Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Rating:
~Did Not Finish @ 38%~
Goodreads Synopsis:
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel — serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin…Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.It’s a killer guest list . . .DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girlÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous houseMIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assumeKIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.
Review:
I ultimately decided not to finish this book, stopping around the 38% mark. Unfortunately, the pacing was just too slow for me. By that point, I typically expect to be immersed in the core of a mystery, especially in a whodunit, but the story was still heavily focused on establishing the cast of characters rather than advancing the plot.
While character-driven stories can be compelling, I struggled to connect with anyone in the cast. The mother’s alcoholism felt like a one-note trait rather than something fully explored. The daughter came across as frustratingly oblivious, and her best friend seemed more like a passive follower than a person with her own motivations. And I’ll admit my own bias when it comes to stepmothers in fiction, but this one didn’t do herself any favors—she was mostly portrayed as a pretty face without much depth.
To its credit, the book introduced several intriguing threads early on—a mysterious note, a ghost referred to as “The Mother,” and the discovery of a body—but instead of building tension around these elements, the story meandered through alternating perspectives that never felt compelling or purposeful. The suspense didn’t build, and the emotional stakes never landed.
In the end, the combination of a slow-moving plot and a cast I couldn’t root for made it hard to stay invested. I can see how this might work better for readers who enjoy slower burn mysteries with a strong focus on interpersonal dynamics, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.
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