What is this?! Because this most definitely isn't a finished product that you would call a novel. Somewhere there an idea for a book exists but it's so weak that it must have sat collecting dust for some years and only after a streak of successful releases by Amy Stuart someone decided to beef it up with insufferable, ridiculous, and incoherent padding and call it a novel.

This is not a book. There is no plot, no characters and nothing that holds these 270 pages together other than the physicals binding. Junk. Garbage. Lazy through and through. Here ... I said it.

Oh the tings that can happen in the space of one day. It's not just any ordinary day, but the day of her mother's 60th birthday and everyone deserves a great party! Nadine has everything under control as far as you can tell, until she goes into the basement and stands over a dead body!

The hundred or so guests at the party have no idea that there is death so close, while they are busy clinking their glasses of champagne and enjoying the party atmosphere in the gardens and upstairs.

Will the guests ever guess that this is also an anniversary that will never be forgotten? You have to read this book to find out.

A disturbing scenario and one that you know could happen.

I really struggled getting in to this one, as there were a lot of characters to keep track of. It had me losing interest as I found myself having to make little notes to keep things straight . Not for me! Looking forward to the next one!

A murder mystery where you know who the killer is but not who’ve they’ve killed ! It was awesome read and love learning about the friends and family history building up to the murder. Highly recommend !

This was a pretty good book - all set in one day. Nadine is planning a birthday party for her Mom on the anniversary of a death at another party in the past. You know right at the beginning of the book that someone died at the present day party but then you follow her through the day from the beginning and see what happened. With flashbacks to the part as well.

One drawback is that she's not the nicest person and the whole group of characters are a bit twisted.

Overall a good book

A Death At The Party opens up with exactly that. Nadine finds herself standing over the body of a dying man in the basement of her house while a garden party for her mother’s 60th birthday continues on joyously outside, the 100+ guests completely oblivious.
Spanning over the course of a single day, follow along with Nadine as she prepares for her Mother’s birthday, which also happens to be the anniversary of a darker childhood memory as well; one that her fellow neighbours were connected to in deeper ways than she thought.

For fans of thrillers, this was not that. Not at all. I would call it more of a domestic suspense… without the suspense. A domestic… story?... with a dead body at the start and the end and a bunch of mundane daily tasks and conversations in between. It was a saving grace that this was such a short and easy read, because I truly wanted to DNF so many times. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, I especially hated Nadine, who we follow the entire story. She goes about her day while prepping for her mothers party, stopping by the local shops to make sure deliveries will be ready, all the while reminiscing on the events that happened 30 years ago at her grandparents farm. The way everything was connected just fell to perfectly together that there was no surprise or suspence. I guessed every plot twist early on in the book, and even though I didn’t guess exactly who the dead guy was, the build up to that fell so short and really had the ending missing the mark for me.

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me, but I have seen other reviews where people loved it so please check out more reviews if domestic suspense novels are your thing!!

I stumbled upon Amy Stuart awhile ago and have been watching for a new book by her. I was beyond excited that I got approved to read this book! I found it to be so good with twists and leaving me on the edge of my seat. Staying up way too late because I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend this book and author!

“𝙸𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚜𝚎.“

When a novel begins with an opening line like the one above, chances are, I’m going to enjoy myself. I am truly grateful to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an eGalley of this newest novel from Amy Stuart. I love discovering new-to-me Canadian authors!

“𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜. 𝙸 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚜𝚝.“

Meeting our main character, Nadine, immediately disorients us and throws us off our game. Nadine repeatedly reminds us that, since a fall down a flight of stairs, she is sometimes confused and gets lost in the past. We have no choice but to join her there.

“𝚂𝚎𝚎? 𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜.“

This story is about motherhood & family, secrets & lies, past & present. But, more than anything, it’s about family and the lengths we would go to keep ours safe.

“𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎? 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐.“

3.5*

At the end of the night, someone will end up dead at Nadine’s feet. Her mothers 60th birthday will end the same way her 30th birthday ended, with someone dead. 30 years ago Nadine’s aunt died the night of her mothers birthday party. Now, at her 60th party, another body will be found by the end of the night.

Told throughout the day of the party, Nadine walks us through both her past and present, to understand what happened 30 years ago and to find out who ends up dead this time and why.

3.5 stars

A Death at the Party by Amy Stuart is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Nadine Walsh is throwing a 60th birthday party for her mother, the famed author Marilyn Millay.  This garden party will be the talk of the town.   Drinks and catered food galore.  Everyone is enjoying themselves...except the dead guy in the basement.

Still recovering from a fall down the stairs six months ago, Nadine has been anxious all day.  There are so many secrets in this house.  Paul, her husband, is fairly unaware,  her daughter Isobel is in her own little world, as is her son Damien.  They've all been through a lot. Her niece Margot moved in with them after the fall, and she has been helpful.  But today is special.  Her mother, the guest of honour is aware that this is also another anniversary. Nadine can't get that anniversary out of her mind.


My Opinions:
First, I love the cover -- peonies are one of my favorite flowers.

The story starts with Nadine and the body, and then takes us through her day.  During that day, we find out about Nadine's entire life.  We don't actually know who the body is until the end. It was an interesting way to tell the story, and Nadine's story through flashbacks..

Now, if only I had liked Nadine.  Right from the start, you knew she had many secrets, and wasn't quite the devoted and loving wife and mother people thought.  Anxiety is one thing, but she was overly protective of her family, made very bad decisions, and was really nosy.  Eventually, the story took over, and Nadine herself didn't really matter.

The plot was the saving grace.  I found it to be a fast read, and I kept turning the pages if, for no other reason, to find out who was in the basement.  There were a few characters I would have been okay with dying.

Anyway, I ended up enjoying it.

This was a great domestic suspense! Writing was great and engaging. I guessed a few bits but there were still a ton of surprises.

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review

Pub: March 7, 2023
Thank you @simonschusterca & @netgalley for the gifted earc to read and review 🖤

This is my first Amy Stuart read and I've definitely been missing out!

"One day
One party
One death … or two…"

A Death at the Party is a fun character-driven mystery. In one single day, we see characters lives unravel, dive deep into the past and come across a murder or two.

One sign of Stuart’s great storytelling is how she is able to establish such rich histories for her characters using flashbacks. There is a lot going on, but the writing is clear and the characters are distinct and memorable so it is easy to follow.

Nadine is an interesting protagonist. She's not naturally likable and to me that was the point. As the day unravels, I did get to understand her better.

The single day structure makes me think about the book as similar to a locked room whodunnit (think Agatha Christie vibes) and the WILD ending really mimics the big reveal seen in these books and makes it its own.

Sure, you can piece together some aspects early on, but the drama and ambiguity is just plain fun to read.

@soobooksalot and I were chatting about our theories as we happened to read the book at the same time. Mine were definitely a little out there (heroin addiction!) and she brought some great insights from her perspective as a nurse. If you've read this one, DM me your thoughts!

I didn't mind this book. I found the characters flawed and unlikeable. I also found the plot holes to be honestly annoying. However I enjoyed the fact that the whole book was set in one day as to not overly exert the reader. Thanks so much for the ARC net gallery and Simon and schuster Canada.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it will not be the last. I enjoyed the pace of the story and the way it was written. The book starts with our main character, Nadine, at a party, in a bathroom with a man who is dying, she does not seem to be willing to help him and we do not know who it is. Then the story goes back to before the party and we learn about Nadine and her family, her husband Paul, who seems oblivious to everything, her mother, Marilyn, a famed author and the benficiary of the party and her children, Isobel whose friend is in the hospital from an apparent overdose and for whom Nadine is sure there is more to the story. The characters are have their faults and it was fast paced enough to keep me reading into the night. Great ending to this domestic thriller.

I love a good domestic suspense novel and Amy Stuart’s A Death at the Party delivered. It begins at the end- a dead body discovered during a neighborhood garden party and then circles back to the beginning. Told over the course of a single day, from the party preparations to the eventual murder, there is an atmosphere of dread and secrecy from the get go.

It took a little while for this book to get going but once it did I was fully immersed. This book is more about why they did it than who did it and there are plenty of possibilities. This is a novel about secrets and the toxicity they create. Everyone at the party has secrets, especially the guest of honor and as the day unfolds they are revealed in increments that only heightens the suspense. My only real complaint with this novel is that I wish the big secret would have been made known to the reader sooner, because until it was the book dragged a bit.

