This book is about a murder mystery weekend at a hotel. The main character Becca and her husband Blake are attending in an effort to save their marriage after Blake is unfaithful. I thought I would like this book given the premise but alas, I did not. Too much description (yes, there could be too much) and uninteresting characters made this read a slog.

I always love a mystery within a mystery and that’s what this book is. Becca is swept away for a surprise 1920s murder mystery weekend with 3 other couples by her husband Blake in an attempt to save their marriage. But Becca has a hard time trying to move on with so much trust lost in Blake due to his office affair. In attendance is another couple whom Becca and Blake know socially and Becca has always thought they had the ideal marriage that she craves. But all is not what it seems in this theatrical murder mystery performance. It keeps getting harder to separate what is real and what is on script. A cast member goes missing, whispers in the hallways, strange things keep happening. As they try to solve the murder mystery, could someone really be a murderer? Some farce and comical moments along with some clichés. But the twists and turns will have you guessing until the end. Hard to put down, I read it quickly and enjoyed the journey as the mystery unfolded and each character’s true form came to light. Just a fun light read.

Many thanks to #netgalley #alldressedup #jillygagnon #randomhouse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the copy of All Dressed Up. This was a cozy mystery and if the book had kept to the mystery and not Becca’s inner turmoil it would have been better. She isn’t a very likable character and I didn’t enjoy her musings about her relationship with Blake. She was so clueless about him until she finally figured some of it out that weekend it was hard to believe they were married. The story had so much potential, a mystery during a murder game mystery, I was disappointed that I didnt enjoy the book more. There was a colorful cast of other characters but I got them confused because they all had real names and game names that seemed to be used interchangeably.

LOVED!!!!! It was so unpredictable and such a unique read! The main character Becca was a little annoying and too focused on her own drama at points that it became a bit repetitive, but that’s okay. I honestly can’t wait to read more of what Jilly Gagnon has to offer in her future books!

Delightful-- reading this was almost as fun as being on a murder mystery weekend vacation myself! A classic whodunit confection.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This ended up being a 2 star read. I loved reading the synopsis when requesting this book. Unfortunately, this plot moves so slowly and it's bogged down with a lot of internal dialogue from Becca about her personal matters involving Blake and his cheating.

It felt like the author couldn't decide if she wanted to write a murder mystery or a women fiction surrounding a traumatic event. I personally wanted the murder mystery but it takes so long to get there. By then, I had no interest in the plot and the unlikeable characters.

This was such an interesting book. Lots going on in it. It was different from what I’ve read before. There are two different mysteries to be solved. The writing was really good and it kept me guessing. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Get ready for a story, in a story, in a story. There is so much going on in this novel, based over one weekend, where individuals go to attend a murder mystery weekend, where it appears that some real mystery may also be a foot. In addition, we have some drama between couples, old friends and new friend connecting and learning new things about each other, while trying to uncover the mystery they went to solve. Jilly Gagnon did a great job of telling the story and laying out all the different plot lines so the reader remained interested and was also clear on what was happening. There were only a few times where the plots were getting confused but this was intentional as the characters were the ones confusing them. The major players were well fleshed out for the reader and most of them likeable -- except for those you were likely not meant to like and those were also clear and outlined in such a way to engage the readers emotions and desire not to like them very much. I do not think I have ever read a book quite like this one and appreciated the cleaver way the author told the tale. I look forward to reading more of Gagnon's work in the future.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the digital copy of this ARC in return for an honest review. All the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

Becca's husband Blake has been cheating on for the past half a year. Becca is having a hard time coming to terms with this reality so her husband tries to make amends by bringing her to a hotel for a 48-hour murder-mystery type event along with three other couples. Although they showed up with the intentions of solving a *fake* murder - to everyone's surprise there is a TRUE mystery unfolding when one of the actors disappears. This book has the potential to be a thrilling murder mystery, but sadly I was disappointed with the execution.

I think that the most exciting part of a MURDER mystery is typically the MURDER part - but the author chose to spend SO MUCH TIME talking about Blake cheating on Becca. We are in Becca's head for most of this novel analyzing their relationship from every angle. She compares her relationship to others, she is jealous quite easily, and she doesn't really develop much past this throughout the entire book. I get it, if this was happening to you in real life you'd be hyper-fixated on it no matter what murder mystery scenario you're placed in to, but man oh man did I want to just say "GIVE IT A REST" to Becca. Blake tries to redeem himself throughout the book, and reminds Becca that he loves her, he's sorry, yada yada yada, I was bored with all that nonsense.

What did I like about this book? There were some parts throughout that made me laugh and there were some interesting interactions that happen with the other characters sprinkled throughout this murder mystery -- when we were actually focused on the murder mystery portions of it... but I feel as though those parts are overshadowed by the repetitive thoughts we keep returning to in Becca's mind. I get it, you can analyze a single situation 10000 times... but does a character REALLY need to do that?

