The Block Party

A Novel

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 18 Jul 2023 | Archive Date 01 Aug 2023

Description

Raves for the hottest thriller of 2023!

"This is wicked fun." --Publishers Weekly

“Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR

"Like a firecracker on a hot summer night . . . If you like my novels, you’ll love THE BLOCK PARTY.” ―Elin Hilderbrand, #1 Bestselling author of THE HOTEL NANTUCKET

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

Raves for the hottest thriller of 2023!

"This is wicked fun." --Publishers Weekly

“Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR

...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250283191
PRICE $28.00 (USD)
PAGES 384

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 2035 members


Featured Reviews

The Block Party was great. I read it through on Sunday. It kept me guessing. So many secrets and so many twists. I love when something from one character's life becomes involved with another's. The ending has a surprise. This will be a summer must read.
Thank you, NetGalley. I needed a book like this after the holidays.

Was this review helpful?

Apparently, I can’t get enough of these neighborhood drama stories. This one is my favorite so far. It was so much better than I expected and I couldn’t wait to see how all of the conflicts would be resolved. The residents are wealthy (aren’t they always?) and completely wrapped up in each other’s lives. There are affairs, secrets from the past, more affairs, and a murder at the yearly block party. There’s no shortage of guesses on who was murdered and who did the deed.

The story starts out with the crime and then unfolds beginning at the block party from the year before. The reader is then methodically introduced to the residents as they enter into the story, and although there are several families to keep track of, I had no problem remembering who was who. It did get a little tricky once the affairs are revealed, I had to keep reminding myself that no, that’s not her husband, that one is her lover!

I was really engaged in this story and couldn’t wait to see how it was going to play out. I wasn’t disappointed and you won’t be either!

Was this review helpful?

I read this in one sitting! Anything to do with a little neighborhood drama mixed with a murder is a toxic mix of staying up way to late to finish! Unraveling the year prior, pay attention, it took me by surprise! This is for sure to a hit summer read!

Was this review helpful?

Totally delicious read. While stories of tightly knit communities that unravel under the burden of too many secrets abound, The Block Party is several cuts above the rest, because the secrets are more incendiary than average and the alternating points of view between Alex (one of the wives who is a third person narrator) and her daughter Lettie (an angst-ridden high school senior in the throes of both unrequited love and a thirst for revenge, who narrates in the first person) is unusual and very effective.

I can’t reveal details without revealing spoilers. All I will say is, read this book and prepared for rollicking entertainment. And it’s not just chick lit; the husbands are as dastardly as the wives.

Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Boy oh boy, who knew so many secrets are being kept in subrubia? This book was entertaining and a bit sad. I loved the online chat about what was going on with the block party in the high end neighborhood. And it seemed very to to life.

Alton Road in Meadowbrooke is the the place to be. All the women and men on that street are well to do with lives that seem perfect. However, every one has secrets. And it seems on this Memorial Day, all the secrets are coming out to the open.

Alex Fox is the go to for all the ladies on the street. Alex and Nick are happily married with a daughter, Lettie, about to leave for college. Emily and Ken Adair seems to have it all, two sons, great careers and the money to add on an in-law suite for Emily and Alex's mom. Willow and Evan Thompson are the golden couple. Willow is beautiful and Evan a high profile photographer. Willow and Evan have a gorgeous daughter Riley. Riley is dating Emily and Ken's son Dylan. Brooke Bailey is a gorgeous widow. Brooke's late husband was best friends with Ken. Rumor has it Brooke may have "pushed" Jerry over rail on cruise when his life ended. And new to the neighborhood are Samir and Mandy Kumar along with their son Jay.

So much is happening in the lives of these characters, Their is drug and alcohol abuse. Lying and cheating. Secrets that could destroy families and friendships. So when the annual block party comes to around tempers are flaring. What could have brought the cops to annual block party of this affluent neighborhood?

