BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Party' by Triona Walsh.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Triona Walsh, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 23rd June 2023.


This is the second book I have read by this author. I have also read her debut novel 'The Snowstorm' which I would also recommend.



I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. I enjoyed 'The Snowstorm' by Triona and of this is as good as that one I'm guaranteed to enjoy this one too!! The synopsis stated that this book is 'A totally gripping psychological thriller, packed with secrets and gasp-inducing twists. Fans of Lucy Foley,K.L. Slater and Shalini Boland won’t be able to put this down'. I am a huge fan of K.L Slater and Shalini Boland so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of a prologue, 11 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


This book is based in Ireland 🇮🇪, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.I have actually holidayed in Ireland so am intrigued to see if I recognise places based on anywhere I visited while there.


This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Lizzie. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.



This book is fantastically written with vivid descriptions that absolutely grip the readers attention and puts them right in the middle of it all feeling the hair raise on your arms and feeling the sweat run down your back.


This book is an interesting 'locked room' mystery set in one of my favourite places in the world... Ireland!!! I listened to this book on Audiobook and absolutely loved listening to the Irish accents which Roisin did a fantastic job portraying along with bringing the characters to life. We meet Liz who is fresh rehab after an alcohol and drug addiction. Liz's mother Claire picks her up from rehab with her soon to be husband George and Liz's brother Liam, to take her back to George's isolated country house. Claire's first husband and Liz's father Declan has been missing for years and is presumed dead. When they arrive at the house Liz meets George's daughter Freya and Freya's husband Hudson. Liz is in for several surprises starting with finding out that her mother has in fact already married George!! Liz promises herself that she will do her best to get along with George, Freya and Hudson as she could do without the stress anyway. However, things are made even harder as her own brother Liam is even refusing to talk to her. The next shock is a mind blower for everyone when the door knocks during the dinner party to celebrate Claire and George's marriage and when the door opens it is to none other than Liz's missing presumed dead father Declan!!! Declan refuses to go anywhere until he wins back the love of Claire and his children. Why did Declan fake his death? Will he be able to win his family's love back? Is he really there to do that or is he hiding something? Why is George's cook Mia blackmailing him? To find out the answers to these and many more questions then grab your copy today!!! This book is a slow burner but it is also ram packed with tension, drama, twists, lies, mystery, family, secrets, red herrings and much more! The fact that it is based in a remote location gives the book a chilling and ominous atmosphere which makes it a perfect book to read on a winters day in front of a fire or wrapped up in bed especially during the moments that make the hair on your arms stand on end. The suspect list is quite small so you are continuously guessing which of the small group is a killer. There were several twists throughout the book. I love how everything is wrapped up and explained at the end leaving no loose ends which I am not a fan of at all so well done Triona. The only niggle I really had with the storyline itself was the fact that I expected more of a an actual party than just a dinner party and it was just that little bit too much of a slow burn for me. However it is still a gripping and intriguing book with shocks I never seen coming and considering how many crime books I have read that is definitely a huge bonus as it is getting harder and harder to surprise me.


It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture

This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Roisin Rankin who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Roisin did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Triona but also to listening to more books narrated by Roisin!


The characters were all realistic although I would have liked to see them more "filled out" as, personally they just fell that little bit flat for me. This normally puts me off a book but the twists and turns and Roisin's fantastic narrative skills made it easy to look past this fact. I wasn't a huge fan of many of them although I did like Claire and my heart went out to her throughout the book. This is a book filled with lies, twists and one where you have no idea which characters are telling the truth or who are hiding secrets so I won't go any deeper into my feelings of the characters as I don't want to spoil it for future readers.


Overall a suspense packed drama filled with twists you won't see coming!



Genres covered in this novel include Psychological Fiction, Crime, Thriller & Mystery Adventures, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Womens Psychological, Crime Thriller, Mystery ,Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction and Thriller amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Lisa Jewell, Rachel Abbott, K.L Slater, Melinda Leigh, Carol Wyer, Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot, T.M Logan, Lucy Foley, DK Hood, Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni, Rachel Caine, The Widow, The Housewarming, Shalini Boland.



