The Visitors

By: Catherine Burns

Narrated by: Kate Reading

With the smart suspense of Emma Donoghue's Room and the atmospheric claustrophobia of Grey Gardens, Catherine Burns' debut novel, The Visitors, explores the complex truths we are able to keep hidden from ourselves and the twisted realities that can lurk beneath even the most serene of surfaces.

Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother, John, in a crumbling mansion on the edge of a northern seaside resort. A timid spinster in her 50s who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to live by John's rules, even if it means turning a blind eye to the noises she hears coming from behind the cellar door...and turning a blind eye to the women's laundry in the hamper that isn't hers. For years she's buried the signs of John's devastating secret into the deep recesses of her mind - until the day John is crippled by a heart attack, and Marion becomes the only one whose shoulders are fit to bear his secret. Forced to go down to the cellar and face what her brother has kept hidden, Marion discovers more about herself than she ever thought possible. As the truth is slowly unraveled, we finally begin to understand: Maybe John isn't the only one with a dark side....

©2017 Catherine Burns (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

It was slow to start

This book had potential but, slow and it dragged. Demented for sure. I recommend only for the shock. The narrative was eh.

Interesting, but at times confusing

The book was pretty good and the story interesting. However, at times it was confusing on where the story was going.

Haunting and well narrated

I think someone who can enjoy a psychological thriller and is interested in true crime, but cannot handle books with a lot of violence, would like this book. As one can probably glean from the plot summary, it's an extremely disturbing story, even if it's from the point of view of the predator's sister and not the predator himself. I thought the narrator did a great job with all the different characters. But know what you're getting into; I thought it was well written but very unsettling.

An intense character study

I was sucked right in to this intense character. I liked this and thought the pace was perfect

Creeeepy

So weird it makes you wonder about the author. Perfect Twisted psycho read for Halloween

Crazy, creepy awesomeness!

This book is so deliciously disturbing, and the narration so amazing, I am going to recommend this one over and over!

Excellent writing, So-So Plot

The character development is excellent. Little by little, true evil and coldness unveiled. A woman who lives in her imagination.....For some reason, it's mesmerizing. You are hooked. Except not much happens (which explains why the publisher's plot reveals something that doesn't happen until well into the novel...because there's not much else to describe the plot). And YET, the writing is so good that I will quickly download Ms. Burns' next novel. I couldn't put it down.

Disturbing

Generations of distinction. There wasn’t really any character that was likable. It is a very difficult book to describe, but it had me until the end.

Wonderful, yet creepy insight into deranged minds!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I was taken in by Marion's imagination and her fantasies, and my heart actually went out to her - even when her dark side shows itself. Their mother was poison to these two siblings and it would be very interesting if the author could write another novel from John's perspective. Their father may have contributed to some of the deviance too but he's not mentioned much, so John's thought patterns would be interesting to tap into. (Hint hint Catherine Burns!) John's character truly did not believe he was doing anything wrong. I also liked the hint of the super-natural in this story when it mentioned psychics and the things revealed by them.
Another review said there was porn and unsettling things in this, but there isn't. Nothing is mentioned like that in any detail so if you're squeamish about that type of thing -don't worry! Overall an interesting but tragic story of how some people's minds can get so twisted and detached from reality.

Slow story

Most of the book is a set up for a depressing story of sex Slaves, in-line perversion, etc. we were glad when it ended. Story of sad people with sad lives. Last few chapters were ok, but first 20 dragged on.