This book was a wild ride! A super fancy Sweet Sixteen in a creepy Texas mansion? Say less. The drama kicks off fast—right when someone literally falls to their death in the middle of the party. From there, it’s a locked-room mystery with secrets flying in every direction.

We get POVs from a messy mix of characters: the insecure stepmum, the spooky nanny, the not-so-innocent best friend, and the ex-wife with a serious grudge. Everyone has something to hide, and the suspense keeps building with every chapter.

It’s twisty, binge-worthy, and gives total Knives Out meets Big Little Lies energy. Some things wrapped up a little quickly, but overall, it was juicy, fast-paced, and super fun to read.

Perfect if you love drama, secrets, and a little murder at a birthday party.

A Sweet 16 in a haunted Texas mansion, a body falling from a balcony mid-party, and a cast of messy, complicated women… Party of Liars delivers exactly what it promises: a twisty, modern locked-room thriller.

What worked for me: The characters. They felt real, flawed, and sharply drawn. I especially loved how different the personalities were ~ from Kim’s raw, chaotic inner spiral to Dani’s quietly unravelling arc. The tension built steadily and the pace kept me hooked the whole way through. I also appreciated that the story balanced both teen and adult POVs as it added more emotional texture and made the stakes feel higher.

What didn’t land as well: the constant switching of perspectives got a little dizzying, and some of the internal monologues (especially when Ethan had his say) leaned into over-explaining. I also struggled with the setting (maybe a me problem?); the layout of the house and the timing of the party weren’t always clear, which made it harder to follow along.

The ending came a bit abruptly with a sudden time jump I wasn’t expecting (I was caught off guard when suddenly we were a year in the future), but the final twist pulled it back! I actually closed the book feeling v v satisfied. Great read!

Thank you to Hachette ANZ and NetGalley for the eARC! My review on IG and TikTok (@amiedaniellebooks, @thrillergirlclub) will be posted this week!!

What a wild ride this book was!

This book is set in a luscious, renovated mansion, celebrating Dani’s step-daughter’s 16th birthday. It’s a lavish party, and everyone is there, including Kim, Ethan’s ex wife and Sophie’s mum.

The mansion is haunted (or so the town thinks) and Dani thinks she’s going mad, seeing things.

And oh damn, did I think those things were all linked to something they really weren’t!

If you want a psychological thriller that throws you twist after turn, this one is it! There’s a lot going on in the story, with lots of stories happening in parallel, but it is a roller coaster of a story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

4.25 stars

What an amazing debut! I could not put this one down.
The short chapters kept it fast paced, and helped drive the plot. The multiple POV’s were great and really threw me off the scent of the reality of what was going on in the house.
I liked the mystery and trying to figure out who falls from the balcony – is it murder or an accident? Or something paranormal?

I love it when a book surprises me and it is true genuine shock when the plot gets twisty.
Loved the writing style and the final twist was not at all what I was expecting. I was literally stunned whispering “what the F?” while waiting in the car at school pick up.
I don’t want to give too much away – best to go in blind to this one if you like a mysterious thriller.
Thank you Kelsey Cox, @hachetteaus and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this one early.

Thank you Kelsey Cox, Hachette Australia & Netgalley for providing this ARC to review.

A lavish Texan sweet 16th turned sinister, with a guest list full of liars and one lifeless body.

This bulk of this book takes place at a beautiful renovated (yet creepy) cliff-side Mansion. Ethan & Dani are hosting Ethan's daughter Sophie, birthday. It is made up of short chapters, told from multiple POVS of all quite unlikable characters with terrible relationships. They story switches between prior to, during the party and the aftermath. I found the pacing hit and miss and struggled to seperate Dani(Stepmum) & Kim(Mum) as I felt they were too similar. There was also a 'paranormal' element that seemed to lead to nowhere. This thriller does keep you guessing throughout the book but ultimately ended the way I imagined.

I liked this one when I was reading but I was also able to put it down when I needed to do something else and didn't find myself immediately reaching for it again when I had time.

A tense and eerie domestic thriller, filled with drama and psychological suspense!

This story is centered around a sixteenth birthday party, at a lavish and luxurious, dollhouse-style mansion, when somebody falls from the cliffside balcony. The story is told through four distinct female characters, as the lies unravel and hidden motives are uncovered.

I feel very fortunate I was able to enjoy a tandem read of this story, by listening to the audiobook at the same time as reading the ebook. The audio is phenomenal, as there is a full cast of narrators. Their distinctive voices made it very clear which perspective I was reading.

The complex characters and well-plotted twists in this story offered a gasp-worthy and captivating read, with a compelling conclusion.

This is a fantastic debut novel, and I am keen to read what Kelsey Cox writes next.

This book really takes you in set in a haunted ancient mansion of which one side is ceiling to wall glass. Even before I moved into the story my emotions were high purely by this environment, I can’t think of anything that would have my brain rattling as much as this would not really my cup of tea.

The story is told in multiple POV’s and this works well. Sophie is experiencing a 16th birthday that only the wealthy such as her parents could provide. A black-tie event which promises a night that will not be forgotten and when a body falls from the balcony just as the birthday girl is about to blow out the candles on her cake the night takes a much different perspective than was expected or wished for,

A large cast of characters who are all truly unlikeable but the authors choice of creating them this way enhances the whole feeling of the book. Intimate thoughts from many exposes a team of secrets, jealousies and lies.

I wondered if this book would be for me but I found myself immersed in this world Kelsey Cox created. A twisted ending also leaves the reader feeling satisfied in the resolution of the plot presented to us.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.