This one started out so strong, hooked me from page one…brilliant charactertzation, interesting concepts, tense, messy, convincing red herrings...

and then we meandered a bit, too much time spent with characters that didn’t add anything, a lot of repetition, confusing themes, and a bit of a rushed ending. The middle was hard to get through; I wanted to skim and felt we spent a lot of time on past events and people that added nothing to the story. 40 pages fewer could have worked for me. Also was not totally convinced of our main villain's motives or story, and the brief time we spent with them wasn't enough to sell it. We spent too much time with the teens, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why.

The last few pages redeemed a lot for me, but I felt a bit cheated by the time we wasted, especially balancing 4 POVs and compressing so much in 1 day, aside from the splashes of backstory.

3.5 stars, rounded up because the characterization and red herrings really did something for me.

An overall great debut. Excited to see what the author does next!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan for this ARC e-galley.

3.75 stars.

The mystery part was well done, you just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to who. You won't connect to each character but you will be engrossed in their lives. I really enjoyed all the different ladies POV's and the then and now chapters. I did want more of what I thought was going to be a bit of a supernatural theme and learn more about The Mother, it would be a great premise for a book 2! Overall a good, fast paced read.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Kelsey Cox for access to the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I almost gave up on this book at 40% in. I found it to be slow-moving with a lot of details. However, I wanted to get to the conclusion, so I kept reading. This was not my favorite read and I did not appreciate some of the content.

This book is like Pretty Little Liars meets a haunted episode of Gossip Girl, and I was hooked. Party of Liars kicks off with Sophie’s insanely over-the-top Sweet Sixteen in a Texas mansion that practically begs for something to go wrong. And of course, something does. A body crashes onto the dance floor, turning the glitzy night into a murder scene.

The book is a classic locked-room mystery, but what makes it stand out are the messy, complicated women at the center of it. Dani, the overwhelmed new stepmom, is barely holding it together and convinced something (or someone) is watching her. And Kim, Sophie’s ex-wife mom, is an emotional grenade, bitter, boozy, and unpredictable.

Cox builds tension so well, with flashbacks that slowly unravel the truth. I guessed the ending wrong (multiple times), which is always a win. Definitely recommend for fans of juicy, character-driven thrillers.

This was quite the story! A little romance, a lot of mystery and a lot of crazy! Each main character does first-person narration. Unfortunately, a lot of incidents in this story are probably too close to reality. The farther I got in this book, the more I didn’t want to put it down. I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions are my own.

"Party of Liars" is an intense and gripping thriller that completely absorbed me from the very first moment. The story unfolds at a lavish Texas-sized party with high stakes and a tense atmosphere. Every guest in attendance has a secret to hide—everyone is a liar, and you can almost feel the deception in the air.

This thrilling narrative isn't just about the lies; it weaves together a tapestry of teen drama, complex family dynamics, and even elements of mystery surrounding unexpected deaths. It raises the question: Can we trust anyone at this chaotic gathering? One of the central figures, Órlaith, adds an extra layer of intrigue. While she appears to be there for her family, there is an unsettling ambiguity about her true intentions. Does she have hidden motives that could unravel the very fabric of the gathering?

The audiobook enhances the experience with a talented cast of narrators who breathe life into each character, making the plot all the more immersive. I found myself unable to pause, captivated by the twists and turns, until I concluded.

This is destined to be the blockbuster book of the summer. Kelsey Cox has brilliantly crafted a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, and I wholeheartedly give it a highly coveted five-star rating. I loved every minute of this thrilling ride!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC book. It comes out July 1st, just in time for summer reading!

this book delivers a fast-paced, high-stakes whodunnit with a dark twist, set against the backdrop of a lavish Texas birthday party. With a cast of colorful, secretive characters and a chilling murder that disrupts an already tense celebration, this novel keeps readers on edge as they try to unravel the truth behind the deadly fall. A perfect blend of suspense, drama, and unexpected twists, this book will leave you guessing until the very end.

