Book Review: Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox

 Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from St Martin's Press, via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own

A lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel — serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin…

Synopsis:

Today 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 and shuttered for years from outsiders—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.

Review:

This book is part Gothic thriller, part suspense mystery and a page turner look at the secrets we keep behind closed doors. Sophie's party is set at a house that was once cursed and haunted, and been remodeled into a modern spectacle by her parents. But the house is occupied by her dad, her stepmother, half sister and the baby's nanny. And maybe a ghost or two. Or is it? Things are NOT what they seem to be and everyone lies to each other. meanwhile her mother is coming to her birthday party and she just knows she will ruin it with her drinking. By not giving you all the background of the characters up front, the author allows the reader to make the same assumptions about the main characters that the locals do. But then as bits of the truth come out and secrets are laid bare, the reader realizes they have it all wrong and the truth is worse than they though. With a roller coaster ending, this modern gothic tale, will be your summer book club share!

About the Author:

Kelsey Cox (she/her) received her MFA in fiction from Purdue University and works from home in the Texas Hill Country. You can often find her writing at Mammen Family Public Library, chasing around her two young daughters, or watching British mysteries with her mom and aunts. On nights when bedtime goes as planned, she enjoys curling up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, and a book with complicated characters and a killer twist in her lap. Party of Liars is her debut novel.