Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As they settle in, Katie realizes that life has gone on without her since she left and all is not the same in this world. Will she be able to break down the walls and get people to talk or will this case be cold forever?Everyone who is close to Lacey sits by the smoky fire. Her adoring boyfriend, who holds onto her, perhaps a little too tightly. Her little sister, always in Lacey’s shadow, sifting fine soft sand through her fingers, never taking her eyes off Lacey. And me. Sad and full of rage, after an argument forced the man I love to leave the party early. Although I didn’t see it coming I did find the reveal at the end a little lukewarm, which was a shame as the story was building quite well - but sadly I just didn’t quite get that ‘aha’ moment I love from thrillers. The narrator has such a beautiful voice, I loved listening to her. She is a pro and I hope to hear a lot more from her in the future.

rounded up to three stars. Jumping on the true crime obsession and trend, the beach party tells the story of Lacey, murdered five years prior, through the lens of the main character and the true crime podcast she hosts with a friend. There are many twists and turns in this book that keep you guessing from the very start. The characters were very well developed and the descriptions helped you feel like you were right there. This is a gripping novel with an ending that you will never see coming!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feel free to invite some friends to join our Round Table community!http://www.goodreads.com/group/invite_members/26989-goodreads-authors-readers Katie and Sophie met at university whilst studying Journalism together in London. Sophie enjoys being more of a broadcaster whereas Katie enjoys writing. They combine their talents together to create a True Crime podcast called Small Town. They focus on the unsolved murder of nineteen-year-old Lacey Crew in Cornwall. Katie grew up in Cornwall and has inside knowledge surrounding the event that led to Lacey’s body being discovered. She was there – does she know something that she had forgotten? Can secrets stay buried forever? Throughout the book you witness the birth of the podcast, Katie telling Lacey’s (the girl who was murdered at age 19) sister Megan that they are starting this endeavor and thus trudging up a lot of the past and also experiencing the varying public opinions around the girls starting the Podcast endeavor.

The Beach Party

To be honest, the story was so strong it would have been a great listen even without the whodunnit, especially with the theme of the unsolved murder Podcast giving extra interest plus the glamorous social influencer bestie and the friendship dynamic now she is dating a childhood friend of the protagonist, which is another intriguing, strong story in itself. Who would have thought our beach party could end the way it did? Close friends gathered on the last night of a long hot summer - which one of us could have killed the girl everybody loved? I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased. This started off very strong and stayed that way until the twist at the end. I’ve seen it done a lot recently and I don’t like it because it’s just so outrageous and unbelievable. I also don’t love the “sympathy for the bully because they’re troubled too” arc, it just doesn’t appeal to me. Two things can be true at once: she can be a disgusting bully AND dead. Otherwise, it had a nice format, was easy to read and follow. It gave enough details to keep you consistently interested. I love small town mysteries and true crime narratives so this is definitely up my alley and I try not to judge books by their endings if I really enjoyed the journey. I had fairly low expectations based on having been let down so many times by false advertising; books described as “unputdownable” or as “mysteries” or “grabs you and won’t let go” only to find that yet again you’ve been mislead.

As the smoke from the bonfire spirals into the night sky and the cool drinks slip down our throats, none of us can take our eyes off Lacey. She dances in the dunes, her long golden hair damp from her late-night swim, her smile dazzling, her blue eyes closed. Katie, a journalist, and her more outgoing best friend Sophie do a true crime podcast together. As Sophie has grown more successful in her influencing, the podcast has slowed to once a month instead of weekly. When an opportunity to really grow the podcast arises, it’s Sophie who is more interested this time, even willing to post about it on her glitzy feed. Sophie is excited about the Podcast but Katie is skeptical from the start despite agreeing to do it. It made me question her reliability as a character more than once. The kind of book that keeps you hooked and guessing till very end … Full of mystery, tension and suspense. Had my heart pounding! The best thriller I’ve read this year. This book will reel you in instantly! ’ Rubie Reads , ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Customer reviews

This is a wonderful mystery, beautifully constructed and the narration alongside the podcast elements all make for a truly thrilling ride for the reader.

When someone dies, they become perfect. The tragedy eclipses any character flaws or bad memories you have of that person. But as much as I tried, I couldn't forget." The reason Katie is reluctant is because the crime they’re covering happened in her small town. 5 years ago, Lacey was murdered at an annual beach party. Everyone was there but no one saw a thing! It’s a resort town so the locals aren’t clamoring to discuss it because murder isn’t good for business.

Advance Praise

Who would have thought our beach party could end the way it did? Close friends gathered on the last night of a long hot summer—which one of us could have killed the girl everybody loved? The narration was excellent also with just the right amount of drama, so as not to be intrusive, but let the story flow and be the star of the show. I thought the casting was spot on but found pronunciation of word "us" as "uzzzzz" grated a bit and also towards the end it sounded as if she was getting a little tired and tagged on new topic sentences/paragraphs in the same tone as the one that just ended which left it feeling a bit flat and harder to follow - so a 4.5 really for that. There was something about the blurb of The Beach Party that spoke to me with its beach setting and one of the people attending the party ending up dead. I was curious to see where the story would go and what happened to Lacey, and I've been looking forward to read it. Somehow, this book ended up being a mixed bag for me instead, and unfortunately it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I'll try to explain briefly why. Thanks to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, the author and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*