349 page/10 hours 7 minutes


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited, £8.99 in paperback and £20.03 in Audible via Amazon at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


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An unbelievably brilliant plot. So many twists and turns. The author brings you down so many false paths that you’re left reeling. When Claire marries George you think they are two lost souls setting out on a new life together. Lizzie, Claire’s daughter, just out of rehab, together with her son Liam and George's daughter Freya with her new surprise husband Hudson, join the newlyweds for a celebration party at George's ‘cottage’ for the weekend. A weekend to end all weekends as it turns out.
An excellent original read

This book has enough suspense but is a very slow read. I was pretty confused with the title being there isn’t much of a party mentioned. Interested to see what else the author will come out with!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’d go into this one cold and you’ll get a few more surprises. This is one wild ride when you get finished. If I read the synopsis, I usually forget by the time I start the book. Somehow I was surprised where this one was heading from the start. Trust is at the heart of this one and while there is a murder and some nefarious deeds, this is really more of a family drama than a thriller. For being in an isolated location without any outsiders, I was intrigued to figure who was the murderer and why they murdered. Which is good because I didn’t think a lot of any of the characters. I did love the setting. An atmospheric remote home in Ireland. It almost seemed the perfect place to off someone.

Trust is at the center of all of this. Lizzie is not long out of rehab and has had issues for a while. Liam is acting quite shady throughout the entire book. Claire’s husband disappeared never to be heard from again and she remarried without including her children. No one knows much about George, Claire’s new husband, or his daughter Freida. Who can you trust and can you fully trust them.

I must say I was disappointed since I was waiting for the party that doesn’t really happen, but of all the things I guessed, I was not quite right.

If slow burn family dramas with a little mystery are your thing, you need to read this one!

The Party (Audiobook and Kindle Edition)
by Triona Walsh (Goodreads Author)
My rating: 3-1/2 stars rounded to 4
Bookshelves/tags: 2023, audio, bookouture, crime-mysteries, ireland-irish, netgalley, read, thrillers, women-centered

I was happy to receive an audiobook ARC (and Kindle version) of this new thriller by Triona Walsh from Bookouture and NetGalley, which is set in a remote area of Ireland on a large country estate. A wedding takes place between 2 older, divorced people (Claire and George) who invite and welcome all of their children to this wedding and party. Combining families with adult children can be very difficult, especially depending on how it's done and who the personalities are... The gifted narrator, Roisin Rankin, gives voice and credence to all of the characters. The Irish country setting is amazing.

During the on-site estate wedding at George's "cottage" in Ireland, there appears an uninvited guest, Declan O’Shea, the "deceased" ex-husband of Claire who died 5 years ago. His 2 adult children (Liz and Liam) are shocked to see him, as are Claire and her new husband, George (and his adult daughter). Find out what happens and it might just involve a murder and a freezer.

I enjoyed how Walsh sequenced the story and created interesting characters and setting. This thriller also has some odd events and strangely behaved characters, which was a fun part of her writing and humor. The finger is pointed at possible suspects when someone is found dead, but was it that simple? And what about the many shady secondary characters? Towards the last third of the novel, my suspension of disbelief began to slide and it started to lose me. Regardless, it was an interesting story. This won't be my last novel by Tríona Walsh and hopefully narrated by the same woman.

The Party by Triona Walsh was the second book I’ve read this other and it was fantastic. So many twists and turns I had no idea who did and I’m glad they got out alive.
Thinking your first husband is dead you end up getting married again and you and your kids go off to the Butler mansion with your new husband to have a great weekend. Next thing you know Declan is back and very much alive but not for long. The next morning he’s missing and everyone is getting the blame. Will they find out what happened before it’s to late?
This was a book full of twists, conning, murder, marrying for money, poisoning.
It’s definitely a must read and if you get a chance read her other novel as well Snowstorm.

Thank you again NetGalley, Triona Walsh and bookouture for allowing me to read the ARC of The Party due to be published June, 23, 2023.

The Party by Triona Walsh is a decent psych thriller that mostly delivers. I know that sounds wishy-washy (and I’ll explain why) – but I did enjoy it.

Lizzie is fresh out of rehab when her mother, Claire, picks her up and surprises her with what is essentially a whole new life. There is a lot of mistrust between the two and for good reason. Suffice it to say that the mistrust causes a lot of issues throughout the plot.

The whole family (Claire, Lizzie, and Lizzie’s brother, Liam) join together for a “special weekend” at a remote manor house to celebrate Claire’s new life. Little do they know what they’re getting into.

There are a lot of secrets among all the characters. Some of them are more interesting than others. Some of them work better than others in the overall plot. And some of them seem superfluous.

