The Block Party

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Block Party starts out on Memorial Day, the night of the annual summer party held on Alton Road. All we know is there has been a murder, but we don’t know who did it, or who is dead.

Then we go back 1 year, and see the lives of the residents of this block over the course of that time.

I found there to be more neighbourhood drama rather than thriller/mystery elements. I enjoyed it, but I definitely wasn’t nervous or even that curious who did it/who was dead. There were plenty of people who deserved to be!

It was interesting to have the story told in 2 POVs, a mother and teenage daughter. We go to see different parts of the story come together from different lenses - a teenager, Lettie, young but smart, and her mother Alex, who is helpful to her neighbours but also has a drinking problem.

There were a LOT of characters in this book, and it took me some time to figure out who was who, and how they were connected.
I did enjoy it, and was intrigued to keep reading!
I tandem read but mostly listened to the audiobook, which I thought was well done.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan audio for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The tea is piping hot on Alton Road … Cheating spouse, controlling husband, troubled teens, a drunk, suspicious death, & murder, Alton Road has it all!

The only reason this is considered a mystery is because we start with a present-day murder at the annual block party, then we go back a year earlier to work our way up to the killing. The beginning and end had the thrill factor but 80% of the book is a domestic drama focusing on a rich neighborhood of family & friends in which everyone has secrets.

Told from the dual POVs of (Mother) Alex & (Daughter) Lettie.
Alex’s POV was frustrating at times because she was a closet alcoholic that kept saying she would quit. Lettie’s POV felt very YA so it didn’t resonate with me, & the community chat logs sprinkled throughout added nothing to the story for me – it was more unrealated gossip.

There were times while reading that I felt like this was all just petty drama with no real substance. The suspense fell flat for me. I was never quite on the edge of my seat like I hoped I would be. I will be honest this one took a long time for me to get into. It gets more interesting towards the end but seemed to take a little too long to get there. I thought way too many aspects were glossed over or the opposite, they were small things that were made to be a huge deal.

The ending was a good wrap up and connected all the different storylines. There were some things that surprised me, but nothing really jaw dropping. I think if I had gone in under the impression it was a domestic drama not a thriller it would not have fell so flat for me. I kept waiting to be thrilled.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this advanced reader copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

It looks like lots of readers really liked and even loved THE BLOCK PARTY, but it didn't speak to me. After the first few pages I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to be reading. I will not be reviewing this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for letting me read this one early. This publishes tomorrow, July 18.

I didn't enjoy this book at all. I hated all the characters and honestly, it felt really pointless. If you like a hot mess and unlikable characters, then you should check this one out.

This novel is about a small high-end enclave neighborhood full of secrets and intrigue – one small neighborhood holds a lot of suspense and it all peaks at the annual block party. The novel starts out at the block party and all of a sudden there is a murder. The reader is then taken through the prior year by multiple narrators (although mainly Alex and her daughter Lettie) for the many perspectives to learn what led to the crime (or crimes, we just don’t know).

The Block Party is supposed to be a thriller/suspense – I saw it more as a tongue-in-cheek thriller, that being said – for what it was it should have read faster than it did. The story and writing didn’t seem to be congruent in that it should have been a fast-moving story and for some reason it was a just a slower read than I expected. I enjoyed the story but it did feel like it could have been a tighter book and I would have enjoyed it more.

This was a 3.5 star read for me

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review

You have been invited to a block party, one of which you won't believe!!

Told from a couple pov's, the residents, Altonites, are under suspicion of murder, but is it one or two?? And which one could be the killer? Everyone has secrets, motives, and you will enjoy trying to figure it out!! Nice palette cleanser, as there is little sex and cussing, but a well told story that will keep you hooked!

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an arc copy of this book. This was my first time reading this author. This book was a good read for the summer since it begins on Memorial Day. This book was a twisty mystery I found the beginning good but, the middle mediocre and the ending was good. I am glad that I kept reading this book in order to see the ending.

Loved it!! I would give the book 4.5 stars. From the start I couldn't put it down, I had to know who was killed and why!! I mean there were so many people to choose from and most of them were likely targets to get killed or at least punched in the face. I'm pretty sure you you had to have some type of issue, harboring terrible secrets or be creepy to live on Alton Road. For such a nice/upscale neighborhood, these people had serious problems. The Fox family was the most "normal." I can see why Alex drank so much having to deal with the problems of all her neighbors(stalking, drugs, abuse and so much more). I was definitely surprised when the truth about everything was finally revealed. Things are not always what they appear to be. What was really happening with Mandy and Samir was probably the biggest shock. I thought something else was going on. I had a suspicion about Riley's older man. Revenge was the perfect topic for Lettie's psychology paper. Pretty much the whole book was about revenge. Loved the ending. This was one crazy neighborhood with an even crazier Memorial Day block party.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller, that kept me guessing until the end. There were so many twists and turns. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jamie Day's wicked knock-out debut, THE BLOCK PARTY, is full of secrets and scandal, a mix of Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies in this witty, impressive, addictive domestic suspense whodunit thriller!

A FIRECRACKER!

The book starts with a lively summer Memorial Day block party with neighbors of Alton Road in this exclusive upscale cul-de-sac neighborhood. Initially, we meet Alex, Nick, her husband, and the creepy bug man, Gus.

The party ends in MURDER.

Told from POVs:
Alex, the mediator, loves her wine!
Lettie, the rebellious, environmentalist brilliant misfit daughter (a pistol).

Alex has too much to drink at the party and ends up in the pool, and her husband sends her home. What happened at the block party after she left? MURDER.

