4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. This book is like get from point A to B and has a bunch or yarn between and you have to untwist it......and im still confused lol. Alaster a famous writer sets up like a writing retreat using a even coordinator Mila and invites 6 authors but they each have secrets and dark past and it turns into a shit show and I was here for it all. Theres not much to say but even with clues I could not figure it out lol and I'm usually pretty good about this stuff.

The following review was posted on Goodreads on 7.11.25:

There's a lot to love about YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED, one of which is the way it pokes fun at and plays with classic murder mystery tropes. With an appealing AND THEN THERE WERE NONE premise, it also intrigues from the very beginning, upping the ante with every chapter, leading to a breakneck, explosive finale. (I stayed up until 1 this morning, LONG after my bedtime, to finish it.) The plot is clever, too, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. (Although I figured out some of the answers, I missed a few things, too.) Not all of the characters in the book are likeable (naturally), but Mila is. I cared about her, in spite of her flaws, and wanted her to find peace. Pliego writes well, creating interesting characters, a complex plot, and an engrossing story using engaging, assured prose. Her debut does not feel like a debut. As an added bonus, YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED doesn't have any real profanity (a handful of Bible swears is all) or sex. It's got a lot of violence and blood/gore, but it's a PG-13 read in my opinion. (I wouldn't hand it to a 13-year-old, though.)

Of course, the story is more than a little far-fetched. Some people's motives seemed extreme and unrealistic. Also, the plot does get a bit convoluted and, while the important things are explained, there are some questions that never really get answered. In addition, the book is very depressing. It's been compared to Benjamin Stevenson's Ernie Cunningham series, but YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED doesn't have that kind of humor or charm. Still, I enjoyed this propulsive thriller. I'm definitely eager to see what Pliego does next.

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for mild language (a few Bible swears), violence, scenes of peril, and blood/gore

First and foremost, thank you to netgalley and Random House Publishing for the e-ARC!

Unfortunately I was left fatally disappointed…

⭐️⭐️

I feel terrible writing this review because I really wanted to love it, but it was missing so many things. It had so much potential, but it fell very flat for me. I expected witty banter, misguided humor, and ‘wtf’ intensity equal to Netflix’s “The Menu”. Instead, we got a board game version of ‘Clue’ and a haze of confusion.

I struggled to connect with the characters. I got why the multi POV happened and tried to envision like how “Knives Out” was filmed with the different perspectives to catch the killer, but imo wasn’t executed rather well. I did think the puzzles and the idea of the participants’ efforts of figuring each other out via board game was clever, but as I said - just poorly executed.

This book unfortunately was not a page turner for me, and I felt like I was forcing myself to finish reading just so I can see how it ended.

What a breath of fresh air! I loved this spooky locked room mystery and all it's wild characters. Not only was island atmosphere perfect, but the "And Then There Were None Style" kept the story flowing at a consistent pace and made me feel like a sleuth along with the characters. I enjoyed seeing the diversity in age as well!

I especially enjoyed the "game within a game" elements. It was a surprise at the turn of every page!

I also really appreciated that there were little to no content warnings in this book. It makes it easier when recommending this to just about any reader!

this was the most good faith and then there were none retelling that i have read, and i really enjoyed it. it was well written, well plotted, and deeply enjoyable, though i could have done without the romance.

I immediately loved the premise of this book, although it did instantly feel familiar - and unfortunately for me that became part of its downfall. As a thriller reader, this felt very much like stories I’ve read many times before.

That’s not always a bad thing - sometimes familiar stories are even more enjoyable, but with a cast of pretty generally unlikable characters, it was difficult to connect with them and therefore keep them separated in my mind. I felt I had to really work to follow along.

I maintain that I enjoyed the premise but the execution on this one was unfortunately just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a relatively typical locked-room murder mystery, but the people invited to the exclusive writer's retreat are not your typical characters. Before you start thinking that this is a cozy mystery, given the plethora of amateur sleuths, let me assure you there is very little that is cozy about this novel.

A reclusive, but highly successful, thriller writer has invited a group of crime writers to his private island for a retreat. The guests presume that they will get to meet JR Alastair, and that in itself is a reason to accept the invitation.

The chapters told from various characters' POV are broken up with excerpts from Alastair's writing book (it is kind of like Stephen King's book On Writing, but all about using tropes to create fear). There are also a few chapters that are excerpts from the other characters' books. While I enjoyed the latter as they are part of the plot (Alastair has made edits to suit the games the characters are supposed to play during the retreat), but former felt like too much of an interruption.

There are a ton of twists and more than a few secrets, so it is impossible to figure out who is killing the writers (or even to know for sure that some have been killed and not just missing). Just like the characters, the reader is also trying to figure out if Alastair is one of the guests. Since there is not even an author photo, no one can identify him (is Alastair even his real name, or is it a pen name, and could he be one of the female authors?).

This terrific thriller would be perfect to read during a thunderstorm. The plot isn't very realistic, but don't think too hard about that and just enjoy the ride of this great piece of escapism reading.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/07/you-are-fatally-invited-by-ande-pliego.html

So I always love this plot where people are called to a location and it turns out they have something in common and then they're dying one by one. It's not always well done, but man! I finished this and thought about it for quite a while. It's hard when people aren't likeable, but this was fun because my opinions kept changing on whether I liked them. The twists were well written enough that they felt natural and the ending added more to the story. Can't wait for more by this writer.

I really like books like this that have a lot of twists and turns...when they're well written. This one was really well written and kept me fully engaged with the story.

Great premise but ultimately didn’t work for me. I love the idea of thriller authors convening on a secluded island but the writing fell flat and I just never got pulled in.

The amount of plot twists in this novel were mind-boggling in the best possible way. Ande Pliego's debut novel follows a group of writers invited by renowned author J.R. Alastor to a writing retreat on his private island. One by one, the authors are killed off and forced to decide who to trust in a scenario they can't escape from. Overall, this page-turner kept me on the edge of my seat!

It can NOT be coincidence that there was a married couple in this book named olivia and rodrigo... i mean, come on now!
This was engaging enough and kept me hooked, but i felt very unsatisfied by the ending. i feel like there were a lot of plot holes and loose ends that never got tied up. i always go into these locked room mysteries expecting to be wowed and I unfortunately wasn’t with this one.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I just couldn't get into the story and with so many characters, it was too hard to keep it straight. I really wanted to like it but when you are not connected with it right from the start, it's hard to keep going. Sorry, I had to DNF this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author for a free copy of ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You Are Fatally Invited is a smart, darkly funny horror mystery that hooked me with its sharp wit and gripping suspense. I loved how Pliego blends chilling supernatural elements with a razor-sharp critique of privilege and social dynamics. The protagonist’s journey felt deeply personal and relatable, even amid the eerie, deadly stakes. The pacing is tight, the twists satisfying, and the queer representation is heartfelt and authentic, making this a standout in contemporary horror.

It's "And then they were none" by Agatha Christie meets the movie "Clue". A seemingly unrelated group of authors are invited to a private island for a writers retreat by an unseen reclusive host who is also an infamous author. As the weekend progresses, more mysteries and secrets are unveiled.

Our lead character, Mila, orchestrates the games the guests must play that have murderous intent. While she doesn't know why all of the guests have been invited, they are all famous in ways they want to keep secret.

While Mila is directing from behind the scenes, she eventually has to deal with a personal struggle ... exacting revenge or maintaining her conscience.

This book is easily something I can envision become a movie or TV series. The characters are indentifiable with reality and the plot keeps you in suspense until the very end.

I'm hoping to read more stories from this author

Six thriller authors at an exclusive writer’s retreat? Say less—I was in from the premise alone. Add in a Clue-inspired, who-dun-it vibe with sharp writing and layered mysteries, and You Are Fatally Invited turned out to be just the right book at the right time for me.

I loved getting multiple POVs from the authors, each flawed and fascinating in their own way. Some were surprisingly likeable, some absolutely weren’t, but all were fun to read about. The shifting perspectives helped build out the tension and made the unraveling of secrets so satisfying.

There’s not just one mystery here, but several—from hidden sins to the true identity of the elusive J. R. Alastor—and Ande Pliego balances them all with skill and a great sense of pacing. I also appreciated the clever play on classic thriller tropes—it felt like a love letter to the genre, while still keeping me on my toes.

If you enjoy smart, character-driven thrillers with a little wink to the reader and plenty of twists, this is one worth adding to your list!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine) for my DRC!

This fast-paced mystery follows a group of mystery writers invited to a secluded island by a secretive and famous mystery author who has always hidden their identity. The characters are instructed to play a game organized by the host and carried out by the woman he hired to run everything on the island. Filled to the brim with secrets, these authors might deserve what is coming for them.

I sped through this novel and stayed up the latest I ever had for a book because I could not sleep without knowing how the mystery unfolded. I adored the characters and loved how the mystery unravelled and the story ended.

It's best to go into this novel without much knowledge because that improves the reading experience.

Readers who love isolated mysteries with twisted secrets and unreliable characters will eat up this book. This book needs to get the attention that it deserves!

If you like a great whodunnit set on an atmospheric island this is the book for you

This is one of the books that you can’t put down till you finish it. So many times, as you read you think you know the answers, but this keeps you guessing till the very end.

I always like a book with different POV’s, and this worked very well. The characters were well developed, and you could feel like you know them. The reveal tied everything together, but you were able to still feel surprised and satisfied with the end.

Great mystery full of twists and turns!

Thank you, NetGalley,, and Ballantine & Random House Publishing for the eARC.

An anonymous writer hosts a retreat on a private island. Little do the invited authors know that he has planned several dark and twisted games to sniff out their dark secrets and expose them to one another, and then the world.

I was absolutely hooked on this book. It was like a super dark game of clue! Trying to figure out who the mastermind behind all the twisted games was so riveting. The big reveal had me totally flabbergasted! Highly recommend.

Darkly comic and thoroughly original. Pliego’s twist on the murder mystery genre is sharp, stylish, and packed with personality. A few pacing hiccups didn’t slow me down much—I devoured this. A fun ride for fans of campy thrillers with edge.