The Dinner Party

by Nina Manning

Don't miss the BRAND NEW gripping psych thriller from bestselling author Nina Manning! Perfect for fans of Frieda McFadden!

The perfect date...

To celebrate their wedding aniversay, 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…

Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Valerie Keogh and Louise Jenson.

'Addictive... and beautifully written...I loved it.' Number One Bestselling author Valerie Keogh.

'Heart-stopping, pacy and tension filled. Highly recommended.' Claire Allan, USA Today Bestseller

'Compelling and claustrophobic, Nina is an exciting new voice and definitely one to watch' Phoebe Morgan

'An addictive and compelling summer read. Manning keeps you hooked throughout and guessing until the end. The perfect book to take on holiday.' Natasha Boydell

'Chilling and creepy. An atmospheric and addictive debut.' Diane Jeffrey

'Totally addictive. I couldn't put it down!' Darren O'Sullivan

'A claustrophobic, nail-biting thriller that draws you in and doesn't let go.' Naomi Joy

‘Clever, emotionally draining and totally gripping. I absolutely loved this book!’ D E White

232 pages, Hardcover

Published March 16, 2025

About the author

Nina Manning began her career in the catering industry. She has worked as a private chef cooking for royalty and TV personalities.

She has a degree in Psychology and has three books published with Boldwood: The Daughter In Law, The Guilty Wife and The House Mate.
Her fourth Psychological thriller is published in Spring 2021.

Nina is a voracious reader of many genres, is the founding member of a long standing book club and the founder and co-host of a book podcast called Sniffing The Pages.

She is a mother to three young children so when she is not writing or reading she can usually be found scaling a soft play tower or romping in the woods with the family and her chocolate Labrador.

Reviews

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is intriguing—Lily and Stig’s crumbling marriage, a lavish dinner at an exclusive restaurant, and an invitation from the enigmatic celebrity chef, Hector. There’s an immediate sense of unease as Hector’s charm pulls Lily in while Stig remains distant and resistant. The dynamic between the three kept me engaged, and I found myself eager to uncover what Stig was hiding and why Hector seemed so fixated on them.
Manning does a great job of creating an unsettling atmosphere, particularly with the power dynamics at play. Lily’s longing for attention and Stig’s coldness made their relationship feel authentic, if frustrating at times. The slow-burn nature of the mystery kept me turning the pages, even though the pacing lagged at times.
Where the book faltered for me was in its climax. After all the build-up, the resolution felt a little flat—like it wrapped up too quickly or didn’t fully capitalize on the suspense that had been brewing. I loved the twist and the conclusion, but it felt rushed which unfortunately means it didn’t quite deliver the punch I was expecting. I went into The Dinner Party expecting a suspenseful, tension-filled read, and while it delivered in some ways, the ending left me feeling a little underwhelmed.
The Dinner Party was an okay read. It had an intriguing setup, solid character dynamics, and an unsettling vibe, but the ending didn’t quite work for me. If you enjoy psychological suspense with a slow build, you will find it engaging.
https://featzreviews.com/the-dinner-p...

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

🥂 Premise:
In Nina Manning’s latest psychological thriller, The Dinner Party, a seemingly ordinary evening among friends turns into a pressure cooker of suspicion, betrayal, and buried truths. Set over the course of one night in a sleek suburban home, the story follows six guests—each with something to hide—as the wine flows, tensions rise, and the carefully curated facade of civility begins to crack.

By dessert, someone will be dead. But the real question isn’t just who did it—it’s why.


🔪 What Sets It Apart:

- A Claustrophobic, One-Night Setting:
Manning cleverly confines the entire narrative to a single evening, creating a locked-room atmosphere without the locked room. The dinner table becomes a stage, and every course reveals a new layer of psychological warfare. Think Big Little Lies meets The Last Supper.

- Character-Driven Suspense:
Each guest arrives with a secret, and Manning drip-feeds their backstories through sharp dialogue, inner monologues, and subtle gestures. The hostess is a masterclass in performative perfection—until her mask slips. The others? A mix of old friends, new lovers, and one wildcard who was never supposed to be there.

- Themes of Social Performance and Hidden Lives:
Manning skewers the curated world of middle-class respectability. The novel explores how people weaponize politeness, how secrets fester beneath Instagram-perfect lives, and how quickly civility can unravel when the truth is served.

- Twists That Feel Earned:
Rather than relying on a single “gotcha” moment, The Dinner Party delivers a series of escalating reveals. Each twist recontextualizes what came before, making the reader question not just who’s lying—but whether anyone is telling the truth at all.

🧠 Final Thoughts:
The Dinner Party is a psychological thriller that simmers rather than explodes—until it does. Nina Manning proves once again that she understands the dark undercurrents of everyday life. This isn’t just a whodunit; it’s a dissection of friendship, envy, and the lies we tell to keep the peace.

Perfect for fans of:
Lisa Jewell, Louise Candlish, and anyone who’s ever left a dinner party wondering what was really going on behind the smiles.

[Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

From its first few chapters, The Dinner Party lays the foundation of tension in the marriage of Stig and Lily that keeps you wanting to know what will become of them. As the distrust and suspicion grow, you get a look into the enigma that is Stig, which only causes more questions to arise. As more secrets of the past are revealed, the sense of foreboding ramps up and poor decisions start to catch up with Lily fast.

While there are times you can’t exactly root for our heroine you can empathize with her. The way she felt welcomed and supported by Hector and his grandeur is easily something anyone could fall into. However, she willingly remained ignorant when the red flags started to pop up, and it’s only when she really starts to accept reality that you feel for her, and only wish she had seen the truth sooner.

As the plot reaches its height, questions are finally answered and the one thing you don’t expect is Lily’s ultimate saving grace.

The Dinner Party is a book that keeps you reading, chapters at the perfect length for you to say, “just one more” and while its conclusion isn’t exactly what I hoped for, it does give some satisfaction, and the journey was good enough to make up for it.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️
I have mixed feelings about this book in which I don’t know what genre it actually falls into. Never have a read a “thriller” where the part that makes it a thriller comes in the last 15% of the book.

I really liked the plot concept of the book and it ended up being a page turner in the last 40% but the execution was wonky. Had the same energy been throughout this would have been fabulous.

Lastly, and I’m going to try to say this without spoilers, is the connections between characters was really apparent very early on so that contributes to it dragging through the first half of the book.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Leonard and her husband – nicknamed Stig, after Stig of the Dump – are going through a rocky patch in their marriage. Lily is really good at choosing gifts and she manages to pull out all the stops for a wedding anniversary present for Stig. She books a table at a restaurant, but this isn’t just any old restaurant; it’s run by celebrity chef Hector Bolson-Woods. Lily is very excited but when she reveals the gift to Stig, he’s not quite as pleased as she thought he’d be.

Once at the restaurant, Hector invites them to dine in his kitchen, which is a huge honour but, again, Stig isn’t as excited as Lily. She’s very disappointed and suspects that Stig is hiding something. Then Hector invites them to dinner at his country home, and secrets start to come out.

A brilliant read which kept me gripped right till the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for a copy. This review may contain spoilers

This book just wasn’t for me. I thought I would love it because it involved a chef and was a thriller. I was wrong. I HATED every character except the best friend who barley had a role.

Here’s the synopsis. Wife and hubby go to a fancy restaurant and become friend with the chef. Husband refuses to tell wife anything about his life and resents her because she wouldn’t take a higher paying job. Wants a child but it’s not happening. Wife won’t have a child because hubby is so secretive. Didn’t stop her from marrying him though. She goes out of her way to do nice things for him and he is just a temper tantrum toddler. And her comment at the end about doing something because he deserves it? Ew.

The writing was fine but I just didn’t enjoy the read. I would rate it lower but the author doesn’t deserve that just because I hated the characters.

[Natosha Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a solid premise with plenty of intrigue, and I was hooked in the beginning. The tension between Lily, Stig, and Hector was well done, and the psychological twists kept me turning the pages. But as the story built up, I expected a more satisfying payoff. Instead, the ending felt rushed and didn’t really fit the pacing or layout of the rest of the book.

It left me wanting more—not in a good way, but in a “wait, that’s it?” kind of way. The buildup suggested something more layered, more shocking, or at least more fleshed out, but instead, everything seemed to wrap up too quickly without the depth or resolution the story deserved. I kept flipping back, thinking I had missed something, but no—it just ended. A decent read with some gripping moments, but ultimately, it didn’t live up to its potential.

[Bèbè ✦ RANT ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Menu meets Revenge with a sprinkle of Harry Potter/Malfoy rivalry. Fast-paced thriller that highlights trauma and human desire for emotions so strong, they could often blind the person and who they truly are or could have been.

