I have never read any of Maureen Johnson’s book so I went into this with no expectations. Death at Morning House was an unexpected mystery with clues you had to follow all the way until the end. I was left delighted and throughly entertained. I now need to go read some of her older books.

Every time, Maureen Johnson captures my interest and holds it through to the very end of the book. She is skilled at bringing many mystery tropes from both film and literary history to life in a way that is entertaining, novel, and thrilling. I will read anything she writes!!

I have to say that I truly adored the main character.. Marlowe, the endearingly awkward lead character, finds herself sucked into a significant drama involving her buddy group while working as a summer employee in a funeral house.

The two timelines—one set in the era of prohibition and the other in contemporary times—were superbly combined to create an outstanding murder mystery! In addition to giving the story more depth, this narrative decision keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they solve the mystery with the protagonists.

I was captivated by the mystery around what transpired and was eager to learn more, and it did not let me down! There are enough turns and twists in this well-written mystery to keep readers guessing. There is tension and dangers on Marlowe's path to discovering the truth since every clue she finds gets her one step closer to revealing the fatal mysteries of the estate.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone who like YA mysteries and thrillers.

As usual as soon as I saw that Maureen Johnson was writing another mystery I added it to my TBR. Doesn’t take much for me to want a book from her lol Was I upset that it wasn’t another Stevie Bell and Truly Devious book? Yes. Was I going to read it anyway? Absolutely.

The beginning of this one was so weird lol I didn’t know where it was going when I first started reading it. And then the THING happened and I was very confused. No weirder than Johnson’s other books, but still. Usually she starts the book when the person is already on the way to the place they’ve been banished to lol So this was weird but good and I couldn’t wait to get to the mystery.

The characters were funny tho. Marlowe was hilarious. I still can’t believe all of this happened because she had a crush on a girl. And like girl, I love love, but she was doing too much lol I hated that she just wanted to get closer to the girl and then that happened. Definitely wasn’t what she was expecting at all I’m sure. But the way she handled it was crazy. But she went on to do some amazing things on that island. And I will say, I liked that we didn’t learn everything about her at once. This made it feel no info dumpy and that was perfect.

The mystery was weird. I liked that we went back and forth from the past to the present. And it wasn’t giving us too much at once so there were no spoilers. I liked it so much. But I did think this one was a little more weird than her others. The “dad” was terrible and I hated him. Everything they mentioned about him was terrible. I couldn’t figure out how in the world people kept giving him kids! But it all made sense in the end. So please, don’t let this man keep you from reading it! You NEED to get to the end.

I don’t want to say too much more about this since this is a mystery, but I will say the ending had me say out loud, “WTF!” Because when it happened it was just mentioned so casually lol They were so proud. It caught me off guard. So please, read this and let me know if you feel the same. I need to know I’m not alone!

This book had a few things I really enjoyed and quite a lot of others that I really didn't.

I'll start with the things I didn't like:
- The dual timelines- they tend to slow a book way down and it frustrates me.
- I didn't connect to either story line- I honestly didn't care what happened to any of the characters at any given time. This book was trying to tell two separate stories and I think it would have benefitted immensely from telling either one or the other.
- Marlowe's obsession with her crush was borderline stalker creepy. I found her obsession with all things Akilah made me extremely uncomfortable.
- The Aunt's letter in the end summing up/ explaining everything seemed like the easy way out.

Things I liked:
-Marlowe was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times.
-Marlowe's "high" scene was fantastic. Hilarious and relatable and believable- loved it.
-Parallels between the timelines- While I didn't like the dual timelines I did like that the present mimicked the past throughout, that was a nice way of tying them together.
- The house seemed cool.

Overall I didn't like this one. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, either mystery- if you want to call them that. I mean, the answers were nearly immediately handed to you as soon as they arose. I feel like this book was written to tell the story that took place in the 193o's not the present time and I think the author should've just written that book.

I received this book for review. I enjoyed the second half of this book. I was over 50% before I felt the story really starting to click for me. Most of the time I wouldn’t stick that king, but I love Maureen’s Truly Devious series so I wanted to give this a fair chance. I felt like the first half tried too hard when setting up the story. Too many characters and side stories kept pulling me out of the story. Once we got to the actual action in both storylines I enjoyed it much more. Personally I think the old timeline of the weird family with the rigid Dad and regimented family was much more interesting than the present day. I felt like the family, although super odd, was way more engaging than any of the present day characters. I could not relate to them and didn’t feel invested in their story at all.
Overall the book was good, just much slower paced than Truly Devious.

