I wanted to like this book so much more. But reality is the author was trying so hard to make a twist that caught you off-guard it just became….unlikable. None of the characters were likable except maybe Nicholas. But even he wasn’t great. Overall it was an ok listen but it didn’t do it for me. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ALC

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

2.5 stars.

While this book was definitely a page turner for me - I really wanted to find out all the secrets of the past college friends and who killed The Girl at the Party - there were a lot of things that left me uneasy or saying "huh?"

Spoilers below.

The uneasy: I feel like this book may be ableist. There's a character with a brain injury that seemingly leads him to act in erratic ways he cannot control. He is constantly put down by most of the characters who have no pity on him for his literal disability. There's an attitude of "he needs to get his sh*t together and stop acting like this" but on his own without any real help. He relies on his sister since he was little as his caretaker since their parents quite frankly, suck. She suffers for this, and it's reiterated that her life is worse because she always has to take care of him and clean up all his messes since no one else will. And the parentification is really messed up. But like...... It's not his fault? And no one is actually getting him the assistance he needs, just berating him for what he can't help.

The "huh?": Following the uneasy, then this disabled character has a change of heart due to the final events of the book and "wakes up" to get his act together?? So was he actually not disabled and using it as an excuse? It doesn't seem that way either. His sister basically decides to leave him behind after all this and live her own life, so he's on his own now, I guess. They sort of touch on the codependency issues she had with him, but the disability part is just so???? He needs help?? I just don't think how the book handled it all was 'right' or 'good'. More "huh?"s include one of the narrators sticking to his standards of exposing the truth of all their friends, even himself, as they all have to face what they've done and find out who killed their friend. But then, at the end of the book, he just doesn't expose the other narrator because he loves her so much and she deserves to heal... And then she doesn't even end up with him even though everyone in the book including them, thought they were destined to be together?? She ends up with a coworker in the desert or something. The last "huh" I'll talk about is the podcast production - the whole point is that these two narrators are making a podcast about the killing of their friend. They start out having two interviews with two friends, which are like 20 minutes each, and then it's like next week and the guy is editing tens of hours of podcast material?? They do not mention what else has been recorded at all. What is he editing?? What are they doing the rest of the weeks that happen in the book?? They're barely doing any work at all but all this time passes. They meet at a "recording studio" a couple times and it's said that they find sponsors for the podcast but it's just not fleshed out enough. It makes the podcast production sort of an afterthought and it really took me out.

The good: I thought the twists were pretty great! Some were a bit predictable but then they all had a second sort of twist to them that left me satisfied. I liked the unraveling of most of the characters from the facade they hoped to portray to their friends and the rest of the world. Most of their behavior was believable to me, but certainly could have gone deeper into each character, especially the girl who died.

All in all, it was a flawed quick listen that fellow thriller enjoyers may like, but not love, if they can move past some of the issues I couldn't.

The girl at the party
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This whodunnit story line is based around a group of college friends and told in the present with flashbacks to the past, as Chris and Laura try to solve Stephanie’s murder.
2/3rds in I think it became quite apparent who the killer was and their motives.
The best part of this audiobook was the narrator, she made the book completely. engaging and easy to listen to.
If you enjoy a fast paced crime thriller,
Then this was an easy read with plenty of engaging parts.

I absolutely loved this. It’s quick, it’s smart it’s believable and it’s gripping from the beginning. True to the blurb a girl goes missing from a party. Years later two friends get together and in a series of podcasts they unpick the night of Stephanie’s murder with some seriously shocking revelations. I can genuinely say that the twist at the end I didn’t see coming. The audible narration by Stephanie cannon was excellent as well. Look out for this on its release date of 12th July. #jorecommends

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookature audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

DNF @29%

I love books that use a podcast to solve a murder (even though I don’t care for actual podcasts) so this should have been right up my alley. I also like stories that flash between “now” and “then” but here it just dragged. I also don’t feel like I know Stephanie at all (I don’t really know anyone but she’s the one I know the least ans since this is about her death, that’s odd).

