Party of liars by Kelsey Cox was a story of love jealousy and a little crazy. A sweet 16 party turns deadly who could the suspect be. We have Ethan the father who likes to have control over his wives. His wife.Dani who just had a baby Charlotte and doesn’t seem to have control over her own life any longer. Then there is Ethan’s ex-wife Kim who tends to drink a lot, but is this really her problem or is somebody out to get her? Then there is Orlaith the nanny. She has a hidden story. What is her connection with Ethan and his wives? What can she be hiding? Then there is.Milayla the birthday girl Sophie oldest friend. What connection does she have to Ethan?

Everyone seems to be having a great time at the sweet 16 but that things start to get a little strange. Kim is drinking as usual but she starts remembering things from the past. Is it because she’s in this house that she and Ethan built from scratch? Or are these thoughts and visions that she’s having? Are they in the present? Is someone trying to hurt her? Then there is. Dani who knows things aren’t right. She’s been getting weird messages about her living in this house. Who was trying to scare her? Did these thoughts that she is having are they real or is she imagining it? Can she trust the nanny who she feels is always in her space. How are all of these women tied together? there are many questions to answer and the ending will answer everything for you with a big twist.

It enjoyed this book. I love a good twist and turn. My only problem with this book is that I wish it was a little shorter. I sometimes got lost. They were too many time frames and people thrown in and I was getting a little confused. Other than that, I love the characters I love the way it was written, and like I said, I loved my twist and turns

Thank you Storm and NetGalley for the arc. A four star review for Ms. Cox. Looking forward to her next book.

I fairly enjoyed this thriller but, I’m not a huge fan of paranormal elements in a thriller. It threw off the story for me.

This one started off strong, but then ended just ok. I am not usually one for superstitious characters so that didn't work for me. The nanny's POV didn't really come together IMO until the end.

Ethan is a psychiatrist who seems to be drawn to unstable women. His first wife Kim became an alcoholic, losing not only her practice and her license, but her husband and her home as well, leaving her bitter and vengeful towards Ethan.
Ethan's new twenty-seven year old wife Dani is an accomplished baker, but since having her newborn baby, Charlotte, has become severely depressed and she fears she might hurt her own child.
Most claim it's the house they live in. That it's haunted by The Mother who is claiming what is hers. But that doesn't stop Ethan from throwing a party for his daughter Chloe.
With the entire neighborhood in attendance, someone ends up dead and you will be shocked to find out who and why.
This book was an absolute page-turner and the ending will leave you in total surprise.

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur, Macmillan Audio and Kelsey Cox for the ARC/ALC!

Sophie Matthews’ sweet sixteen birthday party is the event of the season. Her father has spared no expense in the party at his cliffside home (which, rumor has it, was haunted). Nobody expects a body to fall from the balcony before the birthday girl can make a wish…

This was a fun thriller full of intriguing characters. Dani, Sophie’s stepmother, is grappling to find herself after having a baby. This I could relate to deeply, as a mom myself; that feeling of losing the old version or yourself and in a sense of being born again yourself. She had to contend with a husband who was overly cautious of her condition, an ex-wife (Kim), who won’t let go of the past, and a nanny (Orlaith), who meddles where she doesn’t belong. Told through multiple points of view, little pieces of the puzzle are revealed. And the title holds true - every single one of these characters is lying in some way, shape or form, and that made for one entertaining thriller! Twisty and with short chapters, this took bingeworthy to a new level! I easily could have read it in one night if it wasn’t for real life - lol! The ending also really threw me for a loop - I didn’t see it coming at all - brilliantly executed! I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next. On audio, with a full cast, this book truly came to life!

“Party of Liars” releases July 1, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

An over the top sweet 16 party goes awry when one of the guests turns up dead. This is how the story opens and I love the structure of the novel as it works backwards from there. This one gave me major Big Little Lies vibes since the identity of the deceased is kept a mystery. The story unfolds through the perspectives and backstories of several different characters at the party. From the guest of honor, her best friend, her father and his new young wife, her disgraced mother, and the odd nanny, there are plenty of unlikeable characters, rich people behaving badly, teen drama, and an unsettling foreboding to keep the pages turning quickly. I enjoyed this fun summer read and recommend to those who like locked room mysteries, Big Little Lies, and are OK with darker themes (postpartum depression, alcoholism, and others that I won’t know for fear of spoilers).

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

It’s Sophie Matthew’s sixteenth birthday party hosted by her father at his luxurious home rumored to be haunted by a woman who had killed herself after losing her child to death. Will a similar fate happen to Sophie’s baby step-sister who is currently living in the haunted home? Dani, Sophie’s stepmother says she is seeing and hearing the rumored ghost and Dani is not quite comfortable with being a mother with a young baby to care for. Kim, the ex-wife is regretting divorcing her husband and living the lavish life she once had. Oplaith the nanny, is obsessed with caring for the baby as she longs for her own daughter who had passed away. And Mikayla, Sophie’s best friend wants it all and is determined to have it. Let The Party Begin!!!!

This took me a a few chapters to get into because I was so confused early in with the different POVs. However, soon I was going page by page trying to see how this would all end. Who was the person who fell and how did the different POVs connect to it.

