This was just ok for me. I listened to the audiobook and found it hard to get through for multiple reasons including the narration. I did not like the narrators at all. The story reminded me of numerous other stories that I’ve read before. The only thing that made me chuckle was Sia’s Chandelier song continuously playing as I read this. If you know you know.

Hannah Ford is moving away from her small town and decides to say farewell to her friends and family by having a party. The gathering has her on edge because she’s not exactly on the best terms with her guests. The next morning one of the party guests is found dead.

Everyone in attendance is a suspect. Each has something to hide therefore it is decided that they will deal with the situation themselves. Was it an accident or is someone out to get them all?

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book was outstanding. Such a fun psychological thriller. Inheritance money, greed family drama all combined to make a fabulous book. There were quite a few twists I never saw coming! This kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. I read it in less then a day. Very well done!

Description 🔖

Hannah is due to go travelling alone and to celebrate this, she is hosting a leaving party in a grand rented house. Whilst all may seem joyous on the surface, Hannah isn’t keen on the idea of the party and is nervous about some of her guests being together after somewhat tense histories.

But Hannah’s Mother is insistent that they carry on so everyone plasters on a smile and tries to enjoy the evening. The evening is ruined when the following morning, one of the guests is found dead.

Should they call the police or should they not? Everyone in the house has something to hide or someone they love to protect. Deciding to deal with this situation themselves may end up putting them all at risk.

General Thoughts 🤔

This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author. I seem to remember really enjoying my first experience and I’m pleased to report that I also enjoyed my second. This was a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep me on my toes yet at the same time, it wasn’t over complicated. It was easy enough to follow without feeling bored at any point. I have to admit that I had my suspicions about “whodunnit” pretty early on and they turned out to be correct, but it didn’t ruin the story for me at all.

Characters 👫👭👬

Even after finishing, I still can’t decide whether I did or didn’t like Hannah; the main character. I thought she was quite cowardly and even when given the opportunity to do the right thing, she only went half way towards doing so. She was neither a good guy or a bad guy in my opinion she was foolish to let her lack of courage and indecisiveness impact her entire future.

Writing Style ✍🏽

As much as I enjoyed this book, there were some things I had to accept in order to do so. From the beginning, there is little logic or realism in the actions of the characters. BUT. If you can overlook that and give the book a chance, it can take you away on an up and down ride that the author plotted and timed really well. I suppose people do stupid things when under pressure, so maybe the idiocy was all intentional.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

For my first review back after hiatus, I really enjoyed this. It was a great book to listen to as it was written and narrated brilliantly. If you’re looking for a thriller to get lost in and to be carried away with, this is the book for you.

**Listened to audio book**

Really struggled with this book. I found it really slow, and because all of the characters were so unlikeable I didn't really care what happened to them. So this plus the slow pacing just didn't sit well with me. I didn't enjoy this book at all.

✏️The Party At No. 12 by Kerry Wilkinson
3/5 stars
Thank you NETGALLEY for this advanced audio book to read in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 11th March, 2022

Fans of locked door mysteries will love this!
Going away sleepover party at a posh establishment gone eerily wrong. What's meant to be a fun night amongst friends turns into a murder when they woke up the morning after.

This mystery has all the check list that I enjoy, be it multiple POV, multiple timezones, unreliable narrators, hidden secrets, and a satisfying twist.

I took a few stars off due to the pacing and the fact that despite all the formulaic elements a good thriller has, this title didn't captivate my attention as much as I would have liked. Overall this was a quick and fast read!

Thank you netgalley and bookouture for the advanced listening copy of this audiobook.

SYNOPSIS: Hannah is just days from taking a 9 month, post-divorce trip around the world, and she’s throwing a going away get together with her closest friends and family. In a fancy, private, rented house, Hannah’s group, consisting of mother, sisters, aunt and close friends, spend the evening celebrating Hannah’s travels. They’re in for a rude awakening the next morning, though, when one of them turns up dead. With separate motives and reasons for wanting the death hidden, they make the decision to cover it up. What ensues are days of lying, walking on egg shells and looking over their shoulders. Did the group make the right decision? And what REALLY happened to the dead girl?

⭐️ I LOVED the first 70% of this book. Each character presented with a different level of mystery and motive, making it completely impossible to put down this book. However, I thought the ending could have been stronger and packed a bit more of a punch. There were a number of twists throughout and I definitely did NOT predict the ending of the story, it just felt like there was a little something missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it. That being said, this fast-paced thriller will keep you guessing and desperate to find out what happens next. I suspected one character for almost the entirety of the book and ended up being completely shocked by the ending. I don’t always root for the main characters of thrillers, but in this case I truly wanted things to work out for Hannah. This one is worth the read and I’ll definitely be looking out for others by Kerry Wilkinson!

If you like audiobooks, this was a great one to listen to! I enjoyed both narrators and thought the my painted a really great picture of what was going on!

The Party at Number 12 by Kerry Wilkinson
Narrated by Tamsin Kennard, Andrew Kingston

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Hannah smiles at her guests. In this grand house rented specially for the evening, everyone admires the sparkling chandelier and raises a glass to say goodbye before Hannah moves away from this little town for good. But the next day, one of them lies cold and lifeless in their bed…

The day of her leaving party, Hannah Ford is nervous. With so many secrets and lies over the years between her friends, and arguments between her sisters, is it really a good idea to gather everyone together? But her mother insists that, after Hannah’s divorce and job struggles, she deserves a send-off to remember. So they all plaster on fake smiles and put aside their rifts for an evening of celebrations.

This is the first book I have read by Kerry and if this psychological thriller is anything to go by it won't be my last. What a great opening - eight women enter a house but only seven will leave alive. This is a fast-paced and enjoyable read that will leave you guessing what really happened on that night. Kerry has cleverly used alternating perspectives between Hannah and Zach as the reader is shown both sides of the investigation.

A well-written story with a few surprises and enough intrigue to hold your attention. I found myself at a loss as to who could be the murderer which is definitely the sign of good writing.

Rating 4/5

The Party at Number 12 by Kerry Wilkinson pulled me in from the blurb. I so enjoy psychological thrillers. The author wrote great imagery and had several unexpected twists. What was supposed to be a night of wine, dining, chatting, and games turned into something else. With one dead, who killed her. I really enjoyed the two narrators, Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston. Both brought a unique POV to the book. Thank you #NetGalley and #Bookouture Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook. I never saw the ending coming and was surprised! Kudos to the author for that great twist

This is the first book I have read by Kerry Wilkinson, and I would like to read more of his books in the future. This thriller starts off with Hannah, who has a leaving party in a big townhouse, with her family and friends invited. Trouble comes to the party and one member ends up dead. But whose fault is it? I loved all the twists and turns in the story, and the narrators of the audiobook did a great job keeping the suspense high throughout. Hannah ends up doing some detective work with Zac, and they both investigate what happened and try to solve the mystery. I found this book enjoyable and interesting.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Murder mystery at it best, a party for a family to say goodbye to one sibling who's going travelling. Good characters and good story which leave you guessing. The narrators does a good job I like the use of two narrators
I received this audiobook from Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for a review.

A very good written story. really captivating and with all the surprises you could ask for.
Till near the end I had absolutely no idea who could be responsible and why. witch is a very good thing when you're reading a mystery novel, it should stay mysterious! the characters where well developed and though I can't say I didn't have problems understanding some of their motives but at the end, it's one of those stories that after you've finished and closed it, you would sit back and say " yeah this does happen." I love it when a book actually does make sense. so all and all, though I can't say it's a perfect perfect mystery/thriller, It's a very very good one that I enjoyed so much.

Many thanks to NetGallery for providing my copy.

I was not familiar with this author, but I saw this book come up a lot on the online book groups, so I wanted to give it a try. I'm happy to say it lived up to the hype!

This book is a good old fashioned locked room mystery-- a woman dies at a goodbye party for a friend, and everyone there becomes a suspect.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. I happened to be driving across country when I got approved so I blew through it in a day. The initial chapter or two was a little bland, but then it jumped in and grabbed my attention and never let it go! The characters are great, the mystery is well told, and the ending is a surprise. What more could you ask for?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Bookouture Audio for gifting me both a digital and audiobook ARC of the latest thriller by Kerry Wilkinson - 4 stars!

After her divorce and inheriting some money, Hannah has decided to travel. Her family insists on throwing a small party before she leaves, so a house is rented and family and friends invited. Hannah is nervous because there are issues between most of the attendees but she's anxious for everyone to be friends again. But no matter her best intentions, one of those attending won't live through the night.

This is one of those books that I couldn't figure everything out until the very end - there were lots of twists and turns and lots of suspense. Everyone had secrets and motives and very questionable behavior! The book was wonderfully narrated by both Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for an honest review.
Synopsis
Hannah smiles at her guests. In this grand house rented specially for the evening, everyone admires the sparkling chandelier and raises a glass to say goodbye before Hannah moves away from this little town for good. But the next day, one of them lies cold and lifeless in their bed…

The day of her leaving party, Hannah Ford is nervous. With so many secrets and lies over the years between her friends, and arguments between her sisters, is it really a good idea to gather everyone together? But her mother insists that, after Hannah’s divorce and job struggles, she deserves a send-off to remember. So they all plaster on fake smiles and put aside their rifts for an evening of celebrations.

In the morning, one of the guests is found dead.

Hannah is desperate to tell the police. But every single guest has something to hide, or someone to protect. The group insists: they will deal with this themselves.

After all, it must have been an accident. Perhaps too much wine, on a night where emotions were running high.

But what if it wasn’t?

And what if this was just the first victim?

An absolutely unputdownable thriller that won’t let you sleep until you’ve reached the final page! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, The Hunting Party and Shari Lapena.

