This story had so much potential but it was really boring. I was waiting and waiting for something to happen. Finally, when something did happen, it quickly went right back to being boring. The ending was also disappointing. I was so excited to read this because of the 20s-themed party mixed with a murder mystery but it didn’t live up to the hype.

Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz

I am such a fan of secluded setting murder mysteries and Suddenly a Murder hit that sweet spot!

When a murder occurs among teens at a 1920’s themed party, everyone’s a suspect. With a cast of characters straight out of a Christie novel, each one has a unique persona to focus on.

This is such a fun story to get to the center of! I loved the plot twists and the sheer fun of guessing what the big secret is. A true whodunnit with a teen party vibe.

My thanks to @PenguinTeen for this gifted copy!

Seven friends throw a 1920s themed party at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds--until Kassidy's boyfriend turns up dead. Someone brought a knife to the party. Now every party guest is a suspect. To find the killer, everyone must stay locked in and undergo investigation. Suddenly a Murder is basically a mix up of One of Us Is Lying, Clue, and The White Lotus.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with a review copy.

3/5 stars

I was really excited for this book because it’s a murder mystery where the kids were pretending to be in a 1920s party — it’s a perfect cocktail for a good book.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the formatting of the book was for me. Most of the book was spent in a closet where we observe the interviews rather than us finding clues and picking things apart. It was literally tell and not show. The biggest plot twist — and the reason for the murder also felt out of left field with no real build up?

Overall, the premise was good and it just needs some more refinement for it to be a solid murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!

I love a good locked-room mystery and this one was quite unique. Six recent high school graduates have a week-long 1920s themed stay at a historic home on its own island. The glamour was fabulous, relationship (and situationship) drama was high, and the plot was well-paced. This was definitely a book I could see as a mini-series on HBO.

This is the kind of book where I probably should have guessed the twist, but I managed to get completely off track. The overall concept for SUDDENLY A MURDER is intriguing, the drama of high school friendships mixed with a period-appropriate 1920s party after graduation. To some degree the drama doesn’t even have to be realistic because it’s clear these aren’t exactly normal teenagers. The narrative itself is a little confusing, I wasn’t able to clearly figure out what the mystery was until about a third into the book, although I think that the twists were decently well-laid. Overall I think that some of the elements that didn’t work for me were because I’m not a huge mystery lover, but I also think that some elements could have been made clearer and could have been done so without harming the twists of the mystery. If you’re a mystery fan or like one that’s laid out through a mixture of suspect interviews and flashbacks, this is a book worth reading!

The character exploration within the book was an especially interesting element and something that I think was done really well at different points. There’s almost a movie-like quality to some of it as plot twist plotlines weave together the characters in unexpected ways. But at the same time, some of the twists or connections didn’t feel like they contributed to the overall story in the same way. While I would say as a whole I relatively enjoyed the book, I also have a lot of mixed feelings, all the way to almost complete ambivalence edging on distaste for the romantic subplot.

Overall this is a pretty good book, and I liked the big twist and how it was led up to. There were no particular elements that made it bad, just some that were more frustrating or dissatisfying, some out of personal preference and some over what could have been a lack of development.

Such a fun read!

Rating: 4/ 5

Suddenly a murder was a very fun read that was full of twists. I thought I had it all figured out but let me tell you that I most definitely did not! I really enjoy the author's writing and had fun getting to know the character and just making up a bunch of theories trying to figured out what had happened. I think if you enjoy mysteries this will be fun! It is a YA adult mystery and I liked that it was not super heavy. I needed a pallet cleanse and this was perfect. This is the perfect book to get you out of a reading slump! I would like to give a shout out to the writer because I am not usually a fan of books where you jump from the present to the past. Mainly because I get lost but in my opinion it was done flawlessly on this book. It was easy to follow the storyline and I really enjoyed it. Totally recommend!

Thanks to Netgalley and PenguinTeen for my galley!

I liked how this started but then it got really ridiculous and incredibly misleading but in a not interesting way. And I really didn't like the ending. But I liked the atmosphere. Hated these rich teens though.

