This book was an easy 5 star read for me! I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio thanks to the author and publisher and I am so grateful. I think I'm starting to really enjoy the thriller genre. I binged it over the course of one day, listening while I went through my daily errands, chores etc and I was DIALED IN. I can't believe dinner was even edible, I was so distracted!

I really enjoyed the changing points of view, being able to get to know each potential "suspect". I also enjoyed the flashes forward, set after the "incident". The author did a great job of letting the reader know SOMETHING terrible happened to SOMEONE... and keep it mysterious without being annoying or too teasing.

The ending was surprising and very satisfying. The narration was on point as well, perfect speed and easily recognizable characters. 5 big stars!

A sweet sixteen turned sour! Rumor has it that something has been happening in the house on the hill that the Matthew’s family purchased…meaning there are tales of ghosts and legends past and there are current conversations about the Matthew’s family. Hey, they say everything is bigger in Texas. I guess that includes the houses, the folklore, the confidence, the teen romances and the gossip mill.

When Sophie Matthew’s sets out to plan her Sweet Sixteen party she wants to go above and beyond. Giver her all the glamour and glitz…after all you only turn 16 once. Her friends arrive and decide that this party is “to die” for. Literally, there is a dead body. The storyline feels a bit like CLUE when all of the party guests try to guess whodunnit in a closed room mystery.

There is a lot to be suspicious about. A party goer is infatuated with Sophie’s stepmom and the cakes that she creates. Sophie’s stepmom has undergone a lot of stress recently which makes the town wonder if she needs mental health evaluations and support, Sophie and her girlfriends can’t be trusted amongst each other due to like crushes and infidelity in the group, and Mr. Matthew’s ex-wife is at the party which leaves everyone wondering why.

Party of Liars will keep the reader entertained with the twists, turns, and surprises that are ongoing until the end. I certainly think you should pick up this read.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is the kind of book I can not get enough of!! Adults behaving badly, mixed with teens behaving badly is win-win for me!! You definitely want to add this one to the front of your TBR!


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Definitely twisty! The many POV's worked in this one without being too confusing. Kept me guessing all through, I enjoyed it.

Whooo boy! Do not trust ANYONE in this book! I loved this twisty mystery/thriller about a Sweet 16 birthday party that ends with a death. It is the perfect summer read!

Sophie is turning 16. Her Dad and Stepmother are throwing her every girl’s dream of a party. Complete with pool, drinks, and a custom cake - they go all out for this one. It’s also set in the most prestigious house on the hill. It is a house with a disturbing backstory, remodeled to be the envy of all of their friends.

The story starts off with a death - the reader knows this. This story then switches between multiple characters’ POVs. The reader is never quite sure who knows what - you do get the backstory of every character which helps to gauge character motivations. Go into this one blind.

I really enjoyed this one! The ending came out of left field for me. I really did not figure it out.

The audiobook is fantastic. It is read by a full cast. If you prefer audiobooks, you will really like this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audiobook copies of this one!

I listened to the audiobook of PoL and it hooked me from the very first chapter. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing each character’s voice and personality to life, and I was instantly pulled into the glitzy, tension-filled setting of Sophie’s over-the-top Sweet Sixteen. Each character telling their own story within the story,, kept things interesting and gave the mystery extra depth.

The reason it is a 3.5 star for me is the middle of the story dragged a bit. The buildup was strong, but some sections felt like they lingered too long before moving the plot forward. The pace did pick up again in the final stretch delivering the final mind blowing twist!!

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox was everything you want in a summertime beach read! It had suspense, drama, lots of drama, and backstabbing. I listened to it on audiobook, and I enjoyed the narrator. Highly recommend, especially if you are a fan of Freda McFadden or Ana Reyes.

hank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance audiobook copy of Party of Liars. I went into this one hoping for a fast-paced, twisty thriller, but it ended up being more middle of the road for me.

