The neighbors on Alton Road have a yearly block party on Memorial Day Weekend, and this year, someone is dead. Through flashbacks of the previous year, readers learn what lead up to the events of the block party and who is dead. The main characters are Alex, a divorce mediator who loves her wine a little too much, and her daughter Lettie, a high school senior seeking revenge on her former best friend who ratted out her out as the vandal who protested the dress code. The chapters alternate perspectives between the two, and readers get to see their relationships with all of the neighbors including some newcomers and their college- aged son, Alex’s sister and her family, Lettie’s best friend and her parents, and a sexy widow with an Only Fans account. This tale of neighborly gossip, betrayal, and revenge will keep readers guessing until the very end. Who is dead, and which neighbors have motive to kill?

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When the book started, I really thought I was going to end up hating all the characters but that changed quickly. The main characters were well developed and layered enough to find them likable despite their flaws. I loved the way the story was broken up by season with snippets from the online forum. There was just enough mystery to keep me guessing until the end. Solid summer read!

I contemplated not finishing this one and probably would have if I was not obligated to review it. I thought there were too many characters and storylines that I did not care about. This pulled focus from the main “murder at the block party” plot line and made the whole thing move way too slowly. One of the main characters we follow is a teenager, and I did not enjoy her perspective or voice. I was not a fan of the author’s writing style and thought they made use of way too many idioms. For 90% of the book, I didn’t even care who was dead, I just wanted it to be over. But things pick up at the end and I must say I did not predict one of the big twists. If you are looking for a gripping thriller that you can’t put down, unfortunately, this isn’t it.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for a complimentary copy of this novel! The book’s title, The Block Party, refers to the annual Memorial Day block party that neighbors on Alton Lane hold every year. But this one year, it literally goes out with a bang!!! A murder takes place! I felt that the entire story was a slow build to the final showdown. Seemed to move really slow at some points. The timeline alternates between last year’s Memorial Day Party and the Present. We are introduced to numerous characters, some crazier, nosier and deadlier than others. Everyone on Alton Lane has secrets. The question is, “Which one is the deadliest?” While this novel was a slow build, I kept wanting to read it till the end to find out what the mystery of the murder was and who the victims was. 3.5 stars round up to 4.
Available July 18, 2023

The Block Party is an entire cul-de-sac filled with domestic suspense. A group of affluent neighbors gets together annually for a BBQ/party that turns out to be the denouement revealing what actually has been going on behind closed doors. Spanning over a year, the disintegration of the families is apparent and the next party will be a real killer.
Author Jamie Day reaches further than the mystery, as she attempts to weave in sister-hood both by birth and proximity, #metoo, substances abuse, and suicide. At times it feels a bit much but ultimately it all plays into the who and why when all is revealed.
In a fun twist, some short chapters are dedicated to an online platform similar to Nextdoor. Neighbors adjacent to Alton Road but not really a part of the in-group, chat about the goings on at the party. The variety of participants in the chat brings some humor as there always is the chat police person, the individual that can't stay on topic, and the one that offers prayers and good thoughts. These portions were my favorite.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early e-copy. All opinions are my own.

The Block Party by Jamie Day is a great novel that I really enjoyed.

The story is a domestic suspense novel about a murder during the Memorial Day block party on Alton Lane.

There were so many characters, SO many, but only two narrators.

There was a lot of suspense that I really enjoyed.

And so much drama, which felt like Desperate Housewives, in the best possible way.

I really enjoyed this book, was so well written with great twists.

A thrilling story with great twists. It kept me engrossed and entertained.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

4.5/5⭐️

Two perspectives (mother and her teenaged daughter), an elite, wealthy cul-de-sac, and a year-long view (from one Memorial Day Block Party to the next) of the secrets and facades around the question, “How well do we really know our neighbors?”, and who might be capable of murder?

This one is a wild ride, folks. With a cast of roughly a dozen (yes, that’s a lot, but I had no trouble with who’s who), this is a suspenseful, twisty, page-turner that reminded me a little of the tv show “Desperate Housewives”. If you’re looking for a well-written, engaging Peyton Place of a book, this one should fit the bill. Oh, and the newsletter commentary from the neighbors living NEAR the cul-de-sac…hilarious.

Recommended.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing the free early ARC of The Block Party for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

It’s the night of the Alton Road annual Memorial Day block party and something is going down, but it’s not clear what. It could be an altercation between just about anyone on the block. After all, everyone on the block has secrets. The parents have them. The high schoolers have them. Again, everyone has them. So, what is happening at the block party? Whatever it is must be juicy, but you won’t find out until the very end.

Jamie Day takes us through a year in the lives of the families on Alton Road. The book alternates between two points of view. First, we have Alex, a mom and divorce mediator, living on Alton Road. Then, we have Alex’s daughter, Lettie, a high schooler. Throughout the year they both discover many juicy secrets about those living among them on Alton Road. At the end of the book, the juiciest secret of them all comes out and you will be shocked to your core. Clear your schedule because you won’t be able to tear yourself away from the drama and juicy secrets here.

