The New Year's Party: A twisty and propulsive locked-room murder mystery

by Jenna Satterthwaite

IT'S GOING TO BE A KILLER NIGHT...

It used to be an annual thing – the raucous New Year's party. But for Olivia, Bennett and their crowd of couple friends, the chaos of their thirties has totally challenged the definition of 'annual'. It's been a few years since the close friends were last... close. But this year is going to be different. The burnout, parenting stress, credit card debt, job drama, marriage troubles, addiction – they're going to set it all aside for the night. No, really. They swear.

Oh, except for the secrets. Every last person has one. But secrets are only as good as the people you trust to keep them, and when the wrong one slips out... Well, friends or not, that just might become motive for murder.

Everybody thinks they know their closest friends – until somebody winds up dead.

The New Year's Party is an unputdownable murder mystery that blends twisty suspense and a propulsive multi-POV storytelling with dark humour and a vibrant cast of characters. Perfect for readers of Lucy Foley, Liane Moriarty and Lisa Jewell, as well as fans of Knives Out, The Afterparty and The Residence.

'Tensions aren't just bubbling beneath the surface – they're ready to explode. A sharp, character-driven drama, Lucy Foley fans will eat this up' Katie Garner, author of The Family Inside

'A slam dunk combination of people behaving badly, questionable judgment, searing lies and murder… Grab this one for an unexpected holiday treat' Darby Kane, bestselling author of Pretty Little Wife

'A delicious, masterfully plotted mystery… So addictive, you won't be able to look away’ Hannah Morrissey, bestselling author of The Unlucky Ones

'The twists don't let up in this propulsive and wildly entertaining book' Ashley Winstead, bestselling author of This Book Will Bury Me

'Utterly propulsive and will keep you turning pages late into the night… Nothing short of masterful' Bianca Marais, author of A Most Puzzling Murder

'Toxic friendships boil over in The New Year's Party, a twisty, Midwest-set thriller where one night of celebration erupts in betrayal and blood. Satterthwaite delivers a voicey, richly characterized study in just how volatile even the oldest relationships can be' Maia Chance, author of The Body Next Door

This novel contains references to sexual assault, domestic abuse and pregnancy loss, and depictions of drug and alcohol use, bullying, discrimination and violence.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Holiday

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Jenna is an author and literary agent who writes novels under her own name as well as open pseudonym Sienna Sharpe.

Born in the Midwest, Jenna Satterthwaite grew up in Spain, lived briefly in France, and is now happily settled in Chicago with her husband and three kids.

Jenna studied classical guitar at the Conservatorio Profesional de Música de Zaragoza and earned her BAs in English Lit and French at Indiana University. Now she works a 9-5 style office job where she types many emails while drinking many cups of excellent coffee. Jenna is also a literary agent with Storm Literary Agency. Once upon a time, Jenna moonlighted as a singer-songwriter in folk band Thornfield.

In the winter, you can find Jenna obsessively and cozily pounding out novels on her laptop by the fireplace. In the summer, you can find her getting sunburned at the pool with her kids, vaguely wondering how a novel is even written.
She loves sushi, reading in her natural habitat (aka her bed), and women taking back their power. Made For You is her debut novel, and her next book with Mira/HarperCollins, The New Year's Party, is coming October 2025.


Under the pseudonym Sienna Sharpe, Jenna is the author "Beach Bodies" (UK) and "A Killer Getaway" (US title), both releasing Summer 2025.

Connect with Jenna on Twitter @jennaschmenna, Facebook on her author page, and Instagram @jenna.satterthwaite.author. She loves to hear from readers!

Reviews

[Jenna Satterthwaite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi! Author here. I loved writing these morally gray disaster characters. This is the most 'real' book I've written. No speculative twists. No unbelievable (I hope) motivations. Just a 24-hour train wreck of a party among old friends that ends in murder. Who's dead? Who did it? Tell me if you can guess it...

