Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for this ARC!

A haunting secret has been buried for 30 years. All it takes is a meddling journalist, a sixtieth birthday party and lots of alcohol for the truth to unravel.

A Death At A Party is a full circle style of thriller, where what goes around comes around, or if you believe in Karma.. look out. It’s a little slower paced but does not disappoint. With questionable characters and a decades long connection the truth is revealed in an unforgettable way.

This is was my first novel by Amy Stuart. Also a big plus is that she is a Canadian author! 🙌🏼

The story starts with Nadine standing over a dead body in the basement while everyone is celebrating upstairs.

Nadine plans a huge party for her mother’s birthday. Caterers and all! But there is so much happening between drama on the street, a journalist poking his nose where it doesn’t belong, affairs, overdose, family secrets. This book has it all!

I love the neighborhood thriller books, they’re my fav! So this book was right up my alley. The story is told over the course of a day; morning, afternoon and evening.

Although it had some little twists, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I was wondering about who the dead body was though, that part was intriguing, and kept me guessing. It was still a good read!

I also love the cover of this book.


Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy. A Death at the Party is available March 7!

This book was a quick read. It was not super thrilling or scary, but it kept me interested enough to finish fairly quickly. I couldn’t really relate to the protagonist and the party itself didn’t even start until the 2nd half of the book (lots and lots of errands….)

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A Death of the Party is the latest thriller by Amy Stuart which takes place over a single day where Nadine Walsh organizes a 60th birthday celebration for her famous mystery writer mother Marilyn Millay. Set among the backdrop of a catered garden party, complete with a live band, the neighbours and friends enjoy delicious food and ambiance but unbeknownst to them a murder has taken place.

What I liked about the book:
-fun, quick read
-so called happy families living with many secrets and lies
-premise of the book, the opening chapter a body is found in the basement’s bathroom and the story moves back in time from the start of the day
-great writing style with intriguing twists and revelations
-enjoyed the exclusive enclave of Winngrove, a small village within a big city
-the intermingled characters and their long standing history
-the murder victims identity kept from reader until near the ending

What I didn’t like about the book:
-Nadine frustrated me at times:her level of anxiety, and how she handled situations
-Nadine’s children Isabel and Damien who seemed like entitled brats who were disrespectful to their parents, particularly Nadine
-ending seemed rather abrupt for some reason, too open ended

My rating: 4 stars out of 5

Trigger warnings: teenage pregnancy, teenage drug use, child predators and grooming, extra marital affairs

My final takeaway: I’d recommend this for fans of domestic mysteries and Lisa Jewel. It is a quick, fun beach read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this eARC.

One day
One party
One death

It's the book that begins with the murder and starts flashing back with the memories of what led to Nadine standing over a dead body at her mother's 60th birthday party. Secrets and indiscretions and decades of both.

I thought the way it was written was clever and I was constantly second guessing myself on which character was my least favourite as I tried to untangle the web of lies. I have to admit, I didn't care for Nadine but that was clearly intended to keep you on edge of why she rubs us the wrong way.

It was a quick read, a good binge beach thriller that Im sure will entertain casual and avid readers but it wasn't my favourite of hers.

3.75 stars

There were so many different secrets revealed in this book I was starting to feel Nadine's anxiety. (She has a lot of anxiety) I was trying to figure out where each would lead, which were related to the murder at the end, and which were red herrings.
I loved that it all took place in one day, and the garden party was a perfect setting for the ending. It was a slow build, Nadine wasn't always likable, and I didn't understand why some of the reveals were a big deal (although realistically I'm sure if put in the same situation I might have made some of those issues out to be a bigger problem in my head too). I did however, really like how it all came together in the end. I found the ending very satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and Amy Stuart for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.
The book was fast-paced and kept me entertained from the very first page. This is the first book I read from the author, and it definitely won't be my last.
Nadine Walsh, the main character, is very manipulative and unlikable, but that is what makes the story even more believable. The whole story unfolds during an entire day, from morning until the end of the day, where the party in question happens. With past references that unfold nicely towards the last third of the book, it is a well narrated story that kept me on my toes until the end.
I like the way the author makes the story flow without getting stuck on unnecessary details. While there's an aura of suspense and mystery which I find was well executed, I wouldn't categorize it as a thriller.
Definitely recommend it if you're looking for a catchy mystery/suspense novel.

