What could go wrong at a 16 year old's sweet 16 birthday party? When badly behaved wealthy mothers, ex wives and an over-involved nanny are all in the same place, it's a recipe for disaster! But when someone winds up dead the night of the party, everyone is a suspect!

Give me messy rich people with buried secrets, and I will eat it up every single time. This book delivers exactly what the title promises, and I had so much fun with it.

Right from the start, you know someone dies at Sophie Matthews’s sweet sixteen bash. But what you don’t know (and won’t know until the very end) is who. That’s what makes this one such a page-turner. It’s not just a whodunit, but a who-died and whodunit to them.

We get the story through four main POVs, and each one brings their own flavor of chaos. We have Dani, the new Instagram-famous stepmom, who’s juggling a newborn and a rapidly unraveling mental state. Then there's Orlaith, the older, superstitious Irish nanny who’s still grieving the loss of her daughter and sensing some seriously bad energy in the house. (Dani also doesn't like Orlaith, but her husband insists she is necessary… so, there's extra drama here.) We also have Kim (my favorite character because she's soooo juicy), the ex-wife who’s bitter, boozy, and very much not over the whole divorce thing. And then Mikayla, Sophie’s best friend who is quiet, awkward, and maybe just a little more unhinged than she lets on.

I loved how distinct each voice felt. I listened to the audiobook which had a different narrator for each character. It really helped keep things straight even as the story jumped between past, present, and the aftermath. The time-hopping structure could’ve easily been confusing, but it never was. It flowed smoothly, and each perspective added new tension, suspicion, and emotional depth.

The drama, the dynamics, and the buildup is exactly what one would expect with this type of book. It's popcorn thriller perfection. Honestly, the characters were the best part for me. They’re all a little broken, a little shady, and all hiding something. You know from the beginning that someone’s going to crack, and watching that unravel was so satisfying. And while I did find the final reveal of who died and what they did to deserve it very predictable, it didn’t ruin the ride.

This is one of those books that feels made for a beach bag. It’s dark but not heavy, twisty but easy to follow, and full of exactly the kind of rich-person drama that scratches the rich people behaving badly itch in my brain. If you’re into layered domestic thrillers with a cast of interesting characters then you’re going to fly through this.

Really enjoyed this! I loved all the characters; it gave 'One of us is Lying' vibes. A GREAT read for summer!

Well done, Kelsey Cox! Party of Liars is a twisty and devious thriller which hooked me from the very first chapter. It is so well written and the cliff hangers at the end of each chapter made it difficult to find a stopping point!

Sophie Matthew’s is celebrating her sixteenth birthday at her father’s recently renovated cliffside mansion in the Hill Country of Texas, said to have a haunting past.

This story delves into the lives of her friend Mikayla, her step-mother Dani, the superstitious nanny Orlaith, her father Ethan, and mother Kim. Set before and after the night of the lavish party when a body falls from the balcony to the dance floor. It keeps you guessing who died and whodunnit?!

Read if you like:
⭐️Alternating before/after timelines
⭐️Creepy century-old houses
⭐️Texas Hill Country
⭐️ Extravagant black tie sweet sixteen parties
⭐️ Twists, lies, suspense and secrets
⭐️ Multiple POV
‼️ Explores heavy themes of postpartum mental health, manipulation, delusion, obsession, and of course, death.

Available July 1, 2025 so be sure to add to your list!

Thank you @htp_hive @htpbooks for the advanced ebook and @macmillan.audio for the audiobook. The narrator is great!!

This is a great summer read. If you love drama, secrets, and twists then I believe you'll enjoy this book.

This is a quick summer read for those who love pool parties, gossip, games and hidden secrets.

Everyone in the story was excited about going to Sophie’s sweet 16th birthday party at her father’s enormous house in Texas. It took years to renovate and finally this Queen Anne Victorian home with a stunning view would be on display with an elite group of friends.

Ethan and his ex-wife, Kim, bought the old mansion in 2010 after it had been vacant for years. It was originally built in the late 19th century by a successful businessman who wanted to impress his sweetheart with her dream castle. A few years later, she fell to her death from the balcony. Ethan and Kim were pleased that the property was priced low with no concerns of the rumors that it was haunted.

The story was character driven with six viewpoints focused on Sophie and her special day. Invited were her chummy high school pals along with the close ties of the parents showing off their wealth. What could go wrong with an all-out party catered with all you can eat and drink?

The beginning was strong with the detailed description of the house. It would have been fun to see what it actually looked like. The plot had a couple of twists but I kept hoping for more excitement. The build-up was slow; however, there was a big “wow” at the end. I didn’t see it coming.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this advanced copy with an expected release date of July 1, 2025.

If there is one thing that you can count on to be served at a sixteenth birthday, it’s the drama. What could possibly go wrong with a birthday girl, a best friend, a new group of friends, an ex-boyfriend, a dad, a mom, a step-mom & a new baby, you ask?

As a thriller & suspense devourer, I am so glad that I was able to read this book. Admittedly when I saw that the setting was a sixteenth birthday celebration, I wasn’t sure that this was the book for me. But wow, was I wrong!

Despite the characters aggravating me at one point or another (lol), they were all relatable in some capacity, especially Dani & Kim. An unexpected surprise in this book was the discussion of the struggles that come along with becoming a mom, as well as someone who formerly struggled with alcoholism — It’s like Kelsey Cox took thoughts right from my brain & put them into paper.

Alternating chapters between characters can be difficult to do without the story getting lost. That was not the case here. A further layer of complexity was added with a past/present spin that I LOVED! It was the first time I had read a book with that style.

While I knew there was going to be some twist that was unexpected, I didn’t see the ending.

If this is the only book that Kelsey Cox writes, I will be glad she shared a little piece of her brain with me. If not, you bet
your bottom dollar I will be reading her others.

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

Publication Date: July 1, 2025

The drama is bigger in Texas! This was such a juicy, drama-filled book. Similar vibes to May Cobb with a little bit of a darker tone. There were so many different characters with different agendas that were fun to follow. It's one of those where you know someone dies at the beginning of the book, but you don't find out who until the end... I had so many theories that kept being wrong. There are a lot of red herrings and misdirections, it was a lot of fun! Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a chance to read this early!

Wow! This book is just what I needed to get me out of my reading rut. It's a domestic thriller full of twists. The story is set during a huge, Texas, sweet sixteen party. The whole story is set during the party using flashbacks from multiple points of view. This book sucks you in and keeps you up late because you can't put it down. With short chapters, it goes fast. Sophie's dad throws her a sweet sixteen party mainly to show off his newly redone mansion on a hill in Texas hill country. Right at the start of the book a body falls from the balcony onto the dance floor. You spend the rest of the book trying to figure out who it was. I loved this book and I think you will too. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

“Maybe places hold scars too, retain the faint traces of the things that happened there. If you know where to look.”

Party of Liars is the thrilling debut novel Kelsey Cox following Sophie Matthews extravagant Sweet 16 Birthday Party. On top of a cliffside in Texas sits a mansion that most believe is haunted. Ethan and Dani Matthews are preparing for Sophie’s lavish party, which seems like more of a party for Ethan to show off his remodeled house to his friends. Dani is the new, young wife of Ethan, and they have a six-month-old baby, watched by the nanny, Orlaith. Kim is Sophie’s mother, who drinks way too much and seems mad at the world, and Mikayla is Sophie’s best friend, who has a large secret of her own. At this all-day affair, the town is dressed to the nines, the food is catered, there is a bar and drinks are flowing, teenagers are swimming and sneaking alcohol – but just after the cake is cut, a body falls from the balcony. Who is the victim? And who at the party sent them to their death?

Wow! What an excessive birthday party! I found myself quickly turning the page to see what happens next. With a large cast of characters, this story is told in multiple POV’s, all giving different insights that come together on the day of the party. I’m not sure if this is a party of liars – or of manipulative, shrewd individuals set on getting their own way.

I was intrigued by the psychological aspects of this novel – especially dealing with confirmation bias. This really added another layer to this thriller setting it aside from some other: “We know one of us here is a killer” books.

I will say in the beginning I was confused by the whole concept of The Mother. I wish this over-arching presence was named something else because this book seems to be mainly about Mothers wanting the best for their children but not necessarily knowing how to go about doing that. (“Because if there is anything a mother is good at, it’s doing the dirty work, it’s rolling up her sleeves and getting things done.”)

My few dislikes were: Orlaith using the word “like” at the end of most sentences was simply annoying (is this how people talk in Ireland?). And I really wanted to go back and count how many drinks Kim had during the day because I don’t understand how she wasn’t passed out somewhere mid-book. Lastly, what dad goes and plays poker during his daughter’s birthday party? I’m not sure why that bothered me so much but if my husband went and played cards during one of our parties, I would have a fit!

Overall, I feel like the house was a character in and of itself, which molded the human characters in this book. This was a well-written novel where everything came together at the end perfectly for me. I think this is a strong debut novel and that we will be hearing more of Cox in the future!

3.8 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for this explosive arc! All opinions are my own.

“Because a person can only be pushed so far, because once you tip over the edge, there is no undoing what’s been done.”

