A really great story with so many twists and turns in it, you doubt everyone at various points as the story unfolds and there is enough shocker value to keep you going from start to finish!

I love mark edwards books, the house guest is one of my fave books ever so was excited for this one. It took me a good few chapters to get to grips with everyone and what was happening; it was a bit boring but from chapter 6 it was very good. There were lots of twists and surprises no-one would ever guess. There’s a lot of action and I enjoyed the secrets. The ending was very good and makes me think we might have wasp babies!!

I really enjoyed this taut, psychological thriller sent in 1999 and the present. Books set around big houses and groups of friends are like catnip to me, and throw in complicated histories with an overarching sense of doom and I am gripped!

I loved the late 90s references, and the depiction of a heady, hot summer. It's fast paced with some real surprises and is a propulsive read, especially the last third when all the secrets are revealed.

An outstanding read! This story is so engaging and flows so seamlessly that it can be read very quickly. I loved the flashbacks to summer 1999 and remember that summer very well as one of excitement and fear as the millennium approached. This story captures the whole essence whilst bringing it all back to a very scary present day dinner party. Excellent characters with secrets being revealed left, right and centre!

My thanks to Michael Joseph publishing and NetGalley for a copy of “ The Wasp Trap” for an honest review.

This is my first read of a Mark Edwards book but I was drawn to read it from the mysterious storyline.
I really loved this book and found it fast paced and gripping .The characters were well written and I genuinely didn’t have a clue until the end who was keeping “ the secret “
I’ll definitely be checking out his previous books and hope they are as good as this one is !

Thanks to Mark and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Wasp Trap before publication date.

In this locked room thriller, the story is told in 1999 and the present day, much of it by Will’s character who is an aspiring author.
In 1999, Sebastian Marlowe, a Professor of Psychology, has a concept for a commercial dating app.
If he can bring it to market before the competition, it will make all concerned wealthy.
He recruits young graduates to fill the project roles, while they live at his estate.
As the app has completed final testing, and with no explanation, Sebastian shuts down the project and sends everyone home.

25 years later, with the exception of Theo and Georgina, the team members have had no contact with each other. Following the death of the professor, Theo and Georgina invite the rest of the team to a catered dinner party at their home.
There is an extra guest, Finn, who is introduced as being Sebastian’s assistant in the 2 years before his death.
Tensions are running high as secrets from the past and long held grudges are revealed.

The book reminded me of the play, An Inspector Calls, and it would make a good drama.

THE WASP TRAP – MARK EDWARDS****
Mark Edwards is usually reliable as an author of fast-paced stories and this book has done nothing to change my opinion. It’s one of those ‘friends meet years after a crucial event’ (of which they supposedly know nothing) and are kept captive in the massive country house of a professor they all worked for on a top-secret programme many years before. They get invited for a weekend to remember by the current owners and all hell breaks loose.
This is enjoyable hokum, of course, the basic premise being that one of the friends has a deadly secret and one by one they will be bumped off if the guilty party doesn’t confess. Doors are locked, keys are lost, and their phones are taken away, and there are mad killers on the loose. Into this mix is a family member hidden in the attic (more or less!), strange knockings in the walls, and secret passages. And, along with many twists and turns, the wasp trap does have something to do with it!

A little confusing in places as it jumps between the two timelines but fast paced and full of the type of plotting you come to expect from Mark Edwards!

Title: Tense, Addictive, and Full of Suspense — A Gripping Mystery You Won’t Want to Put Down

Review:
Tense, twisty, and packed with atmosphere, this thriller grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. A gripping prologue, short punchy chapters, and a simmering mystery between characters make this an addictive read. With clever Easter eggs hidden throughout and a growing sense of unease, it’s one of those stories you have to keep reading — just to see if your guesses are right (or, hopefully, very wrong).

The prologue immediately caught my attention with its casual, intriguing line about creating a test for psychopaths. Honestly, who doesn’t love the idea of a test that could reveal something so chilling? It was a brilliant hook to start the book with.

Chapter One surprised me with a time jump to the present day — I’d expected the story to stay in the 90s based on the prologue’s tone, but the shift worked well. (And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a bit of 90s nostalgia?) The transition raised even more questions, making me eager to find out what had changed between then and now. There was a particular moment where Will hears a noise, and that detail immediately pulled me deeper into the story — the tension was palpable and I found myself wanting to know more right away.

I really appreciated the short chapters, especially as a late-night reader. It made the book feel fast-paced and easy to move through without getting bogged down — perfect if you prefer reaching the end of a chapter before putting the book down.

The London setting was another highlight. References to the London Marathon and Notting Hill made the scenes so easy to picture, and it helped me build a vivid sense of place in my mind as the story unfolded.

By Chapter Three, the intrigue ramped up even further. It’s clear something significant happened between this group of characters… but what? That unanswered question kept me turning the pages.

By Chapter Eight, the story is still holding onto a lot of mystery — just enough to keep me hooked but not enough to piece everything together (yet!). There have been a few jumps back to the 90s, which I really like — they’re brief, but they’re clearly laying some kind of foundation. It honestly feels like there might be little Easter eggs scattered throughout, but it’s still too early to guess where it’s all leading. That said, I am trying to guess the twist… and I really hope I’m wrong, because the best thrillers always outsmart me!

Now into Chapter Nine, and I’m almost certain there are Easter eggs hidden in each chapter — little hints being dropped that will make total sense later. It’s such a clever way to build suspense. The tension between the characters is becoming more and more noticeable, and I’m desperate to find out what’s happened between them. The author is doing a brilliant job of slowly tightening the threads — I’m fully invested.

By Chapter Eleven, I’m 100% hooked. I’m right there with Will — too many weird things are happening, and while they could be explained away, the sheer number of coincidences is starting to feel impossible to ignore. The tension is really building now, and I’m desperate to see how it all unravels.

Then Chapter Thirteen hit — holy moly, the pace just shot up out of nowhere! Everything suddenly feels urgent, and that slow-burn suspense has exploded into proper page-turning territory.

After Chapter Thirteen, things really take off — and I was absolutely not expecting what happened next. The theory I’d been forming about the twist? Completely thrown off course. The story took a direction I hadn’t anticipated at all, and now the pacing has ramped up even more. It’s racing ahead, and I genuinely can’t wait to find out what happens next.

At this point, I’ve completely lost track of what chapter I’m on — I’m just fully invested. I still have no idea what the twist is, and I love that. Normally, I figure things out early and have to push myself to keep going, but this time? I’m just along for the ride, completely hooked. And then… the end of Chapter 22 — mouth open. I did not see that coming.
Also, I’m honestly asking myself: why have I never read this author before?

By Chapter 25, another twist drops — and again, I did not see it coming. I honestly don’t know what to make of this story anymore… and I love it. I’m torn between being nervous that the big twist won’t deliver, and terrified that if it does, I’ll be completely ruined and crash into a full-on book slump. This story has me emotionally all over the place — and I’m not ready for it to end.

One thing that’s really stuck with me throughout is the phrase: everything echoes. It’s subtle, but powerful — and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to stay with me long after I finish this book. It captures something about the story’s atmosphere and emotional weight that’s hard to put into words, but it hit me.

End of Chapter 35… I’m shouting. Another twist — just a little one — but it’s enough to completely shake things up again. I still have no idea how everything is going to pull together. I’ve got 29% left and the anxiety is real. I need answers, but I don’t want it to be over!

Small win — I’m a little bit chuffed that I guessed the right results on the test Lilly created! It’s one of the few things I’ve managed to figure out, even though I still have absolutely no clue what the main twist is going to be. The suspense is killing me, and I love it.

End of Chapter 37 — WTF. I don’t even know what to say. I’m stunned, completely speechless. The story has twisted so hard I feel like I need to sit down and reevaluate everything I’ve read so far. This is next-level storytelling — and I still don’t know where it’s all going.

I’ve just about recovered from one of the twists (still a bit stunned, to be honest), and I’m now 83% through — and I still need to know how it all links together. It’s wild that this far in, I’m still in the dark, still second-guessing everything. I forgot my plans for the day because of this book… and honestly, no regrets.

I’ve just finished — and wow. That final twist was not what I expected at all… and I absolutely loved it. The way it all came together was clever, shocking, and so satisfying. And that ending? Let’s just say there’s a little part of me hoping for a sequel. This book completely consumed me, kept me guessing right to the final pages, and will definitely stick with me.


Would I Recommend it?
Absolutely — especially to fans of smart, suspenseful mysteries with strong character dynamics, clever writing, and masterfully hidden twists. This book deserves the hype.

I found this story a little slow to begin with, although the slower pace did build a good picture of the characters, and the second half I found much more exciting and thrilling, with twists and turns coming thick and fast. I particularly enjoyed hearing about the relationships that emerged in 1999 and how this impacted what happened in the present time, especially the couples that came together. I did find the relationship between Will and Sophie to be very slow starting, which was quite frustrating. There was definitely some irony in Will being an author and saying he could never write as good a story as what actually happened in this book! Overall, a good twisty thriller, that kept me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Another brilliant book from mark edwards! I loved all the twists and turns this took, and all of the hidden secrets which came to light! Fantastic !!