I always have a fun time with Maureen Johnson's YA mysteries and this new one was no exception. Admittedly the mystery here is a little thin and obvious - especially the modern-day story. But Marlowe is SO much more likable as a protagonist than Stevie from Truly, Devious. SORRY, I SAID IT.

This had a very fun and quirky setting typical of Johnson - a tricked-out mansion full of secret passageways on one of the Thousands Islands along the Canadian/New York border. (I had no idea that's where Thousand Island dressing originated!) I want to visit these islands so badly now.

Johnson also loves her 1930s backstories, and so do I, although the historical sub-story was actually super devastating. But overall, this was a super quick and fun read for my vacation brain. Recommend if you’re a Maureen Johnson fan.

Maureen Johnson never fails to write a fun mystery and this was a fun addition to her other mysteries I've read. While it is a standalone and not part of her ongoing series, it had many of the same elements: suspense, witty characters, twists and turns, and a satisfying finish. However, this one felt slower to me than her other novels and I wish that the characters had been more developed. As a reader who reads for characters, I found it very challenging to read about a family of eugenicists. It was fun to have two plot lines going at the same times but it also made me feel like there were some plot holes in it. Despite it all, I absolutely loved the main character's voice and personality. There were many times I chuckled or laughed out loud and her voice was definitely one of the things that kept me reading. I also enjoyed that the two plot lines converged because of the setting. I think this would be a great spooky season read -- lots of creepy, spooky, dark vibes. I will say this novel was darker than some of her others so perhaps be prepared for that. I definitely recommend if you love mystery, others of Johnson's novels, twists and turns, or spooky season reads.

I was given this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

We have our MC Marlowe who's a bit of a love obsessed, accidental fire bug and that's how we start this story. She is obsessed with this girl at school. Honestly this sub plot is dragged through the whole story and makes the MC seem whiney and obsessive. I could've done without this whole sub plot. It did nothing for the story and the character and I found it distracting and it made me lose my connection with the story every time it was brought back up.

However, the story plot of the morning house is super interesting both present day and in the past. We have someone who may be a murderer in present day and we definitely have one from the past. The plot is definitely intriguing and fast paced. It sucks you right in and you want to keep reading to get to those snippets of scenes from the past.

******Spoiler******

I will say I was unprepared for some of the information given by Aunt Dagmar. I would've loved more information on the mother's and what really happened to them and how the children ended up in his care. I know he says they became his bc of the circumstances of war but we later learn that's not true. I wonder how he talked six women into giving up their children to him and going no contact.

Overall the book is good 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I would've rated higher had it not been for the rude interrupting sub plot.

This was told by Marlowe in the present day and by Clara in 1932. This was a fairly easy book to get through, but I have to say that I enjoyed Clara’s perspective over Marlowe’s. Marlowe just grated my nerves at times with her angsty attitude and passive demeanor. I was intrigued by the routines the Ralston family, and wished the book was set in this timeline rather present day. The family was odd, and it just was creepy how they dressed alike and their father was very strict with schedules.

The pace with Marlowe does not pick up until the 50% mark, and by then you just want to get on with it. I had higher hopes for this one, and wanted more of Clara’s backstory over Marlowe just hanging out at the Morning House watching things happen to her. This cover is gorgeous, but I just was bored with Marlowe.

Looked this new stand-alone book by Maureen Johnson. I thought the characters and their development were interesting and the story unfolded with great pacing. I really enjoy the whole flashbacks, with a mystery in the present and a mystery in the past being unraveled and solved with similar timing. Definitely kept me hooked. The only thing of note that I felt was out of place, was creating an image of the main character that deviates with the whole puzzle master/unraveler thing that they just threw in, I'm assuming to make sense of why the main character was able to solve a portion of the mystery. That and how they "solved" the mystery in the past, *spoiler* by a single letter being unearthed. Otherwise a solid YA stand-alone.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

when you accidentally set a house on fire with a faulty candle, you’d think that your summer couldn’r get any worse. You’d be wrong. you’d think that going to a secluded island to work as a tourguide where no one knows you would be okay, right? nope. you’ll have to face a murder mystery that our main character never asked for. oh and did i mention it’s not only a current murder mystery but one from the early 1930s as well?

As a BIG fan of the Truly Devious series, and one of the series I credit for getting me BACK into reading in 2020 - I was so excited to read more Maureen, and that it was also young adult and mystery! (not same series, new standalone book)

I will say, the audiobook narrator wasn't my favorite on this one, if I read it again or could for the first time - I'd read the physical instead. I really enjoy a spooky element that is a creepy building/house/property, and Death at Morning House delivered on that premise. Maureen also excels at creating really deep, complex characters which feels rare for mystery, especially YA mystery. It's not just surface level!