[Frank Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I really appreciate about certain authors is that no matter what subject, every time I open one of their books I know I'm in for quality entertainment, and this book was exactly that! Just like with this author's previous novel, The New Year's Party was a fun, fast-paced thriller about a NYE party that gets way out of hand, that I raced through in just a couple of days!

The characters were delightfully chaotic—unlikable, unpredictable, and impossible to pin down. I honestly didn’t trust a single one of them, and I had no clue who the culprit was until the very end, which I loved. My one complaint is that the murder happens in the final pages, so there’s not much of an investigation—just a quick wrap-up and reveal. That said, it’s a fun, quick read and a great pick if you’re trying to sneak in one last book before 2026.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrated by Karissa Vacker
OUT 11/4/2025 - 5 STARS

I just finished “The New Year’s Party” by Jenna Satterthwaite, and I’m tossing five stars at it with zero hesitation. The cover is pure eye candy, all glimmer and a wink of danger. If you’re an audiobook person, Karissa Vacker is the MVP. She squeezes every drop of sass and panic out of these pages. She could read my spam emails, and I’d still be hooked.

Forget any hopes of a cozy, nostalgic reunion. This party is a glitter bomb of chaos, guilt, and a dash of murder for good measure. The friend group is a cocktail of envy, burnout, and ambition, shaken with a few emotional grenades. Jenn’s pretending to have it all together (spoiler: she doesn’t), and Olivia is deep diving into regret. They’re all deliciously flawed, and I was glued to every secret.

This party is basically a parade of tiny betrayals. The story hops between perspectives, so you’re always in the thick of everyone’s worst decisions. I was so hooked, I didn’t even notice my headphones were about to die. It’s got bite, humor, and it’s dark in all the best ways. It makes you wonder if it's possible to move on from your past when your friends insist on dragging it along for the ride.

These thirty-somethings are juggling parenting burnout, credit card debt, marriage drama, and a few questionable decisions you’ll definitely want to gossip about. I wanted to judge, but their chaos feels so real. The author dials up the drama just enough to make you squirm, but never tips into soap opera territory.

If you like books with messy friends, juicy secrets, and humor that’s sometimes cruel, then this is for you. I can’t wait to see what Jenna does next. She’s officially on my mental must-read shelf.

Thanks to the author and Harlequin Audio for providing this gifted audiobook via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheNewYearsParty #JennaSatterthwaite #HarlequinAudio #TheHive #NetGalley
New Year's Reunion - The Hive Influencer - College Friends - Addiction - Excellent Audiobook

[Jamie Josephson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just did not vibe with this book. The characters were frustrating and unlikable, I could not keep their stories straight, and the plot just seemed boring and unrealistic. I had to restart it 3 times because I immediately forgot everything that was going on each time.

Maybe I'm just in a thriller slump, but this one was a no for me. Honestly should have DNF'ed it, but my OCD brain just can't seem to do that.

[Tiffany aka Chai Tea And Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a while to listen to. It had a ton of POVs and with each perspective you get more crumbs to try and put the cookie back together to figure out what happened, both in previous years and in the present day. I feel like there were some plot holes that were left open on explaining how the deceased died and trying it with who got convicted. The second half of the story went much faster, as the story started progressing. It was an entertaining listen, but not one that I would reread.

It’s been 5 years since their old friend group got together for their annual New Year’s Eve Party. They swore they would always have one, but the drama of their lives have kept them from it. But this year they are all getting together again. But for one of them, it is going to be their last. Because past transgressions start being brought to the light, and consequences of their actions will start rolling in.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, all thoughts are my own.

[Shateau · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ARC from NetGalley and Edelweiss. The author noted she wrote these characters to be morally gray disasters. While I am glad to know there was intent, these characters were just plain unlikeable. I could not get invested in the story. The main plot is fairly traditional. A childhood group of friends and all their baggage come together as adults and all their secrets from the past are laid bare. I did appreciate the twist on the "screw up" character, that he actually wasn't as big of a mess as everyone assumed. I just can't rate this higher when I spent 70% of the book completely disengaged from the characters.

[Lauren Self (lauren.shelby.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE NEW YEAR’S PARTY by @jenna.satterthwaite.author
🎧 audiobook review • pub date 11.04.25
narrated by: @karissavacker
length: 10h 4min
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

thanks so much to @htp_audio @htp_hive for my gifted ALC #hiveinfluencer

a New Year’s party that ends with a dead body — sign me up. Not just any friend group though, these people were absolutely unsufferable and I would have been okay if any of them had died 🤣but I honestly love books with all the insane drama so I enjoyed it.

I love books that begin with a murder but you don’t know until the very end who it was! The entire book gave motive for basically every character to murder one from the group, so I really had no idea who it was going to be! There is more of a drama/suspense feel to the story rather than thriller- and I think it will be perfect for fans of Carola Lovering books & Party of Liars. 🙌🏻

And honestly - Karissa Vacker is always an incredible choice for a narrator and I could listen to anything she narrates 🩷

[Alex Ritany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads just like sitting in a public place and overhearing the juiciest gossip you have ever heard and then you also get to find out how it ends + it is even more satisfying than you could have imagined. Despite exploring heavy themes, the book maintains a brisk pace and keeps you guessing—I couldn’t tear myself away!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Jenna Satterthwaite is an author I have heard of, but this was the first time I had read anything by her and to be honest, I'm not sure I enjoyed it.
This book started off REALLY slowly and unfortunately the slow pacing continued throughout. Because of this I struggled to get into the plot. I spent the majority of it just wishing it would speed up and for something interesting to happen.
This was another issue for me. I found it to be unbelievably dull. The story felt totally flat and in my opinion the writing lacked any spark. I was so bored throughout, I just didn't have a good time reading it.
I also didn't care for the characters. They did all blur into one, and I didn't like any of them.
The first half of the book did feel like it was filler and I feel like this could have worked better for me as a short story.
I would definitely class this as a slow burn domestic suspense rather than a thriller, which I thought it was going to be, so maybe that affected my enjoyment of the book.
I don't think this is a bad book by any means, but it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Verve Books for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review

[Kaitlin Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for the eARC!

This felt like a slow moving train wreck you just could not look away from.

The multiple POVs and truly unlikeable characters all around made for an edge of your seat story.

A group of long time friends meet up every year for a New Year's Eve party. And this one is not to be forgotten. Secrets revealed and memories resurfaced, who will come out of the party on top? Or alive?

This book made me anxious and jittery. I knew who it was about half way through, but there were still a twist I did not see coming.
All in all, an enjoyable thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!

[Kimmy Goldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️.
This book hooked me in for the first 60%…then became slightly dull…then finished with a bang!


It’s a fairly quick read with every single character being completely unlikeable. I loved the crazy dynamics and the complexity of their past relationships.

Some portions could have been omitted, but overall, I was drawn to insanity that occurred in the 24 hrs leading up to the NYE party.

I look forward to reading more from this author!

[Bookstarreviews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A slow build thriller where the character’s wish midnight never strikes! 🎉

I loved how Satterthwaite provided tiny snippets of each character’s day through the multitude of POVs, which all successively built up to an explosive New Year’s Eve Party. Ten POVs and not once was I confused which truly demonstrates the talent of the writing!

I loved how the humour suited the book perfectly and acted like the trimmings to the main story. Harbouring plenty of twists and turns which all revolved around deception and toxic friendship, this read was very unpredictable and I liked this element.

As a slow burn, I thought this suited the plot perfectly, as you piece by piece learn about the backstories of the characters. I found a few parts slightly dragged out, but the tension and pace fastened in the final quarter.

The finale was more explosive than a party cannon and I loved how Satterthwaite launches you down the stairs, making sure you hit each step at a time with each and every revelation.

