First book I’ve read by this author. I’ll read another Wendy Clarke.

The twists, turns, secrets and suspicions that weave in the book keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I didn’t get drawn to one person that was likeable. They all have their secrets on this quiet street.

The end, I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy.

Rachel is not looking forward to moving to Pond Close, a cul-de–sac suburban neighborhood, especially since she is having to leave the older home that she and her husband Owen loved as it was their dream home. But Owen’s last couple of books didn’t do well on the charts, and he says that moving closer to his childhood home will be good for his mind to think of new ideas. So Rachel reluctantly agrees to move their lives, but she’s not looking forward to it, especially as they have just received bad news about their dreams of starting a family.

But once they do make the move, Rachel can’t help but notice that her neighbors are always staring at their house. It turns out that a young girl named Maddie accidentally drowned in the pond in the middle of the neighborhood, and she used to live at Number 2 as well. However, she is told that the previous owner didn’t have any children, so where did Maddie come from? Why is her neighbor Phillipa’s name written on the wall in what Owen swears to be paint, but looks like blood to Rachel? And why is no one saying anything to Phillipa about the way she treats her daughter, Lexi? Rachel takes it upon herself to find everything out, but she may be in over her head, especially since she seems to have tangled herself up in something like this before.

Clarke certainly has a knack for creating characters that you learn to love, hate, and despise with every fiber of your being. She is creating flawless stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. I could not wait to finish this book, even neglecting a bit of my real job to finish this book! She certainly knows how to create the unreliable narrators, since they hold secrets about everything until the very end. I was not a big fan of either Rachel or Owen, who you are following throughout the story, but they are not perfect, so their characters cannot be either. I also think the title could have been better, but that is not easy to come up with. I will certainly look out for her next book!

A big thank you to Bookouture for allowing me to participate in this book tour! Make sure to check out the other reviews!

Rating: 4/5 ⭐

This psychological thriller starts with Rachel and her husband, Owen, relocating into a new neighborhood, where the residents are primarily friendly at face value. Yet, dark secrets reveal themselves behind the village’s mask as the story develops.

The crucial moment occurs when Rachel observes Phillipa verbally abusing and neglecting her young daughter Lexi at the welcome party. Lexi almost fell into a pond, and Phillipa did not give a damn. Rachel is triggered by her trauma of being told that she might never be able to have children. She gets obsessed with rescuing Lexi from her carefree mother.

On the other hand, although she shows her husband that she will put the past behind her, Rachel concludes that Philippa is not worthy of becoming a mother. Her goal is to make friends with Philippa and get close to Lexi, willing “to do anything.” This drives the plot with tension and mystery.

Maternal instinct is a recurring theme in the narrative. She desires to be accepted in the new community, but the child’s safety takes precedence. Her complicated motives make the reader ponder how far she will be between this dangerous mother-and-daughter duo.

This book will catch the reader from the beginning, when masks start falling, and secrets await just around the corner, ready to destroy the town’s polished façade. It will appeal to the readers of character-focused thrillers exploring shades of grey between good and evil under the pressure of primal instincts. I highly recommend this book; it is a fascinating psychological thriller!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Garden Party is a top notch physcological thriller! It had me wholly invested as the story flows beautifully. With heart pounding twists on nearly every page I never knew what to expect so it kept me on my toes. The characters develop as the story progresses we get little glimpses into their pasts. Throughout the book I could feel something dark lurking but it felt like it was in shadow.The author has written a well thought out page turner here and it's plotted so uniquely that it is impossible not to love.If you enjoy thrilling mysteries then this is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this novel for review purposes.

I have been disappointed with this genre of late; the plots are starting to feel stale and copied from one novel to the next. Then The Garden Party came along!

I read this novel thinking I had it all figured out and was just reading it because the story lines held my interest. The end was quite the bomb, I loved it! I would give it 5+ if I could.

I will be looking for more from this author.

I loved this book. Brilliant from start to finish. Fast paced, suspenseful, addictive. I could not put this down.

My Review: What an engaging story, I enjoyed it fully and couldn't wait to weave my way through the many twists, turns, secrets and suspicions found throughout the book. It's told from the husband and wife's perspective, Owen and Rachel, with hers being more dominant. Owen an author whose book sales are dwindling, so much so they move to No2 Pond Close, a small place where the neighbours all intermingle. Rachel is haunted by the backstory of her home, and the child she cannot have, she bonds and becomes very protective over Lexi, believing that the babes mother doesn't care about her. Owen has his own secret he is hiding. You'll have to read to find out more, I certainly recommend this well written book.

I would call this neighborhood the bizarre block. I got a creepy vibe immediately after the first chapter and not just from the new neighbors.
There was something off about Owen and Rachel. There’s something a bit off about each one of them.
I marveled at how engrossed Rachel is in everybody else’s business and how antisocial Owen is.
I felt like I was peering out of the curtains surveying the street as I read.
Clarke cleverly tied it all together, with an interesting twist between Owen and Rachel, which I didn’t see coming.
The read will keep you apprised of the neighborhood gossip.

I honestly did not know where the plot of this book was going, didn't know who to trust, the characters weren't particularly likeable, was wondering how it was all going to come together. Once the twists start coming, they start coming. I did not see any of them coming at all. Some real heart stopping moments, full of suspense which makes a great page tuener. Another great read from Wendy Clarke which had me up reading a lot later than I should have been. Can't wait to read more by this fabulous author.

The Garden Party is a complex thriller full of misleading tips with a great pace and a valuable lesson, someone’s past often shapes you into what you become as an adult. This book is a great domestic thriller, well written and with a great pace and a suspenseful vibe.

We follow Owen and Rachel, that moved to a neighborhood where Rachel hopes it will be a fresh start. However, everyone seems to be hiding something, and you begin to wonder if they’re the only ones doing it. There’re multiple POV’s, dark pasts, affairs, and a lot of secrets.

I felt like the end was not for me, since the author decided to explain everything and how everything connected, I normally prefer a normal ending. It has a lot of twists and turns making it an engaging book since the start.

Thank you, Bookouture & NetGalley, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #TheGardenParty by #WendyClarke. I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. From the affair to the drowning girl to the murdered people, it captivated me. I highly recommend!

I absolutely love Wendy Clarke's writing and she has written another fabulous thriller with " The Garden Party".

Best selling author, Owen, and his wife Rachel, move into a friendly cu-de-sac and their lovely new neighbours throw a garden party to welcome them. Owen is in a writing slump, him and Rachel, have had fertility struggles and Rachel had an affair with another man. So a new start is exactly what they need. Rachel is drawn into the neighbour's lives, and is particularly intrigued about the little girl who drowned in the pond in the garden of their new house. As she starts to connect the dots, she is afraid for another little girl who lives in the close.

Owen has locked himself away in his office, working hard on his next book while trying hard to hold his marriage together and be "enough" for his wife.

Something definitely felt off and when it all started to unfold I was stunned. But the first reveal was just the start of it and when it snowballed, with twist after twist, I could put the book down. Hell, I could hardly even breathe! Absolutely brilliant - the plot, the characters, the pace, the writing, all of it!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Wendy Clarke and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

March 11, 2024
I have loved Wendy's Clarke's last book The Night Out, so was thrilled to get this one too.
This was just as compulsive and compelling as that book. I loved the pace of it, the drama just continued and I found I was half way through the book without ever blinking!
There are plenty of characters to follow, but I didn't find it difficult as they were extremely well written and clearly defined.
This has a dramatic ending, which I have come to expect from this author.
Loved it.

You know when a book is good when you don't predict the outcome. I managed to read this in 2 days it was that great.
When Rachel and Owen have to downsize due to her husbands last book not as good as a success as his previous one their house and move to a smaller one they have hopes he will get inspirations again and write a best seller. Rachel isn't as keen as Owen on the house but soon makes a new friend. Something that happened before the move concerning Rachel raises concerns from. Owen when she is offered the job of housework and looking after her little girl by one of her neighbours. When Rachel finds out that the little girl that had lived in their house drowned in the pond near to their houses she is worried, Things soon start to happen that will change theirs and others lives for ever.
This book was just brilliant. I would never have guessed the ending . Highly recommend reading it.
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This book was amazing! another great book by this author. never disappoints!

I was hooked by the first page! This was executed and written very well ! Had you on the edge of your seat and OHHHHH that ending.

This book was jammed with twists turns and suspense. Just couldnt put it down.

I will recommend this book and the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

The Garden Party by Wendy Clarke is another amazing, suspenseful psychological thriller.
I was completely immersed in this clever story which was executed brilliantly with some nerve-jittering suspense and, for me, the ending was great.
Packed to the rafters with twists, tension and suspense. Her characters are exceptional as is her writing and it was utterly gripping from the start. I highly recommend The Garden Party.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

My mind is blown and my jaw is on the floor! I never, ever saw that ending coming. This book gives new meaning to the phrase "mind games". Wendy Clarke has toyed with my mind and my emotions while reading this book.

Owen and Rachel have moved into a new neighborhood hoping for a new beginning. Owen is a best selling writer who is in a slump. Rachel is devastated because their IVF treatments were unsuccessful. She just wants a child. Owen is worried about her mental well being. When Rachel finds out that a tragedy occurred right outside her new home years ago, she is like a dog with a bone wanting to find out more. The neighbors are beyond strange. Some of them are snooty and others are just downright unfriendly. Rachel is not happy with her current situation. Owen stays holed up in his office writing his newest novel, and she is alone much of the time which allows her mind to go places that it should not go. Something has to give.

The two main characters were very complex and a little strange. Rachel was not my favorite character. However, I felt pity for her. She really did want to be a mom, and everyone needs human contact. Owen was very unlikable and demanding. I realize he had a lot on his mind while writing his book, but his wife needed him. He was so abrupt and rude, even to their neighbors. He was one of those characters that I had no problem hating.

This book was completely addictive. I knew we were headed down a pathway that was not going to end well, but I would have never imagined the ending in this book in a million years. My jaw is still on the floor. It was shocking, but it was also a little satisfying. I am still shaking my head. I would give this thriller well over five stars if I could.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rachel and Owen moves to a new neighbourhood to do a fresh start and escape from the past. The house they move in, is beautiful but soon Rachel becomes suspicious of it because of strange and creepy things that happens in the house. While the neighbours are really good, they organised this garden party to welcome them. Owen is an author and he is working on a project. Rachel gets to know her neighbours. There is something about Phillipa that bothers her and evokes the feeling that she must protect Lexi. The neighbourhood is also full of secrets. Rachel gets tangled in a secrets, mystery and all the creepy occurrences in the house. She came here to escape from her unsettling past but this all seems to be a trap to her now. Will she be able to figure out things?

The book is mind blowing, twisted and unputdownable. It has creepy elements too. The revelations at the end were so frightening. There are so many twists and turns in this book. There are deadly secrets and mystery of the house and neighbourhood. The pace is medium. I would highly recommend it.

Many Thanks to Netgalley, Author and Publisher.

3.5 stars

The Garden Party is a domestic thriller full of secrets, mystery, illusive pasts, and shady neighbors.

It follows Rachel and her author husband Owen as they move to a new neighborhood with a past that pushes past heartbreak to the forefront for Rachel.

This book was compelling and well written. The characters had enough grit to pull me in but not quite enough to make me love, hate or root for them in any significant way. I did enjoy the way the story weaves into different directions that I did not see coming however I wish some of the back stories were more fleshed out.

I will definitely grab another book by this author. Happy Reading!


Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this ARC for my honest review

Rachel and Owen move to a tiny neighborhood close to where Owen grew up in hopes of a new start after some troubles in their old life lead them to desire a fresh start. Owen is a bestselling author whose last few books haven’t quite cracked the list so he’s hoping that a change of scenery will inspire him with that as well. Rachel in turn, is hoping to put her past fertility struggles behind her, but the ongoing lore about a child who lived in their new home and drowned in the pond behind it is making that difficult for her. When the neighbors throw them a welcoming garden party, Rachel discovers that they all have secrets, and go out of their way to try to keep them covered but also to blow the cover on each other. In particular, Phillippa seems to have some kind of a connection to the dead girl, and Rachel struggles to figure out what it is as well as with how she seems to not care for the young child she has when Rachel wanted a child so bad and couldn’t have one.
The story is told from both Rachel and Owen’s POV and was a slow burn. It was a super quick read for me with enough suspense to keep me engaged and the ending was unexpected.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.