The Housemate by Sarah Bailey

About the Book- The Housemate

Three housemates. 
One dead, one missing and one accused of murder. 

Dubbed the Housemate Homicide, it’s a mystery that has baffled Australians for almost a decade. 

Melbourne-based journalist Olive Groves worked on the story as a junior reporter and became obsessed by the case. Now, nine years later, the missing housemate turns up dead on a remote property. Oli is once again assigned to the story, this time reluctantly paired with precocious millennial podcaster Cooper Ng.

As Oli and Cooper unearth new facts about the three housemates, a dark web of secrets is uncovered. The revelations catapult Oli back to the death of the first housemate, forcing her to confront past traumas and insecurities that have risen to the surface again.

What really happened between the three housemates that night? Will Oli’s relentless search for the murderer put her new family in danger? And could her suspicion that the truth lies closer to home threaten her happiness and even her sanity?

A riveting, provocative thriller from the bestselling author of The Dark Lake, Into the Night and Where the Dead Go.

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Our Review of The Housemate by Sarah Bailey

What drew me to the book was definitely the blurb. Have to admit that it has that intrigue factor and I genuinely believe that the plot makes for a really interesting read. To be fair, all that has been said and promised by the book is there but not exactly in the way you might expect or at least the way I did. Maybe I was expecting something else and that might be the reason why I may not have been able to see the book for what it was.

when I picked the book, I was expecting more of a high-on adrenaline murder investigation with lots of twists and turns that might keep me awake at night. Some parts of it were but mostly the book was a character-specific book. Meaning, that the book is all about the central character Oli. The book is more of a life journey of a reporter who happened to be at the frontlines of some major events – meaning murder. no scratch that. A homicide. So the book is basically about, her doing her job as a journalist giving us a brief look at the events. Add in a bit of chaos of her personal life and professional life and that pretty much sums up the book. 

So with a bit of twists and turns in between, the book ( more like served as a peace offering )otherwise remains and revolves around Oli. Which after a point makes you question …what about the investigation? What about the homicide? It is happening but also while taking a lot of time to even come to a clear picture. The book was more of a personal drama about Oli and how she is coping with the new situations that she has been pushed into. The investigation just acts as a background or another facet to this whole saga.

I actually waited for the investigation to take priority in the book but it kept revolving around Oli. It’s actually in the later half of the book that because of Oli’s certain actions, the investigation finally comes to its full disclosure. And I would admit that it was actually quite a heavy revelation and shocking too because it took me by surprise and made up for all the wait. Ok, I will admit that the “Big Reveal” was sort of worth it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would say that yes the book is good but you might want to leave the hopes of a high adrenaline crime thriller at the doors because the book is more of a personal drama. If you keep that in mind then you will be able to enjoy the book. The central character is very unpredictable. There were times when I wanted to throw a cannonball at her because she could be that obtuse and other times I wanted to throw a fur ball at her so she could use it as a comfort shield. Either way, I clearly wanted to throw something at her. I did like the book but as I kept saying, my only issue is that I missed some action and actual investigation trope in the book but otherwise it is a pretty decent read.

Squirrel Rating