The Birthday Girl by Sarah Ward was published by Canelo on 6 April 2023.
Welcome to Eldey, an island with deadly secrets.
Mona: a carefree artist, staying at the Cloister to work on her illustrations.
Beth: the harried mother of a toddler, on the remote Welsh island for a weekend with her family.
Charlotte: a reluctant stepmother who wanted a romantic getaway with her husband.
One of them is a serial killer who poisoned four of her friends at her eleventh birthday party.
They all fit the profile. Who will risk everything to kill again?
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I was fortunate to receive a copy of The Sixth Lie by Sarah Ward to read via NetGalley but I didn’t realise it was the second book in the Mallory Dawson series until I came to add it to Goodreads. I prefer not to read book series out of order so at that point, I knew I needed to buy The Birthday Girl and I’m so glad I did!
The premise was great and I liked the way the story was told from multiple points of view, including the chilling viewpoint of the unidentified murderer. The tension is high from the get go, because you know the poisoner is poised ready to act, plus everyone seems to have secrets of their own, and a dangerous storm is forecast to hit the island. It is reminiscent of And Then There Were None, which is one of my favourite tropes.
Mallory, as the luxury hotel’s night manager and main protagonist, was a strong lead character and I would certainly want her on my side in a difficult situation. The island and its luxury hotel is well described and the incoming storm was very atmospheric and added to the tension building for the characters after the first death. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Birthday Girl; I found it difficult to put down and, when I did, I kept thinking about it. I’m now looking forward to The Sixth Lie.
If you enjoyed my review, please consider liking and/or sharing and, of course, buying the book:
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