The Night of the Party is a psych thriller that just as easily identifies as a crime thriller. The plot centers around a chilling crime. While the police try to figure out “whodunit,” deep secrets come to light, and nobody is safe from shocking revelations.
The blurb pretty much tells the reader what the catalyst event is. “A beautiful girl will be dead by the end of the night.” Kind of gives it away. There is only one character who fits the bill, Libby, the reader instantly knows who the victim is.
Evie, Libby’s mom, is the most sympathetic character. First, there is the shock of her daughter’s death. Then, the investigation reveals more than she ever could have imagined about her family and closest friends.
She is hit from all sides and tries to find her footing. I felt sorry for her. But I was also a little incredulous that she was oblivious to what was going on prior to the incident.
The author does a good job of building the tension and casting doubt on certain characters’ motivations. This is especially true with Libby.
Through flashbacks, the reader learns just how Libby’s mental state plays a part in the events that follow. Turns out that there is a lot more to Libby than meets the eye – and much more than Evie knows.
Her father, Tom, on the other hand, seems to have a better idea of Libby’s frame of mind. I’m not going to tell you why. But it is another example of how far Libby’s mental state has taken her down a dark path.
There are a few aspects of the book that don’t work but that is probably personal preference. For example, the author tells the story in a realistic way. Information that one character knows stays with that character until they tell another character.
Within an investigation, that makes sense, because there is no reason for others to know something without someone telling them. However, recounting the information each time it is shared sometimes bogs down the plot. It is repetitive.
Additionally, Una seems like a superfluous character. She is part of a twist toward the end, but she doesn’t have much to do otherwise. Her part could have been more fleshed out.
I do think the author does a great job of making the connections between the characters. The web is complicated and realistic. Although, I did guess a few of the twists early on.
Maybe that is because I read a lot of books in this genre. I always try to outguess the author. Other readers may not see it coming.
Ultimately, The Night of the Party explores how well we really know the people closest to us. In this case, the answer is not at all.
I will also say that this book is not unlike her previous books (see: The Stranger’s Wife). But for some reason, it does not have the “Dan Riley” identifier, even though he is the investigating officer. Not sure why that is.
About the author
I was born in Hampshire but grew up in London where I still live today with my two children. I was originally a dancer who re-trained after a ‘disco accident’ in Ibiza to become a journalist – I’ve even won some awards, though I don’t like to talk about them – ha! I’ve been a women’s lifestyle writer for over fifteen years and am the former editor and acting editor of the fabulous J-17 magazine and Smash Hits respectively and have written for all the major glossies including Grazia, Company, Marie Claire and More, where I was their resident tell-it-like-it-is advice columnist – loads of fun! I’ve also written for NME, Loaded and Front magazine (I can be down with the lads too!).
