The Block Party: A Novel

Neighbors in this affluent street in Massachusetts have an annual Memorial Day block party. This juicy mystery alternates between several of these events and the residents. It was full of surprises and secrets that kept me determined to never introduce myself to my neighbors. There were pertinent social issues interlaced with the narrative. Alex is hosting one of those parties. She’s married with a teenage daughter, Lettie. It was a reminder of how old I am and how little I recall about raising teenagers. Thank goodness I raised mine before technology! Lettie is afloat, full of hormones, self doubt and would’ve driven me to drink as much as her mother did. The story devoted a significant amount of the plot to Lettie, the neighbors almost felt like supporting cast. All of them were interesting and entertaining. Alex is the neighborhood fixer, they all confide in her, seek advice and share problems. She’s also just downright nosy, with good intentions but, jumps to conclusions. Her sist

Great premise: annual Memorial Day block party ends with murder and anyone could be the deceased, anyone from the block could be the guilty party. Told in two different years-the year before and the present year, so many actions by the players may be nefarious. Or, maybe it is just gossip fueled suggestions. Action slows at times, never seeming to connect and only adding more perpetrators. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! While the characters might not have been the most likable, their story was fascinating. With flashbacks that laid out all the players and their possible motives, I was constantly flipping through each of them as either the killer or victim. I really liked that this author did not let me know who had been killed until the end. It kept me turning pages and guessing. Definitely an enjoyable read.