Such a great book!! I loved the characters and the story so much!! If u want a fast paced book you should totally read it. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I didn't end up liking this book, but that is definitely a me thing, and not so much the book. I could not get invested in the characters, and the division between past and present didn't work for me.

There was nothing outright bad about the writing, I just I felt it was mostly just there.

I struggled through the whole first part of the book, it was slow and felt like nothing was happening. There's slow paced and then there's so slow you don't care anymore, and that is kind of where I ended up with this book.

I just didn't care.

I think this book is going to appeal to lots of teen readers however, even if it didn't work for me.

I wanted to like this one. I love the 1920s as much as the characters and the idea of having a best friend rich enough to rent a historic mansion for a week and furnish an entire party with a week's worth of legitimate period clothing would be a dream come true for me.
I even liked the characters for the most part, except I kept getting a couple of the boys mixed up, I'm not sure why. It just seemed like maybe the characters' speech and demeanors weren't different enough to keep them straight? The amount of diversity crammed into one story was huge - there were at least four different ethnicities, a mix of athletes and theater "nerds" in a friend group, a character with synesthesia (which didn't really seem to affect him most of the time or play into the story except for a minor detail...), and characters who were gay, straight and bisexual. For anyone who wants content warnings, there were no explicit details, but the story does reference multiple instances of teen alcohol and drug use (and selling), and a lot of who's sleeping with who.
The mystery itself had me turning pages until the big reveal, at which point I felt like some of the story didn't make good sense anymore. Without spoiling anything, I didn't see that the level of angst and guilt throughout the story made sense with what actually happened.

Thank you Penguin And Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I’ve been wanting to read this book for so long, and I devoured it! Izzy, her best friend Kassidy, Kassidy’s boyfriend Blaine, and some of their other friends all go to a remote island for graduation. They’re staying at Ashwood Manor, where a popular 1920’s movie was shot. Izzy and Kassidy are super excited as everything for the week will be on theme, 1920’s clothes, food and no electronics. Of course with a group of rich kids who just graduated there’s bond to be secrets, lies, and betrayal. And when one of them ends up, one of the others has to be the killer right? Can Izzy protect herself through the investigation? Who did it? What is everyone hiding? I was so hooked from the very beginning and didn’t want to put it down! I love that the book starts off with us being in what could be the killers pov. It makes the book more intriguing! As do the flashback chapters that give everyone motive for the murder! Plus seeing from Izzy’s POV also kept me guessing! I loved Pilar de Leon and the style of them breaking down the case, very Knives Out style! Plus the side story was unexpectedly fun as well! Highly recommend this to mystery lovers! Can’t wait to read again!

This book was a fun short read. I enjoyed the main character Izzy. She was an intriguing main character who I as the reader felt sad and happy for her throughout the story. I liked that the story took place on a island in a mansion. It was fun getting that 1920's vibe from the story. It felt like a Agatha Christie novel in a way.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc copy, in exchange for an honest review!

While the premise of this book was intriguing, ultimately it fell flat.

I read an e-copy on my kindle and the formatting was a bit wonky, which made it a bit more difficult to read. The book switches perspectives and timeframes often and suddenly, which made it confusing to understand the story or who was speaking. Overall, it felt repetitive. The suspects go in for a round of interviews, Izzy eavesdrops from the secret passageway, rinse and repeat. Of course this is a murder mystery, but there is a level of "realistic" that adds to the story, and that unfortunately just wasn't there for this one. I had no real connection to any of the characters and they all felt rather two dimensional, but especially the detectives, they almost felt like a parody.

The ending was surprising but there was such a lack of suspense building throughout the book that it still felt like a letdown. There were both too many strange coincidences and random things strung together that made no sense...again, back to the detectives as one example. For a murder mystery, even a young adult one, the tone was always so light and fun, there was no real feeling of risk or danger at all, leading it all to feel like one big game.

While the premise of this book sounded promising, unfortunately it isn't able to give much apart from a unique atmosphere and vintage outfits. The overall storyline is confusing and repetitive, and I found the ending to be lacking and generally disappointing.

This is being sold as One of Us is lying meets Knives Out and it’s another YA thriller/mystery (a lot of thos coming out in September!) set in an old creepy mansion in the 1920s with obviously murder. A sudden one I assume and I assumed right. No thanks to the title.
We have a group of teens who are celebrating their high school graduation at Ashwood Manor. Everyone is super excited to have a party at this fancy place. Everything is going well and then someone winds up dead. Soon the police show up to investigate and of course everyone has to go through a grueling investigation all while locked in the estate with a killer on the loose. So very locked room mystery if you like that trope. I know this is going to be someone guilty pleasure so I wanted to be sure to highlight it and I also just really like this minimalist ominous cover.

