Another captivating mystery from Maureen Johnson!

Marlowe Wexler didn’t plan to spend her summer giving tours at Morning House, but a candle mishap leaves her without many other options and her romantic dreams shattered.

When Marlowe arrives at Morning House, she meets Dr. Henson, her boss who is preoccupied with the book she is writing about the house and the family who used to live there. Marlowe slowly realizes all is not as it seems as she gets to know the team—a group of friends with secrets to spare—and learns about the history of Morning House. When someone goes missing, it seems the past may be repeating itself.

This mystery was so good! It’s told in a style Johnson employed in her Truly Devious series where flashes of the past are mixed into the present. I like to call books like this “smart mysteries,” because all the details are there from the start, but they are so masterfully woven together that I can’t guess the answer until it is revealed.

I also commend Johnson on writing a queer main character. The romance felt natural and realistic for a teenager. One of the best queer representations I’ve read!

I love the concept of the book! Going back and forth between past and present time; however I did have a little bit of trouble keeping up whose point of view I was reading about when we got back to the 1932 chapters. I did have trouble connecting with the characters in the beginning and the plot line, but got into it as the plot line intensified.

This definitely gives off summer vibes which was exactly what I was looking for. If you’re looking for a book to keep you on your toes, this one’s it!

Thank you HarperTeen and Netgalley for the ARC!

I loved this one. I love Maureen Johnson and I loved Marlowe. My one tiny quibble is that the police let a bunch of teens stay on an island alone with an approaching hurricane. But I can overlook that because the rest of the mystery is so solid.

I'm a really big fan of author Maureen Johnson's "Truly Devious" series, and while this one is a completely different, stand-alone, YA mystery, I knew I would enjoy it from the blurb & I did! I actually found the characters (especially MC Marlowe) much more likable than TD's and I loved creepy, gothic Morning House and the sapphic representation. Fast paced and lots of vibes! I would be down for a sequel. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary DRC - my sincere pleasure to review it!

This book was great! This author is an auto read for me. She writes mystery so well and this book is no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperTeen for the ARC!

"Death at Mourning House" by Maureen Johnson is a captivating mystery novel that immerses readers in a chilling tale of secrets, suspicion, and murder. Set in a sprawling estate on the English countryside, the story unfolds as amateur detective Enid Pretty is called to investigate the suspicious death of a guest at the grand Mourning House.

Johnson's writing is atmospheric and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the eerie estate and its eclectic cast of characters. Enid Pretty is a compelling protagonist, with her sharp wit and keen observational skills leading readers through a maze of clues and red herrings. The interactions between the characters are filled with tension and intrigue, as everyone becomes a suspect in the unfolding mystery.

The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the final reveal. Johnson masterfully builds suspense, blending elements of classic whodunit with a modern sensibility. Themes of betrayal, family secrets, and the consequences of past actions add depth to the narrative, creating a compelling and satisfying read.

Overall, "Death at Mourning House" is a gripping mystery novel that will appeal to fans of atmospheric thrillers and intricate puzzles. Maureen Johnson's skillful storytelling and rich character development make this book a standout in the genre, promising an engrossing and enjoyable reading experience.

Wow! I am so thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and HarperTeen so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.

In the last almost year since I started doing ARC reviews the books have been ones I have come upon rather than ones that ai searched for due to waiting for it to be published. Well this title was the later. After reading Maureen Johnson’s other books ai could not wait until her new one came out. So I was really excited when I was approved!

The beauty of Johnson’s prose is that while they are YA with teen protagonist’s and such, they don’t read “young”. And she does this whilst also keeping them fairly clean in the relationship department. It’s refreshing.

The story took a bit for me to get fully engaged in but not in a bad way. I enjoy her use of flipping between different time periods and it’s something her fans are used to seeing.

