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)

It's Sophie's sweet sixteen party at her father’s newly renovated cliffside mansion. The celebration takes a dark turn when a body falls from the balcony, transforming the event into a murder mystery.
This book had a large cast of charracters. The story unravels secrets, betrayals and deep emotional wounds. Each character has something to hide from that night and it is hard to figure out who is telling the truth and who is lying. The book was filled with complex group dynamics and memorable characters, you’re going to want to grab this book ASAP. I can say I was pleasantly surprised at the end. I didn't see the final twist coming.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy. It was a thrilling read.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was an enjoyable read. I've read a bunch of cookie-cutter thrillers lately, and this break of predictability was a nice treat. Would recommend.

This one started at a slow pace but suddenly revved up as the party started. As Sophie's 16th birthday party evolved, all the characters and their dynamics came to view. The depth in each chapter left me wanting more of the puzzle. I was intrigued by where the nanny comes in and how she plays a part in this party gone wrong. I loved the subtle clues given in each chapter just enough to keep you going. With an ending I did not see coming, as I was unsure who was the one left dead. Kelsy Cox created a subtle, alluring novel with rich characters and a fabulous plot. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fast-paced, suspenseful novel.

Who needs a fun super entertaining thriller?! ⁣
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⁣I really enjoyed Party of Liars! An over the top, lavish sweet sixteen turns into a nightmare when a body falls from the balcony onto the dance floor! This book takes you through the entire party- revealing a whole set of wicked characters. It’s full of lies, tension and drama! I couldn’t put it down! ⁣
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⁣I almost rated this one five stars because I enjoyed the twists so much. The vibes are definitely vibing, but ultimately I’m rating it a very solid thriller! Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ And I think I might even remember this one in three months! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Party of Liars. It’s out now!

But this book!

Whatttttt?

No really. What. The. Heck.

I loved it so much but the twists were twisting and turns were turning.

The connections. The relationships. The issues.

Here for it. Edge of my seat.

He did what? She could not have? No. Absolutely no. He didn’t?! He definitely did. How could she? No really. Ew. Ew. Seriously she did that? Why? Why? Why?
-my internal (and mostly external) thoughts

But Órlaith! Okay. Okay. I see you.

Read this if you like messy, drama, scandal, and more from how the other half live.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
Wow, I absolutely loved this book. Not only did I enjoy the setting being in TX (I also live in TX), I have seen these extravagant sweet 16 parties...way too much spent imo for a 16th birthday! I loved how the story changed to different points of view for each chapter. I loved how everything came together and yet, gave a 'shocking' totally unexpected turn at the end. The different points of view show how each person was thinking and what was going on in their lives. It was great to build the book up like that and build the storyline accordingly.
It was a joy to read and I flew through it as I wanted to know what was happening next! Great job!

This is a quick, bingeable thriller that was hard to put down.

Sophie is celebrating her 16th birthday with a huge bash thrown by her dad and stepmom. Everyone is invited. It’s the party of the year—the drinks are flowing, secrets emerge…and then there’s a scream and someone falls to their death by the end of the night. But who?

The story alternates between a whole cast of characters told during the party leading up to the dramatic end. All of these character are unreliable, which adds to the intrigue and suspense. There are flashbacks that help fill in the past and help understand the intricate, complicated web. There were some surprising twists and the chapters were short, which is always a win.

This is definitely a thriller worth picking up!

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for this honest review!

Ooh, this was a good domestic thrillery debut novel. I love rich people behaving badly, and this is very Big Little Lies but set in Texas, surrounding a 16 year olds birthday party bash, which is the event of the season. The book begins in the aftermath of the party with a dead body, and then bounces back to the day of the party, from various perspectives. There is the mom of the birthday girl, bitter about going to the house she built with her new ex husband, who got himself a younger, shinier model. There is the new wife, who is also a new mother dealing with post-partum stresses, the best friend of the birthday girl, and the nanny from Ireland. Everyone is hiding something. But who is dead? And is there a killer at the party?

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. A lavish sweet 16 party for Sophie at a hilltop mansion in Texas. Everyone in town is invited and want to see the renovated home of Ethan and his new wife Dani. Ex wife Kim is an alcoholic with a grudge. And Orlaith is the nanny who sees all and know all. This is a twisty and intense story with short chapters that keep the story moving. With alcohol freely flowing, jealousy rampant and notes left on mirrors it's a very gripping story that's very hard to put down. The house was designed by the ex-wife and features a glass back wall with wrap around balconies. Its sure death if anyone goes over the railing. No one is telling the truth and it's hard to know who to trust. The twists will surprise you and the final twist will shock you. If you like a good mysterious psychological thriller this is the one to read.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a sharp, atmospheric thriller that dives headfirst into the messiness of privilege, friendship, and buried secrets. Set at an elite summer party filled with beautiful people and ugly truths, the story unravels a tightly coiled mystery where every character has something to hide—and someone has something to lose.

