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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I read this book as part of my book club, and it was a fast read. There are things the author does quite well, such as establish an unreliable narrator and portray a vast array of female characters’ emotions, and leave you questioning who dies throughout the novel.
The story is told through the lens of the main character throughout the day leading up to the party as well as some flashbacks. You experience her version of events up until the death at the party.
Potential Spoilers: the ending left me wanting more. One more chapter? A more in depth explanation? The author seems to go in depth about all prior events, but comes up short when it appears the “big reveal” occurs at the end and is slightly rushed.
The story is told through the lens of the main character throughout the day leading up to the party as well as some flashbacks. You experience her version of events up until the death at the party.
Potential Spoilers: the ending left me wanting more. One more chapter? A more in depth explanation? The author seems to go in depth about all prior events, but comes up short when it appears the “big reveal” occurs at the end and is slightly rushed.
mysterious
tense
I’m not sure what to say about this one. It was okay…not bad, but not good either—and certainly not great. The ending was just beyond irritating. I kept thinking time was running out, but surely the author won’t just end the damn book. But that’s exactly what happened: SHE JUST ENDED THE DAMN BOOK. And with so many questions left unanswered?!? Like what?!? I’m getting angry all over again just typing this damn review. I just can’t even.
Tension felt forced. Too many clues that went nowhere. Cardboard characters.
slow-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:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Nadine Walsh, her family and over one hundred guests are celebrating her mother's 60th birthday. The food is excellent and the alcohol is flowing. Nadine is stunned to find herself standing over a dead body. But as hostess she has guests to attend to. Her life has been a rollercoaster of emotions lately and her past haunts her. However, she is not the only one with secrets.
Set over one day, rife with deception and flashbacks, A Death at the Party is anxiety-inducing (in a good thrillery way) and chock full of suspense. Author Amy Stuart excels at creating atmosphere and satisfying endings, including this one.
Though the plot is fantastic, the graphic language is a bit much at times. I also hate reading about affairs, immature adults and disrespectful teenagers but those are just personal preferences. Just know abuse of minors is also mentioned.
My sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing book.
Set over one day, rife with deception and flashbacks, A Death at the Party is anxiety-inducing (in a good thrillery way) and chock full of suspense. Author Amy Stuart excels at creating atmosphere and satisfying endings, including this one.
Though the plot is fantastic, the graphic language is a bit much at times. I also hate reading about affairs, immature adults and disrespectful teenagers but those are just personal preferences. Just know abuse of minors is also mentioned.
My sincere thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing book.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Secrets Lead to Murder
Review of the Simon and Schuster Kindle eBook (March 7, 2023) released simultaneously with the Simon & Schuster paperback.
This was a new Canadian author for me and I may check out Amy Stuart's Still (2015-2020) trilogy in the future as well, as this current book was definitely a compelling read. In fact I think I finished it in one day, and am only writing this review now as I am always several days behind in completing books and actually reviewing them.
I'll admit that what drew my attention to this book was the advertising blurb "Virginia Woolf meets Agatha Christie." Learning from the synopsis that the book involved the preparations for a same-day evening party led to its association with Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (1925), but any other parallels with the earlier book & author are few. It was too much to hope for that I would find another example to add to my meagre list of ASMR* in Fiction.
A Death at the Party is one of those inverted chronology books where the supposed climactic death is actually presented to us in the very first chapter. The whodunnit? is pretty evident up front, but it is the whydunnit? and the whomwasitdunto? questions which make for the drama and suspense of the rest of the book.
Nadine is making party preparations for her mother Marilyn's 60th birthday. Marilyn is a popular mystery author who shies away from birthday celebrations in general, but has acquiesced in this instance. There is a dark association with birthdays of the past, as Marilyn's younger sister Colleen died under mysterious circumstances 30 years ago, the same day as Marilyn's 30th birthday.
You can pretty much guess that there will be revelations which uncover the secrets behind Colleen's earlier death during the course of Nadine's current day. These will lead to suspicions about numerous suspects as various present day friends and acquaintances are discovered to have known Marilyn and Colleen in the past. It all leads to the inevitable confrontation.
Trivia and Link
* ASMR = Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. For further background on ASMR and Virginia Woolf's description of it, you can read my Mrs. Dalloway review Are You Experienced (with ASMR)?.
Review of the Simon and Schuster Kindle eBook (March 7, 2023) released simultaneously with the Simon & Schuster paperback.
She always had the feeling that it was very, very dangerous to live even one day. - from Virginia Woolf's [b:Mrs. Dalloway|14942|Mrs. Dalloway|Virginia Woolf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646148221l/14942._SY75_.jpg|841320], used as the epigraph for 'A Death at the Party.'
This was a new Canadian author for me and I may check out Amy Stuart's Still (2015-2020) trilogy in the future as well, as this current book was definitely a compelling read. In fact I think I finished it in one day, and am only writing this review now as I am always several days behind in completing books and actually reviewing them.
I'll admit that what drew my attention to this book was the advertising blurb "Virginia Woolf meets Agatha Christie." Learning from the synopsis that the book involved the preparations for a same-day evening party led to its association with Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (1925), but any other parallels with the earlier book & author are few. It was too much to hope for that I would find another example to add to my meagre list of ASMR* in Fiction.
A Death at the Party is one of those inverted chronology books where the supposed climactic death is actually presented to us in the very first chapter. The whodunnit? is pretty evident up front, but it is the whydunnit? and the whomwasitdunto? questions which make for the drama and suspense of the rest of the book.
Nadine is making party preparations for her mother Marilyn's 60th birthday. Marilyn is a popular mystery author who shies away from birthday celebrations in general, but has acquiesced in this instance. There is a dark association with birthdays of the past, as Marilyn's younger sister Colleen died under mysterious circumstances 30 years ago, the same day as Marilyn's 30th birthday.
You can pretty much guess that there will be revelations which uncover the secrets behind Colleen's earlier death during the course of Nadine's current day. These will lead to suspicions about numerous suspects as various present day friends and acquaintances are discovered to have known Marilyn and Colleen in the past. It all leads to the inevitable confrontation.
Trivia and Link
* ASMR = Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. For further background on ASMR and Virginia Woolf's description of it, you can read my Mrs. Dalloway review Are You Experienced (with ASMR)?.