Murder mysteries have a grip on me akin to trashy teen tv series (never said I was proud of it). Bonus points when they involve wealthy and dysfunctional families, summer parties, and flashbacks alternating with a present day storyline.

Something that can grab my attention so easily and provide easy entertainment is too good to ignore, and The Summer Party fills all of the above categories - not to mention the Austrialian setting is a fun change of scenery compared to my usual reads. I really enjoyed how the story is set around Lucy, both in terms of what she might have witnessed as a drunk teenager twenty years ago, and of how she is now forced to reassess her fascination-slash-obsession for the wealthy neighbours. Seeing the character slowly mature and shed her teenage naivity as the book progresses was one of the highlights of the story for me, and what kept me reading when the plot occasionally got a bit slow or redundant.

I wasn't crazy about Heath's writing of the key male characters, which often read like easy, romance stereotypes which is just not my preference style/genre-wise. But I appreciated the final plot twists that kept me on my toes and avoided a predictable resolution (to avoid going into spoilers). All in all The Summer Party is a compelling read with a good pace and well woven plot that kept me glued to the book; if you enjoy the likes of Liane Moriarty this should be right up your alley.

With thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy, this was a fun read!

Very Liane Moriarty, as the marketing copy says. Suspects abound and it felt as if a name was picked out of a hat to make the ending. That isn't a bad thing - sometimes it's fun to read about a bunch of people you're not rooting for.

Despite there being present-day danger, this was more of a mystery than a thriller. If you're tired of psychological horror, it's a nice change of pace.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. As someone who doesn’t veer too much away from the regular authors I read I was a bit dubious to if I would like this, but…… I LOVED IT and have found a new author to add to my select few! The story is set in present time with flashbacks to 19 years prior and slowly unravels the plot line centred around deep family roots and problems. Book finishes with a fantastic ending and I would recommend to everyone to read.

The Summer Party - Rebecca Heath

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I do love a good mystery - especially anything based close to home. This novel is set in Western Australia and flips between the present and what happened during one summer 20 years ago.

From the first page we are straight into the plot, no stuffing around which I love in a mystery/thriller novel. I found the characters and location so easy to imagine - I feel like I could see the landscape and the glamorous home as clear as day. In fact, this would make an incredible TV series!

I sped through this book in a matter of hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only small negative for me is I did find the storyline of - woman going back to small isolated town from her childhood to face her past - kind of cliche. However I’m happy to put that aside after finishing the book considering I couldn’t put it down.

If you enjoyed Grown Ups by Marian Keyes, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng or anything Paula Hawkins I think you would also really enjoy this book.

The Summer Party is Rebecca Heath’s debut adult novel and I will definitely be keeping an eye on her future releases.

Okay, I have to admit that I definitely was not expecting to like this book nearly as much as I did! Holy crap! Loved it!

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me access to this ARC..

This was a perfect summer thriller - I could almost feel the glitz and glam. I felt that the pacing for this was well done and I enjoyed the characters. This will keep you on the edge of your seat as trouble unfolds!

What a ride!
Rebecca Heath's debut novel is a thriller set in Australia. It's 2019 and Lucy has returned home to clean out her grandmother's home. Her beloved grandmother had raised her singlehandedly supporting them as the hired help in the nearby mansion. While organizing her grandmother's things, Lucy finds a strange object that pulls her back to the mansion with it's wealthy inhabitants and secrets and lies.

When a body is found in the area, all eyes are on the mansion. Does Lucy hold the missing piece to the story? This is a great first book, I loved it all. If you like family secrets, hometown girls returning, or just are ready for a new thriller by a debut write, The Summer Party is for you!
#Aria&Aries #headofzeus #TheSummerParty. #RebeccaHeath

Thanks to Aria and Aries and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Summer Party by Rebecca Heath which i loved. Characters i loved and a couple i enjoyed disliking. A terrific story written in a voice i found appealing. Extra points for such a killer ending.

I'm a sucker for families with deep-rooted secrets and atmospheric settings. The Summer Party promised all of that, but it just didn't click with me. I didn't connect with the protagonist, and the writing just didn't keep me hooked. Since I loved the premise, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the author's future books to see if they're a better fit.