I wouldn’t consider this a thriller, more so a drama-filled block of intertwined neighbours. The book did drag in a few chapters but came together nicely at the end.

It’s the annual block party in an exclusive neighborhood. And please, no interlopers! Not even the pesky bug guy! (Sorry, buddy.)

But as with most neighborhoods things are changing. New families moving in, bringing their own personal sets of problems with them. Kids growing up and preparing to leave for college. And… marriages coming apart at the seams! Standard-issue problems that every neighborhood experiences.

Now something seriously dark is coming to this high-end neighborhood. Murder!

The focus is on Alex, wife and mother, who nearly everyone seems to come to for sage advice. Well, she is a mediator by trade so I suppose that makes sense. I also think she secretly enjoys being the one in charge.

We also hear from Alex’s daughter Lettie. Nearing the end of high school, wanting to save the world though no one else seems to take note of her quest.

The online community page, (a take on our neighborhood apps) was hilarious. It reminded me of familiar voices of my own neighbors!

This was a fun, engaging read. I definitely feel it falls into the category of family drama rather than thriller.
I enjoyed the audio and digital formats equally.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought that this book was just okay. It seemed very similar to several other books I’ve read within this setting. Suburban neighborhood, lots of secrets, scandal, etc.

I enjoyed reading this so much! I loved the different point of views, and had good character building. I enjoyed every character in this book and their stories. I didn’t see the ending coming at all, and loved how the story was ended. Definitely recommend this book, and will look forward to reading more from this author!

The yearly Alton Road block party holds a plethora of secrets, lies and danger. The novel tells the stories of the denizens of Alton Road. There is simply too much going on, too many coincidences, too much mayhem for me. So many characters, too many interconnections to allow me to enjoy this novel without questioning.

I wish it had been simplified, but once I was able to unravel the connections, it was reasonably enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley.

Wow, I could not put this book down!

It's the Annual Block party for the exclusive Alton Road neighborhood, and shots ring out - who was murdered?

We go back a year and learn about all the neighbors and their secrets, with the tension culminating in a shooting at the block party.. Who did it, and why? Nothing is as it seems.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

What a delightful novel about a group of neighbors who get along splendidly and... just kidding. The Block Party takes readers on a journey through what seems to the outside like an idyllic, wealthy suburban cul-de-sac, but in actuality is a group of families that have so many secrets and desires for revenge, it's only a matter of time before the tension explodes into violence.

The book opens with the crime and then rewinds as we follow the neighbors through the whole year leading up. Collectively the families aren't very interesting, they seem white-washed and stereotypical, and I'm so bored reading about rich white people in general. Several times throughout the book a character says something like, "It doesn't matter, we have the money." In one instance $25,000 goes missing but the family doesn't suffer any financial repercussions. That makes it a little difficult to care about whether or not the husband is cheating, in my opinion.

BUT. I kept reading because the storyline involving the high schoolers was interesting and while they were pretty stereotypical themselves, they held my attention the best. As time goes on the storylines of every family, teens and adults, mingle together into a maze of mystery and the author craftily reveals main characters to be more complex than initial impressions. The sheer number of characters threatens to make the book confusing, but in the end all was well.

The Block Party is more mystery than thriller and though I wasn't at the edge of my sear until the very end, I was invested. If you like a good domestic mystery this would be a great summer read for you! The book releases July 18. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book; as always, opinions are my own.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Set on an obscure suburban Massachusetts cul-de-sac where everybody knows their neighbor, or do they? This quip sums up the whole story for me ... "Rumors were pervasive, and arsonists loved watching their own fires."

I don't read a lot of YA and found this to be an okay read.
3☆

Set during an exclusive neighborhood block party where everyone has secrets and someone ends up dead. I enjoyed that this was told from multiple POVs and we get to see different generational perspectives (parents vs kids) especially when the story flashes back to the past year to give us greater insight into all the players.

Action packed, this book lead to a propulsive and deadly reveal and would make a perfect summer read! Great on audio too narrated by Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital copies in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you @stmartinpress @macmillan.audio for a copy of this this book. This neighborhood drama ad similar vibes to Little Fires Everywhere and I enjoyed how it all started with a block party. I listened to this and there was a lot of characters to keep straight. The book started on strong and lost my interest in the middle and came back with a great twisty ending. This is a perfect summer read.

