🏺 Book Review 🏺

#alldressedupbook
#jillygagnon
#cozymystery
#ballantinebooks
#NetGalley publishing 9/6/2022

🏺🏺🏺🔪/5 (3.5, rounding up for ratings to 4)

Becca + Blake's marriage is on the rocks. Blake surprised Becca with a 20's theme weekend away at an old mansion turned hotel. Will this murder mystery weekend turn real?

The story is equal parts about their marriage and about the weekend's theme. Which is OK with me. Many cozies aren't all about the murder. But what isn't OK with me was that you had to remember each character's character name for the weekend. Got a bit confusing for a while. I am not good with lots of characters to begin with. Let alone each character with 2 different names. Another thing that drove me nuts was how many times was someone going to sniff. And I'm not talking about bc they wanted to smell something. 🤦‍♀️

This was an easy read. I was interested from the beginning. I'd try another something by this author. But probably a newer one. So that this author will have a chance to learn a little from any mistakes they made on this one.

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Blake and Becca are away for a weekend trying to work on their marriage. Blake knows Becca loves mysteries so he arranges them to go to a murder mystery weekend at a resort in the Catskills. I'm giving this 2.5 stars round up to 3. There were four couples involved in the mystery, each with a real name and a character name and both were used throughout. There wasn't much character development to help distinguish who was who. The mystery was the murder of Ida Crooner but with all the running around looking for clues I never got a sense of an ending building and by 80% I stopped caring. Also one of the maids in the hotel that was part of the mystery disappears. So did she really or was that part of the show? or just one of Becca's delusions. I found Becca to be very unlikeable and even though Blake was the cheating husband I liked him better and didn't understand why he would want to stay with Her Royal Whiness.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me a copy.

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon caught my attention right away, a murder mystery weekend in the Catskills? Yes, please! I always enjoy those locked room-type mysteries and think this will be a big winner for those who enjoy cozy mysteries!

The weekend getaway at a gorgeous hotel should have been perfect. But Becca is smarting from her husband Blake’s betrayal and knows that the trip is just an expensive apology attempt. Still, the drinks are strong, and the weekend has an elaborate 1920s murder mystery theme. She decides to get into the spirit and enjoy their stay.

Before long, the game is afoot: Famed speakeasy songstress Ida Crooner is found “murdered,” and it’s up to the guests to sniff out the culprit. Playing the role of Miss Debbie Taunte, an ingenue with a dark past, Becca dives into the world of pun-heavy clues, hammy acting, and secret passages, hoping to take her mind off her marital troubles.

Then, the morning after they arrive, the actress playing Ida’s maid fails to reappear for her role. Everyone assumes she flaked out on the job, but when snooping for clues as “Debbie,” Becca finds evidence that the young woman may not have left of her own free will.

Out on September 6.

3 stars for entertainment value.

The synopsis of All Dressed Up sounded like my perfect mystery! It gave me all the Clue vibes but with a modern twist. But in the end, it did NOT live up to the hype I created.

Becca is women working through some MAJOR issues in her marriage. In attempt to help patch things up after an 6 month long affair, her husbands signs them up for a theme weekend at a lavish mansion. What seems to be a fun murder mystery getaway has more sinister happenings. Could a cast member not showing up for her shift on day 2 have a more sinister reality behind it? Becca is determined to find out.

The setting and the plot of this book is its biggest appeal. and honestly, the author did a great job in their prose describing everything. But these characters were just not good. The main character came off and whiney and oddly self conscious. Which shouldn't feel as awkward considering she is getting over her husbands affair, but the way these characters were written just didn't work. Would it have been better if it were written in third person rather than first? I don't know. But boy do I wish I would have enjoyed this more.

I really just couldn’t get into this one, sadly. The cast of characters made it feel like a chore to keep them all straight. I thought it would feel like the movie Clue which I love but this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Becca's husband Blake cheated on her and things have been horrible between them since, despite therapy. So, in a well meaning gesture- she likes murder mysteries- he books a Roaring 20s murder mystery weekend at a hotel in the Catskills. He couldn't have predicted that a couple they know- Phil and Heather- would be there or that there would be a real murder. This is a hard one to rate because it slows down in the middle and actually is a bit of a muddle as you try to keep the real people and their characters straight. The story told in the first person by Becca, who is very angry at Blake and this colors her view of things as you might expect-she's suspicious. No spoilers as to the identity of the real murder victim and what comes after but it does take time to get there. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting but know that there's a lot going on.

Jilly Gagnon explores the impact that various types of infidelity have on relationships in All Dressed Up.

After recently cheating on his wife, Blake invites her to attend a 1920’s Murder Mystery theme weekend at an old estate in hopes to make up for his infidelity and rekindle their tenuous relationship.

Becca is excited about the theme weekend, but isn’t sure that she can forgive Blake for his betrayal and infidelity and move on with their relationship.

However, when an actress goes missing, Becca is determined to figure out if it is all part of the game or whether it is something more sinister.

With nods to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and reminiscent of the movie Clue, I had high hopes that I would really connect with this book.

Unfortunately, the writing feels very amateur and I had a difficult time keeping the characters straight while also connecting them to their roles in the murder mystery. I also did not sympathize with Becca, since I would never continue with a relationship where my partner cheated. She is very whiny and her constant bickering with Blake is annoying.

Then this plot went absolutely off the rails….and I just wanted it to end.

This book had all of the promise to be a five star read, but really fell short for me.

2.5/3 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 9/6/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the ARC of All Dressed Up in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting take on the murder mystery get-a-way weekend. If you enjoy remote hotels, murder mysteries and being part of the action, this is the perfect read for the Fall.
All it really did was confuse me and I had to force myself to finish the book. I would have been happy with the just the get-a-way theme and the real murder. I had a hard time distinguishing between what was the game and what was real. I did not guess the real murderer.....I have no idea who the "game" murderer turned out to be, I may have missed the reveal in my haste to finish the book.
The marriage infidelity story was a bit much and I felt it took away from the mystery aspect of the story. But that could just be my own preference.
I paired the audiobook with the arc, and the narrators did a wonderful job with the voices.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, PRHAudio and NetGalley for my advanced copy.

This book sounded really fun, but it fell flat for me. I give it 2.5 stars. Rebecca and Blake have been seeing a therapist because their marriage is struggling. Blake decides that he wants to surprise Rebecca with a murder mystery weekend getaway. Is it a game or is it real?

This story started a little too slow for me, I almost gave up on it, but then it quickly picked up. Becca and Blake go away for a murder mystery weekend at a gorgeous estate, trying to rekindle their relationship after their marriage hits a rough patch. Along with 3 other couples, they are tasked with solving a "murder" of their hostess. But Becca quickly becomes convinced that an actual murder of another staff member has taken place and she takes steps to uncover the truth. Overall I liked the story although I wish that murder mystery game had been more prominent so the reader could play along and attempt to solve. A solid 3.5 stars!

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This is a fun book with interesting characters and a great plot - a weekend in a manor house with the goal to find a murderer. It is a mystery weekend with several twists. The story is atmospheric and creepy. I adored the flawed characters and totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy a good mystery with extra red herrings tossed in.

I was able to read an early copy of Jill Gagnon's "All Dressed Up" on NetGalley. The main character, Becca, is on a weekend trip with her husband, Blake. Things are not the most stable for them, as Becca has discovered that Blake had an affair. They have done some couples therapy and she is trying to come to terms with it all. Blake has booked this weekend away, but neglected to tell Becca that it is a murder mystery weekend, thinking that should would be thrilled with this since she loves mysteries. Nothing goes as planned and Becca is positive that there is an actual murder in addition to the acting. I enjoyed this book.

this had so much promise but was a bit of a let down. rebecca is absolutely insufferable and is so whiny. thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc!

All Dressed Up had so much potential but I was so frustrated with Becca, the main character, that it failed to live up to its potential in my opinion. Becca’s husband is trying to make amends for his serious issues by taking Becca to a mansion for a who done it mystery weekend. So much happens with so many different characters and the roles they were playing, that at first I struggled to keep them straight. Then the pacing picked up and the story was moving along until Becca’s next meltdown…too many for me as each one interrupted the flow of the story. Her dilemma at the end seemed the most convincing part in Becca’s weekend stay. I did think Blake was a realistic character who I felt sorry for.
I loved the way Jilly Gagnon included the play scripts that each person in attendance had to follow, as well as the texts etc. I also loved the descriptions of the fabulous mansion.
The actual solution of the mystery was somewhat anticlimactic, but I loved the reveal about Bugsy.Two and a half stars.
Many thanks to Jilly Gagnon and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this mystery novel, to be published on September 6th.

