A little more than a year ago, I read this book for the first time – cementing my love of thrillers. I’d been slowly warming up to the genre with a few reads throughout 2023, but Mikayla Davids’ writing made me realize it was not just a fling but a long-term relationship I was developing with the genre.
About the Book
A family reunion. A shocking secret. A night to die for.
On a snowy Christmas Eve, the Bailey family are gathered at an isolated hotel in the English countryside. They’re reuniting for the first time since the accident that shattered their lives ten years ago.
It’s a time for love and forgiveness. But someone has an ulterior motive…
The perfect daughter
The success story
The single mother
The alcoholic
The husband
The jealous sister
The murderer
As the clock strikes midnight, one member of the party is found dead at the foot of the grand marble staircase.
Everyone is a suspect. But which one of them is a killer?
This completely addictive psychological thriller is packed with chilling twists that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of The Hunting Party and The Chalet.
My Thoughts
So far, Davids is my favorite thriller author, and it all started with this book. So, when the opportunity to revisit the Bailey family’s first hoorah in full audio came along, I snapped it right up! I’m a big lover of audio, as those who’ve been here a while will know, and I’m a big advocate of audio in general. In addition to being more accessible for those with vision or various learning differences, audio can make reading more accessible to those who don’t have time to sit down and read – but who can listen while doing chores, driving, and all manner of other tasks. My ADHD has made audio so much more valuable as I’ve aged, and even screen readers have become a big part of my reading life. So, every time an author I love adds audio, I’m so excited. And I adore telling others – no matter how many of them are actually listening – about books and authors I love.
I adore that the audio included several narrators. A full cast, or at the very least a varied one, always offers more depth to the production. These three offered a gorgeous performance that truly brought the story, which was already wonderful in its own written right, to life. While some of the characters sounded differently than I heard them in my head originally, once I got used to the performers’ interpretations, I wouldn’t have changed anything about them. I often feel that while audio is increasingly the way I experience books because of my inability to focus on the written word as well, the written version and the audio version are still very different experiences. And the richness that narrators can bring to the experience is so beautiful.
You can see my full original review of the story here. But if you’re looking for a thriller to keep you gripped from start to finish, this will do it. And if you’re a holiday reader, it’s nice to have the Christmas drippings in the background. But the Christmas scenes aren’t that intrusive if you’re mostly here for the thriller.
I am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for the opportunity to be on this tour. I’ve already read both sequels to this, as well as all but one of her novels so far (definitely reading that over the holiday break!).
Who’s It For?
Anyone who loves a twisty, domestic, psychological thriller will love this book. I figured out some of the twists early, but not in the “this is predictable” way. Instead, it was in the “this writer is great at foreshadowing” way. And there were still so many twists and surprises to be discovered along the way.
Content Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Murder, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Infertility, Physical Assault, Sexual Harassment, Stalking, Car Crashes, Alcohol Abuse, Adult Situations, Adult Language, and More. This is not meant to serve as a complete list of all subjects a reader may find disturbing or triggering, but as a list of subjects I remembered/took note of while reading.
About the Author
(Written by the Author)
I’ll let you into a little secret… Mikayla Davids isn’t my real name, it’s just the pen name I write under. I could be the person sitting opposite you on the train, furiously tapping away at a laptop, or the woman scribbling in a notebook on the table beside you in Starbucks. Everyone has their secrets. And this is mine.
But I will tell you I’ve lived and breathed fictional worlds all my life. I’ve been the child who spent hours in the library, the teenager who stayed up turning pages way into the night. Now I’m the secret writer.
I write psychological thrillers about family dramas, complicated relationships, and ordinary moments that can suddenly turn into nightmares.
I hope you’ve been gripped and entertained by my novels. I’d love to hear from you. (You can visit her website for links to her social media and newsletter.)
Links
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/2zHPPiv
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/jm33jXZ
Bookshop US: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9798228014336
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63288618-the-christmas-party
Author’s Website: https://mikayladavids.wixsite.com/mikayladavidsbooks
As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.