Really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
Someone falls off a balcony during a party and then the narration goes back to the beginning and keeps you guessing all the way on who it might have been.
Kept me listening all the way through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

New mum Danni is struggling with postnatal depression, her house appears to be haunted and she feels like she is losing her mind. Her husband throws a lavish sweet sixteen party for his daughter from a previous marriage and invites everyone, including his alcoholic ex wife, up to their newly renovated home on the hill. Will the pressure be too much for Danni to survive?

I had this as an audiobook , I loved the character voices and thought it really helped set the background scene but at times I felt it a little hard to stay focused.

The story was intricately woven with each character and different time zones to pull everything together which helped to build the mystery but overall I felt it a little slow to gain momentum.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a slow burn, psychological mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for offering this ARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.

I don’t often read psychological thrillers, and as I read Kelsey Cox’s debut, I was thinking ,“Is this Contemporary Fiction or Gothic?”; “Is this YA Fiction and not Adult?”; “Wait – is this not Thriller, is this Horror?”; “is this Folk-Horror?!” and then, finally, “Whoa! THAT’s what!” An author who can make me question my assumptions and reconsider my expectations like that, is worth every ounce of their weight in gold. This ambiguity seems to have disappointed some reviewers, but for me, it is one of the novel’s most thrilling lures.

The setting and scenery are fantastic; original, so vivid. The house-party location creates as much tension as Hitchcock’s ‘Rope’ (and staying with movie comparisons, if you’ve been to see the latest Final Destination installment, Bloodlines, then you’ll enjoy the parallel glass- cracking scene here!). In literary terms, if ‘Party of Liars’ reminded me of anything, it would be Emma Cline’s ‘The Guest’ meets Liane Moriarty.

As for Cox’s characters, I found myself quickly attuning to the variety of voices. Sophie, Dani, Kim, all are gripping; Orlaith adds the Gothic edge. And the stellar cast of audiobook narrators? They made it as-easy-as-kiss to slide into the different viewpoints (I have to confess, I’m a card-carrying Saskia Maarleveld fan and I listened to this title purely on the strength of her being billed as one of the narrators). At first I thought that the plot was being diluted by too many perspectives, but trust the author and pay attention! Everything in ‘Party of Liars’ is purposeful. In fact, there really isn’t a word out of place here; for a debut, that’s remarkable.

All I would have asked for to garner that fifth star from me would be some solid queer representation. In all? I say put a LOUD reminder in your phone to grab this audiobook when it comes out on 3 July!

My thanks go to Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the chance to review the audiobook.

Unfortunately I DNF this audiobook. I found the different characters too confusing and the narrator just didn't keep my attention.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc.

"Party of Liars" by Kelsey Cox is a compelling and atmospheric locked-room whodunnit that delivers on its promise of a twisty, pulse-pounding thriller. Set against the backdrop of a lavish Sweet Sixteen party in a supposedly haunted Texas mansion, the novel immediately plunges readers into a high-stakes mystery when a body dramatically falls from a balcony onto the dance floor. Cox masterfully crafts a "killer guest list" of complex, often unlikable, but always intriguing female characters, each with their own baggage and secrets. From Dani, the new stepmother battling self-doubt, to the superstitious nanny Órlaith, the meek-but-not-really best friend Mikayla, and the vengeful ex-wife Kim, every attendee has a motive, making it a genuine challenge to figure out who is dead, who is the killer, and who the hunter or prey truly is.

The narrative skillfully weaves between multiple perspectives and timelines, slowly unraveling backstories and building palpable tension. While some readers might find the pacing to be more of a slow-burn psychological drama than a fast-paced thriller, the intricate plot, rich character development, and exploration of themes like motherhood, ambition, manipulation, and hidden desires keep you hooked. The house itself, with its dark history, adds a gothic edge that enhances the overall sense of dread. "Party of Liars" is praised for its strong writing, engaging mystery, and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you enjoy character-driven psychological thrillers with a touch of gothic suspense and a tangled web of family secrets, this debut novel by Kelsey Cox is definitely one to add to your reading list.

If you’re into twisty, tension-filled thrillers à la Lucy Foley—where everything unfolds in one tight location and every character is a potential suspect—then Party of Liars absolutely needs to be on your radar.

I listened to the audiobook and wow, the full cast (Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, Suzy Jackson) brought this story to life so well. The multiple POVs were brilliantly done, and the narration seriously amped up the suspense. Each voice added its own layer of tension and made you question every character's motive just a little more.

The pacing is quick, the twists are smart, and the structure is brilliantly done. The way the flashbacks are woven in is masterful—just when you think you’ve got someone figured out, a little bit more is revealed and you're back to second-guessing everything. It’s one of those stories where you feel like your heart is stuck in your throat the entire time, and you're constantly bouncing between “I think she did it” and “Wait… maybe not?”

It’s like peeling an onion made of secrets and betrayal, and every chapter adds another punch. You’ll shift loyalties more times than you can count—and still probably be wrong.

Highly recommend the audio version for maximum immersion. This one’s a binge-worthy ride.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

For well over a hundred years the empty dilapidated Victorian mansion has sat atop the cliff, towering over the small Texas town of Bulverde. Rumoured to be haunted the locals know to avoid it.

Until 2010 when Ethan Matthews, his wife Kim, and their three-year-old daughter, Sophie move in, intent on renovating and fully modernising the property. Fast forward thirteen years later to the night of a lavish, no expense spared, sweet sixteen birthday party, a night when someone will tumble to their death from the glass walled balcony to the bluestone patio far below.

Note: Apologies for any incorrect spelling like characters names etc, as I only had early access to the audiobook.

The Players:

Dani – Ethan’s 27-year-old second wife. The party hostess. She has a new baby with Ethan – Charlotte. The three of them live in the house.

Kim – Ethan’s first wife. Sophie’s mother. Early forties. She put her heart and soul into the renovations but it’s Ethan’s young wife that has reaped the benefits.

Ethan – Dani’s husband and Kim’s ex-husband. Sophie’s father. Early forties. The party host.

Orlaith – Baby Charlotte’s sixty-something live-out Irish nanny.

Sophie – Ethan and Kim’s daughter. The birthday girl.

Mikayla – Sophie’s best friend. A down-to-earth Texan farm girl

Mason – Sophie’s ex-boyfriend. Quarterback on the football team.

Curtis – Ethan’s best friend. Dani’s psychiatrist.

Gemma – Curtis’s wife.

Before starting, I mistakingly thought that Party of Liars was YA since it was set during a sixteenth birthday party. I was wrong, this was a psychological thriller/family drama/gothic horror for an adult audience, and only one of the narrators was a teenager. I was also expecting more of a soap opera style plot with bitchy gossipy behaviour, and there was some glamour, glitz, and indulgence, but all the characters, even the minor ones, were surprisingly likeable, deep, and grounded, well fleshed out, with compelling backstories, and tantalising hints of secrets. There were humorous moments as well – I laughed aloud several times.

Party of Liars was creepy, eerie, and haunting, steeped in superstition, folklore, and a house with a dark, mysterious history. This added ambiguity as I wondered if the danger surrounding the characters was supernatural, whether they were being gaslit or toyed with by someone to make them seem crazy, or was their own guilt, grief, or bitterness playing on their minds causing them to imagine things. The modern mansion setting where everything appeared perfect, stylish, and beautiful was an illusion, a façade disguising something rotten. Just beneath the surface was the abandoned, crumbling, derelict, and feared bones of the original house. Speaking of the house it was a character in itself – its rooms seemed endless and disorientating to the point that it appeared as if the very house itself was expanding and multiplying – every few chapters of the party would find the character narrating in a different wing, level, outbuilding or grounds of the house. Plenty of nooks and crannies to escape, hide, lurk, and spy.

Party of Liars contained three parts. Before the Party introduced the four main alternating narrators – Dani, Kim, Mikayla, and Orlaith. The Night of the Party comprised the bulk of the novel and events unfolded in real time in a pressure cooker environment. I waited with bated breath wondering who was going to be murdered, why, by whom, and when it was going to happen. I made sure to listen carefully knowing that every thought, detail, and conversation mattered. After the Party featured POV’s of guests on the periphery of the party offering their impressions and interpretations of the tragedy which heightened tension and gave the plot more realism and dread. The twists were phenomenal with excellent use of misdirection and red herrings. Kelsey Cox sure had me fooled – every time I thought I had something figured out she pulled the rug out from under me and made me second guess myself.

I had no complaints regarding the audio reading but at the same time there wasn’t anything that really stood out for me to make it special. I did enjoy the Texan and Irish accents though.

What an author! I eagerly await Kelsey Cox’s next thriller.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton audio, and Kelsey Cox for the audio-ARC.

Publication Date: 3rd July 2025.

I was looking for an audiobook to accompany me in the gym - one that provides the perfect amount of mystery, intrigue and addicting story which would help me to forget where I was and how much I in-fact hate warm ups on the cross trainer! It was perfect for that.

The chapters were split into different perspectives and time periods, which as you work your way through, slowly starts to give you more of the story to piece together where and what happens at its conclusion. Although I don’t mind this format, I can find I get a bit pulled in and out of the story as I try to fill in the gaps between when it’s taking place but that’s purely laziness on my part. A straight time trajectory I always find easier to read!

The narration to the audiobook was fab as well, with each character voiced by a different actor and one that was super easy and enjoyable to listen to. So you couldn’t ask for more out of an audiobook.

All in all, it was an enjoyable mystery thriller with enough intrigue to keep you engaged and certainly made me forget how long I had been on the cross trainer for!

Slow burn psychological suspense rounds out to a chaotic and twisty turn of events, in this impressive debut novel.

Cox has done a wonderful job of building suspense and thrills, combining a cast of unreliable narrators, a gloomy and spooky mansion house, and the impulsivity and drama of a 16 year olds birthday party. The lore underlying the ‘mother’ adds a particularly creepy feel, making for a dark and gritty read.

The full cast narration adds an extra level of drama and emotion to this already compelling story. The large cast of characters and time jumps felt very confusing at first, but it’s important to trust the process. The short chapters focussed on a single character, and Cox’s rich storytelling soon clarify the threads, making this a fun ‘who died’ and ‘whodunnit’ in one read.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this ALC. Opinions expressed are my own.

I actually quite enjoyed this one although there were a lot of characters to follow which did make it a little difficult at times for me. If you can pause, rewind or focus enough you will have no issues! The way the chapters are written are basically like a character almost directly related to so when you realise this it starts to fall into place a little more!

We have a girls 16th birthday party but it’s not just any standard because this is a dynamic multifaceted family with limbs branching off in various directions and all with different personalities and stories of their own. Everyone has their own pain and happiness; their own version of who they are and who they see others to be throughout the whole story everyone is looking in and judging another until someone ends up over a balcony killed but who is responsible?!

Absolutely packed from beginning to the end and well narrated all characters were brought into their own.

With thanks to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this ARC in return for an open honest review 🙏🏼🎧❤️📚

This is an impressive debut; multiple characters and different timelines. I was gripped from the start by the history of the old mansion house, built in the late 19th century and then empty for over 100 years until it was totally redeveloped. From the outset, there’s a sense of it being an imposing property; one which dominates the landscape and people. The story centres on a 16th birthday party and there’s a strong teenage element to the take. Not something I’d usually be interested in, but this worked very well as the characters are plausible. I had the audio version and narration throughout, with multiple narrators, is excellent. There are so many twists and asides that take the reader or listener off course. Great misdirection in this thriller and very skilfully plotted. Who’s the unreliable narrator? Virtually everyone and what are they hiding? It’s a cracking tale and I’d look for more from Kelsey Ciox.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

A tense and eerie domestic thriller, filled with drama and psychological suspense!

This story is centered around a sixteenth birthday party, at a lavish and luxurious, dollhouse-style mansion, when somebody falls from the cliffside balcony. The story is told through four distinct female characters, as the lies unravel and hidden motives are uncovered.

I feel very fortunate I was able to enjoy a tandem read of this story, by listening to the audiobook at the same time as reading the ebook. The audio is phenomenal, as there is a full cast of narrators. Their distinctive voices made it very clear which perspective I was reading.

The complex characters and well-plotted twists in this story offered a gasp-worthy and captivating read, with a compelling conclusion.

This is a fantastic debut novel, and I am keen to read what Kelsey Cox writes next.

This book was chaotic from the start, easy enough to follow but chaotic as in drama filled suspense lol. So many little stories and comments which lead me down the wrong paths trying to work out and guess who died, and who was the suspect. I enjoyed it though. A lot of teenage drama that a wasn’t really interested in, but I guess that was all part of the story. Narrators were great. 4 stars ⭐️

If you like a bit of mystery, psychological thriller, then this is one to read.

WOW!!!!! Hooked from the first page and read this book in one sitting… Full of tension and suspense. A real page turner, a domestic noir but OMG so much more!!!!!

A Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a twisty family drama focusing around Sophie's elaborate sweet 16 party at her father's mansion. The evening takes a dark turn when a body falls from the balcony. Who is the victim and who is the killer?

Told across different timelines and from multiple points of view the book reveals there are plenty of people with motives to kill and plenty of potential victims. The narrator does a great job in making this book easy to follow in spite of the large cast.

Grateful thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced listener copy of this gripping and enjoyable audiobook.

Every narrator in this multicast recording voices their character so well - I’m always worried about dodgy Irish accents, but this recording is very professional, and there were no occasions when Orla’s reported dialogue in another character’s chapter took me out of the world of this twisty, eerie thriller. The author has also clearly done their research on postpartum psychosis, and on alcoholism, and both are sensitively handled here. This was a new author for me, and I’ll be checking out her other works, in print and audio.

3.5 stars.

Thank you for the ARC. Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a domestic thriller that really comes together in the final chapters. The atmospheric setting—the renovated Texas mansion with its haunting history gave the book a subtly eerie vibe that could have been explored more, I felt it could have been its own plot or a seperate book idea as it didn’t really go anywhere.

The ending brought this book up in terms of stars. I was genuinely impressed by how it all unfolded but would say that’s because half way through I was confused if the book was a thriller or had I just read the wrong synopsis. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste. The story takes its time getting going, and while the multiple perspectives added depth, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the number of voices. A more focused narrative might have sharpened the tension and helped me connect more deeply with a smaller cast of characters.

Overall, Party of Liars is a solid read with a compelling conclusion. If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers that prioritize mood and character over fast-paced action, this one’s worth checking out. Just be ready to settle in and let it unfold gradually.

Kelsey Cox’s Party of Liars is a slow-burning psychological suspense novel that leans heavily on character dynamics and the tensions simmering beneath a seemingly polished suburban facade. The central mystery — a death at a Sweet 16 party — isn’t so much about who committed a crime, but rather who the victim is, why it happened, and which version of the truth you can believe.

The narrative unfolds through a rotating cast of female voices: the ex-wife, the new wife, the best friend, and the nanny. At first, the shifting perspectives can be a bit disorienting, especially with the added element of time jumps. But once you settle into the rhythm of the story, each voice adds a different layer to the central mystery and the toxic relationships surrounding the night in question.
Rather than relying on shocking twists, the novel builds tension gradually. It excels at making the reader feel like something is just slightly off — like everyone’s hiding something, and maybe even lying to themselves. The characters are messy and morally grey, which makes for an engaging read, even if they’re not always easy to root for.

The setting — a sleek, modern house perched above the neighbourhood — acts almost like a character in its own right, amplifying the sense of isolation and artifice.

The audiobook, if you choose that format, which I did, , enhances the experience with a full cast that gives each narrator a distinct voice, making the unraveling secrets more immersive.

While the final reveal may not pack the punch some readers expect, and a few of the twists feel familiar if you're used to domestic thrillers, Party of Liars still offers a satisfying, layered story. It’s a strong pick for fans of complex female characters, unreliable narrators, and the kind of suburban drama where nothing is as simple as it seems.

Thank you to NetGalley for the alc.

I enjoyed this book so much I didn’t want to stop listening. Such a dark and twisted story with a gentle nod to the supernatural. A stark warning not to believe everything you are told and be aware that some gaslighters are true pros. You are unsure what is real and what not but the end ties it all up beautifully. The characters are well written, drawing sympathy from the very beginning. The biggest shout out to Orla, the nanny

Well, the title is right, the characters in this novel are certainly a party of liars. Initially I felt there were a lot of characters to get to grips with, however the author fleshed them out well which meant I had a grasp on them all fairly early in.

I was intrigued by the big house on the hill and the legend and lore that it carried, to round up quickly, there is a sweet 16th birthday party happening in the house, by the end of the party someone is dead and someone is guilty. The information we are given along the way casts a shadow of doubt over almost everyone, nobody was particularly likeable or easy to root for, except for the suspicious nanny funnily enough, she potters along telling everyone little stories, observing everything and everyone and I definitely felt a soft spot for her, even if she’s been a little bit over irished, there’s even suspicion around the house itself could it be the actual culprit? The veil is thin there.

I did guess the final twist just not quite exactly how it played out. A solid debut novel, a domestic thriller with a ghost story whispering throughout. There were some loose ends that I’d liked to have seen tied up.

I really enjoyed the narration by a full cast, it definitely worked for this title. 3.75 🌟

I’m keen to see what’s next from the author.

Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