It was a little slow to start off with but then it soon became interesting. Lots of twists and turns to keep me guessing but not sure I saw the ending coming.

Take a bow, Mark Edwards. Once again you've given us a tension filled, edge-of-the-seat thriller. With its locked house (as opposed to room), secret passages, and characters harbouring secrets, one would be forgiven for thinking this is a cosy mystery. It's about as far from cosy as you can get. 🗝🗡
The premise is simple. Six friends, who had been working on a dot.com startup in 1999, come together for a dinner party following the death of the professor who employed them. They haven't seen each other since said professor called a halt to their project 25 years ago. 🗝🗡
Things go horribly wrong at the dinner party, and the friends find themselves in a life or death situation. Secrets that have been held for 25 years, are revealed, including the reason why the project was shelved. 🗝🗡
The story is told across a dual timeline, 1999 and the present, from multi POV'S. 🗝🗡
The tension mounts chapter by chapter, twist by cunning twist. It was the final reveal, however, that blew my socks off. OMG!!!!🧦
I thoroughly enjoyed The Wasp Trap. Many thanks to Michael Joseph Books, Netgalley, and Mark Edwards for the digital ARC.

Mark Edwards doesn't ever write a bad book and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about uncovering secrets from the past.

Told from Will's perspective, he is employed by Professor Sebastien to create a dating website back in the nineties along with Sophie, Theo, Georgia, Rohan and Lily. They all have their parts to play, writing code, content, marketing etc and prove to be a dynamic team. Unfortunately the project is cut short and the website scrapped without warning and the group disband.

Fast forward twenty odd years later and a dinner is arranged by Theo and Georgia who are now a married couple, to celebrate the life of the Professor and the summer spent in his manor house where the website was created. Will is nervous, he hasn't seen Sophie, his crush, since then and knows he hasn't fared as well as the others but is keen to catch up.

The dinner isn't all it seems as someone knows a secret from back then and they are prepared to kill to get it.

Great pace, character description, loved the energy and the relationships between the group. Thoroughly enjoyed and sure it will be enough hit for Mark!

I enjoyed this book. Back in 1999 Will joined 5 other young graduates to work for an eccentric professor to develop a game changing dating app. 25 years later he is invited to a reunion dinner party. The story is told in 2 time frames and it quickly becomes evident that things didn't end well back in the day. Then the dinner party takes a gruesome turn and becomes a particularly nasty home invasion story. It certainly keeps you guessing, although I did find the denouement quite complicated.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Ooh this was good, with twists right up until the end that had me flying by the seat of my pants.

It had a hint of Christie's 'And then there were none,' but with a unique flavour of it's own,

Some seriously questionable characters in this, but ones that just draw you in.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

Twenty years ago, a group of young graduates is employed by an eccentric psychologist to try to create a game-changing dating app. As part of the science of the app they try to incorporate a test for psychopathy to weed out bad actors. Just before the app is ready to be launched, dramatic events occur and the project is abandoned. The group don't see each other again but twenty years later, they all receive a dinner invitation from the one couple that stayed together and are now super-rich. As the second course is served things start to fall apart rapidly and we have a tense, locked in drama to the death and the secrets and lies of the past will float to the top Tene and cracking read.

In the summer of 1999, Professor Sebastian Marlowe invited six recent university graduates—Will, the narrator, along with Georgina, Theo, Sophie, and Rohan—to spend the season at his countryside estate. They were joined by his nephew Dominic, who helped with odd jobs, and Eve, the housekeeper and cook. The group was brought together to work on an innovative idea from the professor: a new dating app built around a comprehensive personality profiling system. As they developed the app, the team decided to repurpose the profile as a tool to detect psychopathy—a subject that fascinated the professor—as a surprise twist for him. But at the end of the summer, without warning or explanation, Marlowe abruptly abandoned the entire project.

Over two decades later, the six reunite at Georgina and Theo’s home to honor the professor’s memory after his recent passing. Yet, beneath the surface of this reunion lies a long-buried secret—one that at least one of them has been hiding for years. A secret dangerous enough to threaten the lives of them all.

Absolutely loved this! Former colleagues from 1999 are invited for dinner and then the story takes on a creepy, claustrophobic edge. Riveting with suspense, the story is told from two POVs - 1999 and the present, and I was kept on edge the whole time. The ending was satisfying (for me) . Have read several of Mark Edward’s books and this did not disappoint.
Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers, Penguin Random House for this ARC.

A group of friends and old co-workers gather together for a memorial dinner party. But secrets need to be spilled.
Told in two time frames, 1999 when working together to create a new website, and present day, gathered together for a dinner party to remember their boss. I liked the mix of characters and the tense action.
This was a slow burner for me, but once the action started, I was invested!