Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC of The Treehouse. The Treehouse is a dual timeline murder mystery. The story is told in the voice of two brothers and their mother. The story begins with the murder of a young woman and this reader was kept guessing what happened until the very end. While the ending wasn't a complete surprise, the twist and turns were plentiful and imaginative.
This is a quick read and perfect for a summer read.

Another AMAZING book by the wonderful B P Walter. I swear this author can do no wrong, he’s such a great storyteller.. I couldn’t wait to find out just what had happened in the treehouse… An intriguing story full of brilliant characters with lots of twists and turns along the way. I literally couldn’t put the book down,
Hands down one of my favourite authors of all time, I can’t wait to read what he writes next.

The Palmer family has never recovered from the events that took place one summer nearly two decades ago. And since some of them have been far from transparent with each other about their knowledge of what actually happened, the last thing they need is for those wounds to be reopen by television series based on the events (well, one version of them, anyway...)

This is a well crafted story, which delivers a satisfying series of twists and revelations for the reader's enjoyment. It get 3.5 stars.

Twenty years ago, a summer holiday ended in tragedy for the Palmer family. No one has spoken of it since—until a new TV series forces the horrifying events of that night back into the spotlight.

This novel sets up a chilling premise, delving into the secrets and long-buried tensions within the Palmer family. As the TV series resurrects their painful past, each family member becomes a suspect in more ways than one.

While the story holds promise with its layered mystery and slow drip of revelations, the pacing drags significantly through the middle. The buildup can feel tedious, and some readers may find themselves waiting too long for the payoff.

However, the final twists inject a jolt of energy and intrigue, making the conclusion unexpectedly satisfying. The ending helps redeem the sluggish start, rewarding patient readers with a clever unraveling of long-held secrets.

Verdict: A slow burn that demands perseverance but pays off with a punchy finale. Best for readers who enjoy psychological suspense and deep character secrets.

I'll be including a content warning at the end. I probably would have avoided this novel had I had the benefit of reading a content warning and I'm not a particularly sensitive reader. Check it out if you are easily triggered.

Despite the content this is still a 3.5 star read and has its points that work and don't.

The opening chapters were amazing and had me glued to the pages. The book is set up on a dual timeline detailing events that occurred twenty years apart. The issue here is the way the timeline is structured. Instead of moving back and forth there is a huge chunk of spent in the past. At my best guess it's at minimum ten consecutive chapters probably more. My mind kept wondering back to the later timeline wondering what was happening and why it was taking so long to revisit. Once the latter timeline is finally returned to it feels like the explanations are rushed through and multiple twists are crammed together lessening the impact they could've landed with. The twists and turns themselves are clever. The writing itself is excellent.

Two brothers Robert and Kieran who carry a life altering secret, have differing views of it. The echos of this act continue to affect their family for decades. One day Robert sees a television program that makes it clear that someone else has been privy to their secret all along.

Who else knows what happened in the treehouse?

⚠️⚠️Content Warning⚠️⚠️
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adultery
blood
gore
animal sacrifice
human sacrifice

Thank you to HarperCollins UK | One More Chapter for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It pulls you in. Makes you want to keep reading. Want to know who is who and why. I love dual timelines. Though I do wish the dual timelines were organized different and not numerous chapters in present and then jump to numerous chapters in the past. Especially ones with twists and turns that you didn’t see coming. The ending wasn’t a favorite. But over all a great read! Definitely recommend.3.5 stars rounded up.

When they were teenagers Robert and his older brother were part of a series of events that included the death of a teenage girl.
Robert has been living with the shame and guilt of his actions ever since.
Now twenty years later things come to a head when a television show very similar to this tragedy is made.
I really enjoyed this book with all its twists and turns and will be looking out for more work from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins, One More Chapter for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good! It wasn't quite the caliber of thriller I wanted it to be, but it was still a decent thriller.
I gave it 3-3.5 stars.
I was engaged and sucked in at the very beginning.
There are two brothers, Robert & Kieran. They are trying to figure out who knows about an event that happened in their youth, because a streaming network now has a series that is almost a dead ringer for this event in their life.
The family dynamics are crazy.
The plots are dual timelines. There were several places where I felt like the dual timelines slowed the pace of the book. For example, sooo many chapters back in 2004. I wanted to see more in the present-day timeline.
There were some plot twists. However, what disappointed me the most was the ending. I wanted more from the ending. There was a bit of a twist in the epilogue, but I just didn't get much from it; it fell a little flat for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it was published. Overall I enjoyed this book. The plot was unique and captivating. Robert and Kieran committed a horrible crime after getting wrapped up in a cult. The story goes through the timeline of how it happened as well as the complications that have arose 20 years later. While I enjoyed the book, I do wish the timelines would have alternated more rather than having many many chapters from 15 years ago in a row.

If you did something horrible, and did not get caught, would you worry that one day you might be discovered, and your life would fall apart?
20 years have passed since Kieran and Robert were on holiday with their parents… and an awful event happened. When Robert turns on a new show, The Treehouse, he gasps in horror. This show somehow tells the story of what he and his brother did all those years ago. Kieran stays outwardly calm; Roberts's life is turned upside down. He cannot think or work or do anything, but try and figure out, who knows the truth. His searching leads him to that person, and he makes one unwise decision.
The story unfold in the present and in the past. As I was approaching 80% on my Kindle, I started thinking how is the author going to wrap this up? Not a spoiler, but in a way I never imagined. I didn’t actually like any member of this family. Robert was the only one who made me think, well maybe there is hope for him….But I wouldn’t bet my last dollar on it. I was definitely not expecting all the revelations that came out of this story by the end.
The book description is short, and I think that is the best way to go into this twisted family tale.

