The Beach Party: A completely gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

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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. Despite how many teens were at the party, apparently no one saw the murder take place. It did not take long before the police put the investigation to rest and it became an unsolved crime. Not everybody is happy with the podcast, especially now that the police are being called to task for the crime remaining unsolved. The podcast is no doubt going to open a can of worms regarding the investigation at the time and other related matters that might manage to solve this terrible crime. I love thrillers that keep me guessing until the end and then deliver that last punch that leaves me breathless, but unfortunately, this one was not one of them. I saw the twist coming, and it left me a bit disappointed.

The other extremely surprising and gratifying thing about this book (unlike so many others in the genre) is that it’s a TRUE MYSTERY with REAL SUSPENSE. As the book continues on you slowly find out more about the night of the beach party and also experience the interviews of those willing to go on the podcast in real time. Thanks to Bookouture, Bookouture Audio, the author and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review* Sadly, the victim of that murder, Lacey, was at that party that was attended by several teens who were soon to go off to college. Most of them were friends since childhood, yet one of them was very likely was responsible for Lacey’s murder. This is especially the case because not all of this group of young people were friends. How lovely it is to discover a new favourite author and such a treat to find a tip top mystery thriller just when I needed one most.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 , ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It grabs you from the start and it doesn’t let you go. The characters are interesting, the protagonist is vulnerable and relatable and you root for her from the start. Kate and Sophie were writing and producing episodes for the podcast quite happily together…until Tom came on the scene. She knows him from Cornwall, they grew up together, and he was also at the party that preluded Lacey being found dead. There is a lot of tension between Katie and Tom, and they allude to something happening between them at one point.I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Bookouture and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased. I was definitely surprised that this story actually ended up being mostly set five years after the event, and I didn't see the podcast angle coming either. I'm not sure why especially the true crime podcast wasn't mentioned in the blurb to be honest, because it seems like such an essential part of the plot in the first place. It certainly was the element I liked most about the story, along with the mystery around Lacey's death. There were a lot of suspects to keep you busy, although I have to confess that I did guess what happened long before it was revealed. The Author Resource Round Table on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/116489?group_id=26989

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? My other complaint was the leading character. Her excessive drinking (why is everyone a drunk these days???) was tiring and her constant self-deprecation and saying how she didn't compare to her friend/cohost was very grating. I also had a hard time believing these two girls solved a cold case in a week or two.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. 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 and Katie are best friends who start a podcast documenting the details of a murder of one of their acquaintances that took place surrounding a beach party when they were around age 19 in their small British town(along with their mutual friend Tom as podcast editor). 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. 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?