What happens when a "mystery weekend" goes wrong? During a weekend that was supposed to be a fun getaway -- costumes, role-playing, and a "murder" -- it turns into a real mystery -- what happened to the housekeeper? Did she just leave? Or was she murdered?

This is a fun, fast-paced mystery within a mystery akin to Agatha Christie's "And Then There None" with a modern twist. There are so many characters and every one has a pseudonym from the mystery weekend scenario, so it gets pretty confusing at times. I had trouble keeping them all straight. Having said that, it was a fun read, intriguing premise, and there were enough twists and turns to keep me reading. Not great, but not too bad.

A murder-mystery weekend gets the full murder mystery treatment when one of the guests suspects there could be a real crime afoot. Although it wasn't as playful as I anticipated from the description, I was drawn into the mystery. The exploration of trust, betrayal, and self in a marriage was interest, and although it took a while, eventually tied in nicely with the mystery weekend. And chefs kiss to the delightful asides about midwestern womanhood and the shackles of politeness it can bring!

After reading the description of All Dressed Up I was so excited to dive in and read this. As a huge fan of the movie Clue and Knives out and the locked room type of mysteries, I knew this was for me. It was a fun read! I loved the murder mystery themed weekend getaway idea. It was a mystery within a mystery kind of book, with a lot of marriage betrayal. I could have done with a tad less of Becca’s repetitive inner monologue of this. I was definitely more invested in the mystery aspect of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC!!!

This is a fun concept for a story. There were a few leaps that defied logic, but it was a quick, fun read.

So, after reading this, I absolutely want to do a murder weekend at a hotel. I think it would be a blast.

I loved the setting of this and the whole murder mystery game aspect was so much fun.

As for our actual murderer, I wasn’t completely surprised by the *who* of everything, and still enjoyed the ride.

I did have a wee problem with the relationship issue in the book. Our couple was something. The eventual solution to their relationship issues was…really something. I mean, to each his/her own, I guess, but that whole thing ended up a little out of left field for me.

Overall, I really liked the book and would definitely read the author again!

*ARC via Net Galley

This was a fun and different read for me. I loved the setting of a weekend away at a murder mystery themed weekend event. It gave me some major Agatha Christie vibes.

When a murder mystery weekend goes off script and there is an actual murder, will anyone catch on? This book is full of twists and turns that will have you wondering what is going to happen next! It will keep you on your toes! This would be a fun one to have in your beach or pool bag this summer!

I love a good murder mystery and this is actually a quite believing one with red herrings and misinformation. The setting and the plot are very nice and described well. The problem to me is that it was very hard to get into the story. It was very slow moving and I started to zone out when Becca would start to internalize again about Blake cheating and all the therapists she’s seen. One of the best parts of a murder mystery is following around the main character as you try to decider the clues. The problem was that I would rather have solved the mystery on my own without the unlikeable main character. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

Rebecca and Blake attend a 1920’s murder mystery weekend in an attempt to reconcile their marriage. This book started out strong with 4 couples attending the weekend. Rebecca spent a lot of time focusing on her husband’s recent infidelity which takes away from the plot. Initially, a fake murder sets the stage for the weekend. Then, one of the actors goes missing and a true mystery begins. I would have enjoyed the book better if the fake mystery was better developed and less emphasis on Rebecca’s thoughts about Blake. This book was a fun, light mystery.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Becca and Blake go on a murder mystery weekend to try to rekindle their suffering marriage. Becca is still reeling from Blake's affair. Along the way, the murder mystery weekend turns into a real whodunnit as the guest members try to figure out what's real and what isn't...and if there's an actual murderer in their midst.

I loved the idea of this novel, but the execution fell flat. Becca is hyperfocused on the fact Blake cheated on her for the entire novel. Never mind that she spends half the book flirting with others as well. It's extremely repetitive and she comes off as whiny and a little vapid. It's hard to take her seriously.