Secrets abound in this story set in suburbia. It starts off with the annual block party and it starts with a bang. Then we are taken back through the year leading up to the party. The saying that no one knows what goes on behind closed doors is so true with this book. The book is an engaging and an impulsive read. I was shocked more than once! I think you will love it!

I was pretty riveted with this one for a large part of the story; however, I think it started to kind of drag at some point. Idk if it’s because the book spans a full year through each season or because a lot of what happens kept getting rehashed. And then the end was slightly a letdown because it was so full of monologues. Like, I can put pieces together on my own and don’t need everyone to spell out what they did and why?? Biggest pet peeve with with thrillers.

I did like most of the characters, and everyone’s backstories/drama was so complicated. Maybe with different pacing or a twist revealed earlier would have helped? Also, for an adult book, this one sure mentioned Harry Potter a lot, which automatically knocks off a star for me because Joanne Rowling is a hateful TERF.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The Block Party by Jamie Day is a good mystery story that kept me guessing. The character development was well done and allowed me to identify with them and be able to empathize with their situations. Alex, a once divorce lawyer turned mediator lives in an upper middle class neighbourhood with her family. The stress of work, family life and neighbourhood drama cause her to develop a unhealthy habit which eventually causes more harm than good. Lettie, her daughter, also seems to be very withdrawn and disconnected from her parents, causing her to develop an unhealthy relationship with the new neighbour. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the author presented the different connections between the neighbours which helped me better understand the final events that led to the ultimate block party event. Overall, I would recommend it to friends.

The Block Party was a wild ride. I loved the chapters with chats from the neighbors; it made me cackle because that's how people are in real life. This is about an entire year which is hard to do and still keep the plot moving, and I thought the author kept the story moving and things engaging. My only con is that I found Lettie annoying.

The Block Party by Jamie Day is a really fun and quick read. I found the plot to be very intriguing but kind of fell off with the characters. I liked Alex's perspective a lot, but I found Lettie to be super annoying and felt myself skimming her chapters. In terms of the plot, I think it was well paced, and well put together. I liked the aspect of the community chat tying into chapters, as I thought it was a nice way to foreshadow what was happening in the present day.

also, in lieu of the new Barbie movie coming out, she’s everything - he’s just ken.

There’s an exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road that has an annual block party every summer. This summer there’s a murder, but the details go back one year earlier.

I liked the start of this one and I enjoyed the characters and all their differences. The pacing was not steady for me. It slows down a lot until about 70% in when it suddenly gets crazy; drama, after drama, after drama. It was a little too much for me and I felt like my head was spinning. This wasn’t for me but may be a good summer read for someone looking for some juicy gossip and neighborhood drama.

“I’m just saying there’s always something going wrong on Alton Road and we pay for it like it or not, that’s a fact.”

The Block Party comes out 7/18

I love books about wealthy neighborhoods and all of the drama! Great mystery that keeps you guessing until the end! There were a lot of characters to keep track of but it was well worth it. Highly recommend!

3.5 stars!

What an awesome cover! A great read for those summer, pool days. This was a mix of real housewives + a mystery which I enjoyed. Lots of plot lines and characters to keep track of. Most of the characters felt undeveloped and thrown in there for the sake of it. The beginning really loops you in but then half way through I found myself thinking, “okay? What’s next.” I lost interest.

I did enjoy the aspect of lots of drama!!! I enjoyed piecing some things together. Most of your known mystery tropes are thrown in. Overall, I enjoyed the twists and the author kept it mysterious all the way till the end.

As the residents of tony Alton Rd. hold their annual Memorial Day block party, sirens are heard racing to the area and the town’s Facebook chat hints that there has been a murder. The novel then goes back a year in time, introducing the neighbors and their personal, marital, and other difficulties. It seems just about any domestic problem you can think of probably lives on Alton Rd.



The novel starts out with a breezy style of writing, stereotypical of Desperate Housewives or other evening soaps. The plot thickens as the neighborhood goings on are told and secrets revealed from two POVs, mother Alex and daughter Lettie. Alex’s POV is in third person; Lettie’s in first.



Although it was fast reading, this novel by a debut author is a bit long. I couldn’t put it down, though, as it was fun imagining the reasons for every one of the characters to have been the victim or the killer! I particularly enjoyed the online Meadowbrook Community Page posts, with all the snarky and sometimes inane entries. We have something similar in my town and it really reminded of some of the exchanges I see there.



For those who need trigger warnings, there are many of them here; if you are overly sensitive or not a fan of Big Little Lies genre, this book may not be for you. But, if you enjoy a sordid confection for your summer read, check this one out.

I’ve been trying to think of the best way to write this review because I absolutely loved this book! Go read it for yourself and enjoy the twisted ride it takes you on.

Block Party was an entertaining neighborhood drama focused on five households on the same block and all the secrets and gossip that take place there. Seems everyone is hiding something. It has a similar vibe to Big Little Lies. For me the middle maybe dragged just a bit but I really enjoyed how everything unfolded and the aftermath.