This one was a DNF for me. I just really struggled to get into it. The premise does sound interesting so would possibly try again at another time. Thank you Netgalley and Ballantine for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

super bummed this didn't hit the mark for me. i'm a huge locked room bottle location mystery fan, but there was too much in here about internal character drama and the murder wasn't executed strongly enough for me to really care.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC.

This was a fun book....A bit of mystery and intrigue tied into a murder mystery weekend with a real murder. There were a few twists and turns. I enjoyed how the fake murder was tied into the real one. The characters were all not very likeable including the main character but that made it realistic.

Overall, this was a good read.

Wow at all the deception in this story. You will be asking yourself how this came about. No one is who they seem to be as is nothing you see.

A 1920’s murder mystery May be more than some are willing to partake in. Don your flapper dress and sparkly headwear then go on an adventure in this book. Lies and deception around every turn of the page.

Unfortunately, All Dressed Up is faux designer clothing lacking quality beyond its surface appeal.

The premise sure sounds fun. A real murder mystery inside of a murder mystery game? How could that not be a good time?

I suppose when those concepts are background players to the story of a woman struggling to trust her husband after his bout of infidelity, it proves to not be a good time. This was a domestic drama with a hint of suspense.

But that alone was not enough to make me hate it. If you throw in the fact that it took almost half of the book for the real mystery to surface, add lots of repetitive information (Yes, we know Blake is an introvert who cheated!), insert lots of conveniently overheard conversations, add the suggestion of swinging, sprinkle in a bit of a villain monologue, and top it off with extremely superficial characters who are disgustingly insensitive about the loss of life at the end of the book, you are successfully going to create a story I loathe.

On the plus side, it’s a very easy read. I did not get through it quickly because it was interesting or mysterious, but because there were no complexities whatsoever to process. On second thought, I’m not entirely sure if this is a plus side, as I do prefer a bit more meat to chew on when I read. Still, I’ll acknowledge that this IS readable.

I will also give the author points for making almost everyone look suspicious. I didn’t actually solve this one, which should be satisfying, however, I was annoyed with the reveal for reasons that I cannot get into without spoiling the book.

This just was not what I look for in a story at all nor was it what it presented itself to be. But so many fool us when they get all dressed up, don’t they?

I am immensely grateful to Bantam Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I was not able to finish so won't be leaving a full review at this time.

3.5 stars rounding up. This book should have been a fun, kitschy romp. I enjoyed the premise tremendously - a 1920's themed murder mystery weekend in a remote, haunted country manor as the scene of a real murder. It sounds like a lot of fun! And in a lot of ways it was. But I needed more kitsch. If that's the direction you're going, then by all means, go all in! Unfortunately, the actual mystery was rather mundane. It delivered wronged wife emotional drama when I really needed comedy.

Thank you, NetGalley, Jilly Gagnon, and Bantam Books for the early copy of this book.

This book is set during a murder-mystery weekend, which is what made me want to read it. And, no surprise, the description of the house party set-up and clues was my favorite part of the book. The main character, Becca, is attending with her husband Blake, who surprised her with the getaway as part of an apology for cheating on her. We do spend a lot of time in Becca's mind (probably too much) as she obsessively dwells on what she should do about Blake. However, that is likely something a person WOULD be obsessed about. I liked the side characters, and enjoyed the book. And I thought the mix of the party clues and real clues was fun.

The plot had potential, however I found that it fell flat. It was definitely a slow build that was hard to get through at times.

In an effort to shore up their faltering marriage, Becca and Blake go away for the weekend to a 1920s-themed murder mystery hotel. But when the actress playing the maid disappears, Becca suspects that a real crime might have occurred.

I’ve always thought murder mystery dinners would be fun. I’ve never been to one, but I like stories and I like puzzles, and besides nothing that inspired the Edgar Allen Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party could be dull. I was intrigued by the idea of two mysteries running side-by-side, one real and one fake, and how they might intersect.

This book picks a tricky pair as the lead – a couple that’s trying to stay together after the husband cheated. I thought it was a bold choice, as a lot of readers consequently couldn’t sympathize with Becca, but I thought it offered an interesting way to grapple with the theme of infidelity, which is a common theme in domestic mysteries. I also enjoyed the way the fake mystery, kitchsy as it was, affected Becca’s perception of the people around her and the clues which she could go on for solving the real mystery, throwing up a multitude of red herrings.

However, I thought the plot around Bethany going missing took a long time to heat up – we are introduced to it early on, but no real movement occurs until the last third. In the meanwhile, we focus on the domestic drama between Becca and Blake, which I did not enjoy so much. While it is understandable why Becca was so bitter and anxious, it was unpleasant to read about her constantly stressing out about her relationship and her intense jealousy.

Ultimately I have pretty mixed feelings about this read. It kept me engaged throughout in regards to the central mystery, but the theme of infidelity will definitely turn off many potential readers, especially as the story doesn’t end with a break up.

An interesting premise with a slow delivery. I just didn't love this one... I honestly had a hard time getting through it. ⭐⭐

3.5

What should have been a fun weekend away for Becca and Blake is shrouded by Blake's betrayal of Becca. Now, they're committed to participating in the murder mystery-themed weekend, but in amongst the "murder" there's a possibility a murder has been committed.

The premise for this is great. The idea of a murder within a murder mystery is intriguing. Adding to the fact that most every chapter is bookended with rules for the game which I thought really pulled the reader into the story, and I think the setup was perfect. The descriptions of the setting were fantastic and gave a good Clue vibe especially being staged in an old, secluded mansion. I wish there had been a little more played up about the house.

Now, the execution needed a little bit of work. Because not only are we trying to solve a fictitious murder, we're possibly trying to solve a real murder, all while Becca is going through an extremely emotional time within her personal life.

