The Afterparty

Ruth Kelly

A YOUNG woman’s dream invitation from an old friend to join her for a glamorous ‘afterparty’ amidst the snowy chills of New Year in Amsterdam is not what it first appears in a gripping wintertime thriller from Ruth Kelly. 

Author of bestsellers like The Prison Doctor, The Governor and The Villa, Kelly (pictured below) is on fine form in this spine-chilling mystery which explores the dark secrets simmering between the surface of a friendship, and asks questions about how well you can ever really know someone.

People drift apart… take Becca and Georgie, they were inseparable best friends once. Georgie knew Becca better than anyone, but that was then. Now, out of the blue, Georgie is back and it seems to be just the right moment. Becca is living in Amsterdam and feeling lonely because her husband is tied up with his preparations to open a new restaurant in the city. 

Not only is Georgie back, she is inviting Becca to a glamorous New Year’s Eve afterparty… a chance to relive the good old days and the fun they used to have. So Becca goes and together, they laugh and remember. 

But then Georgie vanishes and just like that, Becca is the prime suspect and her life is spiralling out of control. The problem is that Georgie knows all Becca’s secrets, including the ones Becca has managed to bury. And as the clock ticks and the accusations mount, Becca is left with one terrifying thought… how well does she really know Georgie?

Set against the alluring icy charms of wintertime in Amsterdam, and with a dark thread of menace winding its way through the fast-paced action, The Afterparty is a twisting, turning, atmospheric story full of raw emotions and taking us up close and personal to a complex friendship beset by insecurities and class differences. Not to be missed!
(Pan, paperback, £9.99)