The Beach Party

I’ve loved all of Nikki’s books but my gosh, this is her best yet!

Perfectly plotted, brilliantly tense, and utterly addictive - I gobbled it up in less than 24 hours!

As the Spanish sun beat down on me from above and the characters came alive before my eyes I had to keep reading! On completion I was startled to see the grey November day outside my window, yes it’s that immersive!

Short, punchy chapters really add to the tension in this nail-biter of a read. My fingernails are ripped to shreds! I really took a liking to all the characters, in a weird sort of way as some are more likeable than others, and I kept shouting at them as their situation kept getting stickier and stickier. The ending was a surprise for me… I did think things were going to head in a different direction. All in all, if you like a good ol’ thriller with some sexy characters and a apprehensive storyline, then ‘The Beach Party’ is one for you.

I LOVED Nikki's first two books, but THE BEACH PARTY is far and away my favorite of hers. The nostalgia, the moral dilemma, the lush Mallorcan setting... this book is a holiday on paper, whisking you away to a sunny place with a dark edge. Five stars.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. This book is a winner!

A fantastic thriller filled with twists and revelations. The plotting was superb, I couldn't put it down and the characters were really well developed, a very wry look at toxic friendship and the lifelong impact of them. Highly recommend a very satisfying ending.

A propulsive thriller packed with secrets, deceit, and characters you’ll love to hate, plus a whole lot of 80s nostalgia thrown in! You won’t be able to stop reading! I was hooked from the first page and felt like I was right there on the beach that night.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley, Penguin General UK and Nikki Smith for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read from Nikki Smith and it won’t be the last! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an action packed thriller! It was a fast paced and kept me reading well into the night! I found myself guessing what could happen next and I could not have predicted the ending.

This book should be on everyone’s TBR list in 2023 and a great book for any psychological thrillers fans alike. Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and all the plot twists that it presented.
10/10

I stayed up all night trying to finish this book.I thought it was a little too unrealistic at first because there were so many secrets and it was hard to keep track of whose they were but as i progressed it got better.Highly recommend.

Really enjoyed The Beach Party, i believe its the first book I've read by Nikki Smith but i'll definitely check out her others. The Majorcan setting and storyline kept me pulled in and wondering what was about to happen and what past events led to the conclusions. The conclusion was pretty nailbiting and I couldn't wait to understand what had happened. Recommended.

Wow! The Beach Party was mind-blowing from start to finish. So many twists and turns, secrets and lies! There were moments when I had to put it down and take a breath because it was so tense, but I couldn't wait long before picking it up again because I NEEDED to know what happened next. A highly recommended thriller, five stars!

What a wild read this was, thoroughly enjoyed it, was pulled into the story from the first page and what a ride it was….

I was hooked on this story, I couldn’t put it down once I started.
I really enjoyed this book, I liked the characters they felt really developed and real. It had a few twists and I was wondering the whole way who was the murderer. It was well paced and held my attention. Was a good thriller beach read

I read this as an ARC through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely blown away by how good this was!
I don't give 5 stars easily, but this had me hooked.
Six friends go away to a luxury villa in Mallorca for a two week break. What can possibly go wrong?.....
There were some wonderfully rich, believable characters with their individual flaws and assests.
I really loved the references to some of the 80s must haves! Walkmans, swatches, shimmery pink lipstick, ra ra skirts, and so on! It added real authenticity!
It is told through different pov's and across two timelines, 1989 and now.
This story is a really punchy, twisty, turny journey with horrors and happiness throughout and an ending that I didn't see coming!
I highly recommend it 🌟

This is the story of six friends and what happened in 1989. All troubled people with secrets and keeps great pace as you try to work out who’s guilty of what. I loved the subtle references to the 80’s -the songs, mix tapes, Swatch, ra-ra skirts - 10/10 for research!
The tension builds up nicely throughout the book and all comes together nicely at the end. Top marks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I tore through this one very quickly. This really is your perfect summer read for the sultry days and nights ahead. Recommended!

The Beach Party is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Beach Party asap.

Another brilliant book by Nikki! Twisty, dark storyline with brilliantly written characters. Loved that part of it was set in the 80’s, some great references and the dual timeline was good. Didn’t see the ending coming and had no idea!

Once you start this you’ll not want to stop reading it! A thrill a minute as these daft 20 year olds have the time of their lives in Mallorca with all sorts of horrible consequences. 30 years later one of them has to pay - karma time and it’s a great twist right at the end. Loved it!! It’ll be a great summer beach read, although you might not want to go for a boat trip!

Thank you to the publishers the author and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Well that opening prologue !!! You know when ,you instantly know you’re in for an absolute treat . The writing style, the descriptions that dance off the page and transport you to the scene? This did that and did it to perfection! Beautiful and horrifying all at the same time! Brilliant.

I was so excited I couldn’t wait to read on …

Nikki smith perfectly conjured up those heady days of youth, searing hot sunshine, alcohol and wild abandon as her group of friends visit Ninas parents luxury villa perched cliff side overlooking the lush aquamarine sea. I love being transpired abroad and she described to perfection the baking hot sunshine, the chirruping cicadas and the excitement as the group of friends head to the neighbouring cove to join a local festival to dance and party in the carnival atmosphere.

