This was an okay book, but like many of the other reviews, it did not really play out like I expected.

The idea of this book really interested me, but it was way too far fetched! I'm still giving it three stars because I did find a sort of perverse enjoyment in watching it unfold - but this has to be one of the wackiest books I've read in a long time, and honestly I think I expected more from it.

I thought this book sounded so good but it was just utterly unbelievable.

All of the characters were vile and I finished the book feeling very underwhelmed which was a real shame as the beginning was good and kept me turning the pages.

This was a bit of a crazy book, not what I expected from the blurb.

It all starts at a dinner party on a Friday night and what follows is a weekend of mayhem and murder.

The twist at the end was interesting and one I hadn't anticipated. It held my attention and was a decent read.

Where to even start. You could say the beginning - and what a beginning it was, setting me up in spectacular fashion with an opening chapter that had me totally hooked. This is one where as I was reading I was becoming more intrigued, and I could feel a smile spreading on my face as I was left thinking - yes. This is what I've been waiting for.

What can you say about a book that starts with one of the main characters, effectively the narrator of this whole story, doing a grand impression of a Sunday Roast come wannabe Shish Kebab? Three paragraphs in and I knew I was sold on the book and desperate to find out exactly what had happened and how a simple dinner amongst friends had descended into this ...

Well, as it happens, I had a while to wait to find that out, but what I got in the meantime was a twisted and suspense filled read as the author took us back to the fateful night that changed everything and a simple game of trust which pushed long standing friendships to their limit. Eight friends seated around a dinner table, prompted by one to record their deepest darkest secrets and see just how much their partner really trusted them. By dawn, one of the eight was dead and another missing and our protagonist, Ted was caught right in the middle.

I know what you're thinking. No good can ever come of sharing secrets, can it? In this case you'd be absolutely right, but how dark a secret could these friends be hiding and would it really be worth killing for? Well that is the crux of this book, and Mr Parker has done a brilliant job of both tempting the reader with little hints of a reveal, but also keeping you guessing right until the end. Nothing is ever quite as it seems and with so many of them eight, Ted included, acting suspiciously, it is really hard to know who to trust. I thought I trusted Ted and his wife, Juliette, but then again ...

I'm the last person who can really comment on the subjects of trust and secrecy, especially in relationships. I don't do trust easily, I do relationships even less, but even I could appreciate the way in which the author had created four very different, very believable couples, all with their own private cross to bear. The friendship between the group seemed both easy and strained at the same time, the tensions of a marriage on the brink a stark but realistic contrast against the seemingly happy couples that surrounded them. The cynicism and sarcasm was spot on, the hesitant enthusiasm of others in the group just enough to let you know that there was something one of them really wanted people to know.

Now if you have read any of the author's other books and are a little concerned about how gruesome the murders may be, don't be. The body count may be higher than you'd expect, but the scenes are not graphic. And, oddly, they really fit the nature of the story. And there is so much suspense, so many questions which arise the further you read, you'll be as busy trying to solve the mystery as you are keeping a tally on the corpse front.

I really liked the character of Ted. He was a brilliant choice of narrator as he had his own secrets to keep meaning you were never one hundred percent sure you had the full story, but you trusted him anyway. Keeping the single narrative voice worked really well, the reader discovering elements of the truth at the same time as Ted, but being fed enough info to start building your own ideas of what was going on. And he was an empathetic character with a real connection to his son which was heart warming to read in amongst all the carnage.

I really enjoyed this book, loved every minute of reading it, and I can't wait to see what the author brings us next. This was another perfect blend of mystery, thrills, suspense and murder that had me wondering to the very last page. Fans are going to love it.

Thank you @NetGalley and #HarperImpulse / #KillerReads for sending me this Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. (Release Date | 18 Oct 2019)

SYNOPSIS | Four couples gather for a long overdue dinner party in a quiet suburban street. During the event, one of the guests suggests playing a trust game aiming to absolve your guilt and strengthen your marriage. Each person writes down a deep, dark secret and seals it within an envelope. They hand this envelope to their spouse who then forgives them and sets it on fire. However, the next day two of the guests are found dead.

MY THOUGHTS | I had quite a few issues with this story. Firstly, the writing style wasn't my cup of tea as one of my pet peeves is when the narrator asks a series of pondering questions e.g. How did I end up here? Who did this to me? Where was X when this was happening? etc. This story had a lot of that kind of signposting. Secondly, some of the reasons for the deaths I just didn't understand. It seemed a tad extreme and I didn't really care who lived or died or who did it. I will say its a quick read though.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Dinner Party.

