A story about friendship really, yes there’s. Murder and yes it’s a thriller too but this is largely about who you trust and what you believe.

Old friends separate after one of their group is murdered. After being in school together, they leave without one of their own. The police don't make any special effort to find her killer. One couple seems to thrive, the others scatter. A few years down the road, one of them decides to look into the murder and dredges up all sorts of connections and memories.

Its an ok story, I figured out whodunnit fairly early. But it was interesting enough that I read it all the way through.

This was a quick and easy read and I flew through it! The plot about finding which if your old friends could be capable of murder is quite overdone but the podcast element puts a new spin on the story and makes it feel really unique! I loved the characters and the twists and turns. I'd definitely recommend

"The Girl at the Party" by Danielle Stewart is a slow-burn thriller that revolves around a cold murder case. The book follows Chris and Laura, two ex-friends who try to solve the unsolved murder of their friend Stephanie by creating a podcast and interviewing all involved.

Five years ago, eight students celebrated their college graduation by throwing a party. One of them, Stephanie, was murdered on her way back to the dorms. The police dismissed the case as a random attack. The murder changed the lives of the friends, and they drifted apart. Laura was supposed to be a nurse but ended up as a barista. She is still looking after her brother and trying to deal with an abusive childhood and an uncaring mother. Chris is doing successful podcasts instead of following his dreams.

Five years later, Chris reenters Laura's life. He is unhappy with the unsolved murder of their friend and wants to revisit the case by creating a podcast. He convinces Laura to help him, and she reluctantly agrees. Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. The more the two dig into the past, the more dirt comes out. Things escalate when they receive threats on their lives if they don't stop digging. Everyone involved has something to hide, and one of them will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out.

I have to confess that I had a hard time getting into the story. The premise was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. The book started off a little slow for me, with too much talking and not enough action. However, once I got past the slow start, the book really started to take off for me. The book could benefit from some tightening and another round of editing. Additionally, I found a couple of errors: "You're" instead of "your" (loc 1105), and there was one portion towards the end where the perspective abruptly switched from the first to the third person (loc 3435).

Overall, I enjoyed the book the more I read. There were twists I didn't see coming, and I didn't guess who the guilty party was. I liked that the book switches between the past and the present, as well as between different points of view. This allows us to gain personal insights into each character while also providing an overview of the situation as the story unfolds. The characters we meet are believable, with understandable motives and emotions. The conversations between characters provide the right amount of insight into their own thoughts and motives while advancing the plot. After giving it some thought, I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up to four.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

What a good tale! This is a story about college, friends, family and unknown enemies.

You think you know all the people around you and that you can trust them with your life…….but can you?

A must read if you like a story where the culprit could be any number of people and may just be the one you never thought possible.

This was a quick and engaging read. It centers on Chris and Laura, who are creating a podcast to draw attention to the unsolved murder of their friend Stephanie 5 years ago as they were getting ready to graduate college. The research they do causes them to look more deeply into their tight knit group of friends who were all together that night at the party where Stephanie was last seen.

I liked the podcast concept of the story and the alternating timelines that brought the reader along with the things that happened that night. I wish I had gotten to know the characters better- Stephanie, in particular was one I felt I never really understood, but I also found it extremely odd that this group of so called best friends lost touch with each other after school. I also felt like some the secrets they were fighting so hard to keep weren’t really all that earth-shattering. That being said, the book moved at a fast clip and there was a good mystery around what really happened that night. I had it partially figured out so it wasn’t a huge surprise but was still well written.

Overall, I liked the book and went through it pretty quickly. It’s fast paced and twisty and I would recommend to those who like psychological thrillers (and mystery podcasts!). Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely had a few twists and turns and I totally didn’t see the ending coming! Highly recommend!

~This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Five years ago a group of students held their last college party before stepping out into the big wide world. One of them, Stephanie, didn't get home that night and the killer has never been brought to justice.. Laura has been affected most by this- she was doing nursing and now should be heading to work in a sector of her choice, instead she is working as a barista and still looking out for her brother Jake who was one of the group by the end of college albeit as rather a sore thumb. One day whilst working Laura sees Chris, one of the group and is surprised by him turning up as she has distanced herself from the others in the intervening period. Chris is now doing successful podcasts and wants Laura to help him doing a series about what happened that night to try and finally find justice.

