The Uninvited Guests
Published on 14. February 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
368 pages
978-0-09-956369-3 (ISBN)
Description
A sinister tale of haunting beauty, from The Outcast author Sadie Jones.
It is the eve of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday and the family has assembled at Sterne, the once grand, now crumbling, family seat. The cake is iced, the wine decanted, the house gleams invitingly.
But before the first dish can be served, a mysterious group of strangers arrives at the door. Victims of a local train accident they are seeking shelter at the house.
The Torringtons welcome them in but there is something unsettling about the group and, as night falls and a storm rages outside, the family begins to wonder if something more malevolent than stranded travellers is in their home...
It is the eve of Emerald Torrington's twentieth birthday and the family has assembled at Sterne, the once grand, now crumbling, family seat. The cake is iced, the wine decanted, the house gleams invitingly.
But before the first dish can be served, a mysterious group of strangers arrives at the door. Victims of a local train accident they are seeking shelter at the house.
The Torringtons welcome them in but there is something unsettling about the group and, as night falls and a storm rages outside, the family begins to wonder if something more malevolent than stranded travellers is in their home...
Reviews / Votes
Dazzlingly well-written. The style is exuberant and extremely funny. This is a midsummer's night dream of a book, mythic and unforgettable * Financial Times * What a delicious literary cocktail Sadie Jones's latest novel is: part suspense, part Edwardian romcom, richly evocative of time and place... It's a spiffing tale and, even though it is at bottom a metaphysical love story, it is far more believable than Downton Abbey -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler * Highly entertaining... An elegant comedy of manners with the usual undercurrents of jealousy, desire and conflicting loyalties... Jones shows that she can turn her talent for storytelling to a more stylised form with a light and playful touch, and without compromising her sharp insights into the human heart -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer * Fans of The Outcast and Small Wars won't be disappointed. Wonderfully spooky and atmospheric -- Viv Groskop * Red * With its Mitfordesque dialogue and pacy plot, this is a deliciously fun read -- Beatrice Hodgkin * Easy Living * Stylish, witty and inventive * Independent on Sunday * The Uninvited Guests is a bizarre and exuberant comedy of manners, combining elements of romance with those of the carnival....it is a great deal of fun, and a welcome alternative to more traditional country-house dramas -- Hannah Rosefield * Literary Review * Beautifully written with real popular appeal, this cannot fail to be another winner * Sunday Herald * This creepy and entertaining tale unfolds around a fascinating cast of charactesr, and Jones's loving eye for period detail misses nothing -- Clare Longrigg * Psychologies * The prose is visceral, rich with "the smell of many wounds", and thick with painterly detail * Sunday Telegraph *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
266 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-956369-3 (9780099563693)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sadie Jones
The Uninvited Guests
E-Book
03/2012
1st Edition
Vintage Digital
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Sadie Jones is the critically acclaimed author of six novels. Her first, The Outcast, won the Costa First Novel Award, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, and was a Richard and Judy Number One bestseller. Her second, Small Wars, 2009, was longlisted for the Orange Prize. The Uninvited Guests, was published in 2010. Also a screenwriter, Sadie adapted The Outcast for BBC Television in 2014, directed by Iain Softley and starring George Mackay. Her fourth novel, Fallout, came out the same year, and her fifth, The Snakes in 2019. Her sixth novel, Amy and Lan, was published in July 2022.
Sadie is the daughter of the Jamaican screenwriter, novelist and poet, Evan Jones, and British actress, Joanna Jones. She was born and brought up in London, and is married to the architect, Tim Boyd.
Sadie is the daughter of the Jamaican screenwriter, novelist and poet, Evan Jones, and British actress, Joanna Jones. She was born and brought up in London, and is married to the architect, Tim Boyd.