3.5/5 ⭐️
In a reimagined world of The Great Gatsby, Gatsby's sister Greta is finally coming home to stay. Things take a turn though when Tom Buchanan dies mysteriously. While many think it is a suicide, Greta is convinced it is a murder. When an autopsy reveals Tom was drugged first and other suspicious things come to light, Jay is the immediate suspect. She sets out to find the culprit to clear her brother's name.

I was really into this one from the start. It was really intriguing to see this different world where Gatsby had survived (Myrtle and her husband seemingly moved away before tragedy). And even into the start of the investigation, I was captivated. However, toward the end, it lost the thread a little. We didn't really see as much investigating it felt like and was more just Greta being surprised at people over and over again. I wish the clue hunting and investigation that happened earlier (like Greta going to the speakeasy) was present throughout. The whodunnit was also.... underwhelming. It was like a huh, well I guess that works situation. Overall, an entertaining read with a decent mystery, but lacking with that final punch of a good mystery.

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

I think there are only two people left who haven't read The Great Gatsby, and I'm one of them. I can't compare how this stands up as a follow up in the wake of that book, but I can tell you it was one heck of a great read with larger than life characters who were very enjoyable - for the most part. There's a certain romantacism to the 20's and this captured that time perfectly. I would definitely recommend this, even if you are the other one that didn't read The Great Gatsby.

This one does a great job at giving The Great Gatsby vibes without being The Great Gatsby. The story was great and the book was well written. I definitely put off reading this one, as I wasn't sure I'd actually enjoy it, but it was good. I think this type of setting isn't totally my vibe, but I kept hearing great things and knew I had to give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it and would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoyed this type of era.

♡ is it wrong to like this version of events more than the classic??? ♡

4/5 ⭐️

when i saw this book, i knew i had to pick it up."The Great Gatsby" is one of my all time favorite books and i just HAD to find out what happened here. i was hooked from page one and literally could not stop reading just. its more of a slow burn mystery but once the plot picks up... it doesn't let back down!

📖 plot & pace: this story revolves around GiGi, Jays sister, and her search for the truth. the medium pacing had perfectly placed twists and a slow unraveling that kept the tension high throughout the story.

👥 characters: in this book, we have the characters from the original great gatsby as well as new characters. there are some slight changes to the original characters in terms of personalities, but nothing is drastic. they're still the same characters we know and love (or hate?? LOL) i absolutely love Greta's character. she's such a humble touch to the other high society characters.

🤩 tropes: high society, morally gray mc, rich people drama, murder mystery, classic retelling

you don't have to have read the original great gatsby to enjoy this one, but if you loved the original as much as i did, you HAVE to read this!!

I loved this novel! I wish this was how the original actually ended. I always disliked Daisy Buchanan and would write a different life for Jay. The addition of Greta was perfect. I do wish she had been more assertive with her brother, though.

I will be curious to know How Anderson-Wheeler plans to continue the series. At least, I really really hope there are more adventures for Greta Gatsby.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

It's been years since I read The Great Gatsby, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler.

The protagonist is not the enigmatic Jay, but his younger sister, Greta. She's 21, just out of finishing school, and headed for a summer at the Gatsby mansion. She's expecting a season of parties and sailing, not murder.

Characters from Fitzgerald's original are here as well -- the Buchanans, Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker. But it's Greta, and her conscience, that take center stage.

Highly recommended for fans of the original Gatsby and those fascinated by the Roaring Twenties.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy.

This was a fun whodunit murder mystery twist on The Great Gatsby. The plot was intriguing, and the characters were expertly portrayed. The plot twists kept me guessing, but there were definitely clues as to who it was. Greta was a very likable character, sort of like an Enola Holmes, and very well written. I was rooting for her to solve the mystery! If you like murder mysteries and classic literature, this is definitely up your alley, and you should give it a read.

Rejoin Jay Gatsby's friends and acquaintances through the perspective of Jay's younger sister, Greta. It's the same atmosphere of boredom and self-indulgence oiled by lots of Bathtub Gin and drugs. But there's a missing friend, a possible suicide, and Greta's very inquiring mind. Good first novel.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Viking via NetGalley.
#TheGatsbyGambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler @vikingbooks @penguinrandomhouse #jazzage #investigation #amateursleuth #orphaned

A fun twist on characters we already know.

A murder mystery, a house of friends, a bumbling police force and Greta in the middle of it all. Greta is home and finally gets to take part in the fun parties her brother, Jay Gatsby, has. Daisy, Nick, Tom Buchanan - the whole crew is back. The murder mystery was a fun part of the story and I liked how Greta played within the rules of society but also pushed to know more. There were so many parts that I shook my head at Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy, but it was so true to who we knew him to be that you can't really get mad at him.

It was a fun twist on the Gatsby story with an interesting murder mystery and fun twists and turns.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a retake on The Great Gatsby introducing a sister to Jay.

Greta Gatsby is home to spend the summer with her brother, Jay, in West Egg. He has several house guests in his posh mansion -- Jordan, Nick, Tom, and Daisy. Only a few days into the summer, Tom Buchanan is found dead, a supposed suicide, but some things just don't add up. Greta is determined to discover what really happened.

I had high hopes for this book. I LOVE Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby and find the characters of Jay and Daisy, etc. to be fascinating. To add a sister and create a mystery around these characters was a task that maybe was just too difficult. The investigation that Greta undertakes sets the stage for several twists and turns and tries to fill in some family history for Tom. Unfortunately, I found the Gatsby connections just a bit contrived and unnecessary. I think the story would have actually been better served by creating another group of entitled, rich, and sometimes vapid characters and leaving the Gatsby connection alone. Plus, once the mystery is solved, there are pages upon pages of explanation of the how and why that, frankly, I found boring.

So...kudos to the author for creating a credible story with a somewhat captivating mystery. Had she left out the Gatsby connections and somehow compacted the final confession/explanation, I think I would have rated the book higher. In this case, though, I just found it only a shrug.

Thank you Viking Books @vikingbooks and Claire Anderson-Wheeler for this free book!
“The Gatsby Gambit” by Claire Anderson-Wheeler⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: Historical murder mystery. Location: West Egg on Manhasset Bay, Long Island, New York, USA. Time: 1920s.
“It was fortuitous, Greta reflected, that the future of women’s liberation did not depend on Daisy Buchanan.”

Copper-haired Greta Gatsby (21), infamous Jay’s younger sister, finally finishes her education and comes home to stay, sporting a daring new bob and a bohemian pair of trousers. She looks forward to summer at the Gatsby Mansion, the jewel of West Egg. Greta loves it all: breathtaking views, gimlets, parties, primrose yellow Rolls Phantom, even disapproving housekeeper Mrs. Dantry. Unfortunately, golden-haired Jay’s dubious friends (luminous, mercurial Daisy Buchanan, boorish Tom Buchanan, handsome Nick Carraway, and incorrigible Jordan Baker) are also summering there. Then a body is discovered in Jay’s boat, the Marguerite. Greta turns amateur sleuth, because something is not right and everyone else seems to be living in a make-believe world.

Author Anderson-Wheeler has written a book about money, power, and freedom that’s a tribute to 2 of her favorite writers: Agatha Christie and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s a mystery à la Christie, with a message à la Fitzgerald.
(“Where wealth flowed ever upward, and the chasms between halves and have-nots widened every day.”) Along with the mystery, she includes class, privilege, and wealth realities, race-based disparities, and women’s changing roles in the early 20th century. (”….Greta wondered if she hadn’t been overestimating freedom, her own perhaps, but more important, others.”) Anderson-Wheeler’s glamorous Jazz Age mystery definitely kept me guessing-and pondering the morals and sensibilities of the ultra-privileged class. There’s no map or house plan, and it was hard for me to imagine the location of the many rooms, halls, stairs, lawns. Overall, it’s a bit more upbeat Great Gatsby, a page-turning mystery, the Roaring Twenties, a determined female lead, and it’s 4 stars from me! 📚👩🏼‍🦳#thegatsbygambit

Greta Gatsby returns to her cherished home in West Egg, Long Island, after spending years at an elite boarding school. Her older brother, Jay, is hosting a party at the Gatsby mansion with his gaggle of cronies: Nick Carraway, Jordan Baker, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Upon returning, Greta, who sought to reinvent herself by sporting a new bob, is frustrated to find these interlopers in her home. Worse yet, is the fact that they will be there all summer. While she is not excited about the Buchanans, she doesn't mind Nick's presence.

Conflict is introduced into the party in the form of Edgar Buchanan, Tom's rude younger brother. He storms his way into the Gatsby mansion as if he is ready to pick a fight. The situation becomes worse when Tom is found dead in the Gatsbys' boat. Greta and Nick discover his body accompanied by an all-too-brief suicide note: "Old girl. I'm terribly sorry about all this." From the start, she suspects that something is quite off about the whole thing. Was it really suicide as it appears? Or was there some more sinister party at work? Was it murder? Greta is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Before diving in, I am going to preface by saying that I never read F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. What attracted me to this book was the title, the book blurb, and the cool cover. So, I went into this book with little to no knowledge about the original book that inspired this one.

While reading The Gatsby Gambit (awesome title, by the way), I enjoyed watching the world of the Jazz Age come to life. It was rife with all kinds of cool slang that was used in that time period, especially from a character like Jordan Baker, Daisy's best friend. It was neat to read descriptions about what people wore, such as Daisy's stunning pearl necklace that Tom gave her when they were married. It was fun to envision Gatsby mansion with its devoted cadre of servants. It was like something out of Julian Fellowes's Downton Abbey.