I loved that we started at present day, had the local neighborhood online chatter, and went back a year to see what all had happened. I sort of figured out some of the plot twists but not all. It was a heart racing conclusion to the party.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

They gave me 72 hours to read this book and I did it. It wasn’t hard at all this book was impossible to put down.

This book starts with an incident and takes you back a year earlier so you can get familiar with the characters and the issues. And there is a lot of stuff going on on this block!

Entertaining and engrossing, this book lets you be the fly on the wall that watches everything that is happening. The ending does not disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

Mystery, drama, murder, scandals...a fun time! This book really makes you realize you don't truly know anyone and to question everyone. It definitely kept me on my toes. It had the suspenseful atmosphere that I love as well!

Was this review helpful?

For fans of White Lotus, this is “White Lotus—Neighborhood Style.” We learn early on that someone has been killed during the annual Memorial Day block party in a posh Massachusetts neighborhood. The tale then goes back a year to fill in the backstory and introduce us to the individual neighbors and their complex relationships. Until the end, we can only speculate on who has died, how, why, and at the hands of whom.

The author does an impressive job of grabbing and holding the reader’s attention with strong character development, storytelling from varying points of view, and convincing dialogue, as well as interesting revelations about neighborhood dynamics. Individuals struggle with the ramifications of telling—or not telling—each other what they know or suspect about questionable goings-on while families come apart, neighbors fight, and tensions rise. The ending is satisfying without being overly clichéd. My only complaint is the number of “beautiful” women and drop-dead handsome men populating the place.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley, Jamie Day and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I have been looking forward to reading this book and was so happy to get an advanced copy. The Block Party is one you will not want to put down from start to finish!
The residents of Alton Road are SUPER close- some are related, they ALL have something to hide, and the gossip never ends. Alex lives with husband Nick, daughter Lettie, and is the queen of the street- she loves organizing get togethers, fixing her neighbors problems, and wine- she really loves wine. Her sister Emily lives on the same street with her two sons and always has drama with her husband Ken... who seems to have drama with everyone. Mysterious new neighbors add to the drama and as the year unfolds stalkers are uncovered, affairs are discovered and lies crumble. Tensions overflow at the annual Alton Road Block Party on Memorial Day, and this year not everyone will make it out alive.
The Block Party is a deeply satisfying thriller that keeps you guessing til the end, you have to read it for yourself!

Was this review helpful?

Everyone thinks they know their neighbors but this book will let you know you never truly know what goes on behind closed doors. Each neighbor on the block has their own secrets they are trying to hide so it appears like they have it all together. Some are better than others at hiding their secrets. Some just know how to find out all the secrets and use it too their advantage.

It is time for the annual Memorial Day block party and this year two people will die. So many of them have said they wanted to kill someone who finally does it and why? The author lays out all the clues for you to follow but the ending was one I couldn't sleuth out. Kudos as I like to be surprised and shocked and this one did both.

This book is addictive and it is smart, twisty, well crafted mystery with some very diverse characters. I loved the two different point of views between Alex and Lettie. I loved the ending and how tragedy managed to make everyone closer.

Was this review helpful?

I flew through the book in less than 24 hours!! Such a fantastic hook, interesting family dramas brewing through the neighborhood, and palatable suspense in every chapter as the reader tries to figure out if and how the dramas are connected. The story begins at the annual Memorial Day Block Party where someone ends up murdered. The story then flashes back over the year leading up to this fateful night and it told through the dual POV of Alex (mother) and Lettie (teenager daughter). This read has all the drama: lies, stalking, cheating, revenge, drinking/drugs, and eventually murder. Having the two POVs kept the story fresh and offered insight into how the tension and drama unfolding between the neighborhood adults impacted the lives of their children. I swear by the end of this read, I had second guessed every possible connection and I still missed the mark. The ending was draw dropping and nicely buttoned up, which I appreciate from a great thriller.

Don’t hesitate! You need to add this to your summer TBR as soon as possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and the author for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will add a link to my social post closer to the pub date.

Was this review helpful?

