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lorrared's review
4.0
Darkness, deceit and death.
This is an easy to read, fast paced, twisty psychological thriller which I really enjoyed.
It revolves around three married couples who have been friends since University. Set in a luxury villa in the beautiful Italian town of Sorrento for a reunion celebrating a 40th Birthday.
It has multiple timelines and narrators, although sometimes repetitive. It’s packed with twists and so many secrets, lies, lies and more lies, that it’s hard to keep up. There were a lot of cliffhangers and I found myself thinking just one more chapter numerous times before I could put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and A A Chaudhuri for the ARC of this book, it will be available on 25 May. I think it should be on your TBR pile.
This is an easy to read, fast paced, twisty psychological thriller which I really enjoyed.
It revolves around three married couples who have been friends since University. Set in a luxury villa in the beautiful Italian town of Sorrento for a reunion celebrating a 40th Birthday.
It has multiple timelines and narrators, although sometimes repetitive. It’s packed with twists and so many secrets, lies, lies and more lies, that it’s hard to keep up. There were a lot of cliffhangers and I found myself thinking just one more chapter numerous times before I could put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hera Books and A A Chaudhuri for the ARC of this book, it will be available on 25 May. I think it should be on your TBR pile.
aoreilly435's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
_readwithsha's review
5.0
"The Final Party" by A.A. Chaudhuri is a gripping psychological thriller that transports readers to the luxurious town of Sorrento in southern Italy.
So, three couples head off to Sorrento to celebrate Ness's birthday. But, as it turns out, they're not just any old group of friends - they're all linked by some pretty juicy secrets from their past.
This thriller had me hooked from the start, despite the slow initial pace. And what a payoff it is - I never saw that twist coming! The tension between the characters was palpable and I was fully immersed in the story. I could feel the intensity of the trip and the events that unfolded.
Chaudhuri's writing style is vivid and descriptive, bringing the characters and setting to life.
Thankyou Hera and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to A A Chaudhuri for this amazing book.
So, three couples head off to Sorrento to celebrate Ness's birthday. But, as it turns out, they're not just any old group of friends - they're all linked by some pretty juicy secrets from their past.
This thriller had me hooked from the start, despite the slow initial pace. And what a payoff it is - I never saw that twist coming! The tension between the characters was palpable and I was fully immersed in the story. I could feel the intensity of the trip and the events that unfolded.
Chaudhuri's writing style is vivid and descriptive, bringing the characters and setting to life.
Thankyou Hera and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to A A Chaudhuri for this amazing book.
lime_lacroix's review
4.0
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I want to thank her and Hera Books for allowing me to read it for review!
When it first started, it gave me White Lotus vibes. The setting and the vacation…definitely reminded me of that. The fact they were alone and not at a resort made that fade just a little as it went on.
It’s a story of how much the weight of secrets and lies can control and ruin lives.
I feel like it was a little slow and I didn’t notice much change in how each of the characters spoke. Each chapter was a different POV, but they all sounded like the same person to me for the most part, which didn’t really bother me but I know some people really want a lot of differentiation between the voices of characters.
I did enjoy the story and I was very interested in knowing exactly what happened and who else knew that was possibly outside the friend group.
A few of the characters were pretty horrible people, but they were meant to be, so she wrote them well.
I wasn’t necessarily on the edge of my seat, but I did stay very interested. It could have been a little faster-paced throughout. You didn’t really start finding anything out until halfway through and then it did start to pick up. I wouldn’t say I was on pins and needles, but I did want to finish to find a resolution.
There were a few shocking moments. A few I did sort of suspect, but a couple that I didn’t.
Overall, I thought it was a good book! It kept me interested and it was a good story about how secrets and lies can cause bigger issues than if you’d just been honest with people.
When it first started, it gave me White Lotus vibes. The setting and the vacation…definitely reminded me of that. The fact they were alone and not at a resort made that fade just a little as it went on.
It’s a story of how much the weight of secrets and lies can control and ruin lives.
I feel like it was a little slow and I didn’t notice much change in how each of the characters spoke. Each chapter was a different POV, but they all sounded like the same person to me for the most part, which didn’t really bother me but I know some people really want a lot of differentiation between the voices of characters.
I did enjoy the story and I was very interested in knowing exactly what happened and who else knew that was possibly outside the friend group.
A few of the characters were pretty horrible people, but they were meant to be, so she wrote them well.
I wasn’t necessarily on the edge of my seat, but I did stay very interested. It could have been a little faster-paced throughout. You didn’t really start finding anything out until halfway through and then it did start to pick up. I wouldn’t say I was on pins and needles, but I did want to finish to find a resolution.
There were a few shocking moments. A few I did sort of suspect, but a couple that I didn’t.
Overall, I thought it was a good book! It kept me interested and it was a good story about how secrets and lies can cause bigger issues than if you’d just been honest with people.
alittlemixofvix's review
4.0
This immediately piqued my curiosity and I struggled to put it down. It all seemed such toxic friendships but I enjoyed the drama of it all.
I loved how it slowly unraveled with chapters from each person's point of view - adding more and more snippets of their personality and the lies they've been telling. I liked the relationship between Ness and Johnny and that it was kept platonic, and also how messed up the relationship between Lana and Johnny was too - an impossible situation.
I struggled with keeping track of the timeline, as there were multiple "past" chapters that weren't in chronological order - maybe different fonts or something would have helped? Additionally, I still don't understand a major decision - especially given what was assumed at the time?
Overall, interesting and complicated secrets with twists that you won't see coming.
*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from LoveBooksTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I loved how it slowly unraveled with chapters from each person's point of view - adding more and more snippets of their personality and the lies they've been telling. I liked the relationship between Ness and Johnny and that it was kept platonic, and also how messed up the relationship between Lana and Johnny was too - an impossible situation.