I love a good YA murder mystery and this one did not disappoint. This story is about two best friends, Kassidy and Izzy, and the group of friends that go on a graduation trip together. When Kassidys boyfriend ends up murdered, it seems they all wanted him dead. Pilar is a consultant that is helping with the case and she is a female Poirot. I loved her style in solving this. Would love to see more books with Pilar. Will most definitely be purchasing this for our library

What a FUN read! Murder mystery in a YA book! I loved this one on audio and thought it was such a fun take on YA mystery/thrillers. An old-fashioned themed weekend with a bunch of teens who all have secrets. There's drama, there's murder, there's a power outage...I really liked it!

Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz is a story of seven friends celebrating the end of their senior year with a 1920's themed getaway at a remote island. Their days are filled with elaborate costumes inside the luxurious Ashwood Manor until one of them turns up dead. With only one way to and from the secluded estate island, everyone is a murder suspect.

This debut novel is a fast-paced, cunning locked room mystery that was hard to crack. Just when I thought I had it figured out, more clues would be uncovered and more hints would be dropped. I absolutely loved all the dirty little secrets and twists and turns of this story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Suddenly a Murder is a fun and engaging YA Mystery from debut author, Lauren Muñoz. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to pick it up. The setting is a 1920s-theme party that ends in murder...on an island! This was screaming Classic Mystery feel to me, and that's something I have soooo been into this year.

This story follows a group of teens who have just graduated from high school. Before they go their separate ways, their queen bee, Kassidy, plans an OTT-all expenses paid, 1920s-themed week at the lavish, Ashwood Manor, set on Sparrow Island, off the coast of Maine. Frankly, if that alone doesn't grab you, I don't know what else to say.

I suppose I should give you a little more though. So, basically, Kassidy is the organizer of the entire weekend.
She's super wealthy and is footing the bill for the entire event. Not only does this include the rental of the extravagant, and completely secluded island property, but it also includes all the 1920s-themed wardrobes and accoutrements for the guests.

All is going well, I mean except for the occasional teen drama, or spat, obviously to be expected, until the very unexpected happens. Before dinner one night, Kassidy's boyfriend, Blaine, is discovered dead in his room. Desperate and afraid, the teens call the authorities, who make it just in time, before a ferocious storm stops ferry travel to-and-from the island.

Murder, they say. But can that possibly be true? Who of the group of friends could possibly commit murder, and why?

Y'all, this was a fantastic set-up by Muñoz. I love how she brought that classic feel we all know and love, whilst seamlessly making it modern and engaging enough for the next generation of Mystery Readers.

I was pulled in right from the very start, as our group of characters is making their way out to the island. We begin to learn a bit about each of the guests for the week, as well the relationships and history they have amongst themselves.

Isadora, Izzy, is our main character that we come to know and love, or at least I did, over the course of the story. She is a bit of an outsider with this group, even though Kassidy is her tried-and-true best friend. Izzy's Mom is a teacher at the prestigious academy from which the teens just graduated. Izzy was able to attend due to scholarship, unlike all of her other friends, whose parents could more than afford the pricey tuition. Because of this, and other experiences, Izzy provides a bit of a different insight into the events than the other teens.

There are some hints dropped in this one where I was like, could this be the answer? But honestly, I didn't figure this one out until about 80% of the way through, and even then, I didn't figure it all out. Some aspects I still needed the characters to fill in the blanks for me.

I thought this was a ton a fun. I feel like Muñoz plotted the murder mystery aspects so well, while also including some more heavy-hitting topics for consideration. In my opinion. the story overall was really well balanced and it definitely kept me engaged throughout.

I definitely recommend this to any Reader who enjoys a YA Mystery/Thriller with well-developed characters, lush atmosphere and rich people behaving badly. Bonus points if you enjoy reading about private school students and drama.

Thank you so much to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a ton of fun with this and cannot wait to read more from this author!!

This was a fantastic debut Young Adult thriller. I loved the setting of Ashwood Manor. Also, love a locked-room murder type of mystery. I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. It was so good!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Rich teens on an island and one of them ends up dead. Only one narrator, but since she brought the knife, she could be the murder. A well done locked room who did it, and the rich kids do grow on you a little by also telling you some about their pasts.

Seven friends go to Ashwood Manor, a glamorous mansion on an island, to celebrate their high school graduation with a 1920s themed party. Kassidy, who organized the whole thing, is insistent that things be as authentic as possible, so they leave their phones behind and spend the days partying in expensive vintage dresses and jewellery – and until the fun comes to a halt when Kassidy’s boyfriend Blaine is murdered. Detectives are soon on the scene and everyone in the house is a suspect. Each guest is hiding secrets and grudges of their own, including Izzy, Kassidy’s best friend, who is concealing the fact that she brought the knife that was used to kill Blaine to the island. What was meant to be a luxurious getaway soon turns into a nightmare for the seven teens as each of them must undergo an interrogation while protecting dangerous secrets – they all seem to have motive for murder, but only one is guilty.

I typically don’t request ARCs when the release date is just around the corner, namely tomorrow, but this one was too interesting to pass up even if it meant messing up my blogging schedule for the next fortnight. I love picking up books like this every so often as a thrilling mystery novel is the perfect book to turn to after a couple of heavy reads.

The premise is a fantastic one and perhaps it was the whole 1920s themed party in a manor that caused it, but this book had a very classic murder mystery feel to it. I do wish the story would have focused more on the setting in the first chapters, describing the manor and its surroundings better as I couldn’t picture it all that well.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve started to feel that I’m outgrowing most YA novels, but mysteries and thrillers are one of the few remaining genres that still work for me in YA. The teenage high school drama still made me roll my eyes, but as it was more in the backdrop of the story, I mostly ignored it and focused on the mystery. The pacing was slow initially but the writing was solid enough that it held my attention until the plot started moving.

This was a proper whodunnit and each of the friends looked suspicious at one point or another. They all had POVs, even if was only in flashbacks, which was a good touch, and most of the rest of the story was told from Izzy’s perspective. With so many characters, they all blurred together at first, but as the story progressed and a little of each of their backstories came to light, it became easier to tell them apart. Although this was supposed to be a group of friends, the tensions between them were immediately visible which added another layer to the story as it caused the reader to wonder which of the many entanglements in this group could have been the reason for the murder. While I wasn’t necessarily rooting for any particular character, I was certainly very invested in all of them and finding out how it happened. It was interesting that Izzy started to investigate the murder while she herself still was a very viable candidate to be the murderer, but it would have been nice if she had take a more active role in it, actually looking for clues etc rather than listening in on the police interviews from a secret passage, which made this book more telling the reader what was going on and less showing.

I felt that the conclusion was a bit rushed and everything fell into place rather conveniently. There was a lot revealed that I felt should have been explored in more detail. As for the culprit, I didn’t guess until the last quarter of the book, but looking back, there was such a major hint dropped early in the story that made it so clear!

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Although it was tailored to a younger audience, I found that I was still able to get caught up in the story and it definitely had some great plot twists too. I would recommend this book for mystery fans.

This is the YA version of Agatha Christie's Halloween Party! Lauren Munoz's book Suddenly a Murder took me a bit to get into, but once a twist occurred midway through, I had to know what happened! The characters weren't particularly likable which I found enjoyable. Normally, unlikable main characters aren't for me, but in this case, I found it added to the story!

I look forward to reading more books by this author!

A huge thank you to Putnam and Son's and PRH Audio for granting me access to this title.

There was a lot of potential here, but most of the book fell flat for me. The idea of a group of friends going to a remote manor for a 1920s themed graduation celebration only for one to end up murdered is a great setup, and having Izzy, the mc, be fairly unreliable in her narration left a lot of room to create an interesting mystery. Instead, the focus was on friend group drama, relationship issues, and way too many flashbacks, many of which were unnecessary. The plot takes a lot of time to get going, focusing instead on building on the fact that Izzy brought a knife to the party and knows a secret about Blaine, her best friend's boyfriend and future murder victim. After the murder, how Izzy goes about investigating is rather boring, and really just dumping all of the info onto the readers. The last thirty pages or so, when things are fully revealed, were great and I wish the rest of that book maintained that sort of energy. There were parts, like the depths of Kassidy and Izzy's friendship, that were integral to the plot but not fully explored until the last few pages, which makes the resolutions pretty hollow and unfulfilling.

I knew from the moment I saw this title that I needed to have it. I didn’t care who it was by, what it was about, I didn’t care about any of that. I truly added this to my TBR because of one word in the title. And we know what that word is….. Something is truly wrong with me lol

Ok so there’s this large group of friends who’s celebrating graduation with a 1920’s themed party on a getaway island where a famous old movie was filmed. This party has vintage style costumes, no cell phones, the whole 9 to fit the theme. When all of a sudden one of them turns up dead. Investigators are called in to figure out whodunit.

Ok so the main thing about this that I didn’t like about this was the convenience of everything. She heard everyone’s testimony in this passage and nothing ever came of it? That’s something serious because she could lie to manipulate evidence. Once they found out, someone should have said something. I would just really like to think the adults would at least give her a strong talking to and tell her about obstruction or something. And no I don’t think I’m being too harsh. I read teen sleuth novels all the time, but they at least get reprimanded. She just got told she’s had it bad before so I’m allowing you to get away with this DURING A MURDER INVESTIGATION. Like at the very least make her THINK she was in trouble so she doesn’t do it again.

I DID like the ending tho. It said they weren’t able to find them, so maybe it’s a series? Do we think the person is coming back for revenge on someone else? Do we think that they did this because of their family’s problems? I have so many questions. Also if there is a sequel, who tf are they coming back to get? Maybe there’s a spin off of some kind? Idk. But it just ended entirely too open for me.

I also really liked all the characters. I just wish we got to know them more. All of them were like just bodies. No one had a real personality or back story until it was time for them to be interrogated or they were dropping a bomb about the case. Yeah it would have been a lot of filler, but if we’re gonna give clue vibes, might as well go all out and tell a little about them too. But even with the surface level, I thought the MC was getting good at sneaking around. I’m not going to save detective work because she was literally just snooping lol

The narrator was really good tho. Idk if that was my first book from them or not, but she’s a large part of why I rated this the way I did. And y’all know I love me some OwnVoices Narrators. I was very happy to see this one had one. It always just makes the listening experience more authentic.

This was fun, but also still filled with ridiculous teen antics. I do think that there could have been some changes, but not too many. The vibes and the mystery were vibin. I just had issues with the characters as a character driven reader.

Overall, I give this

Kassidy throws a lavish graduation celebration where she and six classmates plan to spend a 1920s themed week at on a secluded island, in a house with a tragic history and secret passageways, in honor of her best friend Izzy. When Kassidy's boyfriend is murdered, everyone has motive, and all are kept in the mansion until the surly detective and his whimsical sidekick can solve the crime. Suddenly a Murder kept me turning pages late into the night with twists and turns and secrets revealed.

Very good debut!
Kassidy has invited her best friend Izzy and five other friends onto the island for a week of 1920s inspired fun. Until Blaine, Kassidy's boyfriend, is murdered, and everyone has motive. With flashbacks and reveals galore, can the killer be caught before the teens have to return to the mainland?

I really liked this. It's a bit of a slow-burn, in terms of mysteries, but the flashbacks really help put things in perspective. Someone seems very, very guilty right out of the gate, but looks can be deceiving. The characters were interesting, but a couple characters of color were kind of stereotyped. Ellison, the only Black rower on the team, is a star athlete, and Chloe Li is the valedictorian of the school. Both fall into common tropes which wasn't ideal.

While the 1920s aspect plays a major role, I didn't connect with it as much because we only see Izzy and Kassidy watch one movie together and are told that they love the movies. I would've liked to see more references or more to do with the times. I did not see most of the twists coming, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. Izzy trades one guilty thing for another. And I think the inappropriate relationship could've been handled with some more depth.

Overall, a great locked-door mystery with a compelling protagonist!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)