“That to love one person forever, you must lie, at least a little bit, either to them or to yourself.”

100% YES!

I couldn’t put this down-every word perfectly chosen, every image expertly drawn. Rich in imagery, but not so much extraneous detail that the thread of the tale is lost.

The story is told from multiple points of view, each individual chapter narrated by a specific character. At first, I was concerned that I might have trouble keeping everyone straight, but each character has her own distinct voice and cadence, and there was no confusion. Though this is a mystery/thriller, at it’s core, it’s really about how we come to terms with what it means to be a mother-the sacrifice and the absurdity, the unmitigated joy and the soul-crushing exhaustion, the truly feral instinct to protect at all costs. Add to that a great twist that I didn’t see coming and this is on my top 10 list for the year.
This would be a fantastic beach read-fast and absorbing and weirdly emotionally satisfying. I have 8 children of my own, and I found myself nodding in agreement with these women many times.
I’m glad that Kelsey decided not to give up.
Good thing the dog didn’t eat those peas!

4.25 stars

I had SO MUCH FUN with this one! It had so much drama and mysterious elements, it was like I never really knew what was going on or what anybody's motives were. I love rich people drama books, tv shows, and movies, so this one really hooked me from the beginning and I was super invested the whole time. It’s really fast paced!

I would recommend this for fans of Lucy Foley!

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for my copy of this!

Well I’ll definitely be reading more books from Kelsey Cox. This was my first of this authors books and was surprised how much I loved this! Such an engrossing plot with lots of twist and turns that will keep you guessing. A great psychological thriller with so many juicy secrets! A must read!

Perfect beach read! This book kept my attention and had characters I could keep track of, even though there were a lot of them. Highly recommend this book and.

Fantastic read! I could not put this down! What an exhilarating, nail-biting, jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-throbbing ride! This book grabbed me by the collar from the very first chapter and never let go. What makes this thriller stand out is its incredible cast of complex women, all battling personal demons, carrying guilt, and hiding explosive secrets. By the end, my heart was pounding and my jaw was on the floor. This is the kind of thriller that sticks with you, the characters, the emotions, the themes of motherhood, regret, mental health, and redemption. It’s not just a mystery, it’s a deeply human story dressed in suspense, and that’s what made it so powerful.

4.5 star rating for this novel. It was everything I crave in a thriller and more! If you’re a fan of single-location, one-night disasters unraveling in real-time, buckle up because this one delivers all the drama, tension, and shocking twists your heart can handle. I can’t wait to devour more from this author. This is hands-down one of my favorite thrillers of the year.

I initially requested an ARC of Party of Liars after receiving a promotional email from NetGalley and was overall pleased with the recommendation. While multiple POVs and timelines can often end up confusing for the reader, Kelsey Cox did a phenomenal job of weaving together past and present narratives into one cohesive plot. I was never confused as I read Party of Liars and easily followed the cast of characters. I also loved the contrast of the beautiful setting with the underlying sense of foreboding stemming from years of folklore about "The Mother." Party of Liars is the perfect poolside read this summer!

While the story maintained my interest throughout, the middle portion did feel weighed down by excessive detail, which slowed the pacing somewhat. Though marketed as a whodunnit, the suggestion of a haunting introduces a misleading supernatural element that ultimately diverts from the true nature of the mystery.

The narrative centers around Sophie, a 16-year-old girl caught in the complexities of a blended family. Her parents, Ethan and Kim, are divorced; Ethan now lives with his new wife Dani, and they share a young daughter. Órlaith, the nanny, is a non-negotiable fixture in Ethan’s household, while Mikayla is Sophie’s loyal best friend.

At the heart of the story is the question: who is pushed over the balcony—and why?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Who gets pushed over the balcony and why?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, I was not hooked at first. At the beginning, I was rolling my eyes a little too much to enjoy, but I'm so glad I stuck with this one. It turned out to be a wild one! I ended up really enjoying the characters and the plot. I often can see where the plot is headed, but this one had some twists that surprised me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Kelsey Cox’s Party of Liars brings all the drama to a sweet sixteen birthday celebration with a cast of teens and adults, complete with secrets, manipulations and a bit of the mystic.

About 2/3rds through the book, I was questioning the preponderance of gendered stereotypes, but then the plot took a (surprising) turn that provided the plot nuances I was wanting. Considering the number of main characters, there is, at times, unexpected depth.

If you are looking for a well written who-done-it, I recommend Party of Liars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I sometimes get lost in audio books, as my mind wanders more than when reading physical books. Not with this intense story though! The storyline was gripping, characters were interesting, overall great and highly recommended.