Unfortunately I was disappointed by this one. I had high hopes, but it did fall a bit flat for me. I really struggled because it was good enough that I could keep reading, but I wasn’t overly interested in what was happening. It was an easy read, which is why I kept reading it. If I felt like I was losing too much time reading it, I would have stopped. The pace was quite slow and it felt like it took a long time for anything to happen. I feel like this one was really lacking action and suspense. I didn’t connect with any of the characters so I struggled to feel any sympathy for them. I found them all quite hard to like. I did predict the twist, so I wasn’t surprised by what happened. I gave it 3 stars because I did like the storyline idea, liked that it was easy to read, and I think there was a lot of potential. I feel like there could be a book two, but I can’t yet decide if I’d want to read it or not.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This story centres around Charlie, his husband Matthew, and their son, Titus. Charlie and Matthew are shopping one day when they bump into a woman a couple of times, and as Matthew is so friendly, he invites her to his book club at his home. The woman, Rachel, slowly but surely embeds herself into their life, and Matthew thinks she’s wonderful, whereas Charlie thinks there is something a bit off about her. As the story unfolds, we see many secrets and lies exposed, with lots of twists and turns, and when you think you have a grasp on what’s happening, the story turns your theories on its head.
The story is told from two perspectives, Charlie’s and Rachel’s. And from two timelines, before and after the murder.

I really enjoyed this book, and read it in almost one sitting. I enjoyed the characters, and their many flaws, as it was more realistic, as the characters were quite “posh”, but not squeaky clean. I really liked Charlie, and could picture him in my minds eye really easily. Rachel wasn’t nice, but when you get deeper into the secrets and lies, you begin to understand why she is the way she is. I wasn’t keen on Titus, as he turned from perfect boy to a complete nightmare, and some elements of that underlying story felt not as true to life as I could imagine.
Aside from that, it was a cracking read.

Murder is on the menu! A near perfect 4.5 stars.

You are cordially invited to dinner at this most exclusive west London home where you are privileged to bag the one last remaining seat at the table. Awaiting you is a sumptuous feast, cleverly inspired and lovingly prepared by the acclaimed chef B P Walter. Amongst the many moreish delights on offer is the chef’s famous signature dish; a wickedly delicious simmering stew of boiled rage suffused with the twin combination of love and hate plus a never ending supply of dumplings flavoured with deception topped off with a mouth watering jus(tice). With plenty of side dishes of desire and jealousy,sex, drugs,secrets, lies, blackmail and betrayal you need to be careful not to over indulge, leaving room for the all important dessert. To accompany your meal is a vintage full bodied red wine with an overpowering hint of malice and for those of you who prefer a non alcoholic drink we have bottles of fizzy sp(r)ite. You will be dining with four fellow guests this evening; married couple Matthew and Charlie, their adopted fifteen year old son Titus and family friend Rachel whom I’m sure will all be delighted to make your acquaintance,possibly even inviting you along to their next book club evening. As you make yourself comfortable and take in your elegant surroundings you may also catch a tangible whiff of wealth, privilege and a sense of entitlement amongst the expensive cologne and the culinary fare which hopefully will add to the ambience, making this an occasion you’ll never forget. With the conversation flowing and guests spilling the beans regarding their past and present lives let me draw your attention to the dessert menu. The chef has chosen to serve up a real show stopping centrepiece, slicing up generous portions of a three tiered cake, each layer aptly named revenge, recrimination and retribution (presumably because it plays havoc with your digestive system!) alongside a tempting creme d’suspicion. Tuck in, enjoy and I hope you have a strong stomach because by the end of the evening one diner will be dead, with another left holding the bloodied knife, immediately confessing to the crime. As a witness to murder you alone are best placed to sift and sieve through the evidence as to why this dinner party has ended in death. Hopefully my cringeworthy introduction has whetted your appetite for B P Walters latest domestic noir but I can’t promise that’s the end of the food analogies!!

