I believe this is Tess LIttle's debut novel. There was a lot to digest in this book and while the story itself was interesting, the execution fell a little flat to me.
First and foremost, this is not a straightforward mystery/crime book. Its more of a study of power and how it changes people as they go on in their lives.
We start with Richard Bryant's death. He was found dead the morning after his 50th birthday party. The guest list was extensive, only a few people turned up and each other them have a reason for wanting to kill Richard in some way shape or form. He is not a wonderful person by any means and is pretty much a scum bag.

The story is told by going back and forth between the past and the present. It really shows why each guest had a motive to dislike and want to kill Richard.

A slow burning story that focuses on power and characters. Thank you so much to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Elspeth Bell was not looking forward to her former husband Richard Bryant’s fiftieth birthday party, nor did she appreciate being tricked into attending without their daughter’s comforting presence, providing some sort of a buffer between the former spouses. The party was really strange, with only eight guests – nine, if you counted Richard’s pet octopus, Persephone. Richard made an odd speech, everyone was drinking, and because cellphone usage was strongly discouraged, the eight guests were essentially trapped at Sedgewick, Richard’s Los Angeles estate. When Elspeth awakened the next morning, she discovered Richard had died during the night.

Okay…I had trouble with this one. Normally, I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries. I love the twists and turns and the potential “whodunits” but I just wasn’t feeling it with The Last Guest. With eight people to keep track of, and super long chapters, and the damn octopus that Elspeth was obsessed with, I lost interest. As the story unfolded, I realized I didn’t really care who killed Richard, and that’s a bad sign when reading a thriller. This debut novel fell flat for me.

My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

I am trying to catch up on all my outstanding ARC reviews - ack!

This is a debut murder mystery thriller from Tess Little about a woman named Elspeth Bell. She attends her ex-husband's (who also happens to be a renowned hollywood director with a few enemies) dinner party in which at the end - he ends up dead. There are only 9 people at the party and only 1 that could have been the killer. The story takes you through the brain of Elspeth as she tries to figure out what really happened that night.

It’s clear reading that her ex-husband Richard was not loved by everyone and many would have motive to kill him. The pace was a bit slow, and the constant insinuation that the pet octopus could even be a likely culprit made me want to throw my kindle on the floor. You question Elspeth’s cognitive thought and sanity throughout - and if she is being very honest. It ricochets between past and present, which was confusing even though it is all in Elspeth’s POV. I think it would have been a lot better getting the POVs of the other dinner guests too. Overall, this thriller was too slow for me and certain parts were more complicated than it needed to be.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the e-copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this thriller! The writing reminds me of Agatha Christie. Lots of twists and turns that you won't see coming. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and watch their struggle for power!

The Last Guest by Tess Little is a dinner party gone wrong. When rich and eccentric Richard, invites over a select guest list for his 50th birthday, no one expected him to turn up dead. His ex-wife, Espeth , already did not want to attend his party and now his dragged into the mystery of Richard’s murder. It seems as though everyone from the dinner party has a reason for wanting Richard dead. But who did it and why?

Overall, this book was a miss for me. It was very hard for me to follow the timeline in this story. One of things that I would have preferred and would have made it easier to follow the timeline was if the book had labels for the time jumps. Instead of just using a space between time jumps, it would have been easier to follow with clear labels to start each new section. There were also too many backstories and side stories to follow. Again, it was really hard to keep the timeline straight in this book.

I also really did not like the Octopus symbolism or storyline. It just did not do it for me. There was way too much time spent on the Octopus in the story.

One of the things that I did enjoy about this book is that it is a locked-room, whodunit mystery, which is one of my favorite sub-genres of thriller/mystery books. I enjoy trying to piece together whodunit with the suspects from the dinner party to choose from.

Overall, I think if the timeline was easier to follow and the story was easier to piece together, it may have been a good thriller.

The Last Guest review
Richard Bryant, a famous Hollywood director, decided to throw himself a lavish 50th birthday party. His ex-wife, Elspeth, was invited and flew from her home in NYC to accompany their daughter Lillie to the event. Elspeth and Richard were not on good terms and she had moved half a continent away to get away from him.
So she was surprised to discover that her daughter was not coming to the party and that only 8 guests had been invited. After the guests arrived, Elsbeth realized that each one of them had been involved with some different aspect of Richard’s life. However all of the guests seemed to harbor some resentment to their treatment by Richard over the years.
One of the features of the spectacular home that Richard and his male lover shared, was an enormous aquarium which housed an octopus of giant proportions. The event started with a meal composed of favorite dishes of each guest. There was a large amount of alcohol and then drugs. Eventually the guests started passing out or falling asleep.
The next morning Elspeth awoke to find Richard dead of an apparent overdose. An autopsy found that he had been murdered. Elspeth tried to figure out who did it but only learned the truth at the end of the book.
This book is an insider’s view of Hollywood excess and the movie business. It transitions between the present and the relationship between Richard and Elspeth after the first met years before. I found the fact that Elspeth refused to tell her daughter why she left Richard somewhat unbelievable. To allow Richard to perpetuate the myth of the perfect father and creat a wedge between mother and daughter for so many years, was unhealthy for everyone. The transitioning between past events and the present was confusing at first.
I found the book to be suspenseful and was anxious to find out “who done it”.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