This is a fun debut with a twist on locked-room mysteries. Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be any more twists, there’s more twists. This was good from the first to the very last page. The book is told in multiple POV’s from before the Sweet Sixteen birthday party starts to throughout the party to shortly after the party ends. The book is appropriately named “Party of Liars.” The author really brought out emotions as far as a likable character becoming an unlikeable character and vice versa. The plot twist was a big surprise. Perfect summer read.

Thank you to the author @KelseyCox as well as to @StMartinsPress, @MinotaurBooks and @NetGalley for a free e-ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.

I flew through this book. About halfway through I began to suspect Ethan, but didn't see Mikayla's storyline coming. I loved the happy ending for the women in the book.

This was a really fun thriller read, and I had a great time reading it. The book flew by, and the writing was very easy to read and not overcomplicated, which I appreciate in a book like this one. I am so grateful to have been given the chance to review this book, because the plot was very up my alley. I love all things drama, especially when it involves bratty teenagers and rich parents, and this book fully delivered on that front. i flew through this and i would definitely recommend it to anyone who also appreciates such tropes! i did find the ending to be a bit predictable, and i had hoped for more from the "twist", but this book is still one of the better thrillers i've read recently!

A locked-room mystery set at an over-the-top Sweet Sixteen party in a Texas Hill Country mansion. It’s told from four points of view: the new wife, the ex-wife, the birthday girl’s best friend and the nanny. So many fun, unexpected twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Just like reality TV and car crashes you can’t help but stare in either sick fascination or disbelief. This book was a whodoneit Texas style with people too rich for their own good and a ton of bad decisions. Lots of drama, a little death and toxicity up the wazoo, this book had me guessing start to finish. It also gave you a ton of characters that you can’t help but hate (but also secretly love). Great keep you guessing, try to figure it out read!

Kelsey Cox’s Party of Liars is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that delivers on both suspense and emotional depth. Set in a luxurious, possibly haunted mansion in the Texas Hill Country, the novel takes place over the course of a Sweet Sixteen party that ends in a shocking and tragic death. From the very beginning, it’s clear that beneath the glamour and celebration, something is very wrong.

Told from multiple perspectives, the story gradually unravels secrets, lies, and long-standing tensions between characters. Each narrator brings a fresh layer to the plot, keeping the reader engaged and constantly reassessing who can be trusted. The shifting points of view are handled smoothly, and the pacing is tight, making it easy to fly through chapters while still feeling the suspense build.

Cox doesn’t shy away from darker themes—mental health struggles, toxic family dynamics, and manipulation all come into play—but she handles them with nuance. The characters are flawed, relatable, and often deeply conflicted, which gives the story more emotional weight than your average whodunit.

And the ending? Completely unexpected, yet totally satisfying. It ties everything together in a way that’s both shocking and believable.
Party of Liars is the kind of thriller that keeps you turning pages late into the night. If you enjoy layered mysteries, complex characters, and an eerie setting with just the right amount of gothic flair, this one should definitely be on your list.

I really enjoyed Part of Liars! The title says it all, every character is majorly flawed, making for a insiresting and layered story. The differing narratives lends itself well to developing the depth of each character. Simple, well paced and unexpected. Everything you would want from a thriller.

Wow! This was the thriller I needed! The intertwining and unraveling of this thriller was delicious. The foreshadowing was on point. You knew it meant something but didn’t know what it meant. So well done.
And that ending. What?!!!! The last chapter was gold!

>>Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4.5/5!!!!!

Party of Liars is a locked room multi-pov psychological suspense thriller. Set a top a cliffside mansion, with a story all its own, you are thrown into the chaos that is Sophie’s, extravagant turned sinister, sweet sixteen birthday party where one of the guests has fallen (or pushed?) from the balcony. Someone knows something, but who? The plot builds and twists, only to have the rug pulled out from under you.

The story is told from the first-person pov of four women: the new stepmom, the ex-wife, the Irish nanny, and the birthday girl’s childhood bestie. Each of the rotating povs has its own unique voice and the feelings of jealously, pain, suspicion, and discomfort are palpable.