Ted and his wife are hosting a small dinner party with three couples.

Midway through dinner, one of the wives proposes a game that sounds innocent but is anything but and leads to devastating consequences for everyone involved.

For some reason, the blurb made me think something terrible happens at the dinner party itself but that's not the case.

The premise was intriguing, as it usually is when there are numerous suspects but lack of character development, rapport and warmth between any of the couples made this hard to truly enjoy.

I didn't like or identify with anyone, but to make it worse, the explanation for what set everything in motion was too difficult to suspend disbelief for.

Without giving anything away, I don't believe anyone, man or woman, would truly believe a game of any kind, psychological or not, would absolve you of the terrible deeds you committed.

The Dinner Party by R. J, Parker hooked me with an intriguing premise. Four couples attend a pretty typical dinner party in a suburban home, where they decide to play a game involving secrets and forgiveness, then head their separate ways. Later that night the hosts get a troubling call from one of their guests and when they go to help, find her dead body in the garden of her home, with no sign of her husband. From there the book becomes something of a web of deceit , betrayal and intrigue, as one by one the other attendees find themselves in dangerous and deadly situations, seemingly trapped in a nightmare of their own making.
The book starts out really strongly, with a dramatic introduction and then takes the reader back to the night of the infamous dinner party. We are introduced to the various couples, four in all, though our focus is mainly with Juliette and Ted who are the hosts for the evening, We see the other couples largely through their eyes, with all the bias that implies, and it soon becomes clear that each of the couples are facing some challenges, and the friendships may not all be as close as we are first led to believe. While the characters of Juliette and Ted, and their little boy Georgie are all well developed, as are some of the secondary characters , others seem to be a little too bland, making it hard to keep track of what is happening with each couple at times. I loved the tension in the domestic drama at the dinner party , these were definitely my favourite scenes in the book as a whole, and certainly the best written. As the book went on, it seemed to get a little messy and lose some sharpness, which is a shame as the set up was so good. It was a fast paced and punchy read, if not ultimately very memorable, the kind of book that is perfect poolside or to divert yourself in a waiting room.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Good premise and storyline, but overall disappointing book for me; I was hoping for something Agatha Christie-like, but this wasn’t quite it. I felt the author was offering too many explanations and the story seemed overly wordy and too long. I would have loved for this book to have been shorter.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy. The Dinner Party is a twisty book. Eight friends come together for a dinner party and they start to play a game that tests each of their limits including their marriages. It is a fast paced page turner. There was a couple spots that were lacking though. A little confusing at times. Still not a bad read.

The Dinner Party starts well with (as per the title) a dinner party where married couples play a game of writing down a secret and burning it before their partner can read it. They go their separate ways on the night, and then one of the guests is found dead and her husband goes missing. The novel builds up suspense and overall it's an entertaining read.

What didn't work as well for me was at times I felt the writing style was incongruous with the plot action, or the intention and motivations of the characters. I also found there was too much explanation at times, instead of making the prose and dialogue work harder to build up the tension and tell the story in a way I would want in a gripping psychological thriller. This may be why the characters lacked real depth and I found it difficult to engage with them and really care about their fate.

If you engage well with the writing style this is likely to be a great read. But there was something lacking there for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of The Dinner Party in exchange for my personal review.

This was my first read by this author and it has all the qualities of a good crime novel. The synopsis made me think of the film ‘Clue’ and that attracted me straight away as I love whodunnits like this!

The book starts with an innocent dinner party but by the next day, things have taken a turn for the worst ending in blood and death. The characters are both infuriating but believable and things begin to unravel more as the book goes on.

Some of the events are a bit outlandish and a lot seems to happen in a short space of time, but this helped makes the book twisty and keeps you wanting to read more!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and loved Ted’s desire to find out what is going on and save his family very admirable!

(Also posted on my GR account!)

The Dinner Party has an excellent idea, tight pace, and developed characters. The later, though, might prove to hinder the book a bit.
There were eight people (4 couples) that were interchangeable, except, maybe, the main couple (Ted and Juliette). It was hard to keep up with the 4 couples (and their family) up until one by one died under mysterious circumstances.
The writing was good enough to follow and I'm liking the short chapters. Some parts need to be trimmed, imo, but overall, it provided a nice read.

