Book Review | The Launch Party

Title: The Launch Party

Author: Lauren Forry

Published: 22nd June 2023

Publisher: Zaffre

Genre: Sci-fi, Thriller

Rating: 3.5/5

The trip of a lifetime. You’d die to be there.

Ten lucky people have won a place at the most exclusive launch event of the century: the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, the first hotel on the moon. It’s an invitation to die for.

As their transport departs for its return to Earth and the doors seal shut behind them, the guests take the next leap for mankind.

However, they soon discover that all is not as it seems. The champagne may be flowing, but there is no one to pour it. Room service is available, but there is no one to deliver it. Besides the ten of them, they are completely alone.

When one of the guests is found murdered, fear spreads through the group. But that death is only the beginning. Being three days’ journey from home and with no way to contact the outside, can any of the guests survive their stay?

Waterstones

Huge thank you to Zaffre for sending me a proof copy of The Launch Party to read and review!

I was really intrigued by the blurb of this novel, a locked room mystery (sort of, a locked hotel mystery??) set on the moon, is just too interesting to turn down.

The author drip fed us information on all the characters, we really don’t have a full picture of any of the characters until the ending of the novel. I thought this was very well done, and definitely added to my enjoyment. We don’t even know if we can trust the character who’s perspective we get first, which just add to the puzzles that the reader has to solve.

I thought this was a very quick novel to read. The author keeps the narrative fast paced, primarily through the use of a multi-POV. We don’t experience the same events through different characters though, we are quickly whisked through the novel with the characters, which definitely added to my enjoyment.

I did think that the eventual solution to the mysteries of the novel were a wee bit disappointing, and that’s what slightly lowered my rating, I just wanted a bit more from it. But that is more a personal thing, and this is still a good mystery novel with a good ending.

Overall I enjoyed The Launch Party. It was a quick read with a unique setting for a thriller novel. I would recommend it, its a fun novel!

Huge thank you again to Zaffre for sending me a copy of The Launch Party.

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