Book Review - The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly

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Title: The Afterparty

Author: Ruth Kelly

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Pan

Publication Date: 23rd October 2025

Rating: 3 Stars

She was your best friend. Now she's missing. And everyone suspects you.

People drift apart. You and Georgie were inseparable once; she knew you better than anyone. But that was then.

Now, out of the blue, Georgie's back. She's inviting you to a glamorous New Year's Eve afterparty in Amsterdam - a chance to relive the good old days and the fun you used to have.

You go. You laugh. You remember.

But then Georgie vanishes.

And just like that, you're the prime suspect.

She knows all your secrets – the ones you've managed to bury. But as the clock ticks and the accusations mount, you're left with one terrifying thought: how well do you really know her?

From bestselling, Richard & Judy book club pick author Ruth Kelly, The Afterparty is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pearse.

I went into this really wanting to love it as much as I had enjoyed my previous encounter with this author, and don't get me wrong this is a perfectly good book. 

It's just that I really disliked pretty much all the main characters, and there is an unreliable narrator nature to Becca too,  Will the true crime detective tik tokker - ugh his attitude to everything just sucked. He sounded totally authentic for the sort of character he was, but not someone I would have wanted to ever meet. 

I was never completely sure what to believe, and I was totally shocked by some of the revelations.  I just though that the book just didn't grip me how I wanted it to, and just found it harder to reader than I would have liked.  Almost certainly a me issue rather than the book itself. 

I liked the seedy Amsterdam setting, and the initial reunion between Becca and Georgie and their night out was initially fun. 

Just overall I felt a bit flat reading this I'm afraid. 

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.