The mystery itself was predictable. It wasn't hard to sus out who the murderer was.

All in all, none of the characters were very intriguing or strong. They all sort of melted together into one big amalgamation of stereotypes that just made for a repetitive, somewhat stale read.

𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 -𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝟏𝟗𝟐𝟎𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲!

While I found the concept immensely appealing, the plot was bogged down with unlikable characters, in particular, Becca, the wife of Blake, the philandering husband.

Although it was not one of my favorite murder mysteries, I did find it entertaining and enjoyed the story within a story aspect, and the fascinating setting.

My gratitude to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Jilly Gagnon, for the opportunity to read this mystery in exchange for my honest and wholly independent opinion.

A murder mystery weekend for couples goes off the rails in Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up.
Set in a classically beautiful home that is as spooky as it is beautiful, with each couple playing a who-done-it role.
A marriage reckoning and murderous weekend anyone?
#AllDressedUp

As a lifelong fan of murder mysteries(both cozy and dark ones), any new release in the genre is an automatic want-to-read for me. After reading the synopsis, All Dressed Up immediately piqued my interest and reminded me of the game of Clue.

Becca and Blake are traveling to the Catskills for a weekend getaway at a luxurious estate that has a 1920’s murder mystery theme. Becca is still reeling from Blake’s affair and this trip is an apology from Blake. Hoping to get her marital issues off of her mind, Becca takes part in the theatrical murder mystery. But the next morning, one of the actresses disappears Becca begins to wonder if the actress left of her own free will or if something more sinister is going on.

The locked-room mystery trope is truly my favorite. I’ve always enjoyed mysteries that I can solve while reading. As far as the mystery aspect in All Dressed Up, I truly did enjoy it. I enjoyed reading about both the staged mystery as well as the mystery of the actress's disappearance. The author planted several red herrings so I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the crime(both real and the game).

However, I did feel like too much of the story focused on Becca and Blake’s drama which had nothing to do with the overall plot. I don’t mind an unlikeable main character but Becca came off as way too annoying. I also found several loose plot holes that left me wondering at the end.

After reading this one, I am dying to go to a real-life ‘murder mystery’ game. I think All Dressed Up will be a hit with cozy mystery readers. All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon will be available on September 6. Many thanks to Bantam Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

boring book that completely wasted its premise and mysterious tone for some personal drama that really lost me
the polygamy thing was so random and i was rolling my eyes every time becca kept bringing up blake’s cheating girl we heard you the first 30 times

PHENOMENAL! I'm stingy with my stars. I don't give them out freely - but this one completely earned them! It was easy to fall right in to the story and not find my way out until the end.

It's a 1920's theme weekend getaway. Becca and Blake have arrived to try to salvage their marraige. To clarify, I don't read cheating 'oh how can I ever forgive him' stories. I don't like them and always skip. But this one spoke to me. I inhaled the story, laughing along with Jessica and Becca and glaring at Blake the whole time. I rode the frightning, confusing clue trail with Becca as she tried to understand what was real and what was part of the weekend. I shook my head when she was stumped and laughed so much when she joked with Jessica and the bartenders. And I held my breath as Becca struggled with communicating and working with Blake again, attempting to forgive him for breaking her heart.

This was everything I needed it to be. The mystery had me hooked, the realistic and easy characters had me loving every word. The ending still has me shaking my head. SO so good, I loved it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

3.5 stars

An interesting read. A murder hidden in a murder mystery theme weekend in a Prohibition-era mansion. The protagonist vacillates from likeable to pretty intolerable in my opinion. Her husband cheated on her prior to the trip (It’s actually his make up/forgiveness attempt) and her grappling with her feelings about it is an ongoing thread. The problem is, her husband is portrayed as a Saint outside of the affair indiscretion, for which she assumes some responsibility for being cold and standoffish. The other couples include some Stepford acquaintances, attractive swingers, and some overly-dry and intense “players”. The climax involves the narrator doscovering the real life murderer and being recruited to dispose of the body and presumably also killed. Her husband comes to her rescue off the beaten path, in the middle of the night, in the rain, in the nick of time. Maybe too on the nose? And I may have missed it due to the “quick” ending, but I don’t think we learn the murder mystery killer(s) which is a letdown. I liked a number of the characters and the premise, as well as the chance to follow along with the murder mystery, but it did miss the mark of being a must-read.

