Preview
  • The Uninvited Guests

  • A Novel
  • By: Sadie Jones
  • Narrated by: Kate Reading
  • Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
  • 3.4 out of 5 stars (103 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Uninvited Guests

By: Sadie Jones
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.49

Buy for $22.49

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A grand old manor house deep in the English countryside will open its doors to reveal the story of an unexpectedly dramatic day in the life of one eccentric, rather dysfunctional, and entirely unforgettable family.

Set in the early years of the 20th century, award-winning author Sadie Jones’ The Uninvited Guests is, in the words of Jacqueline Winspear, the New York Times best-selling author of the Maisie Dobbs mysteries A Lesson in Secrets and Elegy for Eddie, “a sinister tragi-comedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion.”

©2012 Sadie Jones (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Uninvited Guests

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    10
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    11

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Odd and Intriguing

A very odd ghost story that was in a strange way both entertaining and weird. I think on the whole it worked but there were too many strange moments (the pony) that seemed to take me out of the story. Yet in retrospect, those moments do serve a purpose in conveying the peculiar mood of the novel.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Unexpectedly Quirky

Would you consider the audio edition of The Uninvited Guests to be better than the print version?

Loved the voiced characterizations because it added depth to each personality, so I preferred the audio version.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Uninvited Guests?

The best moment in the book is the actual dinner party. Even though I was appalled by the guests behavior, it was visceral enough to be memorable.

What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The character voices in the audio version are spot on, and make it particularly entertaining.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration

The story lacked direction . The few times I thought the plot was thickening it fizzled out into another strange direction .
Excellent narration though . Almost worth listening to just for that . I also enjoyed the characters .

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Quite an odd book

every time I thought I understood, something totally different occured. At the end, not a bad story but I wouldn't waste a credit on it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I usually avoid books involving the supernatural

because, as Ken Follett says, "If anything can happen, where's the suspense?" But this one caught me unawares. The writing is delicious, and the supernatural elements not only didn't ruin the plot, they were sort of an amusing sideshow. I look forward to reading much more from this most engaging British author.
Excellent narration!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable!

The writing is beautiful, and deliciously witty. The reader was skillfull and perfect for the book. I'm not sure that the ghost story was handled the way I would have chosen, but for the most part I loved love this audiobook, and can't wait to read the next book by Sadie Jones.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Forgettable

What would have made The Uninvited Guests better?

It seemed like the author was attempting to try something different but wasn't comfortable with the genre (it's an attempt at a ghost story that just doesn't quite come together.)
Great narration, though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

And You Think You’re Haunted By Your Past!

In many ways Uninvited Guests is a comedy of manners, particularly British in its wit and depreciating sense of humor.

The Torrington household is preparing to celebrate the 20th birthday of their eldest daughter, Emerald. At the same time, Charlotte, Em’s mother, is anxious about the state of Sterne, and whether or not she and her children will be able to stay in the house much longer. Her husband, Edward, leaves on the day of the party to negotiate a home loan in town. That’s the set up. And it’s all very dramatic comedy with some upstairs-downstairs conventions and budding romances among the young people, but things change when there’s word of an accident “on the branch line,” and Charlotte’s past, quite literally, comes knocking on the door!

The Uninvited Guests is quiet and funny and creepy all at once, and I found it to be an enjoyable listen. I have only two criticisms: first, while Kate Reading did a fabulous job for the most part, her interpretations of some of the character affectations seemed a bit off to me. Also, like some other reviewers, I felt the pony situation, though it started off being funny, went on longer than it needed.

Still, if you’re in the mood for turn of the century wit and a bit of the supernatural you could do worse than The Uninvited Guests.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bewitchingly Peculiar Sleeper

It is very seldom that I am left without pithy opinions delivered with firm strong words,.. however, this quiet little sleeper of a book did just that.
It was a very pleasant surprise, and I was happy to have run across it.
Subtle, gently wrought,.. well worth the purchase.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Different.....

What would have made The Uninvited Guests better?

Clearer storytelling, I found the whole thing a bit fuzzy, wasn't really sure where the author was going with characters or storyline

What could Sadie Jones have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Developed her plot better, this story really jumped around, not much character development

Which scene was your favorite?

Nothing stands out, it was all a bit farfetched

What character would you cut from The Uninvited Guests?

The neighbor

Any additional comments?

Nope, this was not a very entertaining read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!