This one had me guessing until the end. Mystery Royale, a YA mystery, has many twists and turns and dark secrets. Don't trust everything you see.
This would make a great Netflix TV supernatural drama. I enjoyed all of the characters, their backstories, and their family histories.

*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!

I also listened to the audiobook, and I have to say, the dual narrators really brought the story to life. Both the male and female voices made it so easy to follow, and I could clearly picture the characters in my mind based on how they were portrayed. It made the whole experience even more immersive. I’d recommend both the audiobook and the physical book to others, depending on your preference. Both formats are fantastic!

I have to say that this is 1 of the very 1st Audiobooks that I have downloaded from Netgalley and I really appreciate the opportunity to get to listen And review it. I have recently been diagnosed with a autoimmune disorder And have found that audiobooks are wonderful way to transition at times when my eyes cannot read Things from a page... I apologize for my review because I am having to use a microphone and getting used to it. I highly recommend this book Is a great Deal of fun to listen to.

While I am grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook, it was a miss for me. The main character's name is dreadful: Mullory Prudence. She really didn't have much going for her aside from some intelligence. The story felt very flat, familiar, and predictable. Younger readers of YA may feel differently.

Such a fun fantastical spin on a mystery! Riddled with seemingly impossible to solve clues, family secrets at every turn, and the overwhelming threat of danger throughout, Mystery Royale was a wonderful listen! I can't wait to see where Cavalancia takes these characters next!

Holy smoke! Such a captivating story. I was hooked from the get go. I normally listen driving back and forth from work, but I woke up Saturday morning and just listened until I finished it. Loved the narration, but wish it had 3 so each girl could have been different.

Mullory Prudence has been taking care of her sick gran since her mom took off after burning their house down. But Mullory is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance at not only billionaire Xavier Stotmire's fortune but also his magic, which one of his son's is supposed to inherit. Thus begins the mystery royale, ad the Stoutmire family and Mullory seek to solve the mystery of Xavier's death and find out who will inherit his fortune and magic.

The story here was an interesting one. I enjoyed the puzzles and following Mullory and Lyric as they tried to solve the mystery. One thing that was a bit off putting was some of the dialogue. Not gonna lie some of it was kinda cringe. And I know the trope is grumpy/sunshine here, but Lyric was laying on the grump far too thick for my taste. Yes, I get it. You're sooooooooo grumpy. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. I only wish the dialogue would have been as good as the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. James Babson and Emily O'Brien were good narrators. I only wish that since there were more than 2 POV chapters, there had been more than 2 narrators.

An intriguing and multi-layered mystery with characters that are unlikeable in all the addictive ways. Well, expect for Mullary. She is the Avery of the Inheritance Games, the Katniss of the Hunger Games and the true heroine we all want to win the game. The game Xavier has set up is a murder mystery-his own! The blood lines of magical families make this murder extremely curious. There are so many likely suspects, no one you can truly trust, and some that you want to disappear entirely. However, the piece that keeps the reader turning pages is the relationship between Mullary and Lyric. They should be enemies and despite the baggage they both bring to the game, they find a partnership. This changes the rules for the rest of Lyric's family. However, it also draws out some truths about the honest feelings Lyric's brother and sister have for him. Some old debates are brought to rest and many secrets are revealed. This is a tricky book to share a review without a spoiler. Let's just say if you like magic, potions, parties, secrets and family then you will enjoy Mystery Royale.

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.

The summary: I think my age is showing if I say this felt like a cross between The Westing Game and Harry Potter.

A girl who knows nothing about magic gets named as a possible beneficiary to a man’s money, estate, and his magic. All she has to do is solve his murder. And beat the other possible beneficiaries in naming the murderer correctly, first. Among the potential beneficiaries is Lyric, a guy with a chip on his shoulder who thought he was inheriting his uncle’s magic outright, and Lyric’s estranged siblings.

What I liked: the audio is narrated by two people. The story mainly jumps from three points of view: our main character, Mullory, who is, for lack of a better term, a Muggle; Lyric, the third child, with the aforementioned chip on his shoulder; and his sister Ellison. I loved the way that Lyric and Ellison were written and narrated. Lyric exudes bitterness, and I likened Ellison to Regina George, but she’s got some quirks thanks to Trauma.

The world that the author has built was AMAZING. I loved the idea that magic is inherited, so it is unwise for parents to have more than two children (which is part of the reason Lyric is the way he is). I enjoyed the author's attention to detail in regards to the smells magic leaves. I enjoyed the twists and turns, even if I did successfully predict them (because I am an adult reading an YA novel and I know an Easter egg when I see one). I loved listening to Lyric catching feelings.