A group of high school graduates are off to celebrate at Ashwood Manor for a 1920's themed party. What possibly could go wrong? Murder, plain and simple. Well, not so simple, as each "friend" not only has the means and motive, but they are each hiding some secrets.

Murder mysteries are right up my alley, and I definitely enjoyed this one. I thought this book was really good, it didn't offer up anything new, but it didn't have to. I really adored Izzy, she was someone that I thought lots of people could connect with. Her and Kassidy's friendship was great to read. A super fun entertaining read!

Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Teen for letting me enjoy this title early in exchange for my honest review.

Part Clue. Part Hollywood glamour.
This was such a fun and well-rounded locked room mystery that's reminiscent of a YA Agatha Christie. There's lots of conflict and motive within the friend group, there's quirky characters, there's misdirection at every turn. Add a beautiful isolated setting and a 1920s themed party, and this story was a real winner.
The ending was a touch rushed, and maybe unbelievable, but there was such a haunting elegance to it that I loved it despite its flaws.

If your a fan of locked room mysteries, YA thrillers, and/or 1920s Hollywood, give this one a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up*

Suddenly a Murder follows a group of recent high school graduates at a 1920s party at a manor on an island that turns into a real murder mystery. Everyone has a motive for the murder and two detectives are trying to solve the case.

I really liked this book! It was like a game of clue on a secluded island. I love a good mystery on an island because then you know for sure the killer is one of the characters. I thought the 1920s theme and attire was a fun addition to the book. The plot was pretty fast-paced and I liked the ending twist and reveal. I had fun reading this book and I would recommend to people who like mysteries.

However, this book didn't do anything too different than other YA mystery books. It didn't really stand out. I feel like this book was a bit too dramatic. It was like every couple of pages there was a new fight or more drama between the characters. Additionally, a lot of the characters were pretty unlikeable.

I think this was a good debut and I will likely read this author again in the future! Thanks so much to netgalley and Penguin for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I can't remember the last time I read a YA thriller but because of this book, I'm officially addicted to the genre and I need MORE.

Each chapter was so well done. I loved the flip-flop between the past (ranging from 3-5 months before the party) and the present. It was a clever way to get to know the characters and keep you thinking "WHODUNNIT?"

I honestly had no idea who did it and the crazy plot twist in the end that completely t-boned me came out of nowhere.

I loved this book and highly recommend it!!

Review will be published on Forever Young Adult on 8/29/23.

Cover Story: Ho-Hum

It’s…fine. The knife (potential murder weapon) and the pearls (they dress in 1920s clothes for the trip) are a direct nod to things in the book, but with so much talk in the story about this beautiful old house on the cliff, I would’ve loved to see like a great drawing of Ashwood Manor and maybe like little people at some of the windows. Even this alternate cover on Goodreads is a bit more fun.

The Deal:

Everyone has a reason to love AND hate Blaine, the most popular drama-nerd, rich-kid partier at school, which just means everyone had a motive for murder when he ends up dead partway through the best and most extra graduation send-off party.

Suddenly no one is allowed to leave Ashwood Manor, the ritzy and recently renovated mansion on a secluded island off shore. Was it the girlfriend, the girlfriend’s best friend, the valedictorian he was cheating with, his childhood best friend, the jock best friend, or the other rich kid who has excellent reason for hating Blaine’s guts?

Only time will tell…

BFF Charm: Caution

Izzy, our narrator, was hiding her own reason for disliking Blaine (aside from the obvious things I could spot) for most of the book, so I was constantly torn between liking her but being wary that she might turn out to be an unreliable narrator and disappoint me by being a big ole murderer. But if you put that uncomfy issue aside, I did appreciate what else I saw of Izzy, who looked to be a loyal friend and sister who knows that high school is only one small part of the rest of her life.

Swoonworthy Scale: 3

Izzy has spent a long time harboring a crush on Marlowe, the richest boy at school and also the most aloof, as he has reasons why he won’t party and socialize with Izzy’s crew. Yet he agrees to come to this week-long, exclusive house party in order to be close to Izzy…or so we think. (I’m starting to feel a lot like Phoebe going, “You’re going to be an aunt. Or—an uncle!” trying not to give anything away, haha.)

Talky Talk: Mr. Green In The Library…

I’ve struggled with many contemporary YA murder-mysteries in the past, so I tend to steer clear to save myself boredom, but the setting of this one called out to me, as I, too, love a good themed party, especially when it’s an all-expenses jaunt paid by your rich BFF, AND she orders everyone period-accurate clothing and accessories. Overall, I thought the book hit the mark more than it missed. The pacing kept me turning pages until I was done before I knew it, and the solution to the murder made sense and kept me guessing until the end. I had a theory as to what Izzy’s secret was, but I was definitely wrong and that pleasantly surprised me.

My biggest (though still fairly minor in the grand scheme of things) constructive criticism was the way the author switched from first person point of view for the present scenes through Izzy’s eyes to third person for the flashbacks, which encompassed all the characters’ POVs. It was a bit clunky in execution, and I feel like there was probably a different way to go about it that didn’t feel so jarring as the reader.

Bonus Factor: Secret Passageways

Izzy and Kassidy, her BFF, are obsessed with this one silent movie from the 1920s that was filmed at the Ashwood Manor nearby, and it just so happens to be re-opening soon as a renovated museum with excellent attention to period-accurate details. I immediately enjoy a book more when there’s a fancy old house to explore, and bonus points when it has secret passageways, as this one does!

Bonus Factor: Diversity

Izzy’s background comes into play in a way I wasn’t expecting, and it’s always nice to see different perspectives come into play.

Bonus Factor: Murder Mysteries

Who doesn’t love trying to solve the mystery before it’s revealed? Was that a red herring? Was it a clue?? It’s always a mystery when you’re reading a new-to-you author as to whether or not they can pull off a successful / logical case.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Jerks

Look, did Blaine deserve to die? Of course not. But no tears were shed on my part when he turned out to be the murder victim. I can’t get into it all here, but he was a pretty crap friend and boyfriend.

Relationship Status: KIT

Maybe our casual friendship that lasted throughout high school won’t be enough to make us lifetime friends in the future, Book, but you were always entertaining in the lunch room. Keep in touch, if only so I can live vicariously through your fancy lifestyle.

The premise of this book is great and 5-10 years ago I would have DEVOURED it. Unfortunately, I think that I am growing out of the YA genre (never thought it would happen!)

Will I recommend this book? Yes. It was a good book, just a little too predictable and YA-ish for my liking. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I listened to an audiobook version.

The book is not bad by any means, in fact I think there are many people out there who will love this story. The writing is done well, the characters are well developed, and the mystery of it all is fun.

The premise of this YA book is super fun: rich kids, recently graduated from a private school, spend a week at a historical home on a secluded island. And...one of them ends up dead. The story is told mostly from Izzy's perspective, who is the less privileged kid in the group. It jumps between the present and the past and first and third person, which I found a little jarring at first, but quickly got used to. The final twist was more out there than I was expecting, but overall it was a quick, fun read, especially if you like locked room mysteries (my favorite!).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Suddenly a Murder is a great confection of a read. It's a closed room mystery about a group of teenagers who have just graduated from high school and one of them ends up getting murdered. Which one did it? There were some obvious red herrings, but it was clear that not all of them really had motivation to do it even though the author tried really hard to give each character motivation.

While this was an entertaining, quick read, I did feel like the ending was a little rushed and there were a lot of random side things thrown in at the last 20 pages to make you gasp in surprise. I was willing to forgive it though because overall it was a fun enough time.

This was a really fun read. I enjoyed the mystery and the stakes. I don't normally enjoy flashbacks, but this added to the story and the characters and keeps you guessing on each of their motives.

This book was a fun, surprising winner for me! I don't read a lot of YA but was completely sucked in by the premise of this one - and it did not disappoint. I flew through this book and loved the setting, the "rich kids behaving badly" trope and also did not see the secret twist coming. Super quick and very fun read - highly recommend!

This twist-filled locked room mystery will leave you at the edge of your seat racing to find out what happens next.

Freshly graduated from high school and eager for the next step of their lives, Izzy, her best friend Kassidy, and a group of their friends head off on a 1920s-themed getaway at a stunning manor on an island. And then someone ends up dead.
Everyone is hiding something and Izzy is desperate to prove her innocence since she was the one who brought the murder weapon.
I loved the characters. I loved the setting. The mystery was great. The twists you think you could predict, trust me you can't. And without spoiling, what a jaw-dropping exciting ending. Cannot wait to see what else comes from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC for an honest review.

This was a twisty young adult murder mystery. After graduation a group of friends take a trip to Ashford Manor, located on a mysterious island. When one of the group turns up dead, Izzy needs to solve the murder before she gets blamed for committing it. I love the setting, the characters, and the twist. Every time I was sure I had figured it out, would realize I'm wrong again.

I got this book as an ARC and here is my honest review and opinion. I was kinda bored with this book for most of it. I was enjoying it but not loving it but I do LOVE the last 30 pages cause wow I didn’t see that coming. Overall this was just a fine ready for me the cast of characters were nice and I enjoyed reading from everyone’s pov. I will say I wish the book hadn’t started the way it did but that’s the only real flaw I had with this book. The plot just wasn’t amazing to me so that’s why it got three stars.