The Block Party - Jamie Day

 The Block Party - Jamie Day

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

She read

As the residents of tony Alton Rd. hold their annual Memorial Day block party, sirens are heard racing to the area and the town’s Facebook chat hints that there has been a murder.  The novel then goes back a year in time, introducing the neighbors and their personal, marital, and other difficulties.  It seems just about any domestic problem you can think of probably lives on Alton Rd.

The novel starts out with a breezy style of writing, stereotypical of Desperate Housewives or other evening soaps.  The plot thickens as the neighborhood goings on are told and secrets revealed from two POVs, mother Alex and daughter Lettie.  Alex’s POV is in third person; Lettie’s in first.

Although it was fast reading, this novel by a debut author is a bit long.  I couldn’t put it down, though, as it was fun imagining the reasons for every one of the characters to have been the victim or the killer!  I particularly enjoyed the online Meadowbrook Community Page posts, with all the snarky and sometimes inane entries.  We have something similar in my town and it really reminded of some of the exchanges I see there.  

For those who need trigger warnings, there are many of them here; if you are overly sensitive or not a fan of Big Little Lies genre, this book may not be for you.  But, if you enjoy a sordid confection for your summer read, check this one out.    

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the ARC

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