This book reminded me a lot of Big Little Lies. Opens with something potentially bad going on but you don’t know what. Story backtracks through secrets and lies which leave you trying to put together who must have snapped.

I think a lot of what’s revealed is pretty guessable. The main parts anyway. There’s a couple side plots that come out of nowhere for some added surprises.

The last chapter got a little hokey but otherwise the story was mostly enjoyable.

3.5⭐️ This is a fun summer read, reminiscent of Laine Moriarty’s Big Little Lies. I enjoyed the setting and learning about the characters, though it’s a very large cast and I struggled at first keeping everyone straight. There were also quite a few subplots to keep straight (notes are helpful here).

My biggest issue with this novel is that the pacing felt off - a strong start led to a slower/draggy middle section. By the time I reached the conclusion, I didn’t feel as invested as I had hoped to.

Read if you like:
•ensemble casts
•twisty plot lines
•quick reads
•neighborhood drama

Thank you St. Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

Reading this book was such a GRIND. There is so much information to share that comes together nicely in the last 20 pages (+1 star for that), but getting there is very laborious.

I picked this one up looking for an exciting summer thriller, but this definitely trends more on the "mystery", "neighborhood drama" side. The pace of the book is pretty slow because of the character building (there are a lot), and I thought the switch between first-person and third-person narration was going to be more important to the plot that it actually ended up being - overall POV just added a bit of confusion.

The ending was pretty predictable, and getting through the first 40 chapters took me about a month (I finish 2 books a week typically). Pick it up if it sounds interesting to you, but there are better thrillers coming out this summer.

The Alton Road residents have so many secrets and a heap of drama. There has been a murder. Throughout the book we don’t know the victim or the perpetrator. I love how the book dives into the drama filled stories of all of the characters while leading us to the shocking ending. The narration was fantastic on the audio.

Amazing! A year in the life of the well-to-do neighbors on a cul-de-sac. Think Desperate Housewives or Peyton Place. I loved the way the story unfolds with something bad happening at the annual picnic and then bouncing back to the previous year to provide the bones of the story. I laughed at the neighbors' online forum with the usual questions, rumors, gossip, and snark. There is always one guy who thinks he's funny, isn't there? This story is an unexpected delight and full of suspense.

This was a great debut and I hope Jamie Day has more stories inside them.
This is a neighbourhood drama, reminiscent of The Slap, with multiple POV.
But, instead of one incident setting off a stream of events, this one has a bunch of events that lead up to a combustible end.
Much secrets, intrigues, crimes, and a bit of mystery...oh and it is all building up to shots fired at a BBQ. That's not a spoiler, that is literally the whole set up in the first chapter.
I was able to switch between the audio and the kindle version and I would recommend both. The writing transitions beautifully in both versions.
Much love to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio for my DRC's.

One nice suburban neighborhood having their summer block party, but ohh the secrets that will be revealed. This story has it all- murder, suicide, affairs, substance use and most of all lies! The characters are relatable and the plot sucks you in. I enjoyed every bit of this read. Numerous twists!
If you want to read a real page turner, pick this one up. Thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press and the author for allowing me and arc in exchange for my honest review!!!!

📖Review
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 58/100
📚Block Party
💫Genre: Mystery/Thriller
✍️ Jamie Day
🏡🍷🏡🍷🏡🍷🏡🍷
This book gave me Little Fires Everywhere/ Real House Wives vibes through Alex’s point of view, yet I got Heathers (1988) vibes through Lexi’s point of view which was a cool combination. This was not what I expected it to be, and I actually enjoyed it very much. It was a bit predictable, but I would definitely recommend this one. So much drama, lies, and mystery!

✨Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
July 18, 2023
✨✨✨✨✨
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Everybody on Alton Road has a secret, but of course the truth always comes out eventually. Pretty much a Desperate Housewives knock off.

In the past, I have enjoyed books written about posh neighborhoods and the secrets that lurk there. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. The couples and their children dwell in a wealthy neighborhood and are getting ready for their annual block party. Chapters alternated between the present and 1 year in the past. We are kept in the dark about who the victim is but it didn't really matter. There were so many characters, many of them irritating and unlikeable. The book seemed to drag along with unnecessary dialog as well. I cannot recommend one.