The reviews I'm reading on this one describe it as bogged down and centered on the most boring person, but, for myself, I couldn't disagree more. I think, and maybe this is the effect of the octopus, it's breathtaking.

I liked the idea of this book, but found it to feel a little “done” or unoriginal when I got into it. Not bad but not necessarily memorable either.

This quirky, spooky book is Mulholland Drive meets Agatha Christie, with a cameo by My Octopus Friend.

This is a moody, languid story, not so much a traditional locked room mystery (although it has all the required elements) - but more of a character study and an examination of a Hollywood marriage. Richard, a famous and demanding film director, has a party for his birthday, inviting only an odd and select group of guests, including his ex-wife, Elspeth. As a tragedy unfolds, we learn bit by bit about Elspeth’s marriage, Richards aggressive style of working, and the circle of suspects, all of whom were affected deeply by Richard both personally and professionally.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes stories about Hollywood; weird, moody movies; and octopi. Yes. Octopi. Because an octopus plays a significant role.

The book is a bit slow getting where it is going, but I really enjoyed the feel of the writing and the issues it examined. I think it could have had a bit of a stronger ending to the whodunit, however, I loved the very last line. 375 stars.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine, he author and NetGalley for this unique read.

The Last Guest was a terrific book. Tess Little painted such an elaborate picture of high society. I honestly had no idea what twists and turns to expect next. The leading characters were strong and well established. Loved everything about it!

I appreciate the opportunity to access an ARC of this book through the publisher Random House Publishing-Ballantine. This has such an amazing beginning, really grabs your attention and creates the foundation for the “whodunit” that follows. The first quarter of the book was great and definitely made me want to keep reading. I think the switch between the party, the present and the past were very well written with good transitions that were easy to follow. The story would have benefited from more development of the other party guests so that the reader felt more connection or interest to their relationship and thoughts about Richard. Ultimately this was just a little too long, with too much of Elspeth’s internal dialogue and reminisces and not enough activity or interaction with other characters. I certainly learned a lot about octopuses (octopi?), some of which I wish I could forget. The ending was too transparent but overall this book was a good representation of an Agatha Christie mystery. I would definitely read other books by this author.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

The plot sounded so interesting but the mystery was flat and took so long to develop I had long since stopped caring. Not even an entertaining guilty pleasure

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the premise of this book. I felt the character development was good and there was an interesting cast of characters. Where I thought the book could have done better is that the story is being told with 2 time lines and sometimes even 3. There is no break for going back and forth between these timelines— like a chapter break or change in font or something— and I found this to be confusing for the reader. There were times where I had to go back and re-read multiple paragraphs once I realized we were in a different time line and plot then I thought. While it was an interesting concept it made it confusing at times and difficult to read. The plot kept me interested to the end.

Thank you Netgalley for granting my wish!!! The Last Guest by Tess Little takes you to the glamourous world of Hollywood. A party for a movie director, at a mansiion, with all rich people, and murder sets the stage.
Seven people are invited to this exclusive party - and when the host suddenly departs the party - they are left with a group of individuals wtith pecular tastes, habits, and desires.
The mystery and backdrop for this novel is a slow cooking roast. Each invitee's story provides fuel for this slow fire book.
Written like an old school mystery.
Touche'
3.5 stars.

I almost put this book down and dnf, but something made me keep reading, and I'm glad I did. The book starts out pretty slow but if you can get through the first quarter or so of it, you'll be glad that you did! This book has it all, twists and turns, murder and sea life LOL. Do yourself a favor and give this book a try!!
A big thank you to the publisher for granting My wish and netgalley!!

#TheLastGuest #NetGalley
The book surprised me. I really found Elpeth to be a great character. She has so much going on under the surface that moves the plot along without you even realize how she's directing it. Her relationship with Richard and Lillie is the heart of what takes place. How we choose to see those around us. How we direct those relationships until we cannot stand it any longer. The Last Guest gives the reader a mystery, but with choice and consequences to our actions.

Good read, didn’t really relate to any if ten characters or care for them but still had me intrigued enough to read til the end.

I was really excited about this locked room mystery after reading the description. Unfortunately it missed the mark. The most interesting thing was the octopus. This was slow going and you can skip this one and not be missing out.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Comparisons to Agatha Christie are inevitable and well-earned, but Little takes the locked-room trope a step forward by allowing her characters to escape the mansion and face the very real consequences in clear view. I loved the ruminations on Persephone and what sort of person could possibly think that owning such an extraordinarily intelligent creature as a pet is okay. Totally original and irresistible!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

I was excited to read this book--an Agatha Christie/locked room murder mystery. Right up my alley. Unfortunately, it really missed its mark.

It was slow, bogged down with heavy descriptions and too much repetitive inner monologue. I wanted to know each suspect, but they were glossed over, leaving me without much interest in what happened to them. In other words, I was never able to become invested in this story. I did, however, quite enjoy the octopus--my favorite part, actually.

Book Review for The Last Guest
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

This really didn't hit the mark for me and I'm really sad about it. I was super excited to read this and I loved the premise, but the prose was a little off for my taste.

I enjoyed this book it was intriguing and well paced and kept you going to find out how who what and why!

A Hollywood intimate gathering occurs with a director inviting an eccentric group of just a few guests. Everyone arrives at different times and are clumped together with confusion. Richard, the director, is known for throwing together lavish parties with countless people so this was odd. The exwife was invited even though they don’t get along and that is the point of view we receive. The party ends with Richard’s death of asphyxiation. So how did he die? Was it one of the guests? Was it an accident? Was it the creepy Octopus named Penelope he kept in a tank? You search through theories and people and in the end it makes sense and I found it to be satisfying.

Thank you to netgalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This character driven novel was sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. I could not embrace the story as I usually do. The intrigue is there but the characters are just not likeable. Intrigue.

I was excited to read this book, but it didn't hit the mark for me and I found it to be a boring read. It centers on Elspeth, who travels to attend her egomaniac movie director ex-husband's 50th birthday party. The next morning, the ex-husband is dead and Elspeth, as well as the other guests at the party, are all suspects. There is a bit of a side story here as well regarding what happened in Elspeth's marriage as well as her relationship with her daughter.

My primary issue with the story is that I felt that I never got to know any of the characters, including Elspeth herself. I had no idea why they did the things they did or what kind of people they were. Also, much of the dialogue was Elspeth's inner dialogue, which made the story move very slowly.

I do think the writing was lyrical and even haunting at times, especially when describing the scenes and the overall dynamic related to the octopus.

Overall, this wasn't the book for me and I hope others have a better experience. I didn't really find it suspenseful and even when I found out what really happened, I just wasn't that invested. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This book caught my attention with the cover and that description - locked room..yes, I'm intrigued. I loved this book and felt myself reading just one more page until I finally finished it late into the night. This will keep you guessing all the way until the very end. So good!