Matthew, Charlie and Titus are busily playing happy families when Rachel breezes into their lives, becoming the newest member of their book club. As days turn into weeks then into months and Rachel becomes a more permanent fixture not everyone within their circle is enamoured with this woman. But why?? Burning with intrigue and suspicion this is a most seductive thriller in which the author becomes a master of illusion. Using smoke and mirrors to distract and disarm, nothing is as it seems in this well plotted, cleverly constructed storyline. One character in particular is responsible for stirring up a hornets nest of negative emotions where revelations of past misdeeds, secrets and lies only lead in one direction, arousing further suspicion and culminating in a devastating betrayal of trust. No one, not even the rebellious teenager Titus will escape getting stung. This gripping narrative is laced with so much venom, each character compelled to act with a viciousness that renders them wholly despicable but who doesn’t secretly love a villain or two?? Thanks to the superb portrayal of these individuals their actions are believable and convincing, their snobbery, and contempt for those not of the same pedigree and social status leaving a bitter aftertaste. Whilst money and privilege can normally buy the way out of the majority of sticky situations, enabling those concerned to sidestep the consequences and/or evade punishment, sadly on this occasion wealth is not a recognised bargaining tool. The feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of everyone experiencing repercussions from the errors of their ways is palpable. Outward appearances can be deceptive and you’ll be delighted to discover there’s more than one wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing!

B P Walter has dished up a near perfect, addictive thrilling piece of fiction. Try and avoid forming snap judgements when it comes to these characters, approach them with caution and treat everything laid before you with a pinch of salt. I can honestly say I had no idea whose version of events, both past and present I should believe nor what lay in store for the remaining three dinner guests. Expect to be blindsided every step of the way! Elaborately built facades are crumbling with every lie and secret unmasked forcing everyone to push the boundaries beyond what is considered acceptable and reasonable behaviour. Only one though will take first prize for sheer audacity, stunning you with their capacity for morally corrupt conduct. Admittedly the author keeps you in the dark regarding motive for murder for a large chunk of the narrative but it is definitely worth the wait because as the pennies finally drop the twists are genius. Finishing on a high note with a terrific ambiguous ending I recommend you placing The Dinner Guest right at the top of your reading pile. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Such an engaging thriller! I loved it, it was such a fast read and the plot was well laid out. I loved the back and forth of the different times in plots, and none of the coworkers could decide who to trust out of the bunch. Your head will be spinning as you try to figure out how it will end!

Oooo.....this book had me within the first couple of pages. This was such a suspenseful book it had me thinking OMG several times. Everything I love in a book this had it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Dinner Guest in exchange for my honest review.

Love B P Walter’s previous book read and loved the excitement surrounding this book and it’s imminent release and was keen to read it
It’s a story surrounded in privilege, a bit like Downton/Brideshead and Bridgerton all rolled into one and updated but joking aside it is full to the brim of wealth, excess and SW1 addresses
The characters are all vile, in a word, I cant think of a single redeeming feature from any one of them, however the book wouldn’t be as it is intended if there was even a chink of decency in one of them, ‘Titus’ as well as having an objectionable name has to be one of the most obnoxious 15 year old’s ever to grace a book
The story itself starts spirited and more than intriguing and the author does really well to keep that going for so long, just as it looked like I was going to get answers it proved I wasn’t and off we went again, so much so that maybe ( for me ) it was always set up for a bit of a ‘ooooo ok I see’ when ‘all was revealed’, an amount of repetition then followed until the bitty and underwhelming yet ferociously quick ending, I felt I had invested a lot for it to end so sharply and hoped there would be more
Saying all that the writing is good, the build up and tenseness superb and the urge to sneer at all of them overpowering from time to time and think every one of them got what they ultimately deserved

6/10
3 Stars ( parts of it would be a 1 others 5 so 3 covers it )

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dinner Guest by B.P. Walter

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this advanced readers copy. This book publishes on March 31st!

This British whodunnit is the story of Matthew and Charlie, husband and husband living in London with their teenage son, Titus. The book opens with the murder of Matthew at a family dinner featuring one dinner guest- their mysterious new acquaintance Rachel.

The book switched perspectives between Instagram famous, elitist, and snobbish Charlie and suspicious and secretive Rachel. The book slowly unveils more details of the murder and the variety of secrets and lies that surround every character, culminating in an explosive ending.

