In this domestic thriller, a large cast of characters come together to celebrate the lavish sixteenth birthday party of Sophie. Ethan, her father, has invited all of his friends and hers to show off his newly renovated mansion. Her mother Kim is bitter and angry, her best friend Makayla is jealous and not as innocent as she appears, and the nanny is obsessed with death and not wanting to leave the family anytime soon. Dani, Ethan’s new wife, is unstable and it’s hard to know if what she’s seeing is real or imagined. At the end of the night, someone won’t make it through the party alive.

I was lucky enough to receive this book in several forms. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. it was narrated by Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, and Suzy Jackson. I really enjoyed the multiple narrators, It created an immersive experience that felt like experiencing a movie with the full cast and sound effects.

Thank you to Minotaur books for the digital arc and print arc. This was a good thriller with excellent potential. It really kept my attention and the multiple narrators helped create a rich tapestry of storylines that created one interconnected tale. Everyone comes across as unlikable and suspicious, making it hard to know who to trust as well as who to suspect. My only critique keeping this from being a five star read was that I felt that the haunted house storyline could have been left out as it felt like it was a bit unfinished and didn’t add as much to the plot as the other storylines did. However, it was still a very enjoyable and fast-paced read that is an exciting page turner!

Party of Liars was a fun binge popcorn thriller read.
The many povs were a bit confusing but the premise was so entertaining.

Would totally read this author again.

Secrets. Champagne. And a guest list you really shouldn’t trust.

Party of Liars is a deliciously addictive cocktail of scandal, suspense, and sharp-tongued drama. Kelsey Cox invites you into a glittering world where appearances are everything and honesty is... well, optional at best. The pacing? Snappy. The tension? High. The lies? Stacked taller than a tower of overpriced macarons.

Cox writes with a cinematic flair that makes each chapter feel like its own scene—cutting between whispered confessions, shocking revelations, and slow-drip secrets unraveling in the background. You’ll suspect everyone, trust no one, and devour the chapters like popcorn at a murder-themed masquerade.

Party of Liars was exactly the right amount of thrill and mystery I needed this month. I had so much fun with this book and really enjoyed the twists and turns as you try over and over to orient yourself and figure out what on earth is going on at this crazy party and who on earth could be guilty?? And who dies again?? I had so many questions as I read each chapter and just when I thought I had it figured out, something else happened to make me second guess myself. Such a fun book.

It did have quite a few character POVs and it took a bit to settle into knowing who was who, but the author does a great job at ensuring each character’s blind spots serves the storyline plot which ultimately makes the reader feel like they are immersed in a game of Clue. All in all, this book was a fun summer read and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming at all!!

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. Solid storytelling with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you turning pages. Multiple POV's made it interesting. I would definitely read another by this author. Thank you.

Wow! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be the last. The detail put into each character’s storyline is top tier. The twists were twisting and every time I thought I had it figured out, i quickly learned just how wrong I was. I will definitely be recommending this book to all of my friends!

Party of Liars centers around psychologist Ethan Matthews and his family. Most of the action takes place at Sophie’s very elaborate Sweet Sixteen Party, thrown by Ethan and his wife Dani, in their home in San Antonio, Texas hill country, alleged by locals to be haunted. The story is told by a cast of unreliable narrators—Sophie, typical teenager recently heartbroken by a breakup; her best friend Mikayla, going through her own teenage dramas and keeping secrets from Sophie; Dani the young second wife of Ethan, apparently suffering from postpartum depression; Kim, the first wife, mother of Sophie, who left Ethan and drinks—a lot; Orlaith—the nanny hired by Dani and Ethan for their baby Charlotte who is something of an enigma and harbors her own secrets.

You ask yourself throughout the book who can be relied upon to tell the truth and, if not, why not? As Ethan states, “I’m more interested in the way confirmation bias affects memory recall. We construct these narravives, see? Stories about who we are, our relationships with the people in our lives, the mistakes we made, the achievements we earned. We don’t remember things the way they really happened. We recall the details that fir the narratbive.” Told using observations and flashbacks, the story begins to feel as if the party will never end and it’s hard to find many likable characters. Having said that, it did pick up steam later in the book and offered up twists and resolutions thereby making it a satisfying read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

4.5 which I will gladly round up to a solid 5 stars.

