Brothers Kieran and Robert did something awful 20 years ago and now a new film sails awfully close to revealing what they did. This was an interesting plot but it was hampered somewhat with huge periods of writing where nothing really happens.

There are twists and tension and plenty of flashbacks but even at the end I reckon it could have lost 100 pages.

Highly recommended for long beach days when time means nothing.

The description for The Treehouse reads as follows: “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 is 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?” This hooked me, but it also led me to believe it was an entirely different story. Whether that’s good or bad, I’m not really sure and don’t want to say for fear of spoilers; however, I do think some content warnings like, “story contains animal sacrifice and the occult,” would have been helpful. Despite wanting to stop reading many times due to content, I couldn’t because I needed to see how it all wrapped up and what the explanations were for certain aspects of the story. Those last few chapters certainly did make my jaw drop and audibly gasp. So, thank you to NetGalley and to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter Publishing for the opportunity to have an early read of this ARC, The Treehouse by B. P. Walter.

This book follows brothers Robert and Kieran and the unspeakable act they committed as teenagers. The story opens with the brothers, now adults, who discover that someone wrote a movie that mirrors the sacrificial killing they committed as teens. In a tailspin, Robert goes home to see his brother Kieran and figure out how they can handle this. The story then goes back 20 years to unfold what they actually did all those years ago.

I loved the premise of this book-having someone know what they did all those years ago and exposing it through the movie they created. The book was paced fairly well and was definitely unsettling. I had an idea of the first twist, however, they did keep coming and I didn’t have a clue what they would be. While the ending was unexpected it also seemed a bit unbelievable, which is why I didn’t give this more than 3 stars. Sacrificial killing is not my favorite so that may have detracted from my interest as well. If you enjoy that sort of thing this would be a great read for you.

*Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review*

I really struggled to make it through this book. It wasn’t because of the sacrifices made by animals or humans, though I can chalk that up to the fact that it’s just a story. I found it to be a very long and drawn-out story with uninteresting characters. Robert was just a baby even as a man, and Kieran was just a bully. The twist at the end was good, as you kind of knew something was going to change in the story, but you weren’t sure what it was. I guess for me, it wasn’t something I enjoyed at all. I’m sure if you’re more into the occult, it might be something you would enjoy, but for me, it fell flat.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

A captivating read, however I kept reading looking for redemptive qualities for the two protagonists - and unfortunately as secrets are revealed it shows them to be even more unimaginably cruel and selfish than I ever imagined.

This isn't a pleasant read, it is wholly dark, and it is hard to be a fan of a novel that offers no hope, and just makes the reader feel tainted for the reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this dark, psychological thriller/ family drama with touches of an occult cult. The premise was original, engaging, and well-paced while still being set in the present. The characters of the two flawed brothers were well-presented. Then the story went back for approximately fifteen chapters to cover the buildup of events twenty years earlier, and the outcome was already known. It leads up to a ritual killing performed by two teenage brothers. This structure of the book detracted from the tension. There were some surprising twists when the narration returned to the present time, but these lacked credibility.

Brothers Kieran, 16, and Robert, 14, are spending a holiday in Cornwall, twenty years earlier, and are happy to discover a treehouse on the premises of the summer home. Kieran was assured that he would have an easy, comfortable future by following a Dark Core belief on the dark web. It would be essential that they commit the ritual sacrifice of murder. They befriend a young woman, age 18. Robert has a crush on her, but her interests involve older men. Kieran is intent on murdering her. Robert is reluctant, but desires his older brother's approval. They secretly killed her in the treehouse.
After her death, her body was mutilated in such a way as to make a forensic examination almost impossible.

Robert works for a charity in a hopeless attempt to make amends for his actions. He is consumed by anxiety and guilt, and is fragile and paranoid. Kieran won a giant lottery after the killing and believes the act was justified, leading him to a life of leisure and comfort. He appears calm and refuses to discuss it with Robert. Kieran has moved in with his parents with the excuse of helping to care for his terminally ill father. His mother complains that he does little to help and spends his time taking drugs, drinking, and partying. The mother is a snob with strong opinions that have affected her sons.

The adult Robert is shocked to view a new TV documentary that details the brother's murderous act and even their conversations. It is too detailed and true to life to be a coincidence. It is evident that what was done in secret had been observed closely by someone, but who? Robert is shattered, but Kieran shows no concern.

There is an atmosphere of foreboding. Themes include denial, silence, teenage crushes, guilt, regret, family loyalty, painful memories, yearning for approval, and the consequences of avoiding the truth.
This book is recommended for readers who enjoy complex mysteries and family drama and who are comfortable with the dual timeline. The date of publication is July 03/2025.

