The Invitation

by N.L. Hinkens

Accept the invitation, bear the consequences. Not everyone will come home.

Ricki Wagner and her husband, Brock, are thrilled when they get an invite to her boss’s stunning lake house, never imagining the weekend of horror that awaits them. When a woman’s body washes up on the sandy shore, they soon find themselves tangled up in a dark crime with many threads.

Everyone is a suspect as secrets begin to unravel, each one more sinister than the last. And then a bunch of mysterious texts start flooding Brock’s phone—someone saw you, you shouldn’t have come. Ricki is already fighting for her marriage, now the truth is getting in the way.

Who can she trust when she doesn’t even trust her own husband?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2022

About the author

NYT and USA Today bestselling author N. L. Hinkens writes twisty psychological suspense thrillers with unexpected endings. She’s a travel junkie, coffee hound, and idea wrangler, in no particular order. She grew up in Ireland—land of legends and storytelling—and now resides in the US. Her work has won the Grand Prize Next Generation Indie Book Award for fiction, as well as numerous other awards. Join her VIP Reader Club for hot new releases, stellar giveaways, exclusive content, behind the scenes and more. https://normahinkens.com/

Pseudonym for author Norma Hinkens

Reviews

[Randi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This should be a made-for-tv movie! So much action, so many red herrings, so many twists and turns that made my head spin. Maria, Ivy, and Ricki are executives of a very successful health food supplement company, the breadwinners of their families with less successful and somewhat weak husbands. What was supposed to be a celebratory weekend at Maria's lake house started off wrong with marital tensions on all fronts and ended with a murder. The story unfolds in the present, then two months earlier, then back to the present. We learn so much about all the characters in this time. Who was the murder victim? Could one of the husbands done it? The neighbor? The loan shark? The list of suspects continues to grow throughout the book. The police work and the trial read like an episode of Law and Order. I could almost hear the music in the background. Thanks to the author for giving me an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and it is my honest reaction to the book. I loved it and can't wait for more!

[Kay Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dalcerris' are hosting a celebration getaway at their lake house for Maria's company and her management staff. She invited two women and their husbands. It's quickly obvious that all three marriages have issues. On the first night, their grumpy neighbor calls the police over sound ordinances. The next day, a young woman's body is found floating near the beach.

Had one of the party guests Bern up to something nefarious during their stay? Are one of the Dalcerris into dirty business? Did their nosy, grumpy neighbor commit murder? Detectives Palmer and Lopez are investigating to find out and everyone was a likely suspect for this crime. The dead girl herself had a shadowed past . . .

This novel was superb! Riveting, mysterious, thrilling, unputdownable. I loved it from start to finish. Excellent writing, fantastic plots, and awesome characters.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept Me Guessing

At first. A pretty good who done it as the body of a young woman is found near the house where three couples are celebrating.
The author takes you into the relationships, between not only the three women who work together, but the marriages too. When everyone denies knowing who the deceased you begin to understand it could be any one of them. This is where the book let me down, the author basically tells you exactly what happened, along with the surprise twist. It takes a turn there where what made the book interesting, was reduced to court room drama for one couple, while the other two basically faded into nothing.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to 3.5. I did not like this book at first. The characters made several questionable decisions but once it got going I liked it more. It did have a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another dumb ending

[e_anne_b · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, nice and short and I did not see either twist coming.

[Mariquela Calvo Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

En un rato me olvido de qué se trata.

[Patti Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Invitation by N.L. Hinkens. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Invitation. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Who does not love a psychological suspense thriller with a surprise ending? Once again N. L Hinkens has shown that she is a master storyteller. I love how she developed the story line and the characters. It was an incredible psychological suspense thriller and has me guessing who was behind all the events taking place in the story. It was impossible to put it down and loved every moment on every page of this wonderful page turner. I love that the story is told from the perspective of the main characters. I loved getting inside the thoughts and feelings of the characters. I love all the plot twists and turn in The Invitation. I never saw the identity of the murderer in the story until it was revealed. It truly took me by surprise. The Invitation is the story of Maria Dalceri, CEO of XCellNourish, her husband Alex, and her employees Ricki Wagner and her husband Brock, and Ivy O’Shaughnessy, and her husband, Jim. Maria invited them to stay at her house on Tamarack Creek Lake to celebrate their recent success. The following morning, they are awoken to a scream from someone on the beach. The body of a woman, later determined to be Tay Nicholson, was found near the dock of the Dalceris house. Dan Palmer, the detective investigating the case, believed there were a lot of layers to the case. I found it very interesting that each of the husbands had a connection to Tay. I loved following the investigation of Dan Palmer and Mateo Lopez. I love how story details what really transpired between Tay and the murderer. My favorite part was the surprise ending I did not see it coming. It was an incredible thriller. Looking forward to reading more books by N.L. Hinkens. Looking for a great thriller, then I highly recommend The Invitation.

