A yearly block party turns deadly. In alternating chapters between Alex and her daughter, Lettie, the events that lead up to the fatalities unfold.

I think there could’ve been more suspense besides just the community posts from the present day, as those didn’t have too much suspense. I also don’t understand why Lettie’s chapters were first person and Alex’s were third person. Especially since Lettie’s had her name at the start. That could’ve been done for Alex’s. I do think there were some good twists toward the end, but before that, it was more family drama than suspense and thriller.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a domestic thriller this was a suspenseful mystery that certainly delivered in the I cannot put this novel down department for me. I loved the writing style the multiple POV, the timeline that the story took place over. It's a perfect summer time read which I'll be recommending all summer long. The Block Party would be a great read to get into anytime of year. You won't be disappointed figuring out what went down on Alton Rd. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jamie Day.

What an excitable suspense novel. The cast of characters that live I this little cul-de-sac are perfect and diverse enough to keep you guessing. There were many times I wanted to read the last chapter just so I could know. You see the beginning starts with a death, we don’t know whose death and then the story unfolds starting from a year prior. As you read, you find the underbelly of this idyllic neighborhood that perhaps is only surface level. Everything slowly unravels until we get to the end (which was the beginning).

As someone who does not read a lot of thrillers, I found this book the perfect length with the right amount of intrigue to keep me guessing. And the ending was definitely not one I saw coming. While this does tackle some heavier subject matter, it wasn’t a turn off and naturally/organically progressed the storyline along. You should definitely one-click this now, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I requested this one on a whim even though I'm not a big fan of suspense/mystery-type books but I couldn't seem to put this one down! The book is told from two POV's, Alex Fox and her teenage daughter Lettie. The book starts at Memorial Day (present) and then rewinds one year. Then you spend the book finding out the secrets of the families of Alton Road. By the end, you'll surely have your favorites and who you're rooting against. I know I did!

In one word : underwhelming 😕

This one is probably labeled as a domestic thriller, but I was more bored than thrilled... I don't like to write negative reviews, but I think it's important to be honest. I had no problem with the writing, but I didn't care for any character and wasn't invested in the story. I wasn't even curious to know the identity of the victim and the culprit! 🤷‍♀️😬

Looking at the other reviews, I'm sure that plenty of readers will enjoy this book more than I did.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Pub Date: 18 Jul 2023

Centered around Memorial Day, The Block Party highlights the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Alton Road families. Spicing up this hot summer read, Jamie Day mixes cocktails and pills with a splash of death in The Block Party.

Alton Road is in a premier neighborhood and one that people remember for the epic Memorial Day bashes that are thrown. But this year, the festivities get way out of hand as the community social media forum acts like every other in the county, allowing speculation and embellishment to rule the day. Alex Fox and her husband Nick live on the block with their daughter Lettie, and boy is there an alcohol problem there. Alex’s sister Emily, and her husband Ken Adair, live just a few houses away with their son Dylan but boy is there a deep dark secret that one of them is harboring. Emily is a well-respected real estate agent who just happens to sell a home on the street to Samir and Mandy Kumar, along with their troubled college aged son Jay.

Day throws it back to the previous year’s Memorial Day bash, to when the Kumar family was touring a home for sale on the street and things were better left unsaid. There is a whole other host of characters that come in to make a statement, including the Only Fans model who was recently widowed. As the neighborhood races towards another extraordinary summer kickoff blowout, the tempers come to lare at a boiling hot pace. Not knowing who has secrets and who doesn’t blood spills as everyone in this tight knit community is tied into something that they really didn’t even know they were.

Jamie Day gets this summer blockbuster cooking with real housewife vibes tossed into an episode of big Brother. There is no shortage of carnage and backstabbing in this mind-twisting journey. Love is stolen and given free of charge as “get out of here” and “nuh-uh'' become your favorite phrases while bebopping your way through this neighborhood trainwreck. Comical at times, downright scary at others, Day highlights the do’s and do nots of the classical neighborhood mixer while attempting to throw you off her tail at every opportunity. This is a bit of a step out of my normal military action thriller, but it went fast and crazy and had me so jumbled up, I didn’t know what she was going to do next. I believe the phrase the kids use these days is “never let them know your next move” and Day took this to heart and absolutely will keep you guessing until the end.

The book cover is beautiful for this book! It’s what truly drew me to requesting an advanced copy. I had never heard of the author or the book. I went into this book blindly, but I’m so glad I took the plunge! I requested the ebook originally, but started to really enjoy it, so I requested the audiobook too- it’s helpful to go back and forth between both copies.

