In this clever little novel, Becca is swept away to a remote hotel for a Gatsby-style murder mystery weekend. She might be enjoying it more if her husband hadn’t just betrayed her. There is a mystery afoot at the mansion and then things go awry. Is it part of the theatrical plot or is there more going on than meets the eye?

I was all in on this book in the first half. It drug along a bit in the back portion, but had a satisfying resolution. There were definitely times where it felt a bit like Clue, which I loved and wanted more of that vibe. Highly recommend that you read a print or ebook copy of this book versus the audiobook. The story has breaks in the narrative where you are presented scripts for the characters and I think that would be jarring in audio. Otherwise, a fun little mystery.

This was a great mystery that got tied up a little too much in the protagonist’s personal drama. The story centers on Becca, who attends a murder mystery themed weekend at a remote resort with her husband and 3 other couples. While there, one of the actors disappears and Becca suspects there is something more sinister going on than the fake murder story.

Firstly, the mystery was sound. There were many believable red herrings with both the real and fake murders and I found myself regularly changing my mind about who was guilty. The book described the murder mystery well and absolutely made me want to go find one of these to do myself.

The problem for me was Becca herself, who spent an inordinate amount of time whining about her husband’s affair and reminding us that she was not a jealous person while continually acting super jealous about every little thing. I didn’t warm to her even a little bit throughout the entire book. There were also some loose ends that didn’t get resolved; I prefer a cleaner ending.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the subject matter but didn’t enjoy the ending or the characterization. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I love locked room mysteries and the plot of this one, a murder mystery weekend at an inn sounded like it would be right up my alley.

The way the book is set up made it a little confusing. There are 4 couples and we're not really told that much about them. None of the characters were very remarkable or memorable. Becca and Blake, a married couple dealing with Blake's cheating were particularly unlikeable. Becca was shrill and clearly should have just moved on.

I did enjoy trying to figure out the whodunit. I am giving this 3 stars because of the plot and the setting but I'd take off a half star because it didn't flow very well and I didn't like the characters.

I received an ARC of All Dressed Up from Netgalley and I am leaving this review on my own.

All Dressed Up” by Jilly Gagnon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Psychological Mystery. Location: Large manor house/hotel in the Catskills countryside of New York State, USA. Time: One weekend in the present.

Becca & Blake’s marriage is in trouble after he cheats. They head to a Great Gatsby-themed Mystery Weekend to get away and heal a little. Becca feels betrayed and hurt over Blake’s affair. When she embarrasses herself in front of other guests because Blake didn’t tell her all the weekend rules, she feels betrayed and hurt all over again. And angry-always angry. Can she let things go, or will her anger/anxiety grow? She can’t trust Blake, herself, what she sees, feels, wants.

Becca vacillates between worry over a suddenly missing staff member, concern that some weekend participants are actually dangerous, the tangled game clues, and worry that her anger and hurt are causing her to spin out of control. She has a hard time figuring out what’s part of the game and what could be a real crime. She suspects various individuals, leading to scary encounters for her and some red herrings for us. After all, Becca has a lot of subject matter to process-and we have a lot of subjects and descriptions full of metaphors and similes to read. (Old scary manor houses do fit well with metaphors and similes.)

Book chapters are divided by the Murder Mystery Weekend agenda, rules, weekend identity descriptions, etc. Murder Mystery participants get a map to follow, but we don’t have one and that’s a shame. It’s a bit hard to follow the action around this multi-storied hotel.

This book has the feel of a modern Agatha Christie. I consider myself a big AC fan, and I still didn’t guess the ending. Several times I thought I figured it out, but each time I was wrong. It’s a good sign when a book keeps you guessing! I used to think it would be fun to immerse myself in a Murder Mystery Weekend-now I’m not so sure I could handle the tension. But I was definitely immersed in this book, so it’s 4 stars from me! 🌵📚🤷🏼‍♀️”

This book publishes on September 6, 2022. Thank you to to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Yewon Son, Marketing Assistant for Random House for the gift of this unique ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon.

Becca and her husband, Blake go for what is supposed to be a fun, murder mystery weekend getaway with a glamorous 1920's setting. Soon after arriving instead of trying to solve a murder that is part of a game, they are racing to solve a real life murder.

This story was so original and intriguing to me that I couldn't wait to dive in. Unfortunately as the pages were turning my excitement slowly dwindled. It took a while for me to grasp who was who as each character had two names. I still loved the murder mystery in this but I felt it took the back burner too many times due to Becca reminding the reader every chapter of her husband's infidelity. I understand in real life that if something like that happens, that yes, the wife will think about it every second of every day no matter her surroundings, but when being told in a book I believe it could be told in a better way. Overall, the premise was original and the mystery I couldn't guess. I just wish the author gave the mystery a little more attention than the unfaithful marriage.

Great idea and it grabbed me initially. It was very repetitive and this killed it for me. Every chapter we are reminded that Blake cheated, again. Only finished so I could see if my guess for the murderer was correct.

What a fun premise in a twisty book.

A couple having issues plans a fun mystery weekend that soon devolves into a real murder mystery.

From the fun twenties touches to the wonderful red herrings, this is a book all mystery lovers will enjoy.

I had never read one of Gagnon's books, but I will be trying others.

A 1920's mystery murder game set in an historical hotel with hotel guests as the players is a unique setting for Jolly Gagnon in All Dressed Up. What fun it was to read and exciting when the real murder suspicions were blended in with the game's murder. Lots of double-identities and facts to remember throughout. Loved it.

