Just okay for me. Lots of unlikeable characters and lots of neighborhood drama wore on me a bit. I was just never sure who I was rooting for.

This book had a lot of twists and turns that come out when someone is murdered at the annual block party. Many secrets come out as Jamie Day takes you back from the previous year, to present, in the midst of the angst. Everyone wants to be at the block party, and many are not invited, but the invited are not whom they seem to be. Great book and a must read! Thanks to Jamie Day, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Th Block Party is the perfect nosey neighborhood thriller. Alton Road has its very own block party every year to ring in the summer… but this year’s turn out to be not so fun. Speculations arrive in the neighborhood forum and everyone has something different to add to what might have happened.

These people have a lot of secrets and everyone has their own bout of gossip to spill. I love gossipy thriller where it seems like everyone e is untrustworthy. This one will sure keep you on the edge of your seat as you figure out what really happened at this years block party!

I started this book last year and then half way through I got bored and put it down. A year later, I have finished the book. The book has an interesting premise, and once you get to the end, it makes sense why you learned everything from the previous year. This block has a lot of issues and so many secrets.

Talk about neighborhood dysfunction and drama! Reading about Alton Lane was like watching a trainwreck - I couldn’t peel away from the scandal and web of lies woven by the eccentric cast of characters brought together by the Memorial Day block party. There were twists & turns that I didn’t expect amongst a wide array of characters, all with their own secrets and stories behind closed doors. Loved the character development and guessing who was behind the murder. Desperate Housewives Wysteria Lane vibes! A good beach read with a satisfying ending.

This book starts with a bang, but it slows down after that. It's what happened and why story based around the families that live on one street. It all comes together, but the tension is uneven in the middle of the book.

The blurb of this one was right up my alley, but the execution of it didn’t do much for me.

Mom and daughter Alex and Lettie live on Alton Road in the suburb of Meadowbrook. Every year, Altonites throw a block party to celebrate Memorial Day, but this year, the police are called because of a murder.

Most of the book happens in the year leading up the murder, exploring the characters’ lives and possible motives. This type of book is normally something I’d be really into, but I thought parts of the writing would throw in extra comments that were unnecessary, which slowed things down. The story didn’t move at a pace that kept me hooked, and I overall felt blah about it. I didn’t care about any of the characters enough to have many feelings about what was happening to them.

If this hadn’t been one for NetGalley, I would have DNFed it.

Neighbourhood Drama, Secrets, Murder

The Block Party by Jamie Day is a domestic thriller set in an affluent neighbourhood. The story revolves around the annual Memorial Day block party on Alton Road, a seemingly idyllic place where the residents are entangled in a web of secrets and scandals. The plot unfolds through multiple points of view, primarily focusing on Alex, a wife and mother who oversees the block party, and her rebellious daughter, Lettie. The narrative flashes back and forth over a year, culminating in a murder that takes place during the block party, leaving the community in turmoil as they try to uncover the perpetrator and the motive behind the crime.

The Block Party excels in creating a gripping narrative filled with suspense and drama. Jamie Day's ability to weave multiple storylines and perspectives into a cohesive plot is commendable. The book's strengths lie in its complex characters and the exploration of dark themes that resonate with readers. However, some may find the pacing slow at times, and the numerous characters can be challenging to keep track of. Despite these minor drawbacks, The Block Party is an entertaining and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of domestic thrillers.

This is the story of dysfunctional neighbors on an exclusive cul-de-sac. What looks normal from the outside is anything but normal on the inside. This story had many twists and turns along the way. Although this story is about an eclectic group of people, you can't help but find yourself rooting for them.

Lots and lots of drama that culminates in murder. Who done it?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my honest opinion. I really liked this book and recommend to others!

The Block Party by Jamie Day. Pub Date: July 18, 2023. Rating: 2 stars. In this novel, the reader is taken a posh neighborhood summer block party that ultimately ends up with a murder taking place. Who was murdered and why was this person murdered? Who was the killer? I really thought the premise sounded promising, but honestly there were too many characters to keep track of to enjoy this novel. There was a lot of back and forth between the characters to develop the story and mystery around the murder, but ultimately it was too much for me. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A neighborhood block party, secrets that come to light, and a murder.... this year's get-together is going to be epic!

Told in dual POV (Alex and Lettie), all the families on Alton Road have something to say (and prove) to each other, which comes out in the most sinister of ways.

While many reviewers might think there were apparent clues or repetitive comments, I believe that mysteries/thrillers should be read for what they are - entertainment - and not be dissected to within an inch of the author's psyche to determine the underlying meaning of every sentence. I found this story to be engrossing with multiple twists and shocking revelations. The backgrounds of all characters were adequately flushed out, if only to explain their motives behind their respective secrets. The plot progressed along at a decent pace as well.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This book was like watching desperate housewives with the drama. Yet, it didn’t quite deliver in the way desperate housewives does. I was confused on the time and what was going on at times. This book kept me curious but, the drama didn’t keep me on my toes wanting more. Overall it’s not bad, I think it’s just not my type of book.

Just when you think you know your neighbors - you realize, not so much!

Block parties are fun. Food, games, beverages, good times. All with your friendly neighbors. The residents of Alton Road have a great time once a year, until this year, when their Block Party included a murder.

As we travel back in time to learn more about the families, we discover the reasons why this could take place and boy is it a journey full of twists.
I really enjoyed this novel!

Other than a few nit picky issues, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. And domestic suspense isn’t always a genre I enjoy.

We get dual POVs between mother Alex and teenage daughter Lettie. It starts off during the annual block party of present day, and then goes back a year moving through the events that lead up to the present day timeline. There’s also Next Door type message boards throughout, which I found entertaining.

The book felt too long, and there was a lot going on. Some parts of it were very obvious, while others surprised me. My biggest negative was making one of the MCs an alcoholic and trying to use her alcoholism as a means to make her unreliable.

But overall, a book I would recommend for the messy neighborhood drama and the suspense.

Loved this book, loved the drama, the neighborhood gossip, the keeping up with the Jones'. Loved Days writing style and her pace. It kept me enthralled in the book.

This was a DNF for me. I got to about 20% and I had to stop. I really was not at all interested. I appreciate the opportunity to give this book an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Negalley.

There’s been a murder at the summer block party on ritzy Alton Road. But who it is and what led up to the explosive event are a mystery that’s slowly unraveled, as we go back one year earlier. Alternately narrated by Alex and her teenage daughter, Lettie, both of whom get themselves tangled in the various scandals of the other neighbors, this is filled with rich people behaving badly.

Domestic thrillers aren’t my favorite because they tend to be filled with frustrating characters being horrible. This is no different, really, and I found it a little tough to keep track of who was who in the neighborhood. Nonetheless, the structure and mystery of who died and how it went down did keep me reading. While not particularly memorable, this was an entertaining summer read.

I really wanted to like it as the description caught my eye, but I DNF. Just couldn’t keep my attention. This won’t stop me from trying more from this author in the future as I did enjoy the writing aspect of it. Just fell short on the attention grabbing. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

I truly loved this book! I felt that it was the right mixture of drama and intrigue! I loved getting to k ow all of the characters, their stories, the relationships and the neighborhood.

The Block Party" is a compelling mystery that masterfully explores the dark underbelly of suburban life. Jamie Day’s skillful storytelling and well-developed characters make this novel a page-turner. It is recommended for readers who enjoy intricate plots, suspenseful narratives, and an insightful look into the complexities of community dynamics.