I loved the community Facebook inserts, they truly made me laugh out loud! I could totally picture people in the community where I live saying the same ridiculous things.

I enjoyed the books perspective bouncing back and forth between the mother and daughter. It was a nice insight in the kid and adult perspective of the book. It was cool to start with the present day and then build back from a year or so earlier to get the backstory and understand how everything got to be so intertwined and messy!

Overall, I really loved this book and will be suggesting it to friends and family!

As promised in the blurb, this is a Whodunit. But the reader does not know who “dun” it or who it was done to or why it was done. It starts out present time, then goes back to the previous year, presumably leading to the crime.

The first thing that bothers me about the book is that it pushes the agenda of climate change and environmental breakdown. I know that these are very relevant issues but I don't need that in a book that I am reading for entertainment. I get more than enough of it on the news and on social media.

The next thing that bothers me is that it is a very alcoholic-centric story. While it is not a story about alcoholism, it is constantly mentioned throughout. It is not necessary to the story and could have been left out.

The rest of the story was only ok. There is such a glut of psychological thrillers on the market that it is hard to make one stand out. This one is a cross between Desperate Housewives on Wisteria Lane and something that Liane Moriarty might have written.

There is a cul-de-sac. Each home has its problems. There is addiction, mental health, abuse, stalking and strangely enough, there is a weird and aggressive exterminator hanging around that no one likes. And, any one of these problems could lead to the murder that is going to happen.

My problem is that the further I get into the book, the more convoluted it becomes and also unbelievable. I read for entertainment so I don't necessarily need everything to be realistic. But, this became totally off-the-wall unbelievable by the last half of the book. But, of course, I needed to finish it. Quite the conundrum!

This is a great story for anyone who wants a quick read and who doen't mind the very twisted, convoluted and unrealistic tale of The Block Party.

I'm giving it 3 stars because I forged my way through it and came out unscathed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers copy.

This was so not for me. This style of writing really borders on YA to me and it just kept completely pulling me out of - what was supposed to be - an adult thriller. The premise and conclusion are pretty good but I just found it so dry.

Every Memorial Day the residents of Alton Road have a block party. The neighbors around all know it’s a tradition. The neighbors in this cul-de-sac are all very close, a couple are even related. When a new family moves in things start to become tense. The adults are fighting and the kids who were close are beginning to doubt each other. So many families and so many problems.
Jamie Day is able to write a very interesting story about a small community and all of their struggles. His characters are very interesting and captivating. You will enjoy this story.

This appears from the outside the neighborhood that everybody would love to move to, but the real secrets and drama lie behind closed doors. Sounds like the perfect neighborhood Memorial Day block party until the cops are involved after a murder happens. The story goes between present day to reliving the last year through the eyes of a mother and her teenage daughter getting ready to graduate. What animosity in that time frame and scandals happened to cause the argument and murder that occured in the present day. This was a really great read and one that I'll definitely be recommending to friends.

☀️📚 #4 (and an eARC from Net Galley)

First of all, this book would make a great movie because that's exactly how it read for me! Secondly, from a personal stand point, the bits that were the online community group transcripts felt 💯% like I was reading my own community's FB news page; the array of characters and the comments they made felt WAY too familiar 👀🤣

I enjoyed the way the book was laid out, getting the preview of the current timeline at the beginning and then backtracking to go through the past year leading up to that day's events. It's clear that someone has died/ been potentially murdered. But as the reader you have no idea who. As the story unfolds from the previous year and you get to know the neighbors, it becomes clear that the victim(s) (and potential murderer) could be ANYBODY for a slew of reasons. I thought Jamie did a particularly great job at fleshing this plot out because the further you get into the book and to finding out what actually happens and to who, you can't easily predict who it will be or why. This is because there are so many little mysteries going on between the characters, and there's also several instances shown where multiple characters have a gun or access to a gun. As for the motives, there are PLENTY in the mix! I LOVED not being able to predict what was going to happen. It kept me turning the pages quicker!

The little community post interactions that I mentioned earlier have a nice way of tying in and keeping in focus that something has happened in the present day. It's a nice refresher with a bit of humor every so often to have that slipped within as a reminder that something is coming once we make it back to present day. I'm also glad that Jamie only gave Lettie and Alex the main primary narratives as opposed to switching through viewpoints of ALL the main players at the block party/ neighborhood because too many characters and constant switching always gives me a bit of a headache. This was easy to follow and flowed more smoothly to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and will definitely check out more from Jamie in the future!

