Party of Liars

Party of Liars is a domestic thriller that puts readers in the middle of a locked room mystery set during a Sweet Sixteen birthday party at a lavish house in Texas. We know from the start that there has been a death but who died? Through time frames before, during and after the party and multiple POVs, readers get a peek into the minds, motivations and emotional baggage of a few characters. 

The multiple POV aspect was handled well - from the Irish nanny, new wife/new mom Dani, and her husband Ethan, to Ethan's ex-wife Kim, birthday girl Sophie and her BFF Mikayla ..., Cox gives her readers several potential culprits as she shares their backstories leading up to the death.

I had a few ideas of whose body it was and how it all happened, and I guessed a few twists correctly (but not the final one!). While not as creepy as I had expected with its tease of a haunting, I was impressed with this quiet suspense read that kept me guessing and successfully layered in complex family dynamics and social issues for an enjoyably unsettling and twisty read.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Minotaur Books for the complimentary digital advanced copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Kelsey Cox

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Minotaur Books

First Published: July 1, 2025

Read:June 21-26, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: A lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel — serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin…

Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It’s a killer guest list . . .

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.