The other thing I really enjoyed is that I was able to just go along for the ride and not try to guess who the culprit was or even worry about if something was a crime or not. Frequently in mystery novels the culprit screams out from the pages whether you want it to or not and it takes away from the story as it it focused on the “who done it” part of the mystery. Johnson’s books aren’t like that. You are just along for the ride and realize a mystery is a foot at different points . I’m not sure if that makes sense?

I highly recommend putting this on your TBR for Aug 6 2024 as it’s a fun read that can mix up the typical summer beach reads!

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for this ARC!

I was so beyond excited to get this one because I love Maureen Johnson and the Stevie series that I was super excited to read the new one - and I got to do it so early!

This was another great novel from Maureen. It grabbed you from the beginning and kept you guessing until the end. I thought I had some ideas on where it was headed but I did not guess the outcome which is always fun. I can't wait til everyone gets to read this one and I know it will be just as popular as her Stevie Bell series!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was a super entertaining and proved to be a fairly fast read for me. I feel like the mystery was very well plotted, and kept my interest the entire time. Ms. Johnson knows how to write a new and fresh mystery over and over without repeating anything, and as a reader it's fantastic because you still can't see what's coming.

Another great read from Maureen Johnson.

There is something about Maureen's story telling that I love. I think that I mostly like looking into the past to solve a crime when things are usually deadly in the current timeline. I still love the Stevie stories more and really want the next one. But this one was great too.

Marlowe takes her crush to the house she's house sitting for. She buys a candle with her crush's favorite smell. That was the start of her bad summer. The candle exploded and started a fire. It was an accident, but Marlowe felt horrible. She's offered a job on a small island with a home called Morning House. It was recently sold and the owners agreed to open it up for one season of tours. The house is a mansion on the water. It was built in the early 1920's and was the scene of two deaths in one day. The deaths were considered accidents, but most people don't believe that. Most of the family died young in tragic ways so the place is said to be cursed. Marlowe makes new friends and she finds out that she was replacing a boy that recently died. Marlowe starts looking into the past more. The book goes back and forth in time with more information coming out about both timelines and the deaths. There's a big storm coming and everyone will be trapped on an island not knowing if there's a killer there with them.

I enjoyed reading this. Heads up on some warnings. The book talks a lot about eugenics in the 20's. There's also fire and blood.

I gave this book 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for my earc.

I liked the characters and the setting. The characters were complex, flawed, and believable. The story was told by alternating two different time periods: modern day and 1932. The narrator/main character managed to solve multiple mysterious deaths in both time periods while navigating romantic interests. The ending was very exciting and dangerous.

The mysteries were pretty good. I did manage to figure out one of the killers before the reveal, but the other was a complete surprise.

Marlowe is struggling in her home town and after an unfortunate event she needs some distance to breathe without hearing what rumors are being said. She's able to find a job working as a tour guide for a mansion with a tragic history that also has some secrets. She finds herself in the middle of some mysterious circumstances.

This has a past and present timeline. The past is telling the story of the owners of the mansion that Marlowe is now working for. The Ralston's are a unique family with a tragic past.

I preferred the past timeline, I found that story more interesting. The present timeline was slow at first but thrilling during the last half. The past timeline gave me the vibe of the home-life of the Umbrella Academy without super powers.

The mystery was decent but I felt it was a bit obvious. It's a closed door mystery so you have only a few people to choose from.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA mystery/thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Teen for allowing me to read an eARC of Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson.

After accidentally burning down a house, Marlowe flees in embarrassment to take a summer job on a small island near the US/Canadian border. She is the outsider in an existing friend group with secrets. Together this group of teenagers is responsible for giving tours and taking care of the island house where two unexpected deaths occurred over 90 years ago, supervised by aloof Dr. Henson who is writing a book on the island’s mysterious history. A dual timeline explores the mysteries of both the past and present.

The characters are likeable and the writing is fun and engaging at times and thrilling at others. Overall this was a fun and engaging read.