[Lynndee Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d have to give this a 3.5 star rating. I definitely didn’t know where it was headed in the beginning, and the plot twists made my jaw drop. But I felt like the ending was kind of rushed & aggravated me a little lol. I still enjoyed this book & look forward to reading more from this author!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It’s always good to have a vigilant neighbor.”
“I think you mean vigilante.”


Maria runs her own nutritional supplement company, XCell Nourish. She and her husband, Alex, have been married for 28 years. When the business achieves its strongest-performing quarter yet, Maria invites her two senior managers (and close friends) up to her lake house to celebrate for the weekend.

Maria’s employees Ricki (husband Brock) and Ivy (husband Jim) arrive at the residence. Unbeknownst to each other, all couples are in the midst of marital strife.

After the group of six have some drinks and some steaks and some more drinks, they retire for the evening. The following morning, a young woman turns up dead in the lake.

Packed to the brim with Britishisms. Of course we have plenty of “sorted” and “row,” but “clean her teeth,” “done a runner,” and “if you’re at a loose end” are just a few of the lowlights. Unsure why they set books on this side of the pond if they can’t speak the lingo.

It turns out that Tay Nicholson knows the O’Shaughnessy’s daughter (cue the Key & Peele skit).

Entertaining. It’s an unusual thriller onion peel—bit of a Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies kinda vibe, at least for the first half of the novel. Then the wild POV shift at 50% is…a choice.

Sharp dialogue; prose could be more taut, as it does meander more than once. Tay’s chapters are super OTT; Ricki’s are the strongest.

The ending seems headed in a compelling direction…until it’s not.


“This was rapidly devolving into an unfathomable nightmare.”

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Invitation by N.L. Hinkens is a real page turner with an intricate storyline .The psychological suspense thriller is told from the perspective of the main characters, which absorbed me into their lives and the plot The Invitation is the story of Maria Dalcerri, CEO of XCellNourish, her husband Alex, and her employees Ricki Wagner and her husband Brock, and Ivy O’Shaughnessy, and her husband, Jim. Maria invites them to stay at her house at Tamarack Creek Lake to celebrate their recent success but she is awoken hearing a scream from someone on the beach.
The body of a woman, found by a dog walker was floating in the lake, near the dock of the Dalcerris house.
Dan Palmer, the detective investigating the case, begins to unravel the secrets in the three couples lives and their connections with the victim Tay Nicholson , but the ending was a surprise and made for a good read.
N.L. Hinkens is a master at writing thrillers and I thoroughly recommend this book to adults who love this genre. I am grateful to have received The Invitation as an ARC to read and review

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an exciting read with several twists and turns!

The books by N.L. Hinkens are ones that I always look forward to reading, and this one did not disappoint! There was enough character development to make you care about some and not for others. The plot was wonderfully and cleverly scripted to the point where I was disappointed each time I had to put the book down. The continuous air of mystery was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Then, when the reveal of what happened occurred, my jaw literally dropped open. Then, another twist happened and I gasped out loud! I love when authors can do that.

Themes of deception, loyalty, fidelity, trust, faithfulness, marriage, honesty, and more are seamlessly woven throughout the text. Even though I would never want to experience anything that these characters experienced, everything seems plausible and realistic.

Overall, I found this to such a fun and thrilling read. I simply cannot wait until I get to read another book by N.L. Hinkens!

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Life Dilemmas...
So, a boss has a weekend at her lake home with her husband, and two couples who work closely with her at her company. Now, the company is all about natural, and nothing for medicine that is not natural, so naturally she is floored when she finds an unmarked pill bottle at the lake house, where her husband has been "working on his next big Thriller book". That is not even CLOSE to the bad spot of this weekend.
They start the weekend off with a good dinner and good drinks... then the police show up for a noise complaint from the so-n-so in the run-down house next door. So, they ensure that they were not being noisy, there was no music at that time, and they will be quiet.
The next morning is where things go totally sideways, when there is a scream from down by the lake from an elderly lady! She says there is a woman in the lake by the dock. So, the police come out, again, and then the lying gets really DEEP!
This was a very good story that kept me guessing what could happen next, in very different ways.
Thank you N.L. Hinkens for a great story!

[Emily C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria, CEO of XCellNourish, together with her husband have invited Ricki and Ivy along with their spouses, to the weekend getaway at her lake house to celebrate the great achievement of the company sales.

However, when a dead young woman washes up on the shore of Tamarack Creek Lake, their celebration turns into a horrendous nightmare. Everyone is a suspect now...



I was instantly drawn in by the suspenseful, eye-catching cover of THE INVITATION by N.L. Hinkens. Then, THE INVITATION kept me glued to my seat, and the suspense intensified as I turned the pages. I was deeply mesmerized and held my breath till the end.

The talented N.L. Hinkens has the knack of sending me heart-pounding and stunned with her many twists and turns of this thriller, and I was blown away by the unexpected jaw-dropping twist at the end that I didn’t see it coming!

I enjoyed tremendously THE INVITATION and highly recommend it to any thrill and suspense-seeking readers!

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books you read and think "they should make this into a movie".

Maria, owner of XCellNourish, invites her staff Ivy, Ricky, and their husbands to her lake house with her and her husband to celebrate the companies success. What should of been a fun weekend quickly turns into a nightmare. The grumpy next door neighbor calls the police over noise ordinance. The next morning, Maria is woken by a scream outside. A neighbor is walking her dog and comes across a body of a young woman, Tay Nicholson, in the lake outside of their house. Who was the young woman? How did she get there? Who murdered her? Detectives Palmer and Lopez quickly learn multiple people had some sort of connection to the victim.

The story is told in the present, and two months back which made this a page turner. There are a lot of layers in this case.

The question is, who had a strong enough motive, or did Tay's shady past finally catch up with her?

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read or listened to several books by the author. They are usually dramatic and suspenseful, and I plan on reading her newest book, What You Wish For, next.

When friends get together for a weekend at the lake, it turns out that they’re all having marriage problems because of secrets. And then a body is found in the lake. Could one of them have been responsible for the young woman’s murder? They all claim that they don’t know her, but are they lying?

There are several twists in The Invitation. The young woman who was murdered was not a good person. But, of course, that doesn’t justify murder. One person goes on trial, but is it the right person? The biggest twist is the ending!

The narrator seemed to be just reading at the beginning, she got in the groove quickly. She is good with timing and voices. I was a little annoyed from time to time when the characters got whiny, but, overall, she did a good job.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Invitation” is the seventh book I have read by Hinkens, and I think it is one of her best books yet. (But all seven were really good.) A real page-turner!

Three couples are having a weekend celebration at the mountain home of one of the couples. All goes well until they find a woman’s body floating in the water near the home. Turns out that each of the husbands has some connection to the dead woman. So who killed her and why?

Hinkens delivers two shocking twists, one of which was so surprising I honestly thought she had made a mistake. I should have known better. Her twists are intentional and delivered at just the right time to move the story forward.

Hinkens is a pro when it comes to writing gripping psychological thrillers. I always look forward to her next one. I highly recommend this book.

[Barbara Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite book by this author

I generally love this author’s books, I always get her newest books the day they are released. But this book I found a little tedious and boring. There was nothing about any of the characters that made me want to root for them, or even like them. The whole storyline was a little disjointed overall. There was too much character information that went nowhere. Characters were introduced in the book only for the reader to never hear anything about them again. I found that there were too many characters and not enough substance. For me, this book was a swing and a miss. I have enjoyed her books for quite a few years and I will continue to read this author’s books unless they continue to be like this one. If that’s the case I may have to skip future books. I guess I just have to wait and see.

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When three couples gather at a lake house to celebrate the wives' professional successes, the discovery of a body near the lake house reveals cracks in all three marriages.

I thought this was a pretty solid novel. The pacing was very strong. The story was interesting. I liked that the characters did have some complexity to them, but I didn't find any of them to be sympathetic, which meant that I wasn't overly invested in them.

The trick of a well executed twist is for the reader to feel that they should have seen it coming - that there were clues that were overlooked. The twist was successful in that I didn't see it coming, but it fell flat in the sense that I didn't feel I overlooked anything that would have pointed in that direction.

Still, I enjoyed reading the novel and will definitely continue to read more from this author.

I received an ARC via the author.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

N.L. Hinkens never fails to hit the mark in any of her suspense thrillers. This book was just AMAZING! Intrigue and edge-of-your-seat suspense are immersed in this murder mystery in such a way that you are just riveted to the story making this a book that’s hard to put down.

Never a spoiler in my reviews here’s what you REALLY need to know: This book is a well-written whodunit with well-developed characters that quench the thirst of a reader that just loves a great mystery. Twists and turns crop up just when you think you know where the story is headed…

So, in summary, as with all of Ms. Hinkens' books, I highly recommend The Invitation. And, if you haven’t read any of her other books, this book will make you want to. If you pass on this one you will certainly be missing out!

