From my blog: Always With a Book

Somehow this is the first book I’ve read by Darby Kane but it will definitely not be the last one I pick up. It was such a thrilling ride from start to finish and one I read in a matter of hours…that’s how addicting and wild this one was! Once I started it, I just couldn’t put it down!

The locked-room trope is one of my favorites in a thriller and when you set it on an island in the middle of a storm, I’m all in! Talk about atmospheric and suspenseful!!! And then you have a group of people coming together for the first time in years and that just brings another layer of tension and to add to that, these characters aren’t the most likeable. And things just go down-hill from there. This book is so twisty and I loved that each character has their own set of secrets that you just cannot wait to find out. This book definitely gives off some major And Then There Were None vibes, so if you have read that, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t read that, no big deal.

I loved that even though I had some suspicions about a few characters, I still had no idea where this one was ultimately headed. And that kept me flipping the pages at a furious pace. There is clearly something that happened in the past that these characters do not want coming out and someone wants justice. It’s such a good mix of a cat and mouse game along with a revenge story and I couldn’t get enough of it.

This is a fast-paced, twisted story that I definitely recommend. And lucky for me that I have the rest of Darby’s backlist to read while waiting for her next book to come out!

An absolute twister of a read! I loved the story background, as well as the story of how the characters lives turned out twelve years following their college trauma. I also felt very satisfied with the ending, which is always a focal point for a thriller.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Darby Kane and William Morrow Publications for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Engagement Party, to be published 5 December 2023. 4/5 Stars for this locked room island thriller. Talk about creepy and scary— this novel has it all! Don’t read it during a storm or in the dark! Six people come together on an island for an engagement party; however, twelve years before, a young college-aged woman was killed with whom they were all friends. Now there are consequences when the group meets up again. Good read. #NetGalley #DarbyKane #WilliamMorrowPublications #TheEngagementParty

Ok, so I am reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie at the same time as this one. 🤣 That maybe wasn’t the smartest idea, but 🫠! The Engagement Party definitely gave me ATTWN vibes! Isolated location, a group of people brought together because of a murder in their past. This was a fun murder mystery! I think fans of Agatha will 100% enjoy this one! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep the characters straight, but it was easy! I loved the multiple povs in the story, and how bits and pieces of the past came to be known. My favorite chapters were the “book note” chapters, especially the last one!

Even though spooky season is over, my obsession with psychological thrillers continues, so I was incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to read Darby Kane's forthcoming novel The Engagement Party. Although these types of thrillers can often be formulaic and predictable, Darby Kane gave us anything BUT predictable. Somewhere between I Know What You Did Last Summer (slasher film) and The Guest List (authory, Lucy Foley), Kane's suspence novel The Engagement Party kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know who did it, right up to the very end. Kane's writing is smooth and clear, making the complicated twists easy to follow.

Set in a remote island in Maine, six old college friends come together for a weekend to celebrate Will's engagement to Ruthie. But then the bodies start dropping and their history finally catches up with them. Together, the friends must confront the truths about what really happened to their old friend Emily so many years ago. Kane gives us enough information about each character to feel engaged with their story. Many of the characters were complicated-- even unlikeable-- and Kane's careful writing kept me connected to them through the story. In the end, I even found myself rooting for who I thought was (and who was but then wasn't but then was) the antagonist and disliking who I initially found to be a strong, competent character. Ultimately, Kane's well-crafted character development made the somewhat comical tale of unfolding dramatic events (murder, storm-of-the-century, power outage, fire, high tide,,,) enjoyable and believable.

As far as psychological thrillers go, this was a great one- a solid 4.5 stars, so I'll round it up to 5 stars and I'll look forward to reading more from Darby Kane.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher William Morrow + William Morrow Paperbacks an author, Darby Kane for sharing access to this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh boy! Engagement Party Weekend gone bad! Is it ever a good weekend with friends during a storm on an island? It sure wasn't for these 6 friends and their celebratory weekend turns frightful as the past ultimately comes back to haunt them. Fast paced, multiple POVs, I could not turn the pages fast enough to find out who did it! So many twists. So many lies. It was SO GOOD! Don't miss

Darby Kane never misses! I’ve loved all of her other books I’ve read and this was no exception. It was a locked room style, fast paced thriller that was full of tension and that I found so hard to put down. It was full of twists that kept me guessing until the end. I loved the storyline and premise/setting and found the story so gripping and fun to read. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next and will always auto-read her books!

Thank you so much William Morrow and NetGalley for my early digital copy for my honest thoughts and review!

⭐️: 2.5/5

Twelve years after the murder of their friend, Emily, and the suicide of the student thought to be her killer, a group of college friends gather on a private island to celebrate the engagement of one of their friends. Soon, it becomes clear that they were all lured there by someone else entirely, someone who is determined to get to the bottom of the deaths years before once and for all.

