The stories of what goes on behind closed doors in an upscale neighborhood unfold through individual character’s stories. The characters are all well-developed and there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing to the very end. The author is a skilled writer who knows how to keep this reader engaged and wanting more. I highly recommend The Block Party.

The Block Party by Jamie Day was a fun read. It had some twists and turns that were unexpected. The setting of a block party in a close community was perfect for the basis of the story. If you want an easy read with some colorful characters this is a book for you!

Warning: Do not continue reading this book after you have taken sleeping medication! I couldn't keep my eyes open but HAD TO keep the book open! I found myself repeatedly going back to re-read parts I must have slept through. I do love a story that holds my attention that well, though. In this one, you get to know the residents who live in an exclusive neighborhood on a street named Alton. They do love an occasional get-together. There are no apparent problems until an Indian family moves in, then all kinds of suspicions start to arise which, pretty much, include everyone on the street.

My favorite parts, however, were the "quotes" from social media. SOO typical of the conversations I read on FB every day!

Thanks to Net Galley for a good read.

I enjoyed this one, centered on a group of families living on an exclusive cul-de-sac in Massachusetts who hold an annual Memorial Day block party. The story starts out in the current day where the reader finds out that someone has died, but then takes you back a year to lead back up to the present day situation. The story is narrated in alternating chapters by Alex in the 3rd person and her teenaged daughter Lettie in the 1st person.

It did take me a couple chapters to understand the timeframe, as the author wasn’t clear (at least in my opinion) that the bulk of the story is told in the lead up to the recent events. Once I figured that out, the story flowed well. I liked both Alex and Lettie, though I did think that Alex’s situation with alcohol and Lettie’s focus on saving the environment were a little clichéd. There were a few different mysteries going on, some that I figured out and some that were surprises. I though the author captured both the teenage and neighborhood dynamics authentically. The end of the book takes you out another year so you can see how everyone got by after the events of the previous year; I always like when books do that.

All in all, this was a fun read with likable characters and enough twists to keep the reader engaged. I’d recommend to those who like the domestic suspense genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This is not a book you can pick up and read here and there. You need to settle in and enjoy it in long time frames. There are so many characters that I found myself back tracking a lot to recall who they were and how they fit into the story. In addition, many of these characters overlapped.. someone’s spouse but in a relationship with others etc. The point of the story is the neighborhood and all who inhabit it. Do you get involved when you learn damaging information about another? Is it hurtful of helpful to provide what you think you know? I did feel that high school characters were given very heavy rolls. Most kids this age could never handle these situations and knowledge of behaviors. Lots of therapy will be needed. So very enjoyable book but only read it when you have a lot of time to really get into it and enjoy it.

An interesting read about the interrelationships of family and neighbors. I enjoyed how the writer portrayed each character and gave an in depeth look at their personalities.using the plot to drive their stories forward.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc based on my honest opinion.

Publication: July 18, 2023

This will be the perfect read for when summer hits! This is your typical "who dun it" style of a story and I personally wouldn't categorize it in "thriller". This is more of a slow burn surrounded by mystery.

This book fell in the middle of the road for me- I've read worse but I've also read better. It's your typical suburbia shrouded with secrets that everyone has. You also have the group that are outsiders who speculate. A lot of the twists I could see a mile away but I'm also not new to this genre.

Perfect for fans: new to mystery, suburban drama, domestic drama, slow burn mystery

Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

Unfortunately, the book just wasn’t for me. I struggled to connect with the authors writing style. Dialogue seemed an authentic and awkward. The teenage character seemed too juvenile for her age and her storylines were forced.

I did enjoy the neighborhood Facebook group parts of the book- it was funny and realistic.

Ultimately, the book just didn’t connect. The big twist was predictable at about 50% of the way through. A few of the others caught me by surprise, but not enough to overcome the cumbersome dialogue.

The Block Party is full of twists and drama so buckle up! This is like following along with some juicy gossip on social media trying to find out the full story. This story is proof that you never really know your neighbors. I had no idea what was going to happen until the very end and…. WOW!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: July 17, 2023

The Block Party was a good read for the most part. The characters were believable and interesting. It jumped around a little too much for me. I would rather have had a more concise timeline to the story.

Alton Road is full of secrets….more than any reader could suspect! Author Jamie Day takes us through an exhilarating year full of deceptions, lies, and revenge. What more could we ask for in a domestic thriller?

