I thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review.
This is the first time I read one of Stuart’s novels, although she has published three in the Still series, and I understand they have been very well received. In the author’s acknowledgements, at the end of the book, she mentions that she is grateful because everybody gave her support with this novel although it was quite different from everything she had written before, so not having read anything by her before might not be a great disadvantage, and readers need not worry, as this is not part of a series (or at least doesn’t seem to be planned as one), and it does not require any previous knowledge.
The description is quite apt, and, in fact, it is not too difficult to summarise the book. The whole novel takes place in a day, and it is centred around Nadine Walsh’s final preparations for her mother’s birthday party, and what takes place at the actual party. Marilyn Millay, Nadine’s mother, is a famous writer, and hers is a tale of rags to riches, from writing in a basement and having to struggle to make ends meet, to becoming incredibly successful and not having to worry about anything. Of course, that doesn’t mean life is easy, and there are always things hidden deep in the closet and people who must be protected. Nadine is still recovering from a bad accident, and although she is physically much better, it seems to have affected her psychologically, and her levels of anxiety have increased. She takes it upon herself to keep everything going and everybody ticking, and her to-do lists are legendary. But it is not always easy to be in control of everything, especially of one’s own mind.
It might seem that the description uncovers a big spoiler, but that is not the case. Although the story is told mostly in chronological order, it starts with a scene that happens towards the end of the party and one that will keep readers guessing and trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle for the rest of the narrative. So, after the introduction into what is at stake, the story circles back to the morning, and the events are narrated in the first person by Nadine, mostly in the present tense, except for the moments when her mind goes wandering back to the past, usually back to a traumatic episode that happened when she was a child, and whose anniversary also falls on the same date. The story takes place in 24 hours (well, a few less), and readers follow Nadine through her tasks, making sure everything is ready for the evening’s party, going here and there, meeting her mother, talking to a variety of people, looking into her family, also worrying about a variety of things, and having to deal with matters that need fuller attention than she can dedicate to them with everything that is going on. The novel made me think of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, although the writing style, the setting, and the events are quite different. Woolf’s inspiration is acknowledged in a brief quote at the beginning of the novel.
Because Nadine tells us the story, it is through her eyes that we see everything that takes place, and her perception of others is what guides readers. Is she a reliable narrator? Well... She gets into panics and at times she doesn’t seem to be fully in control, smoking to calm her nerves (although, at least “officially”, she doesn’t smoke), carrying tranquillisers in her pocket (“just in case”), and having to hide in her office, in the basement, to clear her head. In her internal dialogue, she also acknowledges that she is keeping secrets: from her husband, from her mother, from her daughter, from her son, from her neighbours... even from herself. Is she a likeable character? I didn’t find her one of those people everybody warms up to straight away. She plays her part well, and her whole life seems to be taken up by keeping her family (and that includes her mother, most of all) safe and intact, even to the point of fighting their battles for them. Other than her love for her family (alive as well as dead), although she studied and does some teaching, she doesn’t seem truly attached to anybody or anything else. Her friends are mostly her husband’s friends, and they all live in the same neighbourhood. In fact, in a bizarre (but not gratuitous) coincidence, they all knew each other (and her family) when they were young. It is possible that her accident has affected her and we aren’t seeing her as she was before, but only those who know her pretty closely seem to be able to notice the difference. She is an interesting character, though, and the way the story is told and developed helps us see her weaknesses and vulnerabilities along with her strengths. The inner psychology of the character is well rendered, and the way her opinion of others changes in a single (but very eventful) day makes for a fascinating narrative. The rest of the characters around her have their moments as well, especially the women and one of the strong points of the novel is the way it portrays the complicity and the relationship between women, not only blood relatives but also friends (the friendship between Isobel, —Nadine’s daughter— and her friend River is also quite moving).
This is not a standard thriller that will have people turning the pages at speed to find out what happened. We know what is going to happen from the very beginning, but we are trying to find out who the victim is, and why it happened. Of course, there are some secrets (some nastier than others, some more relevant than others, some more recent, and some further back in the past), plenty of drama, some revelations and surprises, and most of the action takes place in a domestic setting, so perhaps domestic noir would not be a bad label to apply to it. The emphasis on family relationships, Nadine’s reasons, and her behaviour are not exactly what we’ve come to expect from that genre, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The ending worked for me. Some of the reveals and twists surprised me more than others, but I thought it came together quite well considering everything that had happened. This is not one of those books that I felt was too short, or I was sorry when it finished, but it kept me guessing, and I was intrigued by the psychology of the main character. And that was good enough for me.
Readers who are looking for a fast and gripping thriller, with edge-of-your-seat and all-singing-and-dancing non-stop action, should not attempt this book. Those who like a slow-burning mystery, especially of the domestic noir variety, who appreciate getting into a slightly dubious character’s head, and who don’t mind first-person present tense narratives, should give it a go. It is likely to keep them reading and thinking.

Nadine Walsh is determined to make her summer garden party the event of the year.
Everyone deserves a celebration after the year they've had. A chance to forget.
As she prepares to welcome her guests, however, Nadine can't help but be distracted. Her husband is of little help to her. Her two grown children are consumed with their own concerns.

But it's Nadine's own secrets that threaten to destroy her perfect party.
By the end of the night, Nadine will be standing over a dead body in the basement.
How did it come to this? And how far will Nadine go to keep her secrets buried?

This is well written but, for me, it lost its way after a good start. There seems to be quite a bit of irrelevant stuff going on with leads going nowhere. It was quite slow in places too. It does, however, have an excellent ending. Great twist.

Very enjoyable and a good premise. A murder at the start of a party where we know who the victim is but aren’t sure why! It kept me hooked all the way though.

Amy Stuart is a new author to me and I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, tense thriller that I found built the tension chapter by chapter. The secrets and haunting memories just add to the tension. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

It’s strange to read a book where you don’t engage with any of the characters yet you still want to know what happens to them.

Told over the course of a single day, leading towards a party being held in honour of a sixtieth birthday, we learn of the death of the protagonist’s aunt exactly 30 years before.

Engaging but just didn’t quite hit the spot for me.

This thriller is structured in an original way: rather than introducing the victim at the beginning and keeping the reader guessing throughout the plot as to who the perpetrator might be, ‘A Death at the Party’ reveals the killer straight away but the reader is kept guessing as to who the victim might be. For great sections of the book, it does not appear to be a thriller at all but rather the unravelling of a complicated mother-daughter relationship between the protagonist, Nadine, and her mother, Marilyn. The author pulls off the difficult task of making a fairly unlikeable character compelling reading and there is much we learn about Nadine: from her latchkey childhood to her mother’s sudden fame as a novelist that throws both women into the limelight, to her tricky relationships with her husband Paul and two teenage children. Other marginal characters, such as neighbours and guests at the garden party Nadine is hosting for Marilyn, are introduced but it is mainly about the relationship between these two women. An unusual read – but a satisfying one! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the digital ARC I was gifted in exchange for this honest, unbiased review.

I found this novel difficult to start with, too many characters and different timelines. However, once I got into it I enjoyed it. Nadine is very protective of all her family but she is keeping secrets from all of them and she knows more than she is revealing. She is trying to organise her mother's 60th birthday but the past keeps coming back to haunt her, can she keep all the balls in the air at once or will the truth finally be revealed?

Great summer novel - total page turner, Finished in one day. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

The majority of the action in this novel takes place over the course of one day; as protagonist Nadine prepares for, and hosts, a party. Nadine has planned the perfect party, every detail has been carefully chosen. She’s also planned the perfect murder. As she puts together the final touches the reader begins to learn about her life and that of her family; the backstory to Nadine's actions covers a lifetime. Past and present are deftly woven together, along with other family dramas, gradually revealing Nadine’s motivation for murder.

This was a gripping read and one that really resonated, prompting questions about how we can be defined by the way we deal with adversity and tragedy. The subplots were also compelling, something I find rare (often they are just used to flesh out and pace the main story). A compelling, chilling plot, great twists and well-developed characters. I loved and raced through it so it’s a very strong recommendation from me and all five shiny stars 🌟

Thanks to @michaeljbooks for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review

A slow burner with a narrator you aren’t sure that you can trust, especially as the book starts with her standing over a dead body. Most of the characters are keeping secrets and are viewed by the skewed vision of the unreliable main character. I’ve read so many thrillers recently with multiple POVs that it was refreshing to read a book that wasn’t. The story kept me gripped, but I was a little disappointed by the abrupt ending. As I rend to prefer all the ends tied up.

Nadine Walsh is throwing her mother, best-selling author Marilyn Millay, a sizable 60th birthday celebration.

However, the party is in full flow when the novel opens, but Nadine is down in her basement office, standing over a dead body. Why are they there and who is this person?

As time passes, we learn that when Nadine was just 15 years old, her aunt Coleen was also found dead at Marilyn's 30th birthday celebration. Is this just a coincidence?

It quickly becomes clear that a large portion of the characters in the novel, including Nadine, are all hiding secrets from thirty years ago. The story alternates between the party's planning, the party itself, and other historical events that occurred 30 years ago.

I enjoyed this book because it has a interesting plot and was easy to read, and kept me guessing who it was Nadine was standing over, but I didn't really like the characters, especially Nadine.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

Nadine Walsh is hosting her mothers 60th birthday party but then there is a death at the party. The story then really begins as it looks at the events leading up to and during that fateful event. I wanted to love this book, the storyline intrigued me. I found it to be very predictable, even the twist was something I expected to happen. The ending left me feeling a little deflated, I was expecting given the circumstances surrounding it. The writing made it an easy read so once I got reading, it was a quick one to get stuck in to.

An exciting thriller read with twists that keep you guessing till the end! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I raced through A Death At The Party. Loved the family component plus the small-world feel you get from Nadine's interactions with everyone in her neighbourhood and the sense of unease from everyone knowing everyone else’s business.

The chapters are short, making this a quick one to get through. The action all takes place in the space of one day, with Stuart using flashbacks to help us understand the protagonists past and how it is colouring her actions. . The identity of the body doesn’t get revealed until the end, which kept me guessing. There were some great twists along the way with lots of moving parts, that the author neatly stitches together. The underlying secret that led to the death is revealed slowly but surely, with an additional twist at the end.

Good. A compelling thriller that makes you feel like you are with the characters rather than just reading about them. The story just flows and I couldn't put this down.

Canadian author Amy Stuart brings us 'A Death At The Party' a quick read, I read the book in a day. Deception and the celebration of a sixtieth birthday with a party with a secret revealed and the drama unfolds when events of thirty years ago are revealed. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Nadines mother is a best selling author and it’s her birthday so Nadine decides to throw her a huge party. But by the end of the night, Nadine will be standing over a dead body in the basement.Who is it and how did it come to this. Will Nadine’s secrets come out?

From the off this book started with a bang as the main female character pretty much allows the person on her basement floor to die. So instinctively I’m guessing it’s her husband. But then as the book went on I doubted myself. Normally I’m quite a Miss Marple or Jessica Fletcher and guess straight away and am normally correct. Was I right this time? You will have to read the book as no spoilers here. Anyway one twist I saw coming but the victim’s identity kept changing in my mind as I read through the chapters. Overall a good twisty thriller.

A Death at the Party is a gripping thriller that is told over the course of a single day. The first chapter makes it clear that there is a murder at a party, but of who? We follow Nadine as she goes about her day, preparing for a special 60th birthday party for her Mum - the famous author, Marilyn Millay. Her day is interspersed with memories from 30 years previous, where her sister tragically died during her Mum's 30th party. We meet her family throughout the book as well as various other acquaintances and gradually start to piece things together.

This was a fast paced thrilled that reeled me in straightaway and kept me hooked. It was a nice, quick read and I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute.

The characters were well written and I felt that I really empathised with Nadine with her sadness, frustration and friendships.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

A book of dark twists and turns with a variety of characters harbouring secrets from up to 30 years ago.
It’s crazy how much I enjoyed reading this novel as to be honest, as I disliked all the characters. No one seemed to have any redeeming qualities. So this reason alone shows how well written it was as you want to know how it is to end.
Would recommend.

I liked the fact that you didn’t have to wait for the murder to happen and it was at the beginning. Too many characters to keep track of but I enjoyed the reveal and how everybody was connected