[Cara Bristol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two women and their spouses get together at their boss’s lake house for a celebratory dinner. Their company is about to go public. They talk, drink, get a little loud.

In the morning a young woman’s body is found dead in lake. The police are called. All three couples deny knowing the dead woman.

But all six people know exactly who she is. And one of them killed her.

Don’t feel too story for the dead woman. She’s the villain of The Invitation, and she is probably the most immoral fictitious villain I’ve ever encountered.

There were several gasp-aloud twists in this story, including a zinger at the end. If you like psychological thrillers and/or women’s fiction, snap this one up.

[Sandy K Koch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a, twisty thriller that keeps the tension simmering from the very first page. Rikki, Maria, and Ivy,  bound by their jobs, friendship and marital friction, head to a luxurious lake house retreat with their husbands. What begins as a long-overdue escape takes a dark turn when a body surfaces, cryptic messages begin appearing, and trust within the group unravels.

As each woman grapples with her secrets (and the ones her husband may be hiding) the weekend becomes a maze of suspicion. Brock, Daniel, and Theo aren’t just side characters; their relationships with the women are central to the suspense. Everyone has something to lose, and no one is safe from suspicion.
The story is well paced and delivers satisfying reveals.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Invitation: A psychological suspense thriller (Treacherous Trips Collection - Standalone Thrillers), my sixth amazing read from author N.L. Hinkens. I enjoyed the outstanding suspense storyline with its intricately woven twists and turns. In the opening pages she quickly draws you in and makes you feel you’re familiar with the primary characters. Over the course of the book you’re led to believe you’ve solved it but don’t believe it. Norma (N.L.) Hinkens is on my radar of great authors! I was given a Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel starts with three couples meeting at a lake for a weekend retreat and reward for the ladies company doing well. A woman's body is found in the lake next to a dock where they are staying. No one knows the victim, or so they say. The six are interviewed and the possible reasons for her death start to unfold. The invitation was a fun ride through the things that can happen when you make little decisions but the consequences just keep getting bigger and bigger. The characters are flawed but intriguing and the plot is fun and makes you wonder. Overall, a novel you don't want to miss. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. I received this novel as an ARC and all thoughts are my own.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be careful when you accept an invitation from your boss, it may be an adventure where your life will never be the same. The story is suspenseful as the secrets of three couples are revealed when a body is found on the property. The twists and turns kept me glued to my seat with each secret that was revealed. These couples were more involved with the dead girl than any of them realized. I loved the characters and the plot. Ms. Hinkens has a way of making me lose sleep with her fascinating stories. I would highly recommend this story. I received an advance copy of this book from the author, and this is my honest review.

[Barbara J. Gore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok

I was somewhat disappointed in the story. I liked the storyline and the characters involved. I liked the way the women bonded together to build a successful company. The husbands certainly had issues of their own. That's where the story began to fall apart for me. I think it was unreasonable to make Brock out to be the bad guy. That is where the story fell apart. Rikki's friends fall back without any significant support for her, Rikki let's an obvious addict into her car and then spills her whole story. Just not realistic in my opinion. Good book to a point and then fell apart.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A weekend at the lake. Sounds peaceful, right? Wrong!

Three couples all teetering on the edge of the marriage cliff. The tension was only made worse with the discovery of a dead woman’s body in the lake. I like it when a story kicks off right away with a dead body.

Of course, secrets were leaking out in the light of the tragedy. I love following a murder investigation. It seems that the husbands all had a secret and they all had a connection to the dead girl. Now, it’s up to the women to figure out the truth. It was interesting to see how this all connected. Any one of these characters could’ve killed the girl. Who did it!

A compelling and wonderful read!

[Margaret Hejmanowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read anything by N.L. Hinkens before, but wow, wow, wow! Now this was a page turner. Three main characters and their husbands; a murder and whodunit? This was an excellent psychological suspense thriller; with so many twists and turns. You think you know whodunit, then you need to guess again; even at the very end I was still wrong. The plot was amazing, the setting couldn't have been better, and you can't forget the amazing characters!! A MUST READ!! I will be reading more from N.L. Hinkens!!

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Voracious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Invitation N. L. Hinkens told a story that kept me gasping with surprise as secrets were revealed delivering another possible suspect for my consideration. I stayed glued to my Kindle rapidly advancing pages as Ms. Hinkens adroitly drew me through the twists and turns leading to the surprising conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the journey. As always Ms. Hinkens turned out an enthralling well written, detailed story with wonderful characters.

I received an ARC of this book which in no way influenced my opinion which I am voluntarily giving.