Party Liars is a fast paced , hold your breath read that grabs you from the first to the last page.

Sophie is turning 16 and her dad and stepmother are about to host a party to end all parties.

Sophie just wants the night to be perfect.

You cant always have what you want.

The party is in full swing with both parents and teens when someone falls off the balcony.

The question is who?

Could they have survived?

The story is told from mulitple POV's and in the before and after.

The characters are well defined with some nice and some nasty and quite a few cattty mums I must say. I loved it.

Secrets, lies, twists and turns and a major reveal that I did not see coming kept those pages turning quickly.

Kelsey Cox does a masterful job of leading the reader down a suspensful path full of intrigue, suspense and drama in this closed door mystery.

Don't miss Party of Liars, its hard to put down so clear your schedule and buckle up for a wild ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing Party of Liars.

This book kind of dragged on through the middle. Everything was so vague and purposely misleading to a point but then suddenly everything starts to come to light. Each one of the main characters reveals something deep inside that proves who they really are. I found the actual party to be kind of unnecessary. Especially with all the kids drinking. I thought they would be more important with the mother's addiction but it wasn't even wrapped up

Who would have thought that a sweet 16 would bring so much drama and chaos

The book centers around Sophie's sweet 16 party. The story is told from multiple view points and perspectives. Every character at one time make you dislike them, then like them and back again. It was a fast paced story, where everyone lies, manipulates and create good old fashioned chaos. The who did it and the why will leave you shocked. They all have secrets, they all have demons and they all are liars.

One of my favorite thrillers this year! Can't wait to ready more of Kelsey Cox work! 5 stars!

this was such a fun, twisty book! i love myself a good rich people party, where their each problem is magnified, and this book did exactly that! i usually don't enjoy multiple pov's a lot, but kelsey cox tied everything together really well. the only minus for me was that the book was over the span of one day, so it moves relatively slowly. but, so much happens in that day, and while i saw one twist coming, there's something at the end that truly blew my mind. overall, this book was so good and i can't wait to read more by the author!

thank you to netgalley and kelsey cox for an arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

This thriller, told from the perspective of several women attending an ill-fated Sweet Sixteen, is creepy and upsetting. Honestly, I did enjoy following each character and trying to figure out what was really going on, but the ending was so upsetting that it was difficult for me to think about the rest of the book apart from the ending. Mind your content warnings!

Party Of Liars was a sleeper hit! I almost gave this 5 stars, but it’s a solid 4.5

The whole plot takes place at a party - a a sweet sixteen for Sophie, daughter of divorced parents. Mom is a mess, and dad is a golden boy, already remarried (to Dani) with a new baby. Our golden boy’s first finance died, then his first wife went absolutely mad and has a drinking problem, and now new wife Dani is experiencing psychosis. Are we seeing a pattern here? 🧐

The timeline bounces to a body being wheeled away after the party, to the party, then to the hospital, etc. the whole story is a guessing game for the reader to figure out who exactly died — which I LOVED. I especially love when an author tricks me. Unfortunately for Kelsey Cox, our fatality was fairly obvious… But!!!! The why and how were absolutely spectacularly written, and I didn’t have it called.

They say people that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but I don’t think they should be throwing parties either 😉

Definitely add this one to your reading list!!

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review!

The premise of the book sounded SO good, but unfortunately we were saddled with every unlikable character possible. Like no joke, not ONE person was enjoyable and that made it really hard to follow through the plot. I’m also sorely disappointed that this was NOT a thriller!!! I was expecting a lock-in mystery, which is my favorite, but it ended up just being a domestic drama.

My first Kelsey Cox novel but definitely not my last! Being a native Texan I loved this setting. The character chemistry was fabulous! Secrets and lies abound. Really enjoyed this one.
Thank you NetGalley, Kelsey Cox and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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!