I love a good locked-room mystery, and this one was fantastic! The story was told in multiple POVs, but the MC did most of the narrating. Sometimes it was hard to tell who was talking, but not a huge problem for me. I loved how every character had something to hide, and I wasn't ever able to guess what would happen next. I really enjoyed how the book ended, and will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who enjoys reading these types of books!

Holy, moly, my head might have just spun right on off my shoulders!

Anna E. Wahlgren has outdone herself!

Lies, Secrets, Deceit.. Well, now you're just speaking my love language!!

Talk about a scandal, this book delivers!

Check out this teaser :

Old friends. Old grudges. One evening back together again. The last time they all had dinner, someone wound up dead. What could go wrong?

Sophie Lind hasn’t seen her college friends in a decade when a dinner invitation from one of the friends, Ava, arrives on her doorstep. They used to all be inseparable, meeting for dinner every week, even after graduation. But the last time they all had dinner, ten years ago, someone was dead by the end of the night.

It was Sophie’s then-fiancé William who died that night in his apartment, just a room away from the friends he called family. Sophie isn’t sure if it’s curiosity—or guilt—that pushes her to accept Ava’s dinner invitation and unbury those old wounds. When the six friends arrive for the dinner, there’s a small box waiting for each of them by their plates. Each box uncovers secrets that the friends have kept hidden all these years, and with the door to the apartment locked from the outside, it’s clear that Ava didn’t plan this dinner just to reminisce about the past.

What happened to William is buried beneath someone’s lies—and nobody’s leaving this dinner table until the truth comes out.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book had a set up that has been pretty popular in thrillers lately. We have six friends who used to be really close. When one of them dies at a dinner, they all lose touch for a decade. Now they are all back together to find out the truth about the murder.

I liked the set-up and vibes for this book. However, it did fall short for me. I think the characters were all pretty annoying and I didn't really care about anyone. I didn't really care about the mystery because I didn't care about any of the characters.

I also felt like there were a lot of mystery/thriller cliches in this one.

I hope others love this one.

The Last Time We Met is a psychologically charged and suspenseful locked-room mystery revolving around a group of six former college friends. The once inseparable friends used to meet for weekly dinners until a tragic event led to the death of one of their own, William, ten years ago. The story kicks off when Sophie Lind receives a dinner invitation from Ava, one of her old friends. The dinner is hosted in a locked apartment to uncover the truth behind William’s death. As the evening progresses, secrets are revealed, and the tension escalates, leading to an engrossing and gripping narrative.

The Last Time We Met stands out for its strong character development and the psychological depth of its narrative. The locked-room setting adds a layer of intensity and claustrophobia that enhances the suspense. One of the book's strengths is its ability to weave past and present timelines seamlessly, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the character's motivations and the events that led to the tragic incident. However, some readers might find the slow-burn nature of the story a bit challenging, especially in the initial chapters.

Overall, The Last Time We Met is a well-crafted mystery that effectively explores the complexities of friendship and the impact of past secrets on present relationships. It is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and locked-room mysteries.

THE LAST TIME WE MET – Written by Anna E. Wahlgren — Translated by Alice Menzies

If ever there was a book that I could get my hands on to edit, it would be this one. I love how the story plays out—finding the truth that surrounds what happened to William—however, the early reveal of the perceived manner of his death (based on what I am guessing is in the coroner's report from ten years ago) is implausible based on the evidence we learn later on, which makes the entire plot seem improbable.

As the reader, if you can set aside the above detail in lieu of seeing how the story will play out, as I have, you may enjoy the book. Had the manner of death been changed initially, it would have made for an exciting story.

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books (The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.), for providing me with an eBook of THE LAST TIME WE MET at the request of an honest review.

An intriguing story, though a little long. The secrets each of the friends have been holding are definitely surprising and create an interesting web of deceit.

Sophie and her college friends haven’t seen each other in a decade, not since the tragic death of William, Sophie’s fiancé.

Invited to Ava’s house for a reunion dinner party, out of the blue, the 6 friends meet again and start to unravel the past.

Was Williams’s death really a suicide? Where was William disappearing to before he died? What secrets is everyone hiding, they all have secrets.

𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
☁️☁️☁️

I was engaged throughout the entire book! I loved how it flipped from past to present and loved uncovering all of their secrets. The ending had me TWISTED and SURPRISED!

I liked this story when it start first started off and I was invested in who killed William but I have to say by the end of the story. I was a bit flummoxed. Now don’t get me wrong, I liked the locked room angel, it definitely added more tension to the state of energy and tension amongst these characters. Because with friends like these…
The secrets they kept from each other were bonkers, were they truly friends?

