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.

A captivating thriller worth a spot on your bookshelf.

The Dinner Guest opens after the gruesome murder, with three suspects in the house B P Walter expertly navigates between multiple perspectives and timelines to unravel this "who done it?"

The Dinner Guest is the first crime thriller I have read in a long time and is a solid re-entry point for me into the genre. B P Walter has crafted a brilliant narrative and a resolution filled with enough twists to keep you guessing without going outside the realm of believability.

There are some side aspects to the main plot I would have been interested to hear more about particularly this undercurrent of the class divide that weaves throughout the book.

Overall, The Dinner Guest is an intriguing novel sure to keep you turning the pages.

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

The Dinner Guest by B P Walter is a mysterious, twisty journey. The past and the present connect to find out who murdered one of a foursome at dinner. The characters were well-developed, all with their own unique reasons to find them unlikable, and many quirks and secrets. The plot was interesting and kept my engaged. All in a all a good book.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

The Dinner Guest opens with a woman reporting a murder she had just committed to the police, and the story as to why she does that is slowly revealed. Two different characters tell most of the story from their own point of view, one, a seemingly down on her luck woman who meets Charlie and Matthew, the other, a rich British aristocrat with an Instagram following. As layers of truth are exposed, the twists and turns this book took kept me guessing, I do have to say the end was a bit unsettling. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy Ito read in exchange for my honest opinion.

I've deliberated a lot over what I think of this book and storyline. Now I really love a mystery element, and I love a dual timeline narrative told from multiple characters. So this should have been perfect.

However it just didn't sit right for me. It started off with a bang and I was excited to find out what was going to happen next. But then it just kind of dragged on a bit, with lots of social status chat and snobbery, a lot of snobbery.

I'm from a small town in North Wales, I've visited London on a few occasions, so I'm not hot on where things are in the big city. I felt like this was an A-Z of London at times and it just left me bored.

But when things did pick up I was interested again, but by the time the reveal came I was ready to get to another book.

Thank you so much to One More Chapter for my gifted digital copy on exchange of an honest review

A compulsive and refreshing thriller that had me gripped from start to finish. The perfect book to read in one sitting! I loved it!

The Dinner Guest opens with a murder at the dinner table. In attendance at dinner are Matthew, Charlie and their son Titus. Also present is Rachel, who befriends the family after what seems to be a random meeting. Matthew is killed very early in the book and Rachel confesses to the murder. So many questions that need answers. Was their initial meeting random? Did Rachel really kill Matthew? If so, Why? If not, why confess? A cast of characters who are all unlikable for various reasons, making it difficult to know who to root for. Not your typical who dun it for sure.

Thanks to netgalley and One More Chapter for the arc

Addictive, thrilling, entertaining, shocking, edge of your seat chills! 5 words that describe this book perfectly! Meet Matthew and Charlie. A married couple living their best life. They have a son together, Titus. One day they randomly meet a friendly woman named Rachel and they quickly become friends. Or at least she becomes friends with Matthew. Not so much with Charlie. Charlie is skeptical of this woman they have just met and is baffled by how quickly she becomes friends with his Matthew.

I enjoyed how the beginning of the book starts with a huge revelation, and then the rest of the story unfolds to reveal what happened at the dinner party that resulted in what happened and revealed at the beginning of the novel. I found myself flipping through the pages to uncover the mystery of what happened at the dinner party and how things transpired and went oh so wrong. 

So many twists and turns and I loved it. There is so much deceit, lies, betrayal, secrets, and half truths in this book, you will find yourself guessing and second guessing what is going on. Who is responsible? Do you truly know those you are closest to, or do you only see what they want you to see? With a shocking twist that you won't see coming, I cannot recommend this book enough!

Great new page-turning thriller! 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for engaging writing style! It's an interesting book because you know what happens early on, and you might be able to assume some of the "why's" to an extent, but then there are twists back and forth throughout. It's almost as if not a lot happens and at the same time a lot does happen in a very cool way. While written with a very modern style (the main characters talk casually almost as if you're just reading a note from a friend, discussing instagram, etc), the posh London background with large estates harkens to the traditional cozy British mystery style. I think the writer did a good job of combining these two vibes while giving a fresh spin of his own. This was my first B P Walter book and I certainly want to read more by him! Definitely recommend The Dinner Guest to lovers of mystery/thriller books!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, B P Walter, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thedinnerguest #harpercollins #onemorechapter #netgalley #arc

The Dinner Guest opens with a bang! A man has been murdered and a woman has confessed to the murder. “But....why??” asks a member of the household.