Told from the perspectives of a mother and teen daughter, we delve into the intricacies of a single cul-de-sac with drama coming from all directions. Starting off with a bang in the present day, Alex Fox wakes from a daze full of confusion and concern when police show up to the annual block party that she always plans and executes. But what happened? We are left wondering just as much as all the neighbors on the Meadowbrook Online Community Page as Day takes us back immediately to the previous year. As the year progresses, more secrets come spilling out making us ask “how well do we really know our neighbors?”.

I was left guessing up until the very end and found myself rooting for so many of these characters. While it was easy to pick out some villains, Day doesn’t give up too much until the explosive ending. Highly recommend this for those who love thrillers! Captivating up until the last page!

Special thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for this ARC. Publication date: July 17, 2023

I was absolutely invested in this story & all the drama was AMAZING! The whole book will leave you guessing what happened on the present Memorial Day…this book was so so good & i highly, highly recommend you read this when it comes out!

I received this copy from NetGalley. I was really excited to read it. It starts with a annual Memorial Day block party in current time. A murder happens, and the book goes back a year to give us, the reader, different plausible ideas of who may be dead.

After reading about the neighbors on this block, I didn’t care who died. I think this book was too long and a little too neatly tied up in the end. Just my two cents.

This was an absolute fantastic book that was a. quick read! Trying to figure out all the twists and surprises will keep you up reading late into the night. This is another book that is told from multiple point of views which I think adds depth and development to the characters. I rushed to finish this book because I could not wait to see what happened next. Very entertaining and I believe other people will really enjoy the suburban thriller. I look forward to what Jamie Day writes next!

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

Really enjoyable book. I liked how it started out with the problems at the block party and then goes back in time to tell the whole story. Throughout the whole book you’re reading wondering is this going to be the motive? Or this? Love the large cast of characters on Alton road. I could see this becoming a great thriller movie.

Overall, I liked the book. I felt there was a little too much of the overuse of alcohol making everyone a bit unstable. I did like all the characters, I felt like we got to know them pretty well. There was a great deal of suspense in the book and I was eager to find out the outcome. The story moved along at a good pace and had my attention throughout.

The Block Party by Jaime Day. So good!! This story starts with present day block party and an event happens. Then the story switches to the previous block party and events leading up to present day. A believable story with great characters. Some twists that I didn’t see coming! I liked the texts from the other neighborhood. It added to the story. I would recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

Welcome to the block party- there’s drama, drinking, gossip and don’t forget murder. In a small neighborhood friends can become enemies and neighbors can be the most likely to hurt you. I could not put this books down, I highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Step into this neighborhood and you’re gearing up for the block party of the year. It’s on Memorial Day where drama has a new meaning.

It's an all-out event with barbecues, badminton, corn hole and an egg toss. It doesn’t take long to get to know the handful of homeowners who seem to be pretty friendly. A knock on the door takes place more than once. I don’t know anyone that does that these days. We all know one must text first.

It's engaging from the start as the reader keeps learning about issues with neighbors: depression, jealousy, drug addiction, exploitation of women and rape. These are serious matters that are addressed in numerous books. What makes this different is the dialogue. For me it was addicting as though I had cravings for each chapter only to want to read more.

The story revolves around four couples, one single lady and a daughter, Lettie. At 17 years old, she has the qualities of a wise leader as she addresses climate control, immigration, gun control and gender issues. When she was called out for what she considered as a minor matter in her school, she said they should be more interested in real issues such as class sizes, bullying, poverty, child abuse and race issues. When she was engaged in a situation she said, “that’s another problem for my future therapist to sort out.”

Her mother, Alex, is a character that seems like many mothers I know. She asks: why does talking to teens feels like handling a live grenade? She arranges a ladies fun night and they play “Two Truths and a Lie” at which point it gets very interesting. There are lots of layers and then the end wraps everything up which should make all the readers smile.

My thanks to Jamie Day, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of July 18, 2023.

Each year something big happens a the annual Summer block party. Usually it’s a trophy for the Egg Toss, or a decision to play throwback tunes from Pearl Jam but this year there was a murder.
Who did it and why? There are so many suspects. So many possibilities. In the style of “Big Little Lies”- the story takes us back one year earlier. We watch the stories in each house unfold, secrets unveiled, motives displayed, discovering along the way that their lives are not as pretty on the inside as their perfect homes and lawns make you believe. This one is really good!