I love an unreliable narrator and this book is full of them. Absolutely no one can be trusted and I loved that aspect of the book. Twists and turns abound in this seductive and suspenseful novel and the final revelation was unexpected and gratifying. Overall, I enjoyed this domestic thriller about the secrets and lies that exist amongst family and friends and their devastating and sometimes deadly consequences. This was the first book by Stuart that I have read and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Cast - Multiple layered characters, kept the story interesting
Cover - Tangentially connected to the plot
Emotional response - Engaging
Immersion - Read this book in an afternoon
Plot - Complicated, a jigsaw-puzzle that comes together well
Storytelling - To the point, very much like being in someone’s head
Thought provoking - Focus on the story
World building - One day in the life of a rich hostess

A Death at a Party is like being able to access someone’s thoughts for just one day. Nadine is the narrator in this under-300 pages long novel. I really liked how this book began - with the murder itself, a man asking for Nadine’s mercy as he dies on her basement bathroom floor, while she hesitates to call 911. Doesn’t that already tell you a lot about Nadine and what she is willing do?

After this scene, I was given insight into Nadine and how her day went. Divided into morning, afternoon and evening sections, the storyline adequately portrays the hustle and last minute things that one must do when hosting a party. No matter how many people you are hosting, where the event is or who the party is for, a party is a party and it demands work. Nadine and her family are well off. Nadine’s husband is a lawyer and they live in a wealthy close-knit community thanks to all of Paul’s childhood friends gradually moving into the same neighbourhood over the last two decades.

Party related errands aside, the plot of this book is quite complicated. There are layers to Nadine and all that have led to this day. By the time I reached 50% of the book, I had a decent list with 3-4 people who could be the man dead on the basement bathroom floor.

My favorite part about this book was the last half of the book. It was done so well in my mind. So many times books try to end with a concrete ending, showing the reader what will happen next, with the main character cleaning up and doing everything to be the hero. But that’s not how a normal day in anyone’s life ends and we have to turn to family and friends to help us out. A lot of times, we also have to leave problems to the next day and spend time thinking of solutions. After an explosive party with over a hundred guests, her mom’s unexpected confession and the neighbourly tensions, there is still a dead body to deal with, and not to mention the general-after-party clean up.

I loved the tension in this book. This was a great afternoon read! If you are looking to get into the mind of a rich hostess and learn about neighbourhood drama, give this one a read.

A Death At A Party is a slow-moving thriller set over the course of one day. It opens with a murder and flashes back to all the events leading up to this crime. You don't know who was murdered or why. The main character is flawed - almost annoying - but that could, just be that I was annoyed in general with some type 1 representation issues. The story was interesting. It's not fast paced, but it was quick to read. The elements come together and if I wasn't personally irked, I'd probably be giving a stronger push to read it - it's a little different.

A Death at the Party is a story that takes place in one day. It’s the day Nadine is hosting a birthday party for her mother who is a famous author. The story starts out with a bang – Nadine is in her basement standing over a body while the party is in full swing upstairs. Then it backtracks to that morning and all the events that led up to that fateful conclusion.

Amy Stuart’s book isn’t really a thriller or even a suspense novel. Instead it’s more of a light mystery and it focuses on characters, relationships, and lots of subplots. In fact, there are so many subplots that the story tends to wander a bit and I found myself wondering some of them were included.

However, my biggest disappointment was the way Type 1 Diabetes was portrayed. Several reviewers tried to correct some of the inaccuracies and their statements that few people use syringes to administer insulin is not based on fact. While there are several ways to inject insulin, a majority of Type 1 diabetics (my son included) still use single-use syringes (this is easily confirmed on a variety of reliable web sites) and insulin pens are not as popular as a pump. But, they are absolutely correct that a tourniquet would never be used to administer an insulin injection. It’s disappointing that an author wouldn’t do her due diligence before writing about a subject that is obviously quite sensitive for many readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

3.5 Not a bad little story, a fun palette cleanser of a thriller.
A lot of characters and then everything came together, but it took some time.
Fast!

I really struggled with this book. I wanted to like it, but I couldn't connect with the characters - any of them. I has trouble understanding the importance of the fall or why it was necessary to the story. I felt like the writing was smooth and I enjoyed having the transitions through the day - the sneak peak at the beginning had me intrigued as well. I definitely think there will be people who love this book and it had a lot of great points. Unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.