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The Wasp Trap

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The Wasp Trap

By: Mark Edwards
Narrated by: John Hopkins, Anna Burnett
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A stingingly brilliant new psychological thriller from the 5 million copy-bestselling author of Here to Stay and The Magpies
Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.
No-one expects it to end in tragedy.
Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitation: a dinner party. A chance to see the old gang again.
But as soon as he arrives, something doesn’t seem right.
There’s an unexpected guest. The hosts are clearly keeping a secret. And on the way in, Will is sure he heard crying.
Everyone has something to hide about what really happened that summer.
But only one of them is willing to kill to find the truth…

“I loved this brilliant, edgy, character driven thriller with a passion. So clever and fresh with a wild and incredibly satisfying twist at the end.” Lisa Jewell
'I was hooked by this clever, fast paced and addictive thriller... I loved it' Claire Douglas
'Fast-paced and twisted: it’s another Mark Edwards sensation' Claire Mackintosh

© Mark Edwards 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

 Best of 2025 Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary Fiction

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Critic reviews

I loved this brilliant, edgy, character driven thriller with a passion. So clever and fresh with a wild and incredibly satisfying twist at the end (Lisa Jewell)
I read this in one sitting, completely gripped. A fast-paced thriller, full of twists upon twists and tension you could cut with a knife. Hugely enjoyable. (ALEX MICHAELIDES)
This is AMAZING...I devoured it in two compulsive sittings. 'Gripped' doesn't even come close!! (MARIAN KEYES)
Great and vivid characterisation that kept me guessing and surprises up to the very last page, this is a highly entertaining read. (LIZ NUGENT, author of Strange Sally Diamond)
Never trust a reunion – especially one in a Mark Edwards thriller... Tense, artful and satisfying, The Wasp Trap buzzes between past and present delivering one deadly sting after another (LOUISE CANDLISH)
The plot swerves in an entirely unpredictable direction , providing an intriguing mystery that turns on their mentor's work on the behaviour of psychopaths
The ultimate - literal - locked room mystery, that hits you with twist after twist. (RUTH WARE)
This locked-room mystery is a super satisfying edge-of-your-seat thriller
The Wasp Trap is a compelling mystery that explores the consequences of human behaviour. Whether it's falling in love, keeping secrets or committing murder, this tightly plotted page-turner reveals, piece-by-nail-biting-piece, how the sins of the past can shape our present in violent ways. Full of Edwards' trademark twists and peopled with a fascinating cast of characters, this deserves to be a smash-hit. (FIONA CUMMINS)
Twisty, clever, often funny, always inventive, The Wasp Trap takes the reunion thriller into new and exciting places. (ELLY GRIFFITHS)
All stars
Most relevant
This is another great book from Mark Edwards.. Exciting and twisty… I’m eagerly awaiting the next book by this author…

Another fantastic book by Mark Edwards

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I really enjoyed this : the narration was good and the story was a great concept. It was a refreshing take on a psychological thriller and it really keeps you guessing.
One of the best listens this year! Thank you to the author and narrators! and the behind the scenes crew too!

Gripping but refreshing story, a great listen

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Enjoyed this on the whole. There were parts overblown and a bit obvious but overall interesting take on reunions, revenge and tech paranoia. A dinner party, becoming trapped, secrets, misunderstandings in the past and long held feelings - all boxes ticked.

Wasp trap

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The characters were well drawn and fitted well into the plot, which has an imaginative premise and unfolds in an unexpected way. Spoiler Alert - However, the idea that a computer program could be accepted to run perfectly from its Inception, without glitches or unexpected biases, especially a program designed to analyse something as complex as human psyche, just doesn't ring true, no matter how academically brilliant it's creator. That is, after all why we use beta testing. A good listen though to an incentive story read by a talented narrator.

An allRound satisfying and original mystery thriller

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Would you be intrigued if you received a dinner invitation from friends you haven't seen in twenty-five years? More importantly, would you go? Curiosity, as the saying goes, can be a dangerous thing. When the invite arrives, Will can't resist accepting, especially since he has unfinished business with an old flame, Sophie. He thinks, 'What have I got to lose?' Plenty! Even before the main course is served, it becomes clear that this is one invitation all the guests will regret accepting.

Mark Edwards takes readers on a turbulent journey back to 1999, when everyone at the table, except for the late Dominic, had once worked together. As the evening unfolds, it soon becomes apparent that each guest harbours a secret. But how will the instigator coax them into revealing the truth?

Certainly worth reading.

4/5

A dinner party that goes from bad to worse.

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