The Final Party’ was an unpredictable thriller that managed to surprise and shock me! This is the first book of this authors that I have read but I loved it and will be revisiting her past books. This was a well-put-together thriller that when all the parts come together you actually go ‘wtf?!’. It was tense, twisty and packed full of lies and secrets.

Six friends have gathered in Sorrento for one of their 40th birthdays. Friends from university, life has taken them in different ways but they are still in touch, some closer than others. But before the week is out, one of them is dead and the rest reeling from traumatic events. The reunion is marred when one of them starts to receive anonymous text messages which threaten to unearth some dark truths from when they were at University and the truth will not stay buried…

Sometimes I find books that have multiple points of view a bit hard to follow and it's not my favourite form. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it in this case. Each person has a definite and well-formed voice and a strong thread of the narrative. Every character was keeping lies and secrets from the others and it allowed the tension to build up very nicely indeed! Never have a more messed up group of individuals been immortalised. None of them really had many redeeming qualities. Four of them are battling with a secret from one night whilst they were at University which left one of their group attacked and suffering from amnesia. Was one of their friends responsible?

I loved the location and it is clear that the author loves this area of the world! The descriptions were on point and you really were immersed into southern Italy. The juxtaposition of using the light of Italy and the heat to counter the darkness of the narrative was extremely well done.

This was a well-plotted thriller that manages to surprise the reader! Let me know if you pick it up.

This was a bit of a slow burner trying to get into it and don't know if the six different pov was too much.But glad I stuck with it as it did get going ,with a lot of twists and turns and did keep me guessing right to the very end.

This book is crazy good!!! Explosive secrets revealed one after another, constantly keeping you on your toes! I'm serious when I say that I don't think I've ever read a book with so many twists! Most of them unexpected. An expertly crafted, tightly woven, fantastic thriller that I cannot recommend enough!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hera Books for this eARC.

The Final Party by A. A. Chadhuri is a well crafted slow burn thriller.

I really enjoyed this book. I read in very quickly as it was really hard to put down.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that we had six different points of view and flashback, the story goes from present to past and back and forth.
Almost from the beginning we have a feeling that this birthday celebration set in a beutiful Italian seaside is not exactly so perfect as it should be and then slowly as the layers come off we find out that something bad had happened in the past and maybe something even worse is about to happen.

Even though this is a slower paced thriller there wasn't a single boring moment. The story is engorssing, characters are so well crafted and three dimenisonal, they are believable and realistic, no one is truly bad and no one is absolutely without a fault. Incredibly accurate portrayal of human nature.
And just when we think that the whole truth has been revealed even more twists and turns are coming.

Higly recommended to all who enjoy suspense and thriller novels.

My first AA Chaudhuri book but definitely not my last. This was fresh and suspenseful writing with no shortage of creepy twists and turns. Such great characters, well thought out and made the pages come alive. So fun to discover a new to me author. I look forward to this adventure.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕….

They can pull you into the depths of darkness with a tense, captivating and completely unpredictable gem of a book. This is an author who delivers with every book, but also gets better and better. Chaudhuri can do no wrong in my opinion and is one of the best modern day authors, I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The characters are flawed but completely relatable and we are fed puzzle pieces slowly as we delve deeper into this sinister and unpredictable world.

I loved the multiple narrative of this gem. It made things uncertain and unpredictable. I found myself unable to work out who I could trust. My heart has pounded and my pulse raced as I’ve read on. Chaudhuri presents the overwhelming feeling of dread which you feel as a reader, but as events have unfolded I have been completely speechless.

This is a book that I certainly won’t forget in a hurry. I have read all of this author’s books and this is quite possibly a favourite.

There is nothing to dislike about this book. It’s beautifully written, perfectly paced and guaranteed to keep the reader guessing. I am in awe at the talent of this author. I’m already eagerly anticipating what May come next.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book. It truly is a book worthy of all the stars. I’ve loved every minute.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A. A. Chaudhuri does it again ❤️ This novel is perfect for those who enjoy a slow burn  character driven thriller.

I loved learning the pasts of the characters - It added so much to the storytelling and the overall tension. All the relationships and stories are well integrated and made it easy to learn the decades of history between 6 friends! They were the perfect unlikeable characters - I loved to hate them!

This is my favourite kind of thriller - you know someone dies, you don't know who, and even my attempts and guessing why were thwarted. Well worth the time it takes to get to the end.

