After starting The Last Guest, I realized that this book was going to be more than the description implied. I am mostly a mystery and thriller genre reader, and what they often have in common are short chapters with cliffhanger endings. That isn't the case here.

To assist my fellow readers, let me say first that this book is much more than a murder mystery. Second, there are no chapters, only Acts I, II, and III. Third, the story is told from Richard's ex-wife's POV. Fourth, the plot focuses on Richard's party, Elspeth's relationship with her ex-husband, and her life in the aftermath of the murder. The plot moves between these timelines, and that is what threw me off when I started. No ten years ago, or now, or the night of the party chapters.

Elspeth has been through quite a bit at Richard's hands, as have all the other guests at his birthday party. Anyone of them had a motive and the opportunity to kill Richard. As the story progressed, we learn more about the suspects and their interactions with Richard and it became painfully clear that his use of his power and privilege was extreme.

I realize I am being vague, but to say much more would be giving important plot points away! Read this knowing that there is much going on under the surface and watch this shocking story unfold.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Persephone, Richard's octopus who was one of my favorite characters!

One of my favorite creatures, an octopus features prominently in this story, albeit as one of the few things that kept my interest. Although the story is described as an Agatha Christie-type mystery, I have to disagree. Her books are engaging and intriguing, while this one left me wishing that more characters had perished. They are simply not likeable nor did they garner any sympathy with me. I kept waiting for revelations, something to ramp up the drama, but it never comes.

Richard is a Hollywood director originally from England and he is throwing a 50th birthday party for himself. He has invited an eclectic group of people, including his ex-wife, Elspeth. She only attends to be with her daughter, Lillie, who now lives in LA as an actress, across the country from New York, Elspeth's home. But Lillie never shows and Elspeth is stuck with an ingratiating group of mostly strangers, including her husband's new partner, Honey. Awkward small talk is made, the drinks begin to flow and the next thing Elspeth knows, she has awakened the next morning to find Richard dead. Most of the guests despised him anyway, as his controlling personality bled into his work as a director - everyone felt his wrath and no one is surprised that he finally pushed someone too far.

Everyone is under suspicion and we wait to see who is guilty. Elspeth stays with Lillie throughout the investigation, yet Lillie barely says two words to her mother, too busy planning Richard's memorial and grieving with Honey. Elspeth becomes obsessed with watching octopus videos and thinking back over her time with Richard. I suppose there are revelations about their interactions, but it's not a surprise and honestly, you expect worse. There is barely a climax, as I doubt anyone will be shocked by the outcome, but instead, simply satisfied to discover that they were right. There's just not enough 'thrill' in this thriller. The reader shouldn't care more about the octopus than any of the humans, yet I did. She tried to escape from Richard earlier than anyone else. Yet humans are the more intelligent creatures? Not in this story.

Based off the description, I was hoping for more supernatural elements in the story. It's more character-driven, but the characters leave a lot to be desired.

Cross Agatha Christie (Hollywood equivalent of an English country house with dead body) with Joan Didion (the protagonist does a lot of driving in the Hollywood Hills and feels numb much of the time) and Bruce Wagner (many dissolute Hollywood characters) and you get this well-written, compelling murder mystery that goes deeper than most.

A exclusive birthday party of successful Hollywood director’s Hollywood Hills mansion ends with director’s choking on his own vomit: in medical terms: he died because of asphyxiation! But could that narcissistic man who highly believes his perfectionist ways and his genius mind who fascinates to play dark games with people dare to take his own life so dramatically?

As the officers dig out more about 7 guests of the special night, evaluating the evidences, listening more about their back stories, they figure out there are so many secrets they kept! All of them have motives to get rid of poor Richard Bryant ( trust me ! He isn’t truly deserved your pity on him as you learn more about his interactions with his so called best friends!) and is it the murder instead of suicide attempt?

The birthday party gives eerie vibes from the beginning. All the guests are invited at different time schedules, ironic food combinations specialized for them consisted of one asparagus, Thanksgiving Turkey, tiramisu, donut, sushi etc. which are symbolizing some memories they’d experienced with Richard.

From the beginning, we feel like Richard has a great scheme to bring those people together including his ex wife Elspeth who is not happy to be here and she’s tricked to come this party because she thinks their daughter Lilly will also be there.

And Elspeth is the one who found her husband dead. As we learn more about her dysfunctional past about the couple, we suspect Elspeth also has quiet concrete reasons to take his life as like the others who have abused by the decease in different ways!

So was it a real murder? If it was, who took life of Richard?

The book is advertised as mash up of Mulholland Drive and Agatha Christie books with its claustrophobic, locked room murder mystery premise. In my opinion only common thing with Mulholland Drive is the story takes place in LA. But it doesn’t give us surreal, complex, mind bending vibes like the alternative universes created by David Lynch’s restless mind. But it is surely having resemblances with Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. There’s a big bad wolf and the other guests truly hate the guts of him!

I like the conjecture moving back and forth help us more insider information about the characters’ pasts and empathize with the motivations behind their actions. It was slow burn, high tension read deserves your patience which made me round up 3.5 stars to 4 mysterious, dark side of Hollywood, karmic stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for making my wish come true by sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This is noir at its best. I very seldom read current books that do it this well. Absolutely transfixing to read. I highly recommend it.

Elspeth Bell is attending the 50th birthday of her ex-husband, Richard out of a sense of duty. He helped launch her acting career after all. But instead of a blow out bash, there are only 7 guests, and Richard’s pet octopus. Still, the party gets pretty wild, and in the morning the birthday boy is dead. All of the guests are suspects and Elspeth begins to probe into the background of her fellow party goers, wondering who could be capable of murder…and what Richard had done to enrage someone enough to kill him.