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The Surprise Party: An utterly gripping psychological thriller packed with secrets and suspense Paperback – June 25, 2024

by Julia Crouch (Author)
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This trip was meant to save our marriage. Instead it will destroy everything…

To celebrate my special birthday, my husband and I have returned to the beautiful Greek island village where we spent our honeymoon. As the boat pulls in to the harbour, I feel hope rise in my heart. The white houses, the blue doors, the brilliant turquoise of the sea, are just as I remember. If two weeks in this paradise won’t fix our marriage, nothing will.

But then the next day a boat arrives, full of my friends and family. My grown-up children jump on to the shore, grinning and holding balloons. My husband beams at me and says, “Surprise!”

I can’t believe it. It was meant to be just the two of us. This was my chance to confess what I’ve been hiding for years, the truth that will change everything.

Now I’m surrounded by all the people I’ve been desperate to escape, all the secrets I’ve been pretending I don’t know. I force a smile on to my face, but inside I want to kill my husband.

But even after my party ended in disaster, I didn’t expect anyone to die…

A completely gripping psychological thriller about the darkness at the heart of a family and how far a mother will go to protect her children that will keep you glued to the pages as you discover twist after twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Clarke will love The Surprise Party.

See what readers are saying about The Surprise Party:

‘The twists in this book are insane! They just keep coming like buses honestly right until the last page. I was in shock… Each and every one of the twists were unpredictable… fantastic!” Jessica’s Book Biz, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!… absolutely perfect… There was a crazy twist at the end of each chapter which made it impossible to put down!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow!… the best I have read this year… I could not put this down… so many twists and turns which I never saw coming. Brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘You can’t trust anyone in this book, and I didn’t see some of the twists coming at all. Absolutely loved it!… Highly recommended.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow… thrilling… so many secrets and plenty of twists and turns… a fantastic summer thriller which I can’t wait to recommend.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Edge-of-the-seat read… was hooked from the first page and read it in almost one sitting.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was glued to my Kindle the whole weekend… a drop-everything book, full of suspense… 5 stars!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Been a fan for a while now! Mind-bendingly dark and deep… Intricate plotting, devious twists and excellent characterisation take this tale to a whole new level.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘Truly a five-star read… the best thriller I have read this year by far… I could not put it down from the first page until the last… one of those books that when you think you finally know what happened… You have no idea!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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  1. Print length
    324 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    June 25, 2024
  4. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.81 x 7.81 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1835255736
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1835255735
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (June 25, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 324 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1835255736
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1835255735
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.81 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Julia Crouch

Julia Crouch

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Julia Crouch is the author of ten internationally published Domestic Noir novels: Cuckoo, Every Vow You Break, Tarnished, The Long Fall, Her Husband’s Lover, The New Mother, The Daughters, The Perfect Date, The Surprise Party and The Wrong Child. She has also written eleven plays and is developing a screenplay. She teaches for UEA, Faber Academy and the National Centre for Writing, and mentors writers trying to start, finish or polish a novel. Once a committed pantser, she is now an avid plotter.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
209 global ratings
Intense and thrilling!
5 out of 5 stars
Intense and thrilling!
This incredible psychological thriller is full of secrets & suspense. I was engrossed until the end when twists and secrets unraveled right until the last page. If you’re looking for a fast and thrilling read, grab this!
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Top reviews from the United States

Joanie S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of surprises
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Starts out slowly, but then quickly propels the reader on a great ride. Just when you think you've figured it out...nope!
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She Treads Softly
4.0 out of 5 stars highly recommended spin on a locked room murder mystery
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch is a highly recommended spin on a locked room murder mystery taking place on a Greek island.

Eve and her husband Will are taking a two week vacation to Loutrò, the Greek island village where they went for their honeymoon. They are there to celebrate her fiftieth birthday, but Eve wants to take this opportunity to tell Will something important she has needed to tell him for years and now is the time. Much to her chagrin, the next day the ferry arrives with her family and friends aboard. Will has apparently planned a surprise party for her and now her secret must wait.

