"The Girl at the Party" by Danielle Stewart is a slow-burn thriller that revolves around a cold murder case. The book follows Chris and Laura, two ex-friends who try to solve the unsolved murder of their friend Stephanie by creating a podcast and interviewing all involved.
Five years ago, eight students celebrated their college graduation by throwing a party. One of them, Stephanie, was murdered on her way back to the dorms. The police dismissed the case as a random attack. The murder changed the lives of the friends, and they drifted apart. Laura was supposed to be a nurse but ended up as a barista. She is still looking after her brother and trying to deal with an abusive childhood and an uncaring mother. Chris is doing successful podcasts instead of following his dreams.
Five years later, Chris reenters Laura's life. He is unhappy with the unsolved murder of their friend and wants to revisit the case by creating a podcast. He convinces Laura to help him, and she reluctantly agrees. Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. The more the two dig into the past, the more dirt comes out. Things escalate when they receive threats on their lives if they don't stop digging. Everyone involved has something to hide, and one of them will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out.
I have to confess that I had a hard time getting into the story. The premise was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. The book started off a little slow for me, with too much talking and not enough action. However, once I got past the slow start, the book really started to take off for me. The book could benefit from some tightening and another round of editing. Additionally, I found a couple of errors: "You're" instead of "your" (loc 1105), and there was one portion towards the end where the perspective abruptly switched from the first to the third person (loc 3435).
Overall, I enjoyed the book the more I read. There were twists I didn't see coming, and I didn't guess who the guilty party was. I liked that the book switches between the past and the present, as well as between different points of view. This allows us to gain personal insights into each character while also providing an overview of the situation as the story unfolds. The characters we meet are believable, with understandable motives and emotions. The conversations between characters provide the right amount of insight into their own thoughts and motives while advancing the plot. After giving it some thought, I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up to four.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Girl at the Party" by Danielle Stewart
Five years ago, eight students celebrated their college graduation by throwing a party. One of them, Stephanie, was murdered on her way back to the dorms. The police dismissed the case as a random attack. The murder changed the lives of the friends, and they drifted apart. Laura was supposed to be a nurse but ended up as a barista. She is still looking after her brother and trying to deal with an abusive childhood and an uncaring mother. Chris is doing successful podcasts instead of following his dreams.
Five years later, Chris reenters Laura's life. He is unhappy with the unsolved murder of their friend and wants to revisit the case by creating a podcast. He convinces Laura to help him, and she reluctantly agrees. Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie. The more the two dig into the past, the more dirt comes out. Things escalate when they receive threats on their lives if they don't stop digging. Everyone involved has something to hide, and one of them will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out.
I have to confess that I had a hard time getting into the story. The premise was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. The book started off a little slow for me, with too much talking and not enough action. However, once I got past the slow start, the book really started to take off for me. The book could benefit from some tightening and another round of editing. Additionally, I found a couple of errors: "You're" instead of "your" (loc 1105), and there was one portion towards the end where the perspective abruptly switched from the first to the third person (loc 3435).
Overall, I enjoyed the book the more I read. There were twists I didn't see coming, and I didn't guess who the guilty party was. I liked that the book switches between the past and the present, as well as between different points of view. This allows us to gain personal insights into each character while also providing an overview of the situation as the story unfolds. The characters we meet are believable, with understandable motives and emotions. The conversations between characters provide the right amount of insight into their own thoughts and motives while advancing the plot. After giving it some thought, I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounding up to four.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* For more info about the book: "The Girl at the Party" by Danielle Stewart
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