This is my favorite kind of mystery - a closed room one. It took a while to learn all the names and all the back stories but once we had that down - the book was easy to read. Sadly, it is a derivative of every Lucy Foley book. Foley is my go-to for the contemporary twist on the locked room genre. This book especially the island and the atmosphere reminded me of the "The guest list". Did not finish the book.

This book has a great premise but imo it definitely falls flat. It promises you this spooky island vibes, 13 at dinner situation and many more and then just faild to deliver.

The characters are all one dimentional - a mean girl, a drunk, a plain jane, a mother hen, a manwhore, an angsty teen, and few others you don't need to bother about.
You know who's gonna get killed after like few pages and yet you have to wait forever for them to die (it literally happens after 50% of the book). It's very tiring, waiting for the obvious to happen without any real suspense.
The characters are also unlikable in a way that it's hard to root for anyone. It's hard for a reader to care. The way characters react to cetrain events is so devoid of emotion it's ridiculous and doesn't feel real. When one person decides to do something reckless and dangerous to save everyone and at some point others reckon this person died doing it there's no real emotion. "Oh your child probably died horrible death. Stop being so emotional, jesus, woman", "X spent all this time in bed uslessly" Like, excuse me for being sad my child probs died. [these are not actual quotes, fyi.]

The ending is a bit ridiculous, tbh. Like this whole baby plot twist made me snort out loud, honestly.

The writing is weird. It's not bad, it's just weird.
It's all in present tense, which I don't love but don't hate either. But the way characters speak is just so... idk... like they're telling the story to their mates in the pub and they're trying RELLY had to be funny and entertaining, it's hard to describe.
There were also too many POVs to read comfortably and I had to check every now and then whose chapter is it now.

I'm rating this book 2 stars, because it wasn't the worst thriller I've read in my life. It just wasn't good.

With vibes of Christie this book delivers big time a great read with a powerful undercurrent of a plot line running through it. The people came to life within the confines of the book and the island and led me on a gripping ride in claustrophobic darkness. Full of chills and thrills its a must for the big screen as i read it all I could see were images of it playing in front of me live on tv .

Firstly loved the cover!
Loved the title!
Thirteen friends arrive but only twelve will leave. Who is the killer in their midst?
A gripping page turner from start to finish.
Lots of twists and turns. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The invitation to read The Invitation was hard to ignore, it sounded perfect cosy reading, whilst a storm raged outside, the guests are cosy in the castle. However as expected it all goes horribly wrong.
I thought I was going to really love this, but found myself getting more frustrated as I read on, because it did not flow very well and the characters all sounded awful.
I struggled to the end, but it was not my favourite read of the year so far. Sorry.

This book was one of my anticipated releases for 2021 and I'm glad to say that it didn't disappoint. Such a gripping story, right from the get go until the very end! Would definitely recommend!

I adore murder mysteries in the locked room, Agatha Christie-style tradition and The Invitation lives up to the genre. It reminds me of Lucy Foley's The Guest List - people who enjoy that will also like this novel I think. Thirteen 'friends' have meet on an island off the coast of Cornwall for a Halloween party. It's not long before the number is cut to 12. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective - you've got to remember who is who! Highly recommended.

There is no other word but gripping.

This book and it’s shady cast of unlikeable characters was packed with time Twists, turns and secrets that were gradually revealed in such an explosive manner I actually gasped out loud at certain points.

The setting was also beautifully described, so much so I felt like I was with the characters on the island. The pathetic fallacy present in the electric atmosphere of the dinner guests and the rapidly worsening storm served to heighten to tension to almost unbearable levels and the finale of the story was so obvious and yet so well crafted. I was left feeling extremely satisfied.

Thirteen people are trapped on an island during a storm.
Then someone dies.
They all have secrets.
Each chapter is told by a different character.
Some of the characters are not very nice.
Good read
Thanks NetGalley

One of my favourite types of mystery story revolves around the ‘locked room’ mystery; perhaps best celebrated in ‘The Red House’ by A.A. Milne or ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie. When I saw that A.M. Castle has used the theme in her latest book, ‘The Invitation’, I was eager to read and see how the tale would unfold.
New bride, Rachel Tregowan, invites several old friends to celebrate Halloween at the ancestral home of her new husband – of course, this is not a typical house, but rather a castle on a remote island off the coast of Cornwall. The story begins on the night of the party with the murder of the hostess and then jumps back in time to the proceeding day. From the perspective of several characters, we re told about the events leading upto the murder and the gradual unravelling of their relationships afterwards.
The weather is predictably terrible and combined with the spooky atmosphere of the island, is used to build up the feeling of dread and fear for the survivors. As the story progresses, the reader learns more about the victims (or victims?) to ensure that we do not feel remotely sorry for their demise but do fear for the remaining survivors. As the story progressing, each character reveals their own backstory and in doing so, provides another layer to the secrets and lies that have been taking place. There is no doubt that this is a fast-paced, suspense filled story that delivers on the promise to engage the reader from the first page until the final shocking revelation.

The Invitation is an atmospheric locked-room mystery filled with suspense and unlikable characters. This is one that will keep readers on their toes. Highly recommended to those who enjoy Agatha Christie.

I am sorry to say I failed to warm to The Invitation. As a fan of locked room mysteries, I had high hopes. A group of friends, one of which meets his/her demise, gathered in a remote castle on an island during a perilous storm. A classic recipe that has been relied upon for countless novels.

The Invitation just didn’t make the cut for me. I disliked all the characters and found pressing on to the end hard going. Why? I cannot say. The writing was well executed, the plot points timed correctly, even a few twists of note. But, it didn’t excite me or inspire curiosity. It felt predictable. I will accept the blame, here. Wrong book at the wrong time.

