I chose to read this book because I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley! I have a weak spot for thrillers and thought it sounded intriguing with the remote location and wanted to try a new-to-me author. I have learned that this is the first novel in a series regarding the main character who is a former police detective. This book will be released to the public on April 6, 2023! If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, Megan Miranda, or Gilly Macmillan, you will definitely enjoy this book.
Summary
This book takes place on Eldey island, which is an island full of deadly secrets. The old cloister is filled with guests from all areas of life. Mona, who is an artist and paints in her room. Beth, who is a stressed-out mother and wanted a weekend away with her family. Charlotte, who is an unhappy stepmother who wanted a romantic getaway with her inattentive husband. There are several others on this island that are suspect. One of these people is serial killer and has poisoned four of her friends at her eleventh birthday party. All of them seem to fit the profile, but who will risk it all to kill again?

What I Liked
This story line uses a multiple POV structure, and I believe that some characters are stronger than others. My favorite is of course Mallory, who is the main character telling the story and seems to be the most trustworthy. The other characters all seem suspicious and as I read this I felt as if I was working with Mallory to uncover the truth. I did not feel like I knew who the killer was at any given time. I am a sucker for books that keep me guessing and want to keep reading. I also loved that they had basically been cut off from the mainland because of the storm adding intensity of the story. I liked how the creepy atmosphere was depicted and how awkward Alex was portrayed. I felt like I could not trust any of the characters.

What I Didn't Like
Initially having the multiple POV and trying to remember who people were throughout the book was a bit difficult. I felt that the story line took a bit too long to get to the cliffhanger. I felt that the story was a bit repetitive and that the ending was a bit lackluster for me.

Rating⭐⭐⭐.5
I rated this book 3 stars on Goodreads. I think it is worth the read if you are into remote locations and mystery. But the overall ending made me give it a lower rating.

I have always looked forward to Ward's works, so it is not a surprise that I jumped at the opportunity to read this one earlier.

Mallory Dawson, is the newly introduced lead of the series, and she is instantly a likeable character. She is driven, and she makes up for an incredible narrator.

The story begins when former police detective, Mallory stops at the island Eldey to get her life in order. But someone ends up dead at the hotel she works at. Hiding among her guests, is the famous killer known as the Birthday Girl.

The suspects are narrowed down, as the killer is revealed to be one of the three women staying at the hotel. Can Mallory find out the murderer before other people die.

I have to applaud the Ward's writing here. It kept me up at the edge of my seat. The characters are solid, and the twists, despite the predictability, have been fleshed well. It is bingeable, and the who dunnit has been executed solidly. It has compelling pacing, and will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and to the the publisher for the copy.

I really enjoyed The Birthday Girl. I found it a fast paced, unputdownable read with plenty of twists and turns which kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for my ARC.

Each with their own reasons for staying in a boutique hotel on a remote Welsh island, Mona, Beth and Charlotte find themselves stranded when a storm encroaches the area. Night Manager and former detective Mallory Dawson is there to look after the guests but soon discovers one of them is a serial killer with a dark, dark past.

Using a multiple POV structure we learn a lot about each character. Many of the characters are unreliable narrators with really only Mallory being reliable and the edge of reason. She felt like an ally in the search for the deadly killer. The misdirections in the suspect points of views worked perfectly and were all equally suspicious.

The tension builds in this atmospheric thriller as Mallory tries to identify The Birthday Girl. Permeating through the storyline the sense of suspicion and danger keep you on edge as the mystery is unravelled. There is a sense of isolation which compliments the murder mystery and island secrets, and the chilling reveal rounds out an intense read.

A great locked room page turner in an isolated setting.

I really enjoyed The Birthday Girl by Sarah Ward. It is a dual POV which means lots of red herrings and misdirection. It is a locked room mystery with lots of suspense, thrills and danger.
The setting of this story is a hotel on an island during a major storm and is so atmospheric. The remote location is perfect for a fast paced thriller like this. I would love to see this book turned into a movie.
The characters are all so interesting and different. I really liked Mallory and I’m excited that this is book 1 in what will be a series. I can’t wait to read the next books.

I will be posting this review on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqvvxrbryJq/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5468295412

Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for providing me with the eARC!

This was a very entertaining murder mystery! Especially toward the end, I couldn't put it down. It was a little hard for me to get into at first, and it took me a while to get all the characters straight, but once I got past that, it was much more enjoyable. There were times when the book was a bit repetitive, but it was mostly when Malorie was remembering details/evidence, so it didn't bother me too much.
The setting was very reminiscent of a Christie novel with its isolated feel and gloomy, rainy ambiance. Malorie's character was very likable and easy to root for, and I'm excited to see how her character progresses throughout this new series.
Whenever I thought that I might have the mystery figured out, the multiple points of view of the different suspects had me second-guessing myself, as all of them were extremely ominous and suspicious. Even though I was able to guess the murderer, I thought the entire plot was well constructed and thought out. I was interested to see how Ward would write the story when parts of it were based on past events, but she skillfully wove the past and present together to make two stories into one.
Overall, this was a very strong start to this new series, and I'm excited to see what mysteries Malorie will solve next!

The Birthday Girl, by Sarah Ward, is the first in a new, investigative mystery series. The story is a locked room of sorts. Three women find themselves on an island getaway for differing reasons. This retreat turns into something entirely different when one of the guests is poisoned.

The resort manager, Mallory Dawson, a former police detective, suspects the killer to be the notorious “Birthday Girl” who poisoned her victims on her eleventh birthday. We get a step-by-step unraveling of this mystery in a suspenseful, time-sensitive race. This story is atmospheric, chilling and though it took a bit to get into the flow of the story and it had a few slow moments, it was ultimately a gripping novel and I look forward to more from this series.

What do we have here ? A new author for me that I will certainly be checking other works out there !!
Such a page turner this book is, atmospheric, all the characters in a remote island and trapped in because of upcoming storm and are picked one by one to gruesome creative poisonous death. Ex detective Mallory who’s just taken up task as night manager in the resort has had more than her share of task ahead of her , not only maintaining clam inside while trying to figure out who’s the killer before she becomes a victim herself.
The author keeps you guessing throughout the story and I did not manage to guess until the reveal .
Thanks to publisher Canelo Crime and Author Sarah Ward for sharing the ARC in exchange for honest review.
Don’t miss this one , it’s a whopping 5/5 stars ⭐️

Mallory is retired from the police force after an injury to her leg ends her career. She now finds herself as a night manager of The Cloister, which is a ritzy hotel on Eldey Island.

A storm has moved in trapping the employees of the hotel along with the guests. Now people are turning up dead by poisoning and Mallorie believes The Birthday Girl is among them. The Birthday Girl murdered three of her friends at her eleventh birthday party and has been recently released from prison with a new identity. She could be one of three women and it's up to Mallorie to figure out which guest is the devil in disguise.

This is one of those books where I have to ask myself why I requested it. I don't enjoy locked-room mysteries nor do I request books that are either part of or a start to a new series. I guess I had a moment of weakness and I blame the cover for that. That'll teach me. This book was the most bland and boring book I have read in quite some time. I did skim quite a bit just to move the pages along because this is the slowest of all slow burns. I found Mallorie to be so uninteresting. The mystery itself wasn't all that impressive either. You know the killer is one of three women and it's just a matter of figuring out which one. I honestly can't think of one thing about this book that appealed to me and the ending did nothing to redeem this. Outlandish and dumb are all I can say. It's a start to a new series with Mallory Dawson but I think it's evident by this review that I am one and done. 1 star!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for my complimentary copy.

After I finished reading The Birthday Girl by Sarah Ward, I thought this was a good book, but when I started thinking about what I wanted to write for the review I began to realize it was just an okay book for me…. But others may really love it.

Usually if a thriller is thrilling I’ll have it read in a day or two, but I kept reading a few chapters and then put it down to do other things. While I wanted to find out who the birthday girl was, I didn’t find myself rushing to finish.

While there were numerous suspects and Ward started out their chapters with something like; My time table is rushed now and I must finish what needs to be done, so it felt like any/all of them could be the killer, I still didn’t feel deeply compelled to read quickly. I think it could be because we don’t get a lot of back story on many of them and some of the characters felt a bit one note.

We do get more backstory on Mallory, the former cop, but even her information is a bit scarce. We get a mention of the serial killer who hurt her, but not much more. And in regards to her son and ex-husband, the reader gets a feeling that there is more coming in regards to their relationships, but you’ll have to wait for future books. If you loved this book and will be reading more, that works out fine, but if you’re undecided if you want to continue then that may be more frustrating than anything.

I did really enjoy how Ward handled the killer at the end and some of the things in regards to the poisonings were interesting. I could see myself trying the next book in the series, but I hope that Mallory would not hold back so much in making intelligent decisions quickly in regards to the investigation… maybe when her leg is more healed and she’s been on the job longer she’ll be more sure of herself.

If you are looking for a looked room style mystery with a strong hint of Agatha Christie then you just found it. I will confess to reading this on the basis of having enjoyed Sarah Ward’s series of books featuring DC Childs and not having paid too much attention to the blurb. After finishing the book I realise there is info in the blurb that would have been useful to know beforehand so that will teach me to jump in. I took a while to warm to the main character Mallory but she won me round and I’m delighted to see that this is the first book in a series featuring her and I’ll be interested to watch her development. Despite being set in current time, this frequently had me picturing an old black and white movie and definitely had shades of the great Agatha Christie to it. A great opener for a new book series.

4 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"The Birthday Girl" by Sarah Ward

Mona, Beth, and Charlotte find themselves at The Cloister, a remote boutique hotel on a Welsh island, each with their own reasons for being there. But as Mallory Dawson, the night manager and former police detective, discovers, one of these guests is a serial killer with a dark past.

The characters are unique, each with their own secrets and motives.

The tension builds as Mallory realizes that the killer, known as The Birthday Girl, is among the guests at the hotel. The sense of danger and suspicion permeates the story, keeping you on the edge trying to unravel the mystery. The plot has twists and turns that keep the suspense alive until the very end.

The sense of isolation and the hidden secrets of Eldey add to the intrigue, making it a perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.

The ending and the reveal of The Birthday Girl's identity is both surprising and chilling.

Out TODAY: https://amzn.to/3m9LUjF

This ARC was provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Have you any idea how many dead people there are on this island?”
The island of Eldey off the South Wales coast seemed to be the perfect place for Mallory Dawson to retreat to. Having left the police force due to being wounded in the line of duty, the role of night manager in the small holiday resort was the ideal location for her to get her bearing and decide on her next step – but it’s not going to be the relaxing job she thought it was.
Even when one of the staff falls ill and a storm cuts the island off from the mainland, Mallory doesn’t expect what will happen next. Because one of the guests is the Birthday Girl, who poisoned four of her friends at her birthday party when she was a child. And her party games are about to start all over again…
Now, dear reader, you might be thinking “here we go again”. The Puzzle Doctor has picked a modern thriller that the blurbs are calling “Christie-esque” about a bunch of people stuck on an island, and we know this rarely ends well. That Christie-esque tag is an albatross hanging over the blurb, a curse that almost always doom the book to mediocrity. But this is something different.
First of all, it’s written by Sarah Ward, who, for want of a better phrase, knows her stuff. Sarah wrote four excellent modern crime thrillers in the DC Childs series, followed by two gothic thrillers under the pseudonym Rhiannon Ward, and this is the start of a new series featuring the aforementioned Mallory Dawson.
It is something of a change of pace from the Childs series, as while it is set in the modern day, it’s less violent that those books. Not that this is a cosy mystery, not a chance, but Sarah hits just the right note, balancing believability with a ruthless killer and a twisty-turny plot. With regards the plot, Sarah makes an interesting choice with the possible killers, meaning that some readers might look beyond what has been suggested, and others, perhaps less experienced with crime novels, will take what is presented at face value. I’m not going to say anything more beyond the fact that I found the conclusion very satisfying. As for the “Christie-esque” line, it has far more in common with the Queen of Crime than most others that get that tag. The clue-ing isn’t multi-layered as Agatha (although there is one very clever idea that could (but won’t) pin-point the killer to the attentive reader) but everything else bar a drawing room denouement is spot on.
There’s far more to this than a Christie-esque plot, however, as this is an absolutely gripping read. The characters are people you want to find out more about, the threat of poison coming from almost anywhere adds a level of tension and as suspicion bounces around the hotel residents, I had a real dilemma when reading the book. I both couldn’t put it down but also didn’t want it to finish.
All in all, this is an excellent read, both as a mystery and a thriller. A strong start to a series and I’m curious to see how Sarah keeps the series progressing. Definitely worth checking out – far superior to most of the “stuck on an island, dying one at a time” books out there. This is how it is supposed to be done.
The Birthday Girl is out tomorrow from Canelo Crime in ebook (for an absolute pittance at the time of writing) and paperback. Many thanks for the review e-copy.

The Birthday Girl by Sarah Ward
Canelo
Publication: 06 April 2023
3 stars

We meet Mallory, a former police officer who now works at a hotel on a small island close to Tenby. Mallory didn't quite strike a chord with me. There is a wide variety of characters staying at the hotel.

The plot developed very quickly, and we are immediately forced into a staff member's death at the front desk, which Mallory witnesses. The hotel manager takes the body to the main line, but a storm prevents him from returning, leaving Mallory and other staff in control of the property. Mallory, an ex-police officer, is suspicious of her coworker's death and launches an investigation.

Overall, I think this is a great novel, but just a tad bit rushed.

Reviews are also posted on my Instagram blog (bibliophiles_elite).

Really enjoyed this locked room thriller. It was quick to read & hard to put down.
I often get bored of locked room thrillers but wasn’t the case with this one!
Looking forward to more books with Mallory in future!!

