Mystery Royale was such a great read! The plot was full of twists that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I really enjoyed how the story was built up, with just the right amount of suspense and surprises. The characters were compelling, and the stakes felt real throughout. My only downside? Now I have to wait for the sequel! Definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good mystery.

As for the comparisons to The Inheritance Games—another book I absolutely loved—they were spot on! But what really sets Mystery Royale apart for me is the fantasy twist. It adds an extra layer that made the story even more exciting!

This is definitely a YA book that no other audience will enjoy.... Between the dizzying array of characters who are barely developed, the cringe-worthy attempts of an adult trying to write in childrens' voices, and the rapidly switching POVs that are all written in first person and hardly distinguishable from each other. (not to mention the distracting number of comma splices that this English teacher couldn't ignore)... It was just a mess.

I will say that the plot is interesting and that my 14-year-old students will probably enjoy zipping through this one--but my older students will probably find it as overdone as I did.

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

Oh this book was so much fun and I can't wait for the sequel because I need MORE!

Mystery Royale is a mix of murder mystery in the likes of Knives Out & The Inheritance Games, but sprinkled in with MAGIC like in Alice in Wonderland & Caraval. Nothing is what it seems, and the stakes are HIGH after an enigmatic millionaire leaves a magical inheritance that can only be won through a game of "Mystery Royale".

The book is split into multiple POVs that slowly clue you in on how the game works, though the most important POVs are from Mullory, Lyric & Ellison. The first 30% of this book made me think as if I had everything figured out, but I was so wrong, and soon I was just caught in the whirlwind of the game/murder mystery and just HIGHLY enjoying the company of the characters. At first glance, everyone is a suspect and extremely hard to like from the POV of Mullory, but as we learn more about each relative of Uncle Xavier (who left the mystery royale game), then the odd family dynamics started to make sense.

I flew through the pages and read the entire book well into the early hours of the morning, wanting to know how the game would end and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Though my heart kind of aches, and the only thing that keeps me from screaming is the knowledge that there WILL be a sequel. I so desperately need it!

"Run if the strange finds you," but if you are a fan of unlikely allies, murder mystery, magical games, rivals-to-lovers romance, and a mansion with SO MANY secrets, then I do suggest you RUN to pick up a copy of Mystery Royale.

I've never read a fantastical mystery before so I didn't know what to think but I ended up loving this one. I would actually read more books like this.

This was sheer chaos. Like if Caraval and Knives Out went out on the town and got sloppy drunk. And I kind of love that. It did get a tiny bit confusing in all the magical chaos, but the story was well done! The characters are really quite something and I enjoyed the little romance.

A murder mystery with a prize of magic to the winner. This is a great storyline that keeps you guessing about who do it... and there are so many possibilities. A great read. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I am almost a month late on this one, which published 1.7.25. 😬 It is definitely going to be purchased for my school library, as it has very strong Inheritance Games and The Westing Game vibes, but with actual magic. It is told from the perspectives of the under-18 family members of this dude in a powerful magical family, plus two “extras”, as they are invited to this competition when he dies. They are told one of them murdered him, and are given a set amount of time to unravel clues and make it to the end. Hand to readers who want mystery and magic, but aren’t feeling a series right now. Recommended for grades 6+.

Is anything real?

Mullory feels alone and helpless. Her mother left her to take care of her terminally ill grandmother, leaving her with this warning, “Run if the strange finds you”. She starts receiving letters and doesn’t want to open them but when Elliot, a family services worker, arrives and tells her he’s checking in on Mullory and her Gran and seeing how difficult their situation is, might have a solution to help them. Elliot tells Mullory to open the letters. Inside is an invitation to Stoutmire Estate to participate in a game of mystery to win an inheritance. When she arrives at the estate, Mullory discovers that Elliott is actually Edwin and serves the estate owner, Xavier Stoutmire. Then things become more strange because a murder has been committed and a game has been created by the deceased that’s outlined in the will. The players must unravel the mystery with magical clues, riddles and illusions full of danger.

Likes/dislikes: The book is definitely written for YA with the quips and easy crushes. I like how the author added literary quotes to broaden the impact. Flashbacks are sprinkled throughout the story as echoes that the characters can see. The author created an eclectic mix of characters.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 86 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: predominantly white.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this twisty murder mystery infused with magic. It is a "locked room" mystery. It was fun and I enjoyed the multiple points of view. Then ending leaves you wondering and hoping for more. This was fun. I will be purchasing it for our library.

Mystery Royale was surprising, thought provoking and so engaging. I loved the style in which the author wrote. I loved the multiple POVs and how thought out the characters were. I enjoyed the growth and progression of the characters and the story line. I am hoping there is a second books so we continue to see these relationships grow and see how everything plays out. This is a book I really enjoyed but I also think my teenage son would like too.

Book Review: Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia

This story follows Mullory as she’s thrust into a deadly game of Mystery Royale. After receiving an invitation to Stoutmire Estate with the promise of a sizable inheritance, Mullory finds herself tangled in a web of secrets and danger. Her mother’s cryptic warning—“run if the strange finds you”—lingers ominously as events unfold.