I struggled with keeping track of the timeline, as there were multiple "past" chapters that weren't in chronological order - maybe different fonts or something would have helped? Additionally, I still don't understand a major decision - especially given what was assumed at the time?
Overall, interesting and complicated secrets with twists that you won't see coming.
*I received a complimentary copy of the e-book from LoveBooksTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
booksbybindu's review
4.0
The Final Party’ was an unpredictable thriller that managed to surprise and shock me! This is the first book of this authors that I have read but I loved it and will be revisiting her past books. This was a well-put-together thriller that when all the parts come together you actually go ‘wtf?!’. It was tense, twisty and packed full of lies and secrets.
Six friends have gathered in Sorrento for one of their 40th birthdays. Friends from university, life has taken them in different ways but they are still in touch, some closer than others. But before the week is out, one of them is dead and the rest reeling from traumatic events. The reunion is marred when one of them starts to receive anonymous text messages which threaten to unearth some dark truths from when they were at University and the truth will not stay buried…
Sometimes I find books that have multiple points of view a bit hard to follow and it's not my favourite form. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it in this case. Each person has a definite and well-formed voice and a strong thread of the narrative. Every character was keeping lies and secrets from the others and it allowed the tension to build up very nicely indeed! Never have a more messed up group of individuals been immortalised. None of them really had many redeeming qualities. Four of them are battling with a secret from one night whilst they were at University which left one of their group attacked and suffering from amnesia. Was one of their friends responsible?
I loved the location and it is clear that the author loves this area of the world! The descriptions were on point and you really were immersed into southern Italy. The juxtaposition of using the light of Italy and the heat to counter the darkness of the narrative was extremely well done.
This was a well-plotted thriller that manages to surprise the reader! Let me know if you pick it up.
Six friends have gathered in Sorrento for one of their 40th birthdays. Friends from university, life has taken them in different ways but they are still in touch, some closer than others. But before the week is out, one of them is dead and the rest reeling from traumatic events. The reunion is marred when one of them starts to receive anonymous text messages which threaten to unearth some dark truths from when they were at University and the truth will not stay buried…
Sometimes I find books that have multiple points of view a bit hard to follow and it's not my favourite form. However, I thoroughly enjoyed it in this case. Each person has a definite and well-formed voice and a strong thread of the narrative. Every character was keeping lies and secrets from the others and it allowed the tension to build up very nicely indeed! Never have a more messed up group of individuals been immortalised. None of them really had many redeeming qualities. Four of them are battling with a secret from one night whilst they were at University which left one of their group attacked and suffering from amnesia. Was one of their friends responsible?
I loved the location and it is clear that the author loves this area of the world! The descriptions were on point and you really were immersed into southern Italy. The juxtaposition of using the light of Italy and the heat to counter the darkness of the narrative was extremely well done.
This was a well-plotted thriller that manages to surprise the reader! Let me know if you pick it up.
sammies_booked's review
4.0
This book was so fun and twisty. I loved it. There was so much drama it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to know what would happen next. This book releases May 25, and I highly suggest adding it to your TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
kazza27's review
5.0
Thank you to Canelo for the proof of The Final Party for an upcoming UKCRIMEBOOKCLUB chat in June with Alex. I am sharing my review today as part of The Squadpod Book Blitz.
3 couples head off to Italy on holiday to celebrate their friends birthday. The six all have pasts and secrets, the three couples are Padma and Nick, Ness and Marcus and Lana and Johnny.
It’s hard to not give spoilers in this fast paced story, however we find out quite early on in the book that something bad happened to Padma at University, and that she has never been able to remember fully why it happened and with who.
Out of the three couples Nick and Padma are the only ones not to have children and this also causes anxiety for them both. There are some quite odious characters in the group but again I will keep quiet about who they are. I will say it will not take long for you to work it out when you begin to read the book.
It is set in a beautiful Italian setting so you may assume it would be calm and relaxing. In reality, it has the feel of a pressure cooker and the contents that are ready to explode. Members of the group start to receive anonymous texts and the tensions between the groups and couples increases as old lies keep trying to surface.
This is an incredibly exciting thriller, as the book progresses the deceit and deception threaten to be revealed and the author drops little bundles of information and and ample number of unexpected twists which just adds to the exhilaration of the narrative. I didn’t want to put the book down until I discovered the truth behind all the stories and secrets. An truly excellent read which would be a fantastic addition to anyone’s summer break this year.
5 stars *****
3 couples head off to Italy on holiday to celebrate their friends birthday. The six all have pasts and secrets, the three couples are Padma and Nick, Ness and Marcus and Lana and Johnny.
It’s hard to not give spoilers in this fast paced story, however we find out quite early on in the book that something bad happened to Padma at University, and that she has never been able to remember fully why it happened and with who.
Out of the three couples Nick and Padma are the only ones not to have children and this also causes anxiety for them both. There are some quite odious characters in the group but again I will keep quiet about who they are. I will say it will not take long for you to work it out when you begin to read the book.
It is set in a beautiful Italian setting so you may assume it would be calm and relaxing. In reality, it has the feel of a pressure cooker and the contents that are ready to explode. Members of the group start to receive anonymous texts and the tensions between the groups and couples increases as old lies keep trying to surface.
This is an incredibly exciting thriller, as the book progresses the deceit and deception threaten to be revealed and the author drops little bundles of information and and ample number of unexpected twists which just adds to the exhilaration of the narrative. I didn’t want to put the book down until I discovered the truth behind all the stories and secrets. An truly excellent read which would be a fantastic addition to anyone’s summer break this year.
5 stars *****