I buddy read this with @diaryofabookworm_21 and enjoyed our chats. A huge thank you @verve_books for this copy of The New Year’s Party which is out now! ❤️

If you’re looking for that in between Christmas and New Year read, then this is the book to pick up! 😍

⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot I liked and some I didn’t. The prologue starts at the end of the night & we know something’s happened but not what or to whom. The chapters are super quick so I flew through the book because I wanted to figure out what was going on.

I did find the ending predictable but the story was still interesting.

[Shelley L · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be an intriguing read that kept me reading

This author was able to write both male and female points of view that rating true
I don’t really believe that 10 pov’s were necessary

I would recommend reading for the average mystery reader

[Colleen Alles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Fun until the end!!

[Brentt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

The beginning of this book roped me in. I do love when the story starts in the middle of the action, hooks you, and then rewinds to the events leading up to the climax. We follow a number of characters in this story. A group of close friends, all imperfect people, but somehow they have all remained a tight unit throughout the years. The author does a great job at creating and developing these characters. They are all so unique and flawed. Sadly, I didn’t like any of them, which made it a little harder for me to want to listen. This story is also told from multiple POVs, but it switches from third person to first person. It was hard for me to understand the reason for the inconsistent POVs and kind of took me out of the story.

Overall, it was an okay read for me. The end was a little lacking, though I was satisfied with the ending for one of the characters. I do think I would read another book by this author because I did enjoy how thought out these characters were.. it’s just sad I didn’t like them.

[Lost Vegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I was astounded at the way the characters have been written here. There is not a quiet unplanned one in this novel. Everyone is fully fleshed out and the sheer detail of their thoughts, feelings and leanings made me feel like I was watching it happen live. There haven’t been many times this year when character study has been so well showcased that I have bought the authors other work immediately.

This is exactly how I want to read reunions going forward, I loved hearing about why people didn’t want to go, it was so very well observed, why do we do these things?
It’s impossible not to relate to something or someone in this book and that will keep you reading all night.

I would also like to thank the author for Olivia’s story especially, this was dealt with so well, and even had a bit of hope at the end, so skilful.

I absolutely loved this one and so will everyone that enjoys well observed thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this eARC in return for an honest review.

[The Bookish Blonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I intentionally started this after Christmas, so I would be "on theme" and "on time" while reading it. And what a perfectly delicious book to be reading on New Year's Eve.

"The New Year's Party" by Jenna Satterthwaite was wildly entertaining. Dysfunctional friends? Check. Explosive secrets? Check. Hidden agendas? Check. This was one wild and twisty read and I blew through it.

Propelled by Satterthwaite's zippy, fresh dialogue and unique, individual character perspectives, the story races along with plenty of twists and red herrings along the way. Told from individual perspectives (each chapter is written as a different character) helps the story to build to one explosive crescendo - the friends' reunion party on New Year's Eve. The characters are all flawed in their own way and each has the potential to be both murder victim and murderer. Buckle Up!

My Review in Five Words: Entertaining. Roller-Coaster. Twisty. Explosive. Vivid.

I received this book as a GoodReads Giveaway winner and all opinions are my own. Thank you to MIRA books for the ARC.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted audiobook copy of THE NEW YEAR'S PARTY by Jenna Satterthwaite from Harlequin Audio.

Rating: 3.5 / 5

THE NEW YEAR'S PARTY follows a group of friends who have celebrated the new year together since their college days. They've dropped off a bit over the years, it's been about five years since their last celebration, but it is time to get the gang back together.

These people would likely not become friends if they were just meeting in the present day. They have very different lives from income levels, substance uses, religious beliefs, and more. There is a lot of drama between them as well from infidelity to shady business. The synopsis also lets us know that before the evening is out, someone will be dead.

This is definitely a book that is tackling a lot of potentially triggering material including infidelity, pregnancy loss, substance abuse, violence.

This book really was a wild time and these characters have a lot going on! I found the book very bingable and entertaining, even though I don't think there were really any characters I particularly liked in the moment.