A solid whodunit set in an isolated hotel in the present day. Becca is expecting a fun 20s-themed weekend and an opportunity to reconnect with her husband Blake after recent tensions in their marriage. However, no one participating – whether staff member or paying guest – is quite what they seem. And when one of the players goes missing, Becca takes it upon herself to try to figure out whether it’s just a coincidence or something more sinister.
The setting is fun, and Becca and Blake are well-developed characters. I had a hard time keeping the other characters and their alter egos in the game straight; it would have helped me to have a “cast list” with all the names listed. I also wished the reader had gotten all the clues to the 1920s game so that you could try to solve that puzzle yourself as well. But after a slow start, it built to a satisfying conclusion.

I was a not a fan of this one. I think this would be a better read for another person. I would not recommend this title to those that I know.

A cute idea for a book but I could not get into the characters at all. They were basic wallpaper and tropes that I’m very bored of, a real outline of a book that never felt close to reality.

I loved the idea for this book. The couple goes away to a murder mystery weekend where a real murder happens. I had really high hopes for this book. It was a bit too slow in parts especially when she was talking about her past. I enjoyed the mystery part of the book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House publishing - Ballantine for a digital copy of this book for my honest review.

I loved the premise of a real murder at murder mystery weekend. What I didn't love was the Becca's constant monologuing and self examination about how Blake made her feel when he cheated on her. I wanted more details about the mystery less details about how this narcissistic main character is suffering.

Two Mysteries in One!

After some marriage difficulty, Blake is determined to get his marriage with Becca back on track. What perfect way to accomplish this than to take her out of town, out of the “real world” and transport her into a 1920’s Murder Mystery Weekend escape.

A lover of mysteries, Becca has a knack for solving riddles. But when the in game clues seem to overlap some strange and unexpected “real world” happenings, Becca can’t discern if she’s being paranoid, her psyche still a bit burned from her marriage problems or if something more troubling really is afoot.

With each of the four pairs of guests playing an in-game character, each responsible for giving and receiving clues, Becca has trouble knowing of what is being said is in-game or in reality. This confusion may occur to the reader as well.

As the in-game mystery proceeds apace, the in-reality mystery deepens to a surprising end.

Astute mystery readers will spot the in reality clues faster than the in game clues and The Who Done It will become fairly obvious. However, the pace and originality of the novel will keep them happy.

A fantastic and fun read!

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really enjoyed the lively, entertaining voice of the narrator. I’ve always wanted to go to a murder mystery theme getaway and it made for a clever setting for a real murder. Keeping what was part of the game versus the real murder separate added a pleasant sense of confusion that kept me guessing. I look forward to more from this author.

What a fun book! I loved the kitsch of the story inside the story, it was such fun.

Anyone who is a fan of Murder Mystery Dinners, closed room mysteries or well written fiction will enjoy this one!

Thank you to publisher for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

This is a one day sitting mystery novel. Once you start it, you're going to finish it. Becca and Blake are on a weekend getaway to save their marriage, to a 1920s themed resort. What Blake didn't tell Becca? It's a murder mystery retreat. There's a whole cast of characters. Millionaire playboys played by regular guys from the city, but it's easy to follow along with who is who. Becca notices a member of the cast goes missing and the layers of mystery unfold. This is a book that tackles anxiety, paranoia from relationship trauma, and realistic relationships in marriage.

I recommend it to anyone who enjoys 1920s themed cozies that aren't too serious, Agatha Christie locked room mysteries and anyone that binge watches Murder She Wrote

I really enjoyed this book!! I love a good murder mystery, like Clue. The author weaved together stories brilliantly here. I couldn't put it down.

I was excited for All Dressed Up after reading the blurb and reviews. It’s just the type of story I love to get lost in! I anticipated the fun of being thrust into the middle of a murder mystery game.

The novel is light on mystery and more of a story of a woman dealing with her husband’s infidelity. The narrative was difficult to follow due to the characters’ double identities and the wordy sentence structure. Many sentences were so long and wordy that I forgot the point by the time I got to the end. It quickly grew tedious.

I personally did not care for the heroine Becca’s coarse language. I cringed every time she took the Lord’s name in vain. The premise of this story is something that could appeal to a vast range of readers. Why risk offending any group of readers with language that does nothing to add to the story? Just my two cents.

Regardless of my opinion, I want to thank you for the opportunity to read this novel,

Becca and Blake's relationship has been rocky since Blake's infidelity was uncovered. In the hopes of trying to repair their relationship (along with therapy and other actions), Blake has booked a "Roaring Twenties" themed murder mystery weekend for them. The location is perfect, although the characters are a little "campy" -- the host is Ida Crooner, her housekeeper is Miss Ann Thrope, and Becca and Blake are Miss Debbie Taunte and Mr. Reid A. Daily for the weekend. Among the other guests are Phil and Heather, a couple whom Blake and Becca have known for years. When the "murder" happens, the guests are "surprised", but none more so than Becca, who knew it was a theme weekend, but did not know it was a murder mystery weekend, and therefore thought that someone was really injured or dead. Becca loves murder mystery novels and TV shows, and so this theme is perfect for her. However, with her passive aggressive personality and the relationship tension, keeping the "murder mystery" aspect a surprise does not go over well, adding to an already tense situation.

The following morning, Bethany, the young actress playing the role of the maid, has disappeared, and it is evident from the overhead conversations among other staff that her absence was not part of the program. However, her disappearance seems suspicious to Becca, especially because of the conversation she had with Bethany the night before, the belongings she left behind, and other strange events. Becca cannot come out and state her suspicions bluntly, and her efforts to hint that something serious might have happened do not succeed. As she works with the others to solve the themed murder mystery, she also tries to figure out what happened to Bethany. A series of misunderstandings muddles things further, making it difficult to determine what is part of the program and what, if anything, truly sinister is going on. There will be plenty of twists and turns, with the weekend not turning out the way any of the participants expected.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.