This is too slow for me; particularly with an overdone premise. The characters aren’t like able or fun to read either. They’re…wooden. Sorry!

The Girl at the Party by Danielle Stewart
(Narrated by Stephanie Cannon)

Stephanie was murdered 5 years ago and she was last seen in the college graduate party. The tight knit group of friends were never close again after this murder happened. 5 years later, this murder case still remained unsolved. Chris, a podcast host and also one of Stephanie's close friends, decided to investigate this cold case and put this on air in his podcast program. He invited Laura who was another college friend to join the hosting.

When Chris and Laura interviewed other college friends, there were lots of secrets revealed along the investigation. Was the murderer one of their friends?

This is a slow-burnt thriller. It is a very new concept to present the crime in a podcast style. With the dual timelines and POVs, the story is more compacted and it provides more clues for readers to follow. The characters are well written, especially their personalities. The double twists ending is surprising as well!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and Danielle for the copy!

Format: Audiobook (8h35m)
Pub date: July 12, 2023

I absolutely loved this book! It was so interesting and really had me guessing! I honestly thought I had it figured out! But then you start finding things out and you’re like ohhh okay, okay, but then more comes out, and more, and more! By the time I got to the end I was actually shocked! I had no idea that’s where this book was headed! I’m trying to do my review without spoilers if anyone’s wondering! Lol! But anyways, it’s definitely worth the read and I’ll be checking out more books from this author!

✨B O O K R E V I E W✨
The Girl at the Party | Danielle Stewart

Format: audio
My Rating: 👍🏼
Steam: none
Genre: thriller
Goodreads Rating: 3.84
Pub date: July 12, 2023

First and foremost the narrator of this audiobook was SO good! To be able to carry out an entire book with multiple POVs + alternating timelines and doing it so flawlessly has me applauding her.

This thriller is for all of you “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” fans! Chris and Laura - two college best friends are using Chris’ podcast to solve the murder of their friend Stephanie after 5 years of wondering why the police have called it a cold case. Centering on the podcast was really intriguing to me. The conducting of interviews with other college friends and family was super interesting to me.

The close knit group of friends that were all at the party the night of Stephanie’s murder had all moved on with their lives. We got to see where they all were now while also following along with their stories of that eventful night. One of them killed Stephanie and everyone else has a different idea of who it could have been.

While this book wasn’t super thrilling and earth shattering, it was fast paced and twisty and I recommend it for sure! I was about 80% in when I suspected the murderer so that’s a win in my book!

Read if you like:
•multiple POVs
•alternating timelines
•whodunnit mysteries
•A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series

Thank you @netgalley for the early audiobook in exchange for my review.

I loved this book! I was hooked from the moment I started it. I also love when I think I know who the murderer is, but then I’m wrong but everything still fits together and makes sense. This book was well planned and executed perfectly!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

On the last night at college before they all part ways after graduation, a group of friends hold a party at their off-campus house. It is from this party that Stephanie disappeared. Her disapeance and subsequent discovery and murder are poorly investigated by the police department and the case quickly turns cold.
Five years later we catch up with Laura. Laura, who earned a nursing degree but is working as a barista. She is accosted by Chris, her former love interest, about doing a podcast about Stephanie. She reluctantly agrees, but as they discover that the killer must have been someone they all knew, and threats are escalating, it is a race to see what can be discovered.

I found this book to be quite enjoyable and the murder mystery to be engaging. I would have appreciated a bit more character development, especially with our victim, but perhaps the author intended her to be a mystery to us just as she was to her friends. Watching as the investigation out chinks in the facade of all players was very interesting. Overall I would recommend this book and look forward to reading another book by Danielle Stewart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my advance copy of this book.

A slow burn murder mystery. Stephanie was last seen at a party then was murdered. That was 5 years ago and the case remains unsolved. Two of her best friends decide to do a podcast exploring the case and solving the mystery. The deeper they go the more secrets are revealed
This is a quick listen with the traditional telling of the story from 2 pov..Different characters were voiced in a way we believed. I like the revelling of the story through the podcast. I found some of the secrets a tad tame and hard to believe they would have caused the effects they did. In places it was predictable but good selective writing meant i was blown away by the final twist which i didnt guerse.
This is a solid 4 star listen. The use of a podcast gives the story a more interesting take. I would like to have had a few more characters have their own pov rather than 2. Well worth your time just fir the ending.
Thank uou net gallery and bookculture audio for my arc.

Name of Book: The Girl at the Party
Author: Danielle Stewart
Narrator: Stephanie Cannon
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Pub Date: July 12, 2023
My Rating: 3.78 Stars
Pages: 294

Story is told from the POV of Laura and Chris and it told in a dual timeline
Then -2013 the year of the party and
Now - 2018 the podcast investigation.

The party in question occurred when college friends are getting ready to graduate. Stephanie is not a party girl and all her friends know that. Laura her friend invites her to the house she shares with other college students. She tells Stephanie that it will be dinner with only the two of them. However Laura’s younger brother Jake who has issues and isn’t popular, decides he can gain popularity by having a party and so it does.
Stephanie is disappointed when she arrives dressed up and finds a big party. After most of her friends are drunk and she doesn’t drink so she decides to walk back to her dorm alone. On the way she is attacked and killed.
Her killer isn’t found and the case has gone cold.

Chris has a successful ‘True Crime’ podcast where he got an anonymous tip regarding another cold case and the police were able to solve that time!
He approaches his college friend Laura as he is excited about the successful True Crime podcast and decides it would be a good time to try to draw attention to the unsolved murder of their friend Stephanie.
As they start interviewing their friends who were at the party, both Chris and Laura get a one word message ` STOP “. Hmmm it appears they are getting close to something that someone doesn’t want revealed.

Story kept me curious. Always love a thriller with a twist!
Plus the narrator was great!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Date Scheduled for July 12, 2023.

The Girl at the Party was an okay read. I liked the main character and all of her family issues. The narrator did a good job.

The Girls at the Party focuses on Chris and Lauren's search for the person who murdered their friend four years earlier. As a part of their investigation, the two reconnect with their old friends and realise things weren't exactly how they remembered them.

For a novel about a podcast, there wasn't a lot of the podcast in here. The podcast serves as a catalyst for the investigation of the murder but, honestly, I expected there to be more of the podcast in the novel, rather than just mentions of it. It would have been nice to have extracts from it so we could see why the podcast was going viral after a trailer and pilot episode.

Most of the characters we are introduced to have their own issues and secrets about the night their friend Stephanie was murdered. Unfortunately, I picked what happened to Stephanie and who ultimately committed the crime so that did take some of the fun out of it. I found the main characters unlikeable. Chris's motivations are unclear and Lauren has serious codependency issues.

The alternating view points and shifting time periods left the action moving. All that said, it was a nice story to while away a sick day.

This story is about a group of college kids who have an end of the year party, and one of them ends up dead at the end.
It goes back and forth from the night of the party, to five years later when two of the friends start a podcast to try to find out who murdered their friend.

I was completely absorbed into this book - the audio was fantastic and I couldn’t pull myself away from it. It kept me guessing the whole time!
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

It’s 2013, and the friends are celebrating their senior year at the house on Winfield Lane. It’s an evening to relax and enjoy, but that’s anything from what happens… little so they know one of their own, Stephanie, is brutally murdered. Now that’s all anyone can think about when it comes to that evening. Chris, who was there, has made a name for himself in the world of true crime podcasts, and looks to the murder of his friend for his next viral story. But as he begins talking with his old friends he realizes that it’s own of their own that is responsible for her murder.

Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook. I just so happened to have a lot of driving time and finished it in less than 24 hours. The story was easy to follow, and the narration was enjoyable to listen to. I would not consider this to be a “deep” book, but I did find the discussions of rape and trauma to be worthwhile. I would like to consider myself pretty good at figuring out the “killer”
In these types of mysteries, but I kept guessing until the end, which I certainly can appreciate. My only gripe is that this book fits a similar mold to others in this genre. But nonetheless very enjoyable to listen.