The synopsis speaks to there being someone dead by the end of the night and while that is true, I wouldn't go into this book waiting for that to be central to the story. Things do not escalate to that point for quite some time. The beginning starts with a lot of setup, introducing the various friends and the issues in their lives before they begin to gather for the party. Once things get moving, the pace does pick up quite a bit in the second half and there were twists and turns that I didn't entirely predict which I enjoyed.

[Katie Novak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me very thankful for my boring/normal friend group. New Year's Eve parties started with this group of friends many years ago. It sounds like they never really went well, but they continued to do them. Like all friend groups, these people had there problems, some were drugs and alcohol related, some sexual, some martial. There were so many lies and secrets that at times I felt like I needed a flow chart to keep up with what all was happening.

While nobody really seems to want to, they decide to get back together for a party to celebrate 2020. While nobody really expects it to go well, I don't think anybody expects it to end in murder. The only problem is who is the one actually holding on to the secret of murder? Who's lie is the one worth killing over? There were times I thought I had it figured out and was wrong. While even towards the end when I did have an idea of who the killer was, I still did get the reasoning until the very end.

[Raven (_birdiesbookclub_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the ALC of this new thriller, which is out now!

This was a decent listen overall. The story had a fun mix of drama and mystery, and the setup (a group of friends with secrets gathering for a New Year’s celebration) definitely pulled me in. That said, some of the characters felt a bit flat, and the pacing dragged in spots. The narrator did a good job keeping things interesting, though sometimes it felt a little over the top. Not bad, just not amazing i my opinion. I'd say it' still worth a listen if you like twisty, small-group thrillers.

[Michelle Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this ALC of The New Year's Party.

This was absolutely WILD and chaotic! I was hooked from the start. I really enjoyed all the different points of view. Every single person in this friend group was crazy. The pacing of the story was perfect. I was actually cracking up laughing at the confession. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

I listened to the audiobook and it was so good. It really added to the drama and chaos of the story.

[Susannah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go Jenna Go! I listened to a podcast interview with the author and fell in love with her zest for life and writing despite many challenges along the way. Aside from some minor issues I had, this book was a fun read during the hectic holidays. It was ambitious in its topics and themes yet maintained a lighthearted tone and voice. I liked that it was pretty limited in scope and kept us locked in to what was happening at the party almost the entire time. I wanted a different ending too, but some of my friends that read it really enjoyed the ending. Can’t wait to discuss in book club!

[Ashley (my.bookish.chapter) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Audio and Jenna Satterthwaite for the advanced listener copy!

This was a twist of a ride! Karissa Vacker did a great job narrating the story!

As for the writing, Jenna has written a whole cast of questionable characters and I enjoyed every bit of the story.

Did I figure out who the “guilty” person was? Yes, but I couldn’t narrow down the connection. The genuinely took me by surprise. Would another reader pick up on it? Possibly but honestly, I was enjoying the story too much to be making notes about all the connections.

Highly recommend!

[Mindy Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sucked me in. Love the idea of old friends getting together for New Year’s Eve each year. There are a lot of characters and the story is told from all of their perspectives so it was a little hrs to keep track of everything in the beginning. But once I got into it I really couldn’t put it down. Definitely will be looking for more books by this author!

[Renee Arieno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about a group of friends who used to get together for annual New Year’s Eve party each year, but it's been a few years since the last one because well - parenting stress, and life drama.

But guess what? they all have secrets and over the years. Sadly - they all think they know their closest friends—until somebody winds up dead.

This story started off with a bang!!! The story was told in multiple POV and the chaos of the night began to swirl and I was hooked and had to know what was going to happen!

The narrator did a great job with all ten POVs. ( yes, TEN!!)

What to expect: toxic friendships, party gone wrong , sharing your secrets with a wrong friend.
Please note: It’s more about the drama than the murder! Lots of secrets - but it was so fun.

[HTP Books]

Mystery & Detective, Women's Fiction, Family Life Fiction, Black Humor, Suspense

[Erin Nudi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how it's New Year's going into 2020. This night is horrific, but things can only go up from here, eh? Eh?

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Good, but very predictable!

[Heather Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 💫