The readers are not sure exactly what that question means, but we spend the rest of the book finding out! There is plenty of secrets, revenge, and overall bad behavior for thriller lovers.

I appreciated that until the reveal, I was never entirely sure who the real murderer was. There were hints about many of these characters and I thought the author did a wonderful job with his red herrings.

This book started off so well, I was intrigued and was guessing who did what but, halfway through it started to meander along and it got a little tedious. I started to dislike the characters and got frustrated with them. It’s a shame as it could have been much better. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Well that was a lot of fun.
I can't describe it, but I could not put this book down. Even though I knew what it was doing (leaving me at a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter), I didn't mind and happily read on for three hours yesterday instead of doing real world things like... making dinner.

I don't want to give anything away so I'll speak in really broad terms.
I can honestly say that I did not like any of the characters. They are all dark and selfish, bad people and even those who were motivated by some greater cause made me squirm. That said, they are perfect together and in this story, deserve each other as the strange events of that night play out. No one is perfect and even after the murderer is revealed, there are still lots of twists happening afterwards.
Because the story is told from multiple POVs it's fun to get a sense of where everyone's mind was before, during and after the dinner event. I really like Rachel and Charlie and show they viewed Titus and Matthew and how those views changed. And the last chapter is a fun kick.

It was such a good thriller. I thought I knew who had done it, and then I guessed again, and again, I love how layered the plot became and how more characters were introduced, even they were dark and forboding. The general tone and urgency of the story was very satisfying and it was easy to become absorbed in the plot, trying to weave my way through the events and motives and figure out who did it.
Surely that was a misdirection? NO! Yes! No..?

Such fun.
I'll be recommending this book to those who love thrillers.

I really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful, fast paced, crammed full of glorious detail and it kept me guessing until the very end. Like a fictional version of Cluedo, fantastic! Would definitely recommend!

The overwhelmingly positive reviews on The Dinner Guest surprise me, as I found it to be just 'decent'. For me, the only thing that made it stand out was that it was about a homosexual couple, and it opens in such a way that you don't know whether it's a male-female relationship, or a male-male relationship, which was a nice little change. However, when the novelty wears off-- which it does-- we're left with a long-winded domestic novel that lacks real pizazz and isn't particularly memorable. I would say that those who are keen on slow-burn, literary fare will be most appreciative of this book, and for some readers, it may strike the perfect balance between literary and thriller.

The book started out really promising. The story is told between past and present. However, the story just did not hold my attention at all. The payoff is also not as satisfying in this story.

This was quite a wild ride from start to finish - full of twists and turns at every point as the full picture unfolds.

The story is told on two timelines - one after Matthew, husband to Charles and father to Titus, has been murdered and Rachel has confessed, and one that chronicles the previous year, when Rachel moved to London and began inserting herself into the lives of the family, all the while with an unknown motive. We know that things are not right in either timeline. Something’s off. What that is remains to be seen.

This is a book full os suspense and just teeming with surprises. The chapters are short and episodic, so they give just enough to whet your appetite with whatever point in time or scene they were depicting - the author does a great job of really amping up the suspense and setting the scene for the big reveals toward the end.

And those reveals were really good. I didn’t guess what was going on until it was revealed. But it was all very well done and very on par with the soap opera atmosphere of the book. The thing about this book is that it takes place in the world of the rich and elite of London, and none of the main characters are particularly “likable” so it has a really delicious Real Housewives/reality show vibe, where anything can happen.

And trust me, just about anything does!

I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty, suspenseful thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. B.P. Walter is definitely going onto y list of authors to watch!

This book was a really enjoyable read.
The start hooked me in straight away, with it's sinister and intriguing introduction to a murder. Then it followed with a dual timeline with the months leading up to the murder, then the events after it.
I am a huge fan of dual timelines, it is probably a favourite format for me, when executed well. This one took a little time to get used to, as did all the characters when they got introduced.
The middle part of the book definitely slowed down and didn't hold my attention as well, but rarely can a book hold my attention throughout its entirety.
The ending was fantastic and I really liked the way the book came together.