I would recommend this novel to someone who is dealing with infidelity - it may be comforting to be able to relate to a character going through such a hard core trauma, but I felt as though it was overdone and really took away from what had the potential to be a captivating novel.

2.5 stars from me.

I rec'd a free advanced reader copy of this book. I loved the cover and the premise of a murder mystery getaway. It literally made me want to participate in this type of activity at a historic hotel. Essentially, the majority of the book is spent trying to solve the weekend murder while trying to determine if there is actually a more serious real crime that has been committed, so a crime within a crime. I liked the main character but I often thought she could have made some better decisions. My biggest issue with the book is that I thought it could still be a fun story and murder mystery without the overlay of complicated marital relationships. I found the main character's real life drama with her husband Blake and their subsequent interactions and resultant conclusions about relationships and marriage just unnecessary for the plot of the book and quite frankly, I just didn't agree with her conclusions, nor did I respect them.

A real missing person case occurs during a 1920's murder mystery weekend, at a secluded estate turned hotel, in this unique read. Throw in a few suspicious guests, some questionable acting skills from the staff, and a marriage on the brink of failure and you get a tense, sometimes campy, double whodunit. It was fun trying to follow the pretend murder mystery clues and the real clues for the missing employee of the hotel. My only con for this book was the resolution Becca and Blake come to in the end for their marriage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for access to this arc.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise for the book. A couple goes on a murder mystery weekend and encounters a real murder. Who really did it? Was there another murder or was it something else?

I found it really hard to keep the alternate names fore the characters straight. I felt like I needed to keep a cheat sheet. Every chapter kept rehashing that Blake cheated on Becca which at one point became a bit much. This was only 3 days and yet we heard about it all the time it seemed. I get that Blake was trying to make amends for his action by going to the week3end but, ugh.

I did like the murder mystery part. Some of the fake clues, who could you trust or not trust. That was all really well laid out and fun to do. I guessed the fake murderer but not the rally murderer

I'd give this 4.5,stars, if I could. A mystery within a mystery. Blake brings wife Becca to a murder mystery weekend at a remote country manor in an effort to begin to rebuild their marriage after his cheating. Becca loves mysteries, so he thought this would be away to engage and show he is willing todo things that interest her. His first mistake was not telling her it was a murder mystery manor. Becca was traumatized when the "body" first appeared.
When one of the "cast" goes missing, Becca suspects foul play. As clues unfold over the weekend, which ones are for the fictitious murder and which are for the potential real one? Jilly Gagnon's All Dressed Up is great fun.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For fans of The Guest List and Knives out? I think not.

The premise is fun and interesting. A couple goes away for a murder mystery weekend at a fancy hotel, only for a real murder mystery to occur. Unfortunately, the execution was very thin in my opinion. The never-ending discussions of whether or not this was "part of the game" really pull you away from the primary and secondary mysteries. Even though the guests keep saying they really love this thing, I also felt that there was a lot of side-eyeing like "this is ridiculous". For full enjoyment, I feel that the story should have really blurred the lines between the mysteries so that you really felt like you didn't know what was real or fake. Lean in on it because it is a really excellent premise.

Jilly Gagnon has a great style and voice and I would definitely read her again.

2.5⭐

Becca and her husband Blake travel to a remote mansion in the Catskills for a murder mystery weekend. Blake's affair with a colleague has added to the problems in their marriage and they have been seeking counseling. Given Becca’s love for mysteries and fondness for books and tv shows in the genre, the “Roaring Twenties” getaway where they get to dress up for a three-day Gatsby-themed weekend, is a peace offering on Blake’s part. The weekend starts with an embarrassing moment for Becca, having not been provided with all relevant information before the commencement of the evening. With a total of four couples one of whom are friends of Blake and Becca and a full cast of staff dressed for the occasion, notes and schedules and amusing names and roles assigned to each of the participants, this weekend has a lot to offer. However, when one of the staff, Bethany, disappears and Becca overhears a strange conversation between a few of the members of the staff, she begins to suspect that there is more to Bethany’s disappearance than meets the eye. She also notes the suspicious behavior of a few of her fellow participants. In addition to following the clues for the staged mystery, Becca does some investigating on her own leading to an interesting sequence of events.

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon is built around an interesting premise and has all the makings of a classic whodunit. The unique setting of a murder mystery weekend- an actual mystery within a staged mystery, multiple clues and red herrings, and the intricate plot should have made this a page-turner. But the slow movement of the plot and an unlikeable main character (equally unlikable other characters as well) made this difficult to get through. While I loved the murder mystery plot structure and the roles assigned to the participants as well as the atmospheric setting, we spend way too much time in Becca’s head as she ponders over the state of her marriage, and compares her marriage to that of others, is constantly reminded of her husband’s infidelity (in turn so are we) and in her more enlightened moments waxes philosophical on the very institution of marriage. 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.
In short, this novel started with much promise but failed to deliver. I really wanted to love this one much more than I did.

