An uninvited guest threatens to ruin an intimate family gathering on a sprawling hunting estate in the newest novel from Triona Walsh.

This one took me a bit longer to get into than the last one by this author. I just wasn't quite as invested in the characters as I was in the last one, but that's probably due to the nature of the group-- a small family gathering just doesn't lend itself to as wide range of characters as a small town. The first quarter of the book is definitely a slow burn.... BUT once things get rolling you can't put it down. It's definitely worth a read! I'm looking forward to more from this author!

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

The blurb for this book made me want to listen to it, sadly it wasn’t the best book I have listened to.
The narrator was great, but the story, not so much. The Party, which wasn’t really a party, was just family members getting together one weekend.
It was slow building with little WOW factor.
Everyone seemed to be devious and when the reveal happened, I just wasn’t surprised.
Sadly, not for me

This thriller/mystery was the perfect audiobook for my road-trip! The narrator’s accent fit perfect for this story set in Ireland. This story is from the viewpoint of Lizzie, fresh out of rehab and trying to win her families trust again. Readers are instantly hooked from the prologue and each chapter’s cliffhanger makes it hard to put down. This would be a great and quick read for anyone who loves mysteries.

Widow, Claire and her children, Lizzie, freshly out of rehab and Liam are back together for Claire’s wedding to George, after a whirlwind 6 months romance. They are joined at George’s remote mansion by his daughter and newlywed American husband. However, the day takes a dramatic turn when Claires dead husband shows up. Declan admits he faked his death and left Claire to pick up the pieces of his failed business. Emotions become fractious and Declan says he is not going anywhere without reuniting his marriage and family life. However, the next morning, Declan is found dead and this time he is definitely dead. Due to the remoteness and high security surrounding the mansion, the murderer has to be one of the wedding party.
Plenty of twists throughout, some of the characters seemed rather flawed and a little unrealistic but persevere, an entertaining read and the ending is worth it.

The Party is a slow burn thriller that kept me engaged from the beginning. Claire is getting remarried when her “dead” husband shows up and she finds out he’s not dead. Then other things happen and it keeps you guessing till the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release.

I listened to The Party on Audio. The book was about a mixed family who finds themselves in a beautiful house in the middle of the forest. Things start going wrong after the first night's dinner party and it's a winding circle to find out what happened with some of the families' members previously.

Some parts of the book dragged on in a single scene and I did start to lose focus a bit with it being audio.

A solid 4 stars from me.

I loved the narration, it genuinely helped to build the story and I didn't see that plot twist coming!
I found parts of the story a little slow, that's my star off, but overall a fairly gripping, interesting thriller by a new to me author.

Thanks very much Netgalley for the ARC.

Lizzie has just finished rehab, she turned to alcohol due to the grief and anger of her father killing himself after ruining the family business. The final straw was when her brother Liam was injured in a car accident, due to Lizzie's drunk driving, so her mother- Claire booked her into St. Bridget's to get help.

Claire has just got remarried that morning to George and they are headed along with Liam to collect Lizzie so they they can have a family getaway and celebrate the marriage at George's secluded home in the countryside where they will meet up with George's daughter Freya. But soon after they arrive in the verdant surroundings things seems to take a very strange turn.

An excellent psychological thriller, action packed and gripping with many twists. I changed my mind about who could be the culprit numerous times thoughout and to me that is one sign of a good thriller. Freya was truly detestable and all the characters were well written and believable. A really great and exciting read.

The narrator was great, she has a really soothing accent

 with good character voicing enabling you to distinguish each person.

It was an interesting read, although I only found the story to be engaging in the last third or so of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

I feel like this book was too slow paced for me even though I don't think the author intended it to be that way. I think the premise was decent but the pacing was just off.

