This was a nice surprise! The book started out pretty slow, but as I got to know which character was which, it became easier. This book has sweet 16, Texas mums, Betty Broderick and an ending that I did NOT see coming. I highly recommend this book. Great summer read.

3.5/5 ⭐️

A fast-paced, drama-filled whodunnit set at a lavish Sweet Sixteen in a haunted Texas mansion. Party of Liars blends teen glam with Southern Gothic vibes, serving up a fun mix of secrets, scandals, and murder. The characters are intriguing (if a bit underdeveloped), and while the twists don’t all land, the suspense keeps you hooked. A solid pick for fans of YA thrillers who enjoy a little melodrama with their mystery.

This was a fun novel that had my jaw propped open. It centers around a sweet 16 however things go wrong in all the wrong ways! Definitely pick this up and try to go in blind without reading too many reviews! It’s fun and quick paced!

3.5 stars rounded up! This was a fun one! Sweet sixteen turns deadly when a body falls from the glass balcony of town’s infamous (and haunted) hillside manor.

This was fast paced with short chapters that I personally love. I enjoyed the alternating and multiple POVs this story was told in; they’re something that I normally don’t see or read often so it was a nice change of pace. About 40-60% of the way through I felt like I was waiting for more twists to happen and it just didn’t come. A few of the inter-chapter side stories and fast plot change ups had me a little lost at times waiting for it to get back to the main story line. Rounding up to 4 stars because it ended on such a high note, I did NOT see the final twist coming! Overall a solid whodunnit mystery with an extravagant but eerie setting that will have you turning the pages late into the night!

Thank you goes to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books, and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

- Pub date: July 1, 2025 -

Kelsey Cox has hit a home run with this book!
A great fast paced story that is set at a 16yr old’s birthday party. One guest doesn’t make it out alive. The character’s are all so interesting and well developed throughout this page turner. The ending is great too! I look forward to more books from Kelsey Cox!


Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc!

This book! My goodness. The way my jaw dropped at the end.

When I started this book, I was sure about it, but I had been in a reading slump and normally thrillers can pull me out of it, so I decided to give this one a a chance. And, even though I almost DNFed it halfway through (I thought I had figured it all out already), but I am so glad I stuck it out!!
It ended up being so twisteyier (is that a word?) than I expected. I did an audible gasp at the end.
Plus the multiple POVs was great. I really enjoy when books have multiple POVs.
The biggest con I have for this book was Mikayla... She was not great, but I also get that you probably aren't supposed to like her character.

I stayed up until 3am finishing this one! I really liked the locked door premise at a sweet sixteen birthday. The big reveal at the end was something I didn't expect which is always a huge bonus for me. I also really enjoyed the imagery of the glass dollhouse - the setting felt spooky and realistic all at the same time. Great debut!

A dead body falling from a balcony onto the dance floor interrupts the sweet sixteen birthday party of the daughter of a very rich Texan.

This one was fun! Texas mansion... a sweet sixteen party ... the drama! If you find family drama entertaining, you may want to pick this one up!

The story takes place on the day of Sophie’s birthday party that her dad and stepmom, Dani, are throwing her, but it ends with the police showing up. As the day of the party progresses towards the end of the night, the book also flashes back to the past, and one of the stories the readers get is Sophie’s dad and mom, Kim, buying and rebuilding the house her party is at; the house is said to be haunted by the original owner who lost her child. Kim and Dani have both experienced horrible events in that house, so much so that they begin doubting what happened. Sophie’s father is a therapist and is understanding of what his wife and ex-wife have gone through, but he does not see the hauntings. Dani has needed help after giving birth, and Orlaith became her daughter’s nanny. She also lost her child and knows of the evil that resides in the house. Party of Liars is a story of motherhood in different forms and the extremes mothers will go through to protect their kids.

3.5 🌟 what a fun and bingeable YA thriller! This is definitely a book you can sit down and be so entertained by that you’ll keep saying “just one more chapter” (+1 point for the short chapters!). I loved the multiple POVs we got and the mysteries behind each character. Everyone had their secrets that kept you guessing until the very end!

