"The Engagement Party" by Darby Kane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agatha Christie's books were the first real locked-room mysteries that I came across, and since then, I have become a fan of the locked-room thriller trope. The story grabbed me from the blurb, making me eager to get a crack at the inside. And, once I did, I knew I was in for a great read.

"The Engagement" by Party Darby Kane is a gripping locked-room thriller set on a remote island in Maine. Twelve years after the murder of their friend Emily Hunt, a group of college friends reunites for an engagement celebration of their friend Will and his fiancee Ruthie.  Among the party are Alex and Cassie, who got married and are now successful lawyers, and Mitch and his colleague Sierra who is secretly in love with him. The dreadful reunion soon turns deadly when they reach the island.

A body discovered in the trunk of a car with a note demanding the truth sets in motion a chain of events that can only end in one way. The plot thickens when a torrential storm strands them together with no cell connection, no means to leave the island, and a determined murderer on the loose, intents on exposing the past. They must confront secrets, lies, and a race against time to survive.

There's nothing I like more than a good locked room mystery, and this one fit the bill perfectly with threatening notes, murders, and secrets aplenty to keep me on my toes. There’s so much I loved about this book. I loved the complexity, the injection of book notes between the chapters that shed light the horrid past, and the writing. I loved the way the details unfolded tantalizingly, and how each piece of the puzzle interconnected seamlessly. The story is told in the third-person POV and from multiple perspectives, which I also liked.

However, what is it with college and murders?? The locked-room thriller trope with secrets and deeds gone awry during college days has been overdone lately. I have read quite a few books in this vein, so the premise, interested though it was, wasn't very original from that aspect. In addition, I didn't like any of the characters except Sierra, although she took her over-protective mode too far. They were all horrible, and I didn't care for them at all.

The pace wasn't consistence, alternating between slow and fast, with too much bickering in between, and a tighter edit would have given the book more polish. Still, the engrossing plot made this an enjoyable read. Despite the book flaws, I found the novel addictive. The author has spun together a great book and has given that book plenty of twists and turns to keep us guessing. It's a wild ride, and you never know which direction you'll be flung next.

All in all, it's an interesting, enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion that I highly recommend. The author wrote in the acknowledgements that she wanted to show how an interest in truth crime and genuine desire to help and dig the true can go very wrong, and she certainly did that!

* Thank you  Edelweiss and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Engagement" by Party Darby Kane