I have always wanted to participate in a murder mystery weekend, so All Dressed Up seemed right up my alley. It definitely delivered on the murder mystery part in more ways than one, and there were times I questioned what was real and what was staged... and who was in on it. I didn't like the wife-cheating husband relationship bickering part of the storyline as much, but I do see how there had to be something else to make the overall book work.

I still want to do a murder mystery weekend though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

“All Dressed Up” by Jilly Gagnon follows Becca who is trying to tape together the remnants of her marriage after her husband cheated on her. He, in an attempt to win some points with her, books them a stay at a remote hotel for an immersive murder mystery 1920’s weekend. But things take a turn when it seems like there may be a real murder in the midst of all the gameplay, and Becca is the only one who sees the clues.
Love a murder mystery. Love a themed dinner party. Love fun outfits. This book had the makings of my favorite things, so I was so excited to read this one!
Becca is a complex character dealing with a lot of emotions. Which is totally fair. If your marriage falls apart, it would take a lot to mend it. But is Blake even forgivable? I’m not so sure.
I also loved that there was a full cast of characters. Sometimes it’s hard to track too many people, but that wasn’t the case here. The various traits gave us a true feeling of being at a murder mystery weekend and having to deal with all kinds of different people, like a real life scenario.
In the end, this book was a solid 4 star read for me. I had a good time and now I really want to do a murder mystery dinner.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House – Ballantine for the ARC! Another one checked off of my #netgalleybacklist!

Jilly Gagnon's book All Dressed Up was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. The cover is vibrant red and mysterious. My interest was piqued by the blurb of a 1920's estate featuring a murder mystery weekend getaway. When it comes to a gorgeous atmospheric setting with a game of Clue as the plot, I'm all about it. What an innovative concept, but did it live up to the hype?

Synopsis:
Becca and Blake are having marital issues. A recent revelation has left Becca doubting their relationship and she is struggling to forgive. Blake offers Becca a fun-filled and rejuvenating weekend away. This seems like the ideal solution. What could possibly go wrong?

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon has many cute and intriguing scenes. The concept is strong and full of promise. Sadly, it fell a bit short for me due to the overwhelming amount of marital issues. Even though I understand why betrayal causes this type of reaction, reading about it repeatedly was a bit difficult.

Target audience:
Fans of a double murder mystery will be challenged by All Dressed Up. The book will excite Agatha Christie followers.

Final thoughts:
My opinions are my own. Each of us has a different taste in reading material. It's worth reading if it's of interest to you. It may be your favorite book of the year.

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon is available on September 6th.

Oooh a classic whodunit Murder mystery with the air of classic Murder she wrote. Very enjoyable read!!!!!!!!!!!

All Dressed Up was a solid three star review. The premise of a flapper whodunit mystery was quite intriguing for me. But all the characters and then there dinner theater names was confusing. It was hard for me to keep all the characters in check. I also thought the constant waffling between who was the actual culprit was a tad annoying.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

It’s giving murder mystery! Overall it had a repetitive and predictable plot, but was pretty entertaining. It wasn’t anything special but fun at the time.

Repetitive and annoying to say the least and it distracts from the main plot. After a point, I simply lost interest in the story. I wish there had been more emphasis on the mystery instead.

This book offers a fun escape into a Gatsby-themed murder mystery weekend. The setting in a grand Catskills manor is atmospheric, and the initial premise – a weekend getaway to reignite a troubled marriage – is intriguing. The whodunit plot keeps you guessing, with its fair share of twists and turns.

However, the emotional depth of the central couple could be stronger. While the betrayal Becca faces is clear, a deeper dive into their relationship's history might have added more weight to their struggles. Additionally, the ending might leave some readers feeling a tad unsatisfied.

Despite these minor drawbacks, "All Dressed Up" is an entertaining read for those who enjoy a good mystery with a dash of marital drama.

This was a definitely not for me. I’m sorry to say I know that sometimes romcom are up-and-down, but I just did not feel all the feels with this one

This book was just okay. I was excited for a murder mystery novel and, while that came through as the set up for the book, there was way more marriage drama than I expected.

Becca and Blake are facing marital troubles. A recent revelation has left Becca questioning their relationship, and she is finding it hard to forgive. Blake proposes a fun-filled, rejuvenating weekend getaway for them. It seems like the perfect solution—what could possibly go wrong?

"All Dressed Up" by Jilly Gagnon features many charming and intriguing scenes. I actually adore a "cozy mystery", but this one took a long time to get into. The concept is strong and full of potential. Unfortunately, I found it somewhat lacking due to the overwhelming focus on marital issues. While I understand that betrayal can evoke such strong reactions, reading about it repeatedly became a bit challenging.
Fans of double murder mysteries will find "All Dressed Up" engaging. The book is sure to appeal to followers of Agatha Christie.
2.5 rounded up

After infidelity in their marriage, Blake decides to take his wife Becca to a posh murder mystery weekend at a luxurious mansion. Becca, a lover of true crime, thinks this is Blake's way of extending our an expensive olive branch to their shaky marriage. That is, until an actual murder takes place, or does it?

At first I thought I was going to be extremely confused given the sheer number of characters and their murder mystery weekend aliases and I found that to be partly true. I followed what was happening for the most part but found I still may have confused some characters with aliases, but found it didn't hamper the book too much. I did think it was a bit slow at some parts in the middle and tended to put it down quite a bit. Although I would have liked some loose ends tied up a bit at the end, overall it was a decent read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

I am so sorry. I read this long ago, before my divorce trauma, so I do not remember it. I do not have access to the book any longer and really do not remember anything about

The premise of this book immediately had me intrigued - a whodunnit with the theme of a 1920's murder mystery party that turns real when one player goes missing. It was definitely a unique read and I appreciated the effort put in by the author to add depth to the characters and story, but it was a bit confusing as a reader to follow with the two dueling setups (fake mystery + real mystery). Overall, a decent thriller and would recommend to those who would also be intrigued by this plot, but definitely a slower read to try to keep things straight!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my gifted copy - all thoughts are my own.

Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up is the story of Becca and her husband Blake who go on a 1920s murder mystery weekend. Over the 48 hours while she’s there, a real murder occurs. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this suspenseful, full-of-twists-and-turns book.

Publication date: September 6, 2022
Ballantine Books
Yewon Son (she/her) Marketing Assistant│Random House
Dates read: 10/29/22-10/31/22

Rebecca Wilson is swept away on a surprise 1920's theme murder mystery weekend by her husband Blake in an attempt to reconcile with her for his betrayal. She is naturally curious but suspicious when realizes that they are at an old mansion coincidentally with another couple they know. This story is a convolution of characters which can be difficult to follow even if you have a list since all the characters have two names. They arrive with their own names but then have to "be" another character for the weekend to solve a mysterious "murder". Becca is on edge and just skeptical in general especially when she overhears a conversation which sounds dubious at best. When a character is found "murdered" the game begins with each character given specific clue pertinent to their character and how they are related to the mystery. Confusion begins when a character goes "missing" unexpectedly and they realize they might have an actual murder to solve.

It is an interesting story plot but used too much of my "headspace" following the story. I thought it was me until I noticed other reviewers with the same experience. It's a challenge to read because of all the characters and kudos to the author for being able to keep track of them!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was a strong story up until the end. It kind of fell for me at that point and I didn't love how it was wrapped up.

A delightful mystery that anyone who loves a whodunnit will be intrigued with. Got lost at some points with the characters and where the story was going. But other than that a good read.

I wasn't wowed by anything in this book. It took me multiple attempts to read and I really wanted to love it but just couldn't. The premise was super intriguing, I love murder mysteries, but the execution falls flat.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Murder mystery themes and a stay in a hotel make for an interesting and compelling story. Truly an enjoyable suspense novel.