The Invite

By: A J McDine

Narrated by: Deirdra Whelan, Helen Phillips, Andy Cresswell

Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

It was an invite to die for…

When the anonymous invite arrived, we knew exactly who it was from.

Elle Romero, the beautiful, charismatic Texan who burst into our lives when we were teenagers.

We'd gone our separate ways and lost touch. Until now.

Elle, the legendary prankster, is back.

She's invited us all—me, Claire, Lizzie and Megan—to a swanky country house for a reunion.

We arrive excited for a weekend of reminiscing and reconnecting. A chance to step out of our uneventful lives for a while.

But when Elle fails to show up at her own party, we begin to wonder if she's up to her old tricks.

And when a body turns up in the cellar, it seems this time the joke might just be on us…

The Invite is the twisty, addictive new thriller by A J McDine, author of No One I Knew.

©2022 A J McDine (P)2022 W. F. Howes Ltd

Story just stops

The story has a lot of potential but it just stops leaving a huge unfinished piece. There doesn’t appear to be a sequel and most of the story is wrapped up. Not up to this author’s normal standard of excellence.

Enjoyed

This is the first book Ive read by this author. I really enjoyed it. The ending was absolutely brilliant and I hope it means there is a sequel.

Loved it

Really good story. I must admit I had a hard time keeping up with which lady was which personality, but that's just what happens sometimes with trying to remember 5 new person's back stories quickly. Very enjoyable listen.

Not even scary

Unbelievably predictable. Storyline has been used way too often. Character development was also “meh”. Kind of a waste of my listening time

A “mysdevious” invite indeed!

AJ McDine’s “The Invite" is expertly narrated by Deidra Whelan, Helen Phillips and Andy Cresswell. This intricate and engaging audiobook weaves a complex tale of a reunion between old friends, but nothing is as it seems. McDine masterfully introduces us to a cast of women with complicated pasts, setting the stage for a thrilling ride. As the story unfolds, strange events and devious happenings intertwine, keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was invested in uncovering the truth behind the mysterious occurrences. I was fortunate to find this psychological thriller in the Audible Plus catalogue at no cost; I have searched Audible Plus and found some hidden gems. If you're a fan of twisty, suspenseful stories with complex characters, grab “The Invite" now. Well done, Ms. McDine, and kudos to the talented narrators.

Loved it all…

Truly found myself speaking out loud to the characters…”giiirrrrlll don’t do it! NO!!”
A fun fairly clean suspense to the last word…. Now on to the second!!

AJ McDine is one of my new favorites!

Sharp, intelligent writing with the perfect blend of backstory and action. McDine writes some of my favorite female characters: well-developed, generously flawed, but likable enough to root for. I could totally relate to the mum with the autistic son & understood her denial. The rivalry between the women felt authentic and realistic. The plot was well-paced (I devoured this in two days) and kept my attention. I should also add that my oldest daughter and son loved this book, too. (& they are tough critics!- forced to listen to hundreds of audiobooks while I drive [my 4 kids] around. My oldest son loves trying to figure out “who dunnit and why?!” and said this one was excellent!). “The Baby”
is up next! Well Done!

It started out well

I was intrigued at the beginning the character development and the storyline was somewhat mysterious and hooked me, but then as it went on and on, I found it to be sort of amateur writing and a little bit stupid if I’m honest, but I made it through and I wouldn’t ever read it againbut I guess it was somewhat entertaining

Entertainment with a Dash or Unsettling

AJ McDine is one of those authors that I enjoy reading [listening to] even though I know I’m going to be left a bit on the edge at the end. The entire time I’m listening, I’m preparing myself for the inevitable twist at the end.

As things are falling into place and coming to a conclusion, you can count on McDine to pivot and throw in a twist that will leave you slightly unsettled at the end. This is not an author who allows the story to wrap up neatly. Prepare to be left wishing for more and imagining what could happen next. And that’s sort of painful and sort of brilliant. Part of me wants the nice and neat ending. The other part of me gets a thrill from the things left lurking in the shadows when the last word has been read. [insert Machiavellian laugh here] If you like the discomfort of an unsettled ending, you’ll definitely enjoy McDine’s work, including The Invite.

An ending you see coming…

If you’ve read a thriller mystery before, you know “the big twist” pretty early on. McDine’s books tend to be easy to figure out. But it was still an interesting book and an easy read.