The Dinner Party by Nina Manning is an excellent psychological thriller. . . . WoW. this book was a brilliant roller coaster ride especially with all the twists and turns throughout it was so addictive I ended up glued to my kindle till the very end.

Lily Leonard books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Woods renowned celebrity chef to celebrate their wedding anniversary. This should be the perfect evening with her husband, Stig, but not even a perfect menu can heal the cracks in their marriage.

So, when Hector invites them to dine with him privately, Lily is over the moon thrilled. Surely this will please her husband Stig? Hector is so charming and attentive and everything Stig is not, , , , , ,
Now, she finds herself more and more drawn to the enigmatic Hector.

A perfect invitation that turns into a nightmare invitation...

After the dinner, Stig makes it clear the entire evening was a mistake, and this is something he never wants to repeat again. Now, hurt and confused, Lily’s certain Stig is hiding something from her. . . . . But What?
Is this something linked to Hector?. . . . . . she just doesn’t know what.

Then another dinner invitation from Hector arrives. But, this time with a proposal neither Lily or Stig can refuse. . .

I highly recommend The Dinner Party this book is a great holiday read, i loved it!

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Lily was just trying to do something nice for sting and her wedding anniversary – she booked a table at the restaurant her hubby was obsessing over. A restaurant with a top top chef in charge. Sounds rather romantic to me. But by asking one question at the restaurant starts a snowball. A snowball that sucks this couple in to a world Lily didn’t expect. A seductive one, an unknown one.

I really felt for Lily. She wanted to enjoy life, make the world a better place with her work but certain things in life weren’t quite right. But as things unfolded before her, my trust in everyone disintegrated, even Lily as she started to hide things.

I don’t want to reveal too much about what happens over the course of the book. So so much happens which as I jumped from past to present, I knew was the purpose of these time-thread jumps. I would get comfortable in the present and just as I thought I was getting somewhere, I was dragged to the past to distract me – a form of subterfuge from Manning which I’ve seen before in her thrillers.

This is one heart pumping read. Manning drew me in on a slow burn premise but then the story changed gear. I got Stig’s history, his secrets but in the present, the screws were turning on Lily. I felt tense reading as the book climaxed. I had to reread the last few chapters as they happened so quickly!

When a couple is given an ultimate ultimatum from a world renowned chef, a world of sups2nse, confusion, and thriller open up. Well written and fast paced. I enjoyed this one.

I have read a few books from this author. This book was not bad but it was also not my favorite. I thought it was very slow.

The Dinner Party by Nina Manning

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Lily Leonard books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Woods renowned celebrity chef. It should be the perfect evening for Lily and husband, Stig, but not even a perfect menu can heal the cracks in their marriage.

So when Hector invites them to dine with him privately, Lily is thrilled. Surely this will please Stig? Hector is charming and attentive – everything Stig is not – and she finds herself more and more drawn to the enigmatic Hector.

A nightmare invitation...

After the dinner, Stig makes it clear the entire evening was a mistake, something he never wants to repeat again. Hurt and confused, Lily’s certain Stig is hiding something from her. Something linked to Hector…she just doesn’t know what.

And then another dinner invitation from Hector arrives. This time with a proposal neither Lily or Stig can refuse…

My Opinion

I haven’t read many books by Nina Manning but I really do need to read more. The Dinner Party was such a gripping read. Nina Manning has written a fast-paced novel that easily holds the attention of the reader. Whilst I found it difficult to like the characters, it did not spoil my enjoyment.

Rating 4/5

Thank you for allowing me to read this before release, good concept but not quite fast paced enough for me! I wasn’t a big fan of the husband or wife. It felt more of a family drama than a thriller. Kind of put me in a reading slump. As a Freida McFadden fan not as fast paced and addicting but not awful.

If you’re a Freida fan and you’re looking for another popcorn thriller to keep you going until the next release, this is for you!
The book follows Lily and her husband Stig. Lily books a reservation and an uber fancy restaurant, hoping it may help her and her husband get closer but finds herself captivated by the head chef Hector, and drawing further and further away from Stig. What could possibly be the cause of Stigs bizarre behaviour?
This is one of those books where none of the characters are likeable and you don’t know who to root for. I love a story with flawed characters!
Pacy and gripping, I found this palette cleansing in the best way.

