going to sit on a full-length review for a bit to make sure the book has completely run its course through my mind."
— Kelley (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“The Uninvited Guests is at once a shimmering comedy of manners and disturbing commentary on class. It is so well-written, so intricately plotted, that every page delivers some new astonishment. It is a brilliant novel.”
— Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of State of Wonder -
“What opens as an amusing Edwardian country house tale soon becomes a sinister tragicomedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion. Sadie Jones is a most talented and imaginative storyteller, and The Uninvited Guests is a very clever novel.”
— Jacqueline Winspear, New York Times bestselling author of Elegy for Eddie -
“What a delicious read! Like something written by a wicked Jane Austen, here is love and error in a ramshackle manor house complete with railway survivors, a birthday party, and a pony. I was completely captivated by its madcap nature and then utterly unprepared for the strange fruit that the story bore. Passing like a spring fever, here is a fairy tale that stays with you long after it is gone. I couldn’t put it down.”
— Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author The Postmistress -
“A delicious tea sandwich of genres set in post-Edwardian England…The author’s command of period archness tips its hat to a pantheon of social satirists: Luis Buñuel in cahoots with Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen. Jones’ caustic takedown of 1-percenter exceptionalism arrives like a divine gift to occupying party poopers everywhere.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Downton Abbey meets The Twilight Zone in Sadie Jones’ exhilaratingly strange and darkly funny drawing-room dramedy…The dinner party veers off in a wildly surprising direction, and the way it plays out is delightful, sexy, moving—even profound. The Uninvited Guests will haunt you—but happily.”
— USA Today -
“Vividly atmospheric…Niftily deceptive…A story of shattered snobbery, transformation of character, and in the end a surprising and eerily beautiful portrait of compassion…A sublimely clever book.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“[A] remarkable dark comedy…Jones’ characters are delightfully eccentric, the wit delightfully droll, and the prose simply delightful. But for all its charm, this is a serious book.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Excellent characterization combines with a plot sprinkled with hints of secrets to be revealed produce a page-turning read that blurs the edges of the country house mystery.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
Awards
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Selected for the May 2012 Indie Next List
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A 2012 Washington Post Notable Book for Fiction
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A BookPage Best Book of 2012
The Uninvited Guests Listener Reviews
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" Odd little book.... "
— Katrina, 2/20/2014 -
" The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones is an unusual story which I enjoyed immensely. In fact it made me laugh out loud on occasion which is a sign, I think, of really good writing. I notice other reviewers have outlined the story so suffice it to say that in my opinion it's well worth the read. "
— Barbara, 2/9/2014 -
" Fun to read - a good book for the Halloween season. "
— Jo, 1/28/2014 -
" A book that started off a little odd, turning into slightly creepy, became an actual delight to read! "
— Laney, 1/22/2014 -
" Odd story. Really it's about ghosts invading a home while the live inhabitants prepped for a party. Turns out one of the ghosts had a history with the mother in this story. Again, odd. "
— Diane, 1/3/2014 -
" Great book. It started out light but becomes an episode of the Twilight Zone, and hard to put down. "
— Deborah, 1/2/2014 -
" I finished it and it was generally interesting but not a gripping book. Take it or leave it - nothing earth shattering here. "
— Catherine, 12/6/2013 -
" Wow if you like watching Downton Abbey, you may not necessarily like reading Downton Abbey-which this book is. Felt like I should like it, but I won't lose sleep over the fact that I didn't. "
— Geriann, 12/2/2013 -
" I just felt this book was okay. Nothing really jumped out at me. I found it hard to connect with the characters. There were parts that you thought would develop into something more interesting but never did. I was hoping for more. It was for me just okay. "
— Dawn, 12/1/2013 -
" Great combination of British house-party, creepy and social satire. Perfect vacation reading. "
— Diane, 11/18/2013 -
" This book certainly wasn't what I was expecting, which I was guess was chic lit. But it turned out to have a little more intrigue and substance then that. It's certainly a page turner, the constant twists do leave you wanting more. It's a memorable read that's for sure. "
— Rachael, 11/1/2013 -
" Charming, scary, but slight. "
— Amy, 10/20/2013 -
" Hard to get into, but writing was good. Plot was kind of random and even though I saw the twist coming, it seemed kind of thrown on at the end. "
— Sonja, 8/20/2013 -
" A perfect blend of Georgian society and magical realism. A charming read. "
— Michelle, 8/2/2013 -
" I had high hopes. NPR compared it to Mousetrap and Downton Abbey. Not and Not. To me it read more like Downton Abbey & "The Hangover." The story was very contrived. The characters didn't seem to stay in character, and I can't understand why I kept reading it. Just say no! "
— Merry, 6/23/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of Atonement a little - set in an old school country house with a quirky family. I loved the style of the writing, it was very charming in places. The plot was a little bizarre to say the least but definitely held interest. "
— Pippa, 6/13/2013 -
" Not the kind of book I normally would read but I got into it and enjoyed it "
— Lyndsey, 5/9/2013 -
" It wasn't what I expected. Yes, it's a country manor and yes there's a disaster and a storm, but I kept waiting for more. There were aspects that I liked, Smudge and her Great Undertaking being one that jumps to mind, but overall I felt this book didn't quite reach its potential. "
— Danielle, 5/1/2013 -
" Loved the writing, but it just didn't quite take off til the very end. Amusing summer read. Witty and fun and briefly unsettling. "
— Mimi, 3/14/2013 -
" The Uninvited Guests takes an unexpected turn, with strange and delightful results. "
— MaryJeanne, 11/23/2012 -
" A dissappointing attempt at a ghost story set in 1912 country manor. I found myself skim reading as I did not rate her writing style. Would not recommend & would not be inclinded to read another one of her books. "
— chris, 10/7/2012
About Sadie Jones
Sadie Jones’ first novel, The Outcast, was published to wide critical acclaim and won the Costa First Novel Award in Great Britain. It was also a finalist for the prestigious Orange Prize, as well as a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for First Fiction. The novels that followed were also well received. She lives in London.
About Kate Reading
Michael Kramer is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner, a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration, and recipient of a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award. He is also an actor and director in the Washington, DC, area, where he is active in the area’s theater scene and has appeared in productions at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Kennedy Center, and Theater J.