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  • Published: 23 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781529928082
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $22.99

The Lying Guest





When Dr Anika’s patient dies on the operating table and the media pick up on Anika's parasomnia, she has no choice but to escape to Sri Lanka. But returning to her past means facing it too, and Anika needs to be careful of who she can trust…

You don’t know her, but she’s watching you…

Anika’s life is turned upside down when her patient dies in surgery, and she’s given the blame.

Hounded by news reporters and online trolls, she’s left with no choice but to escape to Sri Lanka and take up a mysterious housesitting job – a job she thinks could be her fresh start.

But when a man is found dead close to where she’s staying, and the towns people start telling her to leave, people she’s never seen before, she fears her past may be catching up with her in ways she never could have imagined…

  • Published: 23 September 2025
  • ISBN: 9781529928082
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $22.99

About the author

Mahi Cheshire

Mahi Cheshire was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in London. She works as a GP and has a degree in Psychology. She loves travelling, kundalini yoga and boxing, all of which provide inspiration for her writing. She lives in London with her husband and baby daughter.

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Praise for The Lying Guest

A brilliantly crafted, wonderfully atmospheric thriller, full of secrets, suspense and simmering tension, I was gripped from page one, while the shocking twist had my jaw on the floor. Cheshire is a huge talent in the thriller genre.

A.A. Chaudhuri, author of UNDER HER ROOF

A taut, twisty, edge-of-my-seat medical thriller. The tension is constantly ramped up immersing the reader in Anika’s condition, the lush setting of Sri Lanka forcing her to question her memories and even her mind itself, and with an ending that was just ‘chef’s kiss’ perfect. I loved it!

Ronali Collings, author of ANYONE BUT HIM

Terrific ... Gets creepier by the page

Ajay Chowdhury, author of THE DETECTIVE KAMIL RAHMAN series

A beautifully written, sun-kissed thriller ... Will leave you gasping

Carly Reagon, author of THE INFIRMARY

The Lying Guest is a whip-smart, crime thriller with heart. Cheshire introduces us to Anika, an enigmatic protagonist, set within a vividly drawn backdrop where you feel the heat of the sun and the grains of sand between your toes. You will be transported into the lives of the characters and the vibrant, rich landscapes of the island of Sri Lanka. With reveals and twists until the very end, this page-turner ensures you will keep reading at lightning speed

Christie J. Newport, author of THE RAVEN'S MARK and THE ORDINARY MAN
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