The Engagement Party by Darby Kane. Pub Date: December 5, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. A locked room thriller, this book is full of a "group of friends" who get together on a small island to celebrate the engagement of one of the friends. What ensues is a battle of manipulation, disturbingly psychological games, murder, mystery and everything in between. At times I found this book so far fetched I was rolling my eyes, but I also found it difficult to put down in the beginning. By the end, I felt it dragged, but overall the fast paced, short chapters allowed for the progression of the thriller. Creepy vibes for sure and how these people could even consider each other friends is beyond me. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #theengagementparty

Thank you to #netgalley, #killercrimeclub and #darbykane for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Engagement Party.

This book never had a dull moment from the moment I started reading the plot grabbed me. Each of the characters were developed well as the plot moved along.

There is a group of university friends who all have secrets and try to keep them hidden until one weekend when they meet up to celebrate the engagement of one of them. I was on an emotional rollercoaster until the very end.

If you want to read a story that is fast paced, awesome character development and keep you on your toes, this book is for you.

What a whirlwind of a book. The locked door theme but on an island was a fun spin. The twists of this one just kept coming. Told in multiple point of views kept you engaged and wanting to figure out the mystery.

A horrible secret held by a group of friends threatens to destroy them. Ruthie invites the group to an engagement party of a member of the group. No good can come from going to a secluded house on an island. What secrets are they holding? How can they know who to trust? This page turner kept my interest the entire time. I recommend this thriller.

What could go wrong on a private Maine island surrounded by old college friends who are celebrating a recent engagement? Well, for starters, as the weather starts to turn a dead body suddenly appears that brings back past trouble. Someone wants the truth of who really murdered Emily Hunt back when they were in college and this friend group knows the truth. As they try and figure out who is tormenting them past secrets are revealed that might just get them all killed.

Loved this lock room mystery! This book is told in multiple POVs and gives you glimpses into each of the character’s minds. You may think you know the ending but you have no idea.

This book got me out of my reading slump. The short chapters, and fast pace will keep you reading long into the night. Secrets and lies seem to be the only things this group of friends from college have, and getting together twelve years after tragic events ended their college experience brings everything to the surface. This book is a wild ride filled with mystery, murder, terror, suspense and eventually clarity. Highly recommended to those who like locked door mystery/thrillers, and the idea of getting revenge on those who managed to escaped justice for a long time. (4.5 stars)

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I was super excited to get an early copy of “The Engagement Party” by Darby Kane. It has most of the elements I enjoy in a thriller.

There are multiple perspectives and not all are reliable. One of the perspectives is “Book Notes”. These chapters are the best, in my opinion! They contain information about Emily, a college woman who was murdered. They discuss her friends and family, include passages from her diary, and discuss the suspects in her murder. The short chapters tend to end with a cliffhanger. Most of the characters have few or no morals, therefore, they aren’t very likable.

“Pretty Little Liars” is still my favorite book by the author, but this one is a very close second! This twisted and unpredictable locked-room thriller will keep you guessing until the very end!

Sincere thanks to the Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Darby Kane, and William Morrow Books for this complimentary ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own and are left voluntarily.

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this book was okay- I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. I enjoyed the back story and the book notes featuring Emily’s story. The present tense of the story annoyed me a bit - I felt there was too much going on at all times and a little bit unrealistic. I did enjoy the ultimate twist at the end!

This book has it all - a group of friends with a secret who would go to great lengths to protect their individual interests, isolation on a remote island with a killer, and an increasing body count. This book was a fast-paced action packed read. I really liked the short chapters from each characters perspective, which also made the book read quickly. Despite the fast-paced nature, I did think the middle of the book was a little drawn out with a lot of action occurring that was not really moving the story along. The ending was surprising and satisfying, and I would definitely recommend this book.

A group of college friends, a friend of one and the fiancé of another gather to celebrate the engagement of Will and Ruthie. The college friends remember the death of their friend Emily. But, they seem to know more about it than is public and seem to have a pact of secrecy. The celebration is on a remote island only accessible by golf cart at low tide. There is no way out when strange and terrifying things happen. Will they get out alive? This was a real page turner. I was eager to find out what the friends were hiding and why. How would they work together to survive? I would highly recommend. 5 stars.

The mystery in this novel began very abruptly. We get very little time with any of the characters before the action starts so I didn't feel like I had time to get to know any of the couples, or their motivations. Thus, I didn't care about anyone and I couldn't identify with any of them or root for anyone. There wasn't enough suspense for me to keep reading and I found myself skimming to see where the plot was going.

For those reasons, I didn't feel invested in the book at all. I have read other novels by Kane and liked them but this one did not engage me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read/review.