I really enjoyed how dark and twisty this book was from the very start, the different POV’s and the two timelines really did add layers to the story. There were so many different curveballs throughout that kept you guessing the true story until the very end of the book. The book is so immersive I truly couldn’t stop reading!

I've read quite a few B P Walter books and think they all explore some of the darkness that some people can carry. This book was the most sinister of the books I've read from the author, so far.
The story following two very different brothers, coming together to explore inhumane and evil ideologies to enhance their own futures, was an interesting plot. Both brothers were fairly unlikable for different reasons.
I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I felt compelled to finish it.

This is my first read by B P Walter and I've heard really good things about previous books, all sounding very thrillery. However, I didn't expect the sacrificial aspect to this book and feel that while it doesn't necessarily need a trigger-warning (which can be spoilers in itself), it needs to be marketed in such a way that the readers have a hint of what's to come rather than be surprised by it.
Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the storyline and found myself very intrigued into the two brothers different personalities, but it was a bit too slow for my liking (I didn't realise it was a slow burner at first) and some things just didn't feel right. The ending did earn itself an extra star though!

Fans of slow burners that love a good 'why' mystery instead of a 'whodunnit' will love this book.

I have read multiple books by this author and in those he seemed to favor a lot of innocent characters who get caught up in a game of cat and mouse, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or stumbling into unfortunate circumstances they had no control over but are now entangled in. This book was none of those things and I found myself loathing both the main characters.

20 years ago, Robert and his brother Kieran, murdered a young girl in a treehouse by making her drink poison (this is not a spoiler, since this is the first chapter). Robert has never been able to put it behind him, while his brother Kieran claims not to care but spends his life at 36 living at home to "help care for dad" and partying his life away drinking and using drugs and generally not acting like a grownup.

When a new TV series released in the UK bears eerie similarities to their long-ago crime, Robert starts to completely lose it as he knows they are going to get caught. Apparently, there was a witness to their madness and that person is now profiting off the TV series from it.

I won't go into further details so as not to spoil the plot, but Robert is a wanker and a weenie. He is so completely unlikeable I couldn't muster even an ounce of sympathy for him. Kieran is immediately distasteful since he does not have a job and seems to put his money up his nose. He acts like the crime is in the past and NBD but then why is he continuing to act like an overgrown child?

I usually find BP Walter to be quite the creator of suspense with characters you can empathize with, or at least even one character you might actually like. This one fell completely short of those attributes. I'll try again with the next book.

Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK One More Chapter for this ARC

The Treehouse by B P Walter is an interesting mix of ritualistic sacrifice, brotherly bond and dysfunctional families that makes for a gritty but relatable thriller. We experience the majority of the story through dual POV of the brothers both at the time of the initial murder and in the future when an eerily similar TV series is released.

The characters are various levels of unforgivable with even the victim being no saint. The story touches on classism, occult worship and how easily one can influence young people with seemingly innocent beginnings.

I did feel the book dragged and I considered giving up but I generally will not give up with an ARC and the ending was suitably unexpected. The Epilogue very much mirrored other authors such as Freida McFadden with a final twist and I have always enjoyed that. You could see subtle nods to the author's politics in the book which isn't something I'm a huge fan of but it was subtle enough to be ignored. My only other gripe was none of the Cornish characters sounded Cornish, at all. I feel if you set a book somewhere with a very distinctive dialect you must reflect that dialect in the characters and this was not done unfortunately.

Overall enjoyable read and I definitely think that it would appeal to males or fans of the darker side of thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty years ago teenage brothers Kieran and Ryan killed a woman in a treehouse. Now there is a documentary on tv that seems way too close to what actually happened which causes at least one brother to panic.

This book started out ok with the low grade hysteria over the tv show but then it went back to the past for most of the rest of the book covering what actually happened back then and it got so boring for me. As far as I am concerned what happened in the past wasn’t all that interesting. I found that when I put this book down I had no interest in picking it back up and feared I would spend the rest of my life reading it. I finally had to start skimming at 63%. There were some surprising reveals at the end but it was too late. One hit and two misses with this author. Time to move on.

Two decades ago, the Palmer family’s summer getaway ended in tragedy. Since then, silence has held their secrets tight.

But when a new true-crime TV series begins to mirror that harrowing night, the past refuses to stay buried. Now, with old wounds reopened and uncomfortable truths resurfacing, one thing becomes clear - every family member has something to hide.

And someone will go to any lengths to make sure the truth never comes out ..

The story begins with an eerie stillness, allowing unease to settle in before the tension spikes. The build-up is slow but deliberate, feeding you slivers of truth and doubt until you’re completely consumed. Just when you think you’ve got the timeline straight, Walter twists the knife. Relentless and shocking with twists to the end.

