I really enjoyed this book!! Literally nobody is who they seem to be, and i absolutely loved seeing the party and wealth play out over the months leading up to the party, and then having enough epilogue and follow up to see what the end results were. Scandal, so much scandal!

Absolutely loved the narration!!

Party of Liars is a gripping psychological thriller, set in a lavish Texas mansion, where a Sweet Sixteen party turns into a nightmare. Cox blends a tale of secrets, deception, and suspense as five characters navigate a night that takes a sinister turn.

Told from multiple perspectives, the novel slowly unravels tangled relationships and hidden motives, keeping readers on edge. With the tension building steadily, the real shock comes near the end, making for a thrilling conclusion. If you love locked-room mysteries with complex characters and unexpected twists, this one’s for you!

#BookReview #PartyOfLiars #ThrillerReads #MustReadMystery #NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #KelseyCox

Thank you NetGalley, Kelsey Cox and Macmillan Audio for the advanced ALC.

This was full of suspense and lies and secrets. It was one twist after another! I love the multiple POVs and the dual timelines! Birthday party to remember forever!

The thing I loved the most about Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is the full cast on the audiobook! All the narrators Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld and Suzy Jackson were all great. I enjoyed the dual timelines of before and after the birthday party and the unreliable characters. The mystery of the party and who did what was interesting enough but it was a slow burn to get to the end. I loved the mention of Columbo! I didn’t find this full of suspense or thrill. It’s more of a locked room myself with a whodunnit as we know it was someone at the party. I found the momentum really lacking in the middle.

*Party of Liars* immediately hooked me with its intriguing setup and multiple narrators, giving me a look into the lives of all the key players. You get the perspective of the nanny, the new mom, Dani (who is seriously struggling with adjustment, postpartum anxiety, and paranoia), the best friend, Mikayla, of the birthday girl Sophie, and the divorced mom, Kim, who is hosting the sweet 16 birthday party. The whole story initially centers around these diverse characters converging for this big event.

Kim, as the divorced ex-wife, is perfectly jealous of Ethan's new wife, Dani, who seems to look perfect and is closer to their daughter's age than her own. There's clearly something unsettling that happened with Dani that spooked Ethan, leading him to hire a nanny and limiting Dani's time with Sophie and Mikayla since the incident. Dani, meanwhile, is convinced she's not crazy and that she's genuinely seeing things. When she starts receiving hate mail, it just solidifies her belief that she's in danger, but frustratingly, no one believes her.

What I really loved about this book was seeing how all of these seemingly disparate characters eventually became unexpectedly connected- there were definitely some surprising twists and turns! There's also a subtle paranormal concept woven throughout, hinting at the ancient house's dark history, particularly tied to a mother who lost her baby there. This adds a nice layer to the central question: Is Dani truly spiraling into paranoia, seeing things that aren't there, or is someone genuinely out to get her?

This was a fun read that kept me completely engaged, which has honestly been hard to do with thrillers lately! If you enjoy multi-POV thrillers with a hint of the supernatural and plenty of secrets, this one's for you.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 7/1/25.

It’s Sophie’s sweet 16 birthday party and we have so many fun guests in attendance. We have Kim, Sophie’s mom, Dani, her new stepmom, Mikayla, the best friend, and Orlaith, the nanny for the Matthews family.

This one started off a little slow but it picked up a bit once the party actually started about 55-60% in. I did like that all of the POVs were from characters that were vastly different. I didn’t know who to believe for most of the book. Andy the last chapter/epilogue definitely shocked me a bit!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. although we have 4 different POVs, it wasn’t hard to follow with the audio since we have different narrators for each. I recommend the audio if you want to listen to this one!

If you are a fan of twisty storylines and convincing yourself the killer is someone, only to be surprised by the real story THIS IS FOR YOU! Thank you to Netgalley, Kelsey and her amazing team Minotaur Books for the eARC in return for an honest review! This is a SMASH!

What To Expect:
⭐ Multiple POV
⭐ Dual Timelines
⭐ Ex-Wife and Younger Current Wife Drama
⭐ Story line of teenage daughter & friends
⭐ Twisted storylines
⭐ A very twisted spouse who will surprise all of us in the end

TW:
There are discussions of an older male with a 16 year old caught in inappropriate relations.
Postpartum Depression after giving birth.
Teenagers abusing alcohol and drugs.

My Thoughts:
WHOA. The ending of this story will blow you out of the water. The way it all falls together through the eyes of the multiple main characters is incredible. You have to stay focused on the story through each chapter as they are all different POVs but also different story lines being built. From the nanny to both ex & current wives all having back stories to tell, history to share and all tied in to the current story. There is heart break, concern for a new mom and growing concern for all the guests in attendance at the event that is the main focus of the story. Amongst so much more!

You will be questioning who the body is that the police are called for. You will be questioning who could have caused such a terrible thing to happen. You will be wondering who is really to blame for ALL the issues that seem to be happening. Is it really paranormal or the story that has plagued the house and town where the event takes place? So many questions are asked and eventually answered BUT it will surprise you WHO and HOW they all ended up where they are at the end of the book!!!