Classic style locked room mystery with an interesting cast and the irresistible setting of an isolated castle steeped in history. Really enjoyed this Christie-esque feast, although I could have done with a little more pace in the first third. Still very much recommend this if classic mystery is your bag.

If you are a big fan of locked room murder mysteries like myself, then ‘The Invitation’ by A.M. Castle is worth a read. No competition for the Queen (Agatha Christie) herself, but another enjoyable title to add to my shelf dedicated to this trope.

‘The Invitation’ has a promising storyline with relatable characters and is set in an atmospheric surrounding. Albeit fictional I cannot resist an isolated castle steeped in family history. My only criticism is the length of time taken to build up to all the excitement. The ending is a little clunky and could have been explained in a little more depth, and at times it felt a little rushed. Having said that all loose ends were tied up and as a reader you are not left with any further questions.

Overall a respectable read – 3.5 Stars

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HQ, #HarperCollinsUK and #AMCastle for an ARC of #TheInvitation in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this Agatha Christie style mystery. Very atmospheric and packed full of narcissistic unlikeable characters - perfect!

This story for me unfortunately just didn't cut it. I found it unbelievable and completely one dimensional. I was more interested in finding out their secrets than the murder. Even though these secrets were ridiculous: one man sleeping with 3 best friends, I wouldn't recommend unfortunately.

I love nothing more than a locked room thriller like The Invitation by A. M Castle. Put people on an island or in a Swiss chalet or at a resort and I will show up for it! I can see why readers liken this story to something that legendary Agatha Christie might have written!

Check it out:

Thirteen guests. One killer. No escape. On an island on the coast of Cornwall, cut off from the mainland by the tides for most of the day, thirteen old friends meet at Tregowan Castle for a weekend of revelry.

By the next evening, only twelve are still alive. Amongst them is a killer – but who? As a storm traps them on the island and past betrayals and grievances are revealed, nerves fray and friendships begin to fracture. But with no escape and no way of calling for help it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. And when everyone is keeping secrets, anybody could be the next victim…

This is out now, its only 99 cents for the Kindle version which is a fantastic deal!

Are you a fan of Daphne DuMaurier? Agatha Christie? Do you like creepy, gothic novels full of characters with deep, dark secrets? What if we throw in a puppet master who knows everyone's dirt and isn't afraid to drop hints into all the wrong ears?

Thirteen guests were invited to the Halloween party at the isolated castle, each provided with an elaborate costume and a murder weapon. Each of the 13 guests has at least one motive for murder. But who was the killer? The truth seems obvious but as the layers are peeled back, the cracks are revealed. No one knows who to trust, who's secrets have been revealed and to whom? Who's future is at stake? How far are they willing to go for revenge? All questions you'll be dying to know the answer to!

This book was masterfully written. We hear the story as told by seven of the 13 main characters. Amazingly, their voices are unique enough that I was able to recognize the differences between them, even if I stopped in the middle of a chapter and picked it back up hours later. The subtle manner in which each secret, each clue, is revealed is deceptive, because each reveal is a bombshell. I couldn't put this book down, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who's interested in gothic suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

If you enjoyed The Guest List by Lucy Foley you will enjoy The Invitation by A.M. Castle. Both had similar vibes - a murder in a remote isolated place and the murderer is amongst the group of people. But whodunnit?? While I can admit that The Invitation was very well written as well as very suspenseful in places, it just wasn't for me. I found it to be rather dull and predictable.

Rachel invites a group of her friends to Tregowan Castle on an island off the coast of Cornwall for a weekend of reverly. On the night of her Halloween dinner, there are 13 guests at the table, the room plunges into darkness and when the lights come back on one of the number has been murdered. There is a murderer amongst them, but who is it? The rest of the party is anxious to get off the island but are trapped when a storm hits. Are they safe??

To be fair The Invitation is a typical whodunnit thriller, everyone of the guests have secrets as well as a motive making the reader doubt themselves Everytime they think they have it figured out. My biggest issue with this book was the amount of viewpoints... I don't mind books written from 2 or 3 points of view but this one was written from at least 5 if not more ( I lost count, or well I gave up counting, it was giving me a headache to be honest) this made it rather hard to keep up with, I understand why the author wrote the book like this - to give everyone's backstory as well as make us suspect them all so we would have a hard time figuring out who the killer was but really it just gave me a headache at times, that and I didn't like it, it annoyed me. I also hated everyone of the characters, not just one or two of them, but all of them, not one of them had a likeable quality and to be honest I wouldn't have cared if they had all been killed at the end. The plot and twists throughout the book I found were predictable and of no surprise- I didn't guess who the killer was but I did guess who had been killed before it was revealed. Similarly to The Guest List with The Invitation the person who is murdered isn't revealed until halfway and the killer at the end but as with the former book I was able to guess who had been killed, the other twists and turns throughout the book were of no surprise and I saw them coming, thus taking the suspense from my reading. By the time the murderer was revealed I was literally like meh ok whatever.
As I said if you enjoyed The Guest List I do think The Invitation is a must read.
2.5 Stars
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

13 people gathered in Cornwall on Halloween, invited there by the hostess to show off her new husband, castle and island. A storm is brewing inside and out and being cut off by the sea doesn't bode well especially as most of the group have secrets that they would like to keep exactly that.
Most of the characters were annoying in some way but I think they were supposed to be like that to keep the reader guessing . The twists and turns were well written and kept me hooked but I did feel that most of the secrets were obvious and the killer was easy to guess from the start.
An entertaining thriller.