3.25 ⭐️ This is a mystery/thriller that takes place over a short period of time. The story centers around a tragedy that occurs during Sophie’s sweet 16 party. Early in the book, the readers learn that someone dies, but we don’t know who. The story then unfolds back to the day prior and through the events leading up to the death. Had elements of a locked room mystery as there were limited number of characters who could be dead and who could have caused the death. Typically I enjoy elements of locked room mysteries and short time periods. I enjoyed this and definitely would recommend to the right reader.

There were multiple POV. Both Dani, Sophie’s step-mom, and Kim, Sophie’s mom are included. I almost felt like there were too many POV. There were competing puzzles that took awhile to get answers on. Dani had some incident occur that impacts her ability to care for baby Charlotte. This incident is danced around and is a mystery. All the reader knows is that her husband is concerned and a nanny was needed. I liked Dani but would have connected to her more if more of her backstory had been revealed early on. Why is her husband so watchful? Is is post-partum depression? Something more?I think many readers can relate to the struggles of early motherhood. This could have been embraced. Wasn’t a necessary element to hide her background for this reader.
I did NOT like Kim. I think this was the point. She was still angry and jealous about her husband leaving her and Dani getting the big mansion.

What disappointed me were the references to “the mother” that haunted the big glass house. Instead of leaning in and making this story have paranormal elements or making this a horror novel, this was mentioned but not fully explored. This is really more family drama story than a thriller or mystery. Lots of elements of family conflict with the two moms struggling to find their place. Entertaining but not memorable. Certainly for many readers who read a few books a year, this could be a big win. For a reader who loves mysteries and thrillers, this just didn’t have me fully engaged.

I enjoyed this. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Very slow start.
It did pick up after around 65% so I got more into the story then. It’s a multi POV book that tells the story of what happens at a sweet 16. The multiple POVs help you keep the characters straight. The chapters are short so even with the slow start it helps you keep with the book. There are twists and turns. I did see them coming.

Average book for me.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
*Advanced Reader Copy*
Publish Date: July 1, 2025

Party of Liars begins with a 16th birthday gone wrong. Sophie’s dad throws her the most exclusive 16th birthday party in Texas. He spares no expense. People show up from all over to see the renovated mansion on the hill, take a peek inside. Of course they want to celebrate Sophie but they also want a glimpse at the restored house that has been rumored to be haunted for years. Then a scream, a crash, a fall to the pavement. The rest of the book is spent alternating between the day of the party and the few days before. It is told in alternating chapters by Dani (Sophie’s step-mom who is recovering from postpartum), Kim (Sophie’s mom that has a bone to pick with her ex-husband and his new wife), Orlaith (the Irish nanny), and Mikayla (Sophie’s best friend that is harboring a big secret).

I found the story engaging and was genuinely curious to find out who died and why. The second half, in particular, really drew me in and kept me turning the pages. I do wish some of the characters had been a bit more fully developed, as there were a few I would’ve liked to learn more about. That said, I enjoyed the book overall and appreciated the intriguing plot.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @Stmartinspress for the advance readers copy.

A birthday party with unexpected consequences. Who done it? Who had motive? Who is that callus? This story was a great book and I was honestly so surprised how much I enjoyed it!!!!

2.5 rounded up
I don't think I'm the target audience, more for typing adult. Good mystery but far too much drama. Thsnks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

The book centers around Sophie Matthews’ lavish sweet sixteen party at her father, Ethan and stepmother Dani’s mansion on the hill in Bulverde, Texas. The house is thought to be haunted and those rumors gain credence when, during the party, a body falls from the balcony. Who is the victim?

The multiple POV of the story kept me intrigued, but there were some aspects that didn't go anywhere- such as the whole concept of the house being haunted. That could have been a good twist, but it was just mentioned a couple of times and never expanded upon. Another area the book fell short for me was doing a major disservice to Mikayla by not having her story conclude besides saying "she's healing", despite almost no one knowing what happened to her and her not receiving any help.

I found it to be a quick read, and once it got going, I was in and wanted to find out how it ended, even though I felt the ending to lack a little.

I loved this book and read it in under 24 hours! Party of Liars is an absolute page-turner, with short, gripping chapters that made it impossible to put down. The multiple POVs were well-executed and easy to follow, adding layers of suspense to the story. Every twist had me hooked, and the ending was just perfect! If you’re looking for a fast-paced, unputdownable mystery, this is it. Highly recommend this debut!

Sophie's Sweet Sixteen was really her parent's party both her dad's and Dani's (his new wife) and her mother, Kim's. Something was "off" from the start, and the rumors of the home being haunted started to feel like they may actually be true. As the party derailed from alcohol, both on the adults and kids sides, secrets and connections are revealed and the book jumps from the Party to After the Party where we know someone died.

Great thriller - I didn't figure out all the pieces until close to the end. The ending and epilogue were still surprising with one character where the loose ends never really got tied up. This was a good one, though, and I will be reading more of Kelsey Cox.

Now this is how you do a slow burn. The characters had depth. The atmosphere and setting was creepy and set the scene perfectly. And the writing was so unique, with the story being told in such an intricate way that you have no idea of who the victim or the perp is until the very end. It felt like an adult game of Clue. Overall, I really enjoyed the ride and highly recommend!

Thank you to the author and St Martin's Press for the ARC copy of Party of Liars. This was my first read by Kelsey Cox and I loved it. It was a locked room mystery with plenty of suspects. Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party is being held at her dad's renovated mansion that is said to be haunted by The Mother. Teenagers and adults are all excited to see this house they refer to as the Dollhouse
We don't know until the very end of the book who won't make it. It was a very delightful fast read.
Publishing date is July 1st 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this. The many different POVs were actually so wild. They were all unreliable, but especially the 2 moms. I pretty much predicted everything that happened, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment, and just showed that everything was laid out really well.

Sophie Matthews is turning 16. Her dad and his new wife are throwing her a big birthday party at the house they’ve been renovating forever. But someone isn’t making out of this party alive.

We follow several people. Dani, who’s married to Sophie’s dad Ethan. She’s recently had a baby and is having a hard time. Kim, Ethan’s ex wife and Sophie’s mother, who’s definitely an alcoholic, which makes her unreliable, but not necessarily wrong. Mikayla, who’s a long time friend of Sophie. And Orlaith, the nanny Ethan hired to take care of the baby.

The whole book takes place over the course of the party with plenty of flashbacks. Memory plays an important role, and nothing is as it seems. I enjoyed seeing it all come together, and I recommend this for fans of locked room thrillers and books where the mystery is who died and not who did it.

Better than I expected! Told from various points of view, it keeps the book moving along. The ending was not expected and done well. Fun read!

As soon as I received the invitation to read “Party of Liars” through NetGalley, I was almost certain I’d be setting aside the five or so other books I’m currently reading in pursuit of this new gem. The cover is beautiful, and how can you not like that title? I’m a sucker for any thriller set around a huge party, and the party featured in this book did not disappoint.
“Party of Liars”, by Kelsey Cox, is a fast-paced read full of, obviously, liars, and other all-around terrible people, but also some likable, or at least sympathetic, characters. I like that there is a mixture of generations featured in the book, from the teenagers that make up Sophie’s friend group to Charlotte’s grandmotherly nanny, Órlaith.
This book was engaging and I would highly recommend it; the only potential downside is that the twists felt a little predictable, and a more seasoned thriller reader probably would have pieced everything together early on.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC!

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox is a thrilling ride that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story revolves around Sophie Matthews' extravagant Sweet Sixteen party at her dad's renovated mansion in Texas Hill Country. The mansion, rumored to be haunted, sets the perfect eerie backdrop for the drama that unfolds.​

The characters are well-developed and relatable. Sophie is a typical teenager dealing with family dynamics, including her new stepmom, Dani, and her best friend, Mikayla, who’s feeling the strain of their changing friendship. The tension between the guests is palpable, and when a body suddenly falls from the balcony during the party, the suspense skyrockets.​

Cox does a fantastic job weaving together multiple perspectives, allowing readers to piece together the mystery alongside the characters. The "locked-room" aspect of the whodunnit adds to the intrigue, making it hard to put the book down. The setting is vividly described, and the haunted house rumors add an extra layer of spookiness that keeps you on edge.​

Overall, "Party of Liars" is a gripping mystery with unexpected twists and a cast of characters that feel real. If you're into suspenseful stories with a hint of the supernatural, this book is definitely worth a read

Ethan and his current wife Dani life in a historical mansion on a Texas hilltop. They throw Ethan’s daughter an extravagant sweet 16 and invite the entire town, including the ex wife. Everyone in town is curious about seeing the upgrades the family has done to the supposedly haunted mansion. The guests are all drinking, including the teens, and that brings out the worst in everyone’s character.
This story has multiple POV’s which I do enjoy but all the characters are awful people so I struggled to get through any of their chapters.
The pacing was very slow for a story that almost all takes place in a few hours at the party. The ending left me with more questions than a resolution.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This had a little bit of a slow start for me but by the end it made sense because all the information was necessary for the plot. I loved the multiple povs and it was a really fun mystery!

Mystery and thriller readers keep an eye open for Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox, which publishes this summer. It was a great read.

This was a fun read and I read about 75% of it in one day! This book is based at Sophie’s lavish sweet sixteen party hosted at her dad’s house, with everyone they know and then some in attendance — including her mom (the ex wife), stepmom, best friend, and ex boyfriend.

The house is known as haunted because 100 years or so prior, a woman fell to her death from the balcony. And in the very beginning you learn that someone falls to their death at the party, but you don’t find out who until the very end. The entire book is set at this one party with some flashbacks.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely recommend it! There are a lot of characters but they were easy to differentiate, and some of the twists really got me.

Read if you love:
-family/friend drama
-baking
-multiple POV
-minor paranormal aspect
-Carola Lovering books

Give me a locked room mystery where everyone is wildly suspicious and I’m immediately in. It just so happens that Cox wrote an actual phenomenal book on top of it being my fav sub category of literature. So bravo, I would gladly reread this in a year when the details get fuzzier with time so I can re-surprise myself :)

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Today is set up to be the Sweet 16 birthday party all teen girls dream of. A pool party at your father’s mansion complete with DJ, all your friends, and a beautiful cake your stepmother made just for you. But there’s one thing that could potentially ruin your special day – the drama that comes with having divorced parents, an alcoholic mother, and adults who always seem more interested in competing to have more and be more than the rest of the community. It doesn’t help that the entire town thinks your home is haunted, too, after a series of mysterious events over the years. Will the party be a success, or will the adults’ drama end in tragedy?

Kelsey Cox brings readers on a Texas-sized thriller in her debut release Party of Liars. Set in her native Texas hill country, this book features multiple points of view through which Cox weaves a disturbing, yet all too realistic, tale of the pressure we experience to fit in with our community. Compromised values, substance abuse, and mental health struggles – all typical taboo topics and all tackled in novel as consequences of that pressure. This is a fantastic thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seat until the final pages!

I give Party of Liars 5 out of 5 stars. I was blown away by the way Cox wove together so many different points of view in a cohesive manner almost as if this was written like a deconstructed screenplay, not a novel. With short chapters, this was an easy read with beautifully built characters and vivid descriptions. While reading this novel, the one thought that kept recurring for me was that book gave me Agatha Christie vibes in such a beautiful way – the beautiful interpersonal stories and peer pressure Cox builds between the characters, the social constructs that provide underlying motivations, and the setting that is as much a character as the people. If this is a debut release, I can’t wait to see what comes next from Kelsey Cox!

With themes of underage drinking and sex, alcoholism, mental health struggles, and professional abuse by a medical professional, this may not be the best book for all readers and should be directed to more mature audiences over 16 years old. However, if you enjoyed thrillers we’ve read previously like Melissa Larsen’s The Lost House or books by Lisa Unger or Julie Clark, this is the book for you! I also think this would make a great mystery or thriller book club selection, too!

I was approached by the publisher with the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. While Thrillers are not my normal genre, I am so glad I got this opportunity to read this great book by a new author. You won’t be disappointed by this book either!