The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly

 

It's New Year's Eve, and Becca is feeling isolated and lonely in her new home in Amsterdam. Her husband is focused on the imminent opening of his new restaurant and doesn't have much time for her. When a long-lost friend suddenly reappears in her life, she decides to throw caution to the wind and goes out to party, little realising the nightmare to follow.

The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly is filled with twists and turns that are impossible to guess. As each twist is revealed, you think you've got the plot lines figured out, then the author pulls the rug out from under you with another almighty twist.

Initially, time is spent developing Becca's character. We see how isolated and vulnerable she is. Having relocated to Amsterdam from Devon 10 months earlier, she's struggled to put down roots, make friends, or find a job. Her husband, Nathan, is completely engrossed with the opening of a new restaurant and is neglecting her. Paranoia has set in, and Becca is convinced Nathan is having an affair with his business partner.

When a face from the past suddenly reappears, it is easy to understand why Becca immediately jumps at the chance to rekindle the friendship. For a few years, Becca worshiped Georgie; she had everything Becca didn't and was a force of nature. Georgie doesn't seem to have changed much and insists the pair go out to celebrate the new year. Georgie uses her charm to talk their way into an exclusive after-party filled with glamorous people. The nightmare begins when Becca wakes up in the hospital, with no idea how she got there, and Georgie is missing.

Becca's perspective alternates with that of Jamie, a Tik-Tok amateur detective who is determined to find Georgie. Jamie is an unpleasant character, highlighting the growing danger of amateur investigators who interfere with crime scenes to gain followers. The nature of his posts, filled with unsubstantiated claims, exploits his audience for financial gain. The more Jamie harasses Becca, the more sympathetic we become towards her, although none of the characters are particularly likeable.

The pace of the storyline becomes ever more frantic as the hunt for Georgie becomes a life-or-death situation. Wild accusations make Becca the prime suspect; gaps in her memory don't help her case, but she is adamant she wouldn't do anything to hurt her friend.

The author keeps you feeling unsettled as the plot takes a massive twist, making you query everything you've read. There are still unanswered questions from issues that arose earlier in the story, plot points that are slowly revealed, which once again make you wonder about any assumptions you've made. As the dust settles, the author manages to reveal another colossal surprise, leaving you shocked.

The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly will be published on 20th November 2025 in paperback format; the ebook and audio formats are available now. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Ruth Kelly is a journalist who has ghosted a string of Sunday Times top ten bestsellers – with The Prison Doctor, having sold over 250,000 copies, and The Governor, going straight in at number one on the Amazon charts and number five in the Sunday Times bestseller list.

Holiday destinations feature heavily in Ruth’s thriller writing having spent most of her life traveling and exploring the world. Her family relocated to Papua New Guinea when she was seven-years-old and the travel bug hasn’t let up since. The simmering threat of what lies beneath the surface, the dichotomy of how paradise can also be hell fascinates Ruth. Making a destination a character in its own right - both a friend and an enemy, not someone to be trusted – is a thread explored throughout her writing.