The Block Party

May 1, 2023
Murder shakes the wealthy denizens of Meadowbrook, Mass., from their suburban stupor in Day’s appealing debut. The action starts during an exclusive Meadowbrook cul-de-sac’s Memorial Day celebration, where Day introduces the novel’s key players: sexy widow Brooke Bailey, melancholic mom Mandy Kumar, real estate agent Emily Adair, and Emily’s sister, Alex Fox, the event’s organizer, who’s fortified herself with one too many glasses of wine. During the party, someone dies, and the timeline begins to shift between the current Memorial Day and Memorial Days one year earlier and one year later. Potential killers and victims gradually emerge alongside the cul-de-sac’s “waterfall of secrets” as the women’s friendships evolve and they start comparing notes that coalesce, uncomfortably, into an array of potential motives. Chapters alternate narration among the central women, while snarky commenters on the Meadowbrook Online Community Page serve as a Greek Chorus that speculates about the numerous skeletons in the community’s walk-in closets. Day’s choice to withhold both victim and perpetrator ratchets up the tension nicely, and her jabs at suburban repression are sharp. This is wicked fun.

June 10, 2024

Alton Road is the most coveted cul-de-sac in Meadowbrook, MA, and "Meadowbrook doesn't have murders"--until one Memorial Day when the annual block party, planned by the incomparable Alexandra Fox, ends in tragedy. As nosy neighbors attempt to find out who killed whom, listeners go back one year, to when both the neighborhood tensions and Alex's troubles began. Alex and her daughter Lettie struggled to navigate social hierarchies and strained relationships. Though residents of Alton Road seemed perfect from the outside, beyond their flawless fa�ade were people with more than their share of secrets. Day makes her debut with scintillating domestic suspense. Narrator Megan Tusing gives an emotive and affecting performance as Alex and provides distinct voices for the barrage of busybodies on the neighborhood message board. Suzy Jackson is a perfect match for the adolescent, idealistic Lettie. Together, they evoke the compelling cast of flawed families in an unsettling and engaging listening experience. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking fast-paced suburban suspense that investigates the illusion of normalcy and security. Recommended for fans of Ashley Audrain, Shari Lapena, and Cate Ray.--Lauren Hackert

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