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Writer's pictureKirsty Whitlock

The Girl At The Party by Danielle Stewart. Review


Book Description


Slamming the door shut behind her, Stephanie takes one last look at the party where her best friends are busy celebrating. As the drinks are poured and music blasts, she disappears into the darkness alone. Some say she was crying. Others think they heard an argument that night. But we never saw her alive again…


Ever since our best friend Stephanie was found murdered four years ago, I’ve been haunted by the feeling that I should have done more. The eight of us at the party were inseparable – and we always thought she was the perfect one. The one who stayed out of trouble. The one who always looked out for us…



But the more I learn about that night, the more I realise that our friend was far from perfect. The golden girl was keeping secrets. Secrets that someone would kill to keep quiet.



I have to find out what really happened. Or I will never be able to move on with my life. But as soon as I start getting close to the truth, the threats start. A warning message is keyed onto my car. Then my house is broken into, my belongings are destroyed. Someone is watching me… but there’s no way I can stop now.



By the time I realise that Stephanie knew her killer, it’s far too late. Because the killer is closer to me than I ever could have imagined. And if they know what I did that night, then it’s only a matter of time until they try and silence me too…



This addictive and gripping psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Megan Miranda, Lisa Jewell and Laura Marshall.




BOOK TOUR REVIEW




Review for 'The Girl At The Party' by Danielle Stewart.




Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Danielle Stewart, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous




Publication date 12th July 2023.




This is the first book I have read by this author.



This novel consists of a prologue and 42 chapters. The chapters are medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


'The Girl At The Party' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Danielle discusses r@p3, Ch1ld @bu$3 and Self H@rm1ng.


This book is a slow burner but it is also ram packed with tension, drama, twists, lies, mystery, friendship, secrets, red herrings and much more! The storyline is about two friends Chris and Laura who present a podcast to try and solve the cold mystery of their friend Stephanie's death. It is told through multiple narratives as well as multiple timelines which gives the reader a larger picture of what is going on. I especially enjoyed listening to the actual podcasts themselves and thought they were an excellent concept and addition to the storyline. This is the second book I have read that focuses on podcasts to try to solve a cold crime so, although it is not a unique storyline for me it is still an enjoyable and interesting one. The suspect list is quite small so you are continuously guessing which of the small group is a killer. There were several twists throughout the book. Although the book was slow to begin with it did pick up speed quite quickly and I enjoyed the unexpected twists and even the ones that were not a huge surprise. The ending was definitely unexpected and did leave me mind blown and considering how many crime books I have read that is definitely a huge bonus as it is getting harder and harder to surprise me. I am looking forward to seeing what Danielle comes up with next!




It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture



This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but for the second time I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Stephanie Cannon who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Stephanie did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Danielle but also to listening to more books narrated by Stephanie! I have previously listened to several books that Stephanie has narrated and she really does do an absolutely amazing job ensuring the story comes to life for the reader. The books I have listened/read that Stephanie has narrated and I would highly recommend are The Homemaker by Shari J Ryan, The Marriage Counselor by Dea Poirier, The Ex Wives by Jenna Kernan, My Big Fake Wedding by Jessica Hatch and The Child Of Ukraine by Tatyana Denford.




The characters were all realistic although I would have liked to see them more "filled out" as, personally some of them just fell that little bit flat for me. This normally puts me off a book but the twists and turns and Stephanie's fantastic narrative skills made it easy to look past this fact. I wasn't a huge fan of many of them and I was annoyed by the way Jake was treated and portrayed in regards to his disabilities. It is this part of the book that lost star ratings and the reason I gave a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 rather than a 5. The characters are all hiding their own secrets and this is a book filled with lies, twists and one where you have no idea which characters are telling the truth or who are hiding secrets so I won't go any deeper into my feelings of the characters as I don't want to spoil it for future readers.




Overall a suspense packed drama filled with twists you won't see coming!




290 page/8 hours 29 minutes




This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited, £8.99 in paperback, £39.37 for the Audiobook or £7.99 with Audible via Amazon at time of review, which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!




Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.




Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews







@TheGirlAtTheParty @DanielleStewart @StephanieCannon @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited @BookoutureAudio @Audible @Audiobook

























Author Bio



Danielle Stewart is a USA Today Best Selling Author of over thirty books. Her series include The Piper Anderson Series, The Edenville Series, The Clover Series, The Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery Series, The Rough Waters Series & The Barrington Billionaire's Series. She has had more the 3 million books downloaded and held the number one book rank on Apple Books, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


Danielle currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and son. She works hard to perfect the ability to write in a noisy house and create story lines while folding laundry. She loves hearing from readers so please find her on social media!


Ten Things to know about Danielle Stewart:


1. I have a fear of whales. All whales. The noise they make. The sight of them (even on tv). I don't think this phobia has a name and I've never met anyone else who feels this way. I blame it on the 3D movie when I was 7 at the Boston Museum of Science. (Thanks Dad.)


2. When I get hungry it brings out the worst in me. My friends and family know to keep me well fed. They pack snacks now.


3. I can cook but not bake. Not even a little. Not even a box of brownies.


4. If there is a song I like it is normal to hear me listening to it a hundred times (give or take) in a row.


5. I do not, under any circumstances, read directions. Who has time for that? Making mac & cheese by the seat of my pants for the last 25 years.


6. Like a black-out drunk, I have lost hours of my life mysteriously to Pinterest. If you haven't tried it yet... don't. Save your self.


7. Before I became a mother, lots of things grossed me out. Now nothing does.


8. My favorite food is food... my least favorite food is no food. I love food. (apply the same rule to wine)


9. I do not have a green thumb. I have the kind of thumb that kills any type of plant ever given to me. Whatever kind of thumb that is... I have it.


10. Writing has changed my life. Not just the career it's created but the way I feel when I write. If you have something you love to do I hope you get the opportunity to do it.


Missing Pieces Series:


Book 1: The Bend in Redwood Road (FREE)


Book 2: The Pier at Jasmine Lake


Book 3: The Bridge in Sunset Park


Book 4: The Stairs to Chapel Creek


Book 5: The Cabin on Autumn Peak


Book 6: The Short at East Bonnet Beach (Coming Soon)


Piper Anderson Series:


Book 1: Chasing Justice (FREE)


Book 2: Cutting Ties


Book 3: Changing Fate


Book 4: Finding Freedom


Book 5: Settling Scores


Book 6: Battling Destiny


Book 7: Unearthing Truth


Book 8: Defending Innocence


Book 9: Saving Love


The Edenville Series:


Book 1: Flowers in the Snow (FREE)


Book 2: Kiss in the Wind


Book 3: Stars in a Bottle


Book 4: Fire in the Heart


The Clover Series:


Book 1 & 2 Half My Heart & Change My Heart (FREE)


Book 3 All My Heart


Over the Edge Series


Book 1 Facing Home (Free)


Book 2 Crashing Down


The Rough Waters Series:


Book 1: The Goodbye Storm(FREE)


Book 2: The Runaway Storm


Book 3: The Rising Storm


The Barrington Billionaire Series


Book 1: Fierce Love (Free)


Book 2: Wild Eyes


Book 3: Crazy nights


Book 4: Loyal Hearts


Book 5: Untamed Devotion


Book 6: Stormy Attraction


Book 7: Foolish Temptations


Book 8: Surprising Destiny


Book 9: Lovely Dreams


Book:10 Perfect Homecoming


Book:11 Promising Reunion


The Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery


Book 1: Three Seconds to Rush (Free)


Book 2: Just for a Heartbeat


Book 3: Not just an Echo




Purchase Links









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