The story had its moments, and there was potential in the setup, but overall it didn’t stand out in a crowded genre. The pacing was a bit uneven, and while some of the twists were interesting, others felt predictable or underdeveloped. I didn’t find myself particularly invested in the characters, which made it harder to stay fully engaged.

That said, it wasn’t a bad listen, just not especially memorable. It’s the kind of book that might work better for readers new to the genre or looking for a lighter, low-stakes thriller. I appreciated the opportunity to give it a try.

Oh this was a good one, really enjoyed the multiple POV made for an interesting listen. The story line kept me on my toes, sometimes I did struggle to follow along, but I still enjoyed this book very much. Thank you for the chance of listening to it

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.

This audiobook starts with all the drama you’d expect from a Sweet Sixteen set at a haunted cliffside mansion in Texas. There’s glam, secrets, and a whole lot of tension before the body even hits the dance floor—literally. But while the setup promises a fast-paced thriller, what you actually get is more of a slow burn.

The first half of the book is all about introducing the characters—Dani, the anxious stepmom; Órlaith, the superstitious nanny; Mikayla, the best friend with hidden depths; and Kim, the sharp-tongued ex-wife. These characters are layered and complicated, which works well if you enjoy character-driven stories. But if you’re someone who needs action early on, like I do, this might test your patience. I almost stopped listening around the halfway point because not much had happened yet.

That said, the last quarter does deliver. The twists come fast, and I didn’t see most of them coming. I especially liked how the reveals weren’t all centered on one person or one big secret. It’s more like a web of drama—past and present all tangled together. It reminded me of What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, where everything slowly builds before it snaps.

As for the audiobook, the narration is solid. The multiple POVs work well, and the narrator who voices Órlaith nails the Irish accent without it feeling overdone. It brings a lot of personality to the story.

Overall, this one is a good fit for listeners who enjoy rich characters, social tension, and dramatic secrets more than breakneck pace or constant thrills. It’s about identity, motherhood, friendship, grief, and how far people will go to protect the truth—even when everyone’s watching.

I really wanted to enjoy this audiobook, but unfortunately, the narration didn’t work for me. The narrator’s monotone delivery made it difficult to stay engaged, and it ultimately took away from the story’s potential impact. While I found the plot intriguing in the portion I did listen to, I ended up having to DNF this one solely due to the narration. I may revisit it in print format, as the story itself seemed promising.

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

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

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.

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.

#ad much love for my advance @minotaur_books and finished copy @lavenderpublicrelations #partner
& @macmillan.audio #partner for the ALC

🅿🅰🆁🆃🆈 🅾🅵 🅻🅸🅰🆁🆂
ʀᴇʟᴇᴀꜱᴇꜱ: ᴊᴜʟʏ 𝟣, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟧

I enjoyed the suspense of this one. The house has history. Has sat abandoned for years. But tonight it’ll be full of partygoers. Now someone bought it and remodeled it. But trauma lives in the bones. And you know what they say about old legends…

While I enjoyed this one I found there were way too many characters to keep straight. You’ll eventually get them all sorted in your brain but until then it’s a bit confusing - even with my notes I found it difficult. But the story was great and I loved the short chapters.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a fast-paced twisted thriller that was such a blast to read. There was so much happening it was like giving yourself whiplash. I enjoyed that the story revolves around adult and teen characters.

As the plot unfolds we are being built up to the night of the party. I fully enjoyed the ride and all the characters with their backstories. We got a look into each of their lives and each was equally full of drama, life happenings, and overall just well developed.

QOTD: You’re trapped in your CR or last read - what are you doing?

#A: I’m trapped on a train with a woman hell bent on revenge. There’s only 7-8 of us 👀 YEP! 😂 100 pages in and I can confirm SO FAR the book doesn’t suck.

🎧 The audio was perfect!

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.

<i>Party of Liars</i> was a fresh take on a psychological thriller. While this book had most of the themes and storyline lines that have been done before, this was presented in a way that didn't feel overdone. The cast of characters were cringey and the mansion felt like it had a mind of it's own. Most of the town felt it was haunted. It had a sad history and was left abandoned for so long. So when the new owners came in to renovate and took out walls, etc, did they also awaken the it's ghosts?
There's the 16 year old daughter, her divorced parents, her best friend who is more like a sister, the new wife who is much younger, the nanny who maybe has a shady backstory, along with their closest friends for a huge bash to celebrate a sweet 16. It's a recipe for disaster once alcohol is introduced. Secrets are revealed. And I mean Secrets with a capital S. And someone dies. It's really quite the party and quite the page turner.

🙋🏻‍♀️For my friends who enjoy domestic suspense with oodles of unreliable narrators.

PARTY OF LIARS by @kelseycoxwriter (Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, Suzy Jackson, Narrators)

🎧Thanks, @minotaur_books for the review copy via #NetGalley and @Macmillan.audio, for the audiobook review copy. #macaudio2025

I love a fun thriller that can keep you engaged, entertained, and appropriately confused/suspicious, without insulting your intelligence while still delivering twists and thrills. PARTY OF LIARS delivered for me.

Here’s the entire premise: at a lavish Sweet 16 party, a body plummets from a high balcony onto the tile below. Through five points of view, we see the events leading up to the suspicious death and what transpires afterward. I loved moving back and forth between these characters, and honestly didn’t know who to trust. They all felt like unreliable narrators, yet they also seemed to be telling the truth. Each narrator delivered a nuanced performance of their character.

We listen as sweet, awkward, wallflower Mikayla, best friend of the birthday girl since forever, tries to have fun at a party full of popular teens and “glossy girls” when all she wants is time with her bestie.

We cringe at the raging thoughts of Kim, mother of the birthday girl and alcoholic ex-wife, stomping (and occasionally tripping) around the mansion she remodeled that now belongs to her ex-husband and his younger bride.

We have the exhausted, younger bride, Dani. A new mom and stepmom, she seems unstable emotionally and psychologically. Is she seeing ghosts and threatening notes, or is it all postpartum psychosis? Is her nanny out to get her?

Oh, the nanny. Mysterious Órlaith with her tragic background and tireless devotion to Baby Charlotte. She sees omens everywhere and believes in the curse of The Mother (a ghost that haunts the mansion).

I liked that until the end, I didn’t know who DIED, let alone how they perished. I didn’t know who to trust or what was going to happen next. I went outside in the Louisiana summer heat to prune bushes just to find out.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
What a wildly entertaining ride! Party of Liars is fast-paced, deliciously dramatic, and thoroughly addictive. I listened to the audiobook and found myself constantly looking for excuses to keep my headphones in—this is the kind of story that hooks you from the start and doesn’t let go.so additive when I couldn’t listen to the audiobook, I would plunge into the ebook.
The plot kicks off at Sophie’s glamorous sweet sixteen party, hosted by her father Matthew—an over-the-top affair meant to impress. But the celebration takes a dark and unexpected turn when a body falls from a balcony, setting off a chain reaction of secrets, suspicion, and unraveling relationships.
The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of four women, each with their own secrets and deeply rooted emotional struggles:
* Dani, Matthew’s current wife, is struggling with postpartum depression—or possibly something far more dangerous.
* Kim, the ex-wife, is battling addiction and unresolved anger, barely holding herself together.
* Mikayla, Sophie’s best friend, appears innocent and loyal but has her own hidden truths.
* Orlaith, the observant Irish nanny, sees far more than anyone realizes—and holds quiet power in the background.
The shifting POVs added a dynamic rhythm to the narrative, and the nonstop twists and turns kept me fully engaged. Just when I thought I had the mystery figured out, the final reveal took me completely by surprise. It’s the kind of ending that makes you rethink everything that came before.
My only minor critique (and the reason this wasn’t quite a full 5-star read): a few characters could have used a bit more depth or development, especially given how central their motivations were to the plot. That said, the addictive pacing, layered drama, and surprising twists more than made up for it.
If you're a fan of domestic thrillers packed with secrets, scandal, and a hint of chaos, Party of Liars is a must-read. Highly recommended for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, or Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen.