This was such a fun take on the locked room mystery!

An anonymous thriller author invites six other thriller authors for a writer’s retreat on their private island. Full of mystery, games, and incriminating clues, it quickly takes a deadly turn.

For someone who obsessively reads thrillers, I loved the cheeky insight and unique spin on classic mystery tropes. It was fascinating watching the story unfold, not unlike a game of Clue. I was able to predict some outcomes, and others surprised me.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the gifted ARC of You Are Fatally Invited.

Six authors are invited to an island writing retreat held by a mysterious author, J.R. Alastor. No one really knows who Alastor is, not even the event coordinator, Mila. Mila has secrets of her own though as she is trying to get revenge on one of the authors for stealing her work. However, things soon take a deadly turn as people start ending up dead.

I loved this one!!! It had multiple nods to Clue (the movie) and And Then There Were None (although maybe this was a coincidence because I didn't see anything in acknowledgements!! But there is a clear line from the Clue movie about men and Kleenex, so it felt like the author was a fan!). Those are two of my favorite things, so I really enjoyed this. The format was really enjoyable with multiple narrators, but only a few within each section. I don't think the reveal at the end was the most surprising, but it was still good and did have a piece of the reveal that I wasn't expecting! I also think the author did a good bait-and-switch with two characters roles at the end that I thought was surprising. I just really loved the intrigue, mystery, and story overall here. Highly recommend!!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this is another dud for February. And Then There Were None is one of my favorite books and I am happy for someone to give the genre a twist, but this novel was all over the place. Multiple points of view that don’t hang together mean the story never coalesces. The overarching voice is all over the place and ultimately makes for a weaker novel.

Thank you Netgalley for an early arc of You are Fatally Invited. This book was so good, I was happy to have received this one early. I would recommend reading it. I gave it 4.5 stars.

3.5 stars

Locked room mysteries are my favorite, and I couldn't wait to read this since it was going to be with a room of authors! Famous and recluse author J. R. Alastor invites the six authors for a writing retreat on an island. Mila, J.R.'s assistant and coordinator of the event is on the island to greet everyone as she and J.R. have created a week of games/riddles for the authors. Mila has more than games on her mind, though, as she has plans to unalive one of the guests.

When a guest turns up dead on the very first morning and it is like a scene from their book, even Mila is shocked. Soon, others are missing, and everyone wants off the island.

It took me a little bit to get into this book. All the author characters are introduced in the beginning and there was a lot of chitchat between them that I found unnecessary. Plus, there are multiple POVs and sometimes I had to go back and see whose viewpoint I was in.

Once I got past the first night, the story moved right along for me. I had no idea who was pulling the strings and was intrigued to find out.

Thank you to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first Ande Pliego novel but definitely not my last. This was a great locked room thriller. I loved the character development. Fast moving story with dark and twisted intentions. Enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Ande Pliego and Bantam US for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This thriller was missing just a little something that would have tipped it over from "decent" to "pretty great" for me. Very little sense of place (it takes place on an island off the coast of Maine, but it sure doesn't feel like it beyond the "island" part), and a slightly underwhelming reveal that an astute reader of locked-room mysteries will see coming. The writing was a mite slow but to its credit still kept me turning pages. 3.5 stars.

A very fun read! I loved the blending of horror reference with classic mystery setups. It was definitely a "can't put this down but oh god I have to go to bed" scenario and I definitely recommend it.

A totally anonymous famous author invites other acclaimed authors for a writing retreat on a remote island with a mystery theme. Mila who has been hired by Alastor orchestrates the entire Clue-like weekend until people start dying and that is NOT on the agenda. Who is the reclusive Alastor and who is picking these authors off one by one and will they survive? Fun who-dunnit with lots of secrets and twitst and turns as the authors and Mila rush to try to put the pieces together on who is doing this and why and who is the famed Alastor?

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! #youarefatallyinvited

An absolute delight! I loved not only the pacing of the story, but the telling of it as well. From start to end, I was given an adventure!

This book was absolutely a fresh spin on the locked room mystery theme. I honestly forgot numerous times it was a debut thriller because the twists and turns were brilliant. A famous hosts a writing retreat on a private island in Maine but one by one these authors are being murdered and games are played throughout with multiple POV’s that keep you interested and engaged throughout the suspense!!

This book is a crazy twist to the game of Clue, or the movie (same thing lol), i was here for all the drama that was to come, I was very excited to read this. These known authors got invited by an award winning author Alistor, who they consider a mentor, to a retreat at his estate, but little do they know things are going to get deadly. And they are all hiding secrets, and somehow there’s a connection, and I could not put this book down, I needed to know the truth, and I needed to know who is who??? It was CRAZY!

3.5 stars. This is a new author for me and I was initially intrigued by the plot and setting. It started off pretty slow, but about halfway through, it really picked up, and I found myself much more engaged. I especially enjoyed uncovering how the characters were connected and even rooting for the narrator—along with some of the other complicated (and often unlikeable) guests. The fact that all the characters were writers added an extra layer of fun to the story. While it wasn’t perfect, it was an entertaining read overall, and I’d be interested in checking out more from this author.

Fans of Agatha Christie will want to add this to their list. The intricately plotted story features strong character development and an atmospheric setting. I kept turning the pages of this whodunnit and was thoroughly surprised by the killer. Four solid stars.

An anonymous bestselling author invites six writers to their private island for what seems like a dream writing retreat for a week of trope filled games and riddles. But host and once aspiring writer, Mila, has her own deadly agenda. With deception at every turn, each author’s ability to misdirect becomes a weapon, making for a high stakes, Clue like mystery.

Told through multiple POVs, this story is an intricate spin on the locked room thriller, packed with complexities and details. I especially enjoyed the descriptive writing, which added to the tension. However, with ten characters to track, the pacing felt inconsistent at times, and with all of the buildup, the ending didn’t fully deliver the payoff I was hoping for.

If you enjoy locked room mysteries with an eerie atmosphere, this one might be worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of You Are Fatally Invited in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ande Pliego delivers a high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping thriller in You Are Fatally Invited, a novel that feels like a thrilling blend of Escape Room and Clue, but with a sinister literary twist. From the moment the guests arrive, the tension is immediate, and the sense of foreboding only intensifies as the story unfolds.

The novel thrives on its fast-paced action and relentless twists, ensuring that nothing—and no one—is quite what they seem. As the group of shady writers finds themselves trapped in a deadly game, Pliego expertly layers deception, paranoia, and shocking revelations, keeping readers constantly on edge. Just when you think the characters have reached their worst moment, the situation escalates even further, making for an electrifying, suspense-filled read.

The setting itself is a character, immersing the reader in an atmosphere of claustrophobia and uncertainty. Each new twist adds to the growing tension, making it impossible to predict who will survive or what dark secrets will be revealed next. Pliego’s storytelling is razor-sharp, blending psychological mind games with action-packed sequences that never let up.

Overall, You Are Fatally Invited is a thrilling, unrelenting mystery that will keep readers glued to the pages. With its intense pacing, unpredictable twists, and a cast of morally ambiguous characters, this book is a must-read for fans of locked-room mysteries, psychological suspense, and high-stakes thrillers.

You Are Fatally Invited was a good locked door mystery with all the vibes of Agatha Christie. It was told from several point of view s which did get a little confusing at times, but it was an interesting read that kept me turning the pages.

You are Fatally Invited is like the game of Clue but with a twist! This book captures a lot of the classic tropes that I love...strangers invited to a remote island, isolated atmosphere, strange this occurring to the guests and one by one they either disappear, etc.
The story follows six authors who were invited to a remote island by a mysterious author name J. R. Alastor however nobody know his true identity. Mila was hired to be their host during their stay in the island however things start off badly almost from the beginning with their first dinner on the island. Slowly the authors start to realize that they were lured to the island for very personal reasons that they would not want to be disclosed.
Disclosure: The book is told from each of their POV and can get tricky to follow so as a reader it's important to pay attention and minimize outside distractions!
What I loved about this book is that it keeps the reader guessing to see what will happen next. I never would have guessed the ending on this one so I truly enjoyed it!

Thank you Netgalley andRandom House Publishing Group - Ballantine. All opinions are my own.

4 stars! 🌟 A huge thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Bantam and NetGalley for the e-ARC! 🖤

Okay, You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego was such a fun, twisted ride! It gave me all the locked-room murder mystery vibes 💋 and left me guessing the whole time! The whole setup – a private island, a writing retreat, and a murder mystery in the making – had me hooked from the start. 🏝️✍️ Like, I loved how it was so clue-like, with the secret passages and riddles, and how every character had secrets of their own. The pacing was spot-on, and I was all in, trying to figure out whodunit. 🕵️‍♀️

I do have to admit though, the ending wasn’t exactly what I expected. I thought it would tie together differently, but even though it wasn’t perfect, the twists were still clever and the journey was definitely worth it. 😌📚

Honestly, for a debut, this book did a lot right! And the multiple perspectives kept me engaged, even if it got a little tricky in some parts. I was pretty addicted to it, flipping pages like I couldn’t stop.

Tropes I loved:
✧ Locked-room mystery 🕵️‍♂️
✧ Suspense-filled island getaway 🏝️
✧ The unreliable narrator vibe 🤐
✧ Characters with dark pasts 🔪
✧ Whodunit with a twist 🎭

It’s one of those books that you want to talk about with friends because you just need to discuss all the possibilities! I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with lots of turns. Can't wait to see what this author does next! 👏

CW: murder, betrayal, suspense, some violence

I had a hard time putting this down!
At some points I thought I had it figured out, but then was taken by suprise when I was wrong.
Changing POVs was an enjoyable way to gather clues and watch the story unfold in different perspectives.

I also really enjoyed the addition of writing notes on troupes between chapters.
Fans of Agatha Christie will definitely have a fun time with this one!