Poppy, a young A&E doctor met Eve and Will on the ferry to the island and had dinner with the two that night. She is there with a secret of her own. Now she also gets pulled into the family's celebration and the murder investigation that follows. It is clear that almost everyone loves Eve but not so much each other.

Events move a little slowly at the beginning of this spin on a locked room murder mystery. Once the murder takes place, all the suspects are on the island and must stay there. Conveniently, Poppy speaks Greek and as a doctor helps the police, both as a translator and medically. This was just a bit too convenient, but easy to accept as the conflicts between family members explode. Once the pace picks up and the action and plot twists begin to happen the pages will fly by.

Characters in the novel are more caricatures of different types of people. Some are written to be disagreeable and some are likable. Eve and Poppy are the two narrators who share their points-of-view in the novel and are both likable characters. Will is a complete jerk right from the start and, along with the other characters that are clearly written to be disagreeable, readers will clearly expect poor behavior from all of them.

This is an entertaining locked-room murder mystery that explores the relationship between a mother and her children. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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Connie Fischer
4.0 out of 5 stars Dysfunctional Characters but a Good Mystery
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
Poppy, 30, is an A&E doctor on vacation and looking forward to hiking on the island of Loutro in Greece. Poppy has recently broken up with her boyfriend when she caught him cheating on her.

On the ferry coming to the island, Poppy meets Eve and Will Rose who are also visiting Loutro to celebrate Eve’s 50th birthday. They had stayed on the island when they were on their honeymoon. The couple has two grown children and an adopted son. All three children live with them. Eve is looking forward to some relaxing time and hopefully she and Will can reconnect. She is also about to confess a secret to Will that she has been hiding for years.

So, Eve is shocked the next day to see her children, mother, sister, and good friend, Jess, and her husband, Harry, arrive to participate in a surprise party for Eve. While it’s nice to see them, she really wanted this event to be quiet and just she and Will. That night they have a huge party with lots of food and alcohol. Poppy joins them and Will invites a lot of other people around to come too. The night ends up as a big party with people dancing and drinking. The next day, one of their party is found dead. Was it an accident or was this person murdered?

The whole bunch here is dysfunctional. I couldn’t help but laugh at their ridiculous antics and, especially how much alcohol was consumed by them. Good grief! I really felt sorry for the owners of the hotel where this group stayed. What a mess they must have left behind. All in all, a good mystery/thriller. Enjoy.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
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Hi'D's Book Hub - Blogger
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow burn full of twists!
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
I want to express my gratitude to Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of The Surprise Party by Julia Crouch.

From the very beginning, I was completely engrossed in the book. Being a lover of Greece, I was immediately intrigued by the setting of the story. The concept of a surprise party is something I adore, and Will goes all out in planning one for his wife Eve's 50th birthday inviting all their family and friends!

Just when things seem to be going well, a murder takes place the morning after the party. As the investigation unfolds, a variety of secrets come to light. While the book starts off at a slower pace, it gradually becomes more intense as deception takes center stage. It contains all the thrilling elements you would expect from a thriller! The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I highly recommend this book to all thriller enthusiasts out there. It's a story that will completely catch you off guard!
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Top reviews from other countries

Simone Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable Greek island thriller - perfect holiday read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2024
Verified Purchase
Like a modern Agatha Christie - but better. Inspired location - a brilliantly evoked seaside village in Crete cut off from the world. A gathering. A death. Another death! Secrets from the past. infidelity. A perfect family falling apart before our eyes. I read this on holiday and just soaked it up. Julia Crouch on top form.
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mrsg
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as all the hype
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was ok but dragged a bit & was quite long. Took ages for anything to happen. I kept reading 'how insane all the twists & turns were', on the reviews but I didn't find it that exciting tbh but a good family drama set in Greece.
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