A new to me author, but what a fun sounding thriller! You can’t beat a book about rich people being naughty and profligate with added bodies for a summer thriller read – and on that score The Serial Killer’s Party certainly didn’t disappoint. I loved how Amy’s bio at the beginning says, “Amy has previous worked as a concierge for luxury apartments and as a maid in a 5* hotel, and so is no longer surprised at what the rich and fabulous get up to when they think no one’s watching.” A good omen indeed, and don’t you just love that tag line in the graphic below?
We begin with a prologue, in which the police visit lawyer, Amelia, to tell her there’s not a lot more they can do to help find her sister, Rose, missing after attending the Fowley’s party. Rose and Amelia had had a sibling argument the last time they met – they weren’t talking, and then she disappeared. Amelia has been searching ever since, and that day after the police came she got her first clue, finding an invitation to the Fowley’s party with an individual message for her from the host wanting to renew a uni acquaintance.
Cut to Amelia now. She’s taken leave of absence from her job. She’s moved in with her new man, Ford – Ford Fowley, cousin to Lawrence the Fowley heir and now organiser of the annual parties at the family’s estate on an island off the coast of Norway. The parties are famed for their excess, lasting a whole week, building up to a grand finale. She’s dyed her hair and is posing as a personal trainer, the kind of woman Ford likes, and likes dressing. Luckily, working in the city he has pots of money, and good taste too and loves buying clothes for her. He’s good in bed too, so things are good – but she does hate to think what he’ll do when he realises she was only using him to get to the party, where she believes she’ll find out the truth about Rose. But needs must…
Off they go to Norway. Amelia is a bit disappointed to discover that they’re staying in luxury cabins in the grounds, not the manor itself, and that most of the events will take place outside the manor. She’s a bit spooked by the security guards who search all their baggage, having to do a fast bathroom trick to get rid of picks and a keycard scanner she’d brought so they can search her toilet bag. Time to meet the rest of the family – well all except Lawrence at first. There’s drunken James, a younger but dissolute version of his brother; Cecile, Lawrence’s fiancee; Sam – the brothers’ half-sister. Cecile and Sam are both friendly, whereas James is a difficult one, drunk with no filter and alwaysx asking awkward questions.
Then at one of the first party nights, a guest dies falling from a high balcony, and the circumstances are very odd. Was he pushed? But the party must go on. Amelia is shocked to her core, and now feels more certain than ever that something happened to Rose there the year before. Can she get into the manor and find any evidence? Things get deliciously complicated from this point, as Amelia thinks she’s onto something, but is scared of being watched. The tension mounts page by page and Amelia is having to tread an increasingly dangerous line to avoid being found out.
Cunningham has profited well from her previous experience, conjuring up a money-no-object party week to remember. The main characters are all drawn well, particularly Lawrence, who is very mysterious at first – not appearing at his own party much. (Carrying on the family’s party tradition being a stipulation of his late father’s will). Amelia plays the role of the kept trophy girlfriend to the hilt, giving it her all, her barrister training giving her the confidence to believe she can pull it off.
With its twists and turns and red herrings, and a villain with murderous intent – but who? – this novel is a perfect summer read. The pages sped by as I raced to find out what happens next, I wasn’t bothered about looking for clues necessarily, being taken in completely by this family drama! Just the fun I’d hoped it was (although there are some nasty bits).
Source: Review copy – thank you. Penguin paperback, 322 pages. BUY at Blackwell’s via my affiliate link.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
I guess they get your attention starting from the very title!