This was a good start to the series and I will absolutely continue. Pretty standard story line for crime organization with hidden moles and needing to root them out to protect the family. Alliances, feds, local cops, and more. Good execution with characters you want to root for.

This was kind of odd tbh. Very much did not match the tone of the first one to me. This was much more serious and dreary. Lot of focus on our MMC whereas book one focused on FMC. Content warnings for mental health struggles, suicide attempt, etc. This book was good for what it was, but definitely was no where in the ballpark of what was expected. And I'm not sure I like how the developments of this book changes the characters from how we left them in book one.

Super cute golden retriever and black cat pair in this one. Very light-hearted. Awesome consideration for demisexual rep and allowing the people in the relationship to define what that means for them rather than status quo. Glad to have another Rachel Reid book read after my Heated Rivalry tv show obsession.

I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

Mark Edwards presents his newest mystery thriller with The Wasp Trap. A dinner party gone awry sees six friends compelled to disclose their darkest secrets in a deadly game at gunpoint. Alternating timelines from the late 90s to the present shows how they've found themselves in the current situation and how the development of a dating site questionnaire led to the Wasp Trap.

Edwards inserts twists and turns for readers to follow, most of which the reader isn't expected to anticipate. On paper, this is a great choice for me, especially given how much I have enjoyed books like You Are Fatally Invited. However, Mark Edwards is comped to Lucy Foley and Alice Feeney. I cannot stress how good a comp this is. While I recognize the sound structure and craft of these novels, I feel nothing. They're fine books, but I tend to want my reading to engage my emotions in some way. These don't. I dont know how or why I have this lack of connection. Perhaps it's these archetypal characters that seem rather shallow. I'm not sure. But what I do know is that without that engagement, I can't offer more than 3 stars.

This book is perfectly fine. It will resonate with some audiences. I'm not sure who precisely to recommend this to other than to point out the comp authors. I absolutely do recommend it, and am bummed to realize that I have more exploration of why this disengagement occurs for me within the mystery thriller genre.