A E Gauntlett

A E Gauntlett is a book agent at Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD), one of the oldest London literary agencies. He joined PFD in 2010, after completing his Masters in English Literature at King’s College, London, and has been an agent for eight years now. He represents a wide array of fiction and non-fiction across the adult and children's markets, and works with a number of big brands including GCHQ, Ordnance Survey, The Bank of England and The Alzheimer's Society. The Bookseller named him 2017's Shooting Star. The Wedding Guest is his debut novel and will be published in spring 2024.

THE STRANGER AT THE WEDDING (Bloomsbury)

The beautiful bride

Annie never believed in true love. Not until she caught sight of Mark on a crowded commuter train. It wasn't until months later that they finally had their picture-perfect first date and after a whirlwind romance, they are now about to tie the knot.

The handsome groom

Both Annie and Mark have suffered tragedy - their shared experience of sorrow has brought them together, but at times the pressure of those losses has also threatened their happiness. Today they will leave all of that in the past, and forge a new life. But not everyone gathered here has come to toast the new couple.

The stranger

And Annie quickly realises that her new life isn't going to be the happily ever after she had planned.

A completely unputdownable, brilliantly sharp, dark and twisty story of love, lies and obsession that is set to be one of 2024's most talked about debuts.

Whose side are you on?

Praise for THE STRANGER AT THE WEDDING

'Sharp, shocking, twisting and twisted. The Stranger at the Wedding is darkly thrilling, clever and unsettling.' Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End

‘Accomplished… a masterpiece of misdirection… the final revelation is a stunner.’ Sunday Times

'Superbly twisty and thoroughly addictive.' Alice Clark-Platts

'An un-put-downable thriller about a couple whose relationship unravels on their wedding night. . . . Gauntlett moves fluidly between past and present . . . without once allowing the pace to flag. By the time the explosive finale arrives, readers may find they’ve been up all night.' Publisher’s Weekly

'Nothing about The Stranger at the Wedding is as it seems—especially how the happy couple came to be. Surprises lurk throughout this thrilling blend of myth, suspense, and delightfully disturbing twists.' Chris Cander, author of The Weight of a Piano

‘A E Gauntlett takes the normal anxieties found in relationships and twists them into something horrible… as the story darkens, the tensions rises.’ Literary Review

'Witty, with great characters and laced with threat and darkness.' Suk Pannu, author of Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone 

'A modern-day Talented Mr Ripley, a tale of obsession and deception, you won’t be able to put it down.' Abigail Bergstrom, author of What A Shame

‘Gripping.’ Crime Monthly

‘Clever and intriguing, this debut novel is a delightful ‘who do you trust?’’ Woman's Weekly

‘Annie and Mark’s past is skilfully revealed and concealed during the course of an original plot which leads to an unpredictable denouement... and a good read.’ Daily Mail 

'An elegant, chilling thriller that kept me guessing - I was gripped by this clever study of love, obsession and the myths we tell ourselves about a happy ever after.' Phoebe Locke, author of The July Girls

'A terrific slow burn of a thriller with beautifully-constructed twists. I thoroughly enjoyed The Stranger at the Wedding.' Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Between Us and The Golden Couple

'Beautifully insidious, The Stranger at the Wedding is a perfectly unsettling debut, bringing the sense that all is about to go to smash coupled with a story so compelling you’ll lose sleep desperate to know what happens next. Gauntlett’s elegant writing weaves seamlessly between past and present, intertwining joy and fear until dread takes over completely. And that dread oozes from the pages… This is the book everyone will be talking about this year. Outstanding!' J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of It's One of Us

‘A dark unputdownable read.’ Bella 

'The Stranger at the Wedding is an eerie and intelligent meditation on how our pasts shape us, subverting readers' expectations the moment you believe you've guessed the plot. A. E. Gauntlett has produced an expertly written tale whose characters possess rich and recondite interiorities and intentions, about which you'll be guessing until the last page.' Flora Collins, author of Nanny Dearest

‘The Stranger at the Wedding is a cunning, twisted mystery that will keep you second guessing who you can trust until the very last page.’ Sara Ochs, author of The Dive

'Beautifully written and completely gripping. A propulsive, consuming mystery.' Amy Jordan