Novel set mainly on MAURITIUS
A novel of suspense and mystery set in WEST LONDON
3rd February 2026
The Dinner Guest by B P Walter, a novel of suspense and mystery set in West London.
#fromourbookshelves
Join the elite on Eaton Square, Belgravia and Chelsea. Charles and Matthew are living very comfortably with Matthew’s son, Titus and enjoying family life. They are robustly supported by Charles’ parents. After a chance and fleeting meeting in a bookshop, Rachel enters their lives and Matthew welcomes her with open arms but Charles has growing unease at the swiftness of her assimilation into their lives, subsequently compounded by the fact that Charles’ godmother takes her on as her PA.
The story is told in the present and opens with “The Day of the Murder”, interlaced with chapters covering the past year or so, exploring the lead-up to the murder. The story is told from various viewpoints. It is clear that Rachel has determinedly inveigled herself into couple’s life but why she wants to do this comes in one of several reveals.
This is a compulsive read that keeps a steady level of tension across fairly short chapters. The writing is really smooth and competent and it proves to be a gripping read. The author cohesively interweaves the various timelines, maintaining a good trajectory.
As the novel comes to the end there are several strands that need tying up, and I felt the author became focussed 
on cutting to the chase at the expense of the easy and descriptive style that had hitherto worked so well for much of the novel. Motives and consequences are explored but there are some issues, I felt, both in plot and in character development, that proved a stretch and felt like a weakness in the ending.
Overall a good poolside read that, for much of the book, kept me really hooked. There is also an interesting insight into the lives of the rich, ennobled and at times entitled as they make their way around the posh parts of London.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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