Set in posh Notting Hill, London, this closed-room thriller is dark, chilling and twisted. The title is clever...and apt. In 2024, a group of six former colleagues get together after their mentor died. Twenty five years ago they had designed and implemented a dating website with the tutelage of Professor Sebastian. Not only that but the programmer had also performed psychological testing on the group to root out psychopaths which they dubbed The Wasp Trap. The group became entangled in various ways, both in 1999 and 2024. Shortly after arrival to the host's home, they found themselves locked in without internet services. A disturbing game was designed to reveal secrets. The unwilling participants had to choose who lived and died. Not only that but a girl was missing, contributing to the tension. The surprises kept coming from all sides, including violence.

Though adults, the characters were juvenile, unlikeable, and a bit two dimensional. However, the tongue-gnawing suspense was excellent and I felt taut anxiety the entire time. The timelines were written seamlessly and the plots were electric. Though murderous dinner parties are nothing new, this novel had originality and a lot of thought was obviously put into it. Mark Edwards is a clever writer and is phenomenal at creating complexities and then masterfully pulling lose ends together.

Will, and 5 other talented graduates, spent the Summer of 1999 with an eccentric professor creating a complex online dating site. Fast forward to 25 years later when they are reunited at a dinner party and someone has a secret. Question is, how far will they go to keep it.

Here's what I really loved - the locked room element of the dinner party, the tension building from deadlines set by the characters and short chapters. I think there were too many characters to have fully formed personalities and relationships so a bit 2D for some of the group. I also found the endless psychology references a bit boring in parts. Trying not to give spoilers but some of the 'psychological testing' I just kept thinking it's just not that deep!

The Wasp Trap kept me guessing. An edge of your seat mystery/thriller that keeps you turning the pages. Mark Edwards keeps getting better and better with every book!

My first book by Mark Edwards, will not be my last! What a story, I was hooked from the very beginning and I have to say this story never let up! We follow along in 2 timelines as 6 friends are reunited after many years after the death of their mentor. To say the dinner party doesn’t go as planned is an understatement but you will have to read to see what happens! Each character is very well developed and has their own personality. You will have no trouble distinguishing one from the other. I loved this story, it is twisted, suspenseful and a crazy wild ride. I definitely recommend this book!

: I’ve read so much about this book that I thought there was no way that I wasn’t going to enjoy it but sadly, I was very wrong. A poor story, complicated by storylines in two different timelines, poorly written characters without much depth, unnecessary violence, and a “will she, won’t she” ending that frankly I couldn’t care less about. Very disappointing. My thanks to Net Galley and the author for an ARC

The kind of book you think about long after you’ve finished. The characters felt real, the tension kept me guessing, and the emotions stayed heavy on my heart. It’s rare for a story to pull me in this deeply, but this one absolutely did.

Reading this advanced review copy was a wonderful experience. I received it for free from NetGalley and I leave this review voluntarily. If this is the quality I can expect to receive from Mark Edward’s, I will be reading more of his work.

In 1999, professor Sebastian Marlowe gathered together 6 bright young people to help him develop a scientific dating site. As a side quest, the programmer thought she could also create something to identify psychopaths.

25 years later, they gather to pay tribute to the now deceased professor. The evening takes a dark turn when a deadly game to reveal secrets from the past or die. Why is this happening? What is the secret worth killing for? And, who knows the secret?

Alternating between past and present, the drama will keep you reading long into the early morning. Highly recommend.

As a student in 1999, Will was part of a group trying to build an improved dating app, under the guidance of Sebastian. Something terrible happened and the project was cancelled at the last minute and the group sent back to their homes. 25 years later, Sebastian has died and the group meet at the home of Georgina and Theo, now a couple, to comemorate him. All is not what it seems and the dinner party becomes increasingly frightening and violent. I didn't really like the characters, and it seems they have not matured since 1999, I found the events at the dinner party to be quite improbable. I did keep reading as I wanted to know what the secret was.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. This book is to be published on September 16, 2025.

