Death at Morning House is an unputdownable mystery from one of my favorite YA authors, Maureen Johnson! In this standalone novel, we meet accidental firebug Marlowe Wexler, spend the summer with her at the enigmatic Morning House on Ralston Island, and uncover mysteries from the past and the present. I flew through this one in just a couple of days, which is a rarity for me—especially when the book is nearly 400 pages long!

If you've read Truly, Devious and the other Stevie Bell mysteries, you will recognize Johnson's signature dual-timeline storytelling that weaves together two whodunnits, separated by time but bound by space. This structure sucks me in every time! And while it definitely works for the story of Morning House, its uncanny echoes of Stevie Bell and Ellingham Academy are pretty loud. Maybe too loud?

I do love that this book is a standalone and that both the present-day and 1932 mysteries of Morning House are wrapped up in one volume! The characters and the setting are charming, and if Johnson decides to give us a sequel, I would happily return to Clement Bay for more hijinks. However, I am content with this story (series or no series) and can't wait to share it with other readers!

Full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5984935020

I really like Maureen Johnson's writing style. I'm a huge fan of her Truly Devious series, so I was really looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed.

While I was not quite as surprised by the solution to this mystery as I have been at some of her other books, it was a thoroughly engrossing story. It's told in dual-timelnes, as she seems to be very fond of. I did kind of expect that. What I did not expect was for this book to touch on eugenics along with murder. That was an interesting addition. And she doesn't do it overtly - it sort of creeps up on you as you go through the story.

The characters in this book were very different; I don't feel like I got to know the side characters very well, but that's just the difference between being with them for one book as opposed to five.

Johnson writes queer characters very skillfully; if that's something you care about, you can go into this book with confidence.

Maureen Johnson can do no wrong by my estimation so it's no surprise that I LOVED Death at Morning House. In the dog days of summer the creaky murder-mystery, brings the reader along on sweltering summer days to find out not only what happened at Morning House, a remote estate on the St. Lawrence River, in the 1930s, but also current day.
Marlowe has found herself in a bit of a sticky situation and lucks into a chance to spend the summer working at Morning House, a place she's never heard of. She soon finds out that the family that owned the estate left under tragic conditions in the 30s and a new owner is set to transform it into a corporate retreat, not before it is allowed to open to the public for the first time in history, for one summer. When Marlowe gets to Morning House, she realizes the adjacent small town has experienced its own share of tragedy.
Wondering at how the two timeliness together is one of the best parts of Death at Morning House. With Johnson's signature character building and atmospheric mystery, Death at Morning House was the perfect read on the cusp of fall.

I loved this thriller. I love that it was told in multiple back and forth timelines. Will recommend!

A fun mystery with back and forth from the past to the present that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

Marlowe Wexler has had one thing after another go wrong and after a horrible first date where she almost burns down a house. She then sets off for a new summer job at Morning House. Morning House is a mansion built on an island back in the 1920s but was quickly abandoned after the death of several family members. The house is being opened for one summer for fans of the story of what happened in the house. Shortly after Marlowe arrives, another mystery starts to unravel, and Marlowe finds herself at the center of this mystery and the danger included.

Death at Morning House is another great mystery by Maureen Johnson. I have enjoyed all of the books by Johnson, but I can’t give this one as high of a rating for one personal picky reason. I am not a fan of books that have LGTBQ type themes that are marketed to kids or in the YA section. Write that in adult books all you want, but when it is marketed to kids, I am not so much a fan. The story itself was really good and I enjoyed the mystery aspect of it along with the back and forth between the past and present. Johnson is very good at the sleuthing type genre and I knew that would make this story really good, which it did, I wasn’t sure how it was all going to turn out until the very end. I love it when writers are able to make a story twisty like that and keep me guessing. I do think fans of mysteries will enjoy this one for sure.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

I always like how Maureen’s books tie together the past and present, connecting similarities between the two mysteries. There’s always purposeful misdirection that doesn’t feel forced, having me think I know what happened without actually giving the story away. At times it seemed a bit repetitive but I liked how we got the thought process of Marlowe solving the case.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC of Death at Morning House!

Death at Morning House, is about Marlowe, who is having the worst summer of her life after accidentally setting a family friends, house on fire. After hiding out for a while she is presented the opportunity to be a tour guide of a large home in upstate New York. Taking the position thinking this is a good way to leave behind her old life, and escape her mistake, she steps into an even hotter situation.

I really enjoyed the duel timeline exploring both the current day and past mystery taking place at Morning house. It was well paced and the characters felt fully flushed out with unique, and individual personalities.