I didn’t love: Mullory’s character. I still can’t decide if it was the narration (especially because the narrator’s portrayal of Ellison was PERFECT), or if it way she was written. She’s supposed to be clever and doesn’t care about her appearance (which are things I usually love), and she appears serene on the surface, while being a bit manic inside (which I also usually love), but she came across a bit like the screaming blonde in a horror movie (even though she is definitely not blonde) in the audiobook.

All that said: I was not prepared for the ending. I like when everything is tied up in a neat bow, and this…did not do that. However, I noticed that the sequel is slated to come out in 2026. I am invested enough in the characters and I want to see how the loose ends get managed to read that.

The dual narration is perfection! Both narrators did an excellent job at capturing the characters and maintaining the suspense.

9 days, 5 parties, 1 mystery. Death will be the grandest party yet!

“Run if the strange finds you” was the last message Mullory received from her mom. She’s reminded of this message when she receives a suspicious letter. The letter turns out to be an invitation to participate in the Mystery Royale to win the inheritance of Xavier Stoutmire. Xavier doesn’t have an heir and once he realizes he’s dying, he puts a game into motion with hopes of keeping his magic flowing.

Mullory takes a chance on the game with high hopes of winning the prize to be able to take care of her Gran. This has a nice blend of magic and mystery in this book that kept me engaged. I would agree with the sentiment that this is similar to Inherit.

The characters aren’t necessarily likable, but they had good descriptions and I was able to keep the family tree straight! Lots of family secrets, etc. I would say it is accurate to compare to Inheritance Games.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/7/25!

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.

Mystery Royale is a fantastic magical mystery! The narration was spot on. I wanted to both love and hate the main characters. Fantastic read! Recommended for all YA collections.

Mullory needs money–her mother left, her house burned down, her grandma is sick with cancer. Lyric has been left to live with his rich uncle, who suddenly passes away. Both are swept into the fantastical game of Mystery Royale, in the hopes that they will win and be awarded the large inheritance of Xavier Stoutmire.
This book had big shoes to fill, as it was advertised as The Inheritance Games meets Hotel Magnifique. For the most part, I think it came close. However it is hard to find the same intrigue when those books have already been read, and for that reason, this was just another book for me (numerous letters appearing out of nowhere is a Harry Potter thing as well). Good–yes, but new and outstanding as those others were–unfortunately, no. One issue I had was in the audio version, it was hard to keep all of the characters straight. I definitely think this would not be an issue if reading the print or ebook versions. Still recommended for readers who love a good puzzle mystery.

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!

16-year-old Mullory Prudence’s mother warned her to avoid “the strange.” That is, until billionaire, Xavier Stoutmire dies. Sent an invitation to help solve his murder as part of the game, “Mystery Royale,” Mullory is reluctant to participate. Until, she find out the winner inherits Xavier’s magic and fortune. Knowing that the money could make a world of difference for her and paying her grandmother’s medical bills, she is determined to solve the mystery. She teams up with Lyric, Xavier’s great nephew. Living with his uncle for so logn, Lyric knows his uncle better than the rest of his family. The only thing he doesn’t understand is why his uncle didn’t choose him as his successor. Due to the laws of magical inheritance, now his only chance of getting his uncle’s magic and wealth is to solve the mystery. As clues are revealed during 5 lavish parties, the game gets deadlier. As a result, Mullory and Lyric’s partnership takes a toll. Can the two learn to work together? Will they figure out who killed Xavier?

Narrators, James Babson and Emily O’Brien’s intonations do a great job of bringing to life the unique, well-developed characters. The narrative styles work well with the author’s writing style. Told through alternating point of view, each chapter offers insight into the mystery. The plot is engaging, mysterious, and full of twists and turns. The world building is well done and draws the reader into Lyric and Mullory’s world. Listeners who liked Inheritance Games, Westing Game, or who like fantasy, mystery, and magical realism will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections.

This was such a fun book uniting a murder mystery à la clue and a bunch of puzzles à la the inheritance games with a lot of magic!

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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.

This story is a thriller that deals in the darker side of magic. The narration was excellent, with James Babson and Emily O'Brien bringing these complicated characters to life. With the multiple narrator POVs, the voice actors do a superb job of creating distinct tones and inflections for each one.

The one draw back to the audio of this book is that the print has so many helpful type changes - like when they are drawn into the scenes that Uncle X left as clues - and things like the family tree at the beginning of the novel.

I will be purchasing the audio for my school's library.