“Party of Liars” is an engaging listen with plenty of twists and drama to keep you hooked. The story balances suspense and character tension well, and the audiobook narration brings the characters to life in a really enjoyable way. A fun and gripping choice for thriller fans.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox – Short Review

Set during a lavish Sweet Sixteen in a glass-walled mansion perched on a Texas cliff, Party of Liars is a gothic psychological thriller that unravels through multiple unreliable narrators. As the celebration spirals into chaos and a body falls from the balcony, secrets buried in the house’s tragic past begin to surface. Kelsey Cox masterfully blends suspense, mental health themes, and family dysfunction, crafting a tense narrative that alternates between “Before” and “After” the party. With its haunting atmosphere and layered female perspectives, the novel delivers a chilling exploration of truth, perception, and the ghosts we carry.

The twists in the story were unexpected and kept me engaged. I enjoyed both the audiobook itself and the narrators. It was great entertainment for my train rides.

Oh sooo american! I have to admit, throughout the story I thought it was going to be a stereotypical conservative-american story - and in away it was - but oh girl was I shocked when the plot twists hit me! Such a great and seriously unexpected way to turn the story around! I was really impressed.

Party of Liars is a tense, slow-burn mystery set during a glamorous Sweet Sixty party at a Texas mansion. When someone falls to their death, the story jumps between past and present to slowly reveal what happened. The full-cast narration works really well; each voice feels distinct and natural, which makes the characters believable and the twists easy to follow.

This twisty, fast-paced thriller set at a lavish Sweet Sixteen party in a haunted Texas mansion. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, each with secrets and motives, creating a complex web of intrigue. The setting adds a gothic touch, enhancing the suspense and atmosphere. While the multiple points of view and timeline jumps can be disorienting at first, they ultimately contribute to the story's depth and unpredictability. The novel explores themes of family dynamics, jealousy, and the consequences of hidden truths, keeping readers engaged until the final revelation.

I enjoyed the book's suspenseful pacing and the way it kept me guessing with each twist. However, I found the numerous characters and shifting timelines a bit challenging to follow initially, which slowed my engagement. Despite this, the compelling mystery and dramatic setting made it a worthwhile read. A gripping, if occasionally complex, thriller that delivers unexpected twists and a haunting atmosphere.

I just finished Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox in audiobook format, and I’m still thinking about it.

The story is set during a glamorous Sweet Sixteen party in a supposedly haunted mansion in Texas Hill Country. Sounds cliché? It’s not. Just as the party is in full swing, someone falls (or is pushed?) from a balcony—and from there, nothing is what it seems.

I loved how the book is told through multiple female perspectives: Dani (the young stepmother), Kim (the ex-wife), Mikayla (the shy best friend), and Órlaith (the mysterious Irish nanny). Each one hides something, and as a listener, I was constantly trying to figure out who to trust. The alternating chapters between "before" and "after" the fall add so much tension. Every chapter leaves you with just enough to make you doubt everyone.

The audiobook narration was really strong. I liked the different voices for each character, and the actress voicing Órlaith nailed the Irish tone without overdoing it. That said, some parts felt a little slow, especially early on, but it paid off in the end. The twist? I did not see it coming.

If you're into locked-room mysteries, layered female characters, and stories full of secrets and family tension, this one's worth your time. A solid, atmospheric thriller that stays with you.

Party of Liars is a binge-worthy, twisty psychological thriller set against the backdrop of a lavish Sweet Sixteen party (pre-party, during the party and post-party) in a remodelled Texas mansion with a haunted past. Kelsey Cox weaves together a slow-burn mystery told through multiple POVs and timelines, gradually unravelling secrets, grudges, and ultimately what happens at the party.

The full-cast audiobook is an absolute highlight—each narrator delivers distinct, emotionally grounded performances that help keep track of the many characters. The accents were especially well done, adding a vivid sense of place. I have to admit, I occasionally lost focus during the Irish nanny’s chapters because she reminded me so much of my mam chatting about people I don’t know—so wonderfully authentic it threw me!

Fans of Lucy Foley and similar full-cast and/or locked-room thrillers will love the layered storytelling, clever twists, and rich character drama. A great debut that had me muttering under my breath on what I wanted the MCs to do (or to get done to them...)