When I first started this book, I had high hopes, since I enjoyed the author’s previous book, Pretty Little Wife. I knew from pretty early on though that this one would fall flat for me. All the characters were just so…annoying. Their dialogue reads worse than a low budget soap opera, and it relies on so many tropes that I find just so tiresome in thrillers. First, I love a locked room mystery as much as the next thriller fan, but this one was pretty contrived. I also hate it when we get the POV of a character who has a ~master plan~ that’s alluded to, but not revealed until later, since it almost invariably falls short. I tend to disconnect from thrillers when stupid characters make stupid choices, which this book was rife with. The one slightly saving grace was the flashbacks in book chapter form, since they made it more interesting to read at the beginning, since it was kind of like a faux dual timeline thing going on. The writing got worse as the story went on, and as it went, it also got more and more nonsensical, and I ended up skimming the last 20% or so just to finish it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I would like to start off by saying I really enjoyed Darby Kane’s other books—they were fast paced, entertaining, and kept me guessing until the end. Unfortunately, I did not feel this way about The Engagement Party. I did not like the characters and I felt like the story was all over the place. It was fast paced, but there was so much going on that it was hard to believe.

Fast paced, locked room/island thriller with the most unreliable narrators, check! This one had all of these tangled up inside. It was a fast paced read that keeps you on your toes and hooked from beginning to end.

There is honestly no character that is truly likable which made for a more chilling and intriguing read. The multiple POV's is always a winner for me, I love getting inside of each person's mind. The fact that these characters were so despicable at times made for a whirlwind of secrets and lies.

Although the storyline was a bit far fetched and crazy at times, it makes for a truly entertaining ride. It did take me a little bit to get invested in the story entirely but once all the action started happening I kept flipping those pages. I enjoyed the vibe of the isolated setting and raging storm it added to the eeriness and creepiness of this novel.

If you're looking for an eerie chilling locked room/island type of thriller give this one a shot.

✨️Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions, @williammorrow, @hkdimon & @netgalley for my free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions @williammorrowbooks @hkdimon for my advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

If you loved 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙛𝙚 or 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙛𝙚 by Darby Kane, then get ready for her next thriller read coming your way on December 5!

Twelve years after graduation, a group of college friends meet at a luxurious home on a private island off the coast of Maine for a weekend engagement celebration hosted by their friend Will and his fiancée, Ruthie. They are a group bound by secrets and a horrible death that still haunts them!

The drama begins before party even gets started as the couples arrive on the island. They discover the body of a friend with a mysterious note, “Time to tell the truth.” As a storm descends on the island, the friends all talk (and argue) about what REALLY happened to their friend Emily, who was murdered twelve years ago during graduation weekend. With secrets, accusations, and someone set on revenge, not everyone will survive this weekend of terror!

Though the story has a large cast of characters, it unfolds through the third person perspectives of three characters, Sierra, Ruthie, and Alex. The author does a great job of referencing the couples in ways that helped me remember who was with whom, and who was part of the original friend group. We have Alex and Cassie, married lawyers with a child, who each attended Bowdoin College; Mitch, another Bowdoin alumnus who is there with girlfriend, Sierra, and fellow alumnus Will, present with his fiancée, Ruthie. Though none of the characters are particularly likable (or trustworthy), making it difficult to pull for any one person to survive, the twists and surprises occur at a fast pace, making this an excellent page-turner!

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley, William Morrow and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Will and his new fiancé Ruthie invite 3 of Will's college friends to a remote island off the coast of Maine. The only way to access this home that they are staying in is by golf cart, once you depart a boat. They are completely isolated. Will has a history of getting engaged and then breaking up, so the friends don't see this lasting, nor do they understand why they were invited, as they haven't seen each other in years. The day of their graduation, one of their own disappeared and her body was found, linking them all together.

Alex and Cassie married each other and became lawyers. Cassie is the most outspoken of the group and the lone who trusts Ruthie the least. Mitch, one of the core members of the group didn't want to go this weekend getaway, but his business partner, Sierra convinced him to go, so he made her come with him.

The night they arrive, a locked door Will and Ruthie swear they don't have a key too is found open and a car is found running. This starts the night of terror and with only one way off the island, a storm and darkness setting in, the 6 have to fight to survive the night.

I really enjoyed this book. It left me wondering who could be trusted and who couldn't. The story about the friend that died in college keeps resurfacing and it seems that everybody has a slightly different version of events. This was fast paced. It was a great read as I was constantly trying to guess whodunit as the body count increases.

I would definitely recommend this.

This review can be found on BookBub, Goodreads, LibraryThing and StoryGraph. It will also be posted on Instagram @kuhlreads on 11/13/23

Darby Kane knows how to write a thriller! Don't make plans on December 5, 2023, because you're going to read this in one sitting. It's like She Started It and And Then There Were None collided and created a wildly addicting thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and did NOT see that ending coming.

