4.5 stars

On the hottest day of the year, Kathy Hamilton drops her five-year-old daughter Charlie off at a family birthday party, certain she's in good hands at her brother-in-law's house in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in the quiet town of Maple Falls. But hours later, there's no sign of her anywhere...

All is not as it appears to be as the people closest to Charlie have plenty to hide. And in a town where reputation is everything, just how far are any of them willing to go to make sure that their secrets stay hidden?
This book has many things I enjoy in a thriller: family secrets/drama, small-town setting, possibly unreliable narrators (I suspected everyone at some point) mixed in with some police procedural. The story flows effortlessly and kept me guessing. I had no idea who the culprit was. The author did cleverly drop a few clues about the culprit, and while I picked on it and had a feeling it would play a role in the story, I had no idea just how big of a role it would be. It was interesting seeing everything come together and how everyone was connected. The conclusion is heartbreaking but I'm glad there was justice in the end.
All in all, I thought this was a gripping thriller. This is the second book I have read from this author and I will definitely be picking up more of her books in the further.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a twisty thriller! Well developed characters drive a tale of an abducted child, a family with too many secrets and the hunt to find the little girl. A great read for fans of Big Little Lies.

This was a good mystery. both the story of a family in trouble who young daughter has been kidnapped and a story of the police work that is involved. At times, the twists were too much, like it was too many to be believable and took away from the power of the story. It was an easy to read book with characters I cared about and a few to be hated

Just wow! Could not put this down! All I can say is get this book. You won’t be disappointed. One of the best galleys I’ve read this year.

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

This an author I have been meaning to read for sometime and having done so now look forward to reading other books she has written.

Charlotte is attending a family birthday party she has been looking forward to for sometime. When her mother Kathy Hamilton waves goodbye to her she is unaware of the events that are to follow. Shortly after arriving at the party Charlotte disappears and the hunt begins.

The party was held at Kathy’s sister-in-law’s house in Maple Falls and on the hottest day of the year friends, family and neighbours spent more time around the pool and barbecue than caring for the children. Kathy returns a couple of hours after dropping Charlie off to find her little girl has vanished and her nightmare begins.

With no obvious evidence the police will have their work cut out for them if they are to uncover the truth and find Charlie, Once the police start digging into alibi’s and suspects pasts it becomes obvious that there are a lot of secrets that will upset and confuse the case.

I enjoyed this novel and didn’t try to be too critical of some of the more far fetched stories as it made an entertaining read. Before I had even finished this one I was already adding a few more books by Wendy Dranfield to me to read list.

I would like to thank both Net galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A tantalizing thriller reminiscent of hits such as Mare of Easttown and The Necklace.

Thank you for the e-galley.

I loved this book. it was a quick and easy read that had me gripped right from the very start. It was tense and unpredictable and kept me guessing right up until the end, which i didn't see coming. and I didnt kno what to believe or who to trust. A really good read

The Birthday Party by Wendy Dranfield starts off at a birthday party where Charlie (Charlotte) is dropped off by her Mum, Kathy. At the end of the party, Charlie is missing and no one can contact the babysitter who was to pick her up.

The first 60ish percent of this book I found to be very interesting - lots of red herring characters, lots of misdirection, and lots of who really did do something or is Charlie still alive? Was she taken by someone she knows? Was it a stranger?

Then things started becoming a bit like a weird soap opera. Without giving too much away, the MO of one character was a bit difficult to believe … and another character’s involvement was also a bit bewildering. The story does tie together in the end, but those little diversions down odd street did throw me a bit.

However, I did finish this over the course of a few hours and did find it engaging and a mostly enjoyable read. A solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

My Review:
Wow, wow, wow!!!!! I am totally speechless and shocked to the core. I don’t even know where to start with this one. So this book is a stand alone and this author is new to me. This author has written other books but those are part of a series. I have not read them yet but after reading this book you better believe I will start on them very soon. What made this book so great were all the shocking and explosive secrets that were exposed throughout the book. I was like wow is this author really going to go there. I was on the edge of my seat as each chapter passed. I could not put this book down for the life of me. I had to finish it no exceptions. I could not eat or sleep until I found out what happened. This book could really be made into a movie. It definitely had all the check marks for a great psychological thriller. I know I would pay lots of money to see it. This book was my first by this author but it definitely will not be my last. She really hit this one out of the ball park and I look forward to reading her next book.

Lastly, the characters, plot, and the ending of this book made this an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend this book and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Do All Families Have Secrets…?
All families have secrets. Don’t they? There are plenty here and they may just be spilled. The question is, who exactly can be trusted? With a credible and well crafted cast and a strong narrative this rollercoaster of a suspense is a gripping, often emotional, read best read in one sitting.

This book is a must read. The twists and turns never stop. The most horrifying situation for any parents to be in. Some characters are fantastic - Kathy, Chase, Charlie are some. Others not so much. This Author has become a favourite. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookoutre and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

When Charlie Hamilton goes missing from her cousins birthday party her family are immediately under suspicion. Detective Chase Cooper, has the task of solving the disappearance but is he just a little too close to Charlie's mother Kathy?
This was a page turner thriller with family secrets being uncovered nearly every chapter. Trigger warnings of grooming, and physical and emotional abusive control, but sensitively portrayed.
Another hit from Wendy.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Good thriller/mystery but way too many coincidences. The story line kept me interested in finding out what happened to Charlie. But family secrets that were revealed were way too unbelievable.

Kathy Hamilton is a mother whose child, Charlotte, better known as Charlie, has gone missing from a birthday party for her young cousins. Kathy leaves shortly after arriving, making sure her brother-in-law and sister-in-law know to keep a special eye out for Charlie since her mom won't be there. She's hesitant, as the couple are known for drinking too much at such occasions, but everyone swears nothing will get out of hand and Charlie will be fine. Fast forward a few hours later - Charlie and Megan, the babysitter that was bringing her home from the party, are nowhere to be seen.
.
Thus begins the frantic phone calls and the return to the house of the party. When Kathy and her family question the guests still there, no one remembers seeing Charlie for several hours. It's soon determined that she must have disappeared shortly after Kathy left. And Megan never showed up to bring her home. The police are called and the lead detective, Chase Cooper, turns out to be an old flame of Kathy's, which brings another element of drama into the case. That's on top of everything going on in Kathy's family - her husband's past secrets, her older daughter's anxiety, her wealthy parents that don't approve of anyone. It becomes one of those situations where Kathy starts doubting everyone close to her and wonders who she can actually trust. But as Chase keeps reminding them, they need to put the drama aside and focus on finding Charlie before it's too late.

There are plenty of secrets exposed throughout the story - some surprising, some not, and the added twists keep the story moving. Kathy was too timid for me to find her likeable and although I'm a fan of unusual family arrangements, theirs beggared a little too much disbelief once everything was exposed. I also felt that Charlie's disappearance took a backseat to the Hamilton family drama for a large portion of the story. But maybe that's the point - people this self-absorbed have no concept of what it truly means to protect a child.

The birthday party was a twisty turny gripping read! A chilling, intense, thrilling and absorbing story that I didn’t want to put down!
Finishing the novel was exciting and surprising.
I was not expecting the contents of the Epilogue and this reflects the plot in its entirety.
The twists and turns added to the mystery that I I was trying to find answers to. Simply brilliant!

This book was absolutely brilliant
It was about a little girl called Charlie that had been missing
Kathy Hamilton had left her at her sister in law.s party
And then she went missing
I had an ARC

OMG, I just finished this book and my heart is still racing. I can hardly believe just how spectacular this story is. From the very first page the author takes you on a roller-coaster ride which has a surprise at every twist and turn. I think I suspected everyone at one point or other but the the identity of the perpetatrator and the details of the conspiracy left me reeling. Without doubt this is my book of the year.

Wow, what a roller-coaster, this was a jam packed read, full of twists and turns. Fabulous characters, great story. I really hope this is the first of a new detective series.

Fast paced thriller where nothing is like it seems. I really enjoyed the story of how it all came together at the end. I absolutely would recommend it.

Good book! Thus book had suspense, intrigue, and a great who done it! It was also a little sad! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely, I definitely enjoyed reading this book! I wish some things ended differently but I guess that's how the story goes! Lol I would definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!