This is for fans who enjoyed Good Girl Guide to Murder and Maureen Johnson’s previous works!

I've loved Maureen Johnson's books in the past. She's great for a YA mystery where you can just shut your brain off for a few hours and escape into a mystery. I struggled with this one because of the past story that gave the Morning House it's mystery. Reading thing about small children drowning - especially a four year old when I have one - is just tough for me so it just wasn't a good match. But if you've liked her other books or want a YA mystery I'd say go for it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had a great time! This author wrote one of my favorite YA mystery/thriller series, the Truly Devious series, so when this book was announced, I was excited! I'm happy to say that I loved this one too.

The author does a fantastic job writing books with two decent storylines that eventually connect in a fun way. The story never feels jarring when it switches from one timeline to the next. It all flows very well!

I am so glad that the author made the main character queer in this book. She had great rep in the Truly Devious series with the side characters but its great when its the MC!

Highly recommend this book, just dive in and have fun!

I loved the Truly Devious series so was excited to pick this up. Unfortunately it wasn’t a favorite as it was really slow building up the story, and when the mystery finally hit it was resolved too quickly. The pacing was off for me and I wasn’t invested in any of the characters so it was a bit disappointing.

Maureen Johnson holds a special place in my YA loving heart. So I was super excited to get approved to read this one! I was pleasantly surprised by how easily this sucked me in. A past and present timeline gave the reader two different stories to follow along that flowed seamlessly. I enjoyed the FMC and her quirks. I liked how there were multiple mysteries going on but none of them took away from each other. This was a solid YA mystery with multiple POVs, suspects galore, missing people and a tinge of teenage angst and romance.

Maureen Johnson has always (since around 2014 or 15 when I discovered her books, so it just seems like always) been a go-to author for me because of her reliability in constructing a story and a quirkiness that I find pleasing. Her latest, Death at Morning House, is no different. Here we have Marlowe Wexler whose biggest plan for the summer is to work at her summer job with her crush, Akilah, and see what happens. What happens is that on her first date with Akilah, a special candle she bought of Akilah’s favorite scent explodes and almost completely burns down the lake home that Marlowe is supposed to be care-taking. Needless to say, the summer is no longer going to go the way Marlowe planned. Instead, she finds herself as a tour guide for a famous house on an island in the Hudson River where a tragedy once occurred in the early 1930’s. While the mystery of the tragedy is intriguing, so too is the dynamic among the local teens who are working on the island with Marlowe especially when she finds out why she was hired at the last minute.

By now, Maureen Johnson is quite adept at the twisty mystery. In this case, we have not only the current mysteries, one disappearance and one accident, but we also have the one from 1932, which was also perceived as a tragic accident. You might guess that none of these accidents are really accidents. While I did guess the perpetrator of the current scenario (although Johnson threw in a momentary glitch that had me doubt my choice), the 1932 mystery is a mystery for sure that has a satisfying although disturbing conclusion. I don’t think I’d be reaching to say that the perpetrators of the non-accidents have a similar vibe.

I enjoyed reading about the characters, quietly observant, awkward Marlowe who has a photographic memory and a big heart; seemingly prickly goth-girl, Riki; ebullient Van; and bubbly April amongst others. The characters from the 1930s were also interesting and I could have easily read more about them, although that tinge of tragedy was dark.

All said, another enjoyable entry in Johnson’s canon. If this were to become a series, I would happily read more.

Many thanks to Harper Teen and Netgalley for sending me a copy.

What a wild ride of a story. And I'm very surprised to not have an author's note or information regarding her choice of setting in the Thousand Islands and along the St. Lawrence because I'm assuming she's taken liberties with the story of Boldt Castle on Heart Island-- the man began building this extravagant house and more before his wife died. He left it unfinished and never returned to the island. Kids in particular would boat over and completely vandalized the upper floors (which are still like that as a nod to the history) including graffiti. It's opulent. But if you take boat trip you can also hear the stories of the Prohibition era rum runners and so much more that's been added to the ambience of this story.

All that aside, Johnson creates the spookiest mystery that includes a man of importance who believe in eugenics and who "adopted" a handful of children. They keep strict schedules and diets. A wife is added to the mix and they have a child. That child drowns, another falls off a balcony. That was in 1932. But then there's a contemporary story of Marlowe who is going to be a tour guide at Morning House and the death and mysteries compound. As a standalone, it hit all the right notes though a few of the red herrings and side stories didn't mesh overall, but I can move past it.

Really the setting (for me) is what made it, second is the situation with its rich, dark historical vibes.

