This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Set in a high school for future criminologists, Very Dangerous Things is a strange but fun YA mystery.

The setting alone is enough to make this book compelling, but the protagonist (Dulce) brings a lot to the story. Observant and perceptive, she models herself after Lord Wimsey, and there are Dorothy L. Sayers quotes throughout the book. It is a cute conceit, and it is fun to watch Dulce grow and mature as a character.

The mystery itself (a student is murdered for real during a staged murder mystery event) is intriguing, though the idea of the school itself (while completely fun) is a bit nonsensical, and it veers a bit over the top. Allowing for a suspension of disbelief, this book will have an audience, and it would be nice to see if more is done with Dulce in the future.

Very Dangerous Things is a murder mystery that takes place in a private criminology based high school. A popular student is chosen to play the murder victim in a school wide mystery game, but he ends up a real corpse. Dulce, the main character who has a canny eye for details, leads a student run investigation when it appears that the police are accusing the wrong person. The book has romance, suspense, more attempts at murder and a twisting ending that will leave ya mystery enthusiasts satisfied with the ending. Very Dangerous Things contains strong language, themes of parental death, infidelity, violence. I would recommend it for high school readers.

I was given a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! I always enjoy a good high school murder mystery, and this was no exception. Dulce Death Castillo, our protagonist, is a big fan of Lord Wimsey, a literary detective, due to the interest of her late mother. Dulce is a student at J. Everett, which is a school dedicated to subjects such as detecting, forensics, and journalism. Every year, there is a murder mystery with a major prize, and this year Dulce has her heart set on the $30,000 so that she can take her mother's dream tour of England. Xavier, the guy tagged as the victim, turns up dead for real, and all evidence points to his girlfriend, Sierra Fox, Dulce's former friend. Dulce finds herself pulled into the investigation by her best friend Emi, but the evidence keeps pointing in different directions. Dulce will have to decide who to trust - Sierra, who betrayed her once before? New boy Zane, who stole her coroner's internship? The sheriff, who has clearly been involved in a cover up before? Readers will enjoy Dulce's fact collecting/conclusion drawing asides and will be eager to piece together the flashbacks and evidence alongside Dulce. I'd definitely recommend for fans of other high school mystery writers!

Calling all fans of Holly Jackson and Truly Devious!

It’s a new school year at the Dr. James Everett School of Criminology. This year, Dulce Death Castillo is determined to win the annual murder mystery. But when the mock murder of class president and previous winner, Xavier Torres, turns into a genuine murder mystery, Dulce must put aside her bad blood with her ex-best friend turned accused murderer Sierra Fox. Dulce and her ragtag team of friends soon discover that not everyone is as innocent as they claim to be, even those closest to her. But the real question is can a faux detective solve a very real murder?
Muñoz concocted a well-rounded YA mystery novel that had me guessing until the very end! I’m usually one to guess quite early on, but I was wrong every single time. Very Dangerous Things kept me hooked from beginning to end, so much so that I read it in two days! Mark your calendars for July 29th because this was one wild ride you don’t want to miss!

A special thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Really fun, only slightly dangerous. My biggest concern, which, in the scheme of things isn't too bad, is that the school itself didn't really make sense. A handful of transplants from other parts of the country who were vying to go to this prestigious and unique school would have gone a long way.

I love a good murder mystery, and this is one. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I guessed the killer multiple times and was wrong every time. Just an awesome book and I really loved the characters as well. If you love YA and love murder mysteries, you should definitely give this one a go.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC! This will be out in late July 2025. Make sure to add it to your list!