A brilliant mystery/thriller. 8 people attend a party but only 7 leave. Who is responsible for the death of the one who didn’t make it out alive. With an array of strange characters and creepy sorts, this is a novel that will not only keep you gripped but keep you guessing right to the very end. The writing and the narration are both brilliant.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #bookcouture #kerrywilkinson for the advance copy of the book for an honest review.
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Start of the story line till the end is not a typical kind of thriller friends who got get together . Every inch of the line has strike and will wonder you to ask why,when and how.
Narrator on the audiobook is wel fitted to the story too. Well done.
Super worth to read and amazing plot outcome.

Cons- only abit rush and not clarity of the ending but it ends with clean writing.

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❤️Shaye.reads

This was a great book! Although I really wanted the MC to be a little more ballsy about what she wanted for her life and stand up for herself more! The author did a great job making you hate the characters you were "supposed" to hate and giving you some twists and turns in the story. I did NOT see the murderer coming, I love being shocked in the end! This story shows how quickly things go tits up and how much we mess things up when we try to "cover" for someone. I will definitely pick up more books by this author.

#ThePartyatNumber12 #NetGalley

Hannah is ready for the next chapter in her life. Her relationship has ended, she’s taken a redundancy payout, she’s going to travel the world, but not before having one last night hurrah with her family and closest friends in a house rented specifically for the send off. What could possibly go wrong?

The next morning, Hannah is awoken and discovers that one of the guests is dead in their bed. What do Hannah and her guests do? Was it an accident? Or, could one of Hannah’s friends and/or family have done this?

The story unfolds from Hannah’s perspective and also from Zac’s - Catherine’s sort-of boyfriend. Zac has launched his own investigation into what happened, whilst Hannah is running down leads to ensure that no loose ends remain. I didn’t find it a massively engaging thriller and I think that if I’d been reading the book, I’d have given up on it midway. I didn’t really buy into or care about the jealousies and insecurities of Hannah’s friends. Also, the ending didn’t feel like a huge jaw dropping shock/twist. I think it was just an average thriller which is passable/enjoyable at the time, but you won’t remember it as being one of the best books that you’d have read by the end of the year. I have to say that I thought the narrators, Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston, were excellent and they kept me engaged with the audiobook.

Huge thanks to the publishers Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for making this audio-ARC available to me for a fair and honest review.

Name of Book: The Party at No. 12
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: March 11, 2022
My Rating: 4


The promo on this got my attention and I was expecting a fun read.

Hannah Ford’s grandmother recently died and left an inheritance to her three granddaughters.
Hannah is in the thirties and recently divorced. She recently moved back home to live with her mother and two younger sister.
Her sisters talk her into taking a trip around the world an also help plan a little “Leaving ~Get Together”.
A large beautiful party house was rented for the evening and seven guests were invited ~
o Hannah’s family her mother and two sisters Beth and Charlotte, and her aunt Dawn,
o Also childhood friends ~ Sophie and Catherine
o as well as Sophie’s Mother Janet.
The going away party is low key ~ eating, drinking and chit chat, however Hannah does want to play board games. Catherine was invited at the last minute and is excited about a fun party. In fact late in the evening she climbs on a cabinet and swings from the beautiful chandelier. ~ Really!
She falls and is injured with cuts and bruises but doesn’t want medical attention ~ states she is fine. The next morning she is found dead.

Hannah wants to call the police but is talked out of it; everyone appears to have a reason for being fearful if the police are called. They make the decision to just pretend it never happened and that Catherine never arrived. (Okay this seems like a bad idea but if they called the police, this story wouldn’t be nearly so entertaining.)

There is a flaw in pretending Catherine never attended the party as Catherine’s coworker Zach dropped her off at the party and is now wondering why he cannot reach her.

Story is told from the POV of Hannah and Zach; each telling the story from both sides of the investigation.

A typically psychological thriller with twists and turns; author, Wilkinson gives us just enough info to totally mislead us as to whodunit.
This was a nice surprise! Totally enjoyed it!
Narrators Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston both did a great job in performing the characters~ their beautiful British accents was a delightful addition and made the audiobook so enjoyable!

I am a big psychological thriller fan; however, I was not familiar with Kerry Wilkinson's novels. He is a UK writer and has had several ‘Best Selling Crime stories.
I am now looking forward to another of his stories ~ I have a new fav author!!


Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for March 11, 2022.

A slow burning mystery, a quick read/listen with a twist that you won’t see coming. The story is well executed and I enjoyed the closed room mystery. Was very creepy in parts and I loved the ending

3.75 stars

Good, fun story that contained most of the elements I look for in this type of thriller/mystery. The ending wasn’t a huge shock, but it also wasn’t so predictable as to be formulaic, and I enjoyed the lead-up to it. In some ways, it felt a bit like a classic mystery, so that was pleasantly nostalgic. I’ll probably try other books from this writer in the future.