Anna-Lou Weatherley is like a fine wine. Each book gets better and better. I love her character development of returning characters but they never take over the book. Instead she has a way of really developing the introduction of new characters. So each book is also a perfect stand alone.
The night of the party centres around Libby. A girl who is murdered on a night out. Who could want her dead in such a brutal manner! As we delve deeper we soon discover that she is not a particularly likeable person. Upsetting people and lives around her.
The book was gripping and read in under a day. I am certainly looking forward to the next instalment from Anna-Lou.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC

Flipper Flappers! 😳🤯😯

I was reeled in from the very first chapter. It definitely started off with a bang! And it never ever ends as you keep going. 17 year old Libby is a strong academic student and a near prodigy with piano. She's the perfect daughter to Tom & Evie. But one night she goes out and doesn't come home. She's soon found murdered down the path by her home. Everyone has secrets. Especially Libby. So who did this? And who was their daughter, really? Keep your friends close, & your family closer. The absolute deceits and lies are limitless with every character explored in this book and it's INSANE. The ending was absolutely jaw-dropping! Trust no one. I did guess who it was about 75% of the way through but still so well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Release date: Jan. 11, 2022.

I give this 4 / 5 snowflakes! ❄️

„The Night of the Party“ is a faced paced thriller about a family with a lot of secrets. Evie, the mother, takes a lot of pride out of her daughter. Libby is beautiful, kind, loving, an exceptional student and a talented piano player. She thinks they have a strong bond and she likes to tell herself that she is more than a best friend to Libby than a mother. While she is throwing a dinner party for her friends Libby goes out to meet a friend and see a band. But Libby does not return home and it seems that the unthinkable has happened. Libby was murdered. But there are more things to discover about a secret life Libby obviously was having. It seems that nothing was like Evie user liked to think about her life.

The story is like something you already read somewhere else. There are no real surprises and as a long-term reader of thrillers you can see the twists coming. But it still is very entertaining and gripping. I enjoyed reading it and I probably will check out other books from the author.

I really enjoyed The Night of the Party. I loved the cover of the book and the description and once I picked it up I could not put it down. There was plenty of tension throughout and it had plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I really like the character of Dan, the policeman, from the previous book I read by this author and was thrilled to see him return in this one as I had not realised it was part of a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

The cover made me look twice at this book, but I unfortunately couldn’t get into it. Something about the writing style made it difficult for me to immerse myself into the story. The plot had promise, but I also found the characters to be very dry and predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Nothing is a secret when you really think about it, even if you're the only one keeping it."

The first book I've read by Anna-Lou Weatherley and it took my breath away! I read it in one sitting. I was so entranced by this story of love, lies, jealousy, and deceit. Dark secrets between tight-knit family friends come to surface when Liberty "Libby" Drayton is found murdered near her home. Who is Libby Drayton? To her family, she's a 17 year-old straight-A student and talented pianist. To her friends, she's quite the opposite...manipulative and controlling. While trying to solve her murder, her mother tries to find out who the real Libby was. Did she ever really know her 'perfect' daughter? Do we ever really know everything about the ones we love?
I loved all of the characters. Each one brought something unique to the story. I enjoyed how the book was narrated with multiple POVs. This thriller was intriguing and I couldn't put it down!
Can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-ARC. I will post my review on instagram @thrillersandcoffee for the Bookouture book tour on January 14.

This book definitely started my year off with a bang! This is one of those books that grabs you with the very first page and does not let go. Evie and Tom are hosting a dinner party for their best friends, Una and Jim. Tom and Evie's 17-year-old daughter, Libby, entertains them with a tune on the piano and then leaves for the evening supposedly to go see a concert with her best friend, Katie. When she fails to return at 10:30 as promised, Evie becomes worried and eventually calls the police. Police start searching the trail she was going to take and discover her body, but who did it??? Lots of suspects come to light and there are lots of secrets revealed which makes for a fascinating read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very riveting thriller.

The Night of the Party by Anna-Lou Weatherley
Published: January 12, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 318
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Anna-Lou Weatherley was born in Hampshire and grew up in London, where she still lives with her partner and two children. An award-winning journalist and women's lifestyle writer for over fifteen years, she is the former editor and acting editor of J-17 and Smash Hits, respectively. She has written for all the major glossies including, Grazia, More, Company, and Marie Claire, among others.

“Well, they wouldn’t be secrets if I told you, would they?”

Evie is everything a rich wife and mother should be, surrounded by beautiful things. She adores her only child, Libby, and is only too ready to brag about how smart, talented, beautiful, kind, and just perfect Libby is. But Evie is about to find out the hard way, and she doesn’t know her daughter at all.

Holy. This was a r i d e . Fast-paced and engaging, and impossible to put down. I loved how the story was told, through alternating perspectives with a bit of the past woven in.

The characters were all so well done, even if most of them were horrible. The secrets are revealed after a tragedy, and the majority of the characters are just ugly people.

Evie was a lovely character, though she is definitely naive and utterly too trusting. She has the best redeeming arc, and she ends a lot stronger than she begins.

Jim is a dirtbag who ultimately redeems, but his journey was pretty rough. He is an example of the best of intentions. I do believe that he wants to be better by the end, and I do think he regrets the way things happen.

Una is the worst kind of friend- the one who secretly envies and covets what you have, all while claiming you’re her best friend. Her storyline just made me angry, but I could also see where she was coming from.

Tom is just a complete jerk. Nothing is redeeming about his character. He thinks he can do whatever he wants and answer to no one. The shenanigans he pulls are infuriating and make my blood boil.

Dan Riley was such a beautiful character. He was so full of ambition, dedication, determination, and humanity. I loved how much internal dialogue we got with him, and I loved how he wasn’t willing to settle for anything less than the truth.

Libby. Oh, Libby. There was nothing likable about her whatsoever. She was selfish, shallow, mean, and just ugly on the inside. She is the epitome of a mean girl. Her storyline is unfortunate, and she is a disturbed young woman. She was a master manipulator, and she knew how to play the game.

The twists came out of the darkness and smacked me in the face. As secrets were revealed and the plot thickened, I thought I knew how things would work out, but I was wrong.

I enjoyed the writing style, the character development, and the plot overall. It was a fast-paced read that was impossible to put down. Definitely, a must-read!

Anna-Lou Weatherly, you have done it again! 👌

I was so excited for my request to read The Night of the Party to be accepted by Bookouture, I just about jumped out of my skin! I have read and loved all of Anna-Lou Weatherly's Detective Dan Riley books and I was super keen to read her latest!
And Anna-Lou didn't disappoint. In her usual style, The Night of the Party starts off with a bang and keeps us guessing throughout. With secrets, lies and deceit, there are more questions than answers, and we are left pondering who did what and why. I'll leave it at that as I don't want to give anything away. I recommend you just read this one! It is a stand alone book, but I would advise you to read all her Dan Riley books purely because they are brilliant!

Definitely her best one yet!

The Night of the Party is out on the 12th January 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for an eARC of this book to read and review.

I really enjoy this authors books, always a great story and well written
This time it’s a story that had me changing my opinion on various characters as the plot thickened and the twists turned and I really wanted to know who and why re Libby
Lots of dialogue and things to get you thinking in this quick to read book

9/10
5 Stars

Libby is a sweet, well behaved 17 year old. She reluctantly agrees to play piano for her parents and another couple before going out with a friend. Libby promises to be home by 10:30. When that time comes and goes her parents are worried. This is so unlike Libby. Well they should be worried because Libby has been brutally murdered.

There is no lack of suspects in her murder. Everyone has secrets it seems.

This book is part of a series. I have not read any of the other ones. I didn't feel like I was lost due to not knowing the back story of the detectives like I do with some books in a series.

This one kept me interested throughout. I couldn't wait to find who the murderer really was, since there were so many people it could have been.

Thanks to Bookouture for the arc via netgalley.

Going against a lot of other reviewers here but I thought this book rather weak. Unlikely conversations between the grieving parents and the police and although there are enough red herrings to confuse even the best guesser the end was not thrilling.
It’s an easy quick read and if only we ever get to go on a hot sunny beach holiday again it would be fine for passing a few hours.

The Drayton's are having friends over for a dinner party. It wll be a night to remember.... but not in a good way. Before the night is over, their daughter will be dead, and as the investigaton into her murder begins, secrets come out, marriages and friendships fracture, and Mrs. Drayton discovers she didn't know her daughter like she thought she did.
Wow, this was one non-stop roller coaster of a book. I think everyone in the book (with the exception of the mother, maybe) had a reason to want Libby Drayton dead. It definitely kept me guessing until almost the end. If you are a fan of murder mysteries, then you will love this quick read.

Synopsis:
Evie and her friends just wanted to have a nice dinner party. But when her daughter, Libby, goes out and doesn't text her like she usually does, Evie panics. The next day, Libby is found dead, and soon the police discover that there were lots of people who had a reason to want the teenager dead - even people who have attended the dinner party ....

My thoughts:
Whoa, what a hell of a ride! I was hooked from the very first page to the last and I literally couldn't put the book down! I loved how everything unravelled, and that no one was who everyone thought they were. I thought I knew what was going on, but I was actually surprised by the conclusion. Also, the last chapter - even though it felt a little out of place, to be honest - made me cry, and I think it holds a valuable life lesson everyone can profit from.

Parts of this book reminded me of:
- The Accident by C.L. Taylor
- A Slow Ruin by Pamela Crane

This was my first book by Anna-Lou Weatherley, but it won't be my last.

Book 5 in the Detective Dan Riley series and what an absolute corker of a read this was. Dan and his team are investigating the brutal killing of teenager Libby Drayton. Libby was the perfect daughter, excelled at school and was an excellent piano player. So why was she killed and by whom. Well this book really reeled me in hook, line and sinker from the very beginning. Every time I finished a chapter I had to carry on reading so eager was I to find out what the hell was going on and who was responsible for the killing. I had so many people I was suspicious of that at times my head was in a complete spin. I did guess the outcome before it was revealed but it in no way took away from my enjoyment of this brilliant book. This book series is fast becoming one of my favourite ones and I think I have a bit of a crush on Detective Riley 😂

Loved this book! Read it in one sitting. The first twist comes very early when we get the point of view of a certain character for the first time. This character is not at all what I expected, and from that moment on, I couldn’t stop reading. I truly enjoyed the writing with all the great dialogue that amped up an already break-neck pace and kept a complicated story from getting bogged down. The author has skillfully woven the threads of this story into a cohesive, satisfying tapestry that challenges and ultimately satisfies the reader. If you’re in the mood for a dark, gritty, twisted tale that’s perfectly written, this one’s for you.

Loved this domestic drama! Great cast of characters that really kept me invested in the story. This one was dark and gritty and so well done!
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

The book starts out with two couples at a dinner party, who have been friends for a long time. As the night goes on one couple receives terrible news about their daughter, she has been murdered. The book goes through different perspectives on what happened that night and leading up to it. Is Libby Drayton who we think she is or is she someone else entirely? This book is riveting and keeps you on your seat the whole time wondering who killed her. Very well written and would love to read another book by this author.

"Every family is a world," someone told me once, and yes indeed, families are a very complex little piece of the world trying to cope with society's rules and stereotypes no matter how hard.

Nice plot, like the fact that has different points of view but it was a very slow narrative and something was missing, I still don't know what.

Kudos to the author because I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of the tv show "Mare of Easttown" because of the fact that it involved a murder with lots of plausible explanations. This book is a 5-star book because there are lots (and I mean lots) of subplots going on and they all are interesting. I devoured this book in a couple of days because I couldn't put it down. I'm honestly not a super fan of crime-based thrillers but this one delivered. I look forward to checking out more books by this author.