The Housemate in Aussie Readers

Sep 08, 2021 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-copy-from-publisher

This is my first Sarah Bailey book and can I say wow what a story, a compelling, not putdown able page turner for me, this one had my mind thinking and changing direction throughout and I never guessed the ending, the characters are strong and believable and the story intriguing as journalist Oli Groves puts everything she has into investigating a cold case that she worked on as a rookie ten years earlier.

A lot has changed in ten years for Oli and when a cold case opens up and she is assigned th ...more

24 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, aussie-author, arc-are

The Housemate is a standalone crime novel from Australian author Sarah Bailey, best known for her popular series featuring Detective Gemma Woodstock.

When the body of a woman is found on a property in rural Victoria, interest is revived in a decade old mystery. Olive Groves was a junior reporter when the ‘Housemate Homicide’ - where a dispute among three young housemates led to the murder of one and the disappearance of another - occurred, and now rumour suggests that the missing woman has resurf ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2021 Jenny (Bookbookowl) rated it really liked it

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!

Oli is a reporter and she’s there the day the police lead a girl away from a house she shares with her two housemates. One of them is dead and one is now missing. The remaining girl is sent to prison for murder. Ten years later, events unfold that bring “The Housemate Case” back into the spotlight. Oli is put back on the case, but this time she’s paired up with a young up and coming podcast r ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 31, 2021 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, australian, suspense, thriller, crime, mystery, aww2021

Well, this was a ride.

I haven’t read Sarah Bailey before although she’s very highly acclaimed and I’ve read many glowing reviews of her previous books. Just hadn’t had an opportunity to try her so when I saw this one I knew it was the perfect chance.

It’s told in two timelines – 2005, with the ‘Housemate Homicide’ where university student Evelyn is found stabbed to death in the house she shares with two other students. One of the students is missing and the other is arrested for the murder. In 20 Well, this was a ride.

I haven’t read Sarah Bailey before although she’s very highly acclaimed and I’ve read many glowing reviews of her previous books. Just hadn’t had an opportunity to try her so when I saw this one I knew it was the perfect chance.

It’s told in two timelines – 2005, with the ‘Housemate Homicide’ where university student Evelyn is found stabbed to death in the house she shares with two other students. One of the students is missing and the other is arrested for the murder. In 2015, it’s believed that the missing housemate has finally been found – but no longer alive.

Journalist Olive (Oli) Groves covered the case in 2005 and now, ten years later, she’s still working in journalism and because of her previous coverage, she’s chosen to take the lead again. This time she has to work with Cooper Ng from the digital portion of the publication, who is starting a podcast. Oli, despite being only about 39, is very much a ‘traditional’ print journalist and sees little point in the digital cycle or podcasts, believing that the truest form of news is print journalism. Cooper is talkative and annoying and at first, Oli seems to want nothing more than to shake free of him and continue on her own but the news that Cooper has secured an interview with Alex, the one convicted for the original murder, changes her mind. There might be something in this podcast after all.

This was an addictive read. I only intended to read half of it, because I started it quite late in the day but I was sucked into the story immediately and ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting. It’s not a short book either, but the story was so engrossing that I had to keep going so that I could find out what really happened. There were mysterious circumstances that surrounded the original murder and Oli, trying to dig up information from ten years ago, finds herself with questions and eyeing things that don’t seem to add up. What were the girls involved in that might’ve led to this? She doesn’t buy that it was over a boy or even too many drugs taken that night. There’s definitely something else that was going on and she wants to know what it is. Add in a dead cop that was a lead investigator and how that ties in to Oli’s very messy private life and it all makes for a gripping read.

Oli is a messy character – there’s a difficult childhood that is alluded to several times throughout the story and although she clearly justifies some of her actions in her quest for a story, it’s clear that she’s willing to lie, misrepresent herself and do many things in order to get the story and get people to talk to her. She has strong opinions about her job and the role news plays. Her private life is….well. Interesting. A lot of the developments happen ‘off page’ before the story resumes in 2015 but the background dribbles out and some of the current events definitely make Oli question some of the choices she has made that have contributed to the way things are. I really enjoyed how she and Cooper interacted – he’s very young, very fresh with these enthusiastic ideals about things and is a great contrast to Oli’s definitely more jaded and cynical air, as well as her abrupt manner. I didn’t always like Oli as a character and there were times when I questioned why she did some of the things she did but she was certainly very dogged and used several different forms of motivation to keep her going, even when it seemed like everything was crumbling around her.

Absolutely loved this – smart, compelling and so intriguing. You just found yourself wanting to know everything. Am definitely going to have to go back and read Sarah Bailey’s previous novels now.

***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review*** ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 04, 2021 Rina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I picked up this book just because it was 'new' and the cover looked intriguing, plus it was set in Melbourne and all the suburbs and street names were familiar. Little did I know that I was in for a treat!

This was an amazingly written mystery/thriller! I loved the characters, both in the 'past' chapters and 'present' (side note: there were so many dual timeline books I read recently). Each character was written distinctly, and since I was alternating reading the book and listening to the audiob ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 01, 2022 Averil rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021

It's been quite a while since I've felt mentally equipped to pick up a new book, but with COVID-19 restrictions easing here in Victoria, and life feeling a bit less bleak, I decided to try a new crime writer. And Sarah Bailey did not disappoint!
The Housemate is a rollicking journo-narrated crime ride through Melbourne. From St Kilda to the Dandys, Carlton to a western suburbs prison, and Oli, the narrator, is immediately real and relatable.
The book is mainly set in the present, but has occasio ...more

Like · see review

Jan 16, 2022 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: australia

4.5 stars.

Oli Groves is a tenacious reporter whose insecurities make her relatable. The storyline is suspenseful with unpredictable twists and turns. Highly recommend!

Like · see review