It was well paced, very mysterious, and interesting. I didn't predict most of what was going to happen, and was throughly entertained throughout the story.

*E-book copy gifted from Netgalley/HarperTeen. Physical hardcover gifted from MBC books for the bookstagram tour. All opinions/reviews are my own - thank you!

I wonder if I’ve learned to judge Maureen Johnson’s work by a higher standard than I would other authors because she’s produced so much that I think is excellent, because this book (which is fine enough by YA mystery standards) really felt like a bit of a letdown.

This is essentially just another Truly Devious book, but with less atmosphere, less humor, and without the characters you know and love. The protagonist here is a perfectly fine and likable girl, but she feels a bit two-dimensional and like more of a trendy YA archetype than actual person.

But the bigger problem is that this suffers from an issue common to dual timeline mysteries, which is that the modern timeline mystery and the older timeline mystery have absolutely nothing to do with each other except that they occur in the same location. Neither story is problematic in itself, but that they never find their way to any kind of cohesive whole is disappointing, especially when neither one is a standout on its own.

The pacing is fine here and the sense of place is good (if sadly not great in the way we expect from Johnson, but on the whole it’s a lesser animal than most of her previous work.

I almost DNF's this because Marlowe was giving stalker vibes in the first chapter, but I kept going and I'm glad I did. I liked that the book goes from the present with Marlowe to the past with some of the Ralston's. I could've done without Marlowe's wallowing and self-pity for the majority of the book. I wanted to scream, "GIRL! It was an accident and she never broke up with you!"

I was not expecting the twists that came in the book! I thought it was really well written and I want to read other books by this author.

With Death at Morning House, Maureen Johnson has once again woven together a pair of captivating mysteries into a dark and shadowy tale of murder and conspiracy through time. Fans of the author’s Truly Devious books will enjoy the new characters and setting, while new readers will be eager to explore more of her books after finishing this one.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

Death at Morning House is a fun mystery packed adventure. The book follows two time lines and a whole lot of murders. I love love love reading about family drama and the time line that takes place in the past was packed full of drama. If you like any of the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson then I think you will definitely enjoy this book!
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

Another fantastic suspense-filled whodunnit by Maureen Johnson! With a setting of a spooky mansion on an isolated island, how can one not be intrigued. The dual stories was done well and I enjoyed getting to know all the many different characters. I appreciated that this read well for a YA book. I am finding many YA mystery books are reading "too adult", The mystery was done well and I highly recommend!

This was a fun YA Thriller Mystery book to read! This story was super fast paced and I cruised right through this one. I really enjoyed reading the old history of the Ralston Family and reading about how one of the children, Max was found dead by drowning and not soon after, his sister Clara jumps off a balcony and soon dies after. Now why did they do this? What caused this to happen?
Then the story is told in the future with Marlowe Wexler who is sent to this island where the Ralston's used to live and help give tours of the house. Strange things start to happen at the house, someone goes missing and Marlowe is determined to find out what is going on and figure out what happened in the past to maybe have caused these problems and a missing person.

Like I said, this book was super fast paced and definitely will keep your attention with how well the writing was written.

Maureen Johnson does it again. This was such a fascinating story. I love how she always has flashback chapters that tell the story of the mystery being solved. Her characters have such great arcs which I feel is harder to do since they are teenagers. One of the things that annoys me most in YA books is teenagers who whine. That annoys me in all books, but her adolescent characters are never like that. Each character is well created with a back story that relates to their actions within the story. Maureen has easily turned into one of my must-read authors. This book tells 2 great stories that are tied together beautifully yet disturbingly. I admit, I had one of the mysteries solved, the older one, but the modern-day one had me stumped. Once Marlowe started to tell the story I caught on to where she was going with it and it made sense. It was a wild yet enjoyable ride. I recommend it if you are a fan of Maureen's book or any YA mystery.

Thank you to Harper Collin’s Children’s and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Fun, fast paced YA thriller that I really enjoyed! I loved the dual timelines and the unfolding of similar and related situations. I enjoyed the suspenseful build up and I always enjoy a whodunnit. I enjoyed the development of Marlowe’s character and found her anxiety and self consciousness to be charming and appropriate for a 17 year old girl. I wish the other characters in the novel had been better developed, especially the eventual reveal of the whodunnit fell a little bit flat bc the characters were not super well developed. Overall, fast paced, suspenseful, and kept me guessing. Would recommend!