Roll up anyone who loves school gate Mum’s stories with gossip/scandal aplenty with a host of neighbours in an exclusive towns, you know the score and you know if you love and enjoy these ingredients 🤗
I do, and expected this to be a book I could pretty much fathom out quickly and not reading much blurb about it guessed it was going to be based around a ‘Trivia Night’ where jealousies abounded and oneupmanship ruled the roost….and it kinda was BUT sooooo much more, what happens at this ‘Trivia Night’ to various folk on table 6 is ( no exaggeration ) life shattering and changing and well unorthodox in their lives to say the least
Told by various characters in different ways, one speaking to us the reader, one to their therapist and one to their Sister it spans from events leading up to, including and after that fateful night and does include triggers re domestic abuse, suicide and alcoholism but all dealt with really well
Some of the characters are revoltingly likeable ( you can’t help but love a good old snob ) and some tedious ( but need to be ) and for me they all worked and formed a good solid group of reprehensible at times and at others kind and caring people
I loved it, just the right read at the right time and would be fab as a Netflix series

10/10
5 Stars

At first Ali Lowe’s debut novel feels a little reminiscent of Leanne Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, but it’s not long until the Darley Public School trivia quiz turns into a very different type of trivia night with a unique and original take.

The novel is mostly told through the recollections of three of the women involved. Amanda who is new to the school and has a history of drinking and bad behaviour, her friend Alice the events co-ordinator via meetings with her psychologist and Zoe in letters to her sister. Along with their husbands, their table of eight is completed by another couple new to the school, the Hampsons, Luke a plastic surgeon with film star looks and his gorgeous wife Lara. With alcohol flowing freely, a daring suggestion results in some of them behaving very badly and will have major repercussions for all the couples. All might have been fine if it hadn’t been for another new parent who has an axe to grind with Amanda and will take any opportunity for revenge.

This is a very entertaining novel with a lively pace and a more than a touch of humour. The dialogue was often very funny and the characters are so well drawn that they feel like real people who might be found at any primary school fundraiser. The novel also touches on some serious subjects such as alcoholism, domestic abuse, suicide and infertility so there are some sad moments which were all dealt with well. I loved the direction the novel took after the trivia night and the unexpected twists towards the end making this a real page turner and an excellent debut.

This book was granted as a Netgalley Wishlist, I thought I’d enjoy it but in all honesty I gave up at 25%. I just could not connect with any of the characters, they were quite over the top and very superficial. I found myself skimming very early on which I always know it’s a bad sign..
I think I’ve just realised I’ve moved on from school parents and their insecurities within the school community and I’ve never been a fan of Desperate Housewives, so in all honesty this is just the wrong book for me.
I hope others enjoy it more and that does seem to be the case.

A fun light popcorn read about four couples who come together for a trivia night and discover one of them are swingers, which leads to a messy pact and fallout. I was surprised by sexual the book was, there was lots of getting saucy with a partner that’s not yours. This was a superficial read. I didn’t find the characters likeable or relatable. They were all so narcissistic. But it was decent time pass read.

This one just didn’t click for me. I found the several POVs narrating the story interchangeable. I’m sorry but I found ALL the female characters bland, boring, white and rich. There was no distinguishing factor. They all do yoga and are blonde 🙄 Seriously these women were so immature acting like teenagers pitting up one mum against another, and having crushes on women’s husband. Almost all the women fancied someone else’s husband I couldn’t tell anyone apart. Maybe if there was a variety of diverse characters and experiences I’d be able to tell them apart. There was also no real suspense and ultimately I just wasn’t hooked.

This book absolutely brings Liane Moriarty’s work to mind, in the best possible way! A scandalous school night at a leafy Sydney suburb leads to some extremely unexpected circumstances. Loved it!

I absolutely agree with the comparison to Big Little Lies! A tale of well to do parents behaving badly plus the repercussions of their actions is the crux of this terrific story.

Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives meet each other creating The Trivia Night! I only have one word to describe this book--WOW.

Four couples, their children attending Kingdergarten at Darley Heights Primary School, and they are all wealthy families living in the suburbs of Sydney. The school arranges a fund raising event, called the Trivia Night where the parents dressed mostly as characters from Harry Potter. The four couples, Amanda and Ted, Paul and Alice, Zoe and Miles and Lara and Luke sit together at a table. However, they soon decide to have a little fun by exchanging their partners and experience sexual endures with each other. However, a woman named Victoria, who is Amanda's nemesis had taken pictures of that fateful night and threatened to post these pictures online. And soon, the day after the four women threaten Victoria, she disappeared.

