We all have an event in our lives that we would rather not revisit. But what happens when you not only have to revisit it but do a podcast about it? That question (and more) is the center of The Beach Party, a new psych thriller from Amy Sheppard.
Katie grew up in a small town on the Cornwall coast. When she was 19, a fellow classmate, Lacey, was brutally murdered. Fast forward five years and Katie returns with her friend Sophie to do an episode of their podcast that explores murders in small towns.
Katie does not bargain for all of the secrets that are still hidden. The feelings that arise returning to “the scene of the crime.” The reminders of how tight-lipped the townspeople can be.
Unfortunately for her, the time at home exploring and investigating Lacey’s murder digs up a lot of skeletons that are definitely better off staying buried.
I thought the author did a great job of building the tension. My suspect list constantly changed as more revelations occurred. The great thing about the way the author approached this was that each of the suspects was plausible.
Sometimes, an author introduces suspects who have very little motive or questionable involvement Not so in this case. In fact, every single person at the beach party was a believable suspect at one point or another – as were several other townspeople.
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B3XQYKCDsocial
Audio:
UK: zpr.io/ACEaAQRvq2vF
US: zpr.io/9F38DRLfsxYE
However, it turns out Lacey wasn’t the beloved, popular girl that Katie thought she was. In fact, she really wasn’t very nice at all.
I like that. A lot. It makes the motive that much more complicated. It additionally gives the reader a taste of the psych in psych thriller
Katie is a complicated character. She has tried to distance herself from that period of her life for several reasons. But she is thrown back into it in the worst way. Her personal attachment to everything gives the story multiple levels which keep the interest high.
If I had to say anything bad, I’d say that the wrap-up after the climax seems very rushed. Once we know who the killer is, everything else just gets a perfunctory mention. But that is being nitpicky.
I really enjoyed The Beach Party. It’s a great debut novel from Amy Sheppard, and I look forward to reading her next psych thriller novel.
Author Bio:
Amy Sheppard is a busy mum of two boys, living in Cornwall. Her obsession with making budget-friendly family dinners led her to writing two cookbooks. Amy creates recipes for her followers and for brands @amysheppardfood