A Death at the Party
5 stars
Publish date March 7,2023

Nadine seems to have it all. A beautiful home, a successful handsome husband, two lovely children and a wonderfully generous famous mother. From the outside she lives the picture perfect life. She also can throw a fantastic party. Until a body is found at midnight in her basement bathroom just as the party is ending.
This thriller takes place all in one day. That's fun! The opening scene reveals no details of what has happened to the dead man on Nadine's bathroom floor. Then the clock turns back to that morning and the author takes you step by step throughout the day. Secrets and lies are slowly revealed. Past and present mysteriously weaving together. I wasn't sure if I could rely on Nadine's narration or not? I started to think she may be a little crazy. But in the end I absolutely loved the dark and twisted story that she told.
This was my first book by Amy Stuart and it won't be my last! I knew she was Canadian but what I didn't know was that she has roots here in the Maritimes and that just made this book even better!
Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy. I will highly recommend this book!

3.5 stars 🌟
I was enjoying the writing style a lot - the flashbacks and stream of consciousness felt like side stories, but the entire novel still flowed nicely. But the ending was very abrupt? I know some of the events to follow were implied, but for some reason, I was expecting more of a twist ending, and that never came. My own fault probably, but an epilogue may have worked well to give the story more of a satisfying and concrete ending. Just a few more details to tie up those ends that Amy Stuart spent so much time building up.
I did enjoy the storytelling more than the actual plot, so I will look out for more of this author's work to come!
Shout out to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I read the blurb of this book my mind immediately went to Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway so imagine my surprise when a quote from the book opened this story. (note to self: you is smart)

This was a unique mystery novel, we know right away that a murder has taken place and over the course of a single day we find out the who and the why and it was very surprising, to say the least. I loved that we have no idea who is dead until the very end. Throughout the book there are many red herrings making the reader ask </i>is it him?</i> over and over again.

I liked the fact that there were flashback chapters, letting the reader know our main character, Nadine has a lot of secrets and many twists abound. There are multiple layers to this story, each being peeled away like an onion, revealing what is truly underneath. This was such an engrossing story that I managed to finish the book in a single sitting. Also, I loved reading books and supporting Canadian authors. Amy Stuart hails from Toronto, just like me and I highly recommend her works.

Death at the Party takes place over one day, and Stuart does a great job of teasing the story out without losing any of the pace. The book kicks right off with the death but of course you have to follow the day (as well as memory flashbacks) to find out who is dead, and more importantly, why. Interestingly, I found all the supporting characters more compelling than the narrator. A small town/community full of people with secrets to hide isn’t a new story but this was still very engaging to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Stuart and Simon & Schuster Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the opening to this book because I love knowing a crime was committed and having to guess the whodunit and who was it! I really enjoyed the build up to the party and how many secrets Nadine is keeping from her family. Definitely recommend. Another stellar thriller from Stuart!

The book opens with the titular death. We don't know who the victim is or the motive, that all unfolds in the day leading up to party. Nadine is throwing a 60th birthday party for her famous author mother. The birthday is also the anniversary of the death of her aunt 30 years prior. We follow Nadine on the day of the party as she uncovers secrets and tries to keep some of her own undergrads.

I started this one expecting it to be a typical thriller with predictable twists. I was pleasantly surprised and was kept guessing on who the victim would be until the end. This was a pretty quick thriller to read, and that meant there wasn't a lot of time for things to drag on. This was truly and enjoyable read.

A Death at a Party by Amy Stuart is a twisty murder mystery that keeps you guessing throughout the whole book! Nadine Walsh’s world is turned upside down at the start of the book with the death of a guest at her Summer Garden Party. Standing over the body in her basement while listening to her guests talking and clinking glasses above her Nadine tries to figure out what to do. Rewind to that morning Nadine starts the day with her many lists for her, her husband and two teenage children to get ready for the party later that night. As she’s getting ready for the big night running errands throughout the day in her small town, we realize there’s a lot more going on under the surface with the friends, neighbors and acquaintances she runs into. Nadine, we realize is an unreliable narrator and everyone in town, including her family is suspect I didn’t know who to trust, including Nadine herself! This novel kept me on my feet and wondering what was going on and who was involved.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found the storyline of A Death at the Party to be a little slow initially but the intrigue picked up and I became increasingly curious and invested. As the evening of the ‘party’ plays out all the pieces come together. Unfortunately though, for me, the ending was disappointing.
2.5/5 rounded up.
Thank You to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Just finished reading “A Death at the Party” by Amy Stuart.

This book was about Nadine, a stressed out, overprotective mother. It revolves around a party that she is throwing for her famous mother, an author.

The book is divided into three parts and although the party is not until the last part the other two parts help give background information on the characters and their back stories.

There are many secrets in the book and I like that you couldn’t guess them all. I have to say I enjoyed the book until the end. I felt it was unfinished and I disliked that.

Quick read with plenty of twists and turns. Nadine is falling apart a bit, and it makes for a very engaging narrator. You know there is a body in her bathroom at the end (because we start with that body so no spoiler there). But how did it get there, and why. That is what kept this twisty and engaging.

There are things I thought I knew. Or perhaps not (spoilers, sweety, spoilers). And that is all I'm going to say. Because some of those reveals are what kept me reading and I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.

First F I V E ⭐️ S T A R read of 2023!!!!!

Amy Stuart, where have you been all my life?? “A Death at the Party” was my first book read of hers and I am OBSESSED! I could not put this book now and cannot wait to read Amy’s back list!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Nadine Walsh has decided to throw her mother a 60th birthday party … but this day also marks an anniversary that will forever be a haunting memory to Nadine and her mother.

This book takes place in the span of one long day, with some added flash backs put into the mix. The book begins with Nadine standing over a dead body while the party is THRIVING above upstairs! Then it rewinds to the morning of the party, the set backs and set up and the duration of the big event! As flashbacks from the past are constantly being triggered, Nadine takes a hard look at her guest list and realizes that the neighbours she thought she knew well may have been involved in her past. Did Nadine meet them in a past life?? Do they known more about that HAUNTING night then they have lead on for the past 30 years??

This book was EVERYTHING I needed and more in a thriller: fast paced, chilling, highly addictive, suspenseful, full of dark and twisty turns and several unreliable characters! There were times when I wanted to SHAKE people for the truth! BRAVO to fellow Canadian Amy Stuart on one hell of an incredible book 🙏🏻 🇨🇦

Thank you kindly to Amy Stuart, Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book can be yours on its release date of March 7, 2023!

I received an ARC from @simonschuster.ca on Friday afternoon and before dinner Saturday I had A Death At The Party by @amystuartwriter devoured.
And I do mean devoured.
In fact, even though it is still only January, I predict that A Death At The Party will be one of the Top Five domestic thrillers in 2023. (Pub date March 7)
Nadine Walsh, one of the main protagonists in the delicious cascade of intriguing characters, is snap-wired tight as she ramps up for her summer garden party in the backyard of her illustrious home.
At first Nadine seemed to be just an over-the-top helicopter mom who wants things to be all good with her family and friends -normal kind of behaviour, if a tad over the top, but as rippled as the surface of her waters appear, it’s full out 10 foot waves as the story progresses.
Smashing through the chapters my mind was whirling, determined to figure out who was doing what to whom, both in the past and present, but I never guessed – well I won’t tell you what I never guessed- because the story arc is so stunningly clever that I would hate to spoil the rollercoaster ride.
I gotta tell you though, I was damn impressed with the machinations of several of Amy’s characters, and literally held off both lunch and dinner to relish those last couple of chapters!
@amystuartwriter attention to the details of minutiae imagery is also gorgeous.
To wit: “My elbow lifts to rest on the stacks of books.”
And who could stop from turning the page after reading a sentence like: “And so here’s my confession.”
My best advice? Preorder A Death At The Party and set aside time March 7 to get into one hell of a read.
#abestbook2023 #adeathattheparty #party #partytime #birthdayparty
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A birthday party, a house full of guests, and a murder. The author instantly catches your attention from the start, and we are thrust into a murder mystery of sorts. The book follows our main character, Nadine, throwing a big birthday bash for her famous author Mother. We explore their relationship as well as flash back to the past, 30 years ago on the same day, where another tragedy occurred. one that Nadine cannot seem to move past. Secrets, betrayal, murder, and family drama, all culminate as the evening wraps up and the birthday party comes to an end. What secrets will be exposed? What are the consequences of these secrets? Really enjoyed the setting of the book as one day, but with dual timelines that flash back to the main character.