"The Block Party" by Jamie Day is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish! This fast-paced and gripping novel is a true page-turner, packed with twists and turns that will leave you breathless. Told through the perspectives of two captivating characters, it offers a unique and compelling narrative experience.

With its expertly crafted plot and relentless pacing, this book grabs hold of your attention and refuses to let go. Jamie Day's storytelling is masterful, keeping you on the edge of your seat as you unravel the secrets and surprises hidden on Alton Street.

I could absolutely see this thrilling tale on the big screen; its cinematic qualities and gripping narrative would make for an enthralling miniseries. "The Block Party" is an immersive, heart-pounding read that deserves to be experienced in multiple mediums. Brace yourself for a wild journey and be prepared to share in the excitement and anticipation that this exceptional novel has to offer. It's a five-star experience that should not be missed.

Scheduled for publication on July 18th, 2023, "The Block Party" is an exceptional work of fiction that deserves to be on every reader's radar. I extend my sincerest thanks to St. Martin's Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me the privilege of reading and listening to this gripping story in advance.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me from the very beginning. I could not put it down. I was so invested in the charcters as I live in a small town that has this type of interaction on the internet. The ending was completly unhinged and the most unbelievable part of the story. Howvever, I was engaged as though this was real life. It is worth the read. I can not tell you how much I enjoyed this book.

Was this review helpful?

After the first chapter, which was a little confusing because there are so many characters, I got so hooked on this novel I put off work I really should have been doing instead to find out what happened.

The novel opens with the block party, and it seems someone gets murdered.

We go back a year to the last block party and spend the year getting to know the neighbors in this elite cul-de-sac. There is a woman who many people think murdered her husband, another couple about to get divorced but living together until their daughter leaves for college, the new neighbors, and Alex and her sister Emily. Alex starts drinking too much, and Emily’s old fears about her husband’s infidelity have come back to the point it’s making her a little crazy.

Between the sparring adults and the misunderstandings and hurt feelings of their teenage children, there seem to be a lot of reasons someone might end up dead in a Dateline-episode-way in a year. Jamie Day manages to touch on heavy topics in an entertaining way.

This is a lot of fun. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this novel, which RELEASES JULY 18, 2023.

Was this review helpful?

Obsessed…

I am obsessed with Jamie Day.

I love secrets…

I’m not very good at keeping them but I sure do love when you tell me them!

The Block Party is compelling murder mystery, jam packed with secrets and a twist you will never see coming.

I had requested The Block Party for the sole reason that this was a debut (how, is still beyond me) it also helped that I loved the cover .

I had been looking for a new author to love and obsess over and it just so happened that Jamie Day landed in my lap …

The Block Party is going to be loved by all and the perfect book too cozy up in the sand with .

Teaser :

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVE books like this.

The setup--someone has died in a beautiful setting. The readers don't know who has died. Then the backdrop where the reader gets to learn the history of the cast of participants and slowly come to terms with who it could be and who could have done it! It's so very Shakespearean.

The author sets it up in a modern upper-class neighborhood with the surrounding (not so influential people) acting as the peanut gallery.

This title will be enticing as a summer read and will be a great page-turner.

Was this review helpful?

Loved “The Block Party”! I didn’t always know where the author was going, definitely kept up the suspense throughout the book and I enjoyed it all the more! There are plenty of surprises towards the end I would have never expected. A great summer read full of fun and excitement I would definitely recommend it goes in that beach tote!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie Day and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Block Party. This is my personal review.
I read this book without realizing how long I had been reading because I had to find out how it was going to end. I was tangled up in the story and was impressed with how the author combined everything and everyone in such a way that trying to guess the next step was impossible.
This is one of those books that telling too much of what happened isn’t possible because of how everything hooks together.
Pick up this book on July 18 publication date and be prepared for a story that will keep you immersed in what is happening.

Was this review helpful?

this book was soooo amazing! i think everyone needs to try to read this book! it was so fun. the characters are so lovely and amazing and beautifully written. thank you so much netgalley!!!!!

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: