Unfortunately this one really didn’t hit for me. I didn’t find it to be a fast-paced, page-turning thriller, and that’s what I was expecting. This moved a bit too slowly and had a few too many povs for my taste. This will definitely have its readers, but I’m bummed to not be one of them.

3.5 ✨

This was a really good twisty thriller. I did find it a bit slow at times but it picked up at certain points. I think what really made me lose interest was the huge cast of characters. I found myself not being able to keep track sometimes but I think this is my fault and not the authors.

I will be interested to read more from this author after reading this book.

I loved the ending but not the whole books. A lot of POVs & I was kinda over it. But the ending did redeem the very slow middle. I was hooked quick, then it kinda dragged.
I did love the best friends & the step mom, I was rooting for her the whole time!

At Sophie Matthews’s lavish sixteenth birthday party in the Texas Hill Country, a mysterious death shatters the celebration when a body falls from the balcony. The guest list includes a troubled stepmother, a superstitious nanny, a deceptively quiet best friend, and a vengeful ex-wife—each harboring secrets that could turn deadly. As the night unfolds, it becomes clear that not everyone will make it out alive.

This was SO WELL DONE! My flabbers were left gasted. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was shocked again and everything was not as it seemed. The ending of the book is what made this so amazing!! The mix of POVs in this book seemed like they were going to be overwhelming at the beginning, but they each played off of each other so well and built the story and suspense. The plot truly carried you as a reader through the story and kept you on the edge of your seat, while also keeping a calm air about it to advance the plot and develop the characters.

So many of the characters in this were unlikable at the start, but the more I read, the more that I began to like them more. I was so proud of the growth that Dani and Kim went through, and Órlaith was truly the shining star of this whole book. There were definitely some very tough topics touched on throughout this story, so check content warnings before reading. But overall, I loved this and I highly recommend.

Rating: 4/5
Spice: 1/5

Tropes:
Locked Room Mystery
Sweet 16 Birthday
Complex Relationships
Illusion versus Reality
Secrets and Deception
Multiple POVs

Thank you so much Kelsey Cox, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I did not see this ending coming! Thank you MacMillan Audio for the early release. This book gave me Girl on the Train and Gothika vibes. Loved the twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of Party of Liars in exchange for my honest review.

This debut novel is full of drama, characters you aren’t sure about and a locked-room-type mystery that keeps you guessing all the way through. I loved the mix of adult and teenage groups of characters–it added such an interesting dynamic to the story, mixing up the themes that the author played around with–some that were more serious than others but all equally juicy and compelling. I kept thinking I had worked out who died, but I never quite got there which is always the sign of good writing! ⁣
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Audio thoughts: This is narrated by a full cast–Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld and Suzy Jackson–and this really helped to keep the multiple POVs separate as well as bring the story to life.

I was genuinely shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. It got me from the synopsis and within the first chapter, I was hooked

It's the middle of the summer in Texas hill country, and the most coveted party invite is to the Sweet 16 birthday that is the setting for Kelsey Cox's Party of Liars. Ethan, his wife, Dani, and his ex-wife, Kim, are united in wanting their daughter, Sophie, to have a night she'll remember, and this is a party no one is ever going to forget.

It's a chance for Ethan to show off the elaborate renovations he's completed on the once abandoned mansion that stands on the highest bluff in town and is rumored to be haunted by The Mother. It's a chance for Dani to prove to everyone that she's perfectly fine after the birth of her daughter, Charlotte, which left her feeling down and medicated by Ethan's partner, Curtis. It's a chance for Kim to prove to everyone that she's doing great after the divorce, the drunk driving, and the impact to her career. And it's even a chance for Sophie to show the boy who just broke up with her what he's missing. But the night isn't going to turn out how any of them expect it to.

I don't usually enjoy alternating perspectives of more than two characters (and most of the time not even two) or short chapters, but Cox makes these devices work here. After the first third of the book which introduces and gives backstory on the characters, the rest of the book flies with twist after twist. I have this 4.5 stars and would highly recommend.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a debut from author Kelsey Cox, and man oh man, did I enjoy it. I alternated between the digital copy and the audiobook, which had a full cast narration. They were phenomenal!

The story takes place at a sweet sixteen birthday party for Sophie Matthews. It’s a very fancy black-tie affair at her father’s home on the side of a cliff in Bulverde, Texas, in the Hill Country. Before the birthday girl is able to blow out her candles, a body falls from the balcony to the dance floor below. Main characters are Ethan Matthews (Sophie’s father), Dani (his wife, who has recently given birth to their daughter and has had some postpartum psychological problems), Kim (his alcoholic former wife and mother of Sophie), Mikayla (Sophie’s best friend), and Orlaith ( the Irish nanny brought in to help Dani).

Who will not live through the party? And who is a villain? the deception was done expertly and had me suspecting different characters throughout the story. None of the cast appeared to be blameless. There was a lot of pathology; it was sort of a pick your poison situation.

I thought this was a really impressive debut and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next one from the author.

Five glittering stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC and also the digital ALC via the publisher and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I really enjoyed this book, far more than I was expecting to.

