A review by rachelsread
The Reunion Party by Penny Batchelor

mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I found the first half of this book brilliant - the characters were individually interesting and well-developed, one of the protagonists was queer, and the various "incidents" that kept happening had me on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen next. That's why I gave it two stars instead of one, given that I truly hated the rest of the story. I can't fully express why without revealing who the killer was, but I will say that I was expecting a plot twist or some grand reveal where someone would step up and explain why they did it - except that never happened. Instead, the identity of the killer disappointed me thoroughly. It felt like the author was taking the easy way out and it soured the entire novel for me, making me feel cheated. It was also incredibly unrealistic because who on earth would wait twenty-five years before doing the things that the killer did?! It makes no sense to me whatsoever and felt cheap, like the author worked really hard on the first half of the book and then just gave up caring. The so-called "twist" regarding the chef was also incredibly disappointing, totally unnecessary, and yet another easy way out. This story had such promise at the beginning and I was so excited to see where it went, but as soon as the killer was revealed, I wanted to stop reading.