#thelastguest #tesslittle #netgalley #randomhousepublishinggroup #ballantinebooks imagine waking up and finding the person next to you has passed. A 50th birthday party where a man invited a collective group of people. His ex wife. Two costars. Old friends. It doesn’t make sense to everyone why they are there. As the night progresses. The evening gets weird. An inflatable pool is brought up. Alcohol is generous and everyone is feeling the effects. Drugs are shared. As this group passes out they awake to discover it looks as if the birthday boy has died from a drug overdose. There is so much in this story. And. Persephone 🐙🐙🐙 trust me. She should have been the main character 😂🙈 it’s a great who dun it book. #netgalley #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #netgalleyreview #bookreview #readnomatterwhat

Why did I wait so long to read this book? It is so good! I truly hope to read more by this author and thought this book was gripping from beginning to end!

Richard Bryant is hosting his 50th birthday party. It's a small group ... his ex-wife, producer, an actress, an actor, his new life partner, his manager, cinematographer. His daughter was also invited, but she never showed.

it was a bizarre kind of evening and all his ex-wife, Elspeth, wants to do is have a drink and leave. However, that didn't happen. Too many drinks, stuffed with good food, maybe a few pills passed around, everyone finally fell asleep during the early morning hours.

When awakened, they find the host is dead. First thought when they called the police ... maybe an overdose. But that is soon proven wrong. Richard was murdered ,,, and the only people suspected are the 7 guests.

It's a locked door mystery, suspenseful, unpredictable as Elspeth wonders who killed Richard ... and why did Richard choose these particular guests. There are the suspects, who are seem to maybe have a motive to kill. I loved Persephone, Richard's pet octopus who seemed to be a witness, silent but disturbing.

Many thanks to the author / Random House - Ballantine / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

A dark and twisty whodunnit centering around our main character Elspeth who arrives in LA to attend the 50th birthday party of her ex-husband, Richard, expecting to meet up with their daughter for the event. She would have never come otherwise because of the past which she has kept secret from her daughter and pretty much the world. The party is limited to a few individuals some of whom Elspeth knows from over a decade ago and some strangers. Also present is Richard’s new love. The party starts off with everyone wondering what they have gotten into as they arrive at different well-spaced times. The story builds slowly bouncing between the various characters, the past and the present. I enjoyed the story as a somewhat page turner that held my attention although it was difficult to feel any connection to the characters beyond Elspeth. I would read this author again.

Quite a story. It left me somewhat breathless. It was quite a testament to power, control and abuse. There,were, as often is the case, some activities that were unbelievable but they certainly did NOT take from the story or the thesis. I was very impressed with this book!

This was an interesting and unique story. I would have liked it to be a bit faster paced, but the mystery was good, and I enjoyed some of the characters quite a bit! This was very heavily focused on characters, so make sure that's something you are looking for! I enjoyed the exploration into the relationships and how that intertwines with the story.

This is a beautifully written but sometimes confusing mystery that starts off with the death of a brilliant, influential narcissistic man at his own birthday party -- and at the hands of one of his own guests.

The meandering story reveals the powerful reasons that each guest might have had to do away with Richard. The depictions of his cruel and manipulative behavior are chilling.

If readers approach this book as a character study rather than a thriller, they will not be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advance readers copy

I had such hope for this book, but it fell a bit flat for me. The story did not engage me and it took me awhile to finish it. The story did get a little better towards the end, but overall, it was just ok to me.

This NetGalley wish come true really resonated with me! On its surface, this is a Hollywood locked room story, but it ultimately unfolds to encompass all of the relationships packed into that room to make it a deeper, more character-driven story. The locked room in question sets the premise - the 50th birthday party ends in death. The ex-wife of the victim narrates this one. While this doesn't seem like it will be all that fresh of a story, Little indeed keeps this exciting and feeling new. This is a fascinating story and a real page turner!

Elspeth, the main character, left her director husband after many years together - but always kept mum about the sordid details of their relationship. The book looks at cycles of abuse and the lies that shelter abusers. And as the mystery of the central death deepens, I must admit that my favorite theory didn't turn out to be correct (I think it would have been more satisfying!), I definitely think that this would be a great book for book clubs or discussion groups - there is a lot to talk about here! I really enjoyed it from start to finish and found the pacing to be spot on. Elspeth may not always be the most likable character, but she feels authentic. It's a genuinely fascinating read and I appreciate how the characters continue to be developed around the mystery theme. I am definitely planning on checking out more from Little in the future!