I read this book full of hope for all the things I like in this type of book, twists, turns, secrets from the past and while it had them it seemed some what confusing and far fetched,
a group of friends meet up for a dinner party after not seeing each other for some time - they play a truth game and everything goes wrong from there.
whilst it was definitely redable and kept me gripped it wasn't necessarily in a good way. I found myself as confused as Ted much of the time about what was going on.
I didn't guess the ending which is usually a sign of a good book for me but the ending just wasn't very convincing

3 star

Wow.

I picked up this book around 10pm, thinking I'd just read the first few chapters to get a feel for the story. What a mistake! I instantly got sucked into the tension and refused to put it down until the final mystery unfolded. This book is laced with secrets, lies, and twists that kept me glued to the page from start to finish.

It starts with a dinner party. Innocent enough, right? Except the couples decide to play a game. Each person writers a secret on a piece of paper and then burns the secret without disclosing it to his/her partner. The purpose is to feel a sense of release, a cleansing for your secret, while the partner forgives the secret without ever knowing what it is.

Except people start dying and it looks like the game is at the heart of the mystery.

There were times toward the end that the plot felt a little outlandish, but that didn't take away from the intrigue. It was a fast paced read, with dynamic characters caught in impossible situations. Ted, our protagonist, was my favorite as he worked to unravel the mystery and keep his family together as the world around him comes crashing down.

Overall, it was a very entertaining read and I recommend! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

If you are looking for a twisty, explosive and shocking thriller, The Dinner Party fits all those points and more. The story starts with a bang: you are dropped right in the middle of a life or death fight and what is basically a superintense and bloody scene. No introductions, no explanations... Just that scene to leave your jaw hanging on the floor and wondering how that situation came to be. This intense introduction chapter is contrasted by the following 'mild' chapters talking about a dinner party involving four couples. Do they have anything to do with that first chapter? Which of them could be involved? The tone of this story is definitely set with that brilliantly played first chapter.

The tension is build up slowly but steadily in the rest of the story, mixing secrets and twists with moments of action and suspense. I initially had a very good feeling about this story, but as the storyline continued and evolved, I started wondering about the credibility of it all. Sure, there is no doubt that if you are looking for adrenaline and action you will be in for a treat with the second half of The Dinner Party. But I myself found everything that happened to the four couples simply to be a tad too farfetched. I could accept the first thing that happened, the second too if I'm generous... But afterwards things really went out of control and my eyebrows started raising themselves more and more and more. On top of that, I didn't really find the final reveal or explanation behind it all credible at all... Making the ending a bit of a disappointment for me. I did like how we came a full circle and saw the first chapter described again in its proper place in the story though.

As for the characters... Sadly, I can't really say I liked them. Apart from the fact that I would have liked to see more development, as some fell flat for me and were a bit of a cliche, I didn't find them likeable at all. I get the secrets and I get that they are hiding things to help generate those plot twists and reveals later on, but somehow they didn't manage to grab my attention at all. Which is a shame, because between the credibility and characters I definitely ended up having a different reaction than I thought I would. If you like your thrillers fast, thrilling and shocking and don't mind some lack of credibility and an 'over the top' plot, you will probably have a better time reading this story. The fascinating premise and promise of a great story is definitely there!

The Dinner Party is exactly why I'm not friends with my neighbors. You get a group of people together, one of them decides to play a nasty little game, and the next thing you know, BAM, people just might be dead. The Dinner Party goes to further lengths than a few friends gathering at dinner. It goes into what makes people tick, and what happens when we make poor choices for ourselves and for other people. I liked this book from the third page and wanted to read the whole thing in one swoop. It's THAT good.

The Dinner Party releases 10.18.19.

5/5 Stars

This was a great book! It held my attention and I couldn't put it down, kept me awake at night because I just wanted to keep reading! It was an easy to follow along story and contained good easy to follow characters. I highly recommend this to anyone and can't wait to read more by this author. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this. I love reading books by new authors and this is the way I find new authors.

I wanted to love this book. I didn't. Mainly because I just didn't like a single character in the story and couldn't bring myself to care what happened to any of them.

I did read this to the end, but I can't say I particularly enjoyed it. It was completely unbelievable, the characters were not well written, the setting was confused and I felt the story was too. Sorry not for me.