The Girl at the Party by Danielle Stewart, narrated by Stephanie Cannon is absolutely brilliant psychological thriller with many twists you will not expect!
Narrator, Stephanie Cannon, did an amazing job, I can't believe there was just one narrator! She managed to change her voice so it was easy to switch from character to character. The narrator and author seem to work perfectly together to create a magical listening experience!
At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with "who is who" as there were quite a few names to remember but once I was in, I was in.
I liked that book was intense and made you guess, who did it?
5 years ago 8 best college friends decided to arrange their last party where things go terribly wrong and Stephanie gets killed. They get united as Chris goes viral with his true-crime podcast. Chris decides to use his podcast to find out who killed Stephanie. Chris convinces Laura, his college crush, to work with him and they both start this dangerous hunt. Everyone has their own secrets, and everyone has hidden skeletons but just one of them could be the guilty one? Or will this be a random accident where Stephanie was in the wrong place at the wrong time?
The story was told in two timelines - now and past and from different character POV.
I will definitely look out for the next Danielle Stewart book!
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the chance to listen to this audiobook.
#TheGirlattheParty #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me this ARC.

This book pulled me into the story from the start. It was a great quick read over a past and present line. love the podcast idea its so prevalent in society today.

Ever since our best friend Stephanie was found murdered four years ago, I’ve been haunted by the feeling that I should have done more. The eight of us at the party were inseparable—and we always thought she was the perfect one. The one who stayed out of trouble. The one who always looked out for us…

But when we discover more about the events leading up to that fateful night, I realise that our friend was far from perfect. The golden girl was keeping secrets. Secrets that someone would kill to keep quiet. The more I learn about that night, I realise I never really knew her at all.

And as we get closer to the truth of what happened, the threats start. A warning message is keyed onto my car. Then the house is broken into, and my belongings are destroyed. The killer is watching us, and they are coming out of the shadows…

Slamming the door shut behind her, Stephanie takes one last look at the party where her best friends are busy celebrating. As the drinks are poured and music blasts, she disappears into the darkness alone. Some say she was crying.
Others think they heard an argument that night.
But we never saw her alive again...
First and foremost. I love the cover. For sure made me want to give this book a try. The narrator was a perfect choice. Had me hooked from this first words spoken.
The plot synopsis for sure had me intrigued and gave me the ‘ unreliable narrator’ & ‘ who dun it?’ Kind of vibes and I haven’t read a good book like that in awhile. Family drama for sure got kind of old but wasn’t too bad.
Overall not a bad book/audio book, for sure could have gotten to the point faster. I kind of guessed the killer or had a general idea of who it was about 60% through.
3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for a ARC audio in exchange for a honest review.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Girl At The Party
Danielle Stewart

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another new author ...another brilliant psychological thriller to add to my list!

Years after Stephanie's unsolved murder, Chris revisits his old college friends to re-open the case for his true crime podcast.
Starting with Laura who becomes invested due to the complications and her past relationship with Chris, she agrees to help him to look into the case and solve it once and for all.

Told from these two pov's helped us to get a feel for the two differing personalities and approaches to getting the information from their old friends.
I loved how they were totally different - Chris with his reporter head on and Laura taking the caring, friendly approach.

As they dig, more and more information comes to light that shows that each of the friends had something to hide and things that were going on for them in their own lives that meant they could have been responsible.

To add to the drama, someone is threatening both Chris and Laura to make them stop the podcast and to stop asking questions.

We also follow the story over the two timelines, back to the time of the party and the present day.
It was great to see how the friends were back then and what they'd each done with their lives.

It was a great presentation that gave us so many differing insights and led me to make so many differing theories as of course, it could have been any of them at any point.
I loved the twist at the end. I'd made my final theory and thought I'd been proven right...onky to have the final twist thrown in.

This was a fast-paced thriller with tension and mystery thtoughout.
The characters were varied and relatable in both the past and present which holds your interest.
A really enjoyable read and I'd be keen to read more by this author.



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