Dark, gripping, and packed with twists and turns, Mystery Royale keeps the suspense high from start to finish. The multiple POVs add depth, letting you uncover each character’s discoveries while questioning who to trust. The unpredictability will keep you hooked until the final revelation.

If you love dark mysteries with mind-bending surprises, this one’s a must-read!

✨⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you like riddles, puzzles, games, or mystery, you need to read this one. Mystery Royale is fantasy meets The Inheritance Games in all the best ways. Fans of The Inheritance Games will gobble this one up. I thought, "I'll give this one a chance" and luckily I had it on audiobook and was able to multitask because otherwise I would have done nothing the entire day while I binged this one. I could not put it down. The alternating perspectives add to the intrigue and suspense in the plot. The fantasy element enhances the mystery and suspense as the players stumble upon trapped memories the deceased left for them. Similarly to The Inheritance Games, there's a romance element but there isn't a love triangle which I was grateful for. The elements readers love in mystery shine in this one -- clues sprinkled throughout, a spiraling mystery, twists and turns, and betrayal around every corner. Even though I read this the first week of the year, I have zero doubt this will be one of my top favorites of the entire year. I can't wait to add this to our high school library. Since there aren't any explicit scenes, I think this could span middle school and high school. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

A magical mystery with an intriguing premise but a convoluted story and setting. Cavalancia does an excellent job creating the unique magic of this dangerous world, with excellent description, but the plot was meandering and I kept stepping away from the book.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the last few months. Ever since I heard about it, I was hooked and I was thrilled to get to read this in advance of the published date. I really enjoyed this book. The characters fit the story well, and were fleshed out in an interesting way that brought them to life. I thought that the plot was great, too--lots of twists and turns kept you flipping the pages and compelled me to fly through this. I love a good game-centered mystery story, so I just had a blast with this one. I can see this becoming a very popular book once more people get to read it!

This book!

First. Lyric. I loved this character but he what he went through. Heart Broken. Can we just give him a hug?? This poor kid.

Mullory. Eh. I had a hard time coming around to her. I did eventually but she is definitely hard to love at the start for me.

Xavier can fall off the side of the earth. Along with Lyric's mom.

But this book. So many twist and turns, keeps you guessing, and. the. end. What????? No. I need a book two. Also. This book gives me all the Wizard of Waverly vibes and I loved that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

16-year-old Mullory Prudence has spent her whole life heading her mother’s warning to avoid “the strange.” That is, until billionaire, Xavier Stoutmire dies. Invited to join the game, “Mystery Royale,” where contestants have to figure out who murdered him. The one who figures out who did it inherits his wealth and magic. Eager to pay for her grandmother’s medical expenses, Mullory teams up with the billionaire’s great-nephew, Lyric. Due to the laws of inheriting magic, Lyric can only inherit the magic and wealth if he wins the game. As the royale gets deadlier during 5 lavish parties, the two’s partnership becomes more strained. With so much at stake, can the two learn to work together? Will they figure out who killed Xavier?

Told through alternating point of view, each well-developed character offers insight into the story. The plot is engaging, well written, and full of twists and turns. The world building is memorable and draws the reader into the story. Readers who liked Westing Game, Jennfier Lynne Barnes’ Inheritance Games, or who like fantasy, mystery, and game-centered fiction will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. Gr 8 and up, 4 stars.

This story was full of twists that definitely kept me guessing and changing my opinions of characters and their motives! I love the Inheritance Games series, so when I read the description comparing Mystery Royale to it, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. The story held up to the comparison, though I will say that it is darker than Inheritance Games.

There are multiple character perspectives used throughout the story - Mullory, Lyric, Ellison, & Whitaker plus short inserts from other tertiary characters. The narration feels unreliable at times and there are reasons for that that become clear as you make it further into the story. The magical component to this story is one that I've never read before in the sense of how magic works, how it is transferred, etc.

If you are a lover of books dealing with the darker side of magic and intense thrillers, this is a read you need to pick-up!

I will be purchasing this one for my school's library!

I loved this book. It is a crazy adventure Mullory is such a strong character who gets thrust into a world that her mother warned her to try and run from. Yet she finds herself wrapped up in a game that might just cause her to be immersed in the world she is suppose to run from. This book has dynamic characters and a plot that will just sweep readers away. I love the Clue like aspects of this book, and the flashbacks are perfectly timed to allow the reader to have a deeper sense of what is going on.
Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I will read any book about a magical contest! This one was fantastic. I loved the mystery and I loved the characters. I could picture this whole book in my mind like a movie.

This wasn’t quite what I expected when I picked it up, and while it wasn’t awful I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. There are too many perspectives at work, which means we don’t get attached enough to the characters to care. I found them bland and cartoonish. The magic system and its explanations were intriguing and I wish there had been more exploration of that and how it connects to Mullory and her mother.