What struck me the most was the author’s ability to weave together a cast of characters that were likable and unlikeable in equal measure.

While I had some ideas about where things were headed and who/what might bring the next surprise, the plot was nicely woven in a way that kept up the surprises until the very end.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

I have mixed feelings about “Party of Liars.” I really liked the writing. I liked the different view points from each of the main characters. We were able to learn who they were and their feelings with things happening. There are so many situations in this book that are relatable to things going on with people today. Postpartum depression, alcoholism, leaving a marriage or person. There was the main situation with two of the characters that I felt could have been different. I know it’s real stuff but it’s not something I want to read about. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery aspect. I will definitely read future books by this author.

I love a full cast thriller and this was a great who done it. I also loved the Texas luxury element; very reminiscent of the Hunting Wives. Kept me on my toes throughout!

This book is a fantastic mix of mystery, suspense, and just the right touch of creepiness! The multiple narrators each add a piece to the puzzle, pulling you deeper with every chapter. The characters felt so real—like neighbors I’d know in my own town. The ending totally surprised me and left me feeling completely satisfied! Beyond the mystery, it’s also a heartfelt tribute to Texas and a beautiful celebration of women and mothers at every stage. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
This was a very good book. Told from several viewpoints, this novel was hard to put down. Highly recommend.

I loved this book by debut author Kelsey Cox! It was such a fun beach/pool read and a great psych thriller. We meet new mom Dani who is navigating a new baby and her stepdaughter's sweet 16. Someone dies at the party, but told in flashbacks, you don't know who, why, or how. Even though there were a bunch of viewpoints/timelines it was easy to keep straight. So twisty and fun! Def recommend!

Sophie's 16th birthday party is the talk of the town. Everyone wants an invite. This will be the first unveiling of the newly renovated mansion on the hill. Most of the guests are adults-her father's friends and clients. There is a small group of Sophie's friends. Some party goers get along, some don't. Gossip abounds as people keep drinking. When a dead body splats onto the concrete from a balcony, the police quickly come to investigate the events of the party. As the guests are interviewed can YOU tell who is telling the truth, who is lying and who is doing the gaslighting? These questions won't be answered until the end of the book. This book is written with lots of tension. Good look to YOU, the reader, putting the book aside when household duties call.
Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for the complementary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion and not coerced in any way.

Just finished this one! Formal review to be posted on Instagram…but my quick thoughts are
• so many potential suspects
• loved thet there were multiple unreliable narrators
• kind of wish we had gotten more of Ethan’s perspective
• Great debut!
• Good thriller beach/vacation read - fast, short chapters

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox. This was a wonderful debut for Kelsey Cox. Who doesn't love a who-done-it, with a Victorian house and a ghost of a woman who's child had died. So many characters in this book, would keep you guessing. It was the daughters sweet sixteen birthday! Everyone was having a wonderful time. The adults all drinking and the teens, well doing what all teens do! Drinking, swimming and horsing around. The party is in full swing when all of a sudden a body falls from a balcony, overlooking the pool and in front of all the party guests. So this is where everything gets interesting. Now we find out just who all these people are. Why there is so much turmoil around this family? Who was the Nanny for the baby? And why was the person murdered? And who committed the murder and why? So many secrets and what happened in the past within that house? Enjoy! I give this book a 3.5 out of 5.

I really enjoyed the setting of Party of Liars, being from Central Texas myself. The creepy elements also gave this book a vibe that kept me wanting to read. Ultimately, I felt like most of the characters were a little flat, and the “incident” referred to throughout most of the book seemed out of left field. I’m honestly not sure how I felt about this one, but it was an enjoyable and fast read.

[Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.]


First, I want to say that I did enjoy this. At first, I was waiting to be hooked and once I was it was hard to stop reading. This book has a surprising element of paranormal or not question that weeds its way through each POV that you meet. You are dealing with multiples and with each person’s perspective. In that light, you almost feel like you’re getting a little bit of an unreliable narrator which is always fun in a thriller because it causes you to question everything the person says and does. It makes you look for more meaning behind what was or wasn’t said.

That being said, I felt the book had its lagging moments with some of the POVs. I still had a good time but there were moments in the book that were not exactly necessary or were too vague with no tie to the ending. A couple of the characters I felt had literally no ending to them, no introspective of the conclusions or what changed for them since the final act (I won’t state who as it could be a spoiler) that felt too abrupt. It wasn’t even an open ending or up to interpretation. It was like a hole just glaringly forgotten. It didn’t hurt the story but I didn’t feel completely satisfied with how much of that person we kept going back to, to leave it like that. Or the interactions that person had. It was almost unnecessary. I get the not wanting to show all your cards yet thought and keeping the mystery alive but it needed more to it to find it relatable to the story.

Overall, I still liked the writer’s choice of setting and the back and forth of the timeline as it did keep putting you on the edge of your seat. I think this story might have just needed more time in editing to tidy up the loose ends or unneeded things that could drag a story longer than needed.

My Rating: 3.5 (rounded up)