Lauren Muñoz writes an excellent mystery. This book is full of red herrings that work so effectively. Best friends Kass and Izzy are inseparable despite the fact that Kassidy's family owns a yacht and Izzy and her younger sister live with their single mom in an apartment. Izzy's always been troubled by the gaps between them, but she would do anything for Kass, and Kass would do anything for her...including an absolutely over the top graduation gift: a week long stay at a private estate on a private island where their favorite 1920s movie was filmed. All of their friends are there, but when Blaine turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. Muñoz writes wonderfully. This is a complex YA mystery with a very well-rounded cast of characters. An excellent addition to a high school library collection. It would be really fun to teach in a contemporary fiction class.

This one just felt like a generic YA thriller to me, unfortunately, and that's just not really my genre of choice right now. I think some of my teens would be into it though, so I would definitely pick it up for the library.

I enjoyed reading Suddenly a Murder, a thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. What I particularly enjoyed about was the twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.

This was an very interesting and unique mystery novel!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

Clue meets Knives Out in this stunning YA thriller debut.
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Graduation is over and Kassidy wants to end high school with a bang so she invites her BFF, Izzy Morales, her boyfriend and four other friends to a 1920s-themed getaway week. When Kassidy’s boyfriend ends up dead, stabbed multiple times, two detectives show up to question everyone. Now they’re stuck in the mansion during a storm and one of them is a killer. Many had a motive to end Blaine’s life, but is it Izzy—the one who brought the knife in the first place?
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This was a great mystery I was in it the whole time and did guess the big twist early on, but I didn’t even care because I was so invested. The author did surprise me with one twist I didn’t see coming and I love when that happens. The 1920s theme was a VIBE! A student of mine finished this one last week and had been begging me to read it so we could discuss, which made it even more fun. Can’t wait to see what Lauren writes next!

CW: death, murder, cancer (discussed), drug use, drug abuse, ped*oph*lia, cheating, grief, suicide, toxic relationship, deportation, addiction, blood, violence

"Suddenly a Murder" by Lauren Munoz is a gripping and thrilling mystery novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. Munoz, with her masterful storytelling and knack for building suspense, delivers a page-turner that is equal parts intriguing and entertaining.

One of the most captivating aspects of "Suddenly a Murder" is Munoz's skillful character development. From the enigmatic protagonist to the colorful cast of suspects, each character is brought to life with depth and complexity, making them feel like real people with their own motives and secrets. Readers will find themselves drawn into the web of intrigue surrounding these characters, eagerly trying to unravel the mystery alongside them.

Munoz's writing style is smooth and polished, with vivid descriptions and well-paced prose that keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. Her attention to detail is evident in every chapter, as she expertly builds tension and suspense, leading readers down unexpected twists and turns that will leave them guessing until the very end.

Moreover, "Suddenly a Murder" is not just a mystery novel—it's also a compelling exploration of human nature and the darkness that lies beneath the surface of everyday life. Munoz deftly navigates themes of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, weaving them seamlessly into the fabric of the story. The result is a multi-layered narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

The plot of "Suddenly a Murder" is intricate and well-crafted, with plenty of twists and surprises to keep readers guessing. Munoz's ability to keep the suspense building throughout the novel is truly impressive, culminating in a satisfying conclusion that ties up loose ends while still leaving room for speculation.

In conclusion, "Suddenly a Murder" by Lauren Munoz is a must-read for fans of mystery and suspense. With its compelling characters, suspenseful plot, and skillful storytelling, it's a book that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Munoz has crafted a masterpiece of the genre that is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers and have them eagerly awaiting her next literary offering.

LOCKED. ROOM. MYSTERY.

I love a good locked room mystery, its always been my favorite mystery trope and I I will always pick up a book on those words alone.
Suddenly a murder takes this trope in modern day, which can always be kind of difficult to do, but it does it by sticking our friends on an island without their phones for a 1920's inspired retreat.
But that's pretty much where my excitement ended. Our murder victim is Blake, and our main suspect/narrator is Izzy. Izzy has a knife, a grudge against Blake, and a messy family life. Perfect murder suspect no?
Obviously Izzy is too obvious of a suspect in the story, and she tries to investigate on her own outside of the authorities. I really liked all the secret passage ways and hidden entrances scattered throughout the manor, it definitely made it more fitting for the type of mystery. The twist ended up being somewhat predictable, but Izzy's backstory ended up a lot more interesting - along with her connections to others involved in the case.

In the end, I did like this story but as far as locked room cases, it's not my favorite.

Munoz takes us through some interesting mental gymnastics when it comes to revealing the murder here. We explore a lot of motives and secrets. There are elements without pay off and some that are hounded too hard. The characters are not especially likeable or beleivable. Better for entertainment than any perceived messaging or value.

Suddenly a Murder tries so desperately to model an Agatha Christie novel completed with its take on the Hercule Poirot character. The mystery is underwhelming with no discernable depth for its characters or plot. The build-up to the grand reveal is quite slow but does pack some interesting twists and turns only to be leadened by a predictable reveal.

This was too slow of a start for me. I truly could not get into this book and had to put it aside for other reads.

Suddenly a Murder is a YA locked-room murder mystery, where one of a group of friends are murdered during a 1920's-themed party in an isolated house.

Here's what I liked:
- The plot and writing were fast paced and the length was perfect for the amount of mystery
- The settings was incredibly atmospheric and I could picture it vividly from the descriptions

Here's what I didn't like, and the main reason why I am giving this 2 stars: This used my least-favorite form of unreliable narrator. I can't stand when the POV character/narrator is selectively telling us facts or teasing but not sharing the facts with the reader. To me, this just feels lazy and unsatisfying because what reason would a character have for lying within their own head? I always find it must more tension-filled when the reader actually knows what secret the narrator is trying to hide, because we can know what lengths they need to go to to hide it.

This may work for someone else who doesn't mind this type of unreliable narrator as much as I do.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Overall this was a good who dun it murder mystery. As each character was developed you really got a glimpse of reality versus the secrets they keep especially because they come from different places. For over half of the story I was not sure who even did it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, this is a voluntary honest review.

What an intriguing murder mystery! I loved trying to figure out the who done it. Was I right….yes eventually. This story gave me cruel intentions/gossip girl mixed with Clue vibes. There are some very dark themes mixed through out.

Izzy’s best friend Kassidy has planned the perfect graduation party for two girls who are obsessed with old jazzy 1920 movies. A week long 20’s themed Gatsby party. All is hotsy-totsy until Kassidy’s boyfriend is found murdered.

The party is stuck living in a 20’s nightmare knowing one of them is the murder….but who was it?!?!

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This novel was seriously spectacular! From the beginning I did not want to put it down. This is like reading/living in a Clue game! I like the flashback chapters where we get hints of things going on, however, there were some enormous reveals that I did NOT expect near the end there! I had already guess the big "who done it" but so many of the other secrets! Holy cow!!!! This was such an extraordinary novel that kept me on my toes the whole time and I just enjoyed it so much. This is an author that I will be keeping an eye on.

This story follows a group of uber rich high school students on their graduation trip to a 1920s manor for an ultimate 1920s theme party. While this group of friends seem close friends on the outside there are more secrets than first impressions let on. When Blaine,the most popular kid in school, ends up dead secrets and scandals begin to bubble to the surface as cracks begin to appear.

I really enjoyed this book it was fun, fast paced and I loved all the over the top drama. The writing was easy to read and the setting was amazing in this book, I would love to visit this manor. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, my only complaint was there were a few characters that felt like they didn’t need to be there. I also loved the 1920 theme party so much that I wish there would have been more time before the murder after the murder the theme was dropped. I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more from this author in the future.I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

1920s themed and on an island and this book was calling to me. It was well executed and the premise hooked me right away. I love the setup and I enjoyed Izzy. I think hints were placed well throughout the book to keep the reader guessing without giving everything away and the payoff was good

3.5/5 Stars

Kassidy plans a 1920's inspired party at Ashwood Manor for her best friend Izzy with five of their friends for their graduation party. While there, Kassidy's boyfriend Baline is murdered, and the police shut down the party and begin their investigation to catch the killer.

This was a fun mystery thriller, with interesting characters. I was so invested right from the very first chapters. It was rather predictable for the most part, but there were some twists and turns I didn't see coming. Everyone in this book is holding something back, which made it a lot of fun trying to figure out who the murderer was. I had a few guesses of who the killer may be, but I ended up being wrong in the end which was a nice surprise. The dynamics of the friendship group were interesting, and it almost felt like some of them really shouldn't have been friends from all the drama they had with one another. I really liked Izzy, she was the most down to earth person in the group of pretentious teens. Her mother is a teacher at the fancy school they just graduated from, and that is the only reason Izzy is able to attend. The big twist in the end was very unexpected, and I would recommend if you want a bit of a shock.

This definitely gave Clue vibes, and I had a lot of fun while reading.

Thank you to the publisher - they sent me a physical copy after they sent me a copy on Netgalley!

I don't know what to say about this book - I was so excited about this book and I loved the start of this book. The characters were fun, and I wanted to find out more about the mystery. But after a while, I forgot about it, and when I picked the book up again. I had the hardest time finishing it.I don't know if it was because I read this book during finals or if It wasn't for me.


NOTE - I want to give this book another try later this year so I might change my review, for now, I am going to leave my rating at a low 3.

A fun teen mystery. It’s a fun mix of Agatha Christie and Clue. And the 1920s theme is fun. The reveals were shocking.