I just finished *Party of Liars* by Kelsey Cox, and I have to say, it was a wild ride. The audiobook, narrated by a talented cast including Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, and Suzy Jackson, really brought the story to life and made the multiple perspectives even more engaging.
The story kicks off with an exclusive sixteenth birthday party at Ethan’s mansion in Texas—a beautiful, yet slightly eerie, setting that hints at dark secrets lurking beneath the glitz. Right from the start, I knew someone had fallen from a balcony, but the mystery of whether it was an accident or murder kept me guessing the entire time. The suspense builds gradually, with each chapter revealing new secrets and motives among the eclectic cast of characters.
There’s a wide array of guests—Ethan’s ex-wife, Kim, his new wife, Dani, Sophie, the birthday girl, her best friend, Mikayla, the nanny Órlaith, and others from a wealthy Texas enclave. Each character is complex and flawed, and I loved how the story explores their struggles—Kim’s drinking problem, Dani’s mental health, Mikayla’s unspoken feelings, and Órlaith’s mysterious behaviour. The multiple POVs helped me understand each person’s perspective and added layers to the unfolding mystery.
What I found especially compelling was how Kelsey Cox weaves the past and present, slowly revealing what led to the tragic event. The slow-burn pacing might not be for everyone, but it worked for me, building tension and anticipation toward that explosive climax. The gothic mansion setting added an extra layer of atmosphere, making everything feel more sinister and suspenseful.
The ending was satisfying and cleverly executed—everything clicked into place, and I appreciated how the plot wrapped up. The twists caught me off guard, even though I’d pieced together some clues along the way. The narrators did an excellent job bringing each character’s voice to life, which made following the story a real pleasure.
Overall, “Party of Liars” is a richly layered, character-driven mystery with gothic vibes, plenty of secrets, and shocking twists. I really enjoyed the mix of suspense, family drama, and supernatural hints. If you love stories that keep you guessing and enjoy a well-crafted, atmospheric whodunnit, I definitely recommend giving this a listen.

A cleverly plotted psychological thriller that kept me guessing all the way through, with excellent twists and a brilliant final coming together of all the different characters' stories. I loved it!

During a sixteenth birthday party, a body falls from a balcony. Was it an accident or murder? Or could it have been "The Mother", the legendary ghost who haunts the house?

Author Kelsey Cox has packed a lot into Party Of Liars, from the supernatural element, through revenge, jealousy and desperation to keep secrets hidden. As I listened, I was constantly changing my mind about the direction the story was taking. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and the use of a variety of narrators really helped me to understand clearly whose narrative we were hearing.

The book opens with a sixteenth birthday party for Sophie Matthews. The party is being held at her father Ethan's mansion, a once rundown property that Ethan has completely modernised. Right from the beginning, we know that someone has fallen to their death from an upstairs balcony. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout as who has fallen isn't revealed until the very end.

Since the setting is a party, there is a wide range of characters. Alongside Ethan and Sophie, there are Ethan's first wife, Kim and his new wife, Dani. Both women are struggling in their own ways. Sophie's best friend Mikayla feels out of place because of the cheerleaders present and daren't tell Sophie she likes her ex-boyfriend, the boy Sophie is desperate to get back together with. There's also the nanny Ethan hired to help Dani, who is struggling with being a new mother, a nanny who acts a little strangely.

There are lots of other guests; friends and colleagues from the well-to-do enclave of Bulverde, Texas. Over the course of the day, we learn that Kim is looked down upon because of her drinking problem and Dani is considered to be struggling with her mental health. As people mingle and the alcohol flows, secrets are uncovered and grievances aired, all leading to the cataclysmic ending. By the conclusion, I'd just about figured out what was happening, but events were still shocking, and even more secrets were then revealed.

I love a good mystery, and I suppose Party of Liars falls under that but for some reason I found it...underhwelming. However, I suppose that is because I read this book while I was on a thriller kick and so many of the tropes in this book felt a bit cliche, superb writing though! very suspenseful

A very enjoyable and promising debut. It reminded me a lot of Big Little Lies, so if you enjoyed that book you should probably try this too.

The story is mainly set during a birthday party, and we learn from the beginning that someone has died. Then the book goes back in time and we slowly discover what happened, who died, and why.
The book had a slow-burning plot, and much of the action was condensed towards the end, but I thought the four point of views were all quite interesting and I liked how we slowly uncovered the past and the secrets of the four main characters. I also liked how the suspence gradually built up towards the ending.

The ending was especially well done. I thought everything fit very well, and it was very satisfying how everything wrapped up. I will definitely check out Kelsey Cox's future books.

