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The Anniversary Party
Champagne. Lies. Murder?
Beth has it all- a beautiful family, a successful career, and plans for a lavish ten-year wedding anniversary party. But when her former high school boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging, her perfect life starts to crack.
Grief turns to fear as Beth receives a message that another of her exes has died in violent circumstances. Followed by another... and another...
Someone's eliminating everyone she's ever loved. Someone who knows her terrible secret, because Beth isn't even her real name.
As the party looms, Beth must race against time to stop the killer before they strike again...
Or will someone make sure this is the last anniversary she'll ever have?
Beth has it all- a beautiful family, a successful career, and plans for a lavish ten-year wedding anniversary party. But when her former high school boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging, her perfect life starts to crack.
Grief turns to fear as Beth receives a message that another of her exes has died in violent circumstances. Followed by another... and another...
Someone's eliminating everyone she's ever loved. Someone who knows her terrible secret, because Beth isn't even her real name.
As the party looms, Beth must race against time to stop the killer before they strike again...
Or will someone make sure this is the last anniversary she'll ever have?
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2025
76 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Angela Clarke
11 books254 followersAngela Clarke is an author, playwright, columnist, screenwriter and broadcaster. Her debut crime thriller Follow Me was named Amazon’s Rising Star Debut of the Month January 2016, longlisted for the Crime Writer’s Association Dagger in the Library 2016, and shortlisted for the Dead Good Reader Page Turner Award 2016. Watch Me is the second instalment in the Social Media Murder Series. Angela’s memoir Confessions of a Fashionista is an Amazon Fashion Chart bestseller. Her play, The Legacy, enjoyed its first run and rave reviews at The Hope Theatre in June 2015. She hosted the current affairs show Outspoken on Radio Verulam for six months in 2014, and has appeared on the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4, BBC Three Counties and more. Her journalist contributions include: The Guardian, Independent Magazine, The Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, and Writing magazine. In 2015 Angela was awarded the Young Stationers' Prize for achievement and promise in writing and publishing. She volunteers with Womentoring, and the RSA Meet a Mentor scheme, and others, to help encourage and support marginalised artists into the industry. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Angela lives with her husband and far too many books.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 2, 2026
Beth has built the perfect life, or so everyone believes. A loving husband, a beautiful home, and a glitzy anniversary celebration to prove it. But when one of her ex-boyfriends is murdered and another old flame turns up dead, the cracks in her carefully curated world begin to show. Someone out there remembers who Beth used to be, and they are determined to make her pay for it. As the guest list for her anniversary party grows shorter and the messages Beth starts to receive grow more threatening, Beth realizes that the biggest secret she's kept might be the one that kills her.
This book starts out with a killer premise... literally. Beth's exes are dying one by one, and someone clearly wants her perfect life to come crashing down. It's got all the ingredients of a great psychological thriller with secrets, lies, and a party no one will forget. While the setup hooked me right away, the middle of the book dragged a bit and some of the twists felt more over the top than shocking. Beth's character is fascinating but really hard to connect with at times. Her choices can be frustrating, even when you understand why she makes them. That said, Clarke's writing is sharp and the final reveal does tie everything up nicely. It's not my favorite but still a solid read if you enjoy dark domestic thrillers with big secrets and bigger consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley, Angela Clarke, and Mulholland Books for this eARC! Publication date was October 16th, 2025.
This book starts out with a killer premise... literally. Beth's exes are dying one by one, and someone clearly wants her perfect life to come crashing down. It's got all the ingredients of a great psychological thriller with secrets, lies, and a party no one will forget. While the setup hooked me right away, the middle of the book dragged a bit and some of the twists felt more over the top than shocking. Beth's character is fascinating but really hard to connect with at times. Her choices can be frustrating, even when you understand why she makes them. That said, Clarke's writing is sharp and the final reveal does tie everything up nicely. It's not my favorite but still a solid read if you enjoy dark domestic thrillers with big secrets and bigger consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley, Angela Clarke, and Mulholland Books for this eARC! Publication date was October 16th, 2025.
August 25, 2025
I enjoyed this book and thought it was a solid mystery, though there were a few things to which I didn't connect. The story centers on Beth, who, while approaching her 10-year wedding anniversary, starts seeing that previous sexual conquests from earlier in her life are being murdered. She is in a race against the clock to find out who is doing this before they get to her beloved husband. Even scarier, some of these folks were from when she had a previous name and another whole life, which is a secret she thought no one knew.
