Review: The Engagement Party

The Engagement Party by Darby Kane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow via NetGalley.

In the past, Emily Hunt, a student at an affluent liberal arts school, went missing during her graduation weekend. Her body was later discovered in a river, and a fellow student who was relatively unknown to most on campus took his own life. Law enforcement connected the two deaths based on a single text message, ultimately closing the case. However, it turns out they made a grave mistake, and now someone is determined to correct it.

Twelve years later, a group of college friends gathers for an engagement celebration on a remote private island in Maine. The island has only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, an unrelated guest, begins to sense that something is amiss, even though she has no connection to the past events.

Tensions rise when the group finds a dead man in a car trunk along with a message that urges them to reveal the truth. Stranded by a torrential storm, the group's concealed stories start to resurface, and secrets are exchanged. To survive this perilous gathering, they must uncover the identity of the killer before they become the next victims.

While I'm typically a fan of thrilling whodunit mysteries, this particular book left me somewhat underwhelmed in terms of the excitement factor that usually accompanies figuring out the culprit. Unfortunately, none of the characters managed to capture my full attention, and if I had to choose a favorite, I'd probably lean towards Sierra, although I felt that even her character fell a bit short of my expectations, particularly in terms of her personality.

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