Six friends – Theo, Georgina, Rohan, Sophie, Lily and Will – reunite in remembrance of their former employer, Sebastian Marlowe who recently passed. In 1999, they were assisting him in developing an online dating website using psychological data.

From the very start of this novel, the tone is very dark, eerie and creepy. And that includes the setting. You're immediately suspicious of the intentions of everyone in this house.

The story is told in the present day, by Will in 2024, at a catered dinner party hosted by Theo and Georgina. Also invited, was Sebastian’s former assistant, Finn. The story also incorporates the events that happened back in 1999 from different viewpoints.

No sooner do all the guests arrive does the dinner party go awry. The security systems fails so they are all locked inside Theo and Georgina’s high-tech mansion. They also lose cell receptions on their mobiles as the WIFI is spotty.

The six are then forced to play a game in which their secrets from 1999 are revealed or there are grim consequences. There are twists and turns throughout this novel that keep you guessing until the end. Let’s just say that Mark Edwards puts the psycho in psychological thriller! Of the seven ARC’s I’ve read in the past month, this has been the best.

Highly recommended!

I always look forward to a Mark Edwards release, and this was no exception! Actually, I think this is my favourite thriller of his in recent years. Wonderful characters, thrills at every turn, brilliant stuff! I can’t wait for the next one.

I’ve enjoyed a number of books by Mark Edward’s and this isn’t exception. It’s a bit of a slow burn start, but the pace soon picks up and it becomes a complex and intriguing psychological murder mystery thriller! There’s a reunion after 25 years of a group that worked together. But it’s no ordinary reunion; they all have secrets and something to hide and it turns out that their original collaboration had a literal sting in the tail. It’s told from a number if viewpoints and across two timelines, so it’s a complicated picture to piece together. Especially as the reader has no idea who to trust; they’re non too reliable. This is a bit far fetched, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It’s tense and twisted and the end was a revelation.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This is an odd one and I was surprised at how long it took me to read. It has a dual timeline and starts off quite slowly. In the present day we are told there are secrets from 1999 but I feel the mentions are just too vague, I would say a reader needs something more to go on, something they can think about and try to work out instead of just vague mentions in passing.

It hots up quite a bit after halfway but then it just gets too unlikely, too many dramatic and far fetched happenings. There are a couple of fairly decent surprises I didn't see coming but all in all it just seems a bit overdone.

I was slightly troubled by drippy Will's attitude towards women and his comments about them in 1999 although I suppose it is in some respects representative of a certain type of man at that time and indeed at any time.

Probably better if it had been shorter and less frantic in the locked house events.

I could not finish this one. The idea had potential with six friends reuniting in 2024 after creating a dating site and a psychological test called The Wasp Trap back in 1999.

The setup of a reunion dinner that turns dangerous sounded intriguing, but the pacing was far too slow for me. What should have felt tense and gripping ended up dragging and I lost interest. That first bit didn't hook me at all, and even half way through I didn't connect with any characters. I was bamboozled as it said fans of Lucy Foley, and Lisa jewel endorsed this book! =(

I love a good closed door thriller. Add in a remote location and suspicious characters and this just gets better. A bunch of characters with history and suspicious motives are brought together. They each hold secrets and we don't know whom to trust.

Told in multiple perspectives and timelines, this is a fast paced thriller where the scare jumps out of the pages. At times I was literally on the edge of my seat wondering how it would go for the characters.

It is a serious page turner and I finished this in one sitting. There are multiple plotlines connecting and I just loved the ending which made me re -read the pages. Things which might seem unrelated tie together brilliantly and the characters are well written.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review.

This is a book that immediately ensnares you in a web of suburban paranoia, a seemingly ordinary scenario that quickly devolves into a chilling and inescapable nightmare.