This was a really engrossing book. Especially the last third of the book- it surprised me and went a lot deeper than I had expected. B.P. Walter created really authentic, frustrating, mysterious, and gripping characters. Charlie drove me absolutely nuts, almost making me wish he had been the husband murdered 😂. I loved that the primary romantic interest featured a gay couple- not something I’ve read too often in this genre.

Without giving away any spoilers, I did find myself disappointed by the somewhat sudden character change/revelation in Charlie at the end of the book. This change felt underdeveloped and disingenuous to the character I thought I understood. Apart from that, this was a twisty and juicy thriller I really enjoyed!

Ooh, this one sucked me in from the beginning! I absolutely loved the format. It jumps back and forth in time and I couldn’t read it fast enough to find out how it all went down.

Matthew & Charlie are a happy couple with an adopted son Titus, but their life becomes complicated when Rachel enters the picture. The characters start out likeable enough, but by the end I wasn’t really rooting for anyone. However, I still couldn’t read it fast enough.

I think fans of psychological thrillers are going to love this one!

BP Walter has a very assured writing style, and the characterisation is superb. It’s hard to believe this author only recently came on to the scene as the writing is that of a seasoned professional. Compelling, well plotted and pacey.

The Dinner Guest grabs you from page one and does not let it go.

Matthew is dead but who stabbed him; it's one of the three at the dinner table. Rachel, Titus or Charles?

I suspected all of them at one point, can't say I was right.

Follow the twists and turns, a few red herrings and you have a great read where the pages just fly by.

Add an ending that is just the icing on the cake and what more could you ask for.

Add The Dinner Guest to the top of your TBR pile , you will be glad you did.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for a book that was really just One More Chapter and I will turn out the lights

My thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to review.

Mysterious stranger. Rachel Holden, inserts herself into the lives of married couple Charlie and Matthew Allerton-Jones and their son Titus. Rachel comes to dinner, one of the guests is murdered, and Rachel has the bloody knife in her hand. But did she really do it and why?

I did enjoy this book. Very fast paced and easy read. My only negative comments are that there was a lot of jumping back and forth from all the characters perspective on a nonlinear format that can get confusing. And that ending.....just so so.

Huge fan of this author and this is another absolutely great read. I have nothing negative I can say about this book. It has been a great read filled with interesting characters and a unique plot.

I really enjoyed this thriller. There are several twists I didn't see coming. I also enjoyed Charlie's character and the complexities of his relationship. The ending was clever and satisfying.

I don't think slow-burn, domestic thrillers are for me. I really liked the first chapter but it got boring almost immediately after that. I don't think suffering through this was worth the mediocre ending. I also don't understand why there needed to be an epilogue.

This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! This book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the story and the characters long after you finish the book!

Compelling psychological thriller Charlie and Matthew are raising their son Titus in a upscale neighborhood in London. After meeting Rachel at a bookstore, Matthew invites her to join their book club, but who is Rachel and why is she so interested in Charlie and Matthew "perfect" life as shown on social media.. It's a multi-layered thriller with plenty of twists and revelations.

Definitely a fantastic thriller! The ending surprised me (which I always love). The characters were excellent and the writing was too notch. All in all clearly I loved this book. Go ahead and read!

This is a domestic thriller following family Matthew, Charlie, and Titus and the year leading up to a deadly dinner with Rachel - a woman they think they met by chance. Matthew is stabbed at the dinner table, Rachel calls the police and confesses immediately, leaving Charlie and Titus to navigate their new family structure and the murder investigation as everyone tries to figure out why Rachel killed Matthew. Told in dual timeline and dual POV, we follow Rachel and Charlie and slowly find out the truth of their relationship and what happened during the dinner.

The beginning of this book was my favorite part but I know some readers will disagree. The prologue starts off when the police show up at Charlie and Matthew's home and start processing the scene. There is a slight hint at the end of the prologue that maybe not all is as it seems and then in chapter 1 we jump to 12 months in the past and pick up the story from there to work forward to the murder. I personally love this structure where we know the ending and then the fun is the journey of how we get there. However, I know that not everyone feels the same way. I don't feel like the prologue spoils anything more than the book description, in general, does. I watched a video from Kate Cavanaugh recently where she discusses why she sometimes skips prologues and I could see why people would skip this type of prologue. I will say the book doesn't end at the murder, so there is more revealed after the dinner in the overall plot of the book. Like I said, I just really enjoy this structure where I know what happens but finding how exactly how everything plays out.