I started reading this book expecting a locked room mystery. Becca and husband Blake are at a weekend mystery party. They each have a part to play and it all begins with a murder -- a fake one, that is. Since this was a role-playing game, each of the eight guests has a real life back story and one for their character. Add in all the instructions given by the event staff, and there were a few too many moving parts for me. There is an IRL mystery that Becca is trying to solve, but truly her focus is on how she should be feeling about her marriage. Should she have stayed with Blake after he had an affair? How suspicious should she be when he looks like he is enjoying a conversation with another woman? How have their friends Phil and Heather weathered so many more years and stayed happy? Quite frankly, the marriage is more the subject of the book than the mystery. I was expecting Agatha Christie and ended up with Danielle Steel. The book shilly shallies around more than necessary (in my opinion), although the ending was quite fun.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Clue-like murder mystery at its finest!

Trying to reclaim their marriage following an affair, Blake and Becca head to an old hotel for a weekend together. To Becca's surprise, it's a murder mystery weekend. Together with 3 other couples, they must determine who "killed" the hostess. When one of the employee actors actually goes missing, Becca single handedly takes on trying to solve the disappearance. But with everyone in character, she doesn't know what is pretending and who is actually guilty.

Following Becca's inner turmoil while trying to play the game, mend her marriage, and solve a potential crime was fascinating. I loved playing Clue as a kid, so I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book. While it gave some of the clues to the murder mystery, I wish it would have provided some more of those so the reader could solve along with the characters.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars.

Unfortunately I decided to put this book down a few pages in. It didn’t catch my attention and I no longer wanted to read. Maybe it was just my current mood, but I didn’t understand what I was reading.
I hope another reader can find enjoyment in this book.

I love a mystery within a mystery and All Dressed Up had my mind spinning a time or two. The feel I found while diving into the story of a murder in an old manor home set during the roaring twenties had me anxious and excited.

Becca and her husband, Blake, are going through a difficult time in their marriage and this mystery weekend is Blake’s surprise to his wife in an effort to mend the breach between them. As the story unfolds, I found myself side eyeing every character that was introduced. I love twisted suspense filled mysteries and hoped this one was going to deliver it all.

While it could have gone in a direction that would have made this all the more mind shattering, I still enjoyed the story. My suspect ended up being the villain which is how I measure the quality of the mystery. Keep me from guessing who it is while laying everything out in front of me and I’m a complete goner. Unfortunately, that did not happen but I liked the atmosphere the author created as she shined a light on all the sins of the guest at this murder mystery party.

Becca and Blake are on their way to a 1920’s murder mystery weekend. While excited, Becca knows this is just an expensive way for Blake to apologize after his betrayal. Becca is trying very hard to forgive him but her emotions have been all over the place. As the game begins, they are given their characters and soon find Ida Crooner (famous speakeasy songstress) murdered and they must find out who the killer is. The next day though one of the actresses is missing and Becca seems to be the only one who is worried. Is there a real killer in the house or is it all part of the game?

I’m going to date myself but ever since I saw that episode of Saved by the Bell where they go to a mystery weekend, I have wanted to go to one. This book gave me the opportunity to do just that. The story was told over 48 hours and gives in game clues as well as backgrounds of all the characters in the game. This is a great locked room mystery that emerges you into the 1920’s.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse #Ballantine for the advance copy of #AllDressedUp by #JillyGagnon. To help save their marriage, Blake Wilson takes his wife Becca on a surprise murder mystery weekend getaway. The weekend is a promise of marital redemption for Becca as she considers Blake's recent affair and its effect on their marriage. The weekend starts off with great promise: period costumes, each participant taking on a persona from the 1920's, and a playbook to guide the weekend mystery. Things take a turn, however, when one of the characters fails to return to work in the morning. Did the murder mystery weekend turn into a real murder mystery? In between whining about her marriage, Becca sets off to solve the real mystery.
While I enjoyed the premise, I was a little bit confused by the characters -- who was who in character v. real life. I should have taken notes or something. I kept forgetting who was who. All told, it was a fun read.