The Birthday Girl
by Sarah Ward
Publish Date: April 6, 2023
303 pages

Reviewed by Valerie Palmer

I chose to read this book because I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) from NetGalley! I have a weak spot for thrillers and thought it sounded intriguing with the remote location and wanted to try a new-to-me author. I have learned that this is the first novel in a series regarding the main character who is a former police detective. This book will be released to the public on April 6, 2023! If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell, Megan Miranda, or Gilly Macmillan, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Summary
This book takes place on Eldey island, which is an island full of deadly secrets. The old cloister is filled with guests from all areas of life. Mona, who is an artist and paints in her room. Beth, who is a stressed-out mother and wanted a weekend away with her family. Charlotte, who is an unhappy stepmother who wanted a romantic getaway with her inattentive husband. There are several others on this island that are suspect. One of these people is serial killer and has poisoned four of her friends at her eleventh birthday party. All of them seem to fit the profile, but who will risk it all to kill again?

What I Liked
This story line uses a multiple POV structure, and I believe that some characters are stronger than others. My favorite is of course Mallory, who is the main character telling the story and seems to be the most trustworthy. The other characters all seem suspicious and as I read this I felt as if I was working with Mallory to uncover the truth. I did not feel like I knew who the killer was at any given time. I am a sucker for books that keep me guessing and want to keep reading. I also loved that they had basically been cut off from the mainland because of the storm adding intensity of the story. I liked how the creepy atmosphere was depicted and how awkward Alex was portrayed. I felt like I could not trust any of the characters.

What I Didn't Like
Initially having the multiple POV and trying to remember who people were throughout the book was a bit difficult. I felt that the story line took a bit too long to get to the cliffhanger. I felt that the story was a bit repetitive and that the ending was a bit lackluster for me.

Rating⭐⭐⭐.5
I rated this book 3.5 stars on Goodreads. I think it is worth the read if you are into remote locations and mystery. But the overall ending made me give it a lower rating.

REVIEW
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🏝🏝
This book was a classic Whodunnit, the kind of book that you suspect all the characters and I did, the real culprit was a surprise to me. I loved how the author revealed the characters' secrets. I also loved the pace, perfect!
🏝🏝
I loved how the main character, Mallory, a retired police officer has experience to solve the case, it was better than an amateur sleuth. I also felt Mallory's pain and I understood her, but I wish she'd take it easy. I've not had enough of Mallory and I want more! She's a lovely character and I wish to read more about her
🏝🏝
I loved the elephant of the story, The Birthday Girl, that girl was brutal! Just wished she got the punishment she deserved
🏝🏝
Although I loved this book, I was disappointed by the ending. I wished someone hadn't died and that the perp was punished appropriately. I wanted more of the 'after'
🏝🏝
However, it's worth a read!

A brilliant whodunnit along the lines of classic Agatha Christie novels - very atmospheric.
Retired police detective Mallory Dawson, can’t help but get entangled when she takes on the role of night manager at an isolated Welsh island hotel.
As guests start dying, as a storm cuts the hotel off from the mainland, Mallory must work out which guest is the former child murderer AKA The Birthday Girl.
An array of interesting, cleverly written characters, who are all interlinked to The Birthday Girl and all had possible reasons as why she wants them dead.
Kept you guessing till the very end as to who the murderer could be.
Loved Mallory Dawson as the main character and look forward to seeing how she develops in future books in this new series

Thanks @netgalley @canelocrime & @sarahrward for the preview copy

I love crime books set in rural Wales, in a bit of a different setting, rich background stories, and quirky characters. This book fills this criteria. Poison is the word of the day. Someone is poisoning people at the place everyone is staying at on an island in Wales. Luckily there is a former police and a doctor on the premises, but the sinister killer is working her way through the guests like there is no tomorrow. Who is she? Why is she doing this? Why does she want to kill these people?

To find out you have to read this skillfully written book, with an interesting plot that makes you guess, and then guess again. Great read to escape from reality for a bit, but be careful if you are sipping tea while you read, because can you be sure what's in it?

ometimes you start reading a book and instantly love the writing style, the setting and are intrigued by the characters, and this for me was one of those books. It had me hooked.

You are kept guessing throughout and the other thing I found really nice was the fact that you're not left with a whole host of suspects for some dramatic reveal in front of the townspeople. It's logical, she suspects someone, she confronts them about it and then they're out of the running! She actually finds ways to discount her suspicions and that is shared with the reader as it happens. I know some people like the whole Colombo or murder she wrote the finale where they put the killer in a room full of people but again, it's just so ridiculously old-fashioned and not realistic. The characters themselves are a good mix of really average personalities.... again, we don't all need to be criminal masterminds, etc. They're well-fleshed out and individual and have realistic reactions and responses.

The writing has a good flow. I didn't find it slow going or have to drag myself through pointless paragraphs just droning on about things that add nothing to the plot. And I loved that there were a few minor things mentioned as throwaway comes early on that become really important later on. I love when books come full circle and don't just randomly throw things in. This is a great psychological thriller, with plenty of twists and turns and great characters. I can't wait to read more in this series.