Twenty-five years ago, the characters in The Wasp Trap were recent graduates, hired by a psychology professor to create a dating website, living and working together on his estate. When the project abruptly ended, they went their separate ways and most haven't seen each other since. When the professor dies, the friends gather for a dinner party in his honor. That's when things get wild - I was not expecting some of the twists and turns that followed! Held hostage at gunpoint, forced to reveal secrets...but wait, whose secret is the key to the real life or death game they are forced to play? I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller!

While The Wasp Trap had good ideas, and it could have been great it just wasn't for me. I found the characters unlikeable and the pacing slow.

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. An intriguing premise with dual timelines and intertwining twists and turns. Everyone lies and the truth is buried under multiple secrets and betrayals. Paranoia and unrelenting tension make for a gripping read with an unexpected and surprising ending.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to preview the book.

A group of friends who developed both a dating app AND a psychopath test in the early 2000s meet again after their professor/ mentor dies. A remembrance dinner gets weird as the friends realized they are locked in the house and must their deepest secrets from that time.

What a ride! I loved how the book kept me reading more by ending each chapter on a cliffhanger, both in the past and in the present. I devoured this book in about two nights and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller to read. A twisty-turning novel with high stakes.

This was a fun and twisty book. A group of friends meet for a dinner party that knew each from the past. Something happened in 1999. It is told in duel timelines of that year and 2024. Lots of secrets and thrills. Pick this one up!

Don't go to any dinner parties ;-)
Such a tale that was spun. Secrets who hold them who doesn't. Very interesting read. And interesting ending will there he another book. .hmmmm


Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book

I just finished The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards, and let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. This is my first time reading anything by Edwards, and Iit’s always exciting to discover a new author who can draw you in right from the start. This book is a fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the beginning.

The story shifts between present day and a pivotal point back in 1999, when a group of former friends was working on a project that they thought would lead to big money. But, as it often goes in thrillers, things take a dark turn, and we quickly find out that there are plenty of secrets beneath the surface.

What I really appreciated about the characters in The Wasp Trap is how unique and different they are, yet still incredibly believable as collaborators. Each character felt well-developed, with their own quirks and motivations driving the story forward.

This is definitely the kind of book that bridges the gap between wanting to savor the reading experience and needing to know what happens next! Overall, I’d give The Wasp Trap a solid 4.5 stars.

I was honestly so impressed with this book. Things felt a bit slow in the beginning with the character guiding, but when the storyline shifted I was all in. By the big reveal at the end I was totally and completely shocked. Fantastic read!

WOW!

it amazes me, every single time, how Mark Edwards seems to create these unique storylines in ALL of his books. How on earth does he come up with them? This book was pure genius. You can tell so much thought and research went into this to create such an original plot.

I NEEDED to know what the secret was and who had it! I also really enjoyed the dual timelines. The stories in both were interesting and kept you wanting more! I couldn’t put this book down once I started.

A truly one of a kind thriller with twists, secrets, claustrophobia, and psychopaths! The recipe for a great read!

Thank you, Atria Books, for providing a copy of The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. I loved the description and the books started out great. The pacing was off so I vacillated between boredom and interest. The book didn’t really hold my attention until near the end when things really started to happen and Mia entered the picture. If you love thrillers for the unexpected ending, you will love this book and the secrets the characters revealed. I’m not sure it was the book for me because so much was implausible or didn’t make sense. 3 stars.

3.5/5 rounded up!

This was a really cool story, I liked the whole hidden agenda thing going on (and there felt like there were a couple, like every character had their own motive here).

This follows a group of friends that reunite for a dinner party, but they have to share their secrets or they die. All of this because of a psychologically-based dating app they created together (that's how they all met, a professor gathered them to work on this project). They also all have a dark past together and they intend to reveal more information about that time in their lives.

This was fun and unique, with flashbacks to when it all happened.

I could see thins working really well as a movie, I kind of really want that to happen.

If you're looking for a new, fun and fast-paced thriller to read, go for this one!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This was such a great novel! Suspenseful from page one all the way through to the last page. Definitely did not expect the twist at the end. It definitely made the plot. Twists throughout the novel kept you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this is a must read.

Talk about a wild ride! I have been a little bored with the thriller genre lately because it's felt a little too predictable. But this one kept me guessing the whole time. The characters are just unpredictable enough to be realistic, and there are so many twists and secrets to be uncovered along the way. This book had me carrying my Kindle around the house while I cooked and did laundry because I couldn't put it down.

This book was interesting in a different way, it had a good twist. But it was bitterly slow, I was getting bored until about 50%.

3 stars

This was EXCELLENT and completely different than anything I have read before! It had all the makings of an excellent locked door thriller (my favourite kind) but was unique and interesting, keeping me guessing until the end. Without giving anything away, I loved the story exploration of psychopathy and the way the author weaved it into the individual character story arcs. It kept my attention and I found myself up until the wee hours to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards.
This was a very suspenseful book that incorporates a dual timeline story very effectively. The characters all have secrets which are gradually revealed through the course of a locked room dinner party gone wrong.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will definitely be looking into his other works!

The Wasp Trap wasn’t BAD, it was just fine. While I was intrigued to learn what happened the summer of 1999, it felt like the pacing was tremendously mismanaged, moving at a snail’s pace for most of the story with all of the action loaded in the last 10% or so. The setup to get to the end felt too long – it was a good payoff with more than one twisty reveal, but the beginning and interspersing of stories from that summer took too long to get there (and that’s coming from someone that read this in a single sitting, I think it would’ve been a DNF had I sat it down).

Middling take on the locked room mystery/thriller. I just wasn't invested enough in any of the characters to care about the outcome. The twist isn't very twisty as it's obvious from the first chapter what the big reveal will be. It may as well be titled, One of Us is a Psychopath. It's a quick easy read, and I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't recommend it either.

Whew! This is another remarkable book from Mark Edwards! This was a fast paced top notch thriller and mystery read! It gave me chills, made feel nervous, gave me anxiety and had me feeling scared! Furthermore, I had no idea what was coming next! This book was about a group of friends that knew each other in the past, all meet together again for a dinner party. This is a dual timeline that goes back in time of 1999, then to the year 2024. During the dinner party, the six friends start to begin revealing their hidden secrets. This turns into a deadly game. There are so many twists and turns and the last few chapters literally had my jaw dropped! This was very well written and had a clear thesis. Overall, I rate this book a high 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Mark Edwards and Atria Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is expected to be published on July 31, 2025!

This book is perfect for people who like a locked-room whodunnit mystery trope. And that would be me! The setting is a picturesque home in Notting Hill neighbored by two mysterious buildings. The gathering is a group of former coworkers and one assistant of a deceased boss called “The Professor” for his mad genius qualities. The dual timeline storyline leaves breadcrumbs in each storyline which build the suspense to the surprising ending. I kept changing my mind and theories on who the murderer was and I was definitely surprised at the end of the book.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.