Lily and Stig Leonard have been married for 5 years, but not happily. In order to liven up their relationship Lily takes Stig to Sapphire, a restaurant owned by Stig's favorite chef, or so she thinks. When Chef Hector Bolson-Woods invites them to his kitchen to cook for them, Stig does not react well to being in the company of the chef. The chef seems to really like the couple and continues to invite the Leonard's to dinner parties in his various homes. Stig, not his real name, does not like or trust Hector and they seem to share a past that only Stig, Hector and Ruby a mutual friend of theirs is aware of. As Lily begins to fall for the rich and charming chef, things start to come to surface that shine a dark light upon Hector.

The Dinner Party is a smart, gripping psychological thriller about family, revenge and deceit. I loved every bit of it!

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this thrilling edge of your seat novel.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This eerie psychological thriller follows Lily who has booked a table at an exclusive restaurant for her and her husband’s anniversary. It is owned by celebrity chef Hector Bolson-Woods.

However, when they arrive her husband doesn’t seem pleased with the surprise, and even less so when they are invited to dine privately with the chef himself.

Lily tries to work out why her husband acted how he did, but suddenly an invitation comes through the door inviting them to Hector’s house for dinner. Lily is keen to attend and doesn’t see why her husband is not but accepts anyway on their behalf.

What is behind Lily’s husbands dislike to Hector? Why has the celebrity chef taken a liking to this couple?

I found this psychological thriller quite eerie to read as you are waiting to see if there is a dark reason for Hector inviting the couple to his house for, especially with the husband’s sudden disliking to the chef.

There are plenty of secrets to uncover, so all becomes clear but there is plenty of tension and mystery throughout whilst the storyline unfolds.

Overall, an eerie psychological thriller where an anniversary dinner, unravels secrets from the past.

I've never been to, or held a dinner party and after reading this I'm not quite sure I actually want to!

I had absolutely no idea in which direction the book was going to be taking me - I didn't read the blurb - so down the rabbit hole we went...

Imagine yourself in a restaurant with a plate of your favourite food in front of you...do you leave any? No, you devour every last morsel and that's what The Dinner Party was for me...a one course meal that was way too good to leave unfinished.

It's a pacey thriller that serves up suspense, secrets and suspicion. Manning's characters are flawed and I found myself questioning their integrity more than once.

An enjoyable and engaging read with some great twists.

Nina Manning’s The Dinner Party is a gripping psychological thriller that explores themes of deception, desire, and the dark secrets lurking beneath seemingly perfect lives. With an elegant restaurant setting and a mysterious celebrity chef, this novel serves up tension and intrigue with every chapter.

Lily Leonard, eager to rekindle the spark in her struggling marriage, books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Woods, a renowned chef with an undeniable charm. When Hector invites Lily and her husband, Stig, for a private dining experience, Lily sees it as a golden opportunity to bring them closer together. But instead of a romantic evening, the dinner only deepens the cracks in their marriage. Stig’s discomfort and outright refusal to ever repeat the experience leave Lily questioning what really happened—and what her husband is hiding.

Manning masterfully builds suspense as Lily becomes increasingly drawn to Hector, whose enigmatic presence contrasts sharply with Stig’s cold detachment. The mystery escalates when another invitation from Hector arrives—this time with an offer that neither Lily nor Stig can ignore. As the layers of deception unravel, Lily finds herself caught in a chilling web of secrets that could change everything she thought she knew about her marriage.

With well-paced twists and a tantalizingly sinister atmosphere, The Dinner Party keeps readers hooked until the final reveal. Manning’s sharp character development and immersive storytelling make this a must-read for fans of domestic thrillers. If you enjoy books that blend glamour with psychological depth, The Dinner Party is an intoxicatingly suspenseful choice.

Thank you for allowing me to read this before release, enjoyable book but not quite fast paced enough for me! I wasn’t too keen on the characters and this felt more of a family drama than a thriller

The Dinner Party by Nina Manning is a gripping and suspenseful novel.
I’m a big fan of Manning’s work and this was another wonderful read.
The compelling narrative and well-drawn characters had me up so late.
The way she creates her characters is seriously the best. They are intriguing and entertaining.
Nina Manning's ability to build and maintain suspense makes this novel a captivating read for fans of psychological thrillers.