The mystery and the whodunnit aspects of the story were a lot of fun. Greta was my favorite character, and I had a blast following her along on this journey. While the others were very much wrapped up in their own worlds, she was the only one who consistently focused on finding the perpetrator. At times, it felt like she was the only sane one in the group, aside from dependable, friendly Nick.

My favorite aspect of Greta was that she was strong and brave. As a young woman in the 1920s, she grapples with being "Jay's sister" and the social expectations of that. It was interesting how she balanced her role as hostess at the Gatsby mansion and amateur sleuth solving a dastardly crime.

Overall, I found the writing to be fun and accessible. However, there were times when the story was slow and meandering. It felt like there the book could have been more condensed. Sometimes there was time spent on boring or pointless things. This book was not as suspenseful as I had hoped.

Some of the characters fell a bit flat for me. Daisy was a frustrating character who it was difficult to connect with. Perhaps that is the point. Traditionally, she is a character who is viewed from afar, on a pedestal. I found her to be childish and lacking in substance.

While I enjoyed the majority of the book, the ending was somewhat anticlimactic and underwhelming. I would definitely read future books by Claire Anderson-Wheeler. This book was fun and definitely had potential. I just wish it was more suspenseful.

I graciously received this complimentary Advanced Reader Copy from Viking and Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group VIKING Penguin for an eARC copy of The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler.

I was honestly so excited for this as The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite classic novels, but, The Gatsby Gambit stumbled more than shined for me. While the idea of telling a story from Great Gatsby's perspective - a character invented as Jay Gatsby's younger sister - was intriguing, the execution left much to be desired.

The writing style aims for wit and charm but often feels forced, with overly modern dialogue that clashes with the 1920s setting. Greta, though meant to be a fresh and bold heroine, comes off as underdeveloped and inconsistent, and her transition from socialite to amateur sleuth feels abrupt and unconvincing. The mystery element, which should have added intrigue, unfolds in a predictable way, lacking both suspense and payoff.

As a fan of The Great Gatsby, I was disappointed by the portrayals of the familiar characters. Tom is reduced to a caricature of rage, and Daisy's complexity is flattened into a shallow foil for Greta. The book tries to critique the glamorized world of West Egg, but it never quite escapes indulging in the very tropes it claims to subvert.

Overall, The Gatsby Gambit is more style than substance. There are glimmers of fun and a few clever nods to the original, but they aren't enough to carry a narrative that feels stretched and unfocused. It was a good idea let down by weak plotting and unconvincing characters.

The Great Gatsby is one of the most well-known novels of all times. But did you know that Jay Gatsby had a little sister? And that she is quite the detective?

In this retelling of the famous story, we meet younger sister, Greta Gatsby. She has just arrived back at the Gatsby mansion as a fresh-faced 21 year-old graduate. All of the usual characters, Nick, Jordan, Tom and Daisy are there. But this time, there is a murder. And it is up to Greta to solve it.

This is a charming story that leverages some charming characters. The story is fresh and intriguing. I highly recommend this book.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I thought the premise was good, but the writing style and the dialog was too young ie cheesy feeling to continue. I did not finish this book.

I'd literally just read The Great Gatsby when I stumbled upon this title, and was so excited to read a murder mystery set in that world, which felt prime for such a book. All the regulars are back--Jay and Daisy, Nick and Jordan, plus Greta, Jay's younger sister. Greta is visiting her brother, hoping for a bit of respite, but his friends re already there. The next morning, one of the group is found dead from what APPEARS to be suicide, but no one believes it. They try to solve the crime, of course!

If you are a fan of The Great Gatsby you have to read this and grab a copy for your bookshelves. I'm not a retelling of my favorites reader usually but thoroughly enjoyed this book so much! I think it would be a lot of fun to read The Great Gatsby and then The Gatsby Gambit back to back for a buddy read or book club.

In this 100th year of the Great Gatsby, it was s'wonderful to read what could be a sequel of sorts! Greta Gatsby, long away at boarding school, is home at last only to be quickly enmeshed in a murder in her home.

The whodunnit weaves through the household in a self-aware look at class differences from the Roaring Twenties in a way that perfectly encapsulates the wealth gap of these modern times.

From start to finish, a true delight as we go through Greta's investigations. I wasn't prepared for the killer - or the victim for that matter.

S'marvelous!

What a fun twist to a favorite classic! A murder mystery with all of the Gatsby characters we love (or not love! ) with the addition of Greta, Jay's younger sister. Greta is returning from finishing school and finally will be spending the summer at the Gatsby estate.
There is a murder amongst their crowd and Greta is set to figure it out. The story plays out with strong characters from the staff of the estate as well. A fun book for lovers of Gatsby as well as mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking for this electronic copy. This review is my opinion,.
Estimated pub date April 1, 2025