The Block Party

by Jamie Day, Megan Tusing (Narrator), Suzy Jackson (Narrator)

12 hours, 15 minutes

On the night of the annual Summer block party, the Meadowbrook community Facebook page lights up with posts reporting sirens descending on the desirable and exclusive cul-de-sac neighborhood on Alton Road. Bit by bit, the comments trickle in, some taking pleasure in their neighbors’ misfortune and others showing concern. The truth eventually comes out. It's not an accident, or a drowning, or a fire, as some had predicted. For the first time in forty years, there's been a murder in Meadowbrook.

The residents of Alton Road—The Fox family, the core of the neighborhood but each with secrets of their own; the Adair Family, the seemingly perfect all-American family; the Thompson Family, on the brink of an explosive divorce; The Kumars, the mysterious "new neighbors"; Brooke Bailey, the "Black Widow"; and Gus Fisher, the quirky salesman— are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal unbeknownst to the outside world and even each other.

Who was murdered at the block party? Who committed the murder? And why? As the night unfolds, the residents will discover that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems. Propulsive and layered, The Block Party will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Book Club

Audiobook

First published July 18, 2023

About the author

Jamie Day lives in one of those picture-perfect, coastal New England towns you see in the movies. And just like the movies, Jamie has two children and an adorable dog to fawn over. When not writing or reading, Jamie enjoys yoga, the ocean, cooking, and long walks on the beach with the dog, or the kids, or sometimes both.

Reviews

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer Drama!

The Block Party is a domestic suspense novel about a murder during the annual Memorial Day block party on boujee Alton Lane.

There are many characters, but thankfully only two narrators to keep track of as the drama unfolds.

Narrated by Alex, a mediator, and her daughter, Lettie, a high school senior, I didn’t like either one of them.

Alex is the nosy neighbor with too much time on her hands who is immersed in her neighbors' drama. Lettie’s chapters have a YA tone. Her character is hard-core annoying, especially since she constantly explains her behavior and actions vs. letting the reader figure out what was going on.

There are several side characters to keep track of, some more interesting than others. None were particularly developed. All characters complain about their first-world problems.

The narrative alternates between last year’s block party to this year’s, interspersed with chapters that take place between fall, winter, and spring. In addition, residents of the community shared their theories in Facebook community chat--these perspectives were supposed to add fuel to the fire, but they didn’t do much for me.

This should have been juicy fun, but for a book with so much drama, the plot moved slowly. The characters were also unlikable. However, wanting to know the mystery behind the murder and the identity of the victim kept me invested.

The Block Party wasn’t the most original in this genre, but it held my attention and made for an entertaining read for the holiday weekend.

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! This is good! This is addictive! This is scandalous! Grab your popcorns and chill your favorite wines! Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies concept couldn’t be so entertaining!

Block Party is smart, twisty, well crafted mystery with bunch of amazing characters. The main story told by two POVs: Alex; fixer, mediator, heavy wine drinker, the good and responsible neighbor, open minded mother and Lettie; Alex’s rebellious, environmentalist, intelligent, observant, misfit daughter!

The events are told by their perspectives. The book opens with Memorial Day Block Party which was detailedly organized by Alex. During the party Alex had too much drink and got humiliated after slipping and finding herself sit on kid’s pool! Her husband sent her to home, ordering not to come back!

After closing her eyes, passing out at home, Alex suddenly gets alerted by sirens! Something happened at the block party! As we get informed from online gossips of neighbors, we understand somebody died at the party ! But who and why? We only got introduced with Alex and the irritating sales man Gus Fisher called Bug Man, Alex’s very angry husband Nick at the first chapter.

Then we moved backwards to read the incidents from one year ago and meet with the main characters.

Alex- Nick and their 17 years old Lettie are Foxes seem like the perfect family. Even though Alex keeps drinking too much, Lettie gets suspended from school. Let’s not forget Nick and Alex didn’t have sex for a long time!

Adairs also seem like having all. Two brilliant sons with great athletic accomplishments, very successful, handsome husband Ken, his devoted wife, real estate manager wife Emily who is also Alex’s sister. But Emily gets agitated as soon as she realizes her husband gets a little more interested in their new neighbor Mandy Kumar. She even plans to hire PI to find out what her husband keeps away from her and their son Dylan is tired to live in the shadow of his star athlete brother, dating with Riley who is also nemesis of his cousin Lettie.

Willow and her photographer husband Evan are members of Thompson family, in the middle of explosive divorce and their 17 years old Riley is keeping very dangerous secrets from them. Lettie knows Riley is the reason for her suspension and she teams up with her new neighbor Jay to get revenge by finding out what Riley is hiding out!

The new neighbors Kumars seem like perfect family but nothing as it seems. Samir, Mandy are both psychiatrists and their 20 years old college dropout Jay lives with them. Samir doesn’t let his wife socialize with the other women in the neighborhood, acting controlling, manipulative.

And the black widow Brooke Bailey ( my favorite character of the book) , sassy, sarcastic, eccentric and absolutely beautiful neighbor, living alone after her husband died at the yacht accident. So many people presumed she killed him and got away with it. Jury is still out there!

Normally I don’t like to read long books with so much characters. It normally exhausts me! But on the contrary, this book made me more energized! I was so intrigued! It felt like binge watching ten episodes of murder mystery series!
The characters are exceptional! The secrets, twists were well crafted. I didn’t want it to end! I had so much fun!

The conclusion was heart pounding and well wrapped up!

This book should be turned into the series! Ryan Murphy should read this book and instead of producing another Watcher season, he should read this book, working on the adaptation into the series!

I’m giving my five stars and looking forward to read more works of Jamie Day in near future!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

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[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 1 out of 5]

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This book bombed for me. It is very repetitive especially when it comes to all the wine drinking and the repeated promises of "I need to stop". I love a good popcorn thriller but this one seemed to drag. We get two perspectives, Alex (the wine drinker forever promising to quit) and her eighteen-year-old daughter Lettie. It starts off in the present at the Memorial Day block party, then we go back a year leading up to a murder. We don't know who is dead nor who did it. Sounds right up my alley but this one lacked in execution. There are lots of heavy topics dealt with in the book, alcoholism, statutory rape, drug abuse and mental health/suicide but I felt they were portrayed unrealistically.

There were a lot of thriller cliches in the plot. The cast of adult characters were all unlikeable and they all need a good therapist, stat. There wasn't one level-headed adult in the bunch and we are talking about an exclusive area, this isn't a neighbourhood of people with a lack of resources and education. The dialogue felt unrealistic and the internal moaning of Alex got on my nerves. I felt no connection to any of the characters, I hated them all. The ending wasn't surprising and it took way too long to get there. This book was a real downer and not very thrilling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

[Rachel Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one block party that I’m glad that I wasn’t invited to! Lol! Seriously though, I have to admit that this book exceeded my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was invested in the story and the characters from the first page all the way through until the last page. The Block Party contained a little bit of everything from drama (lots of it), lies, cheating, heavy drinking, revenge, stalking, and even murder! 🫣😲

The Block Party starts off present day at the Memorial Day BBQ for all the residents of Alton Road. We then go back to a year prior that leads up to the present day Memorial Day BBQ. In that time we come familiar with a majority of the residents who live on Alton Road. Now, there are quite a few characters to keep up with and sometimes I got confused- but only for a minute. This story flowed almost effortlessly and I resonated with each of the female characters- even that of the teenage Lettie (although I could probably never afford to live on Alton Road, but that’s besides the point).

I had to laugh while reading this story because Lettie made me remember a time in my younger years when I was attracted to a guy who was a “bad boy”, and did not like me as much as I liked him- as was the case with Lettie and Jay Kumar in this story. Jay told Lettie that it could never work between them, and he made a reference to the story of the frog and the scorpion (to those not familiar with that story, it is told in this book). I had to chuckle, because this same boy/guy that I had thought I was in love with told me that same story and I never forgot it! It has been years since I heard it, but it definitely brought back memories, and I enjoyed this story even more!

I highly recommend reading The Block Party as I was in a bit of a book slump, and this book brought me right out of it! If I’m being picky, there were a few too many characters- but totally worth it!
(4.5 stars) 🌟

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for an ARC of this book that I had the pleasure of reading! All opinions are my own. Publication date: July 18, 2023.

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh what a difference a year makes!

It’s the night of the annual BLOCK PARTY on Alton road, with fifteen families attending (despite three no-shows), and thirty something kids. As always, Classic rock blared from the speakers, yard games were being played, meat sizzled on the grill and red SOLO cups were everywhere.

But, for the first time in 40 years, there will be a MURDER in Meadowbrook-and the Community page will light up with speculation about why the sirens are racing toward the “start of Summer” party.

WHO didn’t survive?

And, WHO is to blame?

The book opens on Memorial Day, Present Day, from the third person POV of the party’s organizer, Alex Fox and then shifts to Memorial Day, One Year Prior.

Over the next four seasons, we will get to know the residents of Alton Road-and their SECRETS-many from the alternating, first person POV, of Alex’s 17 year old daughter, Lettie.

Often I struggle with a YA POV, but this time, these were my favorite chapters! Lettie is the kind of girl you would be proud to call your own-wise beyond her years, caring and sharing my “tongue in cheek” humor. Her father, Nick and their dog, Zoe, round out their family.

The other residents on the block are :

Alex’s sister, Emily Adair, her husband, Ken, and their son Dylan.

Willow Thompson, her soon to be ex husband, Evan and their daughter, Riley.

New neighbors Samir and Mandy Kumar, and their son, Jay.

And, the beautiful Widow, Brooke Bailey, who may or may not have pushed her husband overboard while on a cruise.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn’t include Gus Fisher, known as the “bug man”-and it’s not a term of endearment!

Despite the large cast, THIS TIME, character development is strong, and it’s easy to keep track of “Who’s Who” on Alton Road. These feel like characters who might be your friends and a part of your life.

We are kept GUESSING about who WILL NOT be at next year’s BLOCK PARTY until the last 20%, and in those final pages, all secrets are revealed and all questions are answered with a SURPRISING and SATISFYING conclusion.

The story comes full circle, returning to MEMORIAL DAY, PRESENT DAY, with an epilogue of sorts which is MEMORIAL DAY, one year later.

I love “neighborhood stories”, and the only reason that this DEBUT gets 4 stars instead of 5, is that at 384 pages it started to feel just a tad long for domestic suspense. But, if you enjoy these stories as well-I have no qualms about recommending this one!

AVAILABLE NOW!!

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recently, I read Melissa Adelman’s debut What the Neighbors Saw about dysfunctional neighbors living in a wealthy neighborhood where the one single neighbor behaves suspiciously, every husband is a jerk, the women gossip and drink, most marriages are struggling, secret affairs are happening, cops have to be called on occasion … and a murder happens.

OK - now take all that and put it on steroids and you have Jamie Day’s debut The Block Party. This is what you call ‘extra’ when it comes to neighborhood drama!

For a story revolving around only five families, there’s a laundry list of troubling behavior: alcoholism, blackmail, attempted suicide, substance abuse, stalking, infidelity, an inappropriate relationship, domestic abuse, rape, revenge, bullying, divorce, lying, stealing, vandalism and semi-regular visits from the police … and this is the BEST street in the neighborhood. Yikes.

The story is written from two POVs: Alex, a busybody divorce mediator with a perpetual glass of wine in her hand, and her supremely conscientious teen daughter, Lettie. These two were too much! The mention of Alex’s wine was so frequent that you could make it its own drinking game, and Lettie’s preachiness about every hot topic issue was tiresome. They both meddled in others’ business and made things worse, and there were no other likable characters, leaving me with no one to root for. Even the redemption arcs didn’t work for me.

You know from the first chapter someone was murdered during the annual block party, with subsequent chapters taking the reader through the events leading up to it. As I said, since no one was likable, I wasn’t invested in who the victim was nor the whodunnit. I just wanted to move away from this neighborhood! (And what the heck with the weird Bug Guy. Why?)

The plot was an OTT, overly melodramatic, rapid-fire pile-up of one drama after another. That can be a blast if it’s written with humor or tongue-in-cheek, but the story played it straight and suffered from it, in my opinion. If you’re a fan of soap operas, then this may be more appealing to you. I enjoyed them in my twenties, but thirty years later … not so much.

On a positive note, the problem for me is the story and not the author. I can see her genuine talent, and if she reigns it in a little next time and resists the urge to kitchen sink the plot details, I’ll likely enjoy her next effort more! There are a lot of enthusiastic reviews for this book, so there’s definitely an audience this will satisfy. As for me, I’m just reminded why I avoid parties!

★★ ½

Thanks to St. Martins Press, NetGalley and author Jamie Day for this DRC to review honestly. It's now available.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ★

I hope I NEVER live on a block this crazy!

In The Block Party, the residents of Alton Road’s cul-de-sac look calm and friendly on the surface, but beneath polite smiles lie secrets, grudges, and scandalous romances. When the annual summer block party ends in murder, the story rewinds to reveal how desire and betrayal entangle the neighbors and how one night exposes what they are capable of.

After reading a very similar book late last year and hating it, I was worried this one would disappoint me as well. I’m happy to say that it didn’t, even though I do have some notable negatives.

First off, this book is full of drama. If you’re looking for a messy neighborhood read and just want the chaos, this absolutely delivers.

The story is told from the perspectives of Alex and her daughter, Lettie. This dual POV gives insight into both the adult drama and the teenage dynamics, and I thought that balance worked well, although it did feel repetitive at times.

I also enjoy mysteries where you don’t know who died or who did it until the end. It opens up so many possibilities and keeps you guessing. Lucy Foley does this best, in my opinion, but I still found it effective here.

That said, there are a lot of characters, and I struggled at times to keep track of them, especially the couples. The story centers around four couples and their children, many of which felt similar aside from their names and individual issues. Outside of Alex and Lettie, I often had to pause to reconnect characters to their place in the neighborhood and how they knew one another. This isn’t usually an issue for me, so I wish the character voices had been more distinct.

Another drawback for me was predictability. I had a strong sense of the central mystery by about the halfway point, and my suspicions were mostly confirmed as the story went on. While a few of the smaller twists did surprise me, the main reveal didn’t fully land.

One thing that tends to bother me in books is when everything gets over-explained at the end, and this story leaned into that a bit. There’s a chapter where every detail is laid out very clearly, and while I understand the intention, it felt somewhat unrealistic and more like it was there to make sure the audience didn’t miss anything rather than letting the story speak for itself.

Overall, this feels like one of those books that will really work for some readers and annoy others. I land somewhere in the middle. That said, I think it would make for a fun summer read if you’re in the mood for a lot neighborhood drama between couples.

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the annual block party in an exclusive neighborhood. And please, no interlopers! Not even the pesky bug guy! (Sorry, buddy.)

But as with most neighborhoods things are changing. New families moving in, bringing their own personal sets of problems with them. Kids growing up and preparing to leave for college. And… marriages coming apart at the seams! Standard-issue problems that every neighborhood experiences.

Now something seriously dark is coming to this high-end neighborhood. Murder!

The focus is on Alex, wife and mother, who nearly everyone seems to come to for sage advice. Well, she is a mediator by trade so I suppose that makes sense. I also think she secretly enjoys being the one in charge.

We also hear from Alex’s daughter Lettie. Nearing the end of high school, wanting to save the world though no one else seems to take note of her quest.

The online community page, (a take on our neighborhood apps) was hilarious. It reminded me of familiar voices of my own neighbors!

This was a fun, engaging read. I enjoyed the audio and digital formats equally.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio.

[Catherine (alternativelytitledbooks) - still catching up! · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Jamie Day for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 7.18!!**

Neighbor (noun): A person in relation to his fellow-men, regarded as having social and moral duties toward them. (The Century Dictionary)

Though there are MANY definitions of the word neighbor, when it comes to THIS block and social and moral obligations?

Let's just say...they're in SHORT supply!

Alton Lane is a neighborhood full of deep pockets and deeper secrets, and the adjoining neighborhoods have no trouble calling them out online for their scandalous and sometimes snooty behavior. But when a MURDER takes place after one Memorial Day block party, all of the gossip is for once well-deserved...and NOBODY quite knows what happened...or who took the fall!

Alex is a mediator by day...and ends up being a natural problem-solver for the neighborhood by night. Her teenage daughter Lettie is out to save the world (or at least try) and they live with Alex's husband Nick, a seemingly perfect guy. When Lettie casts her eye on devastatingly handsome bad boy Jay Kumar, however, she may be getting in deeper than anticipated...and a bid for revenge on a certain someone may go a bit TOO far. Willow, another neighbor, is in the midst of a divorce. Alex's sister Emily lives on the block too with her husband Ken, not to mention gorgeous Brooke Bailey, each with secrets and tangled webs of their own.

One night, the four women of the aforementioned group get a bit tipsy and decide to play Two Truths and a Lie...and when widowed Brooke casually mentions that she killed her former husband as one of her statements, NOBODY knows whether to take her seriously or not. Is this the most dangerous secret of all...or could one of the OTHER women have an even darker secret under wraps....OR are they the guardian of someone ELSE'S deadly secret?

Jamie Day had me engaged for a while...the first 25-30%, let's say. Although there was a fairly large cast of characters (and more than I felt were necessary honestly, even in a book about a whole neighborhood block) they had enough defining characteristics to keep them separate in my mind. That being said however, there was one through line with this cast....they were all sort of awful people. And on top of that, we got to hear about the character's traits OVER AND OVER to the point where I was almost rolling my eyes. Alex, for example, has a drinking problem...and not only will she acknowledge her heavy drinking to herself ad nauseum, but all the characters around her are constantly mentioning it too. Then there's daughter Lettie who's dedication to the environment, saving the planet, and curbing the effects of climate change are certainly admirable...BUT they didn't need to be repeated endlessly. It started to feel less like character development and more like the author didn't trust the reader to even be paying attention.

This does capture all of the trademarks usually found in Domestic Suspense. Since it does fit squarely in the genre, in that aspect, Day IS successful. Failing marriages, lies, divorce, affairs emotional alienation, bullying...this a veritable therapist's playground. (Well...in a manner of speaking). But where this book started to lose me was in its ridiculously LONG timeline where we have to follow these characters for an entire YEAR. I think tiny clips and blips from the past would have been fine, but there was no universe where this book needed to be this long. Even though it clocks in below 400 pages, with the uneven pacing and sometimes slow-moving plot, it felt closer to 500 for me. The twists weren't OVERLY predictable, but weren't too big of a stretch either and by the time they were revealed, I was pretty checked out anyway.

Much you like you can't choose your family, you can't always choose your neighbors either. And although I've lived in my new neighborhood for a little over a year now and still only know a few names...after reading about this motley crew, I think I'd rather be Home Alone....or rather Alone, in my Home! 🏡 😉

3.5 stars

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

A block party to die for?

I have a hard time passing up neighborhood thrillers, so I was really looking forward to a scandalous time!

There is a lot going on in Meadowbrook and a lot of characters to keep up with as well. I found most of the characters to be lackluster and with too much commentary so I struggled through most of the novel. Some unlikeable characters and a YA pov were also not my favorite elements.

So much melodrama happening! Which way to look?!!

There are some twists and surprises though and they kept me reading and wanting to know who did what, their motives, and how the author would wrap up it up. I think she tried to hard though and threw too much in the sink. I may be in the minority on this. Lots of 4-5 star reviews on this one!

Thanks NG for my ARC. OUT on July 18, 2023

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was delish!!

The Block Party starts with a Memorial Day annual block party where a murder is committed. Then we go back a year and meet the neighbors of Alton Road and little by little we discovered their secrets.

Alex Fox lives on Alton Road with her husband Nick and her daughter Lettie.

Alex's sister. Emily Adair lives on the same road with her husband Ken and their son Dylan.

A young and beautiful widow, Brooke Bailey.

A couple in the middle of a divorce, Wilow and Evan Thompson, and their daughter, Riley.

Last but not least are the new neighbors, Samir and Mandy Kumar, and their son, Jay, Lettie immediately has an interest in him.

There is a dual POV. One by Alex and another by her daughter, Lettie. Lettie is smart and snarky. Alex is nice, she tries to help everyone but she might like alcohol a little too much.

Brooke has a reputation. Some people believe that she murdered her husband.

Emily is having some marital issues and she didn't like how interested Ken is in newcomer Mandy.

For a lover of the show Desperate Housewives, I had fun with this one. The Block Party was full of twists and turns making it quite addicting.

I liked Alex's character a lot and I felt bad for her alcoholism. Lettie was great too. Although sometimes she acted like a brat to her parents, especially her mom.

The narrators Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson did an amazing job of bringing all the characters to life.

The conclusion was quite satisfying since it brings all the answers to the table.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press /Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Block Party tackles one of those upper class neighborhoods where everyone has problems. The story starts at the block’s Memorial Day party. By the end of the night, someone has been murdered. The reader is kept in the dark about both victim and murderer, a la Big Little Lies.
The book bounces between the present day and the past year; and between Alex and her daughter, Lettie. There’s a plethora of characters, each filling a slot. Drunk? Check. Cheating spouse? Check. Controlling husband? Check. Troubled teenager? Check. Angry young man? Double check. Widow whose husband died under suspicious circumstances? Check. You get it. I’ll be honest, most of these characters were annoying. This will appeal to those that like reality shows with over the top, somewhat cliched characters. These people are so up in each other’s business, it was crazy. Even the Community Page posts are pure gossip, but at least provide a bit of comic relief.
Kudos to Day for keeping me guessing. I had no clue how this would play out. This would work well as an easy beach read.
I am definitely in the minority as most have loved this. I found it just meh. But I like my mysteries to have a little more depth.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun domestic drama of the juiciest sort.

I'm always here for the wild neighborhood stories, I really enjoyed this one. I alternated between the audiobook and the print copy for this one. Most of the book is great on audio, the narrators for Alex and Lettie, Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson, do a fantastic job giving those characters voice. The neighborhood Facebook-esque group posts though, are great in print and don't translate well to audio. There aren't a ton of them, so it's easy to get through them quickly.

The book opens with a neighborhood's annual Memorial Day block party, in which something major has occurred but we don't know what. We then flash back and forth throughout the book with the previous year's block party and everything that led up to the events of the present day.

Everyone here has secrets and issues. Alex and her husband and the other couples in the neighborhood have them. Lettie and her friends in high school have them. The two groups overlap as well, in the most shocking of ways. The book is filled with suspense, a plethora of drama, and a lot of people behaving very, very badly. You just won't be able to look away!

Yes, there are a lot of characters. It can get confusing, but the audiobook helped me to keep them straight because many of them were voiced differently. I just found this to be a highly addictive family drama.

One word of warning, if you have triggers you might want to steer clear. There are SO many I think the only thing that didn't occur was animal harm. But if you like super juicy neighborhood stories, this one just might hit the spot this summer.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Scottsdale Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A suspenseful thriller in the neighborhood noir genre that is both entertaining and engaging.

Alex lives a good life with her husband and soon to be college bound daughter Lettie. Her sister and brother-in law live next door and she is friends with most of the people on her upscale street. When a new couple moves in, divisions and secrets begin to make themselves known.

Told from both the perspective of Alex and her daughter, multiple storylines emerge and keep the reader guessing. The characters are well developed and the plot twists keep the reader wanting more. An excellent novel that will keep you up reading until the end. -Jennifer C.

[JaymeO · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!

“What is up with the men on Alton Road? When did they all go nuts?”

The Block Party is a solid Domestic Suspense debut!

The residents of Alton Road are all keeping secrets. Within the year, their lives will be forever changed by their own despicable behavior. Not all is fun and games, like the block party they throw each Memorial Day. When their secrets are revealed, there will be terrible consequences for all the residents. Someone was murdered and the Meadowbrook online community can’t get enough of the juicy gossip. What really happened at the Memorial Day celebration?

Jamie Day explores themes of alcoholism, revenge, infidelity, suicide, drug abuse, and depression in her debut novel. While the themes and format of this book are not unique to the genre, Day’s fully developed characters are stand-outs. Two things that are usually deal breakers for me with books are long length and YA perspective, but I really enjoyed this one! Although Lettie is a teenager and shares half of the narration of the book, she is the only upstanding citizen in this neighborhood. Since all of the other characters are flawed, I had someone to really pull for.

The many juicy secrets come together in an unrealistic, but satisfying way. Some of the twists are predictable, but others won me over. Overall, I am impressed by this debut, and will be happy to read more from Jamie Day.

Note to publisher: This book could benefit from further editing before publication.

Trigger warning: Suicide

4/5 stars

Expected publication date: 7/18/23

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of The Block Party in exchange for an honest review.

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out now, so grab your copy ASAP!

On the night of the annual Summer block party, the Meadowbrook community Facebook page lights up with posts reporting sirens descending on the desirable and exclusive cul-de-sac neighborhood on Alton Road. Bit by bit, the comments trickle in, some taking pleasure in their neighbors’ misfortune and others showing concern. The truth eventually comes out. It's not an accident, or a drowning, or a fire, as some had predicted. For the first time in forty years, there's been a murder in Meadowbrook.

The residents of Alton Road—The Fox family, the core of the neighborhood but each with secrets of their own; the Adair Family, the seemingly perfect all-American family; the Thompson Family, on the brink of an explosive divorce; The Kumars, the mysterious "new neighbors"; Brooke Bailey, the "Black Widow"; and Gus Fisher, the quirky salesman— are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal unbeknownst to the outside world and even each other.

Who was murdered at the block party? Who committed the murder? And why? As the night unfolds, the residents will discover that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

From the first word, The Block Party had my attention. Between the secrets, lies, scandal, and plans for revenge, this book certainly had it all. Because you can be rest assured that there are plenty of characters hiding a multitude of things, all of which will thoroughly shock you.

So what in particular blew me away? Well, let’s start off with the truly mind-blowing character development. And not just for the two behind the dual POV. No, through one blindingly surprising detail after another, we learned oh so much about the bulk of them. And with each new piece of the puzzle, the bigger the pile of red herrings grew. Nothing bad about that.

The only minor quibble I had was linked to this as the mountain of subplots behind this information led to a mildly disorganized and confusing plot. I ultimately had to actually take notes on everything that was revealed just to keep it all straight. Did it bother me enough to put the book down or significantly downgrade my rating? Not a chance, but, at the same time, I felt honor bound to mention it in my review.

Next up on things I truly loved about this book was the premise itself. A neighborhood in disarray with tension and gossip so thick you could cut it with a knife? Yes, please! And let me tell you, Jamie Day certainly didn’t disappoint. So often I read a synopsis with true promise only to find that the book just didn’t live up to my expectations. That couldn’t be further from the truth with this one. It’s everything you could want out of a plot plus more. From the first page until the last, I found myself swept up by this character-driven plot.

All I know is, there was simply no way I could have guessed who was behind all of the evil deeds, which is exactly how I like it. But at the same time, the end result (told through a truly epic climax) felt neither a step too far or over-the-top. Were there moments where I felt the book rang just a bit too melodramatic? Unfortunately, yes. But given all that was going on in this rather disturbing wealthy enclave, I was perfectly happy with it just the way it was. In the end, I loved being taken on this thoroughly addictive, unputdownable, slow building suspense rollercoaster of a ride and I look forward to further books by this debut author! Rating of 4.5 stars.

Trigger warning: alcoholism, divorce, infidelity, bullying, drug use, controlling relationship, miscarriage, drowning death of a child, assault, attempted suicide, drinking and driving, statutory rape, depression

PUB DATE: July 18, 2023

*Thanks to Jamie Day, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

**Synopsis provided by the publisher.

#TheBlockPartyNovel #JamieDay #StMartinsPress

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Publication date ~ July 18, 2023
Page Count ~ 367
Audio length ~ 12 hours 31 minutes
Narrator ~ Megan Tusing, Suzy Jackson
POV ~ single 1st & 3rd
Featuring ~ debut, dual timeline ~ now and 1 year earlier, murder, revenge, r@pe references, suicide references, alcoholism, drug use

There are so many people in the neighborhood to keep track of and a whole lotta drama going on. Our two narrators are mother, Alex (3rd), and daughter, Lettie (1st), which gives us an adult cast and teenager cast. Plus we have a chat forum that's full of gossip about those that live on Alton Road.

We know someone is dead, but as the 1 year earlier timeline slowly comes to the present we get a glimpse of a few possible victims and suspects. There are 2 separate revenge plots happening that came together nicely. A bit slow at times, but overall enjoyable as a debut. I did not guess what was going to happen, so that always excites me.

I was fortunate enough to have a kindle and an audio copy.
Narration notes ~ Both did a fine job. Megan was the perfect choice for the teenage narration.

*Thanks to the author, St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

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[Virginie Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In one word : underwhelming 😕

This one is probably labeled as a domestic thriller, but I was more bored than thrilled... I don't like to write negative reviews, but I think it's important to be honest. I had no problem with the writing, but I didn't care for any character and wasn't invested in the story. I wasn't even curious to know the identity of the victim and the culprit! 🤷‍♀️😬

Looking at the other reviews, I'm sure that plenty of readers will enjoy this book more than I did.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Pub Date: 18 Jul 2023

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's party time!

Although I almost always enjoy books about dysfunctional and unlikeable protagonists from posh neighborhoods attending parties, this book was not for me.

WHY?

1) Too many characters with too much back-and-forth between the then and now.

I much prefer books with fewer well-developed characters and a plot that is not fragmented.

2) When I selected this book, I was not aware that it contained these triggers: rape, drugs, suicide, and a teenager sleeping with her boyfriend's father. (Huh?)

I listened to the audiobook read by Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson. The narration was good but not great.

I'm in the minority and urge you to check out the many glowing reviews.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE BLOCK PARTY by Jamie Day in exchange for my honest review.***

Well, that was just AMAZING! I was hooked on this fast-paced, soapy saga from the opening sentence and couldn’t put it down.

Alexandra Fox meant to have only a couple of drinks at the party. Three, tops.

Spoiler alert: She failed to keep this resolution. (Been there, done that!)

Behind every door on Alton lane, the affluent cul-de-sac where The Block Party of the title happens each Memorial Day, there is some kind of secret. While that setup is not terribly original, what makes this a standout for me is the care that went into constructing this fictional neighborhood. There are many characters, but each is well-drawn, memorable, and sympathetic to varying degrees - even the snotty, entitled teenagers. I never had that issue where I can’t keep track and think, okay, who the hell is THAT again?

The sheer number of secrets could’ve seemed over the top, but the author kept everything from seeming Desperate-Housewives-farcical by the serious nature of what was being hidden: adultery, mental illness, drug abuse, and stalking to name a few. The intricate way the puzzle pieces all came together at the end made for a truly satisfying read. Highly recommend!

Random thoughts and spoilers

Although I REALLY enjoyed this book, I had a few minor quibbles:

• The subplot about the Wookiee was unnecessary. It could’ve been really interesting if developed further, but as presented it didn’t add anything to the story.

• There are a great many voluntarily childless people in the world. I wish Brooke could have been portrayed as one of these, instead of someone who had that choice forced upon her.

• The last chapter with the girl-power, sisterhood picnic didn’t ring true to me based on the relationship these women had in the past and all the things that happened between them and their husbands. It also seemed unlikely that another block party would have been held after the double homicide the previous year!

I will be looking around my cul-de-sac from now on wondering what the hell is going on behind all those doors.

[Marialyce]

It's not all fun and games on Alton Street this Memorial Day for when the day has. ended someone has wound up murdered. Now who can it be and with a plethora of characters carting a wheelbarrow of secrets it's anyone's guess.

Our story is brought to us mainly by Alex Fox with bit and pieces presented by her snarky daughter, Lettie. Many characters in a story usually drive me batty, but Jamie Day has given us a multifaceted view of the members of this tony neighborhood.

Alex's sister and her son and husband live on the block so of course they are part of the mayhem, along with Willow and her soon to be ex and their daughter. There is of course a femme fatale, Willow, who seems to catch the eye of every make as she intends to, and Willow might be a wee bit murderous. Gus Fisher, aptly named the bug man rounds out tis motley crew and add some more snarky to the scene.

We begin the year of the present day Memorial and traverse over the events of the last year, building up the whodunit factor with each turn of the page.

It's a load of surprises for who knows who lurks behind the doors of your neighbors?

Thank you to Jamie Day, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for both the audio and books version of this neighborhood thriller due out in July of this year.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only, if only, if only....



....there hadn't been so many secrets.



or certain people hadn't "looked the other way."

Every one of the residents on the Alton Road cul de sac had something to hide.




I had a hard time engaging with the characters in this mystery. Right off the bat, either the angry teenager's brittle attitude was getting on my nerves, or Alex, her flaky mother, was aggravating me with her paltry attempts at hiding the fact that she was three sheets to the wind and had fallen off the sobriety wagon at this momentous Block Party. (Move the action along, please, I kept begging the narrator!. Give me some of that page turning stuff the blurb had promised me.)

In fact, I was constantly being irritated by one character or another throughout this story. I often found the writing style was too breezy in some sections, and in others it seemed to me that the author was taking forever to advance the action.

I'm rating this one a 3.5 out of 5., rounded down to a 3 because GoodReads does not allow half stars. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The block party on Alton Road is to die for!

I wasn’t sure about this book at first. There were so many characters and so much drama to keep track of. There were a few twists but the big one at the end had my jaw hitting the floor!

The families of Alton Road gather for their annual block party. What starts off as a night of fun ends in tragedy when one of the partygoers is murdered. We don’t know who and we don’t know why. Everyone is a suspect. As the night goes on and secrets are revealed the residents realize that the no one is who they thought they were.

The Block Party is available July 18, 2023

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 .Not a street where I would want to.live. So much going on behind closed doors..Secrets, secrets, secrets. The National Enquirer in fiction form, crossed with Peyton place for.those who remember that show or have read the book, with a little Housewives of mixed in. Once again one teenager who.sometimes seems more mature than the adults in her life, although some requisite teenage angst is included.

A different read for.me, I'm not usually a fan of so.much drama. Fun, though some.very serious issues. The audio was great and is one of the reasons I decided to read. Enjoyable audio listening lately. Very appreciative.

[Blaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update 7/18/23: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!

I spend my days surrounded by the same voices, the same sounds and smells, not to mention the obvious tension between my parents. I’ve caught snippets from arguments. Not sure what that’s all about, but Mom buying wine by the case can’t be a good sign.
…
“Trust me when I tell you that my marriage is the perfect example of a relationship not being what it seems.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for sending me an ARC of The Block Party in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Memorial Day in Meadowbrook, Massachusetts, which means that the fancy folks on Alton Road are throwing their annual Block Party. Are you there, or are you a jealous hater complaining about it online? Because this year won’t just have the usual assortment of wine drunk moms and petty disputes. This year, there will be murder(s)….

The Block Party was almost certainly inspired by the Big Little Lies miniseries. After an initial opening scene in the present, The Block Party rewinds one year and then flows chronologically, so that the book is in the final pages by the time we return to the present-day Alton Road Block Party. And it is only then—after a dozen possible victims and killers and several possible murder weapons have been introduced that you finally learn the identity of the victim(s) and killer(s).

The names come fast and furious in the initial chapters, but soon you settle in with the assortment of main characters and their individual dramas. The majority of the storylines involve the adults, though a few involve their children. But all the plots come crashing together at the present-day Alton Road Block Party. There were a couple of writing choices that confused me. I never figured out why Lettie is the only character whose perspective we get in the first person, and I’m not sure why a murder occurred off page. Perhaps it was to delay the reveal just a bit longer, but it was odd. Still, The Block Party definitely has a fun, gossipy vibe, with lots of suburban drama, buildup, and sharp, sarcastic banter. A solid debut. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a really excellent review, I suggest you also read my Goodreads friend’s review by Jayme here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I am a little late to the block party. (Hence: the title of the book!) But I finally am having a chance to attend. And, once I did, I couldn’t stop turning pages.

What a dysfunctional cast of characters that readers just can’t help but find themselves wondering, what the heck is going on at this block party, year after year!

Still, who doesn’t want to spend time having a party with their neighbors who are deliciously nasty and deceptive and messy and up to no good?! Well, maybe not me, but for reading experiences, why not? Just be prepared to keep a list handy, so you can keep track of who is who!

With this story, readers are going to want to know what happened in the past to make these characters want to do whatever they are doing in the present. Because we know something weird is going on in this neighborhood. The author has made it clear with the sirens blaring in the beginning chapter ending scene.

So, what gives?

Well, he (the author) isn’t going to tell us right away because he takes us back a year in time, first.

And, once readers get into the story, we find ourselves knee deep into some cheating, blackmail, stalking and murder. And, so many secrets! Who could ask for anything more in this neighborhood?!

It was a quick read with alternating points of view that gave readers SO MANY character perspectives. Oy!

In many ways, the story was engrossing, absorbing, captivating and engaging, even though it took this reader a while to grasp how all those plot twists were all supposed to fit together. Until it actually came together at the end. (And, that may have just been a “me” problem trying to tie up all those loose ends.) And, speaking of the end, did that ending seem a bit too accommodating? This may or may not please readers. I will be interested to hear what other readers think.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was definitely a you had me at hello cover and when I saw the title??? Well, when it comes to neighborhood shenanigans . . . .



I don’t care if the neighborhood story is of the Hallmark Romance variety or a Lifetime Stabby Stabs for Women option. I’m in. I don’t even care if it’s a plot that’s been done a trillion times before as the case was here. I still want to read it.

The Block Party starts with . . . a block party (thank you, Captain Obvious) that literally ended with a bang and then we timehop back to the previous year to find out exactly what went down and who was going to end up in a body bag. Like most of these, Big Little Lies is the most obvious comparison and like most of these, this one was going to pale in comparison. Because it was soooooooo boring! You’d think with drunks and druggies and stalkers and affairs this would have been a page turner, but that was most certainly not the case. And speaking of drunks? This was me by the 18,000th time Alex talked about how much she liked swilling wine . . .



The worst part of the entire experience? I literally made a note in my Kindle guessing what the superbadawful was that broke the camel’s back . . . . but I had put this one aside so many times to numb my brain with garbage television instead of reading by the time I got to the end I didn’t even care enough to remember what the characters names were so I somehow still surprised myself.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This block is rockin' and riddled with secrets. Mom Alex and daughter Letty tell the story of a year between Memorial Days. The audio book is well done with a narrator for each part. Interludes highlight a social media conversation speculating about what happened at the present day event. Jamie Day covers a lot of ground and tackles issues like #Metoo, climate activism, infidelity, alcoholism, bullying, entitlement mentality, and more. Not a block I would want to live on.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for providing audio and digital Arcs through Netgalley and Eidelweiss+.

[Dee (on Hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up. Outlier alert! Very disappointed, as many really seemed to love it, but this one just didn’t work for me. I had just read a somewhat similar book & I often got confused as to which one this was, LOL! It just really dragged & I started skimming to get to the end as I hate to throw in the towel once I’ve hit 50% mark but the unlikeable characters (and there were SO many of them!) & daily drudgery of this OTT neighborhood just outweighed any mystery for me.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars →

An annual Memorial Day block party ends in murder, while the many hidden dark secrets and scandals of a group of well-to-do neighbors are brought to the surface. But who is dead, and who is the killer?

The events during the year leading up to the fateful party are told from two POVs, a mother and her teenage daughter. So much drama! There was a big cast of characters, and everyone had something to hide, and everyone was in someone else's business.

Overall I thought this book was an entertaining family drama/mystery with some juicy twists, a few I suspected, and some that took me by surprise. None of the characters were particularly likeable, but I was pulled in by their dilemmas and curious to see how they were woven together. I felt the book was a bit too long, but it wrapped up with a satisfying ending. This would make a fantastic Netflix series!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a digital review copy of this book. Opinions are my own.