The Guilty Party by Mel McGrath

The Guilty Party

by Mel McGrath

‘DARK, COMPELLING… IT’S A BRILLIANT READ’ BA PARIS

On a night out, four friends witness a stranger in trouble. They decide to do nothing to help.

Later, a body washes up on the banks of the Thames – and the group realises that ignoring the woman has left blood on their hands.

But why did each of them refuse to step in? Why did none of them want to be noticed that night? Who is really responsible?

And is it possible that the victim was not really a stranger at all? Praise for Mel McGrath:

‘This roller-coaster read will have you hooked’ Closer

‘This well-crafted, chilling tale of guilt and innocence has a compelling moral anchor’ Woman

‘Lots of twists and turns in this toxic thriller.’ Hello!

‘A dextrously written thriller and examination of guilt and innocence…[McGrath is] a diamond-hard talent’ Financial Times

‘McGrath excels in creating believably flawed characters, and her masterful control of suspense and pacing make for a psychological thriller that is both perceptive and disturbing’ Guardian

‘Unsettling, disturbing and vital. 5*’ Heat

‘Exploring guilt and innocence through several dark distinct perspectives, Cassie becomes a compelling moral anchor in this well-crafted and chilling tale’ Woman’s Own

‘Easily the best [of the subgenre]…psychologically acute and deeply satisfying’ Telegraph

‘Perceptive…McGrath is a thoughtful writer’ Daily Mail

‘Utterly compelling right from the start…a deeply unsettling look at modern sexual behaviour and bystander culture’ Crime Monthly

‘Chilling, fiendishly plotted and surprising, this stayed with me long after reading’ Woman & Home

‘Absorbing … McGrath asks: should it be a crime to witness a violent event, and say nothing?’ The Times

‘Brimming with trust issues and deceit, this will make you question whether we ever know who our friends really are’ Prima

‘A clever, nuanced exploration of toxic friendship and the ties that bind people together’ Red

‘Dark, thrilling, impossible to predict’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said She Said

‘A scorching, clever thriller’ Tammy Cohen, author of They All Fall Down

‘A dark and immersive journey into the heart of a toxic friendship group. I loved it.’ Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange

Reviewed by zooloo1983 on

3 of 5 stars

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I am not quite sure what I feel about this book. I found it intriguing how the death of one person affected four people and you knew it hit at least one of them hard because the death was completely at the forefront of the book. At some points I found it was a bit much, we know someone had died but we don’t need it mentioned on nearly every page. However, I guess when you have seen that person on the night they have died, maybe it would play on your mind, maybe you would become obsessed with it and wonder if you could have done anything differently.

The chapters jump quite a bit, we flick between present-day and that night. I did have to flick between my ebook and my audiobook because I got a bit lost in some points. When we go back to that night, the timeline does not always fit which did confuse me but mainly I think that the author might have done this to confuse the reader so we didn’t have a clue what was going on. If that is the case, then she achieved that for sure.

I must admit I did enjoy the premise for the book, a night out at a music festival with friends, where they witness something horrifying but how is this one event linked to them all. I introduced you to the Six degrees of separation theory and that is all I will say. On first meeting the group, you have Cassie, Dex, Bo and Anna, friends since school and they seem like a solid group. However, as we meet them in the present day, a month after that night, we realise that a relaxing weekend away in Weymouth exposes the true ugliness of this friendship. This is a toxic group of people, they are quite frankly awful and irredeemable people. Not only down to the actions from that night but their actions when they are together now. They are spiteful, manipulative and so secretive. These secrets, like all secrets, are explosive!

In this story, I felt like Cassie, always on the outside looking in, with too many jigsaw pieces missing to complete the picture. As much as we want answers, it is way too dangerous for us, so maybe we should back away. I mean it is not like we do not have enough opportunity to do so, but like a moth to a flame, we have to see it through to the end. That end, well it was chilling and it poses a completely honest question. What would you? If you were in their position, what lengths would you go to protect your friends? Even when you know how heinous their crimes are.

I found the concept of this book quite interesting despite being completely confused with what was going on. Once you can get your head around the jumping timelines and the completely toxic and awful people it’s not a bad book. It starts off with the hook, but the middle starts to lose itself but it picks up in the end as we begin to uncover the terrifying truth.

In all honesty, I really do not know what I would do. The good part of me would love to think I would run to the rescue but the other part of me would probably be too frozen to know what I would do.

So let me ask you, What would you do?

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 December, 2020: Finished reading
  • 12 December, 2020: Reviewed