Beth had not seen best friend Kathleen for a while when they meet at Kathleen’s house party. Only their close friends were at the party so when Kathleen confided that she had a secret and one of the others frightened her Beth is horrified. When Kathleen is found dead Beth remembers her promise to bring the truth to light.
When you feel you have your suspect the many twists and turns in this story take you round again.
It’s a very involving story with Beth delving into everyone’s past and finds how really well do you know your friends or even your husband?
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I could only get through 20% of this book before I gave up. Something with the writing did not jive with me and I found myself getting bored pretty quickly with this read.

First let it be said that “The House Party” is not so much about a house party. This is totally fine, but I think it affected my expectations: I imagined I had picked up a locked-room type thriller that takes place mostly at a house party on a single night, which is totally my kind of thriller. Instead this is more of a traditional slower-paced mystery that begins at a party.

I liked the character of Beth, her commitment to her friendship and to solving the murder. The premise was a good one and held intrigue: what secret had the murderer been holding over the victim that the victim had been just about to tell Beth? It’s a solid mystery, well-written and plotted. However for me — coming into this expecting a thriller — it moved a bit slowly and focused more on drama than the suspense and thrills. It was somewhat a formulaic whodunit (Secrets and threatening phone calls) but also had some well-drawn and sympathetic characters and a pretty good red herring or two.

Overall, if you like classic mysteries (think Nancy Drew more than Karin Slaughter) and are more patient than I am, you may like this one. It is well-written and has some Big Little Lies-esque small town intrigue and drama. If you’re an adrenaline junkie like me and prefer your beach reads a little more twisted and fast-paced, this won’t be as good a fit. 3.5 ⭐️s..

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book wasn’t my favorite psychological thriller of late, but it was perfectly serviceable and did the job. The epitome of a three star thriller

Wow this was a really good book i didn't think it would be my type of book. I couldn't get into it at the beginning but then the story line had me gripped. What a page turner how scary that you don't trust one of your friends and obviously with good reason

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the Arc of this book!❤️

Thank you to Mary Grand for writing this great book 🥰

Follows Beth and a circle friends who are a part of each other lives most of the time, they decide to throw a heartwarming party for Kathleen and Patrick, but that night Kathleen expresses that someone in their group isn't who they say they are, as they have been threatening her which makes herself fear for her own safety etc but... Next morning she gets a call stating Kathleen has been found dead at the bottom of a cliff by a dog walker and friend of hers... Police are thinking a suicide but Beth questions who she may think of killed her...can Beth find out before it's too late?😱

My first Mary Grand book and wow I'm so so impressed it has me gripped start to finish and I couldn't put it down I completed within 1 night and such a page turning and so interesting and made you question things yourself about the book then all the suspense and twists and turns 😱❤️


Thank you so much Mary Grand!!❤️

Definitely Recommend 🥰
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The premise of this book was really good.
I liked how the author thought out this story. The death of a friend is devastating but to have doubts of how, who or why they died must be a tremendous pull to find out the truth, if you think the verdict of death is wrong.

And we see this.

Kathleen had confided in Beth that she was scared of someone. Someone in their group of friends, but whom?

So when Kathleen is found dead Beth is not going to let this rest.

She’s ruthless in asking anyone and everyone, the trouble is, everyone is looking like they are hiding something including her own husband.

A good plot, fab characters.
Not as fast paced as I’d like, but that’s my preference. I think this author spoilt me on her last book which I adored and remember even to this day.

If you like a good twisty plot, I recommend it.

Someone is about to die....someone is about to lie!

This is a real page turner, that kept me guessing until the end! ...A gripping read.

Based on the Isle of Wight, Kathleen, one of Beth's closest friends confides in her that she is scared and someone in their circle of friends is threatening her. She refuses to tell Beth who.... when the next day Kathleen's body is found.
Beth is left to face the thought.... that this was no accident, could one of their friends really have killed Kathleen? Everyone has their secrets.

"you are so lovely, but the world isn't."

What is Beth about to discover?

During a house party on the Isle of Wight, Kathleen confides to friend Beth that she is scared for her life because of a mistake she has made and as a result, someone (who happens to be at the party and thus a close friend) is threatening her. The next day Kathleen is found dead and Beth is determined to find out what happened. This book is full of secrets, twists and turns; all characters have motives.

I like mysteries and books that take place in the UK! At times the language felt clumsy, the many characters were not terribly likable; some of the twists and turns seemed a little manipulative.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beth tries to find out is her friend, Kathleen, died by accident or otherwise. At the House party the day before Kathleen had expressed she was worried and someone was not whom they seem. There is intrigue in this book and I constantly changed my mind about each character. \it was a good read, although not as gripping or fast paced (on the contrary it was rather slow) as similar books in this genre.

Despite this being titled "the house party" the majority of the action is not linked to the house party itself. This was therefore different to my expectations, however, overall, it was a typical 'whodunnit' e.g. someone has died, secrets gradually emerge as the book unfolds, before the murderer is unfolded. I love these type of books but I didn't love this one. As I said it had all the right elements but something was missing, I didn't really connect with any of the characters, and there were no real surprises. However, perhaps as a new reader to this literature you may find it more enjoyable as it was an easy read.

" ... like the moon ...... had a dark side none of us saw .."

A house party, a death, and a friend bent on discovering why. The more questions that are asked, there more secrets are being laid bare. Will there be resolution or another death.

The build up is slow and steady as one by one each person comes under closer scrutiny; alibis are checked and accounted; the truth slowly drawn out until we reach the only possible conclusion.

I enjoyed it - the characters fallible, the secrets plausable, the strength found to pursue this seemingly circular plot that folds in on itself over and again before forcing a denouement.

Although I took many (interrupted) days to finish this, my interest did not flag, the suspense hovered like a proverbial fog, hiding both killer and motive.

Looking forward to more from this author.

Beth is trying to find out what happened the night her friend Kathleen died - Kathleen had told Beth the day before her death that someone was out to get her and it was someone who was at the house party she was currently hosting.

Beth didn't get the chance to question her friend further, she feels she owes it to her friend to find out what happened, but that means suspecting all of her friends and asking some uncomfortable questions.

Her husband wants her to let sleeping dogs lies, but Beth can't even if that means her own life is in danger.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

I liked the House Party but it did seem to go on forever at times!! Beth isn’t a totally likeable character so you can find her a tad annoying but the good thing is you don’t particularly spot “whodunnit” until you’re quite deep into it. The House Party’s characters are all hiding secrets, not very nice to each other or in personality and yet it does keep you reading.

The beginning of the book starts with Kathleen telling her friend Beth that she's being threatened by someone in their inner circle, how she's frightened but she isn't going to let this person win. She refuses to give Beth any more information at that time but the next morning arranges to meet Beth at yoga the next day. Shortly after she sends that text, she is found at the bottom of a cliff.

Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Was it foul play?

The close circle of friends starts to fall apart as Beth challenges them on what Kathleen has told her. Secrets come bursting out and each friend shows a side to them that Beth has never seen before. Was Kathleen murdered - and if so, why would one of her close friends do so?

I had my suspicions throughout but did not guess the ending although it does make sense. The fast pace slowed down a little midway through but it soon picked up towards the end.

What to say about this book,I started reading it and didn't really connect with the characters, but the previous book I had just finished had such great characters and I thought it was unfair to compare them as the other characters were still fresh in my mind so I kept going with this book.The next day when I was reading it I did connect with it more and got quite a way into the book.Then I started feeling it was very slow going and then I started to not like the main character as much but that shouldn't matter.However I found the pace of the book to be really slow, I think if it had been more punchy with shorter chapters it would have made it more exciting ,as it was not much seemed to happen for ages .I persevered with it because I had read so much of the book and I wanted to find out who did what, no spoilers but by the time I had the answer to that question it was an anti climax because it took so long to get to that point.Not the sort of book that grabbed me, for readers who enjoy slower paced books this would hit the spot,but not for me I am afraid.

A fascinating and gripping storyline. Surprisingly only one murder, or maybe two? No police officers involved for much of the story line apart from one liaison officer. Based on the Isle Of Wight this story has so many twists and turns to keep the reader guessing to the very end. An excellent read.

In this mystery, Beth’s friend Kathleen kills herself after telling Beth she is scared of someone at a party they are at. This is good book if you are a mystery lover!

Beth is part of a wonderful circle of friends who are all involved actively in each other’s lives. The last night they are all together it is to celebrate the housewarming of Kathleen and Patrick, but that night Kathleen confesses to Beth that someone in their group isn’t who they appear to be. That they are threatening her and that she is in very real fear. Circumstances prevent Kathleen from telling Beth exactly who it is and the implicit agreement is that Kathleen will tell all the next day when they meet up at their weekly yoga class. But the very next morning Kathleen gets a phone call that she could never have expected; Kathleen has been found dead. From this moment Beth finds herself in a swirl of doubts and questions as to who might have killed Kathleen, because despite the police thinking it was suicide, Beth knows that it was murder. But the question remains… who was playing the part of a loving member within their group and can Beth figure it out before its too late?

This is a book that will leave the reader guessing all the way. At every step, each person acts in a curious manner that could suggest guilt or just that they could be innocent and reacting badly to the death of a friend, and the end result is completely unexpected. There are multiple red herrings thrown in to make the reader think they have worked out the mystery, only to find that it was dead-end and the perpetrator is still on the loose, making this a really strong thriller. The characters are well crafted and there is the uncertainty of Beth’s safety all through the story which adds to the tension. No one is above suspicion and the island setting adds to the drama, where everyone in the town knows everyone else’s business, as all small towns are wont to do, making this an interesting psychological thriller. With its ability to draw the reader in, this is great for a day when you don’t want to do anything but curl up with a good story and while away the day.

Really had high hopes for this read but it was extremely slow paced with not much going on and I found I was getting bored waiting for something to happen. I don’t think it needed to be drawn out as much as it was and could have been wrapped up a lot quicker without all the going around in circles. The plot doesn’t stand out from anything else I’ve read.