A Death at the Party - Amy Stuart

A Death at the Party is Amy Stewart's latest release. This is a standalone book.

I was hooked in the first few pages. The prologue gives us a body in the basement and lots of questions. Curious cat that I am - I needed to know who, why and how.  

The book takes place over 24 hours. Nadine is hosting a 60th birthday party for her mother, a bestselling author. Nadine is a meticulous planner and she wants this party to be perfect,  so nothing can go wrong. But… you just know it’s not going to go smoothly. There are simmering undertones between each and every character, from the immediate family, to the neighbours, work colleagues, acquaintances, clerks and more. These connections are all intricately woven together as the book progresses. 

The tension ratchets up and up with every hour that passes. The compressed timeline heightens everything - actions, emotions and more. We're with with Nadine as she tries desperately to keep all  of her balls in the air. But they start to drop one by one. The fall out is not what I expected at all. I had some inklings that things might be headed in a certain direction, but was happily surprised by the direction Stuart took the tale. 

I thought the mystery of the book was well done. But, just as much of standout for me was the depiction and exploration of Nadine. See for yourself - read an excerpt of A Death at the Party. An easy five stars.