"The Last Guest is a stylish exploration of power—the power of memory, the power of perception, the power of one person over another." This quote from the summary of The Last Guest written by Tess Little is what really grabbed my attention. Power is an explosive concept, and is the force behind The Last Guest.

I liked the main character, Elspeth Bell who is ex wife to Richard, the host of the fancy 50th Birthday party. As it is his birthday, he goes all out providing drinks and recreational drugs for his guests to enjoy. He did not expect to end up dead the next morning...so the question is who is the killer?

This fast paced suspense novel is framed differently, reads differently which can be a bit confusing. The characters are interesting and well written and the plot has twists and turns just not in a conventional manner. Told in multiple timelines, the past and present don't seem to answer all the questions...but they answer enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tess Little and Random House Publishing group for this temporary ,digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.

The Last Guest
October 30, 2021
Book Review

The Last Guest
Tess Little
reviewed by Lou Jacobs



readersremains.com | Goodreads


Tess Little’s debut novel is a psychodrama in three acts with elements of a locked-room mystery, but the focus is an exploration on the abuse of power.

Long retired actress, Elspeth “Bryant” Bell, reluctantly attends the fiftieth birthday party of her ex-husband and director Richard Bryant in his posh Los Angeles mansion, along with eight other guests—all wondering why they were invited. The ninth guest is actually Richard’s pet octopus, Persephone, who glides effortlessly around her tank, while watching the party surreally evolve from greetings, drinking, feasting on an unreal glutinous dinner—and ending in the partaking of drugs. Persephone is known as the Greek goddess of the underworld and wife of Hades, and may very well be a harbinger that foreshadows future events.

When the guests are seated for dinner, Richard individually toasts each of them. To Miguel (Montana), my producer, who fights for my dreams and understands my vision (and yet, his most recent endeavor, Dominus, has lost extensive revenue); To Jerry (Debrowski), my beloved long time manager, who has stuck with me, thick and thin (and yet, who was recently fired); To “Tommo” (Thomas Coates), my oldest and dearest friend (and yet, at best have had a multitude of disagreeable confrontations); To Kei (Keiko Nakamura), the one who weaves my ideas into being (actually the oft criticized and intimidated cinematographer); To Charlie ( Charles Pace), the talented young handsome actor at the very start of a dazzling career (the male lead in his recent flop movie); To Sabine (Selmi) a star, an actor and icon (the female lead in the same unsuccessful movie); To “Honey” (Anton Carlisle), my love, who I want to spend every day of the rest of my life (who actually just reunited with his paramour after a stormy past); To Ellie (Elspeth Bell), who raised my wonderful Lillie into a bright young woman (who actually hasn’t spoken to him in a decade, leaving while pregnant after his fortieth birthday party.)

Elspeth slowly awakens the next morning in a chair, and glances over to see Richard immobile on the opposite couch, with his head thrown back, eyes staring upward, and mouth shaped into an ‘O’, with an overwhelming stench of vomit. She approaches him and finds his neck to be cold and pulseless. Then she is aware of the other guests strewn about and slowly awakening with yawns and groans, and the presence of drug paraphernalia next to Richard’s body. It is immediately assumed by all that he died from an overdose, and the police are called.

Study of the security camera footage reveals the catering staff leaving at 10 p.m. and nobody else either entered or exited the property until the arrival of the police at 9:05 the following morning. Soon after, the forensic examination reveals startling results: wounds running along the inside of his throat which seem to be caused by a long blunt object. His death was caused by suffocation and not overdose.

In the weeks that follow, each guest is interrogated, some multiple times, each appears under suspicion. Tess Little crafts a masterful, slow-burn psychological treatise that unfolds into a twisted and complex study of emotion, confrontation, and systemic abuse of power. The dark character and interpersonal relationships of Richard comes to the fore, with those around him dissected in vivid detail. Richard was an expert at goading those around him into anger, and was not bashful about badgering, belittling, and intimidating. Apparently everyone has a reason to snuff out his life.

Tess Little expertly layers evidence, while weaving red herrings into the fabric of her narrative.

The Last Guest is a whodunnit when boiled down to the most basic part of it. However, this is also a story of what you would do to protect those you love. The book was good, but it didn't really grab me until a third of the way in. Prior to that, it was pretty slow.

This book was just plain weird. I thought it was ok but nothing to write home about. I’m not sure I’ll remember anything about it in a few months time. Wasn’t memorable.

Couldn't get into this book. DNF. I'm sorry. I really tried to like it I truly wanted to. It didn't grab me in the first few chapters 😔