REVIEW: The Party by Triona Walsh

The Party by Triona Walsh

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 16th June 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 23rd June 2023

★★ 2 stars

DESCRIPTION:

It was only supposed to be a small wedding. Intimate and perfect. But my blood turns to ice when I see someone I know wasn’t invited. My first husband – who I thought was dead.

My world shattered when Declan disappeared five years ago. My grown-up children fell apart without their father, and it was up to me to pick up the pieces of our broken lives.

I never thought I’d get married again but then I met George. Some people might think we’re moving too fast. But as I look round on our wedding day at our little family, the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses ringing out, I know that I’ve made the right decision.

Until Declan steps out the shadows. He says he still loves me, and now he’s back for good. But where has he been all this time?

My legs shake so much that I can barely stand… Even though he lied to me so many times, as I stare into Declan’s sparkling blue eyes I realise that my new husband can’t compare to the love we once shared. But at least I can trust George. Can’t I?

Before I even have a chance to decide, Declan is found murdered. A chill races down my spine as I realise – his killer must be one of our wedding party. Did Declan bring back secrets that should have stayed buried?

Now, we’re trapped in this house in the middle of nowhere and my heart pounds as I realise there’s no escape. Why is Declan dead? And can I get me and my children out of here before one of us is next…?

A totally gripping psychological thriller, packed with secrets and gasp-inducing twists. Fans of Lucy Foley, K.L. Slater and Shalini Boland won’t be able to put this down.

MY THOUGHTS:

A perfect night...a perfect crime...

Reading back at the premise, I'm not sure why I requested it as it didn't really speak volumes to me nor is it by an author I am familiar with. Despite this, I dived in with an open mind ready for whatever it threw at me.

Lizzie is fresh out of rehab after an accident drink driving in which she injured her younger brother Liam and is now working on getting her life back together after the death of her father Declan. Her mother Claire picks her up in a rental van alongside new hubby George and her brother who is barely speaking to her after his brush with death with Lizzie at the helm.

Anyway, the family head to a remote area in County Mayo where George has a crumbling cottage of sorts that has been under renovation for a number of decades. However, it turns out Butler Manor is anything but a cottage. More like a stately home...a crumbling and decrepit one, but stately and vast all the same. But there is a catch. It is in the middle of nowhere with no mobile phone reception, no WiFi signal and no landline. What could possibly go wrong?

When they finally arrive at the house, they are greeted by George's grown daughter Freya who has a surprise of her own to share. It seems Claire and George are not the only honeymooners at Butler Manor this weekend. Freya has tied the knot with her American beau Hudson. And so the family set out to celebrate not one but two weddings.

And then...Claire's long dead husband Declan shows up. Well, he's supposed to be dead. In fact, he is legally dead. So what does that make him now if he is really alive? But he comes with one thing in mind - he wants Claire back, but does she want him back? And do Lizzie and Liam want their father back after all they put them through? After he supposedly took his own life to avoid facing justice for his own crimes. 

But someone has other plans...deadly plans. So who of them won't get out alive?

This slow burn thriller will entertain many readers with its claustrophobic setting and kooky characters but I'm not sure I was all that invested in what was going on. It was certainly intriguing and it had promise...and I hate to rain on this parade...but I quickly lost interest. In the end, I skipped to the end and felt I didn't really miss out on much.

I would like to thank #TrionaWalsh, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheParty in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Tríona Walsh loves reading and writing crime novels but is fairly law abiding in real life. A twice winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair competition she lives in Dublin with her four kids, three cats and one husband.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads