Plot
This novel is a locked-room mystery where everyone has a motive and not everyone will make it out alive. It is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party in a huge, renovated, once-haunted mansion. The black-tie affair should be a night to remember and it will be but for a different reason – because someone has been murdered…. and one of the party guests did it!

Why Kirsten loves it
With multiple narrators ALL lying, this story will keep you guessing until the end – both with who was killed and who is the killer! I couldn’t read this fantastic book fast enough. The drama was intense, secrets were unraveled throughout the entire story and I did NOT see the ending coming!

I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced, I never knew what was coming next. I thought I knew who did it but then I wasn’t sure, it kept me guessing non stop. I enjoyed the twist at the end, it was built up just right.

This was okay, I think I was a bit confused from the beginning and I couldn’t really get into the book, maybe because of that. It did hold my interest enough but I didn’t feel super pulled in.

I loved Party of Liars by Kelsy Cox. This mystery starts with a death but you don't learn who it is until the end. So many twists and turns with creepy apparitions and tales of haunting. It's Sophie's 16th birthday and the party is filled with the whole town, eager to see the renovations in the manor. As the booze flows, so do the secrets and lies. Who can be trusted? Truth is twisted and jealousy abounds. Sophie's mom, the Ex-wife is angry that her dream home now belongs to the new 27 year old wife and new baby instead of her. Sophie's best friend Mikayla is pissed that the boy she's crushing on is off-limits because he's Sophie's ex-boyfriend... Only the old Irish nanny, who loves to talk about death seems to know what is going on, but will she be able to unravel the truth before it's too late?

This one was okay, nothing too special. I enjoyed the characters and the description of the house but I thought the ending was confusing.

This book was a little slow moving for me, but I did like all of the misdirection and lies. It was hard to guess who was actually a reliable narrator, everyone felt suspicious. I definitely didn't guess the ending and I liked the twists. Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars, but I'll round up to 4 since I can't give a half star rating.

Thank you to Kelsey Cox, St. Martin's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book prior to its July 1st publication date.

I think the easiest way to describe this book is to call it: The Great Gatsby with a twist of darkness of murder. I know that The Great Gatsby includes murder, of course, but this book is entirely dark and centers around a dead body -- whose identity we don't discover for awhile.

Even though it is told in alternating character perspectives and timelines (jumping between the day after the murder to the day of the murder), I didn't find it confusing at all. In fact, it worked very well to jump around and Cox did a phenomenal job of applying this technique smoothly.

I like how deep this one gets, too. We get to see the struggles and darkness from the inner thoughts of a slew of characters and you could FEEL for each one. I highly recommend this one for a solid character study but also as a dark, gothic novel as the house itself is personified as the author paints a picture of a horror-filled Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

This was a classic fast-paced whodunnit that is perfect to curl up with on a beautiful summer day. I enjoyed the slow unraveling of the story and was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Overall this was a great thriller and I will be looking forward to more books from Kelsey Cox! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox tells the story of Sophie’s Sweet Sixteen Party. A very lavish affair told through the eyes of Dani the new wife and step mother, Orlaith the Irish maid and Mikala who is Sophie’s best friend.

This is very cleverly written. You think it’s going this way and then the author throws you in another direction. It does keep you reading because you need to find out what is going to happen next. If you like mysteries then this one is for you

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this ARC book.

This book takes place in Texas and is a typical "who did it" type of mystery. The characters all have a lot of drama making this book really entertaining and twisty. I didn't see the ending twist coming at all! The only downside was the character arcs were somewhat predictable overall.

It is time to celebrate Sophie’s sweet sixteen, and the party is going to be one to remember! Her dad, Ethan, and his new wife, Dani, are hosting at their newly renovated mansion on the hill, but this party will certainly not be without drama! Told from several points of view, Party of Liars had just the right amount of twists and deceit to keep the reader invested.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place pretty much over just one party, and I was thoroughly engrossed the entire time!

When this book is described as a fresh take on a locked door, they’re completely correct. The story felt original, entertaining, and well thought out. With multiple POV & seconding guessing each character, this one will be sure to keep you hooked.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the ending, and I thought it tied together very well and was well-done. My only caveat is that I felt the pacing was slightly off. The party felt never-ending! But that may have resulted from my eagerness to know what's next. I do think the outcome of the story was well developed, and it wasn't yet another novel with a twist that no one could see coming, Kelsey Cox did a great job of making well-rounded characters.

This psychological thriller was perfect. I love the domestic drama between the couples, the teenagers, and the views of the creepy nanny and cringy ex-wife. All of the discomfort created by the drama resulted in the perfect vibe for a doomed party. Just as soon as I thought I knew what was happening, another twist was thrown in. I felt very satisfied at the end and forlorn that there are not yet more books by this author; could this be a magnificent debut? Impressive! An exciting thriller I will be recommending to others as soon as it comes out! Thanks to NetGalleyad Mintoaur Bokks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

An upscale sweet sixteen party set at a one of kind Texas mansion is the stage for a night of uncovered secrets. This was a fast-paced read and I enjoyed the changing perspectives of the four characters we follow. Each character has a distinct voice which made keeping track of which chapter was following which character pretty easy. Chapters are pretty short which keeps the pace moving quickly.
Overall, a solid and satisfying thriller.

Thanks to Kelsey Cox, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was one of my favorite books I read so far in 2025. I love the different aspects of each character. I enjoyed the writing style. It was quick entertaining read. It keep me guessing until the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. Set in the Hill Country of Texas, a sweet sixteen party turns deadly. Everyone is a suspect. With multiple viewpoints, this twisty drama is a real page turner.

A great fast paced thriller where it seems like everyone has something to hide. I fell in love with this one right from the beginning and just knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop until I had all the answers. A great thriller full of twists and a cast of characters that can’t be trusted.

This was an enjoyable read. I was interested in the characters and the underlying story. The multiple perspectives were a bit hard for me to follow at first so I made a character map and that really helped. I liked having perspectives of various ages and personalities. The suspense was done well throughout the book and I anticipated reading. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Party of Liars in exchange for a honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This isn't a bad book but it is not a very unique one. I know that in a couple days I will forget about what happened here. The entire story takes place during a sweet 16 birthday party, and this is where my first problem arises with this story. Why are we having an adult house party with children around? And why is this adult house party starting at NOON? Who has the time to attend an all day birthday party for a teenager? The book uses the idea that it was a party to show everyone the renovations of the house, but bro has been working on this house for the last ten years. Are you telling me no one has come over to see it since then?

One of the point of views is from a 16 year old girl, and her immaturity is incredible evident. Her chapters reads more like a middle grade book about having a crush and being mad at her stupid friends. It was annoying to read.

Orlaith the nanny felt more like a stereotypical elderly Irish woman. The way she was written felt so cliche, like what an American who has never met a native Irish person would think they would say and think.

Small thing to harp on, but I hate when books over describe small details that don't matter to the story or the setting. Like describing to me someone's full outfit, what make up they are wearing, what perfume, what color shoe laces their shoes have, etc. It drives me nuts and feels like a way to add cushion to a page count. It didn't happen as much as I feared it would in the beginning but still enough to notice.

I did like the short chapters and the ending wasn't bad. I think this is Kelsey Cox' debut novel and I have hope that she can continue to develop and maybe come up with something more unique next time. And please no teenagers...