SUCCESSFUL TRACK: Helen Cooper’s debut, The Downstairs Neighbor, went on-sale in February 2021 and has netted nearly 40K copies in all formats, with strong sales continuing into Summer.



PERFECT FIT FOR TRADE ORIGINAL FORMAT: Like The Downstairs Neighbor, we will publish The Other Guest as a trade original, and with an attention-grabbing package and plenty of book club fodder, this novel is a great fit for the format. Readers have been hungry for domestic suspense trade originals, as seen with the success of The Downstairs Neighbor, The Au Pair, and The Perfect Nanny.



A FOLLOW-UP IN A POPULAR CATEGORY…: The Other Guest perfectly blends suspense and family drama, fitting squarely into the popular space defined by author like Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell. It includes much of what made The Downstairs Neighbor popular with readers: jaw-dropping twists, multiple female narrators, and an authentic look at family ties.



…WITH A FRESH HOOK: The Other Guest stands out with a unique hook—all of our characters visit or live at the same coastal Italian resort. The tight quarters and lush settings amplify the sense of claustrophobia, and takes the idea of domestic suspense up a notch. 



STRONG FEMALE NARRATORS: The novel is narrated from three different female points of view, examining complex relationships between sisters, friends, and spouses, in a nuanced way.

Helen Cooper is the author of The Downstairs Neighbor. She is from Derby and has a MA in Creative Writing and a background in teaching English and Academic Writing. Her creative writing has been published in Mslexia and Writers’ Forum; she was shortlisted in the Bath Short Story Prize in 2014, and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize 2018.

Author Residence: Derby, UK

“Difficult-to-put down thriller… Brilliantly characterized, boldly plotted, and boasting an ending that readers will think they have figured out only to have everything turned around. The perfect vacation thriller.”—Booklist (starred review)

“[A] strong psychological thriller…Credible characters enhance the suspenseful plot. Cooper remains a writer to watch.”—Publishers Weekly

“In this captivating slow-burner, dark secrets lurk beneath a luxurious lakeside resort in Italy with mysterious connections to a handsome bartender in England. Helen Cooper deftly navigates between what seems like two completely separate narratives bundled in The Other Guest: One involves a murder hushed up by the victim’s own family, and the other involves a blossoming romance. You’ll be hooked on trying to solve this puzzle!”—Reader’s Digest

“A luxury Italian resort with a dark side. A cast of suspicious, secretive characters. The Other Guest is an eerie and atmospheric mystery that kept me guessing from start to finish.”—Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver

An exquisite setting masks layers of secrets in this captivating thriller from Helen Cooper. The Other Guest is beautifully written, powerfully conveyed, and swirling with mysteries you’ll race to the last page to solve.-–Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

“The Other Guest has got it all: unexplained tragic death, family secrets, romance, and two women on a quest for the truth. Oh, and as an added bonus, it takes place on a gorgeous lake in Northern Italy, so there’s that too.”—LovetoKnow.com

“Teased out against the slick and stylish backdrop of Lake Garda, The Other Guest had me simultaneously glued to my seat and wanting to jump on a flight. It served up the perfect combination of glamour, intrigue and sibling rivalry.”—Polly Phillips, author of The Reunion

“A masterpiece of storytelling with twist after unguessable twist. I relished every delicious page. If you can’t actually go on holiday, just read this book and you’re in a luxury Italian resort, you can smell it, taste it, feel it.”—Lucy Martin, author of Stop at Nothing

“Sinister and beautifully atmospheric, The Other Guest lures you with the promise of a luxury island before revealing its darker, claustrophobic side. I loved it.”—L V Matthews, author of The Twins

“Masterfully written, drawing you in to the lives of the fascinating characters as the tension builds and builds. Compelling, perfectly paced, and packed full of suspense.”—Sarah Bonner, author of Her Perfect Twin

Praise for The Downstairs Neighbor

“Fans of British mysteries will love this debut…It is difficult to put down. This is one that readers may not figure out fully, if at all, in advance of the denouement, but the author ties all the secrets together in a most satisfying reveal.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Perfect for fans of twisty plots that’ll keep you guessing.”—Country Living

“[A] heart-pounding debut…Even avid suspense readers won’t be able to predict all the twists. Cooper is off to a strong start.”—Publishers Weekly

“Cooper skillfully builds a house of cards, demolishes it, reshuffles the deck, and deals an even stronger hand, while keeping a few cards up her sleeve. An emotionally charged domestic-suspense debut, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.” --Booklist

“Powerfully displays how we often think secrets are the best way to protect those we love, but they often cause more damage than good.”—San Francisco Book Review

“Cooper starts with a bang, with a missing girl and a big house filled with suspects, then holds the suspense high with characters that will keep the reader guessing—and guessing wrong. A gradual unearthing of long-held secrets wrapped in a smoothly plotted page-turner. ”—Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of Stranger in the Lake

“Lock your doors, close your curtains, and sink into this claustrophobic tale of families, neighbors and buried secrets. Tense and perfectly paced, this emotionally charged novel will keep you guessing right to the very end.”—Emma Rous, bestselling author of The Au Pair