But all and all, I do feel like some elements of the story didn’t make much sense to me, like why Tess? I didn't understand her ending. By the end the book, it all felt a bit lackluster.

This was an okay good read.

Ten years ago, Sophie's fiancé died. Now, she reunites with other friends from college that she has not seen in a long time. What seems like a reunion dinner though turns scary when they realize that there are ulterior motives for them to be there.

I was drawn in by the synopsis with locked room, the clues for everyone at dinner (which gave me Clue vibes), etc. The problem when I started reading though was that I was not drawn in really to the story. I think it was more the writing style. It also took a while to really get going in it too, which also made it harder for a book like this.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Ten years ago, Sophie fled town after a dinner party with her friends turned fatal, her fiancé William found dead in his bath tub. Despite changing her surname and attempting to remain hidden for the past decade, an invitation to another dinner party with the same friends arrives at her door. But once the guests arrive, their hostess locks them all in and tells them that no one is leaving until their secrets have been revealed.

The Last Time We Met is a tense, one-sitting read that alternates timelines between the events leading up to William's death and the dinner party with the reunited friends. During the course of the dinners, lies, secrets, love triangles, and betrayals will all be revealed. But will Sophie finally know the truth about William's fate.

I really enjoyed this translated locked room mystery novel. The attendees of the dinner party all seem to have their motives for wanting William dead, adding interesting depth to the narrative that left me guessing up until the very end. I also loved how the author used the seasons to demarcate the two timelines -- the earlier dinner taking place on a sweltering summer day and the reunion held during a snowy November night. The weather adds to the tension of the scenes, but also helps the reader remember which timeline they are in.

Fans of Lucy Foley or Agatha Christie are sure to enjoy this cleverly plotted novel. The author expertly weaves together past and present, creating a puzzle that keeps readers guessing until the final revelation. With its intricate plot, compelling characters, and atmospheric setting, this novel is a must-read for those who enjoy classic whodunnits.

This review will be shared to Goodreads and Instagram (@goodquietkitty) on August 12, 2024.

It’s been ten years since Sophie Lind has seen her college friends and since her fiance, William, mysteriously died in his apartment where the friends were gathering for a night out. Now, all this time later, Sophie receives an invite to dinner from Ava, one of the friends who was there that night. While she is unsure of the reason for this sudden get together, her curiosity gets the best of her and she accepts the invitation. Once at the dinner, the six friends realize they have been locked in the apartment and Ava has placed little boxes in front of each of their seats that she claims reveal information about what happened the night William died. They have no choice now but to be forced to face the truths of the past.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop until I knew what happened to William that night ten years ago! The locked room setting gave the book a creepy vibe and as the more that was revealed about the characters, the less I trusted them all. Many of them have secrets that they have been keeping and grudges they have been holding which made this a captivating whodunnit murder mystery! I loved the dual time line between the present and the time leading up to Williams death and how everything came together in the end. If you are a thriller fan, then you should definitely add this one to your list!

Full of twists and turns, some of them predictable, some of them not, but regardless it's a ride of carefully revealed information that is constantly changing your opinion of the characters.

10 years ago at a party William - the glue of the friend group - was found dead in the bathroom. It was ruled a suicide and the group of friends fell apart as swiftly as if they were all guilty of killing him. Now one friend pulls them all back together, locks them in her apartment, and says the night will be over when they find out who killed William. She believes it wasn't a suicide. Over the course of one chaotic night, every secret they kept is laid bare. Every motive examined. Will a killer be revealed?

We spend most of the book inside Sophie's perspective - a late addition to the friend group and she had been William's fiance. In the present, she never really moved on, and her own issues even outside of losing William have kept her from forming close relationships. Sophie is likable and for once I understand why a lot of characters are kind of obsessed with her. She's somehow both aloof and incredibly kind.

William on the other hand...I don't get it. But I will be curious to see other readers' reviews and opinions on him.

I was intrigued from the start. While there isn't anything groundbreaking here, it's a solid read with big emotions and big reveals. I was entertained from start to finish, and really enjoyed the ending.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the book #TheLastTimeWeMet by #AnnaEWahlgren. Ten years ago Sophie’s finance, William died during a get together at his house. It was ruled a suicide, but was it really? Now, the group of friends get together to try and figure it all out. They have not seen each other since that night. Can they figure it out? Such a great book I couldn’t put it down.

The Last Time We Met by Anna E. Wahlgren was such an exciting thriller!
This mystery is tense and absolutely thrilling. So addictive and fast paced. I was fiendishly turning the pages, all the while glued to the edge of my seat as the suspense rose to almost breaking point. Just suspenseful.

The Last Time We Met is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, locked-room psychological thriller. It's been ten years since Sophie has had contact with her school friends. In that decade, Sophie has tried her best to forget the tragic death of her fiancée and the events that ultimately led to it. Unexpectedly, Sophie receives an invite to a dinner party hosted by Ava, one of her former friends. When she arrives at Ava's apartment, she finds the rest of her friend group there too. Ava announces that she has brought them together to reveal what really happened to William that night; she knows that one of the group is responsible for his death. Throughout the night, secrets are revealed, betrayals are brought to light, and friendships are tested. Will everyone survive? And who killed William?

The Last Time We Met is an exciting locked-room mystery. The story is told through multiple POVs and a dual timeline. both of which add to the overall plot of the book. The characters are all well-developed with detailed back stories. With that said, there are definitely characters I liked more than others. I appreciated that the author gives a lot of page time to the victim, allowing the reader to get to know William just as much as the "alive" characters. The author does a great job balancing unintentional adolescent mistakes by some characters with purposeful and harmful acts by other characters. The book had plenty of twists and surprises. The chapters were reasonably short, which helped with the quick pace of the book. I was questioning everyone's motives until the very end. In my opinion, I found the conclusion of the book to be extremely satisfactory. I will definitely be recommending The Last Time We Met to anyone looking for a unique, interesting, and exciting thriller.

3.7 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I always love murder mystery & whodunnit, and this being included both along with closed door & mind games vibes, definitely added more thrill into the story.

Aside from that, the story includes friendships, relationship, family, and life struggles that generally we can relate to as well. For me, the plot growth is at a great pace, I like how there’s a backstory / flashback from time to time that correlate with each scene / character / moments of now and then. Those manage to make me understand deeper and get more pov of what happened or where / what / whom to look out for while gathering breadcrumbs of clues and info. The writing style was a bit confusing for me at first, which kinda make me taken aback from the joy of reading a bit, but then I managed to adapt from it as chapters go by, hence no big deal.

Halfway through I managed to put my finger into whodunnit and figured out some things, yet still glued into the story as I still wanna know what’s the whole deal of everything. Those turns aren’t as twisted for me yet entertaining indeed. I’m satisfied enough with how it goes and being right towards the end, as well as enjoying the ending and the whole story. Such a good & light read indeed for this genre.

This thriller takes place in a locked apartment, during a dinner party hosted by Ava to uncover who killed William 10 years ago. The more time goes on the more secrets are revealed and the closer the six friends get to the truth. Every character in this book has a secret to hide, a reason to be behind the murder and a need to get out of the creepy apartment.

Definitely an interesting murder mystery, with a lot of twists and turns… Not everyone is as innocent as they seem. I have to say I did figure out who the killer was about halfway through and the beginning is slow but as soon as the diner party starts it picks up. Definitely worth the read.

3.75 ★

Thank you Anna E. Wahlgren, Crooked Lane Books & NetGalley for an e-ARC copy.

#TheLastTimeWeMet #NetGalley

I am going to be honest, I loved the idea of this book, but it just didn’t really deliver. It has old school mystery vibes of six friends all coming together to figure out what happened years ago. They are locked in the room, and they will not be let out until the mystery is solved. Each of them has something to hide about that night. The mystery is told through flashbacks, with random items that could indicate that one of the friends was the murderer. Overall, the story is incredibly slow. I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. I just think I wanted more from the story. Also, the murderer for me was very obvious.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title for an honest review.

A debut novel, The Last Time We Met (2024) by Anna E Wahlgren is a mystery thriller. Ava invites six former college friends over for dinner and Sophie, despite her initial reluctance, attends. Sophie is still grieving the death of her fiancé William ten years earlier and has not spoken to any of her old friends since. As the dinner gets underway, each guest is given a box with a clue relating to the death of William. Attempting to leave, they find themselves locked in and without their mobile phones, as Ava is determined to prove William was murdered. A subtle locked room mystery that moves back and forth in time to reveal previous tensions and past actions, that culminates in another dead friend. Set against the backdrop of a Swedish snowy winter, this Nordic whodunnit is a slow burn, yet with a psychological bent that makes it an enjoyable four stars read rating. With thanks to Crooked Lane Books and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.