I was lucky enough to go to a Murder Mystery party with Maureen Johnson last month and received a copy of this book from the publisher there. It didn’t affect my review, but it was VERY cool.

Maureen is a mystery magician! While this wasn’t a Truly Devious, I had just as much fun reading it and unraveling the mystery with our new protagonist Marlowe. Who doesn’t love simultaneously solving a hundred year old mystery and a current one?

3.5
I had very high expectations for this because I’m such a Maureen Johnson fan after reading her truly devious series but the magic from that series just didn’t transfer over to this one. I will say the setting was incredible and I was really invested in how that would all play out with how isolated they were, but neither the present timeline or the flashbacks timeline was all that enjoyable to me. Cult leader father was creepy and controlling which was the point but the influence he had on his children was really off putting. Once the big reveal came of why the little boy died and the sisters death was undecided but instead all a messed up interpretation of what the father wanted I was just done. As for the current murder. It just felt incredibly random. I think that’s my issue with this one. The big reveals came out of nowhere and there wasn’t any breadcrumbs to even hint that would be the outcome. Which as someone who enjoys the hunt to figure out who done it in mystery it was really disappointing. Overall I feel like this was a solid ya mystery that could have just used a little more shaping around the end or made some of the details more clear leading up (really dislike when the big bad is a character with minimal screen time, like “who are you again?”). I will give this mad props for capturing so well the gay panic about being surrounded with hot girls and no idea what to do with that information 🤣

Maureen Johnson's latest YA novel is a thrilling blend of mystery and humor, centered around Marlowe Wexler, a teen who stumbles into a chilling mystery while working as a tour guide on a secluded island. After an unfortunate incident involving a fire and a failed date, Marlowe seeks refuge in a seemingly low-risk job at Morning House, a deserted mansion with a dark past.

What begins as a mundane summer gig quickly spirals into a gripping adventure when Marlowe uncovers long-buried secrets and a series of suspicious deaths linked to the mansion. Johnson masterfully balances suspense and wit, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Marlowe races to solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim. With its clever plot twists and relatable protagonist, this stand-alone novel is a must-read for fans of YA thrillers.

Let me start by saying I am a HUGE Maureen Johnson fan so when I saw this book on Netgalley I crossed my fingers and toes hoping I would get approved. I literally screamed and kicked my feet when I saw I got a copy!

This was easily a 5 star read for me. An abandoned well kept beautiful mansion on an island, murder and a lesbian main character. Yeah. I mean, what more could you really want? This book was SO FREAKING GOOD.

There are multiple different POV’s in this book, which I loved. We have Marlow who is an out cast and after recently setting a house on fire by accident, she found herself needed space from her real life. She takes a job giving tours to “The Morning House” which is this beautiful mansion that is located in the St. Larence Rivers Thousand Islands. Maureen did an amazing job of describing this location that I truly thought it could be real. Which is no surprise because she has done an amazing job in setting descriptions in her other books.

Our other POV is from Clara Ralston from back in 1932. We know she is one of the deaths that occurs at The Morning House but we learn her story and the events that lead to her death. I loved learning about how the crazy Ralston family is that built and lived in the Morning House.
I thought the mystery of the story was great. There was really multiple different stories and deaths in this book, but they blended so well together. I loved this book and I wish there was a second with Marlow.

Was this book bad? No of course not. Was it especially memorable? Not at all. I think this is a good cleanser between books, but it's certainly not a book that I will think about again or that I'm jumping to recommend to anyone. Very much so a mid book

After an accidental fire (that definitely wasn't her fault) Marlowe is relieved when a job opportunity promises to take her far away from her home. Morning House is known for its' tragic backstory and the strange behavior of the family that lived in the house. Morning House will be open for one summer to tours before the island will be privatized by the investors. However, things immediately seem weird to Marlowe and she's determined to get to the bottom of it.
Marlowe was such a fun and quirky main character. She felt really relatable for a girl that age. Maureen Johnson always writes amazing YA Mysteries.

An amazing new standalone adventure by Maureen Johnson!

When Margo Wexler accidentally burns down a house on her first date ever, she is cast as the town pyro. Running away in shame seems like the best course of action, and when a spot opens up as a tour guide at an abandoned mansion from the 20's, she decides to go. Summer at Morning House comes with it's own challenges as mysteries about the former occupants come to light and more recent tragedies are revealed. Margo teams up with a surly ally to find out what is going on at Morning House now and what happened to the Ralston family all those years ago.

A recommended purchase for YA collections in print and audio.