A Party to Murder

John Inman has done it again! I've said it before and I'll say it again(and I'm sure it won't be the last time you'll hear me say it) the man knows how to bring danger, death, and destruction to the page and he manages to keep it fun and romantic too, its the whole package. Longtime friends have recently become friends with benefits who most likely both want more but haven't voiced it yet, receive invitations to a party in the woods from an unfamiliar name but decide to go because it sounds like a laugh, it's a stormy night in the middle of nowhere . . . what could go wrong? Practically everything.

So A Party to Murder sounds like a setup that has been done by many authors and Hollywood directors alike but John Inman makes it original with his own quirky blend of darkness, romance, mystery, and heat that keeps you on the edge of your seat. In a way it reads as a homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Dashiell Hammet's The Thin Man, and any number of 80s horror flicks. You've got a cast of characters that keep dwindling, a dark and trapped setting, and then there is Derek and Jamie who may not be Nick and Nora Charles but their banter and obvious devotion to each other couldn't help but remind me of the chemistry the Charles' share.

Obviously I won't speak to the mystery aspect other than Party may not have had me fooled all the way up until the reveal but it didn't matter. Just because I suspected the who, it was the why that kept me on pins and needles. Just because my guess ended up being the who, doesn't mean I wasn't left wondering "am I right?" and on more than one occasion I found myself "or could it be ??? making this even more disturbing?" so just because you think you know, you really never truly know when it comes to John Inman.

As for Jamie and Derek, the friends with benefits, I think we all know they both want to be more than friends with benefits but its whether or not they'll open up to each other that gives A Party to Murder the romantic element. Some might think its not very believable that two people can find time for love when their fellow party guests are dropping like mayflies but what better time to be honest with your heart than when facing possible death? Not knowing if you'll be walking away is the perfect time to be true to one's heart. I loved their oddities that make them a perfect pair.

Throw in a cast of characters who don't know each other, who don't know the invitation sender, who have never been to the property, and what you have is a story that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. John Inman knows how to set the scene to make the reader feel as if they too got a mystery invitation to the creepy mansion in the woods and why it is perfectly understandable that Jamie, Derek, and everyone else on the fateful guest list would accept such an invite. A Party to Murder is definitely a win-win for mystery lovers, quirky lovers, romance lovers, heck its a win-win for any lover of good storytelling.

I’ve read a few from this author now and I’m always impressed at how Mr. Inman can tackle such a wide variety of romantic tropes. A Party to Murder had an intriguing blurb but as I prefer suspense to thrillers, I put off reading it until now. This book definitely had a good spook factor, and despite having the killer pegged early on (though I did suspect the author caught me with a red herring a few times), once things were in motion, I was glued to my Kindle to see how it would unfold.

A Party to Murder follows best friends to an invitation only party thrown by an unidentified host. Jamie and Derek were likable and I quite liked the sweet, sexy romance between these two. That said, I’d characterize this book as more of a suspense/thriller with a side of romance because the mystery behind the murders overshadows Jamie and Derek’s developing relationship at almost every turn.

The key to a good thriller is setting the stage and this author delivered that from all sides with A Party to Murder. Between the storm raging outside, the large, abandoned house in the country, and the varied cast of characters each with some degree of questionable background, I was firmly on the edge of my seat trying to connect the dots. The descriptions the author used brought each aspect of the creepy scenes to life so much so that the tension was often palpable. If you’re looking for something that will make you jump a few times and keep your attention from start to finish with a dash of sexy from a young, sweet couple, A Party to Murder certainly fits the bill.

