Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.

This is the first book I have read by this author. The cover and title of the book drew me in immediately and I was jubilant when I was granted a copy to review.

Penny is a recently divorced mother of 19 year old Zack who is a bit too fond of recreational drugs. She's already juggling several plates including a demanding boss, and her elderly parents Heath and Sissy are only adding to the worry. They decide to rent out their small basement flat for some additional cash and find a lodger in charming middle-aged Cooper Brownlow. Penny feels at first drawn to Cooper, but this is no romance novel. In fact, there is an unsettling scene in which Penny feels she can't say no to Cooper's sexual overtures out of fear what he might do if she did.

We know that a body needs to be hidden but how did it get to that point? The first half of the book tells us about Cooper, the tenant from hell and the attempts to oust him, the second half what happens after his death. You'd think after Penny helped her parents with the body, the story would calm down, but the opposite is the case. The tension ramps up when more and more people come to look for Cooper and the police becomes involved.

This was right up my alley. It's brilliantly written, with Cooper's outrageous actions dominating the first half and twists and surprises coming thick and fast all through the second half of the book. Penny often annoyed me, but I adored Heath and Sissy, the fun alternative parents who display some surprising criminal energy, especially when Sissi uses her age to her advantage to appear dottier than she is.

This is pacy and entertaining and full of dark humour, with a satisfying outcome. It's a quick and gripping read - I finished it in a day. Hugely recommended.