Hello! Today I’m pleased to welcome you to JuliaPalooza for my stop on the Blog Tour for The House Party by Mary Grand, which is available now (links below).
About the book
Someone is about to die… Someone is about to lie…
At the intimate house-warming party for her glorious ‘grand design’, Kathleen confides in her best friend Beth that she is terrified of one of their close friends, but daren’t reveal which one. The guests are a tight-knit group, but Kathleen is convinced one of them is dangerous.
The next day Kathleen’s body is found at the foot of a cliff and Beth must face the sickening truth that she may have been killed by one of their trusted friends. With little help from the police, Beth’s decides to seek answers.
All the friends have secrets they are desperate to hide, but only one of them is ready to kill to keep theirs safe…
Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
The House Party by Mary Grand is a modern psychological mystery whodunit, with a traditional feel and lots of clues, hints, suspects and red herrings.
I didn’t know anything much about the Isle of Wight and I was interested to see it described so beautifully, the communities, the views, the countryside all described so warmly. It makes me want to visit – apart from all the dodgy behaviour that is!
Our protagonist Beth is a tenacious sleuth and everything is explained logically at the end, although I did feel the book was a little overlong. Some of the dialogue could also have been a bit freer, less formal with more contractions.
Apart from Beth, there’s a range of characters each hiding their own secrets, insecurities and problems and Mary Grand does a great job of keeping all the balls in the air: giving everyone a motive, slippery shifting alibis and sneaky behaviour; of keeping your suspicions on their toes and spreading the red herrings.
I did not know who the guilty party was or their true motivations right until the end and it is disturbing to think someone could be hiding in your circle of friends like this. If you are looking for a modern, un-guessable whodunit then please do try The House Party.
Thank you to Boldwood Books for my copy of The House Party and to Rachel’s Random Resources for my stop on the tour.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book: Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US
About the author
Mary Grand is the author of five novels and writes gripping, page-turning suspense, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight where her new novel, The House Party, which will be published by Boldwood in July 2020, is set.
About the Blog Tour
Please check out the rest of the amazing bloggers on the tour for The House Party:
juliapalooza.com 