The Invitation

In this gripping standalone from Abbott (And So It Begins), Jemma Hudson isn’t looking forward to the anniversary party her husband’s friend Lucas Jarrett is giving at Polskirrin, Lucas’s seaside estate in Cornwall. A year earlier, Lucas’s elaborate wedding to Nina Bélanger was marred by the suicide of his reclusive sister, Alex Lawrence. The wedding also marked the point at which Jemma’s once happy marriage began to fall apart. At Polskirrin, the controlling Lucas tells his guests, comprised of his friends who attended his and Nina’s wedding, that he believes Alex was murdered and one of them is the killer. When Lucas forces each guest to dress in exact replicas of last year’s outfits and eat the same meals, Jemma pushes back, but the others fear Lucas, the scion of one of Britain’s wealthiest and most influential families, will ruin them professionally or never invite them back if they don’t go along. The tension grows as suspicion falls on various characters, and emotions run high at the surprising finale. Psychological thriller fans will look forward to Abbott’s next. Agent: Kathryn Taussig, Bookouture. (Sept.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated this book is a sequel.