The Visitor by K.L. Slater

"I'm always just a visitor in everyone's life...I come and go, but nothing ever changes."

Holly grew up in Nottingham but ran off to Manchester for a better life. Things happened and she's now returned to try and make a new start. She's been taken in as a "visitor" by elderly Cora Bennett and soon gets a job selling furniture. But, poor Holly, nothing ever seems to go right. Has her past caught up with her?

David is an odd duck who's had his share of problems -- and he still lives at home with mom at age 40. Although he's on meds and has a job of sorts, he's consumed with monitoring all that is going on in the neighborhood. Keeping everyone safe. He lives right next door to Holly and can't help but notice that she seems to need his help. Is he offering friendly protection or is he a stalker?

The chapters are told in the alternating point of view of Holly and David. Also shifting back and forth in time for the history of each, we finally come to present day and some interesting revelations. It seems that neither of these two are really the people they pretended to be.

I had a hard time dredging up any empathy for either of the main characters, nor did I identify with them. There was a huge sense of menace as the reader knew something was off and that bad things were coming, but not quite from which direction. After all the hints that were dropped, it was not so much a twisty or surprising conclusion as it was a relief to finally have the salient points exposed. I don't really like when dangled snippets and then have an abrupt shift just when the truth is about to be revealed! Regardless of these annoyances, I did enjoy this pscyholgical drama and am glad that I'll never meet Holly or David.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I enjoy the titles by K.L. Slater and will definitely read more from her.