I really enjoyed the world building that Walter did in in this story. The story is set in London, but there are a lot of intricacies that come into play in regards to the different classes the characters belong to and how that informs their world view and actions. For example, upon meeting Rachel, Charlie feels something is off about her but he can't explain why. Matthew accuses Charlie of not liking her because she's lower class and a little different from all their other posh friends. This adds and extra layer of tension to the story because now Charlie is double guessing his feelings but it also a bit put off that Matthew would accuse him of being judgemental like that. We also see Rachel's home with her father so we get a direct contrast to the very luxurious life she's managed to find for herself in the story and we get a bit of her feelings on the issue. All the little details really made this upper class group of people that Rachel was infiltrating feel like a whole other world with their own rules and guidelines.

I thought the overall premise of the book was really interesting and one of my favorite thriller/mystery/horror premises of the stranger infiltrating someone's life. We know from the beginning that Rachel has some sort of ulterior motive when it comes to getting close to Charlie and Matthew but we don't know the details. Charlie and Matthew just think they've made a new friend at the bookstore and have no idea that the wheels of disaster have been set in motion. It is a very suspenseful premise that I think really pays off at the end when all is revealed. I also think that the structure of having very short chapters and switching perspectives and timelines often help raise that suspense and tension. This story really put into perspective that adults making friends is pretty difficult outside of school or work so I found the initial meeting very plausible. I know my partner is routinely striking up conversations with people when he goes out shopping and I could absolutely see him doing something like this (which terrifies me, an avid reader of thrillers and other such murder books). In any case, I'd say this is a really solid example of this trope of the mysterious stranger coming into the main character's life only to turn it head over heels.

The main part I disliked is that at about the 70% mark, all the secrets start to be revealed but it is done mostly by characters simply confessing to other characters. I think the reveals would have been more impactful for both the characters and the reader if they were uncovered in a more active manner. Also, the information revealed was very significant to the characters - so much so that I was surprised it didn't show up sooner in the book. The characters, for the most part, were very polished and put together for the first 70% of the story and then suddenly they had all these big flaws and personal histories revealed. I would have expected these types of flaws to have shown up in other parts of the characters' lives earlier in the story. I wanted cracks in the otherwise pristine facade the characters were putting on. Or maybe something like they catch themselves thinking X because of their history with Y and have to talk themselves out of thinking like that. But I didn't pick up on any cracks until everything goes from 0 to 60. I'm more of a fan of the slow and steady build up and I think if these reveals were to be hinted at earlier in the book it would have upped the tension for me. I really liked the actual topics of the reveals and I for sure didn't see anything close to that coming (which I know some readers prefer in their mysteries/thrillers). There was one character, specifically, whose flaw was a pretty significant character aspect that I really thought should be affecting the day to day life of that character more.

When I initially finished the book, I was mad at the ending. It wasn't that it was a bad ending, but I was just so emotionally invested in these characters that I ended up rooting for the one that ends up 'losing' in the end so I was a bit upset. But after a few days of reflection, I did end up on the side of really enjoying the ending and I think it was really the only appropriate way for the story to end considering how all the plot lines were intersecting. The last chapter picks up about 7 months after the murder where we see the surviving members of the dinner party moving on with their lives. There's a vague cloud hanging over them about what happened that night, but overall they are going forward with no plans to speak about the events again. So we have a good amount of closure with a little window that maybe something will happen down the line that will uncover certain truths that are currently buried. Then we get an epilogue from 3 years in the future that shows just how delicate the situation ends up being and the epilogue leaves us with a pretty significant cliff hanger-y type ending where we know shit is about to hit the fan but we don't get to see how everything plays out.

Overall, a very solid domestic thriller that pulled me right in at the beginning with the mystery of who Rachel is and what she wants with Charlie and Matthew but lost me a bit at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC.

Expected publication date is April 1, 2021.

OMG this book was really good. Loved all the twists near end of of book and kept you enthralled right till the end. One of this year’s favourites

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I did not know what to expect going into this. It's very twisted and there's a lot going on. It kept my attention but it wasn't my favorite