The Goodbye Party

An Audible Original Drama

By: Louis Nowra

Narrated by: Ben Oxenbould, Steve Bisley, Aaron Pedersen, Jacinta Stapleton, full cast

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In 1984, Detective Eric O’Malley investigated the bizarre deaths of a young couple, their bodies found naked by the side of a creek in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Shortly before their demise, O’Malley learned, the pair had attended a swingers’ party.

The case was barely open before it was deemed an accident. But O’Malley knew it was murder. He just couldn’t prove it. Thirty-five years later, O’Malley is found dead in his flat in what looks like a drug overdose. But his son James knows something’s amiss. His dad was close to solving that case after all these years. And someone else knew it. To track down his father’s killer, James must find the men and women who were there on the fateful night when that young couple died.

This was the night of ‘The Goodbye Party’ – and uncovering its secrets will lead James down a dark path, filled with horrific twists and turns. Inspired by Sydney’s real-life Bogle-Chandler case, playwright Louis Nowra (writer of Australian classics Cosi, Radiance and The Golden Age) creates an enthralling multicast audio drama, featuring an exceptional cast including Ben Oxenbould (Deep Water, Wolf Creek), Steve Bisley (Water Rats, Mad Max), and Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road, Jack Irish). This series contains mature themes and listener discretion is advised.

©2019 Audible Australia Pty Ltd. (P)2019 Audible Australia Pty Ltd

Entertaining

I enjoyed this story it wasn't one of my favorites but it was definitely good. I hope you enjoy murder and mayhem it was interesting

Surprisingly good

Decent storyline and the narration kept me engaged. Quick and entertaining. Good enough to keep me listening to the end in one sitting

Disappointed - Not Invested in the Story or Characters

I selected this book because I was looking for something similar to Lucy Foley’s The Guest List or The Hunting Party. I enjoy mysteries that surround a particular event and a limited field of suspects to analyze in depth. Unfortunately, The Goodbye Party turned out to be a predictable story with characters so stereotypical that I could only roll my eyes when they acted exactly as anticipated. Perhaps this book would hold the interest of an occasional mystery reader, but frequent mystery readers will likely find themselves bored. I finished the book, regrettably – in hopes that the ending would have some redeeming value that I could include in this review. But there was nothing. Indeed, the last chapter was even more ridiculous than the others. Bottom line: skip it altogether.