This is a queer mystery thriller. The book starts off slowly but then gains momentum. I felt that the pacing was slightly off at times.
This has a gripping storyline which kept me interested.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free ecopy of The Dinner Guest in exchange for an honest review. This books was intriguing and twisty with pace that kept me wanting to keep reading. However, I didn't feel like the characters were consistent for example Matthew confessed what he had done in Norway to Charlie. Charlie was not happy about what Matthew had done but then shortly after we find out Charlie fantasises about hurting people who wrong him.

Entertaining and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This is a hard review to write. Not because I didn't enjoy it. For the exact opposite reason! I enjoyed it so much that I don't want to spoil anything for the next person! This book is cleverly written with lots of twists! I can tell you what you already know......there's dinner and someone is killed. Want to know more? Strap in and dive in for a great thrill ride! Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent read. It reminded me of every Liane Moriarty title. The twists were subtle, the reveal HUGE! As they sit down to dinner, the story explodes, leaving one person dead and the other three people in the room changed forever . This is one book I have recommended over and over again, it's that good.

This was a big dnf for me. Could not get in to the story. Did not connect with any of the characters and didn’t care to read on.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book is about a seemingly lovingly family consisting of Matthew, Charlie, and their son, Titus. They run into a woman named Rachel at a local bookstore, and Matthew invites her to join his bookclub. Soon, Rachel has intertwined herself throughout the lives of the little family by living and working near Charlie's godmother, and befriending Titus. Charlie's instincts tell him to be eerie of Rachel, which causes tension in his and Matthew's relationship. Rachel soon comes for a small dinner party which tragically turns deadly.

This story is told from multiple perspectives and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. It's a read-in-a-day type thriller that will keep you guessing. If you are a thriller girlie, you will love this.

The only reason why I am only rating it three stars is that I don't seem to enjoy thrillers as much as I have in the past. There is nothing "wrong" with this book per se, I just was finding my mind wandering and hoping I was nearing the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel for review.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm honestly shocked at the plethora of 4-5 star reviews for this book. The synopsis might hook you in, but in my opinion, the story itself falls extremely flat. Not only are all the characters insufferable (either Toffy types who rub shoulders with old British money or they're weirdos like Rachel who has the personality of a wet sack of paper clippings), but there is no real narrative drive.

It's all miscommunications, back-and-forth in time, characters saying things like "yes, that happened but let's not discuss it" - leaving the reader in the maddening dark, and whacko actions that bear no resemblance to what would happen on actual planet earth.

It's hard to say much of anything without spoilers, so I'll just reiterate that I honestly hated all of them (including Titus, who is the epitome of a spoiled, entitled little shit of a teenager with an extra helping of brattishness) and the ending was as unsatisfying as they come. The revelation that (view spoiler)

A killer, killer synopsis but the story itself seems to go straight to whackadoodle city.

I tried to get into this one, but the writing was blah and the storyline made me fall asleep. Definitely not worth the time.

I really enjoyed this read. The non-linear narrative helps to create an intensity that just builds and builds throughout the story. However, I felt like it dropped off a cliff at the end with its sudden ending. And the more I thought about this ending, the more it bugged me. I would have preferred Walter to have completely closed it off rather than leaving such an open ending with a story that is not going to have a sequel.

Starting with the murder of Matthew at the dinner table, the book then jumps to one year previously, detailing the events leading up to this fateful night. Switching between Charlie and Rachel, I liked how the writer gave this different perspectives to show their interpretation of events. Indeed, there are times when a chapter would finish with Charlie and Rachel would continue the events immediately; I liked this seamless transition and it made the book more immersive.

Alternating between before the murder and what happens next was initially a bit confusing. It meant it took me a while to get to grips with the characters. However, once I was fully engaged with the story, I could not wait to see what the motive was behind Matthew’s murder. I had predicted some of the plot development but was fascinated to see how this would unfold. The tension seemed to radiate off the pages: if not because Matthew has been murdered, but because of Charlie’s continuous suspicions in the time leading up to it.

Despite portraying a seemingly happy family unit, I don’t think I particularly liked Charlie and Matthew’s lifestyle. They come across as quite pretentious and incredibly selfish. It is as if Walter is presenting a stereotype of a wealthy, London couple who seem to have it all. Indeed, Charlie’s obsession with sharing this perfection on Instagram is what starts this nightmare and I think it is interesting to consider just how much society shares with strangers on an apparently harmless platform.

On the other hand, I grew to intensely dislike Titus. The more I learned about him, the more I despised him. Walter does this deliberately to manipulate the reader (it certainly worked with me!) but I think there was an opportunity to extend his character even more. There is something that becomes quite sinister with Titus’s character – even Charlie starts to detect this – and I wonder if having intermittent chapters from Titus’s perspective would have added to the story. On reflection, the way that the story concludes means that there could even be a story just focusing on Titus himself, because he has so much to offer.

I loved how the intensity increased over the story, causing me to constantly reach for the book to find out what happens next. Yet, the ending felt particularly sudden. When reading the Epilogue, I was not sure what to expect but I think the abrupt change of character meant that there was less closure than I was wanting. True, I like open endings that have you thinking after the final page, but I think this was too sudden and with too many questions left unanswered.

If it was not for the ending, this would have been a top rated read. I thought the structure of the story added to the disorientated emotions that Charlie feels after Matthew’s death and was intrigued to see how such a new but involved friend could also be a part of this fateful night.

With thanks to One More Chapter, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

A good read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A great thriller.

My utmost thanks go to the publisher for letting me review this title, and for Netgalley

This book was a bit too slow paced for me, considering it was meant to be a thriller. You find out a lot of major information early on, so the book keeps you reading to find out the "why". Not much happened though until about 75% of the book, where it got more interesting. The ending however was a bit of a let down. I was expecting more from this one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

An enjoyable thriller that starts with plenty of action. I found it well written and with well drawn characters. Read in one sitting and enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. I picked it up when I was in a deep reading slump and it managed to keep me reading on.

It was a real page turner that kept me guessing from the beginning right to the end. Loved how it all unravelled and how rich all the characters were.

Would recommend this one - 4/5 stars.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝘽𝙋 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧

My god, what a book! Submerged into the action straight away, we have both a murder and a confession in the first chapter - and so begins the web of deception, adultery, rebellion, lies, blackmail and secrets. What's not to love!? The details of the murder are revealed slowly and carefully with back stories leading up to “the day of” between the POV of Charlie (husband), Titus (son) and Rachel (mysterious new friend).

If you think you’re good at figuring plots (I thought I was!) - think again. We are absolutely kept in the dark with this and its just so brilliantly written. I was gripped throughout - every single chapter was full of suspense and ends on a hint or a cliffhanger, and because of the alternative narrators you just can’t help reading a few more chapters to get back to the twist and find out more!

Can we also just appreciate how god damn refreshing it is to have a male/male marriage represent the main characters— not a huge love story but just a normal marriage in a book about murder and lies. I find the majority of books are automatically m/f relationships and I just found it so fresh to see a normal gay relationship that’s not a romance book!

I can’t believe I haven’t heard of Walters before but will definitely be reading more of his work! I highly recommend picking this up - beautifully written with engaging, raw characters and a wonderfully intricate, suspenseful and twisty plot. The release date for this was originally 27/05 but was recently changed to 01/04 and I missed the email, so this is a late ARC review BUT at least you can all go buy it now!

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!