Advanced copy provided by NetGalley.

All Dressed Up has a great plot. A 1920’s murder mystery weekend in the Catskills with a second potentially real murder happening the first night sets this book up as a good time. I liked that there were two mysteries to try and work out. However, I did struggle with keeping the characters straight. With four couples, as well as staff/actors, each being called by their real names part of the time, and their mystery weekend character name part of the time, I admit to losing track of who was who occasionally.

Becca has been brought by her husband to the Catskills on the weekend as part of his efforts to reconnect after previously cheating on her. Oddly Becca was not a likable character. I feel like I would have enjoyed the story so much more if I had liked her more. In spite of us knowing Blake, Becca’s husband, has previously cheated on her, the author presents him as caring and loving to her. He is one of the most likable characters in the story.

With two investigations going on, both intertwined, it is hard to tell what clues relate to which. The ending took me by surprise which is always fun in a mystery. Overall this is a good book but you will need to focus if you want to keep up with all the details and characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine for the arc.

Becca and Blake's marriage has hit the skids because Blake messed up big time! Trying to take their minds of the fiasco Blake surprises Becca with a themed mystery weekend at a 1920's mansion. They whole thing was suggested by a work friend of Blake's, Phil. Phil and his wife Heather will be there too. Becca has no idea what she is in for. Is this an ideal situation, no! She is jumpy and emotional. She loves mysteries though and at least Blake is trying.

When a maid goes missing is it part of the weekend or is it another mystery to solve? Becca gets herself in more than one pickle, realizes she can't truly trust anyone and decides to make a go at solving the thing on her own. Will she survive the weekend, you have to read it to find out.

Equal parts mystery and working on her marriage this is a nice read for readers who aren't huge on mysteries.

The premise for this was so enticing. However, the book did not deliver. The protagonist, Becca, was totally unlikable. I didn’t care one bit about her from the first chapter on. She seemed to believe the entire world revolved around her with a “woe is me” attitude and her language was totally inappropriate and unnecessary. I will never understand how authors today think they must pepper their prose with an abundance of f-bombs as if that adds anything to the narrative – which it doesn’t but only shows a total lack of respect for the reader (and the author’s competency) but to combine it with Jesus, Christ or God is way over the top. The only reason I kept reading was to see if I could solve the mystery. (I didn’t.) Most mysteries have enough clues sprinkled within the red herrings that even if I didn’t guess right I could see how it was plausible. For me the ending came totally out of the blue. The clues might have been there and I might have missed them, but if so, it’s because Becca was not the only unlikable character and I found myself just reading to get it over with. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed all the twists and turns in this book. The 1920’s Gatsby theme is one of my favorites. However this book wasn’t my favorite. It was good but I felt there were too many moving pieces.

Blake and Rebecca Wilson have been going through a rough patch lately, and he hopes surprising her with a birthday weekend at a mansion in the Catskills will help smooth things over. Except The romantic getaway she’s expecting is actually a 1920’s murder mystery weekend, which becomes embarrassingly apparent upon their arrival. Blake had failed to mention they’re joining three other couples to solve a murder, with everyone dressed in period costumes. Fun, right? As the weekend progresses Rebecca begins to question if there may be more going on than a simple game. Participants slip in and out of character so easily, and their often-strange behavior makes it hard to distinguish between game and reality. Even the Reader wonders if those sideways glances and muffled hallway conversations are just part of the act. There’s only one way to find out. Gagnon includes plenty of plot twists, suspicion, and skullduggery to keep everyone baffled. This is a really fun read.