Evie and Tom Draynor host a dinner party with their long-time friends Una and Jim. Evie and Tom have a daughter together called Libby, she is excelling in everything, a sweet, kind, seventeen-year-old that any mother would be proud to call her their daughter. When Libby doesn’t come home and is found bludgeoned to death they cannot understand it, who would hurt their precious, loving, friendly daughter?

This was a great psychological thriller that kept me hooked from the first chapter. Everyone was a suspect and had a motive, although I did guess who the murderer was early on, that did not spoil the book because we don’t actually find out until close to the end of the book and there are many twists and turns.
It was fast-paced and written very well. Anna-Lou Weatherley is a new author to me and I really enjoyed her book and I will definitely lookout for more from her in the future.
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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review!
Loved this book, what an exciting ride! No one is who they seem, including the victim. As the story unfolds you learn more about the victim, the many suspects and how their lives intersect. Such a page turner! ( )

She lied to me.

Libby never lies…we don’t tell lies in this house.

It can’t be her body they found. Libby went to a concert with her friend and said she would be home by 10:30.

Unfortunately Libby was not who they thought she was and neither was anyone else.

The Draytons were hosting a dinner party with another couple, and their son Brandon was also in attendance the night Libby disappeared.

When Libby doesn't come home, the nightmare starts, and the nightmare wasn't just because of Libby's disappearance. Many other things were going on in this household too.

Many surprises await the reader as you find out about the Draytons.

Some intense reading, but very good with all the twists, secrets, and one very manipulative character.

So very good...I hope you get to read this book. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The Night of the Party by Anna-Lou Weatherley is a highly recommended mystery/psychological thriller.

Evie and Tom Drayton are having their best friends, Una and Jim Hemmings, over for a dinner party. Doting mother Evie begs seventeen-year-old Libby Drayon to play the piano for the group before going out for a couple hours with a friend. Tom's son, Brandon, shows up the night of the dinner too. It's just another normal, pleasant evening among friends at Millbank House, until Libby doesn't text her mom as promised and Evie begins to worry. Evie becomes frantic when Libby doesn't return home. The police are called and DI Daniel Riley and his team begin to investigate. When they retrace the path Libby would take through Windmill Woods, they find a body and the murder investigation begins.

In this well-written mystery/procedural/thriller, everyone is hiding some major secrets, perhaps with the exception of Evie. Libby is hiding the most secrets of all and is not the perfect, dutiful daughter she portrays to her mother. The narrative follows the current investigation and reactions of Evie, with other chapters covering Libby's past actions. All the characters are portrayed as unique individuals with flaws (many, many flaws) and are kept track of easily in the plot.

The suspects are plentiful and Weatherley provides multiple characters that could have a motive. Riley and his team begin to uncover all the secrets and in the process move from one suspect to another. The investigation follows a logical path and clues are provided for those of us who like to try to solve the case while we read. As the new revelations are disclosed, the information will keep you absorbed in the plot. There is plenty of secrets, deception, and scheming to hold your attention throughout. I didn't guess whodunit until I suspect I was supposed to and the final denouement was very satisfying.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/01/the-night-of-party.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4464888600 ( )