bakingbookworm 's review for:

A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart

4.5

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This thriller starts out with a bang ... and a murder. The story unfolds over the course of one day as our main character Nadine gets ready to host a 60th birthday party for her mother Marilyn Millay, a famous novelist.

Through flashbacks, we witness secrets from Nadine and Marilyn's pasts and how they impact their lives today. With a confessional tone to Nadine's POV and a building sense of dread, the story is perfectly paced with red herrings, family tragedy and long-held secrets that Stuart weaves into a compelling story. I concur with the book's blurb that A Death at the Party is a perfect read for fans of Lisa Jewell and Canadian author Ashley Audrain.

This was an engrossing read with delightfully short chapters that I read in a couple of sittings and is a must read for domestic suspense fans.