The Engagement Party by Darby Kane
Release Date: 12/5/23
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️✨

I love a good locked room mystery so this book was an instant request for me! Big thank you to @netgalley for the arc of this upcoming thriller!

Though I’ve never read her before, I’ve heard great things about Darby Kane and I was excited to jump into this book! It seemed promising from the beginning but unfortunately fell very flat for me.

There were so many unlikable characters in this novel and the plot just didn’t suck me in enough to care about their outcome. I think the setting was great but, sadly, the plot and backstory just wasn’t developed enough for me.

You.👏🏻Guys.👏🏻 This book was crazy from the jump. It’s like an onion; ALL of the layers! It had the perfect level of “what the hells happening?!” that I love in a good thriller. Just enough to keep you guessing but not so little that you’re just confused and loose interest. You’ve got it all when it comes to characters: some you love and you’re rooting for, some you kind of hope get killed off, and some that are just absolute mysteries. Loved the short chapters as it allows for quick perspective switches and gives the book a faster, always moving, feel to the pacing. I also loved that it’s broken up with “book notes” as a way to give some background into previous events of the college friends while also working to build the backstory of another character. The end was a little too twisty turner and while incredible was a little bit difficult to keep up with but I think that’s really more of a me thing than the author herself! If you haven’t preordered this one yet you’ve still got a couple days to do so!

This might just be Darby Kane's best work yet. At least for me. I completely binged this book and was utterly shocked by every twist and turn it took. I've read a lot of locked room mysteries (one of my favorite tropes) and thought The Engagement Party was incredibly well done.

Sure, some of the elements won't surprise you. I feel like with any good thriller you should be able to guess a few of the things that are going to happen, because then when a huge twist comes, you truly won't see it coming. That's exactly how I felt reading this.

Whether you're already a Darby Kane fan, a locked-room thriller fan, or even if you're neither, I recommend checking this one out. It's definitely a good one.

Thank you, Willam Morrow and NetGalley for the eARC!

Reading about despicable characters generally turns me off on a book. When bad characters meet a justified reward then I'm a bit intrigued. I cannot say that this book made me feel good. A general sense of disgust stayed with me throughout the book because I couldn't find any likeable quality about these college friends. I did feel bad for Sierra who showed up to have a nice getaway. Little did she know the deaths that would follow.

I have seen a lot of mention of "I Know What You Did Last Summer". Since I never watched that movie, I cannot speak to it. I can say that this book reminds me of the board game Clue which I loved. Whodunnit? Who is the killer, how did they commit the crime and why?

This story became a page turner for me because I wanted to know what happened. There are several red herrings that didn't quite throw me off the scent. I had my killer and motive in mind from the beginning. As the story unfolded, I changed it a few times and at the end, I felt good. Is it bad to root for the killer? I find as I get older and older, I tend to sympathize with the "bad" guy more. Although truth be told, there were so many shallow characters in this story. Shallow not as two dimension. As in vain characters that come across as no value added. People who would stab you in the back in a heartbeat to get what they wanted. Showing off how they are doing better to make someone feel bad instead of celebrating for each other's successes. I did find this book a good reminder of how not to treat people.

Ms. Kane wrote a fast paced suspenseful thrilled that kept my attention til the end. Recommended for readers who enjoy seeing the dregs of "high society" cannibalize each other.

The Engagement Party was a fast paced wild ride of a closed room thriller, and I had a great time reading it.

When a group of college friends gather for an engagement party on a remote island only accessible via golf cart at low tide, secrets and lies from their past threaten to spill over into present day. Twelve years ago, their friend Emily was killed on the night of their graduation. The main suspect died shortly thereafter, and the case was closed. Several of the friends had been suspects, and the whole crew is hiding something. A body turns up on the island with a note threatening that the truth must come out, and the friends are in for a wild night fighting for survival.

The friends in this story are so very unlikable, but in a way that made them incredibly fun to read about. Alliances are formed pretty quickly once bad things start happening, and their night goes from bad to worse as accusations start flying around.

The book goes between someone’s notes about what happened to Emily all those years ago and the present day. The notes give rich detail about the background of our group of friends, making several of the characters more sympathetic as we learn more about them.

Overall, this book is just plain fun to read. Suspenseful, gossipy, shocking, twisted, and wholly atmospheric. I love a good locked room mystery, and this variation where the characters are all stuck on an island and scared about someone else potentially being there with them was so compelling and entertaining. It managed to surprise me a time or two and gave me slasher movie vibes with the jump scares and high tension.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A locked room setting and a cast of suspicious people, most who are “friends”, makes this book exactly what I love about thrillers. I didn’t know who I was more skeptical of amongst this crew and the tension/fear was tangible. Totally satisfying thriller with a great ending, highly recommend this one!!

The Engagement Party
By: Darby Kane

4 Stars

From the very beginning, this book has been a crazy ride. The author presents the reader with a group of college friends, past and present secrets, and an engagement party like no other. You find drama, murder, and romance while also finding sacrifice, friendship, and redemption. All on an isolated island.

I was really impressed with the storytelling in this book. The storyline and the characters were realistic and fun to follow. I only wish it had a fewer main characters. It made it a bit crowded feeling, and at times, it could get confusing. Overall, while an issue for me, this didn't take away from the thrill of the overall story. I really did enjoy it.

I would be failing in my review if I didn't throw in that the ending was a BIG shock. One I never guessed or saw coming. I loved it.

I am definitely going to be looking more into this author.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

It took me a moment to get into this one, but once I did, I was hooked! And that final twist??!! I did NOT see that coming. The entire book was worth that one last twist, I was blindsided!

First off, this cover is fabulous! And I love a good locked room/remote location thriller!

Twelve years ago, on graduation weekend, Emily died, and her friend group has never been the same.

Will has them all assembling on a remote private island in Maine for his engagement party. And none of them are really happy to be there. There are too many secrets and things they don't discuss.

Not long after everyone makes their way to this island, they discover a dead body in the trunk of a car and realize there might be a killer on the island. Now come the doubts and questions. Who is it? Someone they know? One of them?

Soon all the secrets slowly start to be revealed. This was a great read and one I struggled to put down. A fascinating, not so likeable cast of characters and a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Thiller Book Lovers Engagement for an ARC of this gem in exchange for my honest review!

This is pitched as I Know What You Did Last Summer meets And Then There Were None which sounded interesting but WOW was it bad. Dumb plot, characters with motivations that made no sense and it was way too long. Sorry to be a hater but here I am.

Thank you the publisher for a free Netgalley.

I love a good locked door, secluded location suspense book. Though I feel a twist or two could be guessed, this one was an absolute page turner. And to be honest there are so many twists, you're definitely not guessing them all. Kane wrote a solid book with this one. I loved the plot and the characters were the perfect mixture of likable and unlikable, which is necessary to me in a thriller.

Definitely recommend this upcoming thriller that releases in December!

My heart was racing out of my chest! I was on the edge of my seat and could not devour it fast enough. I am a major fan of locked room/isolated island murder mystery and this one was amazing.

Every thriller fan needs to have this on their TBR! If you are fans of The Glass Onion, One of the Girls, and The Only Survivors, you are going to love this book!

****Many thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions, @williammarrowbooks, Darby Lane, and NetGalley for my gifted copy in turn for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounding up to 5 stars on Goodreads.

My review will be posted on Instagram (@thriller_book_sisters) on 12/1/23.

Twelve years ago after her college graduation, Emily went missing and no one noticed until the next afternoon, but someone knew what happened. Fast forward to present day…when an invitation arrives for an engagement party weekend, there are those that have no desire to attend, they are trying to forget about their past and spending the weekend together is not a good idea, especially with all the secrets they have kept over the years. Arriving at the remote island location, they soon find out that they have no cell service and are cut off until the storm passes and it’s low tide. One night should not be too much of a problem, right? Wrong! When a body is found with connections to their college days and Emily, they are all spooked, and as the hours progress, they no longer know who they can trust. As the body count rises, it’s each man/woman for themselves until someone finally tells the truth about that fateful weekend twelve years ago. This locked room mystery premise has been done before, numerous times. There were some different aspects, but not enough to make this one unique. An OK read, but nothing to write home about.Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to my partners, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and NetGalley, and the author. I appreciate the gifted eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝑰𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 - The island setting was perfect for this twist on a locked-room thriller. A raging storm stranding a group of friends on an island with a killer - does it get better?!