This book really dragged for me and I found it confusing with all the different characters (who I did not care for at all). I thought the twist at the end was good, but overall I’m left feeling a little disappointed with this read.

I adored this suspenseful and action packed read! Having the setting on an isolated island dramatically increased the tension between the characters. I was breathless with anticipation over what would happen next. Darby Kane is a master of her craft.

This book is just dull. It doesn’t help that I’ve read thrillers with aspects of this story done better, and the Christie comparisons came through in the worst ways…I feel like And Then They Were None retellings are never done well for me.

When four old college friends, and two new friends, get together to celebrate one of the college friend’s engagement, there’s a giant elephant in the room: the murder that drove them apart. On the night of their college graduation, Emily, one of their friends and a key member of their social group, was murdered and dumped in a nearby river. Her case was “solved” when the number one suspect killed himself weeks later. But now, on a remote island in Maine, the past is going to come back to haunt them in a big way. And the secrets the group holds will have to come out if they want to survive the weekend.

The book is told through multiple POVs and through a series of chapters called “Book Notes,” which tell the story of Emily and her death.

This book was fun in that it was a like a slasher movie, like “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” with a bunch of adults, all hiding secrets from each other in order to save their own skin. I wouldn’t say all of the characters were abhorrent, but there weren’t many heroes here. The mysteries of what happened to Emily and who’s trying to get revenge now are like constantly moving and changing puzzles that you’re trying to figure out.

I did enjoy trying to get a handle on what was going on. And I love a good horror/slasher every once in a while. This filled that craving, with plenty of spooks and gore to go around!

The ending was a little disjointed as everything seemed to come out really fast, so I was struggling to keep up with who was doing what and when. But I think I have a good handle on it. And of course, there’s always some good twists right up until the end, so keep reading, folks, don’t cut it short!

Overall, this one’s for those who like a good horror mystery/puzzler. If you’re into that genre, like I am, you’ll breeze right through this one!

I love a good, locked room thriller. Add in an isolated island off the coast of Maine. That can only be reached during low tide, and I am all in! This was a read that needs to be devoured. It is trippy, twisty, and has so many turns. I was thrown one way, the next second I was spun around, and going in the other direction. I could feel the tension in the air, the storm helping to create chaos, and anxiety. To think it started as a fun weekend away to celebrate Will and Ruthie's engagement. Keep in mind not all invitations are as they seem.

College friends Alex, Cassie, Mitch, and Will had one hell of a graduation night. It ended in their friend Emily's death. The details around her death are still murky and dark. They all know something, but no one is clear on what truly happened that night. When a body turns up on the island, all hell breaks loose. Who did what to whom and who can you trust?

I was entertained the entire way through. As soon as they stepped onto the island, I knew something was going to happen. I could imagine the air vibrating with the intense emotions. From that point on I was on a crazy, intense ride that was filled with drama and aha moments. Thank you to Darby Kane and William Morrow for this fast-paced read.

This is a psychological thriller at its very best. You will absolutely get sucked in and completely despise all of the characters which to me, made this story work so well. Any of them could be guilty. It’s fast-paced and I found myself playing detective the entire time. You’ll be hooked on this one until the very end!

I have read all of Darby Kane’s books so when she said she would send me a signed arc with manuscript like binding, I was over the moon! First, I have to say she is so sweet and kind to talk with about books, life or crazy memes usually about news stories.. and I usually try to convince her to make it into a book! 😅 Her books are great thrillers, that are like a breath of fresh air to me! I can’t wait to chat with her about this one!

Locked room thrillers aren’t typically my go to, but this one worked. And worked well! It brings together a group of college friends on a secluded island for an engagement party. They all went through a horrific accident in college where one of their friends ended up dead, but nobody really knows the true story of what happened that night. Someone is willing to bring them all together and push them to the edge to get one of them to confess!

This book was fabulous! It had a little gore, a lot of WTF and tons of backstabbing! I didn’t know who was lying and who was telling the truth for most of the book, all of these characters have a lot to hide and are willing to do anything to keep their secrets under wraps! The tension built up in this book was incredible, I was talking to myself while reading, like I would do in a scary movie to urge characters to get it together!

AHHH I am both screaming in fear and squealing with excitement. What an absolute trip this was. I was humming with nerves for the entirety of this read and I loved it! This was the epitome of a locked room thriller and while I did figure out who was persecuting them, basically all of the other twists shocked me. And talk about twists… they just kept on coming! I have whiplash. I thought the multiple POVs worked to keep things choppy and fast paced. This was very plot-driven but there were some likable characters, which I appreciate. Overall, this was a banger. Highly recommend.

5/5 thrilling stars!!!

This was a wild ride from start to finish! I was immediately sucked in and this was no slow burn, it got right to it. Absolutely must read if you enjoy locked room thrillers.