High of drugs and alcohol the return journey aboard Ninas parents luxury boat ends in tragedy and the events of that night changes the group dynamic and the lives of those involved, the ripple effects reaching right down the years into the present day 33 years later.

Told in two timelines 1989 and now the repercussions of that fateful night come to rest when each member of the group starts to receive emails. Someone knows what happened but who and what do they want allthese years later?

Invited back to the villa by this unknown communicator the true events that took place not only that night but all the secrets, lies and toxicity within the friendship group come to light with even more shocking and devastating effects.

I was addicted to this book from the first incredibly engaging few pages and was completely engrossed to the last. The friendship dynamic, the loyalties and the struggle to fit in and to keep pace made for an interesting read and the sultry setting made the read atmospheric and added an escapist element that made reading this thriller so entertaining. I loved how the pace ramps up and how long buried secrets and twists are revealed in such rapid fire succession you’re left shocked and breathless as everything falls into place.

I also loved the late 80’s nostalgia , the mention of the handheld game Donkey Kong a firm childhood fave of mine before tech really took off was a real blast from the past along with some old school pop anthems which made me smile as they took me down memory lane.

Nikki smith is an accomplished writer, The beach party is well written, well paced and perfectly plotted. This author is firmly on my radar and I would highly recommend this as a fast entertaining thriller to enjoy poolside or as a great way to escape from the sofa to warmer climes.

You will love this if –

🎥 🕶️love 80’s nostalgia

🏝️ 🐠You enjoy reads that whisk you away to tropical locations

👩🏼‍🦰👨🏼‍🦰 Toxic friendship thrillers

🤯 🤔Twisty plot that keep you guessing

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️ Fast paced plots that keep the story moving .

📖📆Dual timelines that build up the full picture using last and present events

Huge Thankyou to NetGalley and Penguin books for the arc review copy. This book is available to pre order now and is out in the wild on 20 th July 2023

This is my last review for June and what a way to finish. I really enjoyed this book. The story pulled me in, making it difficult to put down. I finished it in two days, sometimes a little annoyed that I had to set it to one side to deal with other more essential things.
The premise of the story concerns six university friends who share an idyllic two week break in Majorca which goes terribly wrong. Years later several of them receive an anonymous e-mail asking them to return to the villa. It comes with a threat – to expose them over what happened that summer if they choose to ignore the invitation.
The book moves between 1989, when the six stayed on the island, and present day, where it reveals the group's differing fortunes over the years since that fateful holiday. Nina, whose parents owned the villa where the group stayed, is an arrogant and ruthless individual. Currently a London based highflyer in the financial sector, she has married well and thinks nothing of bending rules and stepping on people if it suits her purpose. This was also the case during their time in Majorca where she took control of the group. She delighted in pointing the finger of blame at others when things went wrong, making sure she was never in the firing line. Now, however, she knows she has no choice, she will have to return to the island. She suspects one of the others is responsible for the e-mail? But who, and what do they want? But more importantly, why have they waited all this time?

Excellent character driven drama with multiple twists and turns. A gripping read, well deserving of five stars and proof that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Nikki Smith and Viking for an ARC of The Beach Party in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I thought it was excellent. It left you thinking and wondering about the story and characters even when you were not reading it. I am going to look out for her other books.

In 1989, six friends take a villa holiday in Mallorca - with deadly consequences. Their secrets and lies come out in the present day, when Nina receives a message threatening to expose "what she did that summer". Oooh. For me, this is the ideal holiday read: zippy, twisty plot, horrible characters, glamorous sunny setting, 80s nostalgia... Just let the plot carry you along while you sip your sangria this summer!

Really enjoyed this. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Beach Party Nikki Smith
5 stars

What a plot!

I read this book on holiday and finished it in 2 days, what a brilliant book for a holiday read although the characters own holiday fast turned into a nightmare!

The story begins in 1989 when a group of friends go for a fun-filled week in the villa of Nina’s parents. Nina is the ringleader of the group and the week is to be one full of drugs, drinks and debauchery. However things go wrong very quickly when after a party they all decide to go out on Nina’s parents’ boat and completely high they crash into another boat killing at least one person.

The book jumps to 30 years later where just when they think the past is finally behind them the wreckage of the boat is found. There are 6 main characters all of whom have their own problems both in the past and currently and the plot jumps backwards and forwards between the various stories. I just could not put this book down, I became totally engrossed in what had happened and what was finally going to happen to all of the characters. A perfect holiday book.


Karen Deborah
Net Galley

A thrilling page-turner. There is intrigue at every turn.
A group of Uni friends take a holiday together at their rich mate’s villa in Mallorca. It’s a tale of drinking games, parties and hidden secrets, until they get caught up in a terrible accident. At this point the story turns into a race against time and a fight against one person who wants to retain control at any cost..
The thrills carry on right up to the end of the book, when the sorry mess catches up with them again.

Highly recommended. Ideally to be read on the beach or by the pool!