THE DINNER PARTY is a fast paced thriller that captured my attention for the start. I enjoyed getting to know these characters as they all had some issues. Overall, it was entertaining and I can highly recommend it if you are a fan of domestic thrillers.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

This just didn’t feel like a thriller and felt quite forced. I’m not a fan of the main character and how she starts complaining about her husband first off. It seemed like she just needed to leave him instead of taking us through this story tbh. This story just was not a hit for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out March 16,2025

3.5 stars rounded up

To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Lily Leonard books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Wood enowned celebrity chef. It should be the perfect evening for Lily and her husband, Stig, but not even a perfect menu can heal the cracks in their marriage. So when Hector invites them to dine with him privately, Lily is thrilled? Surely this will thrill Stig? Hector is charming and attentive - everything Stig is not - and she finds herself drawn more and more to the enigmatic Hector. And then another dinner invitation from Hector arrives. This time with a proposal neither Stig or Lily can refuse.

I wouldn't call this book a thrilling read, I'd say it was more of a family drama. None of the characters are likeable. The pace is slow to begin with, but it soon picks up. There were twists I never saw coming. It's filled with secrets and lies. My only criticism is that I found the ending to be a little bit rushed, I took off half a star for that reason.

Published 16th March 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #NinaManning for my ARC of #TheDinnerParty in exchange for an honest review.

Nina Manning is a hit-and-miss author for me. I enjoyed her book The Bridesmaid, but The Waitress was a flop. I am sorry to say that The Dinner Party falls in with the latter title. The current rating for this book is 3.27 stars, and that seems very generous to me.

My first problem with the book was the fact that Lily had many complaints about her husband. Why did she marry him if he doesn't talk about his past or his family? If that is what bugs her, then she should have never married him in the first place. Secondly, if she doesn't want kids, why not just say so? This just seems a stupidly immature way for 35 and 40-year-olds to behave.

I'm not sure if it was meant to be a thriller, more like a psychological suspense, and it failed miserably on both fronts. I know the pacing is deliberately slow. Over and over again, the characters discuss various appetizers, only to have the actual dinner itself be rushed and anticlimactic. There was no tension, just boredom. The characters were like immature teenagers from a bad soap opera. Every interaction felt forced, every secret revealed was figured out in advance, and the twists were very predictable, too.

And the writing? Let's just say I've read grocery lists with more compelling prose. The dialogue was stilted, the descriptions were overdone, and the attempts at suspense were not effective at all. I spent more time rolling my eyes and shaking my head than turning pages. If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat or even mildly entertained, The Dinner Party is not for you.

Quick, fun read that kept me guessing until the final pages

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

there is a seedy and atmospheric undertone that needles you from the off in this book. you are not quite sure at points where its going. you arent quite sure who is innocent or perhaps wasnt so innocent in their past? why the fixation from a renowned chef on a couple. and why does this couple need to keep coming back for more. are they just desperate for something to fix them. or are they aware of something more. and why does the dinner invites increase and the husband somes to retreat more.
a gripping thriller that wraps you up in questions you can wait for the answer too. and original plot that i loved because it really was so different from thrillers ive read before. and i cant imagine how difficult it must be for all those talented authors to keep finding new themes or plots when the market seems to have its favorite tropes.and how do you dare pull away from said themes when they are loved and read for a reason... and there are just some authors that hit it out the park every time.

Another superb thriller from Nina Manning. As a surprise for their wedding anniversary Lily Leonard books a table at one of renowned chef Hector Bolson- Woods restaurants. There are cracks in the marriage and she is hoping that this will go some way to helping them reconnect. Hector invites them to dine privately with him and then more invitations follow. However the deeper Lily gets involved with Hector the more her husband Stig pulls back. It is obvious from the start of this that something isn’t right and what follows is a story full of intrigue, twists and turns. I liked the interactions between the characters, how it wasn’t easy to work out how this was going to develop and I thought it was at times quite chilling. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC