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Review for 'The Surprise Party' by Julia Crouch.

Wow!!!! Well done Julia on another amazing success!!! An absolutely fantastic unputdownable psychological thriller. Extremely well written as are all Julia's books I have previously read with vivid descriptions that absorb you into the storyline. The storyline is chillingly realistic and it kept me on the edge of my seat and then on the edge of my bed until late at night as I just could not out it down!!! In this epic page turner Julia takes us on a holiday to a stunning Greek Island but the sun isn't the only thing heating the atmosphere up!! Julia brings the stunning scenery to life with her fantastic descriptions ensuring you are whisked off abroad along with each and every one of the characters. With bodies being found and secrets being hidden Julia will keep you hooked on this explosive psychological thriller from the very first page to the last!! With unexpected twists and turns I never would have worked out what was going on although I had loads of fun trying to work it out. Just when I thought I had it all worked out, yet again, Julia proves that she is a writing legend and proves me wrong yet again!!! I will never admit that to my partner mind as he knows I am always right but a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Julia for proving me wrong!! I have read countless crime and psychological thrillers so it is getting harder and harder to surprise me but Julia manages it every single time without fail!!! I was captivated throughout and the storyline was absolutely rammed with secrets, loss, love, deceit, suspense, tension, murder, twists , lies and red herrings all the way up until the very perfect ending. The characters were very strong and realistic but also several were very unlikeable!!! It is normally hard for me to enjoy a book but dislike the characters but this is something else that Julia has an amazing talent with and regardless of how I feel for her characters she hooks me in each and every single time and I cannot wait to get dragged back into another one of this amazing authors books!!

The characters were all realistic and strong and I was completely invested in them throughout. Julia's fantastic evocative descriptions really makes them jump out of the book and come to life in front of the readers eyes. Julia has done another absolutely amazing job of creating these amazing, unique and strong characters and it is just absolutely amazing!!! All of the characters were multi layered with complex personalities which definitely made them all the more interesting to read about!!! Unfortunately, I really can not say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for future readers. Regardless of what I thought about who, each character worked perfectly to make this page turning psychological thriller!!! I just cannot wait to see what characters this amazing author comes up with next!!! Hint hint Julia 😉 !!! I genuinely loved getting to know all the characters and was completely invested throughout even when I wasn't a fan of them!! It just goes to show how fantastic Julia's writing skills are as he completely brought them all to life for me. An absolutely fantastic selection of unique characters that all worked together perfectly to create an absolutely chilling, gripping and addictive page turner!!!

Congratulations Julia on yet another HUGE success and for, yet again, managing to shock me when many fail. This would make an epic movie that I would love to see come out!! This is the exact reason you are one of my favourite authors and here's to your next success 🥂!!!

Overall an addictive, page turning, epic and action packed psychological thriller that will shock you throughout!!

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Eve and her husband Will are returning to the place they spent their honeymoon 29 years ago. A holiday in a secluded fishing village on the Crete coast is just what Eve hopes will rekindle their marriage. But first she has a confession to make! A long held secret she needs to divulge.

Poppy is also holidaying in the village. She is angry over her mother's lies and has recently broken up with her cheating boyfriend. Poppy is on a mission and she has it all planned.

Eve's whole family arrives the next day for a surprise party for Eve's 50th birthday. Both Eve and Poppy now need to reassess their plans. When the morning after Eve's surprise party dawns, one guest will be dead.

This book had me hooked right from the gripping prologue where someone is in a life or death situation. This was such a great teaser because I then had to race through the book to see who it was and also how it ended.
A lot of the characters were messed up and honestly I thought the murderer could have been any one of them.

Lots of suspects, accusations, outbursts, unlikeable characters and great twists made The Surprise Party hard to put down. This is a read-in-one-sitting book!

I finished The Surprise Party eager for a follow up book.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book from Bookouture.

Having just returned from holiday in Greece, it was lovely to be transported back via this book. I spent a lot of time Googling images of the island and the places referenced in the novel. The author really made me feel that I was on the island with them, although I'm not sure I wanted to be with these people!

I did guess who Poppy was quite early on but it didn't affect my enjoyment and there was a lot more going on with plenty of twists and turns to make this a page turner.

My favourite quote:

"She finally sets foot once more on Loutro harbour. Does this ground remember her?"

This incredible psychological thriller is full of secrets & suspense. I was engrossed until the end when twists and secrets unraveled right until the last page. If you’re looking for a fast and thrilling read, grab this!

Thank you, Julia Crouch, Bookouture, & Netgalley for my early copy! All opinions are my own.

I loved the setting for this book and the tiny Greek island sounds idyllic. Of course that depends on the company you're in! This bunch are just crazily dysfunctional and most are very deceitful. Lots of secrets revealed keeping you fully engaged in the story.

Last year was my big birthday and I told my husband I wanted a surprise party, lol Needless to say I didn’t get one ( unless he’s trying to throw me off and throw it this year? 🤔) however after reading this book I’m thinking surprises are not always fun…and can be deadly!
Secrets are meant to be kept to their owners but always reveal themselves as the worst time. Eve is ready to reveal hers to her husband Will amongst the beauty of Greece but he surprises her with a boat full of her family and friends. Eve loves the gesture but these two weeks were suppose to fix her rocky marriage and give her the opportunity to talk to Will uninterrupted. Nothing on this trip goes as planned and in the end everyone will be involved in its ending.

My Thoughts: Eve and her husband have returned to their honeymoon destination years after their wedding to celebrate Eves 50th.. A beautiful location, her husband and some alone time with him to share some secrets that have been weighing heavy on her heart for so many years.…

Unfortunately the arrival of her family and friends on the island as a birthday surprise puts a stop to that & also brings with it a whole boatload of other problems and secrets.

This one was so hard to put down, another one sitting read for me, so many characters and so many secrets, you didn’t know what was going to happen from one page to the next. The writing was weighty and atmospheric it had me in an absolute chokehold!

People turn up dead, others have revelations and secrets that you wouldn’t even imagine to be possible and just when you think you’ve seen it all another layer of craziness is added!

You absolutely have to pick this one up this summer.. although I’ll be honest.. I don’t think I ever want another surprise party ever again.

This had me hooked from page one! I love an island thriller, and The Surprise Party definitely delivered with its Greek setting.

Eve and her husband will go back to their honeymoon location in Greece to celebrate her birthday, where they meet a solo traveler poppy. Eve is hopeful this trip will solve some marital issues and present as an opportunity to share a secret she’s been keeping from Will… that is until a boat full of her closest family and friends arrives and things take a turn for the worst.

Everybody has secrets, and everyone is a suspect. I loved uncovering each layer of the mystery with the characters and there were several unexpected twists.

There were times I felt the pacing was a little slow and I ultimately figured out a few plot points before the big reveal, but I enjoyed this story a lot and felt like I was on the island with everyone!

If you liked The Fury by Alex Michaelides, check this one out!

The Surprise Party was a slow starter for me, but it soon picked up and then it was fast paced all the way.

What a way to celebrate turning fifty, a holiday to the gorgeous Greek island where you spent your honeymoon. If only things were that simple, eh?

Not only do you have the biggest secret to tell, your husband has a thing or two he'd like to tell you. The first being that you're not alone and literally everyone you know has come to celebrate with you. The second...that'd be telling!

The secrets and lies just kept a coming - the best books are written with these at their core wouldn't you agree?

I found all of the characters to be quite unlikeable and couldn't gel with any of them. This aside, they certainly made for an entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book, it brought me to Greece together with the family of Eve and discovering all their darkest secrets was really enjoyable. A really good summer book that I warmly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the early review of this book!

The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch was an excellent book from start to finish. This was a book that had me turning pages to find out what happened next and so addictive, it was a fun read and set in beautiful Greece.

This trip was meant to save their marriage. Sadly it will destroy everything they have together…......Eve and her husband Will have been married for 29 years and returning to a place they both loved and went for their honeymoon. A beautiful secluded fishing village on the Crete coast, this is just what they both needed.

This holiday is going to be great! and a big surprise to celebrate an Eve's special birthday her 50th and their wedding anniversary. The biggest surprise is Eve's whole family will arrive the next day.

What could go wrong? and in a beautiful setting with all her family and friends she loves and adores?

Sadly, both Eve and Poppy her daughter have had a big fall out, they both need to put this behind them! But, Poppy is So angry at her mum at the moment especially with all her lies she has told and she has recently broken up with her cheating boyfriend.
Poppy is on a big mission and she has it all planned out how to hurt her mum!

As the party dawn's one guest is found dead!

WoW............

This book was a great page turner and a great book for your coming up holidays etc. I loved it.

I highly recommend this book.

Big Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept and was intrigued by the synopsis. A trip to celebrate her birthday and spend time alone together with her husband to rekindle their marriage, but then it turns out to be a surprise party with all of their friends and family there. Wouldn’t exactly be a surprise I’d be happy about if I was traveling to Greece to spend time with my husband. Secrets galore and dysfunction at every turn, this was an interesting read but it starts out on the slower side. Something to keep in mind if you’re wanting a nonstop thriller – it does pick up towards the halfway point but it is a slower build up. Some suspense to keep you pulled along, even though I think readers that frequent the thriller genre will have the end figured out, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a fun ride to get there!

Julia Crouch is back with another hair-raising thriller full of shocking twists and turns: The Surprise Party.

