The stunning cover and title are what drew me to read this book. I’m glad I did, I enjoyed it. I found that this whole book that was written over the course of one day was intriguing.
Huge family drama, family secrets, unreliable narrator, sketchy character pasts this book was filled with them all.

er mystery that will captivate fans of the genre. Mystery Lover's skillful storytelling and intricate plot make this book a page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep readers engaged until the gripping conclusion. Whether you are a seasoned detective fiction enthusiast or a casual reader seeking a suspenseful escape, this book is a must-read.

**Updating as I have recently done a re-read of this one and I enjoyed it even more on the second read.

I really love Amy’s writing and she's one of my favourite authors.
Her chapters flow effortlessly, her stories and characters are always so unique.
I went into Death at the Party nervous because the "Still" series is my favourite thriller series and I had such high expectations. My expectations were 100% reached.

I couldn't have enjoyed this book more.
The characters were fantastic, the dual timeline was seamless, and neither twist was predictable. The ending was 👨‍🍳😘👌

I always enjoy a story told in reverse.
You know what's coming, but have no idea how we get there.
The FMC is scattered and not very friendly. I didn't care for her at all and I feel like that was intentional from the author.
The plot was fairly predictable if you read thrillers, but the writing gets you interested despite that.
The side characters steal the show for me. I am obsessed with Marilyn!
Much love to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for my ARC.

After sitting on my Kindle for a ridiculously long time, A Death At The Party by Amy Stuart has been begging me to read it for the last month or so. Sometimes a book just works for you, and there's nothing more you want or need from it - this is that book for me.

The story opens with a sinister scene: the death of an unnamed male guest at a party. From there, we spend the rest of the book trying to figure out who exactly died, knowing that any man presented could be the victim (besides maybe one or two). I found this almost backwards-type plot fresh, although the concept is obviously not unique.

This is exactly the kind of neighbourhood thriller I love! Every single character is slightly unhinged and layered with history, their paths having intertwined years before. The main character, Nadine, is unlikable and unreliable - which only made me appreciate and side with her more! With each chapter, I tried to figure out if that person was the victim since there was always sufficient reason for them to be murdered!

That's it, that's all. I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy to read and review.

I finished this one a little while ago and really had to stew on the review. I think about the story often, I liked the characters but the story line was really kind of too unrealistic. To be totally honest I’m still divided on this one.

3.75-4ish stars

Interesting way to structure the book; while it made sense logically, it also made for very long sections/chapters. Although the title and gorgeous cover of the book were what initially drew me in, the plot was intriguing. I can’t say I loved the reason for the death in the characters’ past (if you read the book, you’ll understand why), but I think it was handled fairly well, I didn’t see it coming until closer to the end, and the twisty conclusion was mostly satisfying, so I can’t complain too much. I’d been wanting to read this one for quite a while, and I’m glad I was finally able to do so.

Amy Stuart’s domestic whodunit A Death at the Party is like a contemporary Agatha Christie novel with a sprinkle of White Lotus. Nadine is throwing a neighborhood garden party when she discovers a body in the basement. Got that? Now quickly rewind to the beginning of the day, before the killing, and try to guess both murderer and victim as the plot unfolds. The entire book takes place in a day, which makes this a deliciously taut, fast-paced thriller.

Secrets, trauma and lies are at the heart of this novel. We find out that someone has been murdered the night of a big party. The story then unfolds from the morning of the party to the events leading up to the murder. Generally kept my attention although there could have been more twists and turns. The main character was not very likeable and was manipulative and secretive so it was hard to be invested in her. The ending was okay but not as exciting as I had anticipated it would be. A pleasant read but I enjoyed this author’s previous novels more.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Nadine Walsh is hosting a summer garden party for her mother’s birthday. There will be over a hundred guests invited as well as the neighbours. The drinks will be free-flowing and the food endless, but someone won’t live to see the next day.

Not only is it Nadine’s mother’s birthday, but it also marks another occasion. The only one that will remember the significance of today is Nadine’s mother, but Nadine has a party to get ready for.

There is no shortage of secrets amongst the neighbours, some that have been kept for many years. Some that have never come to light. Some that may still remain hidden. Nadine’s thoughts continue to wander throughout the day to that night so many years ago.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #ADeathattheParty

This was like something I have NEVER read before and I was HERE FOR IT... It was kind of like Clue... And instead of a "Who did it?" moment, we get a "Who got it?" moment!!! It was phenomenal!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Sorry to say this book fell flat for me. I wasn't hooked and was quite bored throughout. I was not excited to keep reading and finding out what was happening

I liked how we started with the murder scene but with very blurry "vision" and then went back in time and went through the whole day and got the whole story from the start. It held so much promise but ended up falling flat for me and I unfortunately ended up DNF'ing the book. I could not connect with the MC at all and she actually ended up annoying me a lot. I had a hard time keeping interest between the mundane tasks of her day getting the party ready and her inner dialogs and it ended up dragging. For me the flow was missing a bit and the writing style did not fit for me.

The story starts with our protagonist watching a man die. She pulls her phone out a couple of times, tempted to call 911 but pauses. No, it would be better if he were dead. We then flash back to that morning. Nadine Walsh, daughter, wife, mother, is making the final preparations for her mother’s birthday party that evening. Throughout the day we meet various people who will be attending the party. We are introduced to these potential partygoers (one of which is our victim) through the critical lens of Nadine herself, so some of them we like, and the others, well, we don’t like quite as much. Is this because we are influenced by Nadine herself? And just to make our reading a bit more uncomfortable, Nadine isn’t exactly the most sympathetic of characters until… well, I won’t spoil it for you.
I loved this book. It was perfect for a weekend read on my balcony sipping a Cosmopolitan. A perfect addition to your summer reading list.

Aahhh what a pretty book cover and a gripping title. But it just didn't do it for me.
Starts out great, a dead body in a bathroom of a party! The rest of the book is spread across the entire day morning, afternoon, and evening, as Nadine, gets prepared for the party. How do you fill an entire book with just one day of events? Lots of filler describing mundane party prepping chores. In other words, the book was a bit slow for me. Except in the end....when it just...ended....?
I did like the short chapters and how neurotic Nadine seemed at times.
Thank you, Netgalley, publisher, and author for a copy.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Nadine seems like a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown as she prepares for a birthday party for her mother, a famous author. There is a lot going on in her world including her daughter’s best friend in a coma and a sleazy journalist circling outside the family circle smelling blood in the water. The backstory of both her mother and herself and the stories behind all the other characters makes for fascinating reading. There are so many secrets and lies. It is no wonder the family is dysfunctional.

It doesn’t help that Nadine had a life changing accident the night of the previous party that left her vulnerable. And there are so many characters in this book who prey on the vulnerable. It is no wonder Nadine has premonitions of disaster. But the book becomes oddly satisfying as so many secrets are laid bare and when they come to light, it is not the innocent who suffer. What started as a grim story ended on a positive note.

Four purrs and two paws up.

I really enjoyed the premise of the story, but overall, had some issues with the timeline. The story starts the morning of a big party (requiring decorations and catering), and leads up to that night when there is a death at the party. While the ending was really good and satisfying, I found that there was too much going on to realistically be crammed into a 12-16 hour period. Some of the story was told in flashbacks, but most of it was the numerous characters interacting and going back and forth from stores, coffee shops, the cemetery, etc. The book did drag for the first half until the two major plot points began to converge. Overall, this was an entertaining read, but nothing super memorable for me.

Julie here...A Death At The Party by Amy Stuart has everything you want in a thriller:
A lovely garden party for a world famous author.
A family history.
A family secret.
A dead body...in the basement.
A tipsy guest of honour.
Old friends.
A girl in a coma.
A hayloft.
A very organized party-thrower.
A 30-year anniversary on the same night of the party.
The entire book takes place over the course of one day, the day of the party. We have lots of copies in the store, it's the perfect book for the weekend! Reserve your copy below!

A Death at the Party was an intriguing read. Told in two timelines on the same day (one timeline at the evening party, and one timeline that takes us through the day of the party), it kept me gripped from the first page. I loved the atmosphere, and I had to know the secret Nadine was keeping, not to mention the dead party guest she found on the basement floor. I love books set over a short period of time, because they always pack a punch, and move fast, and this one followed that route: I didn't want to put it down, and read it cover to cover in one sitting. A Death at the Party won't disappoint those who love a fast-paced suburban thriller.