The protagonist finds himself in an increasingly desperate situation, and Edwards expertly builds the tension, making you feel his every ounce of fear and frustration. The suspense is so palpable it’s like a character itself.

What makes this novel a five-star read is its unrelenting pace and a plot that is a work of pure genius. The twists are not just surprising, they are genuinely shocking and completely reframe the entire story.

Edwards keeps you guessing until the very end, and when the final revelations hit, they hit hard. If you're looking for a page-turner that will leave you breathless and looking over your shoulder, this is an essential read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Penguin Random House Canada for a temporary e-ARC!

The Wasp Trap is a gripping, slow-burning thriller that had me hooked from the first page. I’ve read several of Mark Edwards’ books and always appreciate how he takes seemingly ordinary situations and twists them into something dark, unsettling, and deeply psychological, and this one is no exception.
The story follows six former colleagues, reunited after 25 years for a dinner party in memory of their old professor. But it quickly becomes clear this isn’t just a friendly get-together. The atmosphere is tense, the doors are locked, and soon secrets begin to surface - dangerous ones, tied to something they all worked on years ago: a project called The Wasp Trap, designed to identify psychopathy.
Told in dual timelines flashing between the summer of 1999 and the present day, the story builds a strong sense of dread and claustrophobia as each character’s past is slowly revealed. I found myself questioning everyone’s motives and couldn’t predict where it was going, which is always a good sign.
It’s not the fastest-paced thriller, but that worked in its favour for me as it gave the tension room to build. The characters felt flawed and real, and the themes of guilt, memory, and hidden darkness were explored in really interesting ways.
Fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological suspense will definitely enjoy this. A chilling, clever read with a sting in the tail.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. With all of Mark Edwards books you are gripped from the first page until the last. You gel with the characters and the story just keeps on giving. The Wasp Trap is no different. I certainly didn't expect the ending of this five star read. Looking forward to his next masterpiece

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this ARC.
As usual a Maine Cooke features in the story!! 🙀
Full of brilliant twists and turns and really different, I really enjoyed this book.
Gasped at times and couldn’t put it down.
Absolutely recommend and when’s the next one!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards, and Penguin Random House (Canada) for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to tackle books by Mark Edwards, I eagerly accepted this ARC. Edwards presents another great psychological thriller that pulls the reader in from the opening pages and does not let go for a moment. A dinner party of former work colleagues appears to focus on the death of their mentor. However, things take a turn and their pasts begin to haunt them. Mark Edwards delivers a gripping story that has all the elements of a great read!

After twenty-five years apart, six friends gather for a quaint dinner party to remember their mentor. Their dinner in Nottingham Hill is meant to fete their work on a website that sought to explore psychological testing back in 1999. However, something soon appears amiss.

As the night progresses, the past comes to haunt the guests. Someone in the house has a vendetta to settle and begins putting guns to the heads of the guests, seeking that they share their darkest secrets or face death. What’s worse, it will be at the hands of the other guests in the house.
A shared past has surely awoken an angry wasp-like sentiment. What could this be and how will it resolve itself before everyone is killed? A chilling story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats and flipping pages well into the night.

I find much entertainment when Mark Edwards is on point. He is able to pull out something dark and twisted in the most apparently mundane situations. Edwards takes hold of the narrative from the opening pages and spins it into an effective story, making the most of what lays before him. As things increase in intensity, he adds worthy characters whose backstories are essential to the central components of the piece. Tossing in some plot points that have needed twists and there is little to stop Edwards from being successful with this psychological thriller. I am hear to see where things are headed!

Kudos, Mr. Edwards, for a great story!

I really enjoyed this, a bit different to what I usually read so wasn’t sure at first but that quickly changed. A great slow burn that builds tension and then picks up in the second half. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the added subplots. I didn’t see the end twist coming which I haven’t had for a while. I stayed up late in to the night finishing this so was definitely a quick read you don’t want to put down! 🐝 🪤