Becca is the sole narrator (minus the master of ceremonies who gives readers the game instructions between chapters). So readers are kind of on this chaotic ride with Becca as she questions everyone's motivation and ponders the state of her marriage and if her and Blake and move forward from his indiscretions. I think this was done in order for readers to question everything Becca is pondering. If we don't believe her at face value, if she seems unreliable, then it makes us as readers question everyone and everything. It's an interesting tactic overall, but, put plainly, it's a lot. Add to the fact that while in "game mode" every character has a alias that they're playing by and there were quite a few times where I had to stop and remember who Becca was referring to.

I think there's too much going on for each item to get the attention it deserves, which means that, for me, there were certain aspects left unsatisfying and it made the reveal of the overall mystery lose a bit of the surprise.

Overall, intriguing concept and I was invested in the story to the end. There was just a bit too much going on to tie things up in a satisfying way. And when I'm reading a mystery, I want all the answer solved.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Bantam Books for gifting me a digital ARC of All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon - 4 stars!

Blake has booked a murder mystery weekend away for his wife, Becca, at a remote mansion. Becca is still upset with Blake after her discovery of his affair and isn't quite ready to forgive him. But a couple friend of theirs is along for the weekend, so she slips into the character given and tries to enjoy herself. But there's lots going on behind and in the scenes!

This was a bit confusing as the "real" characters are assigned roles to play in the murder mystery. None of the characters are likable and Becca's relationship seems to take front and center as well. If you've ever attended a murder mystery night where you have to solve clues and figure out the killer, you will enjoy this. The author has styled it such that you read the background and scene notes that the "players" do. A fun, lighter read

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon

Becca is reeling from the soul crushing deception of her husband’s betrayal.

Desperate to earn his wife’s forgiveness, Blake plans a surprise weekend at a country estate in The Catskills.

The theme is a Roaring Twenties Murder Mystery.
Becca’s pastime is burying herself in the trail of each clue. Its a welcome distraction from her life.

After a rocky start to the weekend, she had no idea what she was getting into, Becca starts to relax and get into the carefree spirit of the Jazz Era.

Soon, Becca finds herself struggling to separate fact from fiction. When an actor/employee fails to show up for work, the hushed whispers of the staff allude to her ditching work. Is she really irresponsible? Or did something happen?

Pros:
I loved the idea of the theme. They had all the diverse characters that made you wonder “what if it was them?” and the swanky old estate sounded perfect for the setting as well.

The mystery plot was a good storyline, although the performances were a bit cheesy.

Cons:
The story jumped around too much between the character each person was playing and their real life persona. The back and forth was a lot of work to follow.

If only Becca could get out of her head long enough for something other than her anger and insecurities, this story might have gone somewhere.

If there had been less time focusing on the infidelity, it would have been much more engaging.

Thank you @netgalley
@Randomhouse

I enjoyed the description of this book and I do like a good "who dun it", but this book seemed more about a troubled marriage. Half way through I found myself disliking the characters and not really caring how the book ended.
Needless to say it was not what I was planning to read and had the description been a bit different or more detailed i would not have selected this book.

It will appeal to those who like stories of cheating spouses and spouses who seek revenge.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced e-book of this title in exchange for my honest views. All views are my own

I liked the premise of All Dressed Up & was quickly drawn in, but for some reason I had a hard time sticking with it. Still, I am glad I finished!

The premise of this had a lot of potential, along with the Catskill mansion setting, I had high hopes. I am all for unsympathetic characters as long as they're interesting.. but these were not. Unfortunately had to DNF at 32%.

ALL DRESSED UP by Jilly Gagnon
Publication: 09/6/2022 by Random House Publishing / Ballantine


Enter the world of a classic Whodunit mystery with the motif of an expensive weekend getaway murder mystery in the Catskills. Becca Wilson’s marriage is on shaky grounds after husband, Blake has an affair. As sort of an apology he arranges this unique diversion of a weekend getaway with a Roaring Twenties theme. They’ve even been assigned roles to play …
Becca will be the ingenue Debbie Taunts, while Blake be Reid Dailey, a newspaper heir. Three other couples take part in the skullduggery . The speakeasy songstress Ida Croonner is found murdered and they will need to solve the mystery with the aid of pun laden clues. The action takes place over a grueling forty-eight hour interval.
Ida’s flaky maid disappears unxpectedly, Becca is sure that this is not a planned part of the weekend. Has a real murder occurred? Many red herrings are woven into the fabric of the mystery. There will be much reflection on the disintegration of a marriage. Will this diversion succeed in saving a marriage after infidelity? Becca’s cynical first person narration proves to be a highlight in the development of plot and motivation. The myriad of characters makes it somewhat difficult to ascertain their level of involvement in the murder and the mystery weekend, As the truths and red herring are separated the unexpected denouement unfolds, to a partial conclusion. Unfortunately the plot and storyline falls somewhat flat … but regardless it is still a fun read. I would have to grade this with three stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

Could not get into this book. Although the premise sounds interesting this one was a DNF for me, I did try listening to the audiobook from the library as well. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review it - this one just wasn't for me.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

A swanky hotel. A game of murder mystery. Everyone has a role to play in Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up. When a woman disappears from the hotel Becca and her husband Blake are staying at, Becca begins to think that the fictitious murder mystery is not the only problem she is trying to solve.

There was a lot going on with this one - and it was hard to follow the plot at times. Part murder mystery - part adultering husband, I was torn between the genre of this novel and what we were really reading about and had a hard time reading this one to completion.

Thanks to Net Galley, RHPG - Ballantine Books, and Jilly Gagnon for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read if you like:

+ You’re a fan of Clue
+ Murder Mysteries are your thing
+ You enjoyed Knives Out or Death on the Nile