This is a deeply character-driven thriller. Kieran - the bold, wealthy brother - appears untouchable, while Robert is more fragile, desperate to preserve the life he’s built. Their mother, June, is formidable, with sharp edges and secrets of her own. Each family member is flawed, selfish, and painfully human. You probably won’t love them - but you’ll be hooked.

Dark, disturbing, and disturbingly believable, The Treehouse is a masterclass in slow-burning psychological suspense. Walter creates a suffocating atmosphere where memory is fragmented, guilt festers, and truth is more dangerous than lies. It asks: can one moment define a life? And can a family ever recover from the choices made to survive it?

If you like thrillers that explore the rot beneath polished family veneers - this is definitely one you’ll want to pick up :)

A huge thanks to NetGalley, BP Walter, and One More Chapter. Out 3rd July.

if you arent or haven't read this author yet then get on it. the skill of B. P. Walter is just stellar. and this one was giving all the same excellent vibes from the get go, even before the get go as the blurb had me urging to flip open the cover. and it didn't disappoint with every second making me more urgent to be faster and reading so i could turn pages quicker. the plot and pacing is on point to give you guessing moments, pondering moments and atmospheric weight building all the way through.
this book gives us the tale of two brothers and both then and now events. something happened between the pair along time ago, all centring around the tree house whilst the family are on holiday. and then we flick to the present day when one brother looks up to see a trailer on the tv for a new TV show. but how can this be? this tv seems to be the tale of what happened, what he and his brother did. but how could this be possible and who is it that knows their story? and why wait until this moment to tell it?
we then get told the story mainly between our two brothers who couldn't be more different. they both have issues but both show it or themselves very differently. and seem to be coping in differing ways with one looking confident and driven and one barely ever far away from spiralling. but both intrigue you in equal measure especially their interactions with each other. there is also moments from the mother who is something else entirely. this family has some dynamics going on that i never wish to encounter lol.
i loved how much as you read on your suspense and grip on the holding of the book gets tighter. how it starts with a excellent premise and beginning but then we are driven more and more into that thrill part of the genre. and this ones thrills big style making us more and more on edge throughout the builds.
i certainly hope Rob ,Keiren or June never become characters i have to be part of in my own life! this family was a joy to read about for all the psychological reasons we look for in books done well. and Walter knows his characters and storytelling out the park once again.

I’ve read a few books by this author and thought I knew what to expect ….genuinely finding that his books are getting darker.

Two brothers have a dark secret. A shred secret from one fateful summer. holiday stay. A holiday home with a treehouse in the garden. Although actually this secret may just be about to be exposed as a new drama is being broadcast on TV - which starts with the exact same happenings as on that day in their childhood…..

This book had me hooked and kept me guessing as more secrets and layers of the story were unveiled.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

Two young boys commit a horrifying crime in their tree house while on vacation. Or do they? As grown men, the two brothers has dealt with the ramifications of the summer night in different ways until a new hit series hits social media with eerie parallels to the night in question. Was somebody listening? What do they know and how will the Palmer family deal with the fall out? In a series of flashbacks to that fateful summer, we learn the motivations and dark aspirations that compel the brothers into the unthinkable world of sacrifice and betrayal. But could these sinister desires be a family affair.

This isn’t a thriller and the fact that there is both animal and human sacrifices it just wasn’t for me. I would have liked to know before I started reading the triggers above. I would suggest those definitely be added.

The Treehouse by B.P. Walter is a novel that I couldn't wait to get my hands on as a longtime fan of this author. While I did enjoy the writing style, as I expected, I found the ritualistic elements to be a bit dark for my taste, though the story was compelling enough to keep me reading.

Told in dual timelines, the haunting secrets of a family resurface when a television documentary revisits the sins of its past. I particularly enjoy a dual storyline, and the past and present are woven with perfection here. While this is not my favourite of the author's work, I look forward to whatever he has in store for us next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

I did not realize there was going to be animal and human sacrifice when starting this. That isn't for me & I chose to DNF.

Told in a dual timeline two brothers past comes back to haunt them.

We've all got secrets, we've all got pasts - Kieran and Robert have got plenty to worry about when twenty years later theirs appears to be the focus of a new tv drama series, step by step, exactly as it happened.

An unsettling and disturbing start immediately grabbed my attention, the scene setting impeccable as the horror of two brothers actions played out before me. There was a real sense of atmosphere about this dark, chilling, character driven read that in a dual timeline moves between past and present.

The writing was good but midway through it seemed to get stuck in the past and lost me a bit. A couple of additional twists towards the end redeemed it somewhat but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the authors novels.