Title: A KILLER GUEST LIST
Author: SARAH BONNER
ISBN: 9781806562336
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Pages: 322
Source: NetGalley
Sadie has attended ‘Murder on the Moors’ at a luxury country house hotel in Dartmoor for the past fifty years. This time, she’s bringing her goddaughter. But what the girl doesn’t know is that the game is merely a cover for Sadie’s darker predilections…
Cassie’s weekend at the hotel is more of a work trip for her wife, though she’s looking forward to relaxing in the swanky surroundings, plus a little fun detective work. She doesn’t realise that the game is about to reveal some shocking truths…
Because this year, someone new has taken over the murder mystery event. Someone who knows exactly who Sadie is, and who has compiled a dossier of crimes committed by the other guests. Someone with a hit list.
The only chance of staying one step ahead – and not being murdered for real – is to slay together…
Official Summary
03 February 2026
I have read a few of Sarah Bonner’s books and could not resist adding this one to my TBR pile. Thank you to Boldwood Books for the review copy.
A Killer Guest List is a deliciously dark twist on the classic country house murder mystery, blending sharp wit, moral ambiguity, and escalating tension into a very moreish read. From the outset, Sarah Bonner makes it clear this is not your cosy whodunnit — and I loved that.
The setting is fabulous: a luxury hotel on Dartmoor hosting a long-running murder mystery weekend. It should feel playful and theatrical, but there’s an undercurrent of menace from the first chapter. Sadie is a standout character — chilling, fascinating, and impossible to look away from. The idea that the “game” is merely a cover for her very real and very disturbing habits is a brilliant hook, and Bonner leans into it with confidence.
Cassie provides a strong counterbalance to Sadie’s darkness. Her perspective grounds the story, especially as the weekend shifts from staged murders to something far more dangerous. I really enjoyed the dual viewpoints and the way the tension tightens once it becomes clear that someone is exposing secrets and settling scores. The concept of guests being confronted with their past crimes adds a sharp ethical edge — you’re constantly questioning who deserves justice and who deserves survival.
The pacing is mostly spot-on, with plenty of twists to keep the pages turning, though there were moments where I wished a few revelations had been given slightly more room to breathe. Still, the atmosphere, character work, and inventive premise more than make up for it.
A Killer Guest List is clever, darkly entertaining, and satisfyingly twisted. If you enjoy murder mysteries with bite — where no one is innocent and the lines between hunter and hunted blur — this one is well worth your time.
Also by Sarah Bonner
HOW TO SLAY AT CHRISTMAS
She’s making a list, she’s checking it twice…
Jessica Williams loves the food, the drink, the fairy lights, the opportunities to take out all the miserable people who ruin the festive season for others. And what better cover for her murderous intentions than taking a job as Mrs Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market grotto? After all, who would possibly think Mrs Claus could stab a man through the eye with a Phillips-head screwdriver?
Fearne Dixon hates Christmas. As the long-suffering wife of the Ellsbury Christmas Market’s manager, she’s sick to the back teeth of it, and it’s still only November. But then the bodies start piling up, an old rival arrives back in her life, and Fearne reaches breaking point.
When the lives of the two women collide, who will end up on the Naughty List?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Sarah Bonner grew up in Salisbury, dreaming of a career as a writer and performer. Instead, she became an accountant! After a fifteen-year career, she decided to answer her original calling and completed her first novel, Her Perfect Twin. She lives in West Sussex with her husband and very spoiled rescue dog.
Thank you for visiting the blog. I hope you enjoyed my review and that you will be adding this one to your TBR. If you do, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