Many thanks to Yewon Son , Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy eBook

Rebecca and Blake Wilson are off on a weekend getaway at a glamorous manor hotel where they will participate in a 1920s Murder Mystery role-playing game.

It isn’t long before Becca discovers the “body” of speakeasy singer Ida Crooner. Who could be responsible for her death? Is it Becca, now playing the role of Miss Debbie Taunte, an ingénue trying to keep her enigmatic past a secret? Or Blake, playing the role of Reid A, Daily, an heir to a newspaper fortune? Or was it one of the other six guests?

Whoever did the dastardly deed, it’s up to the eight amateur sleuths to reveal the murderer’s identity.

But the next morning, the actress playing the maid, Miss Terry Yuss, fails to appear, and it isn’t long before Becca is sure there is something more to the story than offhandedly describing the young woman as “flaky.” Becca decides to find out more. Eventually, her investigation will put her in a difficult position.

A pretend murder, a case for the guests to solve. And a real murder. Could one of the guests be responsible for the young woman’s death? And what possible reason could anyone have for murdering the young actress?

=========

Despite an intriguing premise, the narrative suffers from the continual whining of Becca; her continual mean-spiritedness makes it impossible for readers to empathize with her. Yes, her husband is guilty of an indiscretion, but he’s trying to make amends. But Becca is so busy being angry and feeling sorry for herself to make an effort to move past Blake’s betrayal.

An interesting effort to reveal the masks people wear as they interact with others offers some interesting insights, but does little to develop the characters. In addition, it tends to take the characters away from what is purported to be the purpose of the weekend: solving the “murder.”

While none of the characters are particularly likable, Becca, with her continual harping at [and whining about] her husband, fails to pull readers into the telling of the tale. They are not likely to feel any sympathy for her. In fact, readers are more likely to sympathize with Blake because of Becca’s behavior.

The narrative would benefit from spending less time dissecting the couples’ infidelity and other marital issues. The Clue-like moments in the telling of the tale were bright spots in an otherwise frustrating story.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley
#AllDressedUp #NetGalley

The idea of this book was much better than the execution unfortunately. Maybe some more editing will happen before its release date and that will help tighten the story up. Right now it's quite repetitive, not only the story but also the word usage. On almost every other page we hear about someone "sucking in their breath", "sucking through their teeth", and so on and so on....you get the picture. Also the main character is very unlikeable and the story is very long winded.

Thank you Little, Brown and Company ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Murder mystery party + real murder = one good book. I picked it up because it reminded me of a modern version of Clue. Lots of twists and intrigue. I read it pretty quickly. Would make a great book club read.

Murder mystery themed weekend getaway meets actual murder mystery in All Dressed Up.

Becca and Blake are at a 1920s murder mystery party that spans a whole weekend while also trying to work on their marriage. They, and other guests, try to work out who the fictional killer is while Becca is plagued by a strange disappearance within the house.

I really loved the premise of this book. Actual murder at a murder mystery party, how cheeky! However, Becca as a main character fell a little flat for me. She was so negative and mean, not only to Blake, but to others in the book and to herself. Her character development came too little, too late for me to really enjoy her as a character. I liked her narration, though, and the book was well-written and exactly the style of writing that I liked.

This would be a great book club read, I think. It gets 4/5 stars from me.

To apologize for his affair and make amends, Blake schedules a weekend at a mystery house for himself and Becca. Three other couples are guests in the lavish setting, and Blake and Becca know one of the couples. I was expecting the story to revolve closely around solving the mystery, but it turned into something else entirely. The main character, Becca, spends most of the book whining about being cheated on and the rest of the time thinking Blake is trying to cheat on her again. This results in very little mystery except to figure out why one of the staff disappeared the night everyone arrived to start the mystery weekend.

I didn’t find any of the characters to be likeable, the opposite, actually. Each of the players are given “stage names” as are all the employees, making for a massive confusion when, at any given time, the characters may be referred to by either name. I spent half of the book trying to figure out who was who. Each couple had a script to follow, and there were instructions to not read ahead or speak to the other players about the mystery except when in character. They are also to use character names whenever talking about the mystery and free to use you real names when not in character, but some players switch back and forth at will adding to the confusion.

The premise of the book is great, a mystery weekend and a make-believe murder to solve. In actuality the story was confusing and the characters were not particularly interesting. Very little attention was paid to the scripted mystery with most of the drama provided by Becca as she went from one mood to another and then back again while trying to figure out the status of her marriage and what happened to the maid that disappeared.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of All Dressed Up, this is my honest review.