My only critique was the ending felt a bit rushed to me and could have been expanded on a bit more but overall a very fun time that I would recommend! A perfect poolside read that you could devour in one sitting!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for me advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review 🫶🏼

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A mansion that is rumored to be haunted. A sweet sixteen. Unlikable characters. Murder.

It’s Sophie’s sweet sixteen and her father Ethan spared no expenses to make this the best party yet. But what’s a party without drama. Her mom, the ex wife is also in attendance. The new step mom who believes someone is stalking her and wants to hurt her baby. The best friend of Sophie who isn’t exactly the greatest friend. The strange nanny.

This book immediately grabbed me and didn’t let go. The tension, the mystery of who would be killed, the secrets, and the motives made this a great thriller. At first, I didn’t like any of the characters but as the story went on you see the truth and my opinion quickly changed. My only complaint is that we didn’t get more of a paranormal side. 4.5 stars rounded up.

I just finished Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox, and I have to say—it was a wild ride. The book is set around a lavish Sweet Sixteen party at a Texas mansion, and right from the first chapter, with a body falling from a balcony, I was hooked. The story is told through the perspectives of four very different women, each with their own secrets, and it was so much fun trying to figure out who was telling the truth and who wasn’t.

Cox does a great job weaving together the drama, the gossip, and the tension—it's like Big Little Lies meets Clue. The characters felt messy and real, which made the mystery even more addictive. I did think the middle slowed down a bit while diving into everyone’s backstory, but once the twists started hitting, it was impossible to put down.

If you’re into thrillers with complicated women, family secrets, and lots of juicy tension, I’d definitely recommend this one. It’s the kind of book you could easily read in a weekend—and probably want to talk about it.

Party of Liars, is a psychological thriller set in a Texas Hill Country mansion during a boujee Sweet Sixteen party that ends in someone’s death. The story has multiple narrators, each revealing secrets of their own and of others. The pacing is good and keeps you turning pages. I really liked this book and the death at the end ties in nicely.

Absolutely loved this book! Multiple POVs over the course of the day as well as flashbacks, a great twist, and an easy-to-read style of writing — what more could you want? I felt that this was a fun and quick read, and kept me intrigued and second guessing myself at every change of POV.

With the ending, I half expected some of it, but my jaw dropped when the full twist came into play. Loved it!

Impressive debut. Looking forward to more by this author.

Living in Texas I enjoyed hearing about familiar places and Texas is known for their mums for events. They are HUGE and sometimes cover your entire body!

Drama, party, exes, death, strange occurrences happening in the home.

Another locked room mystery. This one at a sweet sixteenth birthday party. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I wasn’t a teacher. The kids were just insufferable and out of control.

This book was a wild ride in the best way. Told through multiple POVs, Party of Liars is packed with secrets, deception, and twists that kept me questioning everyone. No one felt trustworthy—and I loved it.

Set during a Sweet Sixteen party at a cliffside mansion, the story kicks off with a body falling from a balcony. What follows is a layered, eerie unraveling of each guest’s truth. This was my first Kelsey Cox book, and I’m officially obsessed. Mark your calendars—this one is a must read!

I couldn’t put this one down! I loved the multiple POVs and unreliable narrators in the story. This was so well done and I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout. What a birthday party to remember for our sweet Sophie girl.

Party of Liars is a new twist to a sweet sixteen party of Sophie with a blended family Ethan, Kim (ex), Dani (current wife), and Orlaith (nanny) set in a beautiful house that others would only dream and gawk at, but has secrets of it's own and is considered haunted. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the progression of the novel as it was set leading up to the party and during the party. With small flashbacks and a twist, I definitely am left wondering why I didn't see it all coming of the victim and the motive behind the actions at the party. The plot was well thought through by Kelsey and I think that this is one that I would be willing to reread again just to put the pieces together more. Many of the characters to me were not as they seemed, full on partying, laced with deception, lies, and portraying only one part of themselves toward others in attendance at the party. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Kelsey Cox for this thrilling ARC. I definitely will recommend to my friends who enjoy thrillers, parties, and looking more into the "everything is not what it seems".