I've been reading BP Walter's books since his incredible debut, A Version of the Truth. His writing is always excellent, and The Treehouse is no exception. It's dark, intriguing and incredibly well written, with exceptional character development and complexity. If you're even slightly interested in exploring the darkest reaches of the human psyche, BP Walter should be your author of choice!

This is a dark story about brothers bound by an event that happened in their teenage years. It touches on cults, evil and being pressurised by an older sibling to follow the wrong path to gain their admiration, and how it goes on to affect their whole lives.

I’m afraid I found the writing style intensely annoying, written in the present tense, with a predictable “cliffhanger” statement at the end of each chapter. I kept reading as I’d been given a copy of the book to review, but found so much of the story completely unbelievable. For example, the idea that a 14 year old boy would be psychoanalysing his brother’s behaviour. Some of the flashback section of the book is written is written in ultra-simplistic Enid Blyton adventure story style, which I found really irritating. There is so much repetition in order to build up tension, and examination of the characters’ feelings, but very far from literary. I suppose it might be a holiday page-turner for those that want an easy mindless read. Am very surprised to see that it is a Sunday Times best-seller.

I’d previously enjoyed a couple of the author’s novels, and this one started promisingly as I was introduced to a pair of brothers who share a dark secret. One is a rich, drug taking layabout, and the other is a self-centred, career hungry city boy. Soon, they are to discover that a television series has been launched in which the plot details a set of circumstances with a spooky similarity to events they’d hoped were buried for good.

We’re then taken back quite some years, to where the boys are both shy of eighteen years old. It’s at this point it starts to get a little weird. The older brother, Kieran, develops some radical ideas and attempts to drag younger brother Robert along with him. Robert, desperately seeking Kieran’s approval, goes with it despite some doubts.
There then follows a series of events that didn’t take me with them – they didn’t feel right, they didn’t feel credible.

Add to this the fact that by this point I’d decided that the entire family were people I’d rather not spend any more time with. They’re a very unpleasant crew indeed. I abandoned ship at the halfway point.

For me, this tale has undertones of a horror novel rather than that of a pure mystery tale. This might well appeal to some readers, but not to me I’m afraid. I’ve read some positive reviews from other readers, so I might just be an outlier here.

THE TREEHOUSE BY B P WALTER.
Release date set for the 3rd of July 2025.
4✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s.
This book took me by surprise.
The pacing was perfect for me personally.
From the start this story had me hooked and held my attention till the very end.
I really hope this book does well as it's really amazing and sticks with you.
Highly recommend

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. While there were some thrills and twists, I struggled to stay engaged in the story itself.

-not a fan of the writing style/choices.
-didn’t like the main characters.
-there was too much time spent in flashbacks.

There are better books out there in my opinion if you’re looking for something more exciting to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and One More Chapter/ HarperCollins UK for a copy!

This book is a slow-burning, emotionally gut-wrenching experience, but in the best way. The Treehouse explores the long shadows cast by family secrets, grief, and the stories we don’t tell. When a true crime show decides to dig up a decades-old tragedy, the Palmer family is forced to face everything they've tried to bury.

Told in a dual timeline, the novel lets you piece the mystery together bit by bit. It’s tense, intimate, and painfully real. Walter writes sibling dynamics with brutal honesty—especially between Kieran and Robert—and shows how silence can echo through generations.

If you like psychological thrillers that focus more on why people break rather than just how, this one’s for you. Emotional, layered, and quietly haunting.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Two brothers find themselves involved in the depths of a sinister cult as teenagers, and the rest of their lives will be changed as a result. We follow along in a mixture of time jumps, and from the perspective of both brothers.

The treehouse was a dark and twisted psychological thriller. There were some big WTF moments for me, but I was pretty hooked. The ending was a huge plot twist too, at no point did I see it coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This book had me hooked from the beginning. The first 30% was gripping and full of promise. But once the lengthy flashback hit, the pacing took a sharp turn, and I found myself wishing it had been more evenly split between past and present. While the plot was intriguing, the characters were very unlikable. That said, the epilogue delivered a twist I truly didn’t see coming that wrapped things up in a chilling and unexpected way that especially helped me understand Kieran and brought the story full circle. I enjoyed the overall reading experience and I’m definitely curious to explore more from B.P. Walter, but I don’t think this is one I’d revisit.

Twenty years ago Robert, Kieran and their family are on holiday when a tragic event occurs. Trying to put it behind them, they are shocked when years later a new TV series comes on with the similar horrifying events of that night. As they are forced to revisit that trip is it possible that there are still secrets to discover?

I have enjoyed this author’s previous books so was looking forward to this one. Similar to other books by B.P. Walter, this ended up another crazy psychological thriller with dark themes. The premise of this was intriguing and I was keen to see where it would go. The atmosphere was well developed and felt uncomfortable and eerie.

I enjoyed the characters, although can’t say that I fully connected to them. The overall story started going in directions I didn’t expect and I enjoyed the final chapters. This was another entertaining story overall and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Twenty years ago, the Palmer Family - Dad Martin, Mum June, Kieran (16) and Robert (14) rent a lodge for the summer in Cornwall expecting a summer of family fun. However, this is not the case as things happen whilst they are there that ends in a tragedy. The story is told using multiple time periods and using different points of view. In the present, a TV series is shown highlighting the dreadful events that occurred one night! The family begin to wonder if the others are hiding secrets and how far are they willing to go to stop them blowing wide open now!!! This is a disturbed and flawed family. It was gripping, full of twists and turns with a few red herrings to distract you from guessing how the book will end.

thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC!

idk. this had the lower-tier thriller thing where everything is soooo flatly written. I don't know how else to describe it, but if you've read a lot of thrillers, you know what I'm talking about. honestly... I was going to give this one star, honestly, but then the end had some legitimately crazy twists. like I was like uh BP (can I call you BP) where was this before??? it did make the end perk up quite a bit for me. but it was way too little too late.

Atmospheric and tense, this thriller unpacks family secrets with precision. The dual timelines worked well, keeping me guessing. While some character motivations felt thin, the mystery was gripping and the pacing steady. A compelling read for fans of domestic suspense.

Familial Secrets..
A family holiday that changed everything, familial secrets and a tragedy that no one speaks of in this dark domestic suspense where one family are forced to replay events of the past. For twenty years the Palmer family have tried erase that fateful trip but when a television series plays out the events they have no option but to confront the past - but as everyone has secrets, is there someone who will go to any lengths to keep those secrets firmly hidden? Pacy, dark and atmospheric with a menacing plot populated with a deftly drawn cast and twists aplenty,

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!