Debut novelist Jamie Day invites you to a scandal filled neighborhood and murderous block party!
This was fun! We have a murder, but initially, we don't even know who the victim is, much less who committed the crime. We have a tangled mess of drama, gossip, scandal, and revenge, all in a picture-perfect neighborhood. Dual timeline and dual POV, Mom Alex and her teenage daughter Lettie take us on a twisty ride through their community, complete with some juicy and funny postings on an online forum, the use of which I thought was done well. There were many moving parts in this, and several characters, all with a motive for murder. The characters were developed enough that they were easy to tell apart. I was invested in discovering who the victim and the murderer were, but the number of sub-plots and some of the commentary slowed down the pacing in spots for me. It did pick back up to deliver a suspenseful and surprising conclusion. Overall, this was an entertaining summer read with a unique premise by a debut author I will definitely keep an eye out for in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my digital and physical ARCs.
My steep was iced Summer Fizz Organic by Palais Des Thes. A green tea with lime, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon is good as is or as a base for a tea-based mojito with additional lime, sugar, mint, and white rum.
www.palaisdesthes.com
SYNOPSIS:
This summer, meet your neighbors.
The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.
On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.
But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.
Comments