The Block Party tackles one of those upper class neighborhoods where everyone has problems. The story starts at the block’s Memorial Day party. By the end of the night, someone has been murdered. The reader is kept in the dark about both victim and murderer, a la Big Little Lies.
The book bounces between the present day and the past year; and between Alex and her daughter, Lettie. There’s a plethora of characters, each filling a slot. Drunk? Check. Cheating spouse? Check. Controlling husband? Check. Troubled teenager? Check. Angry young man? Double check. Widow whose husband died under suspicious circumstances? Check. You get it. I’ll be honest, most of these characters were annoying. This will appeal to those that like reality shows with over the top, somewhat cliched characters. These people are so up in each other’s business, it was crazy. Even the Community Page posts are pure gossip, but at least provide a bit of comic relief.
Kudos to Day for keeping me guessing. I had no clue how this would play out. This would work well as an easy beach read.
I am definitely in the minority as most have loved this. I found it just meh. But I like my mysteries to have a little more depth.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Thoroughly entertaining. This felt like a hoa Facebook group come to life with crime and murder. Definitely will be a top book of the summer. All in all it was a good read. Neighbors with secrets. Some are a little crazy, but still pretty good. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this audiobook. This was a great book, I especially loved the use of multiple narrators which made it feel like I was listening to a movie. The story line was good; I did figure out the big twist on my own, but there were other elements that I didn’

What a page turner!! The high end, much desired neighborhood of Alton Road has soo many secrets embedded in each and every home. As the story unfolds, the secrets start slowly coming out until it all explodes! You won’t want to miss this one!

This definitely isn't like any block party that I attended. Someone is murdered at the Alton Road annual block party. You don't find out who it is until the end of the book. We are taken back in time. You meet the neighbors and how their lives are intertwined. There were a lot of characters and I occasionally had trouble keeping them straight. There was adultery, bullying, blackmail, stalking, mental health issues, alcoholism, violence, and a LOT OF SECRETS.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A neighborhood block party on Alton Road goes wrong when someone is murdered. As the story unfolds we get to know everyone who lives on the block.  It gave me Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies vibes. We don't know who was murder and why until the very end. It's a story told in multiple perspectives and dualish timelines.  Most of the story is in the past until the past catches up with the present.  There's also some chapters told in the present that is strictly a facebook community group which gave me the chuckles because it is exactly what you'd expect in a facebook group.  A lot of it was predictable which I didn't mind. I felt like this story had a good mix of plot and character development.

The Block Party has an interesting plot. I found myself more invested in the audiobook – switching back and forth. The narration brought the characters to life in a way that simply reading the story missed for me. I enjoyed the writing overall. I would have preferred less possibilities and more dedicated focus on the main story. The ending was satisfying. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of life after the event. The was my first read from this author but it won’t be my last.

This was a great story with fantastic characters. Loved the look at the neighborhood life over a year.

This was such a fun listen, I enjoyed it. It was a very drama filled suspenseful read. You don't know who to trust, who's hiding something, who's reliable and I love that.

The setting was great it was really engaging to find out about all the neighbor's, and spying on them, now I wonder what my neighbor's are hiding. There were 2 POV's from Alex and Lettie which are mother and daughter, I enjoyed the adult and teens view. I felt they really enhanced the the tension, drama and you got to see how the adult secrets affected the parents and vice versa.

The character development was great, not just from the 2 MC but also the side ones, as things were revealed we could feel the growth and regret. I honestly did not predict anything of what happened, I didn't see anything coming and that's the best part. Although some parts were slower, it didn't stop me from being immersed in the story. The ending was just right in my opinion.

If you're looking for and addictive, drama filled, unputdownable, slow building suspense thriller ride add this to your summer TBR!

✨️Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress, @macmillanaudio & @jamieday for my free ARC & ALC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good domestic thriller set between two Memorial Day block parties. The story was told with many different narrators, but it read quickly and was interesting.Another story where you never know where the truth lies! Gave me Big Little Lies vibes. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wouldn’t consider this a thriller, more so a drama-filled block of intertwined neighbours. The book did drag in a few chapters but came together nicely at the end.

It’s the annual block party in an exclusive neighborhood. And please, no interlopers! Not even the pesky bug guy! (Sorry, buddy.)

But as with most neighborhoods things are changing. New families moving in, bringing their own personal sets of problems with them. Kids growing up and preparing to leave for college. And… marriages coming apart at the seams! Standard-issue problems that every neighborhood experiences.

Now something seriously dark is coming to this high-end neighborhood. Murder!

The focus is on Alex, wife and mother, who nearly everyone seems to come to for sage advice. Well, she is a mediator by trade so I suppose that makes sense. I also think she secretly enjoys being the one in charge.

We also hear from Alex’s daughter Lettie. Nearing the end of high school, wanting to save the world though no one else seems to take note of her quest.

The online community page, (a take on our neighborhood apps) was hilarious. It reminded me of familiar voices of my own neighbors!

This was a fun, engaging read. I definitely feel it falls into the category of family drama rather than thriller.
I enjoyed the audio and digital formats equally.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that this book was just okay. It seemed very similar to several other books I’ve read within this setting. Suburban neighborhood, lots of secrets, scandal, etc.

I enjoyed reading this so much! I loved the different point of views, and had good character building. I enjoyed every character in this book and their stories. I didn’t see the ending coming at all, and loved how the story was ended. Definitely recommend this book, and will look forward to reading more from this author!

The yearly Alton Road block party holds a plethora of secrets, lies and danger. The novel tells the stories of the denizens of Alton Road. There is simply too much going on, too many coincidences, too much mayhem for me. So many characters, too many interconnections to allow me to enjoy this novel without questioning.

I wish it had been simplified, but once I was able to unravel the connections, it was reasonably enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley.

Wow, I could not put this book down!

It's the Annual Block party for the exclusive Alton Road neighborhood, and shots ring out - who was murdered?

We go back a year and learn about all the neighbors and their secrets, with the tension culminating in a shooting at the block party.. Who did it, and why? Nothing is as it seems.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

What a delightful novel about a group of neighbors who get along splendidly and... just kidding. The Block Party takes readers on a journey through what seems to the outside like an idyllic, wealthy suburban cul-de-sac, but in actuality is a group of families that have so many secrets and desires for revenge, it's only a matter of time before the tension explodes into violence.

The book opens with the crime and then rewinds as we follow the neighbors through the whole year leading up. Collectively the families aren't very interesting, they seem white-washed and stereotypical, and I'm so bored reading about rich white people in general. Several times throughout the book a character says something like, "It doesn't matter, we have the money." In one instance $25,000 goes missing but the family doesn't suffer any financial repercussions. That makes it a little difficult to care about whether or not the husband is cheating, in my opinion.

BUT. I kept reading because the storyline involving the high schoolers was interesting and while they were pretty stereotypical themselves, they held my attention the best. As time goes on the storylines of every family, teens and adults, mingle together into a maze of mystery and the author craftily reveals main characters to be more complex than initial impressions. The sheer number of characters threatens to make the book confusing, but in the end all was well.

The Block Party is more mystery than thriller and though I wasn't at the edge of my sear until the very end, I was invested. If you like a good domestic mystery this would be a great summer read for you! The book releases July 18. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book; as always, opinions are my own.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Set on an obscure suburban Massachusetts cul-de-sac where everybody knows their neighbor, or do they? This quip sums up the whole story for me ... "Rumors were pervasive, and arsonists loved watching their own fires."

I don't read a lot of YA and found this to be an okay read.
3☆

Set during an exclusive neighborhood block party where everyone has secrets and someone ends up dead. I enjoyed that this was told from multiple POVs and we get to see different generational perspectives (parents vs kids) especially when the story flashes back to the past year to give us greater insight into all the players.

Action packed, this book lead to a propulsive and deadly reveal and would make a perfect summer read! Great on audio too narrated by Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @stmartinpress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this this book. This neighborhood drama ad similar vibes to Little Fires Everywhere and I enjoyed how it all started with a block party. I listened to this and there was a lot of characters to keep straight. The book started on strong and lost my interest in the middle and came back with a great twisty ending. This is a perfect summer read.