2. 𝑲𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 - This is the heart of the story. Who is running around the island killing people who weren’t supposed to be there in the first place and antagonizing everyone else. Even when we figure it out, we actually don’t!

3. 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 - The enormity of the secrets that this group of friends held for so many years is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. As the truths are revealed, we see some closure happen.

4. 𝟖𝟎𝒔 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒆 𝑽𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔 - I mean there are six of you and one “cop,” and you just all zip tie your hands together because he asks. Not likely.

5. 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 - Sometimes bad things happen when they are not intended to get to certain points, and oftentimes, these things haunt people for life. It is quite apparent in this story that this is the case until it all comes to a tumultuous ending.

The Engagement Party is a closed door mystery with atmosphere that keeps turning the pages.

The book is told from multiple pov's and has you guessing if anyone of the college friends are telling the truth about what happened 12 years ago when one of their group vanished on graduation night.

The characters for the most part were unlikeable but I thought why would be they be likeable hiding a secret as to who killed Emily all those years ago.

All of them have something to lose.

Trust no one.

Its a wild read that keeps the pages turning and the reader guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks for thrilling read.

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 on here)

Thank you Thrillerbookloverspromotions , Darby Kane , and William Morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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Okay this cover drew me in immediately. There is just something about a house on a cliff near water that just draws me in and makes me want to read the book! I absolutely loved locked room thrillers because I feel like when an author does it justice (and Kane definitely does it justice), they create an ambiance and atmosphere that is just so suspenseful and keeps the reader on their toes the entire time. Kane definitely knows how to create the characters in a way that the reader becomes invested in learning more about them and figuring out what actually happened all those years ago. I also loved how she used multiple character POV because you could definitely get in their heads more and understand what they were experiencing. Overall, if you love a good suspenseful thriller, make sure to pick this one up!

What a wild, twisted ride this one was. And THAT ENDING! I know readers sometimes complain about reading so many books they forget what they've read but that ending is forever imprinted on my mind. As you can see - Oh The Engagement Party how I loved thee, let me count the ways.

Overview of my favorites:

- gorgeous cover (check)
- isolated island/locked room mystery (check)
- a bunch of unlikable liars stuck together on the said island (check)
- elements of slasher movies (check)
- an unsolved mystery from their college years (check)
- outlandishly wild but also wildly entertaining things keep happening (check)

Lets start with this beautiful, dark, gloomy cover. It captures the vibe of the story perfectly. A group of old college friends very reluctantly accept the invitation to attend an engagement party on a very isolated island and of course get stuck there, cut off from the rest of the world with a killer on the loose.

Darby Kane just knows how to entertain. If like me, you find joy in unlikable characters who do really dumb and awful stuff, you will definitely enjoy this one! Best read in one sitting, while ignoring life and responsibilities! And again - THAT ENDING! That alone made it a 5 star for me!

A huge thank you to William Morrow, Thriller Book Lovers Promo & netgalley for getting this ARC into my hands in exchange for an honest review.

This twisty locked room mystery takes place on a private island in Maine. Six college friends have gathered for an engagement party and it's all fun and games until a body is found in the trunk of a car. One of the guests knows exactly who this uninvited person is, and knows their sketchy past! This thriller has all the good stuff with unlikeable characters, dark secrets and lies, questionable motives and a massive storm all set in a perfect atmospheric location! This is my second read by @hkdimon and I'm excited to read more!

This was a fun and fast paced "thriller lite" kind of book. Some of the twists I saw coming and some I didn't and for that, I appreciate the writing style and way she kept the reader fully engaged until the bitter end!

This book was action packed from start to finish and loaded with unreliable characters. We start off by being introduced to the characters while also receiving glimpses into the life of their friend who died on their graduation day. With all of the characters, and multiple POVs there were times where I found myself a bit confused. I was able to guess the ending but there were so many twists throughout that you are left guessing the whole time. Even in the last few chapters, the twists did not stop coming. This was my first Darby Kane book and I found it to be a suspenseful, fun, quick read!