With a special birthday coming up, Eve and her husband have gone back to the gorgeous Greek island where they had spent their honeymoon. Amidst all this breath-taking beauty, Eve hopes not just to rest and regroup, but to also find a way to fix her marriage. The stage is set for her to have a heart-to-heart with her husband to try and find a way forward and unshackle herself from her past once and for all. Until her husband springs a most unwanted surprise on her.

It was meant to be just the two of them, but her husband has invited all of their friends and family and Eve finds herself trapped with the people she most wanted to avoid and the secrets she had been pretending not to know. Eve had been ready to sit her husband down and confess the dark truths that she had kept from him for years, but with her nearest and dearest wherever she turns, that is simply not possible.

Eve’s plans might have gone south, but even she never imagined that a body would be discovered. And this nightmare is only just beginning…

Julia Crouch’s The Surprise Party is a twisted and creepy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. As always, Julia Crouch’s plotting, characterization and ability to keep her readers on tenterhooks are second to none. I was biting my nails to the elbow as I found myself completely engrossed in this dark, twisted and terrifying chiller.

Julia Crouch knows how to scare her readers senseless and with The Surprise Party she has written another must-read thriller fans are going to love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the Arc of The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch

5 stars! 🌟 I wish I could give more than 5!! All I can say is WOW WOW WOW !! what a read is all I can say a total must have for thriller lovers! It was so addictive and twisty and chilling had me tapping my kindle to next page so quickly! I read this book so fast!! I love thrillers set in isolated areas especially ones on holiday I loved that this was Set in Greece, the characters were Crazy!! Such a roller coaster ride!! Highly recommend

Poppy, 30, is an A&E doctor on vacation and looking forward to hiking on the island of Loutro in Greece. Poppy has recently broken up with her boyfriend when she caught him cheating on her.

On the ferry coming to the island, Poppy meets Eve and Will Rose who are also visiting Loutro to celebrate Eve’s 50th birthday. They had stayed on the island when they were on their honeymoon. The couple has two grown children and an adopted son. All three children live with them. Eve is looking forward to some relaxing time and hopefully she and Will can reconnect. She is also about to confess a secret to Will that she has been hiding for years.

So, Eve is shocked the next day to see her children, mother, sister, and good friend, Jess, and her husband, Harry, arrive to participate in a surprise party for Eve. While it’s nice to see them, she really wanted this event to be quiet and just she and Will. That night they have a huge party with lots of food and alcohol. Poppy joins them and Will invites a lot of other people around to come too. The night ends up as a big party with people dancing and drinking. The next day, one of their party is found dead. Was it an accident or was this person murdered?

The whole bunch here is dysfunctional. I couldn’t help but laugh at their ridiculous antics and, especially how much alcohol was consumed by them. Good grief! I really felt sorry for the owners of the hotel where this group stayed. What a mess they must have left behind. All in all, a good mystery/thriller. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is such a fantastic read. I literally couldn't put this down. The twists in this book are insane! They just keep coming like buses honestly right until the last page. I was in shock with them. Each and everyone of the twists where unpredictable and very shocking. There are a lot of characters in this book and you will definitely be doubting them all and wondering which is telling the truth.
I will be reading more from this author as they sure know how to write a bestseller!

The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch was a gripping, fast paced read that had me completely hooked.
The mystery itself is well-plotted and very entertaining.
And the story is unputdownable thanks to the fabulous cast of characters
I found this story to be unique and well written.
A gripping and compelling mystery that once again held my attention from start to finish!

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

This book packs a wallop!
There is an entire boatload full of surprises.
The only thing that surprised me was just how really rotten most of the characters were.
And obsessed with one particular persons! Talk about being unnatural. One person was totally unhinged too.
Note to readers: think twice about celebrating a milestone birthday in Greece, with your souse, and best friend, and extended relatives!!!
I did figure out a couple of the main plot twists early on but the rest came at me like a tidal wave!

I love thrillers set on vacations in isolated spots, especially women people start dying. I liked that. I just didn't love or hate any of the characters at all. I did not feel invested. I bet other thrillers readers will love this one!

A surprise party indeed, OMG!

Eve and her husband, Will, are travelling to a Greek island to celebrate Eve's 50th birthday and Eve is hoping that this will give them the opportunity to revive their stale marriage and for her to confess a secret she has been keeping for their entire marriage. But Will has arranged for their children and closest friends to join them, scuppering Eve's plans entirely!

I absolutely LOVED the setting and Julia Crouch's descriptions transported me right there on the boat with everyone else. It soon became tense as the secrets weighed down on their keepers and tensions between the guests ended in murder!

There were some shocking twists and although I did guess one of them, I completely underestimated where the author was going to go with it, so the ending had my jaw on the floor! Fabulous!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Julia Crouch and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review