Some parts of the story drag a bit, and times when it seems like the author could have made the plot tighter. Also, a few places where disbelief needs to be suspended. But I think that’s okay in a psych thriller

However, there is enough “right” about the overall plot that it does keep a reader engaged.

At one point, I got a distinct “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” vibe that carried through, which helped my enjoyment level. I love that movie. I’m not going to say anymore because I will definitely verge into Spoiler Land.

The actual party in the title takes up very little space in the overall plot, so it seems like a strange title. But that’s a bit nitpicky.

A good psych thriller needs to keep a reader entertained enough to care about what happens to the characters, and The Party did that for me. I’ll be looking for the next book from Triona Walsh.

For more reviews like this, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews

Claire and George are getting married, but when Claire's dead husband appears back in her life things get complicated. He had faked his death, but now wants Claire back.

This book started out strong and had a lot of promise, but it got long and it was unrealistic and while I finished it, it's not a book that is on my list of favorite.

Thank you Netgalley for the copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this thriller.
I love how a prologue draws you into a story and this prologue did just that. I liked the remote setting of this novel and the story kept me gripped throughout, a solid thriller. This is the first book I've read by Tríona. I recommend this one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I read from Triona Walsh. And I really enjoyed it. It blew my mind when the ''dead'' husband reappears after years of being... well dead haha.. It felt so sad for Lizzie, going through so much after trying to get back on her feet. All throughout the book, I've tried to figure out who killed him, I have to say that none of my theories were right haha. One thing should have tipped me off (I won't give the detail as I don't want to spoil), but if you've read the book, well, the picnic scene should have tipped me off. When she was eating something she wasn't supposed to haha..

I liked the end and the epilogue. My romantic side would have loved a love ending lol. But it wouldn't have been very realistic. All in all, I will certainly read other books of Triona Walsh as i enjoyed this one.

Im going to hook you up with some expert advice...

The Party, is out tomorrow and you are not going to want to miss this one.

Triona Walsh did an unbelievable job narrating the perfect locked room murder mystery. The pace was perfect and sucked you further and further down the rabbit hole of secrets, lies, and deceit. When the twist was revealed my mind was blown.

After reading both The Snow Storm and now The Party, I can say with certainty that I am a fan of Triona Walsh and look forward to all of her future publications.

Here is a little teaser :

It was only supposed to be a small wedding. Intimate and perfect. But my blood turns to ice when I see someone I know wasn’t invited. My first husband – who I thought was dead.

My world shattered when Declan disappeared five years ago. My grown-up children fell apart without their father, and it was up to me to pick up the pieces of our broken lives.

I never thought I’d get married again but then I met George. Some people might think we’re moving too fast. But as I look round on our wedding day at our little family, the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses ringing out, I know that I’ve made the right decision.

Until Declan steps out the shadows. He says he still loves me, and now he’s back for good. But where has he been all this time?

My legs shake so much that I can barely stand… Even though he lied to me so many times, as I stare into Declan’s sparkling blue eyes I realise that my new husband can’t compare to the love we once shared. But at least I can trust George. Can’t I?

Before I even have a chance to decide, Declan is found murdered. A chill races down my spine as I realise – his killer must be one of our wedding party. Did Declan bring back secrets that should have stayed buried?

Now, we’re trapped in this house in the middle of nowhere and my heart pounds as I realise there’s no escape. Why is Declan dead? And can I get me and my children out of here before one of us is next…?

This story follows Lizzie and her family, which includes her brother, Liam, and her mother, Claire. After coming back from rehab, Lizzie finds that her mother is set to marry George and they are going to his estate. Once there, they find they are in a secluded area with no cell service. They meet George's daughter and her new husband, Freya and Hudson, as well as a cook who has been hired on while they are staying named Mia. That first night is a surprise when Claire's former husband, Declan, who died five years ago comes back from the dead claiming he's there to get his family back. The next day they find Declan has been killed for real this time. But who could have done it and why did they do it? Will they make it out alive?

I enjoyed this thriller by Triona Walsh. This was my first time reading one of her books and I was not disappointed. There were many twists and turns as well as surprising moments- just what I look for in a thriller/suspense novel. I also loved that from the prologue you are already drawn into the story and wanting to figure out what really happened at that party! Thank you NetGalley, Triona Walsh, and Bookouture for this ARC. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Yes! This book...YES! I loved this book! The anticipation kept me on my toes! I thought I was going to start this book and read a little and then go to bed....wrong! I read this book until I was done! I could not put it down. Thank you Triona Walsh for a great Thriller read!