This book was a wild ride! Not what I was expecting at all! Definitely read this one if you want a truly shocking ending!

Maureen, you can’t keep getting away with this! Writing bangers left and right and *whispers* not finishing The Name of the Star series 😂 But in all seriousness, this was such a treat to read and perfect to read during the summer.

Atmospheric, mysterious, FUNNY, all the things. I loved the main character Marlowe - she was anxious and witty and absolutely hilarious. The side characters were also lovable, especially my guy Van.

I loved the weaving of two different stories and timelines for it to all come together beautifully. A great read and I highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I love a good mystery, but I didn’t really connect with the characters in this one. I was engaged at the beginning of the book and then my interest started to wane. The pace went a little slow for me. I did not care for the dual timeline because it didn’t really feel like the stories were connected well. I would’ve liked the focus to be on one of the story lines or the other. There is a little bit of a love match going on in the story, but I was disappointed with who Marlowe ended up with. She seemed to have more chemistry with another character. Even though it didn’t really connect for me, I’m sure there is a large audience for this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperTeens for the opportunity ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the perfect summer mystery.

In the summer of 1932, Max is found having drowned in the lake and shortly after Clara Ralston, the oldest of Phillip Ralston’s adopted children falls from a balcony and dies the same day. Because of this tragic story, Morning House, the former home of the Ralston family, has become a tourist attraction for one summer only, before the new owners turn it into something else.

And so enters Marlowe, a girl escaping her (untrue) reputation as an arsonist for a summer at a historic house on Ralston island. She has always been a wiz with puzzles and problem solving, but she might be a bit in over her head as she begins to uncover the secrets of her fellow tour guides- a group of friends who grew up there- and of this incredible house.

Maureen Johnson does an excellent job of overlaying and intertwining these stories together. This is truly a masterpiece of mystery and I could not put this down. I felt equally invested in the lives of Marlowe’s crew and the Ralston family. I am only sad that this doesn’t come out until August and more people won’t get to enjoy this during the summer months when the story takes place.

Also, I now need to read everything Maureen Johnson writes.

I will read anything by Maureen Johnson! I was hooked from the very beginning when Marlowe is having a rough start to her summer and the Ralston family.

I enjoyed the dual timeline, fast-paced, and a good mystery novel. 4 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Teen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first read from the author outside of her Truly Devious series and I was relieved that the magic didn't end with Stevie Bell! I found these characters funny and quirky in a believable way which can be a hard balance to find. While some of the final reveals were somewhat predictable, Dual time lines can sometimes really inhibit my enjoyment of the story (let's be real, one is always more interesting) but I found both of these storylines captivating. Definitely recommend this fun YA, especially great for a summer read!

Um, wow. This is a great freakin’ story. I basically did nothing but read until I was finished. Like a great, devouring reading mammal.

Household chores? Who cares if we have to wear dirty laundry? Errands? They can wait until next week. Hanging out with my husband? Ok, we did watch Hit Man and we recommend. But other than that?! Nothing but reading Death at Morning House.

@maureenjohnsonbooks knows how to write a funny, yet also high-stakes mystery. This book is fantastic! The mystery (mysteries?) is compelling, and revealed so brilliantly. The characters are top-notch. Love, love, love Marlowe Wexler. And who doesn’t love a lil romance thrown into their suspense?!

Marlowe has had a rough start to her summer. She finally landed a date with her dream girl, Akilah Jones, but things went awry when the house they were kissing in went up in a blaze. She’s miserable and wants the earth the swallow her when she has an opportunity to be a tour guide at a mansion on a nearby island. The mansion is, of course, Morning House, which was the center of some terrible tragedy almost a hundred years ago.

I’m going to let the rest go, so you can be sufficiently impressed as I was with how this story unravels. It’s sneaky, fun, and so so good.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts are mine alone.

#mystery #contemporarymystery #youngadult #teen #lgbtqia+ #arc #netgalley @harpercollins @epicreads