Review
Kelsey Cox had a great idea for this potential spin on a murder mystery. And I will admit that the story kept me glued to the very end. However, some of the story fell flat for me. The book is marketed as a high-stakes, locked-room whodunnit. But that’s arguably misleading. We don’t learn who the victim is until the very end, and there is no on-page investigation. And while much of storyline is meant to confuse and misdirect readers from predicting the end, a lot of it seemed like filler. While I liked the short chapters, there were unnecessary breaks within that chapter that disrupted the flow of the story.
We get four POVs from those in the birthday girl’s inner circle. The nanny was kind of charming but I was pleasantly surprised that she’s revealed as a mysterious badass as the story progresses. Dani, the new mother and young second-wife/stepmother, is an unreliable narrator with whom readers can sympathize. Kim, the ex-wife and mom of the birthday girl, struggles with watching someone else live the life she built, and self medicates with alcohol. The birthday girl’s best friend, is the most underwhelming yet just as significant as a character, somehow.
The author definitely gets points for throwing readers off the scent and having us wondering until the very end. While at times I had trouble connecting with the characters, I loved what they all added to the story and am satisfied with the ending. At the risk of spoilers, I was disappointed with one of the major elements that turned out to be uninvolved in the series of events that led up to the tragic moment.
Overall, this is an entertaining beach read for those who love a good psychological thriller. Party of Liars is available now.
Book
Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.
It’s a killer guest list . . .
DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl
ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house
MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume
KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .
Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.
