Book Review – The Party Season by SJI Holliday – @SJIHolliday @HodderBooks @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview

`You won’t be able to put this book down, and it’s a quick enough read that you won’t have, either. Finish it in one sitting during your holiday break, and set the mood for “The Party Season.”

About the Book

It’s the most deadly time of the year…

‘Forget about a white Christmas – the Yuletide turns blood-red in this pacy, atmospheric and chilling tale of festive revenge’ T.M. Logan, bestselling author of The Holiday

‘This thriller will keep you turning the pages well into the night’ S Magazine

‘A tense and tightly paced mystery full of suspense’ Katerina Diamond, bestselling author of The Silence

‘A thriller that fizzes with menace’ Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Keep Her Secret

The festive season is in full swing – parties, mistletoe, and Christmas crackers abound.

In a hotel bar, a woman approaches you. Her party dress glitters with sequins.

What you don’t know is that your life is now in her hands – and there’s only one thing that will determine whether you live or die.

Are you a good person? Are you really? . . .

A cracking Christmas crime thriller for the festive season – perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, C.L. Taylor, and Alex Pine.

My Thoughts

This was a fascinating read. I love multiple points of view when it’s done right, and it was. It’s much more common now than it used to be, and as long as we don’t have to watch the same scene repeatedly, I love it. I especially love the trend we’re getting of seeing through the killer’s eyes, but we’re still not 100 percent certain who it is until the author is ready for us to be. Like several others, I was pretty sure early on, but it didn’t ruin anything for me. It added that element of suspense you get while watching a horror movie and you’re yelling at the characters not to go in that room.

Switching back and forth between the characters so quickly, it took a little while to get a feel for them. I eventually realized that it was the second book in a series, but it was one of the few where I didn’t feel a huge loss that I hadn’t read the first one. I still plan on going back, because I always do, but I didn’t feel hugely lost. I did feel like I lost some nuance, though.

I enjoyed all of the police characters and how the team worked together. It was an easy team, and they were a team I’ll enjoy getting to read more about. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s exploration of the “good guy” as a hidden villain, and exploring what could push someone to commit such horrible crimes. The thought exercise is always welcome, if not unsettling. It does make one wonder if we’re not all one really bad incident away from being a serial murderer.

I am grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me in the tour and I look forward to reading more by the author, whether in this series or others.

Who’s It For?

If you enjoy fast-paced crime thrillers with criminal insight and crime shows like Criminal Minds, this is a great read for you. Also, if you like your holidays with a side of murder, pick this one up.

Content Warning: Violence, Torture, Sexual Assault, Adult Language, Adult Situations, Rape, Murder, Suicidal Ideation, Drug Use, Misogyny, Sexism, Infidelity, and More. This is not meant to serve as a complete list of all subjects that an individual may find offensive and/or triggering.

About the Author

SJI Holliday grew up in East Lothian. A life-long fan of crime and horror, her short stories have been published in various places, and she was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham competition. She is the author of three novels in the Banktoun trilogy, Black Wood, Willow Walk and The Damselfly. She is married and lives in London.