I will say that the party does not actually take place until a good chunk of the way through the book. The ending was a huge letdown, but I can appreciate what the author was trying to do. This was a solid four-star read until that disappointing ending. Lizzie also had a massive vein of selfishness to go along with her passiveness this was showcased by her eventual actions and willingness to let the status quo be if it meant she’d now get what she wanted all along. Even her sheer determination to discover what had happened to Rebecca was fuelled in most part by Dean’s approval whatever she told herself otherwise. She was one of those people who appears a benevolent saint and actually believes her own hype and pure motives when the truth is far different. While waiting for Germain to arrive, Danner relates to Culp on how she came to be a detective in the first place, in the style of a police procedural. She talks about a particular high-profile case that Germain kept insisting her to stay away from, with her actions helping to prevent someone innocent from being blamed for the crime. Meanwhile, Zoë discovers that Aniq and Yasper have been listening in and Aniq shares his AirPods with Zoë so they can have a listen. They overhear Danner's worry that Germain taking over the case will guarantee Aniq's arrest. After an epiphany, Danner says she finally knows who killed Xavier, but they have to talk to one last eyewitness---Zoë and Brett's daughter, Maggie. Ilana Glazer as Chelsea, a veterinary clinic receptionist who blamed Xavier for her ostracization by the whole school

My slight disappointment of the book was the build-up of the title and the blurb to the ‘Party’ in the book. In my opinion, the stress given to what happened in the party was not totally linked to the aftermath. I did enjoy reading about the party, and it was interesting, but I wish the connection was stronger to the following events if it’s seen as a big impact for the rest of the story. This book left me with unfinished endings which made a refreshing change to a story being neatly tied up. On the night of their work's Christmas party, they go out into the garden where Dean confesses his love.......for someone else, other work colleague, Rebecca. Apparently they have been dating for a year & Lizzie had no idea & feels humiliated & ends up leaving early, claiming illness. The next day, two police officers turn up to question Lizzie about the party as it seems that Rebecca never made it home afterwards & no-one knows where she is or what has happened to her.

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Danner questions Brett, who tells his story in the style of an action movie, in which he casts himself as a ne'er-do-well hero who is committed to his family. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Aniq and Yasper look through the garbage to find a discarded note written by one of the partygoers.

And then there’s Dean who was hardly the prize of the century. He really didn’t come across at all well in all of this and because of that I totally didn’t like the ending we arrived at here Lizzie should definitely have chosen differently. Zach Woods as Edgar Minnows, [12] [16] Grace's newlywed billionaire husband who is the murder victim [14] Aniq and Danner interview Grace, who recalls her love story with Edgar in the style of a regency period piece. [nb 1] She met Edgar at the antique booth she worked at, where he bought a typewriter as a gift for his adopted sister, Hannah. Edgar and Grace's whirlwind romance alarms Zoë, who expresses concern that Edgar was always preoccupied with work. Grace confesses she spiked Edgar's drink with Adderall so he would stay awake past his strict sleeping schedule, but he drunkenly caused a scene at the afterparty and lashed out at the guests. Travis, who declared that Edgar would die that night, investigates the crime scene with Zoë and finds some interesting clues in his belongings. Meszaros, E.L. (January 19, 2022). " The Afterparty: Lord & Miller's Murder Mystery Comedy Series Was Almost a Movie". CBR.com.

Jaleel White as himself/"Aniq" (season 2), cast as Aniq in Danner's film X Marks the Murder Spot and Danner's fiancée. White's casting serves to pay off a recurring gag of characters comparing Aniq to Urkel, whom White played on Family Matters. a b c Mr. Josh (August 2, 2023). " The AfterParty Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything You Need to Know". NewsTrace . Retrieved August 2, 2023. The story starts out slow. After just finished an excellently written five star book, I honestly had a bit of trouble getting into Georgina Lees’ style of writing. It feels gloomy and in a way insecure? I can’t put my thumb on it. That’s probably my own fault. The story is full of potential, but a bit dull at times, mainly because of the wording. Maybe another POV would have helped?

What a thrilling book! I was fascinated by the characters and twisting storyline. Lost a lot of sleep over it’ Anu, NetGalley Weintraub, Steve (January 29, 2022). "Chris Miller and Phil Lord on The Afterparty and Having Every Episode Tell the Story Using a Different Visual Format and Genre". Collider. The first season takes place at a high school reunion after-party with each episode "a different character's perspective" of what happened that night. [6] Critic Olivia Rutigliano noted that it is an example of "the millennial whodunnit," a new subgenre of murder mystery in which the investigation is a vehicle for characters to find second chances, personal fulfillment, and a departure from boring or oppressive daily life (through the feeling that their life has become a new genre). [7] There’s some extremely deft writing here from Cressida Connolly who manages to create an almost entirely sympathetic heroine from a member of the British Union of Fascists. To be fair, there were many in the 1930s who were taken in by the charismatic oratory of Oswald Mosley, known as The Leader, and were keen for peace at any cost after the annihilation of a generation in the First World War. But this book is as interesting for what it doesn’t say as for what it does. (Antisemitism, for instance, does not get so much as a mention.) Ms Connolly spins an absorbing story about a woman who may – or may not – have been naïve, who may – or may not – have been as nice as we readers would like to think. Zoë's interrogation is set to a deranged animation. In her story, Zoë's different inner selves attempt to be the more dominant personality. At one point, it is revealed that Jennifer 2 was the one sending Chelsea the anonymous texts. Meanwhile, Aniq and Yasper attempt to eavesdrop on her interrogation, but Yasper's phone is low on battery, so they try to find a charger that is not in use. In their search, they get trapped in a secret room. Culp catches them spying and tells Danner that the police captain has taken her off the case.

