VBT# While You Were Gone - Mark Gillespie








Review: While You Were Gone - Mark Gillespie - June 2025

Holy moly, fellow book lovers! I just finished Mark Gillespie's "While You Were Gone" and let me tell you – I'm now side-eyeing every delivery person who comes to my door. This psychological thriller has officially made me paranoid about letting strangers into my personal space, and honestly? I'm kind of here for it.

The premise is deliciously simple yet terrifying: Angie and Dan hire what seems like the perfect house-sitter, Martha Hunt, to watch their home and pets while they vacation in the Scottish Highlands. Martha's got stellar reviews, sounds absolutely lovely, and seems like a dream come true. But when the couple returns early due to Dan's illness, they walk into their worst nightmare – house trashed, Martha sprawled naked on their couch, and their beloved pets missing.

Can we talk about how this hits different when you have friends turning their homes into Airbnbs? I literally texted my bestie after reading this because she's doing exactly that, and now I'm low-key worried some psycho is going to trash her place. Thanks for the new anxiety, Mark Gillespie!

What starts as a simple firing-and-moving-on situation quickly spirals when Martha decides Angie is her new obsession. And boy oh boy, does this woman know how to hold a grudge! As Angie digs deeper into Martha's past, she uncovers a trail of destruction that would make your true crime podcast hosts weep with joy.

Here's what really got under my skin though – and I've noticed this pattern in SO many thrillers lately – poor Angie becomes the "hysterical woman" nobody believes while her husband Dan gets to play the reasonable, level-headed one. It's giving major "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss" energy, except the girlboss is actually the villain, and our heroine Angie is fighting for her sanity while everyone treats her like she's overreacting. Sound familiar, ladies?

Mark Gillespie does a fantastic job building tension that had me physically checking my door locks multiple times. The pacing is relentless, and just when you think you've got Martha figured out, another twisted layer gets peeled back. The climax involving flames and... well, let's just say someone doesn't make it out alive... is absolutely bonkers in the best way possible.

Fair warning: this book will make you extremely suspicious of house-sitters, dog-walkers, and basically anyone you've ever given keys to. I'm genuinely considering getting one of those fancy doorbell cameras now, which my husband finds hilarious.

 "While You Were Gone" is a solid thriller that'll keep you glued to the pages while simultaneously making you want to install seventeen new security systems. Perfect for anyone who enjoys their psychological suspense with a side of "never trusting strangers again."

Now excuse me while I go change all my locks...

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZsQVo3



 



Comments

  1. What a review!! I think I need to read this one...but also scared to read this one!!! Thank you for being a part of the tour x

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Steel Princess - Rina Kent

Review: Snakes and Ladders - Sean Slater