I absolutely love psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. I had really thought that I had figured out who the killer was but boy was I wrong. When the killer was revealed I had to put down my kindle and compose myself. I liked how the author followed the main character as she worked through all the problems that stemmed from the beach party, even though it definitely complicated matters. I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thank you NetGalley and bookouture for this ARC.

The Beach Party by Amy Sheppard

Published: August 30, 2022
Bookouture
Pages: 301
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Amy Sheppard is a busy mum of two boys living in Cornwall. Her obsession with making budget-friendly family dinners led her writing two cookbooks. Amy creates recipes for her followers and brands @amysheppardfood
Her debut novel is out in August 2022. A psychological thriller set in Cornwall called 'The Beach Party.'

“I feel nothing but dread.”

Katie has spent her life on the edge of excitement. She has always been alright I’m with not being in the thick of things. When her influencer best friend decided they would start a true crime podcast, Katie went along with it even though she wasn’t interested in creating a podcast. When the pair get an opportunity to investigate an unsolved cold case, Katie is shocked when Sophie announces she’s chosen a case from Katie’s hometown. Katie has reservations but, like always, goes along with the plan. As they get closer to the truth, Katie starts remembering more about that night.

Welp, the twist in this one made my jaw hit the floor. I fought. I had figured it out, and I was reading along, ready to be right. Plot. Twist. Not only was I wrong, but I also wasn’t even in the realm of close.

I loved the setting for this story. Pengully was beautifully described, and I could almost feel the sea breeze and hear the seagulls. The vividness of the scenery was brought to life in such a way that the town was a character.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel. They were all so well defined, and each had distinctive personalities. I love Katie. She was someone I could identify with in a lot of ways. Sophie was confident and bold. Tom was sturdy and kind.

Each character was presented in a way that gave you just a glimpse of who they were and just enough space to think everyone had a motive.

For a debut novel to be so well done and have such a deliciously concealed twist is fantastic. Amy Sheppard is a gifted storyteller, and she creates dynamic characters and has a beautiful ability to bring her scenery to life. I look forward to reading more of her thrillers in the future.

The twist in this one will slap you in the face. You won’t see it coming. I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know! Everything about the story was beautifully done. The pacing was perfect, the way the story was told worked so well, and the pop culture relevance was spot on.

🔹 My take: 3/5

🔸Sophie & Katie are good friends and along with their daily jobs they also host a true crime podcast ‘Small Town’. They pick up low profile unsolved murders, navigate through details with their contacts, relay the data to their listeners and try to solve the case / reach to some conclusion. Sophie wants to pick up murder of Lacey Crew who died one night on a beach party at Pengully, Cornwall under strange circumstances. Twist is Katie is from Pengully, knew Lacey and was on the beach the night the murder happened. Katie knows getting into this case would dig out long lost secrets, relationship dynamics of the friends would be revealed and she will have to face lots of her past demons. For Sophie’s sake, she gives in and at the end truth emerges which she never thought of in her wildest dreams.

💓 I was hooked to the story from chapter 4 itself and kept on guessing who the killer could be.
💓 It was kind of slow burn and the tension kept on building until the very end where revelation was done.
💓 I love the podcast concept and it’s very exciting (similar to AGGGTM trilogy).
💓 Small chapters always make a lot of difference to story and were well planned. The intrigue factor keeps readers on toes.

💔 There are a few reasons why this did not make a 4/5 star read:
⚡️ The characters were not well developed like lot of focus in the story was on things rather than people.
⚡️ Too much exposure on drinking - like every third/ fourth page there is mention of drinking beer/ champagne / wine- seems water did not exist at all (except the beach 🙈).
⚡️The grammar and sentence formation was a bit amateurish and a better job could have done wonders I think.
⚡️Some facts were difficult to digest - like people not talking to police during interrogation and now opening up to strangers for podcast after so many years seemed weird.

💫 But I still would say great debut attempt and Amy does have flair of presenting a story. The town side - Pengully has been beautifully portrayed and passion of the author is visible. I would definitely recommend this book to newbies or readers who have just started thriller and mystery genre as this book has got a nice plot, ‘what next’ and whodunnit?? aspect.

Thank you @netgalley @bookouture @amysheppardfood for gifting the eARC in exchange of honest review.

This was a quick read but not as enjoyable as I had hoped. The synopsis did not match entirely with the plot of this book. The true crime podcast was the reason for this book and yet not mentioned in the synopsis.
Unfortunately for this book I had just read three books almost back to back that were podcast style right before starting this one. Which is honestly the reason it took me some time to get into this book. I think I may just have read this book at the wrong time.

If you're looking for a quick whodunit mystery, this is the book for you.
If you enjoy true crime podcast, open this book up!
The setting was perfect and I could picture myself in that part of the story.

Thank you NetGallery for this eARC.

What I liked about this book was that the two main characters had a true crime podcast that covering lesser-known small town murders. , an that it showed how much goes in to doing one , Other thing I liked was how it showed the inter action of the characters and while I wanted to feel sorry for the girl that got murder , the more I read the more I started to dislike her, plus there was a lot of reason as to why someone would want her dead , in fact there seemed to be a lot of reasons, secrets as well . The story itself had interesting plot twists through out it and I do say that even though the story does have a bit of a slow start to build on the history of the murder it actually helps bring it more to live .

Unfortunately, this book was poorly marketed. I felt like the book was more of a mystery than a psychological thriller. I didn’t find it very suspenseful or thrilling. I think it would have been more thrilling if it had been happening during the actual beach party. It felt like a knock off of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.” I will agree that the twist was somewhat shocking. I was very close to guessing the twist but I didn’t guess it! Books are subjective so what didn’t work for me may work for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an e-Arc to review!

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book! Loved this book! I was definitely surprised at the end. Every person I guessed, was never it. I love books that keep you guessing until the very end.

I think if I was listening to their podcast I would’ve been totally engrossed. However it took quite a while for me to get engrossed in the book.
I don’t think Katie and sophie had the best of friends relationship that was trying to be portrayed, Katie came across as quite jealous of Sophie and a bit needy.
I have to say tho once I got into the book I really needed to know exactly who had killed Lacey and the culprit was quite a surprise.
It also might’ve been nice to have found out why Lacey was so nasty to Katie in the first place, if there was any hidden agenda there or she was simply just a b*tch and Katie the unlucky target.
An ok read that gets you invested in the outcome.

The book reads fast and it is an easy read if one doesn't want to think about it too much. It has all the right twists to make it interesting and committed to finish. As a debut by the author to the fiction is not bad and I would recommend to read it if one needs a quick mystery and without high expectations.

But if a reader expects a lot from the book, you might be sincerely disappointed. The below things that bothered me:
- The advertisement on Amazon, etc. builds very high expectation that will only lead to a lot of buyers remorse. This book is best to be read and enjoyed with no expectations at all.
- Imagine reading a book where the main heroine thinks herself as a very high moral person and constantly acts and looks down on others and the whole book is written through her tinted glasses. However, she rarely seems to reflect on her own poor choices or behaviors so it comes so hypocritical and judgmental. I really wish that the author described events and people as they were and let the readers come to their own conclusions.
- The development of characters is either black or white (and usually through the eyes of Katie).
- The emotions or reactions of characters seem to be disconnected from a situation or reason. For example, a character displays a disgust when it should be shock. Anger where it is not very warranted. There was too much tell and little show.
- Poor grammar. I have noticed this in many recent British books and I though it comes from characters being uneducated or using some modern British slang. "Me and Sophie are going to the pub". "Me and Tom cannot keep eyes from each other". Would you ever say "Me is going to the pub"? It was very painful to read.
- The constant excessive drinking... it seems that one cannot find a British book where the characters do not get sloshed every night. In this book, Katie and Sophie drink when they are off work and they are at work. The only thing that seems these girls to make happy is to be at the pub or down a bottle of wine. Very sad.
- Did you notice that not a single time Katie shopped for groceries, cooked or ordered food for herself or others? I wouldn't have noticed if not Sophie's constantly cooking. It makes Katie come across as very spoiled, especially as we are pointed out several times how wealthy her step-father was and how large is their mansion.
- Sophie also seems to be doing everything for the podcast. What exactly Katie is contributing besides her voice?
- Extra details or mundane things that added nothing to the story. For example, it is hinted that the business of Katie's step-father seems to be on the verge of bankruptcy but then it is never cleared up.
- The incident between Tom and Katie never had a proper closure or clear up. Did he have hots for her then, why didn't he pursue her, etc.?
- The ending was very abrupt as the author wanted just to get over with the book. It was not very believable and the reason for killing or a lack of remorse thereafter came from nowhere.

I really hope that the second book by Amy Sheppard that I heard is in the works shows some improvement because to me the author seems to have potential for mysteries.

Thanks to Netgally for a free copy in exchange of an honest review.

Sophie and Katie are friends who host a true crime podcast covering lesser-known small town murders. Katie has personal experience with a murder that occurred in her hometown 5 years ago, in fact, she was there the night that Lacey was killed.
The Beach Party combines a murder mystery with a little coming of age and realizing that everything is not as it seems.

I enjoyed reading this book and watching Katie's character development. There were some interesting plot twists and even though I was sure I knew who the killer was, I guessed wrong and was pretty shocked when it was revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Katie and Sophie have an unsolved murder podcast so this story is told in a conversational way which I thought was a very unique way of telling the story. It was a bit of a slow start to build on the history and recapping of a murder 5 years ago. Another totally unique thing, Katie was at the party the night of the murder!
Katie is struggling to fully recall all the events of the night and even wonders if she did it. As she's recording the podcast and interviewing other witnesses her memories of the night start returning in bits and pieces, and the puzzle pieces so to speak are falling into place. I never saw the twisty reveal coming until seconds before the killer was made known and it was very unexpected. As I said the first half was on the slow side, but once the story really got going I could not put the book down and I devoured it. The descriptions of Pengelly are incredible and very visual and it sounds incredibly idyllic, I love a small town vibe. This was a very well written debut fiction novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next!

I loved this and had to really resist going to the end to find out who did it! A story that weaves intrigue all the way through it and can you really know your friends and family

This was a great read. The plot is full of suspense and fear. The story is told in a unique way. Combining the present and the past. The atmosphere was brought to life. The ending was a jaw dropping explosion of shock.
Wonderful characters in a location brought to life with an amazingly told story. A rollercoaster of emotion till the bitter end. My heart was both racing and aching throughout this book. Fraught with every emotion from terror to sadness.

This debut psychological thriller is set on the beach in Cornwall where teenagers are partying on a hot summer evening. Alcohol, secrets and lies are all plentiful and at the end of the evening…one of them is dead. Sheppard takes readers on a dark journey to discover who murdered 17-year-old Lacey Crew.

This author has lots of potential. I loved the premise of this book and just know that once the author hones her skills in character development and keeping the story trimmed, there’ll be no stopping her! Less is more.

I enjoyed the book despite hating true crime podcasts and feel like I’ve been to Pengully. The author’s love of this seaside town shines through her work. I wish Amy Sheppard well in the new direction her writing is taking her.

I was gifted this advance copy by Amy Sheppard, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I absolutely love true crime podcasts, so what could possibly be better than a book centered around a podcast? This book had me captivated from the beginning, the story of Lacey had many twists and turns and had me reading well into my night.

Katie the main character was well developed and easy to follow her journey. I do wish her tension with Tom was developed a bit more, that part of the story had me wanting more.

For once this summer I can honestly say I was shocked by the ending. There were so many twists and turns about who killed Lacey, but I was not expecting that.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it. At times the writing did seem choppy but I really enjoyed it. I give this book 4.5 stars. Thank you net galley and publisher for the advanced read.

As the smoke from the bonfire spirals into the night sky and the cool drinks slip down our throats, none of us can take our eyes off Lacey. She dances in the dunes, her long golden hair damp from her late-night swim, her smile dazzling, her blue eyes closed. Everyone who is close to Lacey sits by the smoky fire. Her adoring boyfriend, holds onto her, perhaps a little too tightly. Her little sister, always in Lacey’s shadow, sifting fine soft sand through her fingers, never taking her eyes off Lacey. And me. Sad and full of rage, after an argument forced the man I love to leave the party early. When the fire burns out, we stumble away from the beach, along the cliff path – faces burned by the wind, hearts full of secrets. But Lacey never makes it home. The following morning, her body is found in the sand dunes, a heart-shaped locket missing from around her neck.

This book has many twists and turns that keep you guessing from the start. The characters were very well developed and the descriptions helped you feel like you were right there. There are many twists and turns in the story that leads to an unexpected and shocking finale. It had me riveted from page one. The pacing was perfect and the narrative intriguing, making it near impossible to put down.

Good debut novel from Amy Sheppard! Sophie and Katie have a podcast that revolves around unsolved crimes. They are working on a case that happened a couple years prior to these best friends meeting in Katie's hometown. The way the story goes from past to present and back again really keeps you hooked! All the feelings come back for Katie when they start looking into the murder of Lacey.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my review!

The Beach Party is one of several books that I've already read this year that uses a true crime podcast as a means for telling the story, and I've enjoyed all of them. Amy Sheppard does a nice job integrating the podcast into the story. Katie and her friend Sophie decide to focus their new podcast series on the murder of Lacey Crew. Lacey was murdered in Katie's hometown five years prior at a beach party that Katie happened to also be attending. The investigation in the small town of Pengully unearths plenty of secrets, especially among the group of friends that were on the beach that night.

The book is decently paced with plenty of twists and reveals. I had not predicted the ending, which I found refreshing, as I've been able to predict the "big reveals" of a lot of thrillers so far this year. The main character, Katie, is not overly likable; however, I don't think she's supposed to be. I found it hard relating to her at multiple points throughout the book. The author does a great job setting the scene and describing the seaside town of Pengully. Overall, it's a four-star read.

I did enjoy this book. It had a great plot. Played out very well . Definitely a book to get lost in. Good characters that fit well with the book

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read and review this eARC!

RATING: 2.5⭐ rounded up
TRIGGER WARNINGS: murder, rape, suicide
There are NO spoilers in this review.

I'm going to start off with what I liked about this book: The pacing was really good! It felt like there was something new, a new twist in every chapter so it made reading this book really enjoyable. It felt like you HAD to read what happens next, and while there were a lot of twists, they all served a purpose. I didn't anticipate the ending, but I thought it was pretty satisfying to see how it all played out, though the author really did leave it up until the last second. I love the fact that a podcast was included in the book, just because it's such an interesting concept to make the plotline more accessible to the readers.

Now, for the things I didn't like about this book: The writing seemed a little disconnected to me. When it comes to the writing style, I don't really think it's my cup of tea because the sentences are written in a way that made me think of a robot? There were way too many periods in that book. Additionally, I felt like there were one too many characters in the book and it was hard to remember who was who sometimes, just because it sometimes felt like the supporting characters were nothing more than tropes.

Overall, I did like this book, it definitely made an impression and would possibly rec it to people who like this genre!