The Wasp Trap

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
9/16/25; 336 pages
Atria Books

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards is a very highly recommended locked-room thriller where a dinner party in Notting Hill turns into a deadly game.

In 1999 six university students stayed at the estate of psychology professor Sebastian Marlowe to work on creating a unique dating website based on psychological testing. Something happened that abruptly ended their work and they were all sent home. Now, 25 years later, Marlowe has recently passed away and Georgina and Theo, a couple from 1999, invite the others to a dinner party to celebrate the professor's life. The others attending include Will, a teacher, failed writer, and the narrator; Sophie, Will's love interest in 1999; Rohan, married and struggling financially; Lily, the brilliant programmer in the group; and Finn, a recent assistant to Marlowe.

Other than Georgina and Theo, the other's haven't been in touch for years. Finn is unknown to most of them and immediately raises some suspicion by Will. The evening starts out pleasant enough until the WiFi goes out and the security system locks the doors and windows. Shortly after this a deadly game begins. Their armed captors want them to reveal their darkest secret from 1999 or they will be eliminated one by one.

The narrative follows events in two timelines from 1999 and 2024. Be forewarned that the beginning of the novel starts slow as the characters are introduced and we learn about them in 1999 versus today. Readers get to know the characters in the present and 25 years earlier when they were students working on a big project. The present day requires a secret from back then and the chapters from 1999 show their interpersonal relationships and build up to what might be the secret. 

Will was already suspicious that something was going on, but once the deadly game begins, the tension explodes, the mysteries deepen, multiple twists come into play, and the consequences deadly. The locked-room trope has been in plenty of plots to different degrees of success, but it worked well in The Wasp Trap. The meaning of the title comes out later in the plot and is significant. The final denouement and the big secret is totally unpredictable.

The characters are all realistically portrayed as vastly different, unique individuals with strengths and weaknesses. Naturally there is growth between them as college students versus adults, and it is interesting to see how they interacted with each other. It provides the base for why they would want to gather together for a dinner party honoring the memory of the professor they all worked for many years earlier. Their shared memories from working closely with a small group, isolated, and under a tight deadline on a big project provides the impetus for wanting to meet up again.

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards is a great choice for those who enjoy locked-room mysteries and thrillers. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.