I enjoyed the start of the book and the premise but then found that the pacing dropped off and it felt a bit turgid.

The plot was a disturbing story and the idea of human sacrifice is a dark theme with a clever twist at the end to add interest. The characters worked for me and it felt vivid and the locations were evocative.

Overall, I enjoyed this creepy story but struggled with the pace in parts and felt this was variable.

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But as the story unfolded—what an exquisitely dark and twisted tale it proved to be! The layers of deception, the tension simmering beneath the surface, and the psychological depth were utterly enthralling.

And that ending? Simply marvellous. Phenomenal. Completely unexpected and brilliantly executed. A truly gripping read from start to finish.

The first pages hook a reader quickly! It’s easy to become invested. The story being told in two time periods was great except the past section of 2004 felt really long winded and clumped together. More alternating between past and present would have been preferred. The animal cruelty portions were not a favorite part. Maybe I missed this in the initial summary. The suspense and twists were there but the pacing and animals cruelty made my review score lower.

The Treehouse is a gripping and unsettling tale of long-buried secrets, fractured memories and the enduring impact of a single tragic summer. B P Walter crafts a tense, layered story that unpicks the facade of a seemingly ordinary family with expert precision.

Told against the backdrop of a chilling new television series that reopens old wounds, the book slowly reveals the truth behind what really happened on that long-ago holiday. I was completely drawn into the way each family member is forced to confront the past, and how silence and shame have shaped their lives ever since.

What I found particularly effective was the structure. The gradual unravelling of events keeps the tension high, and the pacing is well controlled. Walter writes with emotional depth, showing how trauma can splinter a family in ways both visible and hidden.

The sense of dread builds steadily, and just when you think you understand what happened, the story shifts again. It is not just about what went wrong, but about how people cope when their version of the truth is threatened.

Dark, thought-provoking and cleverly plotted, The Treehouse is a compelling read for anyone who enjoys psychological suspense laced with emotional complexity. It stayed with me long after I turned the last page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The Treehouse is well written and engaging, drawing readers into a tense and unsettling atmosphere. The book is written effectively using dual timelines to build suspense......gradually revealing family secrets and past events. The prose is straightforward yet evocative, making complex emotions and situations accessible. This portrayal of flawed characters adds depth to the narrative, keeping readers invested in their fates. Overall, the writing style enhances the psychological tension, making the novel a compelling read for fans of domestic thrillers. Definitely a mistake read and completely original domestic noir

The Treehouse is about two brothers who get into some pretty dark stuff as teenagers, and how that ends up shaping their lives over the next couple of decades. There’s a lot of animal cruelty, some on-page, some implied, which made it a really uncomfortable and stressful read for me. The pacing was also all over the place; there’s this long stretch where the story jumps back in time for what feels like twelve chapters, and it really dragged. Then the ending tries to pack in a bunch of twists all at once, which just felt messy and rushed. I get what the author was going for, and I appreciate the chance to read an early copy, but overall, it just wasn’t for me.

OH WHAT A READ!

thus dark and devious thriller is filled with drama, secrets and lies.

The Palmer family had a tragedy 20 years ago and now that event has come back to haunt them.

I loved this book .It is relentless in the tension and I was filled with dread as to what would happen next.

It is a stylish thriller and I can imagine on the big screen filmed in black and white. It is just divine

A summer holiday. A family secret. A split second decision that will change everything. Twenty years ago, a summer holiday ended in tragedy for the Palmer family. No one has spoken of it since. Until a new tv series plays out the horrifying events of that night. As the family are forced to relive that fateful trip, is it possible that each person is hiding their own secrets, and is someone willing to do whatever it takes to keep their past firmly in the past! Wow great chilling thriller! This book had chilling suspense, mystery, gruesome murders, intriguing, fantastic characters and some shocking twists! The story was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I really enjoyed this book. I did find that it was slow to get into but by the end I couldn’t put it down. Will definitely keep an eye out for more books from this author.
Thank you!

The Palmer family is hiding a secret.

In present day, ITV is reenacting the mysterious death of an 18-year-old young woman for their new show The Treehouse. Piers Morgan (yes, really) leads the "journalistic" investigation in his Youtube channel, interviewing her mother who remembers how her daughter died after being attacked by a pack of dogs.

Twenty years ago, brothers Kieran and Robert did the unspeakable during a summery holiday, triggering a chain of events that still follows them to this day... can the Palmers stop the truth from coming out?

Told in second person POV from Kieran, Robert, and their mother June, The Treehouse kept me wondering who was a reliable narrator, who was guilty, and who wasn't as innocent as they may seem...

Sadly, I have to knock the rating down for the explicit use of Piers Morgan as a plot device. B.P. Walter is an excellent writer, so I am dumbfounded as to why he would choose to do this. It seems like a lazy, cheap way to add shock value and get a reaction from the reader. How difficult would it have been for the author to create a character inspired by him and save us the gag reflex? Instead we are subjected to 19 mentions of his name in this book, why?

The point of Netgalley is to get feedback for arcs before they are published, hopefully with the ultimate goal of attracting readers, not putting them off. My constructive criticism would be to entirely remove any mention of Piers Morgan from this book, and craft a similarly despicable character instead.

Under normal circumstances this would be a solid 5-star that could be made into a TV series. The characters are well-crafted, the narrative is super visual, and the 2nd person POV gives enough hints that there's more than meets the eye. I really liked the twist at the end, that twist was so good!