This story gives me slight "And Then There Were None" vibes - in the way that a group of people are together on vacation and one of them is murdered and the rest of the vacation we are trying to figure out "who dunnit." I did find it comical how some of the characters were walking around still going about their vacation while there was a dead body in the freezer. I legit laughed out loud when some characters were talking about doing yoga or meditating, it just made me giggle to think that they were acting so casual all things considered. I did enjoy that there was the larger mystery of who is the murderer as well as the smaller mystery of the cook and the brother. Overall, this was a good read.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me! I really found it to be a struggle to get through and wasn’t inclined to listen so took me awhile to get through. Very slow paced with not much in the way of twists to keep you engaged. I was just bored and found at times I didn’t even know what was going on. The characters felt very one dimensional and I wasn’t really endeared to any of them except Lizzie. The narration was ok for the storyline. I’ve yet to find out about “The Party” 🤷‍♀️.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to #TheParty

Started a little slow but that quickly turned. Two families uniting, secrets on both sides, betrayal, lies and death. Crazy turn of events. I just couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook. Great job on Narrating as well!!
This book was captivating, just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, who was doing what……I was wrong every single time. Great book! Worth the read! This is my first read(or listen) from this author but I will be reading more. Great job!!

The book has a good synopsis, great title and nice narration. It's not a bad read but a bit slow for my liking. The narrator did a good job, but she could use a bit more emotion throughout the audio--great vocals but lacking in emotional feel.
As a thriller, it's a very slow burn but I would recommend it with the caveat that Rome was not built in a day; thus, you must push through the slow burn to feel the fire.

📖Review
3🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 65/100
🎧📲📚The Party
💫Genre: Psychological Thriller
✍️Tríona Walsh
🗣 Narrator: Roisin Rankin

📝Synopsis 📝
Lizzie is freshly out of rehab, followed by the chaos she’s lived due to her father’s death. Her mother Claire picks her up with so many surprises that might be a bit too much for her, yet she is up for the “special weekend” they’re about to have!!! A new husband for mom, and a weekend of many secrets, lies, and deceit that awaits all!

💭My Thoughts 💭
This was a book with a promising premise, but it lacked a bit in the plot. The characters lacked an element, but the overall plot kept me engaged. The part that lacked for me was the connection of the title to the actual story. I liked the plot twist about dad and Liam, but I figured the killer out pretty quick on this one. The narration was great, but the story itself dragged a bit.

✨Thank you @netgalley & @bookouture for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
June 23, 2023
✨✨✨✨
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Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader Copy
This book is a wild ride. I did struggle connecting a bit with the story line, some things just seemed a bit unrealistic.

You thought your first husband was dead. But now you’re getting married again and he’s standing in front of you. Your blood turns to ice as he says it’s all a big misunderstanding. He’s back now, and he won’t ever let you go again…

It’s been five years since Declan O’Shea ’s death. Ever since, his widow Claire and their two children have been picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.

But now the family is healing. It’s the day of Claire’s wedding, at her adoring new groom’s remote country estate. The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses ring out in the warm evening air. It’s the fresh start they’ve all wished for.

Until a voice interrupts the perfect night. Declan steps out of the shadows. He says he still loves Claire – and he’ll stop at nothing to get his family back.

By morning, Declan O’Shea will have died for the second time.

Reading Between the Wines book review #71/115 for 2023:
Rating: 2.5🍷 🍷 🍷 (rounded to 3)
Book: The Party
Author: Triona Walsh
Available now! Released on June 23, 2023!!!

Sipping thoughts: I liked the premise of this book, but it was a slow burn at best. The third half of the book pushed my rating to a 3. I think the reveal was pretty good and had some really crazy, lying characters.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @BookoutureAudio for an advanced copy of @TheParty.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this book overall. It was a family getaway to celebrate the recent marriage of Claire and George. Both of Clairies children are in attendance and so is George's daughter with a surprise of her own. The start of the weekend is going well when all of a sudden an unexpected guest shows up to the party. To say this guest was a surprise is putting it very mildly as it turns out to be Claire's ex-husband who has been dead for 5 years. This is when things start to take a turn and no one can be trusted. Enjoy!!

I read and enjoyed this authors previous novel, The Snowstorm, last year and was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I found this one disappointing overall. The book lost me at the first twist. I found it hard to believe and the characters reaction to someone reappearing in their lives even more unbelievable and struggled to get past this. After the opening chapters the book slowed to a snails pace before picking up for the final third which I felt was the strongest section of the book.
I listened to the audiobook of this one and enjoyed the narration. I think I would have given up reading this but the strength of the narration kept me listening and I enjoyed the narrators voice.


2-2.5 stars.