Although there were elements of After the Party I very much enjoyed, overall I was left with a slight sense of disappointment, the feeling that the book was less than the sum of its parts. For example, the ‘moment of weakness’ referred to in the blurb seems a minor misdemeanour on Phyllis’s part and one in which she is not really the most guilty party or responsible for what follows. Yet it seems to weigh on her conscience for the rest of her life so much so that she treats her draconian imprisonment as justified punishment. Later Phyllis experiences what she views as a ‘betrayal’ but which did not really to amount to anything like that, it seemed to me. I learned a lot from reading After the Party but wanted to feel more enthusiastic about the story than I did. Phyllis Forrester and her husband, Hugh, return to England, after some years abroad, with their children, Julia, Frances and Edwin. Phyllis is keen to find a house near her sisters, Patricia and Nina. Indeed, while house hunting, the family stay with Patricia, her husband, Greville and their daughter, Antonia. Her other sister, Nina, and husband, Eric, also live nearby. While there, she hears about Nina’s ‘camps,’ which are talked about as a bit of fun and a good way to socialise. There is also much socialising with Patricia; although her taste runs to the more conventional dinner parties.

Neither is remotely present in After the Party, a six-part drama debuting on TVNZ that explores the lingering, crazy-making aftermath of a boozy party, featuring characters all on a spectrum between fallible and broken. It’s so tightly wound it barely takes a moment to blink, much less wink. I’ve seen the first three episodes and have no idea where they’re heading with this thing – it’s gritty, wrenching and highly confronting. Phyllis Forrester, her husband, and three children have just returned to England from foreign business postings in 1938. Seeking to find a base in the country, they move to Sussex where Phyllis's two sisters live with their husbands. Phyllis is a bit at loose ends; her children are going off to school and her husband is supervising the building of a new house for the family. Both, though, become involved with the BU - "British Union" - the Oswald Moseley fascist organisation, that her sisters and their husbands are already extremely active in. This time - pre-war - is prime for anti-war fervor in Britain, with Moselely's group advocating not getting involved in any future wars with Germany. As war begins in 1939, the BU and it's members are increasingly seen as possible domestic provocateurs. I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters. The people involved in the party and the sister’s friends aren’t very nice people. Some of the things they get up to in the name of fun turned my stomach and made for uncomfortable reading, particularly an incident involving a pig near the beginning of the book. I did sympathise with Phyllis a little as I’m not sure she really understood what she was getting herself involved in and only joined to keep her sister’s happy and to make some friends. I loved how Lees painted a picture (hehe... if you read the book this will make sense) of a deranged mother. Oftentimes I read books and I'm like, I need the mom's POV to understand what's going on in her mind. But despite this book being narrated only by Lizzie, I didn't feel like I was missing any of the puzzle pieces with mother dearest. She was brazy, and her actions made sense in context of her character.Lizzie has been in love with Dean for years on the night she plans to reveal all he confesses his secret relationship and love for fellow workmate and casual friend Rebecca leaving Lizzie devastated. But the morning after this discovery Rebecca is missing and everyone’s a suspect in the small community they all reside. Miller conceived of The Afterparty in the early 2010s, where he wanted to make a murder mystery showing the different perspectives of the murder from its witnesses, inspired by his love of the murder-mystery genre and Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon. The high school reunion aspect was added after Miller attended a high school reunion himself, thinking it would be a unique setting for such a concept. [29] Miller initially wrote it as a feature-length screenplay on his own while he was making Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street with Lord. In June 2013, the project was set-up at Sony Pictures as a film titled The Reunion, with Miller as sole writer and director, while producing the film along with Lord, Jonathan Kadin, and Hannah Minghella. [30] However, the film never came to fruition due to commitments with The Lego Movie and 22 Jump Street. Lord and Miller were still optimistic in making The Reunion while promoting The Lego Movie, [31] so when Miller considered making the project in later hears, he made the decision to make it as a mini-series. Miller felt that expanding the concept into a series would allow him to properly develop the characters. Doing so also gave Miller the idea to present each version of the event as a separate genre in line with the respective POV's of each witness. [32] Lizzie is in love with Dean, but Dean is in love with Rebecca. And when Rebecca goes missing, Lizzie's love for Dean is tested.