Four people walked into the dining room that night. One would never leave.
Matthew: the perfect husband.
Titus: the perfect son.
Charlie: the perfect illusion.
Rachel: the perfect stranger.
Charlie didn’t want her at the book club. Matthew wouldn’t listen.
And that’s how Charlie finds himself slumped beside his husband’s body, their son sitting silently at the dinner table, while Rachel calls 999, the bloody knife still gripped in her hand.
I found ninety five percent of this book brilliantly readable. We as the reader found out who had been killed straight away who had been murdered and the method used.
What we weren’t told was who had done it or why. This made for a gripping hook at the start of the book as the timeline skipped backwards and we slowly worked our way back towards the day of the murder with POV chapters from Rachel and Charlie unravelling the story for us.
The POV chapters were well done with the characters having voices that were distinct enough to be able to tell who’s chapter it was. Our protagonists all felt quite real with likeable and more uncomfortable elements to everyone.
Unfortunately, for me the ending didn’t really work. It left me feeling quite dissatisfied with the outcome and the way the story was left. I’m sure it will work for some readers but I’m not a huge fan of loose ends at the end of a story as this had a number of those.
With thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for honest review.
The Dinner Guest is available now.
Mug Full of Books 
Sorry to hear this one didn’t really work for you! I hope your next read is better!