Sophie Matthews is ready for her over-the-top sweet sixteen party given by her father, Ethan, and stepmother Dani at their Texas mansion on a cliff. Also attending are Sophie’s angry mother Kim, old friend farm girl Mikayla, many popular friends (adults and teenagers), and Dani’s baby’s Irish nanny. What could possibly go wrong?! As the lavish cake is being served, a body falls from the balcony. Kelsey Cox has written a clever, multilayered story by alternating POVs and time. Bits of information are divulged slowly with added twists. Although full of self-indulgent and unlikable characters, the author keeps the reader engaged and wanting answers. With thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought this novel was well-crafted with the different storylines of each character. I found it really easy to follow along with each POV, and loved how the novel progressed and how the ending wrapped up the storylines of each character. This was a great read and I look forward to reading more of this author’s books in the future!

I adored this book as it takes place on a "castle" on a hill overlooking the sea. Ethan is a psychiatrist and lives with wife Dani and new baby, Charlotte. He throws a lavish Sweet Sixteen party for his older daughter, Sophie and her mother--his first wife--attends as well. But there's a sinister story permeating the house that years ago a baby died and The Mother went mad and jumped from the balcony; people still "hear" her! But now life is comfortable and Ethan and Dani have Orlaith, a nanny to care for young Charlotte. But things go horribly wrong at the party and as everyone has secrets to keep....Hold your breath and dive in!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Things that I loved:
The cover! So cute and fun. I would pick it up off the shelf quickly. The setting was perfect. Locked-door mystery in a giant historical mansion with stories of haunting and tragedies past. The characters were fun, twisty, and unreliable - amazing. The relationship drama was PACKED in. Literally everybody was a suspect I loved.

Things I didn't like:
Nothing at all. No notes.

This is a story about perspective.

Big little lies meets The Girl on the Train, basically- and I didn’t hate it! The drunk woman thriller trope is immediately present, but it’s balanced with other POVs that made it more tolerable imo. The twists were well crafted, and one of them I didn’t see coming at all, which is always fun. I think this will land for readers who’ve enjoyed other domestic thrillers but want something with a little more edge!

Thank you so much @netgalley & @minotaur_books

3.5⭐️
I thought this would be more of a murder-mystery, locked room whodunnit. And it was really just a bunch of terrible people at a party.

I do think the author did a good job of setting the scene with the house. Great descriptions of what it looked like and felt like and how notorious it was in the neighbourhood. It really made it stand out almost as it's own character

Some of the <i>actual</i>characters however were tough to read through. The POVs of Kim and Makayla for instance were hard. Kim was just so full of bitter rage and directed it at all the wrong people. Yes, Dani is young and married to your ex husband but she's literally done nothing wrong. She's not the person who screwed up your life! But her inner monologue is <i>so</i> hateful towards her, in really disparaging ways. And then Makayla, who is a naive sixteen year old. Need I say more on that one?

I've gotta say, I really wasn't a fan of the ending. Yes someone got what they deserved, but the truth never came out. That person got to be remembered as a <i>good</i> person, when in reality they were terrible. I wish there was more of a climatic scene at the end, instead of just an underwhelming epilogue.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC and NetGalley.

What initially drew me to "Party of Liars" by Kelsey Cox was the beautiful confetti cover. Although this book falls under adult fiction, it challenged my reading flow and patience with its back-and-forth plot and the multitude of perspectives. The story began with great potential, but by the time I reached 43%, it felt overwhelming. I lost interest in discovering the reason behind the dead bodies and the mystery surrounding the house.

I would recommend this book to anyone who isn’t afraid to leave it behind on a bus, train, or plane.

The genres of this book are thriller, mystery, and adult fiction.

I’ll call this 4.25 stars. Really enjoyed this debut! Ethan throws his daughter, Sophie, a massive sweet sixteen party at his Texas mansion. Before the party is over, someone is dead. The book is told through 4 women whose stories are woven together. There were a few parts where the story got a bit slow, but overall I felt this was well written and held my interest. There were also a few great twists and I wasn’t sure who was the victim until the very end. Would love to see more from this author in the future!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel!

I really enjoyed this. I had no clue who was going to be the victim. There was one scene that had me gasping out loud! Excellent debut from this author and I look forward to reading more work from her!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.25 stars rounded down to 3

I found the first 60% of the book slow and wasn’t very drawn to it. But finally closer to the end I started finding it more interesting. There are a lot of characters but I didn’t mind having so many points of view, it helped keep most of the characters straight for me (I can struggle with that if there are a lot). I was surprised with some of the twists, others I didn’t enjoy or figured out before the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC

Set to the before, during and after of Sophies elaborate Sweet 16 birthday party. Dad Ethan is the perfect host, mom Kim is a train wreck and step-mom Dani is too put together but falling apart. Their stories are interconnected as you get glimpses from the past to set up the future. Twists and turn, things I thought I interpreted manipulated around to something else and only at the end do we even know who dies.

I enjoyed the unpredictable nature of the story when I can normally put it together at the start. While some aspects were foreshadowed the real mystery is a surprise.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC to read and review.