The suspense in this book was great and I think I suspected everyone at one point or another. The author did a great job creating realistic red herrings that kept me guessing the whole way through. I was slightly disappointed when the villain was revealed but I do think it was a clever choice. The book was also sufficiently creepy with the notes that Beth keeps finding and the overall premise of the reason for the murders. The couple things I struggled with was why the book was even called "The Anniversary Party" when the party itself was such a small part of the entire storyline; and I felt that the extreme measures Beth took to reinvent herself after the secret she was trying to outrun was unrealistic and exaggerated. I thought the end of the book worked and tied up the loose ends nicely.
Overall, while I didn't love everything about this book, I did think it was a very good read and I appreciated the level of suspense throughout. I'd recommend it to those who like mysteries and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The suspense in this book was great and I think I suspected everyone at one point or another. The author did a great job creating realistic red herrings that kept me guessing the whole way through. I was slightly disappointed when the villain was revealed but I do think it was a clever choice. The book was also sufficiently creepy with the notes that Beth keeps finding and the overall premise of the reason for the murders. The couple things I struggled with was why the book was even called "The Anniversary Party" when the party itself was such a small part of the entire storyline; and I felt that the extreme measures Beth took to reinvent herself after the secret she was trying to outrun was unrealistic and exaggerated. I thought the end of the book worked and tied up the loose ends nicely.
Overall, while I didn't love everything about this book, I did think it was a very good read and I appreciated the level of suspense throughout. I'd recommend it to those who like mysteries and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2025
Beth is about to celebrate ten years of marriage to the man she adores, Danny - everything is pretty wonderful but is it? Life is slowly unravelling as she realises someone appears to be murdering anyone she has been in a relationship with and she isn't sure how to stop the next murder happening. So this book has provided me with a huge dilemma - what happens when you think the story is quite good but absolutely do not connect with the character the story belongs to. I really thought this was a clever thriller that definitely kept me intrigued and uneasy across the entirety of the book. However I really really did not care about Beth aka Lily - I just didn't understand what all her fuss was about in terms of her previous life and I really struggled to find her worthy of worrying about. It all felt a little bit tragic at times which I'm not sure was the required response. I didn't really totally understand her marriage, the party or even her workplace - and as she was the central element in all these, I think it really was my feelings about Beth that was the problem - she just didn't feel quite right.
The pace certainly builds throughout the story and the conclusion is suitably shocking for a thriller. I do think this will appeal to readers who enjoy a solid use of thriller tropes and there will be many who may be more sympathetic to Beth and her situation. I would lean towards three and half stars as it was a good story overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for a honest opinion.
The pace certainly builds throughout the story and the conclusion is suitably shocking for a thriller. I do think this will appeal to readers who enjoy a solid use of thriller tropes and there will be many who may be more sympathetic to Beth and her situation. I would lean towards three and half stars as it was a good story overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for a honest opinion.
October 29, 2025
Beth is looking forward to celebrating her tenth wedding anniversary but everything comes crashing to the ground when she hears that an ex-boyfriend has been killed. When this is followed by the brutal death of another boyfriend from her past, she has to come to terms with the fact that something from her past has come back to haunt her and now those who were once close to her are becoming the victims. Not knowing who she can trust, can she prevent herself from becoming the killer’s last conquest?
I have long been a fan of Angela Clarke’s work and so I was thrilled to see that she was back and The Anniversary Party is a great book to return with. The premise is great – Beth’s exes are getting killed one by one and we are introduced to a plethora of characters who could be responsible but who, conversely, could also be a future victim. Add into the mix the fact that Beth definitely isn’t who she is claiming to be and we have all the ingredients for the perfect psychological thriller.
The plot moves on at a fast pace with the deaths coming thick and fast. I found myself constantly weighing up which of the suspects could be responsible, the author delivering red herrings aplenty to throw you off the scent yet plant seeds of mistrust at the same time.
Once we discover the true story behind what has been happening, I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out but I was pleased with how it concluded,
Welcome back Angela Clarke!
I have long been a fan of Angela Clarke’s work and so I was thrilled to see that she was back and The Anniversary Party is a great book to return with. The premise is great – Beth’s exes are getting killed one by one and we are introduced to a plethora of characters who could be responsible but who, conversely, could also be a future victim. Add into the mix the fact that Beth definitely isn’t who she is claiming to be and we have all the ingredients for the perfect psychological thriller.
The plot moves on at a fast pace with the deaths coming thick and fast. I found myself constantly weighing up which of the suspects could be responsible, the author delivering red herrings aplenty to throw you off the scent yet plant seeds of mistrust at the same time.