From one year ago, leading up to the block party. Epilogue a year later.

We meet the following families:
~The Foxes (Alex, Nick) and daughter, Lettie (17), who has been suspended from school.

~The Adairs with two sons. Ken and wife, Emily (Alex's sister)

~The Thompsons: Willow & Evan (getting a divorce) and (Riley 17)

~The Kumars (new neighbors) Mandy & Samir (psychiatrists) son Jay (20 yr. old dropout). He husband is very controlling.

~Widow, Brooke Bailey (beautiful, lives alone after yachting accident death of hubby).

There is tension between the adults and the teens. The kids are graduating from high school and thinking of college and more. Lettie thinks Riley is the reason for her suspension and teams up with Jay to find out what he is hiding.

Do we ever honestly know anybody as well as we think we do?

A SUMMER SIZZLER!

From secrets, lies, neighborhood politics, revenge, deceit, manipulation, gossip, scandal, and murder, THE BLOCK PARTY has it all. It could have been a series with a cast of well-developed characters, humor, and twisty suspense who and whydunit. I loved Lettie!

AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook was highly entertaining, narrated by (fav) Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson for an engaging, fun performance.

The bug man reminded me of Linwood Barclay's Take Your Breath Away. I look forward to reading more from this debut talented author, Jamie Day! An author to watch.

Thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an ARC and #MacmillanAudio for an ALC in exchange for an honest review. #SMPInfluencers

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 18, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books

The Block Party tackles one of those upper class neighborhoods where everyone has problems. (Privileged problems but that's part of the story.) The novel starts at the block’s Memorial Day party. By the end of the night, someone has been murdered. The reader is kept in the dark about both victim and murderer. The book bounces between the present day and the past year; and between Alex and her daughter, Lettie. There’s a plethora of characters, each filling a slot. Drunk? Check. Cheating spouse? Check. Controlling husband? Check. Troubled teenager? Check. Angry young man? Double check. Widow whose husband died under suspicious circumstances? Check. This will appeal to those that like reality shows with over the top, somewhat cliched characters. These people are so up in each other’s business, it was crazy. Even the Community Page posts are pure gossip, but read like a completely believable (and relatable) neighborhood FB page. You'll be surprised, as the story unfolds, to discover all the ways these characters are tied up together. And who the victim(s) is/are.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

Reminds me a bit of Big Little Lies but, I wasn't a huge fan of some of the main characters. I couldn't connect with them and I was really annoyed with most of them. There was also so so many characters and mini story lines I couldn't keep track.

This book reads like a streaming mini-series. On a cul-de-sac with five houses there are more backstories involving lies, deception and possible murder, leading up to a climactic annual Memorial Day Block Party. It is a fun read and easy to fly through, and the characters are interesting. We learn early that there's been a murder, but don't know until the end who is the victim, much less the culprit, and just about any permutation could have been possible as their stories are revealed.
It's not deep and sometimes confusing, but it's quick, fun, and includes a couple of laughs and makes for a great summer read.

A juicy, immersive story focusing on one family and their neighbors on an exclusive, wealthy suburban street. Small problems snowball into big ones, and there are plenty of reminders that money can't fix all problems. It can be a little slow at points, but the characters are interesting and there are enough bombshells to break up the story. And the neighborhood social media posts included are entertainingly spot on.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this novel, but felt it was a bit predictable, especially in this market. The plot is similar to a lot of other mystery thriller books and the characters were overdone, especially the teenage daughter. Her voice seemed forced, as if someone from an older generation placed all of the Gen Z stereotypes into one character and forgot they were once a teenager as well.

TALK ABOUT A PARTY TO DIE FOR...

This book jumps between two years. It is narrated by two characters, a mother and her high school senior daughter. I can't say I enjoyed either character very much.
I was immediately captivated. Unfortunately, the pace of the book was a little slow for my liking. There are several characters to keep track of (not something I normally enjoy). I have rated this book 3/5. There are many who have really enjoyed this book. I would encourage you to see if it's something you would enjoy. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Thank you to the Publisher and NetGallery for the ARC of this book.

I want to live on Alton Road! The Block Party is a super summer read with characters you will love to love and some you will love to hate. I can’t wait for more from Jamie Day.

If you love a good neighborhood drama, then welcome to Alton Road! For me personally the story starts off slow but when the first twist is revealed be prepared for a rollercoaster ride that rival Space Mountain. With a contrasting timeline between Mother and daughter will see both sides of events leading up one explosive and page turning climax. This is a stellar debut novel, and one you will not want to put down.

The Block Party is the perfect summer read! This debut thriller by Jamie Day was full of both likable and not so likable characters. I couldn’t put it down and really enjoyed it!

The residents of Alton Road live on the very best street in their town. Each year, they celebrate Memorial Day together with a block party. But this year, things take a dramatic turn when the police flock up with their lights blazing. What could have happened?

I did enjoy this one. It definitely kept me guessing about what happened and who was to blame.

It's time for the annual exclusive block party of the residents of Alton Road. Unfortunately the past year has held a ton of drama for many of these neighbours, and tensions are high. The night will end with murder.. But who is involved? And why?

I'm not sure if I've just read too many new books this year with a similar storyline, but this one didn't really work for me. I felt it was slow moving and I was skimming through everyone's stories just to get to the end and find out, though when I got there, I didn't really care. On the plus side, I liked the characters well enough, and there were some nice twists thrown in.

I think fans of this year's The Whispers and A Death at the Party will enjoy this one.

2.5/5⭐