Told through alternating timelines and multiple points of view, Cox masterfully builds suspense as the layers peel back to reveal a chilling truth. The pacing is brisk, the stakes are high, and the characters—flawed, glamorous, and painfully real—keep you hooked. There’s a *Gossip Girl*-meets-*Big Little Lies* vibe here, but with a darker, more emotionally grounded core that sets it apart.

This is not just a whodunit; it’s a piercing look at the power dynamics that shape young adulthood, and what happens when the lies we tell others—and ourselves—catch up with us.

A must-read for fans of fast-paced thrillers with a strong emotional undercurrent and a killer twist.

Wow! What a wild ride of a book. I loved all the POVs. This book really kept me guessing until the end.

This book didn’t grip me much from the start. I probably would have stopped reading it early if I didn’t want to write a review. But I’m glad I stuck with it. The last 25% really kept me reading, as things really picked up. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives from chapter to chapter, especially since they were women of such varied ages (Dani, the wife; Kim, the ex wife; Mikayla, the daughters friend; and Orlaith, the nanny). Each narrator added their own backstory as well as a gripping perspective in relation to the man (Ethan) and his daughter (Sophia). Not knowing what happened but knowing something did kept me wanting to find out. I appreciated the chapters at the end showing how the fallout played for everyone involved. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to review.

Loved this. Finished it in one weekend because I could not put it down. Interested in what else this author is going to bring to the table.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoyed the book but felt it could’ve been a bit shorter. Saying that, though, I felt like more could’ve been wrapped in by the husband Ethan and his manipulative brain being a POV but adding another POV may have also been overwhelming. Overall it was an interesting and suspenseful book and I didn’t predict that ending.

This was everything you could possibly want in a domestic suspense story. There was SO much going on but in the best way. You couldn’t possibly imagine how all the moving parts would come together but they did it such an amazing way.

Some of the characters were hilariously batshit. The drama, secrets and toxicity amongst the characters made for such an entertaining story. Reallly really enjoyed this one.

4.5 ✨

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

The Party of Liars is a clever locked-room whodunnit with short, punchy chapters that end on cliffhangers, making it impossible to put down. It delivers plenty of twists and secrets, keeping the tension tight as the story unfolds. A smart, engaging mystery that will keep you guessing right up to the final reveal.

This addictive, twisty debut is full of secrets, lies, and one “killer,” Texas-sized sweet sixteenth birthday bash that I could not put down!!

🎉 The story begins at the 𝘦𝘯𝘥 of Sophie Matthew’s outlandish 16th birthday party… not with candles, cake and presents, but with a dead body. It then rewinds to just before the party, and the night unfolds through the POVs of four women:

💁🏼‍♀️ Dani, the gorgeous step-mother with a new baby who is secretly insecure;

🙅🏼‍♀️Kim, the socially disgraced, bitter ex-wife and mother of Sophie;

👯‍♀️ Mikayla, the best friend with hidden jealousies; and

👵 Orlaith, the intuitive Irish nanny who carries her own secrets and superstitions.

At first I thought this story was going to lean more YA because of the sweet sixteen party, but it delivered a sharp, insightful narrative on very mature themes, from marital struggles and substance abuse to postpartum depression, self-doubt, gaslighting, and motherhood. The heavier themes never drag it down though - it was deliciously entertaining from start to finish!!

I especially loved the multiple POVs - they were all executed so well! Each character was flawed, complex, and distinct, and carried their own emotional burdens that made them relatable, even if they were not quite likable. I love how the author had me second-guessing myself as I started to empathize with Dani and Kim. The house where this all takes place is also like a creepy character all on its own, with its imposing presence on the cliffs and the ghostly legend of “the mother” adding an eerie element of gothic suspense that created more mystery surrounding Dani’s paranoia.

🎂 This is hands down my favorite thriller of the summer!! If you enjoy locked room mysteries with intriguing characters and are fans of Lucy Foley or Alice Feeney, you will love this!! Congrats Kelsey Cox on an amazing debut!! I can’t wait to see what you do next!

Thank you St Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Party of Liars is such a fun, quick read with plenty of suspense. Told from several different POV's, the story revolves around a wealthy family getting ready for a sweet sixteen party. Chapters alternate between the past and the present. The characters are interesting and full of secrets. From the beginning, we are told there is a dead body. Who will it be? This book kept me interested and entertained. As this is Kelsey Cox's debut, I look forward to what she writes next. Pick this one up if you want a quick, suspenseful story.