Once we discover the true story behind what has been happening, I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out but I was pleased with how it concluded,
Welcome back Angela Clarke!
September 15, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Beth has a past life that is a secret from everyone she knows. She is happy to keep that life a secret, until someone begins to murder her past boyfriends one by one. She must find out who is killing off her past lovers before he gets to her husband.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I did not find Beth to be a likeable character. I think because I couldn't relate to her it made all of the events surrounding her life feel overly exaggerated. I didn't understand the problems in her marriage, I didn't understand her relationship with Zayne, and I didn't understand why her past was such a big secret. I feel like in an effort to add suspense the author added in a bunch of events and didn't have a good way to make them seem important to the character.
I did however think that the ending was great. I never guessed who the murderer was and I did think that the author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing throughout the book. I feel like this was a pretty good book that could have been better with more solid characters.
Beth has a past life that is a secret from everyone she knows. She is happy to keep that life a secret, until someone begins to murder her past boyfriends one by one. She must find out who is killing off her past lovers before he gets to her husband.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I did not find Beth to be a likeable character. I think because I couldn't relate to her it made all of the events surrounding her life feel overly exaggerated. I didn't understand the problems in her marriage, I didn't understand her relationship with Zayne, and I didn't understand why her past was such a big secret. I feel like in an effort to add suspense the author added in a bunch of events and didn't have a good way to make them seem important to the character.
I did however think that the ending was great. I never guessed who the murderer was and I did think that the author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing throughout the book. I feel like this was a pretty good book that could have been better with more solid characters.
October 13, 2025
"The Anniversary Party" by Angela Clarke is a gripping and intense psychological thriller that reveals how lies and secrets can destroy everything you know, as a hidden past resurfaces to exact a deadly revenge.
The story is intense and original; I’ve never read anything quite like it. However, with so many names and characters to keep track of, I unfortunately found myself confused when the twists came. This is one of those rare situations where I enjoyed the entire book and didn’t mind how the twists unfolded, as the story itself was engaging and kept me intrigued.
Beth seems to have it all: a loving family, a successful career, and grand plans for a lavish ten-year wedding anniversary party. However, she hides a massive secret. Her life takes a dark turn when her former high school boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging. Grief quickly transforms into fear when she receives a message indicating that another one of her ex-boyfriends has died under violent circumstances. The deaths continue in a terrifying pattern, forcing Beth into a desperate race to uncover the killer's identity before they strike again.
The story is intense and original; I’ve never read anything quite like it. However, with so many names and characters to keep track of, I unfortunately found myself confused when the twists came. This is one of those rare situations where I enjoyed the entire book and didn’t mind how the twists unfolded, as the story itself was engaging and kept me intrigued.
Beth seems to have it all: a loving family, a successful career, and grand plans for a lavish ten-year wedding anniversary party. However, she hides a massive secret. Her life takes a dark turn when her former high school boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging. Grief quickly transforms into fear when she receives a message indicating that another one of her ex-boyfriends has died under violent circumstances. The deaths continue in a terrifying pattern, forcing Beth into a desperate race to uncover the killer's identity before they strike again.
August 25, 2025
The Anniversary Party is an addictive domestic thriller packed with tension, secrets, and lies.
The story follows Beth and Danny and their upcoming anniversary. Like all young couples with a young child, jobs, and a home to maintain, they put their relationship on the back burner. Beth wants a party to portray them as the perfect couple. Before the party takes place, Beth's checkered past starts to catch up with her, and her big secret is about to come spilling out. Beth needs to figure out who's threatening to reveal her past and stop them before Danny finds out her lies.
I couldn't stop turning the pages, making this a quick read. The suspense builds slowly before exploding in an unexpected ending. The chapters are short and flow easily, and the writing style is easy to read. The characters are complex but relatable. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the advanced copy
The story follows Beth and Danny and their upcoming anniversary. Like all young couples with a young child, jobs, and a home to maintain, they put their relationship on the back burner. Beth wants a party to portray them as the perfect couple. Before the party takes place, Beth's checkered past starts to catch up with her, and her big secret is about to come spilling out. Beth needs to figure out who's threatening to reveal her past and stop them before Danny finds out her lies.
I couldn't stop turning the pages, making this a quick read. The suspense builds slowly before exploding in an unexpected ending. The chapters are short and flow easily, and the writing style is easy to read. The characters are complex but relatable. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the advanced copy
September 4, 2025
Beth has it all- a beautiful family, a successful career, and plans for a lavish ten-year wedding anniversary party. But when her former boyfriends/lovers start showing up dead, Beth races to stop the killer before they strike again. Because Beth isn’t really Beth, and she would do anything to stop the truth from getting out.
Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the plot and premise of the book but really struggled to connect with the main character. A big point of contention is the incident that happened in her past, but I had a hard time believing that the incident was really worthy of all of the secrets and stress.
However, I did enjoy the plot of this thriller! Because the pace significantly picks up as the story goes on and the conclusion is a twist, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thriller novels. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in return for my opinion.
Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the plot and premise of the book but really struggled to connect with the main character. A big point of contention is the incident that happened in her past, but I had a hard time believing that the incident was really worthy of all of the secrets and stress.
However, I did enjoy the plot of this thriller! Because the pace significantly picks up as the story goes on and the conclusion is a twist, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thriller novels. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in return for my opinion.
September 15, 2025
Overall a great book. I didn’t understand a few of the British words that was used but still enjoyed it.
The characters were all pretty great.
They had great depth. But the only backstory we learn about is Beth.
The series of events in this book is crazy and keeps you guessing constantly to who “Him” is. I had a few ideas but kinda suspected from the time he was introduced.
A few questions though. I get the whole Lily to Beth thing. But they didn’t really specify why she was arrested in her past. I’m guessing for what they thought was pushing Anna? But they didn’t really say and if the charges were dropped or Anna came out and said that Lily didn’t do anything then why and who was trolling the mom to where ahead had to move and Lily had to reinvent herself?
And who is Carmen? Did I miss something? Did she die or was she just a best friend from long ago that they didn’t talk anymore? I was so confused.
Anyone else?
Thank you NetGalley for the copy
The characters were all pretty great.
They had great depth. But the only backstory we learn about is Beth.
The series of events in this book is crazy and keeps you guessing constantly to who “Him” is. I had a few ideas but kinda suspected from the time he was introduced.
A few questions though. I get the whole Lily to Beth thing. But they didn’t really specify why she was arrested in her past. I’m guessing for what they thought was pushing Anna? But they didn’t really say and if the charges were dropped or Anna came out and said that Lily didn’t do anything then why and who was trolling the mom to where ahead had to move and Lily had to reinvent herself?
And who is Carmen? Did I miss something? Did she die or was she just a best friend from long ago that they didn’t talk anymore? I was so confused.
Anyone else?
Thank you NetGalley for the copy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2025
Beth is planning her ten year wedding anniversary to husband Danny, but when her former high school boyfriend is killed in a brutal mugging her life begins to crack. When she hears another ex has faced similar circumstances, followed by another, her shock turns to fear. Does someone know her secret?
I really liked the concept of this one, it sounded like a crazy, fun thriller. This was a story that kept me guessing and trying to work out who the culprit was. I liked that there were misdirections and red herrings to keep the story interesting and suspenseful.
Although I liked parts of this I also had a few niggles. I found the main character hard to connect with and some of her decisions questionable. I also found the pacing to be off at times and some parts quite far fetched. Overall though, this was a solid, entertaining domestic thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
I really liked the concept of this one, it sounded like a crazy, fun thriller. This was a story that kept me guessing and trying to work out who the culprit was. I liked that there were misdirections and red herrings to keep the story interesting and suspenseful.
Although I liked parts of this I also had a few niggles. I found the main character hard to connect with and some of her decisions questionable. I also found the pacing to be off at times and some parts quite far fetched. Overall though, this was a solid, entertaining domestic thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
October 3, 2025
After reading the blurb for this book, I knew it was a book that I had to get my hands on. It sounded like such a psychological head trip! And its safe to say I wasn't disappointed! From literally the first chapters, the mystery begins with Beth's past.....who is she? Why is her past a mystery? And I loved that this theme carried on throughout the book. Team that with the fact all her ex partners are being killed off one by one for an unknown reason - what more could we want from a psychological thrillers? The further i read, the more my heart raced and I couldn't read it fast enough! I was desperate to get to the end and find out once and for all what was going on! This book had me gripped and it deserves every recommendation it gets!
January 11, 2026
The Anniversary Party by Angela Clarke is the story of Beth, who looking at appearances has it all- a successful career, a beautiful family and now plans for a lavish ten year wedding anniversary.
But then a former boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging and her perfect looking life begins to crack. Grief turns to fear as Beth receives message that another of her exes has died in violent circumstances. Followed by another and another.
