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.

I was pretty sure I would enjoy this just by reading the description. I did not expect to like it so much! I was blown away and it definitely is getting a re-read now that I know what happens. My thoughts and feelings about this book are as big as Texas!

Everyone has gathered for Sophie's Sweet Sixteen party. And I do mean everyone. Sophie's dad has invited everyone he knows to celebrate in his huge renovated home that has a dark history. The party is an all day and most of the night affair and is lavish with a capital L. The alcohol is flowing from the very beginning so you just know something is going to happen. Especially since there are people at the party that have scores to settle..

There's four points of view and I think it was brilliant to focus on these certain characters. Dani is Sophie's stepmother who had a baby not that long ago and is trying hard to prove she's well now and can be trusted to care for her baby. Órlaith is the nanny who recently came to Texas from Ireland and really seems to love Dani's baby. Then there's Kim, Sophie's mom, who is very bitter about Dani living her life in her house. Lastly there's Mikayla, Sophie's best friend. Her point of view brings some YA into the mix which I wasn't expecting despite the whole story revolving around a Sweet Sixteen party! I thought the adult and young adult aspects were cohesive and integral to the plot.

Everything unfolds little by little, you think you have a feel of who people really are and of the situation until more gets revealed. Perfectly paced with tension throughout, I was riveted and had no clue where it was going and who would end up hurt. The characters are nuanced and not caricatures. There is something that connects these characters. Once I knew what it was I was like, "Of course!"

I'm so glad I got to read Party of Liars and I predict it will be a perfect summer read for so many people. I could see it as a tv show too! I look forward to reading whatever Kelsey Cox writes next.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

WOW!! I loved this one! Loved the multiple points of view and the twists. Easy book to get into and stay up way past bedtime to read just one more chapter. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. A huge thank you to Macmillan Publishers and to NetGalley for this ARC.

3.5 stars- i stayed WAY up my bedtime because I couldn't get enough. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honeat review

This was so interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book in a rural Texas mansion but I really liked it. I would definitely read more from this author. She did a great job.

Texas based locked room mystery! Author does a great job creating different distinguishable character POVs. The main character is a new mom who is struggling with the challenges of early motherhood. The different POV stories intersect for a jaw dropping climax that few will see coming.

Sophie’s 16th birthday party is set to occur at Ethan (dad) and Dani (stepmom)’s supposed haunted mansion. Someone falls … to their death, during the birthday party. Told from multiple perspectives, we learn what happened, and what led up to this unplanned event at the party. A satisfying end made this well written novel worth the read.

This one was a lot of fun. You wanted to believe that it was just a ghost story, but through all the twists and turns you learn the truth. I liked reading every character chapter (which is unusual for me), and this is one that kept me guessing and surprised until the last chapter.

This fast-paced locked-room whodunnit revolves around Sophie’s Sweet 16 birthday party at her father’s lavish mansion—a place rumored to be haunted. The story begins when someone falls from the balcony during the party. From there, the timeline rewinds, unraveling the events leading up to the tragedy. Told through multiple POVs, the narrative seamlessly blends teenage and adult perspectives, creating a compelling mix of tension, suspense, and drama. Although there were a few aspects of the book I did not particularly like (alcohol and postpartum depression), I think this is a solid book for thriller readers.

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for my eARC! Be sure to add this to your summer TBR

Sophie is celebrating her 16th birthday with a lavish party he dad has thrown for her. Her dad is showing off his beautiful house, beautiful young wife and beautiful new baby at a party that feels more for him than Sophie. Her glossy cheerleader friends, he oldest and best friend, all the popular boys from her class, including the one who just broke her heart are all there. Her mom has had too much to drink... again. An unexpected death at the party leads to secrets being revealed.

This is one you will enjoy if you like a mix of both teen and adult drama. There was a lot going on. It wasn't clear from the beginning where the book was going, but we started to see cracks in the happy lifestyles of these people pretty quickly. The story is filled with deception and gaslighting.

There were a couple of common thriller tropes that I personally don't love - alcoholism to create a potentially unreliable narrator and using postpartum depression as a means for gaslighting. It is fully a personal thing because I read a lot of thrillers and feel it is a little over done. It doesn't really take anything away from the story though.

I started to get the gist of where the plot twist was going fairly early on. There were a few things I didn't see coming though.

Overall, it was a solid read and a great choice if you like thriller books.

I really enjoyed the short chapters, which kept the book moving along. There was also a nice mix of characters/POVs. "Party of Liars" is an enjoyable mystery with a touch of the supernatural. There were a few unexpected, and somewhat crazy, twists. However, the ending did feel a bit rushed. While I doubt this will be one of my top reads of the year, it was a nice start to things.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review. Party of Liars was full of drama and secrets and I loved the characters! I loved the multiple pov's, this book was more than I expected it to be!

2.5 stars, rounded to 3.

The book centers around Sophie Matthews’ lavish sweet sixteen party at her father, Ethan and stepmother Dani’s mansion on the hill in Bulverde, Texas. The house is thought to be haunted and those rumors gain credence when, during the party, a body falls from the balcony. Who is the victim?

And who is the killer? Besides Sophie, Ethan and Dani suspicion may fall on Orlaith, nanny to Sophie’s infant half-sister Charlotte, Mikayla, Sophie’s life long best friend who wonders if she and Sophie are growing apart and Kim, Sophie’s mother who may still be carrying grudges.

Kind of a nothing book. The “the house may be haunted” thing never really goes anywhere and everything that happens is kind of a yawn…you’ll see a lot of it coming or you just won’t be that interested. Not really a horrible book; the writing is fine, but for me it was just too by the numbers.