All the characters are well developed, the storyline though twisty is well organized and well written. You don't feel lost or as though something was thrown in as an afterthought. Each scene depicted makes you feel as though you are standing in the room with each character. The lipstick writing on the mirror had me feeling as though I was losing my mind with the main character! Along with so many other scenes including the details about the house! The view alone sounds magnificent!

Ugh just so so good!

Also if you struggle with following dual POVs and multiple storylines when physically reading the audiobook is a 10/10! The audiobook team is incredible! Giving each character their own voice and tempo to the story really helps each storyline stand on their own. Cheers to the entire narration team: Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld and Suzy Jackson you were all absolutely amazing in your delivery of your characters and the scenes unfolding with them! LOVED IT ALL!

Synopsis:
oday is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It’s a killer guest list . . .

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.

Certainly! Here’s a polished and compelling **review/feedback** for *Party of Liars* by Kelsey Cox:

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**Review of *Party of Liars* by Kelsey Cox**
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Party of Liars* by Kelsey Cox is a tense, twisty thriller that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go until the final page. It’s the kind of book you start thinking you’ll read a few chapters of—and then find yourself up all night needing to know *what really happened.*

From the first chapter, Cox builds an atmosphere thick with secrets and suspicion. The characters—flawed, relatable, and deeply human—each carry their own baggage, and as the layers peel back, you begin to realize: no one is innocent, and everyone is lying about something.

The alternating perspectives add to the tension, keeping you guessing about who’s telling the truth—and who’s hiding the most. The pacing is sharp, the dialogue is believable, and the twists are expertly timed. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, Cox drops a revelation that sends everything spinning.

What makes this book stand out isn’t just the suspense (though there’s plenty of it)—it’s the emotional undercurrents. *Party of Liars* explores how far people will go to protect their secrets, their friendships, and their carefully curated lives. It’s a story about truth, trust, and the unraveling threads of loyalty.

If you’re a fan of Liane Moriarty or Lucy Foley, this one’s for you. Kelsey Cox delivers a knockout debut that’s part whodunit, part social drama, and entirely addictive.

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Would you like a shorter version for social media or a more casual reader-style review?

4.5⭐️

This was an enjoyable thriller! Themes of revenge, supernatural elements, and flawed characters combined to form an intriguing plot. Themes twists were subtle, but well done and the narration was great as well.

Party of Liars by @kelseycoxwriter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝕚𝕥’𝕤 𝕒 𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥🔪 and in this house, it’s the 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼 that sparkle the brightest.✨

Happy Sweet Sixteen to Sophie! 🎈It’s not a party until someone falls off the balcony, right?! 🥳 This book is fun! Multi-POV, with different + complex characters who each have their own secrets. Texas-based, locked room “whodunnit” with rich people day drinking, misbehaving, lying, and causing drama. Oh, and a sweet yet weirdly suspicious Irish nanny. What’s not to love?! I was never quite sure who did it, or even who the victim was! Very enjoyable read. 🎉

☀️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎 ~ 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 1𝚜𝚝☀️

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @minotaur_books for this advanced audio copy! 🎧💕

#netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #partyofliars #booknerd #bookstagram

🍾Party of Liars🍾

Dani seems to have it all… a beautiful home, a loving family, and the joy of new motherhood. But perfection is often an illusion. Orla, the family’s superstitious Irish nanny, knows this all too well. She’s no stranger to the darkness that can creep in behind closed doors, even in the happiest of homes. So when Dani throws a sweet sixteen party for her stepdaughter, Orla takes it upon herself to ensure the house and everyone in it stays protected. It’s what any mother would do. Right?

“Party of Liars” is an atmospheric thriller that delves into the raw, tangled truths of motherhood… its love, its fear, its sacrifices. Set in a stunning yet possibly haunted house steeped in history and secrets, the story balances beauty with dread. The characters, both central and supporting, are emotionally layered and unforgettable. The twists are sharp, the pacing tight, and the emotional stakes high. With each turn of the page, I found myself wondering, What is really happening? and the final twist was shocking.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of this one. With a full cast narration (Dan Bittner; Kate Handford; Pearl Hewitt; Saskia Maarleveld; Suzy Jackson), this story felt immersive and the quality of the narration substantially elevated the reading experience.

TechaBooks Review Rubric:
🎭Narrative Elements (Characters, Plot, Pacing, etc.,) - 4.75 STARS
🔪Genre: Thriller (Tension, Twists, and Reveals) - 4.5 STARS
🎧Audiobook Narration Quality - 5 STARS
Overall - 4.8 STARS

Much appreciation to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.
Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Oh boy, this was an addictive one! I couldn't stop listening!!! I loved the variety of characters and narrators we had in the audio. At first, I was a little confused at the different characters but once I got a feel for who everyone was, I was hooked! It really made it come to life. It kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure things out.