🔴Overall🔴
Settle in for the slow burn thriller; this is incredibly difficult to put down and your mind will go on a million different tangents with a million different theories. Excellent characters ❤️

The Final Party
By A.A Chaudhuri
5⭐

Six friends
One body
Countless lies

This book follows 6 friends who travel to Sorrento for a friend's 40th birthday. When one of the group starts receiving anonymous text messages, lies begin to come unravelled.

This book was such an amazing fast paced psychological thriller. I was addicted to this book, with so many shocking revelations, twists and turns I just couldn't put this down.

I loved how the book was told in dual points of view. Some characters I loved more than others. Such a wonderfully written book, full of suspense and excitement. With short captivating chapters, I found it such an easy, exciting read.

DNFing this book at 11%. Literally nothing but back story. Nothing has happened at all. These women, well the ones I met, all hate their lives and envy one of their friends. The second timeline seemed interesting but not enough to keep me engaged.

With friends like these, who needs enemies? When six friends go on a luxurious holiday to celebrate a 40th birthday, what could go wrong? This depends on which friends are hiding dark secrets, and will they be revealed? This was a frustratingly gripping read where I was constantly chasing to know more. Although there were many hints of secrets about to be revealed, I did feel annoyed at some points that I wasn't being given more information or clues. Despite this, I still found this to be a well constructed story with some shocks at the end.

Okay I really enjoyed this but I will say it was a tough start. There was a lot of background and at first the characters were so similar to me that I was having trouble keeping them straight. Once the story got moving though I really enjoyed it… and I did not expect that plot twist at the end!! There were so many mini twists rather than just one big one which I love!

When I saw that Alex has written the new book, I knew I have to read it early! Thank you so much Hera Books for this copy. I loved all previous stories, I was sure this one will be brilliant too!

A group of friends Ness, Marcus, Padma, Nick, Lana and Johnny - three couples - go to Italy to celebrate 40th birthday. Ness' plans are not that innocent though, she's turning forty but it's also time to admit guilt, ask for forgiveness and stop looking behind their back.

The book has two timelines - present and eighteen years in the past when a girl went missing and Padma was attacked and lost her memory. I loved that writing was from the perspective of each character depending on the chapter, which gave more insight into their character and their thinking.

The plotting is excellent, as always. The author gives us a bit of clues which allow the reader to figure out some of the events, with a big reveal at the end.

The Final Party is definitely a book you can't miss if you love psychological thrillers!

When a group of old college friends get together and decide to go on holiday to celebrate a 40th birthday what could possibly go wrong?

Well the answer to that is just about everything. With so many secrets, twists and lies it’s a miracle that any of them make it out alive and that they don’t all end up killing each other.

Friend cannot trust friend, wives cannot trust their husbands and vice versa. Although this book was packed with twists and turns I did find it a little hard to get into a the beginning and I did also find there was a lot going on and it was quite hard to follow, however I’d say bare with it, as the book goes on and the characters develop everything does come together nicely and it does make sense.

I loved all the twists and turns in the
Is book. There were so many I didn’t know which of the characters if any I could trust and that only added to the suspense of this book.

I don’t really know what else to say about this book without giving too much away but I’d definitely say it is worth a read as towards the end I couldn’t put my kindle down and was desperate to know the out come and what it meant for each of the characters in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review.

There's a lot of twists, a gripping plot, a cast of fleshed out characters. An excellent thriller that kept on the edge and guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Nessa invites two other couples to vacation with her and Marcus in a grande villa in Italy she wants to celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary and she wants to do it with the people she’s known the longest this includes Johnny and his wife Lana, Nick and his wife Patma and in one form or another they all been friends in some fashion Lana and Patma we’re friends in primary school as was Vanessa and Johnny and with the exception of Marcus they all attended Oxford together. Nick and Patma aren’t as rich and well-off as the two other couples but they were in love and a trying to have a baby Lana and Johnny can’t stand each other Johnny comes from a very cultured family unlike Lana who got into Oxford because of her brains she is also holding something over Johnny’s head and despite he wants a divorce she refuses to give then is that would be defeat. Vanessa and Marcus also love each other despite Vanessa’s recent bout of keeping her distance in this new holiday seems to have reinvigorated the relationship with Vanessa has a secret as does most of the group unfortunately there’s someone else who knows about the incident involving Patma Lana Johnny Nick but sadly enough that isn’t the only secret some of the people in this group are holding this is a backstabbing double dealing double dipping shady group of folks and I mean they have lives there keeping from each other their spouse their best friend and what makes it work so great it all comes off authentically incredible you would think with all this made up intrigues you would have to really suspend the lease to believe the story in there is one part that is kind of like that but not really if you get my meaning and it’s with the boys back at Oxford but I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to give anything away because this is a stellar read and one I highly recommend this is like a thriller on steroids I truly enjoyed this book and if you love a great great thriller then you definitely need to read The Final Party Buy A. A. Chaudhary I hope all her books are like this one because I cannot wait to read another. I love a good thriller and thoroughly enjoyed this one but I’m starting to repeat myself so I will say this is a definite five star read in one inning thriller fan will love. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Three couples are spending a week in Italy together to celebrate a birthday among old friends. It soon becomes clear that terrible secrets are being kept within the group and someone turns up dead.