Someone she knows is eliminating everyone she has ever had a relationship with, someone who knows who she really is. Someone who knows that Beth isn’t her real name.
A very complex series of events that culminates in a warehouse filled with sex toy dolls. When Beth confronts the killer and nearly gets killed.
Highly recommended
But then a former boyfriend dies in a brutal mugging and her perfect looking life begins to crack. Grief turns to fear as Beth receives message that another of her exes has died in violent circumstances. Followed by another and another.
Someone she knows is eliminating everyone she has ever had a relationship with, someone who knows who she really is. Someone who knows that Beth isn’t her real name.
A very complex series of events that culminates in a warehouse filled with sex toy dolls. When Beth confronts the killer and nearly gets killed.
Highly recommended
August 25, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Anniversary Party by Angela Clarke follows Beth, who has the perfect family. But when men she had previously loved all started dying in freak accidents, Beth must decide if her secret or her perfect life will survive.
Overall, this book was pretty good. I was shocked by the killer, and I always like when I am taken by surprise. The characters were pretty rounded out and life-like.
However, the mentions of Rated R content were too often and too random. Also, Beth kept thinking about her big secret so randomly, it pulled me out of the story. These instances felt like they had nothing to do with what was being talked about.
Read this if you're looking for a good plot twist!
The Anniversary Party by Angela Clarke follows Beth, who has the perfect family. But when men she had previously loved all started dying in freak accidents, Beth must decide if her secret or her perfect life will survive.
Overall, this book was pretty good. I was shocked by the killer, and I always like when I am taken by surprise. The characters were pretty rounded out and life-like.
However, the mentions of Rated R content were too often and too random. Also, Beth kept thinking about her big secret so randomly, it pulled me out of the story. These instances felt like they had nothing to do with what was being talked about.
Read this if you're looking for a good plot twist!
September 12, 2025
The Anniversary Party is a tense domestic thriller full of secrets, lies, and plenty of red herrings. I loved the premise and thought the suspense built nicely—there were moments I suspected everyone! While I didn’t fully connect with Beth as a character, the story itself kept me intrigued and I flew through the short chapters. The ending tied things up in a clever way and definitely delivered on the twists. A solid 3.5 ⭐️ thriller.
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!
Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!
September 25, 2025
A twisty surprise mystery that has you guessing the whole way through. Beth is planning her 10 year anniversary party with her husband, Danny. She finds out that one of her ex's is killed. Then another, and another. All along the killer is leaving red herrings and messages to her. This story is very suspenseful, and the tension is top notch. The question the reader has to ask is why is the killer after Beth, and what is she hiding? Can't wait to see what else Angela has written.
November 29, 2025
Not sure how to explain this book… firstly not sure why a sex dolls factory and factory owner dominates the first half of the book? I think the author then realised she actually needed to write a thriller so in the second half of the book she tries to bring the book back to being a thriller of sorts. I think I only enjoyed the last 13% of the book where it started wrapping up.
Unfortunately I would not recommend this book!
Unfortunately I would not recommend this book!
August 29, 2025
Overall, this was a good read for me. With that said, you will notice I didn't say a great read. While there were some twists and betrayals in this book that I loved, but there were parts for me that weren't relatable or realistic. It threw me off a bit. The ending was great though and I did not guess who the murderer was.
Thank you NetGalley for the eArc.
Thank you NetGalley for the eArc.
October 14, 2025
What starts as a glamorous celebration quickly spirals into a deadly game. Beth’s perfect life unravels when her exes start turning up dead and someone knows her darkest secret. With the party looming, can she uncover the killer before she becomes the final guest of honor?
This story contains secrets, lies and revenge.
Perfect for fans of domestic noir and revenge plots.
This story contains secrets, lies and revenge.
Perfect for fans of domestic noir and revenge plots.
September 7, 2025
This is a domestic thriller that was quite a slow burn I found it personally hard to engage with the characters and the party itself formed a small portion of the book. However I did quite like some of the twists and turns in the story and the plot
Kept my guessing.
Kept my guessing.
November 18, 2025
I would describe this as a solid, entertaining domestic thriller. I found the story and characters a little hard to connect to. I did enjoy the twists and turns and the red herrings right until the end though!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
December 30, 2025
I'm sorry to say but I gave up after too many long winded explanations that I didn't think actually gave anything to the story. I really like this author normally so maybe the book just wasn't for me.
November 22, 2025
DNF as I didn’t like the writing style, plus the writing was super small and lots of it.
February 23, 2026
The Twist... I Did Not See That Coming!!
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