This book takes place pretty much over just one party, and I was thoroughly engrossed the entire time!

When this book is described as a fresh take on a locked door, they’re completely correct. The story felt original, entertaining, and well thought out. With multiple POV & seconding guessing each character, this one will be sure to keep you hooked.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the ending, and I thought it tied together very well and was well-done. My only caveat is that I felt the pacing was slightly off. The party felt never-ending! But that may have resulted from my eagerness to know what's next. I do think the outcome of the story was well developed, and it wasn't yet another novel with a twist that no one could see coming, Kelsey Cox did a great job of making well-rounded characters.

This psychological thriller was perfect. I love the domestic drama between the couples, the teenagers, and the views of the creepy nanny and cringy ex-wife. All of the discomfort created by the drama resulted in the perfect vibe for a doomed party. Just as soon as I thought I knew what was happening, another twist was thrown in. I felt very satisfied at the end and forlorn that there are not yet more books by this author; could this be a magnificent debut? Impressive! An exciting thriller I will be recommending to others as soon as it comes out! Thanks to NetGalleyad Mintoaur Bokks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

An upscale sweet sixteen party set at a one of kind Texas mansion is the stage for a night of uncovered secrets. This was a fast-paced read and I enjoyed the changing perspectives of the four characters we follow. Each character has a distinct voice which made keeping track of which chapter was following which character pretty easy. Chapters are pretty short which keeps the pace moving quickly.
Overall, a solid and satisfying thriller.

Thanks to Kelsey Cox, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was one of my favorite books I read so far in 2025. I love the different aspects of each character. I enjoyed the writing style. It was quick entertaining read. It keep me guessing until the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. Set in the Hill Country of Texas, a sweet sixteen party turns deadly. Everyone is a suspect. With multiple viewpoints, this twisty drama is a real page turner.

A great fast paced thriller where it seems like everyone has something to hide. I fell in love with this one right from the beginning and just knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop until I had all the answers. A great thriller full of twists and a cast of characters that can’t be trusted.

This was an enjoyable read. I was interested in the characters and the underlying story. The multiple perspectives were a bit hard for me to follow at first so I made a character map and that really helped. I liked having perspectives of various ages and personalities. The suspense was done well throughout the book and I anticipated reading. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Party of Liars in exchange for a honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

This isn't a bad book but it is not a very unique one. I know that in a couple days I will forget about what happened here. The entire story takes place during a sweet 16 birthday party, and this is where my first problem arises with this story. Why are we having an adult house party with children around? And why is this adult house party starting at NOON? Who has the time to attend an all day birthday party for a teenager? The book uses the idea that it was a party to show everyone the renovations of the house, but bro has been working on this house for the last ten years. Are you telling me no one has come over to see it since then?

One of the point of views is from a 16 year old girl, and her immaturity is incredible evident. Her chapters reads more like a middle grade book about having a crush and being mad at her stupid friends. It was annoying to read.

Orlaith the nanny felt more like a stereotypical elderly Irish woman. The way she was written felt so cliche, like what an American who has never met a native Irish person would think they would say and think.

Small thing to harp on, but I hate when books over describe small details that don't matter to the story or the setting. Like describing to me someone's full outfit, what make up they are wearing, what perfume, what color shoe laces their shoes have, etc. It drives me nuts and feels like a way to add cushion to a page count. It didn't happen as much as I feared it would in the beginning but still enough to notice.

I did like the short chapters and the ending wasn't bad. I think this is Kelsey Cox' debut novel and I have hope that she can continue to develop and maybe come up with something more unique next time. And please no teenagers...

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!