As for the audiobook, it was extremely well done and each narrator did a really good job. It was a great way to experience the story, and it definitely contributed to my enjoyment of the book.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a suspenseful, nail-biting psychological thriller with some great, jaw-dropping twists at the end. For me, it was the ending and those twists that truly saved the book.
I listened to an audiobook narrated by Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, and Suzy Jackson, and they all did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Without multiple narrators, the book would have been a disaster due to its many points of view.

I found that for nearly half of the book, I had no clue who was who or what was happening, but then everything clicked into place. I was finally able to recognise the characters, and I practically devoured the second half of the book. And the ending? It was fantastic!

If you struggle with remembering names, I recommend taking notes to keep track of the characters.

The story takes place in a haunted house and is told through multiple timelines.
We follow Sophie, the daughter, and the events surrounding her 16th birthday party—before, after, and during the celebration.

Sophie’s mother, Kim, is an ex-wife with a drinking problem and complicated feelings toward her ex-husband and his new wife.
Sophie’s father, Ethan, is self-centred and seems to only care about his own needs.
His current wife, Dani, is an Instagram-famous influencer and the mother of their six-month-old daughter.
Sophie’s best friend, Mikayla, feels like she is always fading into the background and is desperate for attention and has secrets that could shatter everything.
Then there’s the Irish nanny, Orlaith, who is obsessed with death stories and has her own hidden agenda.
Various side characters add depth to the story, each with their own storylines.

As the party is in full swing, tragedy suddenly strikes—there's a dead body...

I listened to the last chapter twice to be sure I understood correctly... that was such an unexpected turn, and so many things made sense finally!

Thank you, NetGalley, and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this fantastic audiobook!

It was okay. I liked the baby was named after me but throughout the book I was confused on what was actually going on and what was happening. But I’m not sure whether that was my problem or the books

The mansion sits on a hill like a doll house, one side entirely glass. At night, the light pours out, letting inquisitive eyes look in. Kim and Ethan redesigned the historic house together but by their daughter, Sophie's, Sweet 16, Ethan's second wife Dani plays hostess. Still struggling from lingering PPD, Dani longs to find herself again. Kim, who lost much more than just her dream home in the divorce, hasn't known who she is for a long time. At the flashpoint of adolescence, Sophie and her friends, push boundaries. The enigmatic hand of The Mother wends between them all as the party rages. When someone plunges to their death, has the wailing spirit claimed another soul as her own?

The production values on this audiobook are excellent. It features a full, talented cast, and suffers from none of the hiccups multi-narrator productions sometimes have (the sound is level between each narrator's chapters, there's no intrusive transitional music, no one talks noticeably faster or slower than the others). I enjoyed listening to this thriller immensely!

The main issue that I have with this book is the pretty major inconsistency. In both the blurb and during one of the first few chapters, it says a body falls right as Sophie is about to blow out the candles but later on in the story, Sophie blows out the candles without incident and they all eat cake before anybody falling from the balcony.

Other than that I enjoyed the story, especially how none of the characters are particularly likeable and anyone could’ve been the one to do the crime. The story is told in multiple timelines, mainly the time leading up to and including the party with flashbacks and snippets of the future within and between the main chapters. I think the short chapters the day after the party could’ve been improved as they were too vague and didn’t really add anything to the narrative. I really liked the full cast narrating the story but at about the halfway point I had to switch to the digital review copy because it was kind of annoying having to adjust the speed of the audiobook depending on who was talking. This book had me guessing right until the end and further convinced me to never marry a psychiatrist. I think this was an amazing debut by Kelsey Cox and I’m excited to see what else she writes in the future.

Thank you so much to the author, netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton Audio for providing me with an audio and digital arcs in return for a voluntary review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

DNF - Unfortunately this one just isn’t for me and it’s not engaging me at all so I’ve decided to not continue…

Part thriller, part ghost story and full page turner! Kelsey Cox, a new voice in psychological thrillers is going to be BIG!

Party of Liars is a twisty turny thing that had me gripped from the start, the audiobook is a full cast (always a treat) and the narrators are just spot on.

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended.

I thoroughly enjoyed Party of Liars.

A clever psychological thriller with a full cast of formidable characters, taken on by wonderful narrators who brought them to life.

A sweet sixteenth birthday party in a house with a past sets you on a mystery tour of all those attending and their web of lies and deceipt, creating an uneasy and tense atmospheric story.

A great debut from Kelsey Cox.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to listen to this arc.