The story long for this book was what sold me! I absolutely love consuming true crime podcasts and reading mystery/thriller book with a who did it vibe. The story line had such a great set up. They were working a podcast to in regards to the unsolved murder from 5 years prior. I feel like the bulk the characters were underdeveloped aside from Sophie. I struggled to want to finish this one because of that. I felt like there could have been more big OMG moments with more clues dropped thought the book. I felt like one minute we didn’t know who it was and then BAM we knew. There wasn’t this huge suspenseful build up that had me guessing a million different ways. The ending did have a nice twist too. I do think the book was great but with the story line I wanted so much more out of it.

The Beach Party was a great read by Amy Sheppard. Everyone at the bonfire cant keep their eyes off Lacey. She is dancing in the dunes with a dazzling smile and blue eyes closed. Everyone who is close to Lacey is there with her around the fire. When the fire bruns out, they stumble along the cliff path. Unfortunately Lacey never makes it home, her body is found in the sand dunes the next morning. Her heart-shaped locked is missing from around her neck. I enjoyed reading this book and cant wait to read more by the author.

3.5 stars

The book premise in a way has been done before.. the typical we were all the party, one ended up dead, who killed her.

Sophie and Kate start a true crime podcast and decide to cover the murder of Lacey, from Kate’s hometown 5 years ago.

There were definitely twists in this story and I seriously thought I knew who did it, but I was wrong and didn’t expect the ending.

Although the ending was a surprise, I felt like it came out of nowhere, and that it was just a way for the author to throw out at you the least expected twist.

Either way it’s worth the read if you want to not be able to guess the ending of this thriller.

I really struggled with this one 🫤 it just did not hold my attention at all, i found it so slow and to be honest a little boring! I feel like I have been reading a different book to many of the other reviewers as they found the book to be a real page turner 😬

Saying that the narrator was good but not good enough to keep me listening

Sophie and Kate are true crime podcasters that go to the town where, 5 years ago, teenager Lacey was killed at a beach party. Their investigation upsets the locals of Pengully, digging up old ground, but also a more, there is a web of lies and deceit.
A gripping read.

I love the concept of podcasters trying to solve an unsolved crime but I felt like this was a little rushed. I felt details were left out that could have made this story so much more intriguing. All in all, it was a good book, and I loved the narrator for the audiobook.

It was a bit too slow paced for me personally and I also didn’t really connect with the story, but i wouldn’t say it’s bad; it does have the potential to be enjoyable for some young adults.

An entertaining psychological thriller about a group of friends that have a beach party. After the party ends, they all stumble home. The next morning one of them is missing. No one knows what to do or who to trust. What happened to Lacey?

crime podcast, university students, and influencers? sign me up. This book had all of the hallmarks that I love in a mystery thriller and the ending I thought was actually surprising which is fantastic and rare. BUT this book needed a hard edit both in structure and form and it really took away from me giving the book a better rating.

A good debut novel, that shows lots of potential. I did not enjoy the podcast, or return to a small hometown aspects. They have come to be overused and worn out. It seemed like this was an attempt at jumping on that bandwagon that fell short. Would I give Sheppard another chance, absolutely!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Amalia Vitale. She did a good job of making sure the listener could tell the difference in the timeline. I would definitely listen to other audiobooks that she narrates.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Bookouture Audio for an advanced listening copy.

The Beach Party is a quick read that gripped me instantly. A podcast about an unsolved murder brings ghosts from the past back with a vengeance. Lacey was murdered and her murderer was never brought to justice. Childhood friends Katie and Sophie start a podcast determined to solve the mysterious case. “When someone dies, they become perfect. The tragedy eclipses any character flaws or bad memories you have of that person. I couldn’t forget. Neither the image of her body on the ground nor the sadness of her friends and family could take the place of my anger.” Someone knows the truth and the answers have the power to change lives forever. The narration added an extra layer of mystery and intrigue. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for my audiobook.

This was my first time reading a book which uses the medium of podcast to solve a cold murder case although I am aware there are already many written using this trope. I listened to it as an audiobook which I felt was a good decision. The plot was good and the pacing of the book kept it engaging. It took me a few days to finish it but I never felt the story dragging at any point. Throughout the book, I had fixed my mind onto two persons who I was sure would be the culprits and zigzagged between them so the end reveal was a big surprise because it turned out to be neither of my choices. Amalia Vitale's narration was good and easy to follow and she kept up with the pace of the book.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture Audio and the author Amy Sheppard for the audio Arc of the book.

WOW I didn't see that coming! I enjoyed this audio immensely. The narrator did an amazing job telling the story and it was easy to keep track. That ending though, that is where the bomb went off in this book!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! The narrator of this audiobook was fantastic! Her accent was easily understandable and I could always tell which character was talking. The story itself takes so many twists and turns as you’re sucked into the making of a true crime podcast that hits a little too close to home for Katie. I really enjoyed the way the ending came about and how I kept guessing (incorrectly) who killed Lacey. It held my attention the entire way through and I will definitely be checking out other books by this author!

This book kept me guessing. I enjoyed trying to figure out what exactly had happened. I would have liked a little bit more urgency, though.

Not my favourite book I’ve read but nonetheless I enjoyed a lot of it. The pace of the book was nice and quick, but then also felt rushed in areas which is why the lack of stars. I enjoyed the whole podcast element of the story and the setting in which the story takes place. I think it was all described really well. I always enjoy a mystery, they are my fave genre after all, however this plot was pretty easy to guess what was going to happen, especially if you read a lot of the same types of books. Overall I liked the book just not loved. The writing style was not to my taste and it felt rushed, I even lost interest a few times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for free access to the audiobook of The Beach Party by Amy Sheppard in exchange for an honest review.

CW: addiction, alcoholism, murder, domestic abuse, sexual harassment, abuse, rape, panic attacks, suicide, grief, pregnancy, see full list on StoryGraph.

I am writing this review a few weeks removed from my finishing this book, and I honestly can't remember virtually anything about this book. My feeling even while reading this thriller was that it was not very engaging. The twist at the end was interesting enough, but it was relatively easy enough to predict, especially for a well versed thriller reader. There was nothing particularly bad or complaint-worthy, it just didn't stick in my mind.

If you are well read in this genre, I would recommend spending your time on other books.

This book was okay. I didn't find it as intriguing as other reviewers did. I don't know if It's because I read a lot of these type of books. But it was just a bit meh book to me.

The Beach Party by Amy Sheppard was a quick 4 star listen. I was given an advance listening copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. As soon as I heard there was a podcast element I immediately was down to ride. This book was super fast paced and the narrator kept me captivated. There were a lot of characters and at times was a bit hard to follow but overall I loved it and all of the twist and turns as well. I say go in blind and enjoy the ride.

A crowd of friends and an evening beach party ends in tragedy when one of the young woman, Lacey is found dead in the morning. Her body left in the sand dunes starts an unwinding of what happened at a gathering of friends and the damaged it does in the aftermath of their lives.

A mystery throughout and some interesting twists along the way.