The synopsis is vague for a reason - the less you know, the better.

With a deceptive writing, an intricate plot, and engaging characters, this is a dinner you won't forget.

Charlie, his husband Matthew and their son Titus are having dinner when Rachel walks in uninvited. Matthew ends up stabbed to death at the dinner table and Rachel, holding the bloody knife calls the police and confesses to the murder.

The plot switches back and forth between the present, after the murder of Matthew, and one year prior, to the events leading up to the crime and between the perspectives of Charlie and Rachel. This made for a fast-paced suspenseful domestic thriller that is extremely difficult to put down. It captured my attention completely and I was at the edge of my seat the whole time while reading it. There were many red herrings scattered throughout the novel but for all its twists and turns it was pretty predictable because of how well-constructed it was.

One year prior to the murder, Charlie and Matthew are leading a picture-perfect life, happily married, dotting on their 15-year old son until, whilst shopping, they meet with Rachel, whom Matthew invites to join their book club. From that point onwards everything starts unraveling along with Charlie’s ideal domestic life, because as you can imagine, Rachel has an agenda and a plan that is immediately set into motion.

The book was filled with posh, privileged and snobbish unlikable characters, reckless and even dangerous teenage behaviour that goes unchecked, illicit affairs, drugs, deceptions and lies. Nothing is what is seems and the drama of it all was really entertaining. Entitled and rich people’s problems, especially if they are taken to the extent this book took them, reach another level of entertainment for me.

However, the sense of foreboding I constantly felt while reading the novel, came to an abrupt end when many things got explained in different lengthy expositional passages. It is my least favourite technique of unveiling the mystery in a thriller and it really brought the book down for me since it was used many times. Also I felt like the behaviour of a particular character changed completely towards the end of the novel and their actions escalated quite quickly, having informed us only one page prior of the true nature of their character. In my opinion it was a tad late for this character to have a completely 180 without at least giving us some hints from the beginning.

Lastly, the finale was extremely open-ended. This is something that normally does not bother me at all and in many cases I even prefer it to clean cut ending with a bow on top. However, in this case nothing really gets resolved, many things are left hanging and many questions go unanswered. I really appreciated the ominous and unsettling note the novel tried to leave off and if it wasn’t for the last chapter, which creates more questions and confusion, I wouldn’t have had so many problems with the ending.

What a twisted, tangled web of secrets.
The Dinner Guest is told by several points of view...each with their own opinions and thoughts.
For me, I felt like the story was slow in parts which made it a bit of a struggle to get through. The story did keep me engaged enough to read to the end.
All in all, a mystery, suspense with a very intriguing plot.
If you are a fan of domestic thrillers, The Dinner Guest may be for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is my first time reading a B.P.Walter novel, but wow-woozer, I can’t wait to explore his backlist of books. Because THIS! WAS! AMAZING!

This opens with a murder. Charlie’s husband has been stabbed to death in their home. Rachel has taken the blame. But is she telling the truth? Why did she kill him? She refuses to answer this question in custody.
Rewind months earlier and we meet Charlie and his husband, Matthew. They’re from a wealthy background with a lush home in Chelsea. One day they bump into the same woman twice. At a bookstore and later at M&S. They get talking and Matthew ends up inviting this strange woman to their book group. The stranger is Rachel, a northern lass who’s moved to London. Lonely and friendless.
But when we go into Rachel’s POV there’s more than meets the eye. We follow how in Yorkshire she quit her job and decided to move to Chelsea. After seeing Charlie’s Instagram. She’s stalks the couple and weeds her way into their lives...But why? What does she want from them?

There’s so much to like here. The characters are interesting. I found the dynamics of Charlie’s family intriguing. This was nicely plotted. A real page turner. I loved the setting of this, too. I felt like I was transported to that Battersea, Pimlico area. It made me miss London terribly. Nonetheless the world of the wealthy and posh was fascinating. It felt topical. The social commentary was aptly observed. My only gripe is towards the end there were a few plot points that weren’t clear, which I can’t talk about here without giving spoilers. The last 10% could’ve been tidier. Yet on the whole I enjoyed this is a lot. Plenty of grey characters. They’re all complex and messy, it was hard to figure out who the actual antagonist is. I did enjoy the arc of the characters especially Titus, the couple’s son.
This is a stellar novel set in Belgravia, observing class snobbery and gives a peek into the messy lives of posh people, through a working class protagonist who weasels her way into a rich gay couple’s life.

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.