*As always, thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Jamie Day for this eARC.
*Block Party will be released July 18th, 2023!

I was excited to read this book after seeing all the 5-star reviews, but I came away a bit disappointed. There are so many characters and convoluted plot points to keep track of, and it all felt a little confusing at times. None of the secrets were particularly surprising, and the basic story of a neighborhood full of people with things to hide is one I've read many times. I'll admit that it did keep me reading until the end, so it had some entertaining elements. So, for me, this one gets three stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good neighborhood thriller and this was pretty solid! I actually liked the ending A LOT which I usually end up liking books along the way, and not the ending, but this was the opposite. In some parts of the middle I felt like we really needed more action and it was dragging a bit, but how everything wrapped up in the end was great. Loved all the connections between the characters. Not a fav thriller but will still recommend.

The first thing to be said is that the only reason this is a mystery is because it starts with present day and a murder happening at the block party and then goes back a year prior to telling you who was killed. At its core, this is a domestic, contemporary drama focusing on an elite neighborhood that is full of family, friends, and secrets. The drama itself is juicy and the players are morally gray.

I felt the community group chat of the nearby neighborhood was unnecessary as it added nothing but fodder for gossip and to remind us that this was a mystery not just a drama. I feel this story would have done better with it staying as a family and neighborhood drama escalating to the murder rather than opening with the murder of an unknown person and then going back in time.

Not everything is as it seems on Alton Road and it all escalates at their annual Memorial Day block party. When the secrets come out and the repercussions appear, who will be make it out unscathed?

The Block party is a domestic suspense story about an affluent block party full of secrets. There are many characters but only two of them narrate the story, Alex and her daughter Lettie. There was lots of drama and secrets interwoven throughout the story. Lettie's side of the story reads like a Young Adult novel. As the secrets unfold, we see connections between the neighbors that leave you shocked. Overall, the story was enjoyable and kept me interested. This is a great beach read or casual summer read. I give it 3.5 stars!

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie Day’s The Block Party is the summer thriller we ALL need.

You never know what goes on behind closed doors. No one knows this better than the residents of Alton Road. After someone ends up dead at the annual block party, secrets begin to emerge. Readers will be shocked to discover the victim’s identity and the circumstances surround it.

The story alternates between past and present timelines. While it is narrated by a mother-daughter duo, Day incorporates the entire ensemble of Alton Road (and the surrounding neighborhoods). Normally adding multiple perspectives adds to the believability, by these unreliable narrators kept me on my toes.

I loved everything about this book!!! Each time I thought I had things figured out, Day threw another twist and turn my way. The ending left me so shocked, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Day’s debut novel. I was able to both read and listen to the book and can attest to them being absolutely phenomenal. The benefit of having a physical book was that it allowed me to go back and gain clarification for key details I missed. Whereas, listening to the audiobook brought a sense of humanity to characters I strongly disliked. Each format offered a unique insight. If possible I would encourage readers to consume both formats.

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillian Audio, and Jamie Day for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? In THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day you’ll see that that may not always be the case. As the neighbors gather for the annual Memorial Day block party/BBQ/fireworks, there are so many secrets and lies going on, whether it’s between partners, parents, siblings, cousins, best friends…you name it. We’ve got two sisters living on the block where one suspects the other’s husband is cheating with the new girl. We’ve got ladies wondering if the new boy is abusive. We’ve got one neighbor trying to teach the other the fine art of getting revenge. Oh, and an exterminator (aka Bugman) who will use ANY opportunity to advertise his business. All of these people gladly(?) come together for that special day. But when a shot can be heard, you’re not really sure who was hit.
This one had me hooked from the beginning. While I think knowing your neighbors is very important and in Philadelphia there are A LOT of block parties, these people are all too close for comfort. Makes for a very fun and interesting read. I like the author’s writing style that had me so glued to the pages, I could only leave the neighborhood when the book was completed. But to tell you the truth, I was happy to see it in my rear view mirror. This would make a great beach read, just make sure someone else is watching the kids. I think it would also lead to very lively and spirited conversations at any book club. Great job!

I love a good neighborhood drama. I found this to be slightly predictable, but the ending came as a surprise. Definitely would recommend!

What I wouldn't give to live in this neighborhood! This neighborhood was filled with drama and just goes to show you never know what might be happening in the house next door!