I've enjoyed reading the story between Lily and Stig that started as a failing marriage, attempting to find a spark again. What I truly enjoyed is author's ability to shift perspective on character building and how we feel about their motives. What started out as a simple want to make her husband happy, spiraled into a timeline shifts - exposing us to the past and present's consequences.

Overall, a great read for fans of domestic thrillers and although I wish there could have been a little more common sense in our main characters and frustrating moments of their decisions, I'm glad I had more exposure into the author's mind.

[Pooj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Lily and her husband Stig going to a celebrity restaurant for their anniversary dinner. Unexpectedly, the celebrity, Hector, dines with them and proceeds to invite them to a private dinner at his home. As the book proceeds, you get a glimpse into the strained relationship between Lily and Stig and the eeriness that ensues at these dinner parties.

This was a very gripping book; absolutely read this in like 2 hours in one sitting. Although it really pulls you in and you want to know more, I found the plot to be lacking. There were definitely points throughout the story as Lily is uncovering more of Stig's past that gave me the creeps because everything was connecting into one big knot. The flashbacks definitely helped sell the creepiness and why Stig is acting so distant. The ending was a bit random and hastily completed. 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Marly Mcastocker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was highly addictive- I read it in two sittings! Full of twists and turns; not quite a psychological thriller, but definitely full of suspense; a sense of unsettle throughout the book where the reader is just waiting for pins to drop. Both Lily and Stig are quite unlikeable characters, but you can't help but root for them to be better or further understand how they came to be. This book does what it sets out to do- pull the reader in until the very end. Thank you to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the ARC!

[Jam Vengazo · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the hell did I just read?

The first few chapters of the book got me reading till late night but the ending was disappointing 😬 Some parts were unclear, why did Ruby/Delilah killed herself? What happened to Sierra and her mom? How is Hector the father of Sienna? Was the mom raped? How did Lily escaped? What happened to Henrietta? Does she know anything about Hector? Why did Ruby bought a house near Stigs and Lil’s? I rushed to finish the book because I was dying to know the ending but it seems rushed and cut short, maybe a possibility of a second book?

[Autumn Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very slow burn. The storyline was very engaging but focused heavily on the Lily and Stig and how tumultuous their relationship was. It took a while for the 'thriller' to come into play. It was honestly hard to get past the fact that Lily and Stig had been married for so long and he had hidden so much from her. And it also seemed so far fetched that Stig wouldn't have put his foot down about being around Hector given their past.

All around it was just a strange plot.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book where you don’t really like the main characters but you still hope for a good out coming for them.
Lily is trying to repair some damage in her marriage by planning a very special anniversary celebration for her husband.
They each have secrets from the other and the marriage is not sailing smoothly along.
Soon it is way too many secrets with lots of consequences for them all. The ending was abrupt and left some unanswered questions but it was an easy read

[Nivia Suresh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was underwhelmed overall by this story. I was intrigued in the beginning to see where this would go but the main characters husband was very annoying and I didn’t care for him too much. I didn’t care for the female main character either. There were a few twists but didn’t stand out too much. Overall this was a quick and easy read.

I have received this ARC thanks to NetGalley.

[Cindy Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first time reading this author and probably my last. The story was all over the place and the ending was even more disappointing. I kept reading hoping it would come together but it did not do it for me. Since I did make it through, I gave it a 2 and not a 1 star rating. There has to be a least favorite book of the year and this is likely to be mine.

[Abbie Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It intrigued me from the start, and I feel like it had so much potential. Unfortunately, it really falls flat. The plot and characters are underdeveloped, "twists" are easily predicted, and the ending is extremely underwhelming.

Thank you, NetGalley & Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC!

[Ashley Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book, the ending kind of ended abruptly. Making you want more! But that leaves room for a second book! Will definitely read more from this author, definitely a quick read, couldn’t put this book down! So many twists!

[Lorna Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4. I was excited to read this book early, and it’s a fun and easy read which I finished in one go. Lots of twists and a growing sense of unease. Maybe a little far fetched at times when it came to misunderstandings.

[Amanda (: · Rating 3 out of 5]

😒 it was good for the first half, started dragging in the middle… I feel like it could’ve been cut shorter… idc how they knew each other from a past life omg. 😭

[Tia Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first ARC. The book was long and drawn out in some areas and the ending fell flat for me.

[Virginia Schott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one started off a bit slow for me, but picked up huge momentum during the middle and then at the end. I absolutely loved the cover.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was constantly wondering who was trustworthy and what was really going on. Twists were twisting and kept me hooked!!