Synopsis: “Party of Liars” by Kelsey Cox is a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of a lavish Sweet Sixteen party in the Texas Hill Country. The story unfolds in a renovated cliffside mansion, where an exclusive black-tie event takes a dark turn as a body plummets from a balcony onto the dance floor below. The narrative delves into the intertwined lives of several characters, including Dani, the new stepmother grappling with self-doubt; Órlaith, the superstitious Irish nanny; Mikayla, the birthday girl’s best friend; and Kim, the resentful ex-wife. Each harbors secrets, making them potential suspects in this suspenseful whodunnit.

Review: While the novel boasts a creative premise and competent writing, I found it lacking in sustained excitement. The short chapters often concluded with cryptic sentences suggesting imminent developments, yet significant events were slow to materialize. Midway through the book, I grew frustrated with the prolonged focus on character backstories, which seemed to overshadow the main plot. Despite considering setting it aside, I persevered to the end, where the conclusion offered some redemption. However, the delayed pacing made the journey less engaging than anticipated.

In summary, “Party of Liars” is a popcorn thriller that, despite its intriguing setup, may test the patience of readers seeking a more dynamic narrative. I would rate it almost three stars for its attempts at creativity and its acceptable writing.

Told from multiple points of view and with some twists I really enjoyed this book. I liked all the drama and the setting of the birthday party. This book hooked me and I really recommend!

Thank you to Kelsey Cox, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for an arc copy of Party of Liars! This multiple POV, mystery novel is a page turner! You are trying to figure out from the very beginning who is dead? Lots of secrets, tension, and supernatural elements at times!! Party of Liars is Kelsey Coxs debut novel! She kept my interest from the very beginning! This book publishes on 7/1/25!

3.75

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. It was a page turner, definitely in the last quarter with a couple of big twists and I love that I didn't fully see them coming or anticipate them. That being said, with the multiple story lines, I felt like there were some stones unturned and certain things didn't add up. For the first half of the book, I thought the daughter's young friend, Mikayla, was in love with her, but I'm not sure if this was the intent or not. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend to friend that enjoy a thriller!

ARC review • pub date 07.01.25

This was a fun read and I read about 75% of it in one day! This book is based at Sophie’s lavish sweet sixteen party hosted at her dad’s house, with everyone they know and then some in attendance — including her mom (the ex wife), stepmom, best friend, and ex boyfriend.

The house is known as haunted because 100 years or so prior, a woman fell to her death from the balcony. And in the very beginning you learn that someone falls to their death at the party, but you don’t find out who until the very end. The entire book is set at this one party with some flashbacks.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it! There are a lot of characters but they were easy to differentiate, and some of the twists really got me.

Read if you love:
-family/friend drama
-baking
-multiple POV
-minor paranormal aspect
-Carola Lovering books

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley + Minotaur Books for my ARC!

Sophie is turning sixteen and her father Ethan is throwing her the party of the decade. The festivities are taking place at his and his young wife Dani’s cliffside mansion outside of San Antonio. The house is unique because the oceanfront side is made completely of glass, creating a beautiful, yet eerie, dollhouse-like effect. The exterior is not the only thing that appears sinister, some of the guests are hiding secrets, and when a horrible scream rips through the party and a body falls off of the glass balcony, it’s anyone’s guess as to who could have perpetuated such a malicious crime.

Told in dual timelines and narrated alternately by four of the party guests, this locked room thriller serves up multiple twists and wrenches in the plot. The secrets and reveals kept me captivated and guessing until the very end. 4.5 stars for this thrilling tale of secrets and lies.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Sophie Matthews’ extravagant sweet sixteen is set to be the event of the season—a glittering party at her father Ethan’s sprawling mansion in Bulverde, Texas. Whispers have long circulated that the house is haunted, but those eerie rumors take a chilling turn when, in the middle of the celebration, a body plummets from the balcony.

Who is the victim? And, more importantly—who is the killer?

As the investigation unfolds, suspicion swirls around Sophie’s inner circle. There’s Ethan and his new wife, Dani, who rule the house with an air of wealth and secrecy. Orlaith, the devoted nanny to Sophie’s infant half-sister Charlotte, might know more than she lets on. Mikayla, Sophie’s lifelong best friend, struggles with the feeling that their bond is slipping away. And then there’s Kim—Sophie’s mother—whose lingering resentments could be motive enough for revenge.

While the novel sets up an intriguing premise, the ghostly angle never quite delivers, and the twists feel predictable rather than pulse-pounding. The writing is competent, but the story follows such a familiar formula that it lacks the spark needed to truly grip the reader. It’s not a terrible book—just one that might leave you feeling underwhelmed.

Wow - I can't believe this is a debut! Where do I even start with this one? "Party of Liars" gracefully switches between POVs and timelines each chapter, creating a suspenseful and exciting journey to discover what REALLY happened at Sophie's Sweet 16 party. This was a fun and quick read that kept me guessing - every time I thought I figured out who fell and who was behind it, something else would be revealed to let me know I had it ALL wrong - this one had some major twists, especially in the last few chapters. While I finished this one in just a few, short sittings, sometimes the pacing felt a bit off; at times the story behind "that day" felt dragged out, but then the ending felt a little rushed? I also wish we had some more background with Kim and Ethan - I felt like they played a pivotal role and I'm still not completely sure what exactly led to their divorce? Regardless, this was a fun, twisty thriller that will definitely be topping the charts upon release. Thanks so much for the ARC, and I can't wait to see what Cox comes out with next!

Unfortunately not the right book for me. I couldn't get into it and the characters didn't feel fully thought out.