The House Party by Mary Grand.

Beth goes with friends and family to a house party on the Isle of Wight. Beth is gossiping to Kathleen out of earshot of everyone else at this luxury home along the cliff top. When the other guests approach, Kathleen abruptly stops the conversation and assures Beth she will tell her the rest later. However, the next day Kathleen falls to her death from the cliff at the bottom of her garden. Did Kathleen slip, commit suicide or was she pushed? Follow Beth as she gets to the bottom of this mystery fatal fall.

I loved this mystery and the way it was told. The author’s voice carried over from Mary’s previous novels and once again the lead character has a cocker spaniel, this time called Ollie. Mary has a cosy writing style, like a grandmother regaling times gone by. I liked how every character, all present at the house party, had a part to play. Beth had suspicions about everyone at the party, including her own husband, son and daughter. I had a lot of empathy for Beth as Kathleen had finished their conversation with that most frustrating of comments that she would tell Beth later. In everyday life it, “I’ll tell you later”, is very, very annoying but when that person dies before explaining, it can be torturous. Beth is then caught in the trap of all the characters not sharing with her what Kathleen may have said to them because those conversations were said in confidence.

I loved the plot of The House Party. Central to the theme of this mystery was whether Kathleen slipped, committed suicide or if she was pushed. If the reader guessed Kathleen was pushed, then every character could have been the bad guy.

I found The House Party to be a very entertaining mystery. I liked the pace and how Beth worked through the clues to solve the tragedy. I loved how there was lots to consider before getting to the conclusion. The clues will nag at you, especially between reading sessions. I loved how there was no padding in this story, it was all rich content with countless what-ifs. I feel this novel should appeal to both crime and cosy mystery fans. The House Party ticked all the boxes for me, so get’s the top score of 5 stars. There was one short line that made me smile…

Beth felt she was back in Wales; the lady was obviously looking to chat.

...As any husband on furlough in Wales due to the coronavirus will tell you, so very, very true. Thank goodness for unlimited landline calls.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Boldwood Books for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

The House Party was written in 2020 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.