“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?

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly. The Afterparty is published by Pan today (that’s Thursday 20th November 2025) and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of The Afterparty but that has in no way influenced my review.

Ruth Kelly is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, having read all but one of her psychological thrillers (it’s now very near the top of my TBR!). So I was delighted to see a new release on the horizon in the form of The Afterparty. I’ve come to expect exotic international locations, thrilling twists and a lovely dark edge to Kelly’s stories. The Afterparty, set in Amsterdam, follows Becca as she is reunited with her childhood best friend, popular and privileged Georgie. The pair reconnect instantly. It feels as though no time has passed whatsoever. Becca’s husband is away on a last-minute business trip and, as it’s New Year’s Eve, it seems the only thing for the two women to do is go out and celebrate in style. But Becca has forgotten how demanding and exhausting a night out with Georgie can be. Before long, the two women are gate-crashing a party they have no right to be at. The drinks are flowing, the crowds are disorientating, and Becca has pretty much had enough. The following day, Becca wakes up in the hospital. There’s no sign of Georgie. Where has she gone? Did something happen the previous night? And why can’t Becca remember any of it…?

The Afterparty is a dark and intriguing read with a killer twist that I certainly did not see coming. Becca and Georgie have a long history together, but Georgie’s memory of the past and Becca’s are two very different things. They’re polar opposites; one living her early years in a large, luxurious house equipped with a swimming pool. The other, living on the brink of poverty. Despite their differences, an unlikely friendship is built up. Does it mean as much to Georgie as it does to Becca? Well, you’ll have to read the book to see the complexities of that one!

The book is told using different time frames and from different perspectives. Alongside Becca’s account is the voice of Jamie, a TikTok detective and quite possibly the most irritating character I have met in fiction in a long time! Jamie’s aim in life is to accumulate followers and views of his TikToks. If he needs to do that at Becca’s expense, then he will without a moment’s thought. When Georgie is declared missing, Jamie turns all of his attention on confused Becca. Putting her in a spotlight she doesn’t want to be in. Asking questions she doesn’t have the answers to. Jamie made my blood boil. I hated him. In my notes I wrote ‘Jamie is utterly vile!!’! But I was in awe of how well the author has written the character. How easily Kelly invoked a kind of bookish rage in me, the reader. Grrr. The other characters in the novel are well-written and play their parts well. I felt a lot of sympathy for Becca, who clearly had no idea what happened to her friend on New Year’s Eve (or to her, as an afterthought). She is playing second fiddle in her marriage to her husband’s pet project, the opening of a new trendy restaurant in the up-and-coming cool part of Amsterdam. She’s recently suffered a devastating loss of her own, and she can’t ignore the niggling feeling that her husband is much more suited to his business partner, the glamorous Katya. I didn’t like her, but oh my gosh, I really, really felt for her!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The Afterparty is another stellar read from Ruth Kelly. Interesting and intriguing characters, a compelling, page-turning plot, and with Amsterdam – the good, and the not so good bits – shining from the page. I enjoyed this twisty thriller. There is a lot going on in this book. All the more for the reader to get their teeth into! With a before-and-after timeline, different perspectives and everything coming together beautifully in the end, I was hooked from the moment I started reading. A great addition to the author’s catalogue of work, and I very much look forward to seeing what Ruth Kelly publishes next. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Afterparty. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly was published in the UK by Pan on 20th November 2025 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Ruth Kelly is an award-winning journalist who has ghosted a string of Sunday Times top ten bestsellers – most recently THE PRISON DOCTOR, which sold over 250,000 copies, and THE GOVERNOR, which went straight in at number one on the Amazon charts and number five in the Sunday Times bestseller list.