This was actually a fast paced thriller! It was so unputdownable that I was hooked up into the book and stayed up all night reading the book! Though the first bit was slightly boring, it started getting really intriguing and interesting that I was literally drawn into the story. Besides the "thriller" in the book, there were some funny parts that made me laugh out loud! There were some twists and turns and the ending was slightly unexpected as well! I do like the four mothers, Amanda, Alice, Lara and Zoe and their friendship sounds like a scene from the Desperate Housewives.

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller filled with family drama and revenge that will keep you up all night--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Would I say this was my favorite thriller ever? No. Was I entertained the whole time? Absolutely. This book had its flaws for sure. It was kind of farfetched in some areas and it had issues in others. I still found it entertaining though and will read more from this author.

Trivia Night is told from many character view points, the mum's of the playground. Oh so many of us have felt those anxieties, awkwardness and judgement of being a parent at school
drop offs and pick ups, Im sure the playground is far more daunting for mums than it is for the kids.
As the story unfolds we are told in almost diary like confessions of what happened on that eventful PTA Trivia Night and how just 1 night changed so many families lives.
I found the book quite fun to read, a bit of escapism and excited "what would I do?" but I did find the build up a bit slow and I realise that we had to get a picture of the characters personalities but reading Alice's entries were seriously tiresome, I found myself screaming "get to the bloody point!!!"
I can't say it's spooky thriller but it was nice to read something different, I love the Aussie location and something a bit different. Despite being lighthearted it does touch on some serious issues including infertility, alcoholism and domestic abuse.
One point I really did not like was the way a pets death was treated as something like a joke, not impressed at all and will mark the book down 1 star down because of it.
Should've been a lighthearted 4 out of 5, but unfortunately has to be 3 out of 5

Wow, this is a cracking debut novel. I loved it, the characters, despite having flaws, were likeable and relatable. The build up to the Trivia Night was just right, giving us inside information about all the characters, and the ending was just brilliant.
When one fun night turns into a disaster, decisions made over a few drinks lead to life changing measures and regrets.
This book would be great to see brought to life in the tv screen. I can't wait to see what gem Ali Lowe is going to write after this. Pleased to say I've found a new author to follow
Many thanks to Ali, Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I am under no obligation to leave my honest review

A domestoc noir / scandel in surburbia novel. An easy read with differing perspectives to add interest. The characters are well thought through and complicated enough to keep you engaged. An engaging read.

Who doesn't love a little bit of acandal in suburbia?! I found this to be a bit of a lighthearted fun wee thriller. I'm not sure how likely this is to ever really happen but I still enjoyed reading about one of the possible outcomes in this book. Its not the kind of book that will have you eyeing up the neighbours with suspicion or anything but it was a decent enough read

I really enjoyed this book, I really enjoy books that are set in surburbia and this was everything I love and more. The story was so intriguing and delivered on every level, the writing was great and I loved the characters, even the ones I hated. I was gripped and couldnt put it down, it engaged me the whole way through, I loved it.

I am afraid I didn't enjoy this as much as I had hoped. Wasn't keen on the characters, and it just didn't click with me. Hope others enjoy it more.

This was a page Turner. A great book to read by the beach. A pop corn thriller. Suburbia gone wrong.

Well this was more 'Eyes wide shut' than I realised haha. Couples plan a trivia night but end up swinging. Of course, its not the night that is the worst thing but the after effects. I found the whole story a bit unbelievable. Do people like this make such bad decisions? Well glad they do for a novel as it did make a fun read if a bit OTT.

I

If you’re a fan of Liane Moriarty, Ali may be a new favoured author. Darley Heights Primary School’s kindergarten class may all get along… but the same cannot be said for the parents. Living in a wealthy Sydney suburb, many live a ‘perfect’, privileged life in a community where everyone pretty much knows everyone else’s secrets. The fundraising trivial night will hopefully generate enough money for the school to get much needed equipment – but the parents have to get through it first. One table, partly old friends and new acquaintances, turn the conversation around quickly from their little darlings to, well, partner-swapping. Yes, that’s right. The heat is turned up between the couples as a one-night-only pact is formed. Which is all well and good on that night but the morning after looks a lot different. Plus, someone is out for revenge and is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. The plot is handled well, and you’ll definitely root for some characters over others.

Riveting Domestic Noir..
Immersive and riveting domestic noir which is much more than the blurb would have us think. Narration, told from several different perspectives and time lines, is well done and insightful and the plot is populated with a cast of characters, both engaging and credible. A top notch, one sit read which kept this reader glued to the pages from first to last.