This is an enjoyable read and one where the reader gets very much placed in the thoughts of the characters. It's a descriptive read rather than action which isn't always a bad thing in this type of scenario. Each chapter is headed by the character giving the dialogue so we get different perspectives. The podcast is a gem of an idea which gives scope for investigation and the coming together of past friends. Laura and Chris are likeable characters and bounce well off each other, Chris being the more worldly it seems of the two having the experience of successful podcasts. It appears from about halfway through that the reader is drawn as to whom the perpetrator is- or is it? A great premise, well executed giving a very different entertaining read.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
_____________________

Really enjoyed this book. Fast paced and so many twists! I was guessing until the end. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Stephanie takes one last look at the party where her best friends are busy celebrating. As the drinks are poured and music blasts, she disappears into the darkness alone. Some say she was crying. Others think they heard an argument that night. But we never saw her alive again… Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a creative and absorbing tale! Definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boukouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fast read, which I appreciate. While I didn't particularly enjoy it, the chapters are quick and I think if anyone needs a short book they might enjoy it. I also like the idea of two friends creating this podcast to solve their friend's disappearance. That, unfortunately, is where my interest in this book ended. The dialogue felt stilted and awkward. I feel like there was an attempt at complexity or nuance - such as Laura's parental abuse, for example, or the subjects of sexual assault - but a lot of the dialogue sounded like a PSA that you'd find in a workplace harassment video. None of it properly flowed or felt like a natural conversation that people would have.

The characters also weren't all that likeable - which is fine, but they weren't fun to read either. The only character I liked showed up for maybe a second in the book. Laura just didn't seem all that interesting and Chris's motivations for the podcast and what he included (or didn't include) seemed wishy washy for no reason. There was a lot of talk about the podcast making waves, but they didn't seem to go beyond their first episode throughout the entire book. All these characters had motivations that were stated in the book for why they act the way they do, but none of it seemed particularly fleshed out. I feel like had this been a longer read with more depth into the character motivations and with some edits on the writing style, I might have enjoyed it? There's elements in this book that were promising, but just didn't hold me while reading.

I could not put this down. The Girl at the Party is the perfect mystery to just sit down and get lost in. I loved the dual timelines and multiple POV's plus the podcast investigation - I felt like I was investigating myself and finding out everything along with the characters with all these secrets and little details being unravelled slowly. I was completely absorbed by the amazing writing and I highly recommend.

The Girl at the Party is a totally compelling, can't-put-down psychological thriller. Eight friends attend a pre-graduation party; however, only seven survive. Rather than unite around the tragedy, the friend group splits and everyone tries to distance themselves from the past as much as possible. Years later, Chris, a well-known podcast host, is determined to use his platform to find out what really happened to his friend all those years ago. However, not everyone in the friend group wants this night brought back to light, and there are a few that will go to great lengths to stop Chris.

The Girl at the Party is fast-paced. The story alternates between the past and the present and mainly between Chris and Laura's POVs, with a few other added chapters. The writing techniques used throughout the book add to the story and keep the plot moving. There are plenty of secrets to be revealed and lots of twists. While I was eventually able to predict the end, I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. I'll definitely be recommending The Girl at the Party to anyone looking for a gripping psychological thriller this summer!

8 friends attended a pre-graduation college party, 1 never made it home.
Years later the MMC Chris uses his Podcast platform to try and solve his friend's murder. Easier said than done when everyone is harboring their own secrets. What a tangled web of lies this group of "friends" weaved. Nothing about that night was as it seemed.


This book had my stomach in knots! From the first page until the last I was completely immersed in the storyline, it was a gripping and at times heart- wrenching read.

This would be a great addition to anyone's TBR that enjoys reading dark and twisted Psychological Thrillers.

Thank you #DanielleStewart, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for providing me with an #ARC of this book.

When Stephanie was murdered, four years ago, people had different stories on how she left the party she was at with her best friends. Was she crying? Was she angry? Her friends are lost without her and are even more lost when they begin to learn more about that night.

It appears Stephanie wasn't the perfect girl she appeared to be and she may have known her murderer. Whoever it is, they will stop at nothing to keep the secret buried and everyone is now in danger!
#DanielleStewart #Bookouture

Their friend disappeared. Mystery and intrigue, written by a talented author. Likable characters and some not so much round out this story of murder and mayhem. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the gifted author. The story moves quickly to a surprising ending.