The Final Party is a book that I simply could not put down, I inhaled it within the space of 24 hours.

I liked the fact that you know someone is dead but have no idea who and I was immediately hooked by the first chapter. I enjoyed following along from the different character perspectives, picking up clues and hints to try and figure out the truth. The beautiful descriptions of the villa and Sorrento made it feel like I was right there in the sunshine.

The addictive plot kept me glued to the pages until the very end. I absolutely loved that this book was full of twists, lies and secrets as it made for a real rollercoaster of a read.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers you will adore The Final Party.

Thank you NetGalley and Hera Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is such a brilliant read!
For fans of The IT Girl & The Holiday!
A slow burn, intricate thriller, patience is key as it all pays off in the end!
My fave type of thriller & I’ll be recommending - thank you!
4.5*

This thriller is set in the beautiful Italian city of Sorrento. Six friends meet to celebrate one of their 40th birthdays. However, the sins of the past put a damper on the festive feelings. Despite being more than 15 years ago, the disappearance of a first year student at uni is something no one of them can forget and each one grapples with it in their own way. This story is told through alternating POVS amongst the friends, and even the victim. I would have loved to listen to this book as an audiobook. However, as a novel, it wasn’t the right fit for me. I felt that I didn’t get to know any of the characters too well before the voice switched to someone new. This kept the novel moving and interesting but I didn’t really connect with any of them, except Padma. The pacing is excellent and the suspense is evident but I would have liked more from each of the characters, or possibly limit the voices from six to four. Overall, this was a good read that just didn’t connect me. Readers who relish suspense novels would appreciate it though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Publishers for the complimentary digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own. This book is available on May 25, 2023.

This was such a twisty mystery about old college friends who are holidaying together eighteen years after college, all of them harbouring secrets that could blow up their whole lives if they’re revealed.

This was filled with twists and turns and follows multiple different perspectives. There are six friends and we learn a lot about each of them and all of their secrets were really shocking to me. This was right up my street! I love mysteries that take place abroad, it just adds something that makes it more thrilling to me. This was done so well and I would recommend this for thriller fans who love lots of twists!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hera Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#ad I received a gifted copy of this book and leave this review of my own accord. Thanks #NetGalley and #TheFinalParty – Available May 25th 2023.

Review: “The Final Party” is an enthralling novel that skillfully combines elements of psychological suspense, mystery, and deep-rooted friendships. From the idyllic setting of the luxury villa to the celebration of milestone birthdays, the stage is set for a perfect reunion. However, the atmosphere quickly shifts as anonymous messages start to haunt one member of the group, threatening to expose a long-buried secret from their university days.

The author expertly creates an air of tension and unease that permeates the narrative from the very beginning. As the group’s dynamics become increasingly strained and suspicions arise, readers are drawn into a web of deceit and betrayal. The characters are well-developed, each harboring their own secrets and motivations, adding layers of complexity to the story.

One of the strengths of “The Final Party” lies in its exploration of the dynamics of friendship and the consequences of past actions. As the characters are forced to confront the dark secrets they thought were buried, the narrative delves into themes of trust, loyalty, and the lengths people will go to protect themselves and their loved ones. The intricacies of their relationships are skillfully portrayed, heightening the emotional stakes and keeping readers engrossed.

The pacing of the story is consistently gripping, with the tension steadily building as the plot unfolds. The author cleverly plants clues and red herrings, keeping readers guessing and turning the pages in anticipation of the truth. The revelations that emerge are both shocking and satisfying, delivering a well-crafted resolution to the mystery.