Is there anything better than conning a con man? This planned celebratory weekend getaway turned out to be anything but a party for the guests. There’s an original plot line and lots of twists. I was intrigued enough to persevere to the end.
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Triona Walsh for the opportunity to read this ARC

This book was my first by the author and I loved it.
Usually I don't read thrillers but this sinopses had me want to navigate through things genre .
And I'm glad I did, because this book was a rollercoaster of emotions, I didn't know what to think at certain point.
I think that characters were well developed and we could feel empathy for them. Liz was my favourite and I think se deserved better than her family.

Thank you so much bookouture and netgalley for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "The Party" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book that I have read from Ms. Walsh and it was even more brilliant a read than the first one. She crafted such tension and suspense in this story. The story starts off on Monday at 11 p.m. with Claire and Lizzie O'Shea escaping from someone as they are being chased in a forest but the reader is not told what is going on exactly.

The story them switches to Friday at 2 p.m. - 3 days prior to the start of the book. Lizzie is being released from St. Brigid's Farm Rehab Centre after spending 6 months there. She had a drunk driving accident in which her brother Liam was injured. When Lizzie is picked up she learns that her mother Claire has married George and they are going to spend the weekend at his mansion in the woods in County Mayo. Butler Hall is more like an abandoned house in the middle of no where. There is forest surrounding the house - which is in need of extensive renovations. There is no land line, no mobile phone signal, no internet. The trek into the house took them over an hour on foot. They are totally cut off from civilization. Also at the house is cook Mia Casey who has been hired by Claire to take care of the family over the weekend.

Everything is going well until Declan O'Shea shows up. He is Claire's husband, only problem is that he's been "dead" for 5 years. He wants Claire and his children back.

Next thing the reader learns is that Declan is dead (again) and it looks like someone in the house murdered him because there is no way anyone else could have gotten to the house. Who killed him? And more importantly why does no-one want to call the Gardía? Everyone with the exception of Lizzie thinks it would be a good idea to join a pact to hide what happened at butler Hall and to act normal.

There are many twists and turns to this story. There are more bodies to be found, poison is alluded to often in the story and it becomes an important part of the climax of the story. The ending is surprising because it seems that it has all been laid out neatly and then everything changes. I could not put this book down.

The Party was an interesting concept of a story that kept my interest. On a weekend celebration of a Claire's new marriage, her dead husband (Declan) appears at the house where they are staying. This leads to an interesting first night of families gathered together. By morning, Declan has been murdered. The rest of the book will keep you second guessing as to who murdered Declan and is behind other strange items that happen. During this we are also transported to an old family secret that lies in the house where they are staying.

I enjoyed The Party, and recommend this to readers that like guessing how the story will end.

I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to review this advance reading copy (ARC).

Lizzie has gotten out of rehab following her father’s death. She is picked up by her mother Claire to celebrate her new marriage to George at an isolated estate in the woods. Night one her dead father shows up for dinner. And things just get crazier from there.
I couldn’t put this book down. It was a great thriller. The elements around sobriety in a stressful situation felt real and impactful. Watching the immediate family struggle through their fractured relationship while also dealing with the return and death of their father/husband who they thought died years ago adds to the complexity of the overall story. In turn there is George and his family and how they deal and process with this unexpected visitor and his “second” death.
From there you have long-cons, poisonings and more. It all unfolds into a mystery that you can’t wait to find the answer too.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately I found this one a struggle to get through. I found the characters all very wooden apart from Lizzie. The events throughout the book were to me quite farcical and you really has to suspend belief. When the supposedly ‘Dead’ Declan walked into the house no one seemed to be overly shocked and then when he was killed no one seemed to want to do anything about it. I’m sorry but just to far fetched for me. I guessed very early on who the killer was so there wasn’t any surprise there. I’m puzzled by the book title as it really wasn’t anything to do with a party at all. Even though I didn’t enjoy this one it won’t stop me from reading more by this author as I thunk she has a lot of potential. I did read her debut novel ‘The Snow Storm’ which I loved, so I’m hoping her next read will be a better one for me.

The Party by Tríona Walsh was an engrossing thriller.

This book was so captivating. It was fast paced and kept me guessing throughout a perfect book for psychological thrillers fans alike, from the very first page I drawn in and couldn’t put the book down.
I thought the characters were all very well developed, the plot was excellent and the pacing was perfect.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!