Ratings1
Average rating5
The party was supposed to be the highlight of the summer. If only I’d known that night would destroy our lives… All the neighbours were laughing, drinking out of plastic glasses and getting along. I almost felt happy. Almost forgot about the terrible argument earlier and the sinister messages I’d been receiving from a strange address all week, threatening to expose the lies behind my perfect life. As we finished with the red and gold fireworks and welcomed everyone back to our house, I believed that everything would be okay. But I didn’t know who I was inviting in. I never could have imagined what would happen here, in our home, after I’d gone up to bed. Everyone saw something different. It’s my daughter’s word against the story the boy from down the road is telling. But how can I find out what really happened that night without everyone finding out the truth about me? An absolutely gripping story of the secrets you would do anything to keep hidden, with a twist you just won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Big Little Lies and The Girl on the Train. Readers are gripped by Claire Seeber: ‘It was so good I have been hiding in the toilet at work reading this on my phone as I needed to find out what happened!!… Super twisty… A real page-turner… I loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was so hooked… I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book… Loved the twists and turns… Beyond 5 stars.’ Itsy Bitsy Book Bits, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I could not stop reading, it was that good… One of the best psychological thrillers… Don't miss this.’Booklover Catlady, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Utterly unputdownable, read this brilliant book in two sittings… Took my breath away… My heart is still pounding as I write this.’ Rachel’s Random Reads ‘Freaking awesome. A true example of a page-turner.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Grabs you and doesn't let go... I read it in three hours because I simply had to find out what was happening!’ The Suspense is Thrilling Me, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Gripped me from the start and did not let go until the end… I honestly could not put it down.’ Poppy’s Book Blog ‘Impossible not to tear through the pages of this twisty thriller… Compelling reading, guaranteed.’ Little Bookness Lane ‘A fast paced and taut thriller… I guarantee once you start reading it you will find impossible to put down.’ The Book Review Café, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An all-absorbing, chilling, psychological thriller. My husband could not prise my eReader out of my hands the weekend I read this!’ Bloomin’ Brilliant Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Incredible twists and turns that I didn't see coming… Full of tension that really hooks you in.’ The Coffee and Kindle ‘This is a terrifyingly twisted psychological thriller… A sleepless night for the reader.’ Strong Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘24 hours is all it will take to read this high-octane thriller from Claire Seeber - I couldn't put it down.’ Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go ‘Had me turning pages in a frenzy. I was desperate to find out where it was going! A cracking read.’ Cass Green, author of The Woman Next Door ‘Don’t start this late at night unless you plan on losing sleep…’ Jenny Blackhurst, author of The Foster Child
Reviews with the most likes.
Balanced Yet Contrived. This is a story where you almost feel like it is more of a 4, but there is nothing *really there from a more objective standpoint that I try to rate on to justify the reduction. Yes, it could use better separation of its various narrators' voices, rather than just the one word at the top of the chapter with their name. Yes, at times it feels that so many situations are thrown in just because the author was hoping some bookstagrammer would hashtag that situation and help market the book based on it. Yes, talking to cops without an attorney present is so GLARINGLY stupid and cringeworthy. PARTICULARLY for minorities. And yet, even with all of this, the story ultimately works. Not as a “thriller”, mind you, but more as a women's fiction/ suspense character study. As a thriller... well, the book spends the first half setting up the titular Party, about 10-15% on the actual Party, and then the back part of the book dealing with the aftermath. It has the requisite secrets, lies, backstabbing, and comeuppance, and ultimately it really does tell a fairly balanced tale from a few different perspectives, but it just never quite feels as satisfying/ mind bending as many readers in this space typically look for. And yet, again, nothing truly “this is objectively wrong/ bad” here to really hang a star reduction on. Thus, 5* and recommended.