*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*

A party to murder is good mystery suspense. Jamie and Derek are going to a mystery party. Each was given an invitation in their separate apartments and the invitation is vague, just a party with free booze and heartstopping door prizes. When they arrive there are 5 other people, that includes the housekeep and her husband. The bridge has gone out, it's storming like crazy with no sign of letting up and there appears to be no way to leave. Then the bodies start mounting beginning with two strangers in the basement. Noone there knows each other and that is a mystery in itself. Why are these 7 people brought together and who is murdering them one by one?
I liked this story. it's like two stories in one. the mystery and the romance. Jamie and Derek have been friends since school. But recently began being sex buddies too. They are here in the boonies away from friends and relatives to see what their relationship really is. There is a lot of sex. That is one thing I had an issue with. They seemed to be able to tune out some gruesome stuff and just start having sex like bunnies. The other thing predictability. I figured out the murderer early on but not his connections to anyone or his motives.
If you like a murder mystery, suspense, romance and just an intriguing story you will like this.

Reviewed by Sammy for Diverse Reader

John Inman offers up an “Agatha Christie” serving of mayhem, mystery and murder along with an incredibly sweet friends to lovers trope that made A Party to Murder stand on its own merits and cast any doubts as to how good a storyteller this author can be to the wayside. Seven virtual strangers are invited to a party that promises great “door prizes” at the end of the weekend. When the author had one of the main characters, Jamie, come up with that as his motivation for accepting the strange invite I had to laugh. It’s so lovely to see Mr. Inman infuse his own brand of light-hearted humor into what proved to be a dark and terrifying murder mystery. Along with occasional lulls in action where we got to know Jamie and Derek who were about to move on from being friends with benefits to something more was what gave this book the fresh twist it needed to make it stand out to me.



One by one the other guests are murdered beginning with the discovery of the couple who it’s assumed own the creepy, decrepit house being used to host the weekend party. As each one is found dead, a few clues are carefully laid about to be found by a surviving member but you really are kept in the dark to the very end as to the who and the why the slayings are taking place. Mr. Inman creates an incredibly chilling madman whose motivation for exacting revenge is only revealed as Jamie and Derek are left fighting for their lives.



Honestly this one was a fast read for me and pretty intense. I admit I jumped more than once at the discovery of yet another victim and honestly had no idea who the murderer was until near the very end. But it was the side story of how Derek and Jamie were finally coming to realize that they wanted more than the convenient casual sex they had fallen into a few months before that made this story really shine. I loved both these guys—Jamie for his tender heart and shy way when it came to hoping Derek really did love him and Derek for the way in which he took care of Jamie not because he thought he was weak but because he had fallen so hard for the guy. I loved that in the midst of all the madness they used the few quiet interludes afforded them to express their true feelings to each other. That made the idea of either of them being the next victim even more frightening and worrisome.



John Inman once again creates characters that burrow into your heart and gives us action that chills the bones. A Party to Murder is a well-written mystery with a romantic twist that was thrilling to experience.

Rating: 3.5 stars!!

Have you ever heard of the movie Clue? I loved that movie growing up and it was one I watched often with my children - we love it! When I read the blurb for A Party to Murder, I immediately thought of Clue. There was no way I could pass up a murder mystery/thriller that reminded me of my favorite movie.

The premise of the story: Jamie and Derek, best friends since childhood, receive an invite to a party from an unknown person in a house in the middle of nowhere on a stormy night. Yes, it’s the premise for Clue. Jamie and Derek have only recently become friends with benefits and both are trying to play it cool and pretend that it’s all they wanted. The reality is that this book is them discovering they love each other and want more, while trying to survive.

It’s 2019, who goes to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, at the invite of someone unknown? Jamie and Derek definitely pay for being idiots and attending, along with all the other idiots that just randomly came. As soon as the “butler” was murdered and the newspaper clipping was shared, I knew why everything was happening and quickly figured out who the murderer was. Of course the others didn’t figure anything out, until only Derek and Jamie and the killer are left. Honestly, it was pretty obvious who the killer was, but all these people just showed up at a stranger’s house for a party so what can you expect.

This was a quick read, and if you can suspend reality, you’ll enjoy it, if murder mysteries with romance and a happy ever after interest you. Derek and Jamie’s friendship evolves pretty quickly to love, and I’m not sure why they pretended to be something other than a couple, but you’re left with a HEA. Also, let this serve as a warning to you. If some unknown person sends you an invitation to a spooky house in the middle of nowhere, don’t go!

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**