Dani: gorgeous new mother who has been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl; new wife to Ethan, who is undeniably handsome and rich.

Orlaith: the superstitious Irish nanny who has chilling stories to tell partygoers, and harboring dark secrets of her own.

Kim: Ethan’s ex-wife and Sophie’s mom, who has to watch Ethan and Dani from the sidelines of the life that was once hers.

Mikayla: Sophie’s best friend who is used to playing second fiddle, with secrets that are bubbling to the surface and threatening to be revealed.

There is no shortage of small town gossip, gaslighting, stepmom/ex-wife tension, secrets, lies, and an atmospheric cliffside glass house mansion to bring all of the past to the present.

I cannot wait to read more by Kelsey Cox; highly recommend this book for all :)

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minatour Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is honestly a fitting title for this book because as you get to know these characters, you realize they are all liars and kind of terrible too, in the best of ways. This is the story of a sweet sixteen birthday party gone wrong. The mix of drama and mystery made for a very engaging and interesting plot. The pace was a little slow but it gave you a lot of time to get to know these characters and the horrible things they've done. The multiple povs really helped give the full picture of what was going on. This is a great choice for anyone looking for a story filled with danger, tension, and lies.

This was a great read! From the blurb, I was expecting a YA murder mystery but found myself pleasantly surprised to be drawn into a story about women grappling with motherhood, relationships, addiction and grief.

The presence of The Mother and the Texas Hill Country setting presented a lightly Southern Gothic feel against a "My Super Sweet Sixteen" birthday party backdrop. And it all worked! The multiple POV characters were well differentiated and each had a unique voice and added bits of the puzzle that the others didn't have access to. In fact, the only major character without a POV narrative was the birthday girl herself, which was an interesting choice. I found Kim's story to be the most moving in a way that I hadn't anticipated. I thought Mikayla's story was going to be similar to "Yellowjackets" Shauna and Jackie but it went in a different direction than I expected, one that seemed a bit muddled but was crucial to the plot.

The beginning of the book tried really hard to build a sense of mystery by ending chapters on a clickbait-style tidbit, but that fell away just as it started to get irritating. It also seemed to drag a bit in the middle... we reached the point where enough groundwork had been laid and the tension had built to a critical level, so I was expecting to be near the story climax. I was surprised to check my progress and discover that I still had a full 1/3 of the book left. I can't think of anything that could have been removed without the story losing some of its structural support, but it just could have moved a little faster here.

All in all, worth the time. I look forward to reading Kelsey Cox's next work.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

This fictional book was really good! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this from beginning to end! It was well paced, easy to read and had a clear thesis! It was dark, mysterious and tense. It is in the thriller category and was really well executed! It is character driven, full of chaos and really dives deep into the complex relationships of family! This thriller book was engaging and had me wondering what was going to happen next! It’s full of twists that I did not see coming! Some of the themes expressed in this book are illusion versus reality, secrets and deception and consequences of actions. Everything is really bigger in Texas!

“Party of Liars” is set in Texas, where a young girl named Sophie turns sixteen. She has a sweet sixteen birthday party, but things start to become chaotic as a a body falls from the balcony! As this Texas story unfolds, it leaves this sweet sixteen party not so sweet anymore. Overall, I rate this a 4 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include alcoholism, mental illness, death and body shaming. I think that readers that love dark twisty thrillers would enjoy reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kelsey Cox and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on July 1, 2025!

Party of Liars was full of twists and turns and rich people behaving badly. Throw in a castle on a hill in Texas that’s rumored to be haunted by a grieving mother and you’ve got a perfect book for the beach or a plane trip. And that castle? It’s being lived in by a new mother and her husband but was decorated by hubby’s jealous ex-wife.

I really liked the way the author developed the plot. We’re told at the beginning someone has fallen to their death at Sophie’s Sweet Sixteen party. It’s not until almost the end of the book that we actually find out who the victim is. So, we have two mysteries: the victim and the perpetrator. There are multiple points of view that tell us how several of the main characters see the events of the day, two of whom are the above mentioned wives. Riveting!

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.