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An expertly paced psychological thriller, this book builds to a nail-biter of an ending that absolutely does not disappoint. A compelling read, with a bevy of interesting characters, the story enters on an only-gradually illuminating plot that will keep you guessing, from start to finish.

Told in alternating timelines, present day and twenty-five years ago, the story concerns a group of six University students, led by a somewhat enigmatic psychology professor, Sebastian Marlowe, who, in 1999 has hired them to help him build a dot-com site guaranteed to make them all rich. With twists and turns a-plenty, our present day narrator will soon tell the tale of lives that have turned out far from what had been promised, under circumstances the reader will be scrambling to uncover.

Will Harper, the main voice of this story, is a nerdy self-conscious wordsmith in 1999 who burns with an achingly desperate love (never shared) for the confident and jocular Sophie. Lily, the earnest genius of the group, is the brains behind the sites algorithms, and can be counted on as the always the sensible one of the crowd. Rohan (mildly unlikable) is convinced he will be an entrepreneur, and that leaves Georgina and Theo, a couple who appear destined for affluence, and an enduring love.

Without giving the plot away, (no spoilers here!) as we come to learn about each of these characters in the past, we will also visit them in the future, as they attend a locked room reunion dinner. Where it has become deadly clear that one of them has a deep dark secret they have held onto for twenty-five years, and unless it is revealed, not one of them will live to tell of it.

Packed with tension, this story builds to a slippery, heart-racing sort of read, where the author pulls no punches and leaves a reader breathless. (This reader, asking more than once — Did that just happen?)

Highly recommended for lovers of both psychological fiction and thrillers, the cleverly revealed (multilayer) ending was only partially guessed and completely satisfactory.

A great big thank you to the publisher #penguinrandomhouse for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.