This one doesn't disappoint. I was more chapters away before things really started clicking into place. I had some theories I had discarded but things were seemingly too perfect for me to fully discard them.

Top notch book leaving you hanging on until that very end.

A sixteenth birthday party at a renovated (and rumoured to be haunted) mansion brings all sorts of party goers out. The divorced parents, the new wife, the bizarre nanny, the bday girl’s BFF, loads of guests, teens & other well to do couples. The chapters are from several of then main characters POVS which for me is positive. It lets you understand what each of them is truly going through. It’s does slow down a bit in the middle & the chapters get a bit repetitive. I wish we’d gotten to the action a little quicker. However I really enjoyed the ending, it wrapped things up perfectly. Overall it was a good mystery & one I can recommend. I will definitely look out for the author’s future books because the flow of the writing was really strong.

🎉

Read if you like:
* The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
* The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
* The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

What if I told you there was a book that combined an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery with My Super Sweet Sixteen? This was that book and it was so much fun to read. There are multiple POVs and all of them are interesting and important and add to the story in their own little way. While I did figure out the twist relatively early into the book, I really enjoyed the journey the story took me on and I simply did not want to stop reading until the very end. Put this one on your list!
I will definitely recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC!

I loved the multiple narrators in this. I felt like that worked really well, which is an accomplishment because it doesn't always! The setting was great - a sweet 16 party gone awry - and the cast of characters was interesting. I did figure out whodunnit before the big reveal, but I found this a very enjoyable read. Fast-paced and I read it in a couple of days.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@netgalley
@kelseycoxwriter
@stmartinspress
@minotaur_books

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (million gazillion stars!! )

Publication date: 7/1/25

Get ready for a lavish big ole Texas sized Sweet Sixteen Party turned deadly in this fresh take on a classic whodunit!

This book is one of my top favs of the summer!! Omg, all the drama I’m obsessed! A fast paced thriller with juicy drama and murder, need I say more? Kelsey, you are amazing! I can’t wait to read future books of yours!! A MUST READ!!!!!

#read #netgalley #stmartinspress #partyofliars #kelseycox #fivestarread #tbr #summer #drama #juicy #tea #thriller #books #bookworm #bookish #cake #party #booksbooksbooks #bookaholic #booklover

Party of Liars was so intriguing! I love the idea of spaces holding onto energy and memories. This one creeped me out just enough to want to race to the end!

This book was so good!!! I absolutely loved the pacing and how the author slowly revealed the twists. I truly loved the symmetry at the end as well!! This gave me major The Guest List vibes 😍😍😍 ALSO I read the book as a love letter to the Texas Hill Country bc I grew up where the book was set so it gave me major nostalgia 🥺

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the
E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Fun characters & twisty plot. Will read more from this author.

Party of Liars is a fast-paced, twisty thriller that keeps readers guessing until the final pages. Cox delivers a story filled with secrets, shifting alliances, and a cast of morally gray characters (my fave!) Set against the backdrop of a glamorous yet toxic gathering, the book explores how far people will go to protect the lies they’ve built their lives around. With a quick witted dialogue, layered suspense, and a plethora of revelations, it’s a compulsive read for fans of drama packed psychological thrillers. While some plot turns stretch believability, the emotional stakes and juicy betrayals make for an addictive ride.

The multiple POVs kept me guessing to the end and I still hadn’t guessed correctly who died. I feel like the supernatural aspect could have evolved a bit or been completely left out.

Thank you, NetGalley, for opportunity to read and review Party of Liars!

This was a quick and engaging read with a solid mystery built in. It all takes place at an opulent party for Sophie's 16th birthday, attended by her divorced parents, new step-mom, group of friends, her sister (and nanny), and all the village neighbors who have been waiting for a peek inside their newly renovated mansion with a dark history. We know immediately that someone has died but have to wait until the end of the book to find out who it was. The POVs shift from various characters throughout the book, allowing the reader to get good insight into what makes them tick and how they feel about each other. The house is said to be haunted, which was a neat twist and added an additional element to the story as it came together.

The author did a great job of leading me to believe one thing was unfolding, only to reveal something completely different—and this pattern repeated throughout the story. Interestingly, I found that the events that actually occurred were often more believable than what I initially expected, which I really appreciated. While the characters weren't always likable, they were fun to read about and I appreciated the dynamics between them. We also managed to get pretty good backstories in a short period of time.. There were lots of surprises in the tail end of the book, but I thought they all worked together to tie everything up. I felt like even the biggest surprise twists made total sense when all was revealed.

Overall, I thought this was a really fun read and enjoyed the surprises throughout. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was entertaining enough. The changing POV is necessary to get the perspective from each character. That way you are never quite sure if what they think is real or delusional. The supernatural aspect of The Mother is thrown in to further confuse things and lead the reader to conclusions. My thoughts ran toward the 1944 movie starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The person that died was a surprise and yet wasn't a surprise. There were lots of clues along the way if you read closely enough. I did feel that one character's thought were too misleading to be fair. I did find it interesting from the different POVs how the characters showed that the way we see ourselves is not the same way others see us.

This domestic thriller kept me guessing throughout. Told from multiple perspectives over a couple of different timelines, it has a pretty slow build but the final reveal was not only surprising but entirely satisfying. It will make a great summer read. Strongly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy.