Happy release day to this exciting new thriller!
Thanks to Bookouture for the gifted ebook copy in exchange for my honest review
THE SURPRISE PARTY - Julia Crouch (Releasing June 28th, 2024)
Book Description:
This trip was meant to save our marriage. Instead it will destroy everything…
To celebrate my special birthday, my husband and I have returned to the beautiful Greek island village where we spent our honeymoon. As the boat pulls in to the harbour, I feel hope rise in my heart. The white houses, the blue doors, the brilliant turquoise of the sea, are just as I remember. If two weeks in this paradise won't fix our marriage, nothing will.
But then the next day a boat arrives, full of my friends and family. My grown-up children jump on to the shore, grinning and holding balloons. My husband beams at me and says, "Surprise!"
I can't believe it. It was meant to be just the two of us. This was my chance to confess what I've been hiding for years, the truth that will change everything.
Now I'm surrounded by all the people I've been desperate to escape, all the secrets I've been pretending I don't know. I force a smile on to my face, but inside I want to kill my husband.
But even after my party ended in disaster, I didn't expect anyone to die…
A completely gripping psychological thriller about the darkness at the heart of a family and how far a mother will go to protect her children that will keep you glued to the pages as you discover twist after twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke will love The Surprise Party.
Mini Review: 3/5 stars - I loved the concept and was intrigued by the synopsis. A trip to celebrate her birthday and spend time alone together with her husband to rekindle their marriage, but then it turns out to be a surprise party with all of their friends and family there. Wouldn't exactly be a surprise I'd be happy about if I was traveling to Greece to spend time with my husband. Secrets galore and dysfunction at every turn, this was an interesting read but it starts out on the slower side. Something to keep in mind if you're wanting a nonstop thriller - it does pick up towards the halfway point but it is a slower build up. Some suspense to keep you pulled along, even though I think readers that frequent the thriller genre will have the end figured out, it doesn't mean it wasn't a fun ride to get there!
About the Author:
Julia started off as a theatre director and playwright. While her children were growing up, she swerved into graphic design. After writing and illustrating two children's books for an MA, she discovered that her great love was writing prose. The picture books were deemed too dark for publication, so, to save the children, she turned instead to writing for adults. Her first book, Cuckoo, was published in 2011, and she has been writing what she calls her Domestic Noir novels ever since. She also writes for TV and teaches on the Crime Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. She has three grown up children and lives in Brighton with her husband and two cats, Keith and Sandra.
Connect with the Author:
Website -- Facebook -- Instagram -- Twitter
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