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.

I loved this book. It is a crazy adventure Mullory is such a strong character who gets thrust into a world that her mother warned her to try and run from. Yet she finds herself wrapped up in a game that might just cause her to be immersed in the world she is suppose to run from. This book has dynamic characters and a plot that will just sweep readers away. I love the Clue like aspects of this book, and the flashbacks are perfectly timed to allow the reader to have a deeper sense of what is going on.
Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review of this book.
3.5 stars is my ranking here, because, while the plot is solid and doesn’t have any big plot holes, the world building is shaky at times and the rules of the magic used don’t really make sense. That being said, I liked the book and think that the author can absolutely clean up the world building in further books. I really look forward to reading the next ones! Billed as a mix of Hotel Magnifique and Inheritance Games, this series definitely has a lot of potential if they keep going!

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks Hyperion for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

I really enjoyed Mystery Royale. Reminded me of The Inheritance Games with a splash of magic. Very fun and I can't wait for the sequel.

Mullory Prudence is 16 and living with her grandma after her mom sets fire to their house and disappears. Soon letters start arriving in odd places and she gets invited to a Southampton estate to compete to win a huge inheritance. Read (or listen to) and enjoy this magical mystery told in multiple POVs.

Excellent narration by James Babson and Emily O'Brien.

Title: Mystery Royale
Author: Kaitlyn Cavalancia
Format: 🎧
Narrators; James Babson and Emily O’Brien
Publisher: Disney Audiobook-Hyperion
Genre: Teen/Ya, Mystery & Fantasy
Pub Date: January 7, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars!!
Pages: 400

Mullory-(yes~Mullory not Mallory!) Prudence lives in Punxsurawney and is sixteen years-old.
Her mother Esther Merrybright left her but did leave a warning: "Run if the strange finds you.“
Mullory lives with her grandmother, who has cancer. Mullory works at a pet grooming salon and also assists with student’s homework to try to make ends meet.

Mullory does receive a message that has her worried about her mother’s warning. She and six others receive an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale game to be the one to win over two billion dollars, properties, and Xavier's magic.
Mullory doesn't care about the magic, but the money is enough of a tease to get her to accept.

Although I am not the target audience for this but as a High School Guidance Counselor I love to read YA stories. It pleases me when I can recommend a book as well just talk about books and encouraging reading for fun other than text books.

Although at first I wasn’t sure it was going to work, I hung in there and did like it.

BTW: The sequel is slated for Spring 2026.

Want to thank NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks/Hyperion for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 7, 2025.

"What does Death fear most?"
Mystery Royale was a fun game of magical Clue where fate vs. free will is the timeless true question at play. This read like Inheritance Games but with a deadly fantasy twist and a more sure romance. Mullory is forced into an Inheritance gauntlet against a family full of secrets with rules she doesn't quite understand. She is one of the brightest young heroines I've read this year, using her logic and math skills to carry herself through despite her otherwise disadvantages. Lyric, the bitter heir-apparent, was another complex character walking the line between wanting to be both hero and villain in his own story.
I enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and the overall story. If anything, I wanted more. I am not entirely clear on the ending, but I grasp enough to be content.
I read both the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook has dual narrators for the four POVs, and both narrators did an excellent job of ensuring that I was never confused about whose chapter I was listening to.
Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion, and Hyperion audio for this ARC to review!

Mullory is just trying to get through and take care of her grandmother after her mother burns down their home and disappears. Before leaving, her mother warned her to do one thing: run if "the strange" finds her. But running is hard to do when magical letters start arriving and only increase when she tries to ignore them
It turns out Mullory is being invited to a competition unlike any other - one where the winner inherits not only the now-deceased Xavier Stoutmire's fortune, but also his magic.

While this twisty mystery could have felt like it relied on tropes of the genre, several of the twists and turns felt unique and fresh. Some characters felt a little less developed, and it was sometimes hard to feel empathy for, or interested in, them. But, this was overall an enjoyable mystery with a humorous tone that kept the pages turning.