I am pretty proud I figured out some of the twists but also happy I didn't see some of them coming! I'm not a huge fan of where it went at one point because it was just icky. But it helps the end feel more justified, I guess. I like how it keeps you going because you wanna know who the person is (if you read it you'll understand.)

I really enjoyed this thriller especially as an audiobook. I definitely recommend that format. There is some content in it that could be triggering but it's also a huge spoiler so if you have questions, let me know. While I didn't love some of the stuff that happened, I still really enjoyed this! It's been a while since I got so absorbed in a thriller and didn't wanna stop listening! As mentioned, the audio is the way to go! Fantastic narration

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur, Macmillan Audio and Kelsey Cox for the ARC/ALC!

Sophie Matthews’ sweet sixteen birthday party is the event of the season. Her father has spared no expense in the party at his cliffside home (which, rumor has it, was haunted). Nobody expects a body to fall from the balcony before the birthday girl can make a wish…

This was a fun thriller full of intriguing characters. Dani, Sophie’s stepmother, is grappling to find herself after having a baby. This I could relate to deeply, as a mom myself; that feeling of losing the old version or yourself and in a sense of being born again yourself. She had to contend with a husband who was overly cautious of her condition, an ex-wife (Kim), who won’t let go of the past, and a nanny (Orlaith), who meddles where she doesn’t belong. Told through multiple points of view, little pieces of the puzzle are revealed. And the title holds true - every single one of these characters is lying in some way, shape or form, and that made for one entertaining thriller! Twisty and with short chapters, this took bingeworthy to a new level! I easily could have read it in one night if it wasn’t for real life - lol! The ending also really threw me for a loop - I didn’t see it coming at all - brilliantly executed! I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next. On audio, with a full cast, this book truly came to life!

“Party of Liars” releases July 1, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I had no idea where this book was going and it was so unhinged, with a few twists I didn’t see coming. With four POVs, it is a bit confusing at first but before I knew it, I was sucked in. I loved that it’s based in Texas with local details (HEB!)

The book is described as a whodunnit locked room mystery. There were very few chapters of “after the party” insinuating someone died that I kept forgetting that was the whole premise of the book. It didn’t feel necessary and could easily work as a psychological thriller.

I listened on audio and loved the narrator. All four voices were different enough and believable. Highly recommend listening to it on audio!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Wow! This book was incredible! I love multiple POV books and the audiobook definitely delivered. The story had so many twists and turns and lives up to its title. I truly enjoyed every second of this audiobook and couldn’t stop listening. Two big thumbs up for me!

This was a little slow to get started for me, but once you become invested in the characters you inevitably want to see how this ends. I thought the ending was really good and a couple of red herrings were thrown in throughout the book, but overall a satisfying ending.

I thought the audible recording was well done with the material given. I received both the audio and ebook as an advanced copies prior to release date later this year.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copies.

Who doesn’t love a good drama when it’s in Texas? Amazing plot twists and overall character development, loved all the drama and absolute nail biter!

Do you like multiple POV's telling different sides of the story? Different perspectives? Plus some mystery and suspense? This book does it all. The story takes place during Sophie's Sweet 16 party day and by the end of the day, someone is dead. And the killer is at the party. Everyone is hiding their own secrets. Complex stories involving divorce, co-parenting, jealousy, mental health/post partum health, and more. Flashbacks to important events leading up to the party have you wondering if you can figure out who dies and who's the killer. But I'm sure you won't be able to figure it. I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook because I just needed to know the answers to those 2 questions. Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for allowing early access to this audiobook.

This is one of the best produced audiobooks I've ever listened to. Story aside, it was so nice that every character had their own voice actor--it made for a much more dynamic and entertaining listening experience. This book would be great for fans of Freida McFadden; what I thought from the description would be more of a mystery (from the "locked room" description) ended up being more of a "creepy" and slow putting together of a timeline of "clues"/strange experiences. Not the mystery novel I was expecting but it was still an enjoyable experience, mostly due to the variety of voice actors.

✨ B O O K R E V I E W ✨
Title: Party of Liars 🎉
Author: Kelsey Cox
Macmillan Audio
“Some secrets are like lies, but some lies are like kindnesses.”
🍾 Ethan decides he is going to throw his daughter the Sweet 16 party of a lifetime. A famous haunted mansion, a beautiful pool, plenty of food, endless cocktails, champagne, bartenders, and servers. A party dreams are made of, until…
📖 The chapters of this book are told from multiple points of view. I wasn’t exactly sure which character to trust, as they each had their own secrets, their own lies buried somewhere deep, not readily revealed. I found myself wanting to tear through each chapter because I had to find out what was going on, attempting to disclose the crazy information being thrown at me! I was on a crazy merry-go-round and did not expect this wild ride to end the way it did!
🫣 If you like secrets, lies, and drama, be sure to check this book out. It is out for publication July 1st!
🤩 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced opportunity to listen to this audiobook. All opinions are my own. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#macmillanaudio #netgalley #kelseycox #unreliablecharacters #summerreading #secretsandlies