This was a very dark twisty read.

The party is in full swing when we open the pages, and learn of a murder. The book then retraces its steps to the day leading up to the party, introducing a whole host of characters who could be the victim. It’s a brilliant way of drawing you into the book, and left me second guessing who the dead man might be right until the end.

I didn’t really like any of the characters in the story, but I’m not sure we were meant to! With dark themes running through the tale it left the reader feeling uncomfortable and trusting no o e all the way through.

Very compelling, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book even though it was slightly marred by the fact that I really didn’t like any of the characters. I kept at it as it was well written and I wanted to know how it ended.

A Death at the Party" by Amy Stuart is a captivating mystery novel that skilfully combines suspense, secrets, and a vibrant cast of characters. From the very first page, Stuart pulls readers into a world of intrigue and danger, keeping them guessing until the final conclusion.
Amy Stuart excels at creating an atmosphere of suspense and tension that permeates every chapter. The pacing is well-balanced, with a steady stream of clues and revelations that maintain a sense of momentum and engagement. The author skilfully weaves multiple storylines together, keeping readers on their toes as they piece together the puzzle alongside the protagonist.
The characters in "A Death at the Party" are richly developed and distinct. Each has their own agenda and hidden depths, making them compelling suspects. The protagonist is relatable and well-drawn, displaying intelligence and resilience as they uncover the truth. The interactions and dynamics between the characters add depth to the narrative, creating a complex and immersive reading experience.
Stuart's writing style is fluid and polished, making for an effortless reading experience. She excels at crafting vivid descriptions, bringing both the glamorous and seedy aspects of the party scene to life. The author's attention to detail helps to immerse readers in the story and enhances the overall atmosphere of intrigue.
In conclusion, "A Death at the Party" is a compelling mystery that will keep readers guessing until the final page. Amy Stuart's ability to create a sense of suspense and craft well-rounded characters is commendable. If you're an Agatha Christie fan and a fan of intricately plotted whodunits with a dash of glamour and a side of suspense, this book is well worth picking up.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Lots of secrets and connections in this book. I didn’t find the main character very likeable.

Disappointing, not as good as the blurb might suggest.

It's a long day for Nadine but also a long day for the reader as this book is slow with a lot of padding about Nadine and her day in the build up to the big party.

I don't mind books with a lot of detail about a person's day leading up to some sort of shocking event but in this book, we know from the start that Nadine watches someone die so really, I just wanted to know why. I wasn't interested in where her office was, when she showered, what she wore to the party, the cheeses she bought etc. It would have been a better book I think if the death was not at the beginning.

I had a bit of bother distinguishing the various characters and what was the point of the Margot character? There are a lot of mysteries and secrets in the book but nothing is revealed until the ending and the constant hinting with no resolution began to annoy me. Also, why don't we find out who was the older man who abused Marlene. Was he one of the weekend warriors? I wondered if he was going to be Paul's father but as far as I can tell, his identity is not revealed - maybe I missed something.

The ending seems abrupt. The death happens and then that's it - we don't find out if Paul does discover the body or what happens next.

The writing is assured and the basic plot is quite interesting, I just think it could have been put together better.

Great book! Loved the storyline and the characters. The story was very well put together highly recommended.

"For thirty years, I've buried the past. And more recently, I've replaued it over and over again, searching for the missing pieces. I scan the crowd. Where is he...The tentacles of fate and coincidence. Past and present. Colleen and me. The connection. It's you, Julian Simone said to me today. You're the connection."

Focusing on middle-aged protagonist Nadine Walsh and her family, including her mother Marilyn, a famous author, on the day of her 60th Birthday Party. Through Nadine's memories we learn of another family party, thirty years before, where Nadine's aunt Colleen, only five years older than her, is found dead aged fifteen. Coupled with Nadine's teenage daughter, Isobel's best friend, currently in a coma following an overdose, Nadine is tense as part preparations unfold for this suburban party. A snooping journalist adds to the pressure on her, to manage the secrets whilst maintaining the poise expected of her.

As the plot progresses it becomes apparent family members, Nadine included, are harbouring secrets and telling lies, weighed down by the burden of perceived guilt. The atmosphere and characters' relationships are uneasy and Nadine in particular is haunted by memories of the past. Compactly written and taking place over one day, this is an excellent, engrossing and tightly focused, domestic thriller. I related to people-pleaser and all-round fixer, Nadine, determined to protect her mother and her daughter, strong, but weighed down. Both deaths, the current party and thirty years before are locked rooms mysteries of the best kind, in family settings. Whilst a murder is expected at the party, right from the start, the end is still a shock but, (for me anyway) a righteous one. I must read some of the author's novels.

An interesting premise and well written although a bit slow at times.....not overly likeable characters but that doesn't mean they weren't enjoyable to read about
I would read another book by this author

An interesting premise, good writing and a great first chapter, but then a bit slow to follow up on the story and I didnt feel I ever really got to know the characters
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book.

The story opens with Nadine standing over a dying man. His pulse is faint, his breathing intermittent. As the last of his life slips away Nadine returns to the party overhead, a party that she is hosting, celebrating her mother’s 60th birthday. With that we return to the morning of the party, and the story takes the reader through the unfolding of the day, and how one guest ends up dead in Nadine’s basement bathroom.

During the course of the day the reader is introduced to many people who could become the victim in the bathroom, it kept me guessing until near the end. It was a quick read and I kept me engaged trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

Nadine grated on me a bit. Is she her mother’s protector and teammate, or is she angry with her and seeking her downfall. She is glad her affair is over, but is actively hostile to her ex-lover’s new partner. I suppose we are all flawed humans and the conflicting emotions do not have to be mutually exclusive. I also thought she was harsh on her husband who was nice, supportive and trying hard to help her with the party planning.

The strapline for this title reads “The planning took months. The murders just moments…” and ‘Every detail has been carefully planned… including the murder.” which feels very misleading as I did not believe the murder was planned in advance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read the ARC.

Nadine hosts a party for her mother a famous author {Marilyn Millay} .Unknown to the partygoers there is a body in the basement bathroom. The party continues with people drinking and enjoying themselves until late and eventually someone rediscovers the body and it's discovery is reported to the authorities. It appears the victim had died after taking drugs and drinking, but all is not as it seems on the surface.

There’s a death at the beginning of this story, but you’ll have to wait a long time to find out who died as this book explores plenty of potential victims. This leads the reader through options and gives reasons for a select committee of opinion; different readers may choose different victims. I could have chosen several of them by the end. You may be fooled into thinking that this is a slow story at the beginning, but it is certainly well worth pursuing to the very last word.

I found that I sided with the main character throughout the story and the writing is so good, that I was willing her to complete the murder at the earliest possible opportunity. The relationship between mother and daughter was difficult to digest as they varied between complete opposites in one scene to best friends in another. The twists helped this novel as they made me really think about who she had killed in the cellar and who might have got away. The entire book is about the preparation for a party followed by the party itself. There were a number of very creepy characters and over the span of the 24 hours of the story, many of them showed their darker side and will need some very careful casting when this is turned into a film. I look forward to more by this writer and although this story will not be turned into a series, some of the characters could easily live on.

This was a bit of a slow start for me and it took a while to get into it but I’m glad I persevered. There were so many different parts that were introduced gradually and I felt the author was teasing the reader by revealing parts of the story but not all or enough to keep my interest. It all started off with a murder at the party but whose murder and why? We then go back 24 hours and are taken through the slow build up. A good twist at the end. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this book.

Great book with twists and turns. There were cliff hanger and it was a great whodunit. I would recommend this to anyone.

Summer is also fraught with stress, especially when hosting a garden party where everything has to be perfect. A Death At The Party mixes the mundane with the macabre. Nadine, the host has her own secrets and her husband and his friends have a long history. As always, alcohol and secrets don't mix well and a death occurs. A modern whodunnit with some clever twists.

It’s a slow burner of a book - it’s the first by Amy Stuart and I really enjoyed it. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an honest review

Told as a first person account running through the course of a single day, we first learn that a man is to die today at the home of a birthday party host. We don’t yet know the identity of the man or precisely how he is to meet his fate, though dark deeds are prophesised. We won’t, in fact, discover anything further about this incident until the breathless conclusion to this tale.

We quicky jump back in time to the beginning of the day. The host, Nadine, is setting up the event for her mother’s sixtieth birthday. We are to learn a lot about her mother and Nadine’s relationship with her and we’ll meet a good number of the guests ahead of the party itself too. Amongst the guests, we’ll particularly be interested in a half-dozen or so men who are to attend. Amongst them are Nadine’s husband Paul, his business partner (not a man Nadine much favours), a creepy neighbour, another neighbour Nadine had a brief affair with, a local store owner who might know a little bit too much and a journalist who’s written some unflattering things about her mother. Yes, there are plenty of possibilities here.

But that’s not the only point of interest, as there are a number of other things occupying Nadine’s mind on this day. Issues involving her two teenage children are to the fore and also, as we continue to gain more knowledge of Nadine’s life with her mother, we learn of a family tragedy that occurred some thirty years ago. This party is going to occur on the anniversary of that event and this fact is causing Nadine a good deal of heartache.

It’s all cleverly put together and I found myself galloping through this tale, eager to discover its secrets. It’s a whogotit rather than a whodunnit, but I think this distinction makes it just a little more interesting. Of course it’s a still somewhat formulaic in its construction and narrow its focus, but that goes for any story of this type. A positive aspect here is that with only ten percent of the book left to consume I still had no real fix on who the victim was to be. One detail eventually pointed me in the right direction, meaning the final disclosure wasn’t by then a surprise, but I still found the ending to be a satisfying one. A decent four star offering, for me.

I enjoyed this book. Slow burner too which I prefer and some twists and turns too that I didn't see coming, so really did want to read more, I will recommend this to people too as think many will enjoy it. The majority of the book was focused on Nadine which I did think was a shame, would have been a little better to have other perspectives but at being said I think it being focused on one person made it a lot more intense.

I quite enjoyed reading this . It was fairly slow and understated but the story slowly unfolded. Nadine was a bit odd and seemed as if she was slipping away from reality. None of the characters were particularly likeable but a decent holiday read

I enjoyed the premise of Death at a Party. Obviously the start is impactful as we're straight into the murder. And the way Nadine fixes herself up and goes back to the party makes you think, what the heck? But as I read through the story I got a little confused with the characters. And while I liked starting at the end and going back to the beginning, the prep for the day was a little mundane and it didn't keep my interest as much as I'd hoped.

Thanks so much for an advanced copy.