A locked room mystery turns into a locked room island. Four college friends reconnect several years after college for an engagement party at a remote island with only one way in. And one way way out.

While in college, their lives were changed forever when one of their group was found murdered. They vowed never to speak of it again, but it becomes obvious someone is after the truth when suspicious dreadful things start happening on the island.

I loved the story telling of multi (3) POVs interspersed with book notes and news articles.

The first half of the book was a fantastic mystery while the second half was an intense action packed who done it. It was an edge of your seat, nail-biting thriller. And that ending? Chef's kiss🧑‍🍳😘 (not quite the emoji I need)

Alex & Cassie - Mitch & Sierra
They are going to Will & Ruthie engagement party in a secluded island.
From the early chapter, you'll feel "secret" has been hanging on, especially from Alex, Cassie, and Mitch.
When they have just arrived on the island, thing straight away get tense as they find a car with a dead body and a note "TIME TO TELL THE TRUTH".
It gets more terrifying when they find out that they are trapped without any means of communication.
You'll be wondering what secret they hide, who done it with everybody is a suspect.

Emily, a white upper-class college student, disappeared on her graduation weekend, and her body was found floating on the river. And so, you'll be wondering what's the connection of this Emily who was dead twelve years ago with all those six people stuck in the island?

It has a vibe of "I Know What You Did Last Summer," and the suspense just kept escalating. The last couple of pages were just a knocked off👍

If you love a locked-room/isolated thriller, then this one should be added to your TBR list.

The night she graduated college, Emily Hunt went missing. When her body washed up in a river near campus not long after, her death was quickly ruled a murder and the prime suspect seemingly jumped to his own death in that same river. Now, a decade later, Emily’s friends are invited to a private island to celebrate one of them getting engaged. From the moment they arrive on the island, things don’t quite feel right. A car that shouldn’t be there is found in the garage, and mysterious notes prompting “tell the truth” begin appearing. To make the situation even worse, a storm hits the island. Someone is keeping a secret - and someone else will stop at nothing to get that secret revealed.

As always, Darby Kane blew me away! I have loved every book of hers that I have read to date, so I was super excited to get an early copy of this one. This was a bit different from her previous books, with the slasher feel to it and I was here for every creepy bit of it! Told from multiple points of view, and interspersed with news articles, the past story of this group of friends is laid out. Meanwhile, the present unfolds in an action-packed sequence that had me glued to the pages. The locked room-type setting and stormy night combined with the feeling that one of these people was lying all worked together perfectly. And the way it all came together at the end was perfection!

Thank you to HK Dimon, the publisher and Thriller Book Lover Promotions for the ARC! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

“Emily Hunt disappeared on the Saturday of graduation weekend.” Here are reasons to read the thriller book:

Friend group - 4 friends since college are gathering to celebrate one of their own engagement
Island - which is taking place on an island with a causeway, which of course means that they can’t leave unless by boat or when the tide goes out.
Death in past - they are united by a death in their group that happened during graduation weekend
Who has the truth? - but when someone on the island threatens to expose the secrets of this death, who is responsible?

This book is told through the points of view of almost everyone involved, and what I liked about it is that it slowly introduced the people at the engagement party until you had the total 6. So that was easy to follow for sure. And this book was so thrilling I could not put it down and finished it in a day. And then the twist happen one after the other, some kind of just ok and then some that slap you up beside the face. Super solid thriller for sure!

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Darby Kane for the advanced copy of The Engagement Party in exchange for my honest review.

I've seen comparisons of this book to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None is pretty dang spot on. I enjoyed this one SO MUCH! Definitely my favorite of Kane's novels to date.

It took me a little bit to get my bearings with the characters. I found it a little difficult to differentiate not only who was who but also who was married to/interested in who. Once I figured that out, though, it was smooth sailing.

While there were one or two small things I did see coming, the big reveal at the end 100% threw me for a loop and I did not see it coming *at all.*

Don't miss The Engagement Party on bookshelves December 5!

Whoa! What an ADDICTING cat-and-mouse slasher thriller! From the very first chapter I was hooked in. This is a multi-pov story that takes place all in one day/night so it plays out so smoothly and fast paced. The sense of tension and dread was immediate and continued to be the underlying feeling throughout the entire book. Short chapters, unlikeable characters, and plenty of twists made this book truly unputdownable. I just HAD to figure out what was going on. Such a fun ride! This is a must read for any thriller lover and is definitely a great recommendation for anyone in a slump that needs a fast paced, entertaining read!

I received a complementary arc of this book and was so looking forward to reading it. It was a good book, but I felt like it was a little bit longer than it needed to be. It also felt like a story I've read before. A bunch of friends from college get together many years after a graduation murder, they are on a remote island staying in a house and things go really sideways. I didn't feel a connection with the characters, they acted entitled and made a lot of mistakes, but the very end had a good twist that I wasn't expecting. I would say it's a very readable book, full of action but not one of my favorites.