This was a quirky book that poked fun at the conventions of fantasy, gothic, AND mystery fiction - mashing up heroic quests, a dark castle, and a country house/locked room mystery plot. I have not read the author's other books, in which I understand some characters first appear, but for those who have I imagine this will be a treat.

Not what I expected (I liked the title) but this was a fun YA fantasy mystery novel that (guess) takes place in a castle. Many colorful characters that plays like Clue, where not only the Lila the young princess, bounty hunter, now detective has to deduct who murdered the wizard who has them sealed in the castle with a magic bubble. I really enjoyed when the narrator interjected their little tidbits which made it hilarious.

I chose this book based on the book title and I was not disappointed. The characters are adorable, there is a bit of flirting, quirky adventure plot and a really good whodunit.

The story kept me guessing all the way to the end. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and Walden Pond Press for giving me the opportunity to read this!

This was lot of fun! It's an easy adventure with plenty of twists and turns for middle grade readers

Christopher Healy’s No One Leaves the Castle opens with a stressed-out butler seeking out the services of a bounty hunter to return a suspected thief to his boss’s castle. What follows is a wild and twisted adventure that left me guessing until the very end. We follow the young bounty hunter, the Lilac, and her faithful bard, Netta, as they attempt to solve a theft-turned-murder at the Angbar castle, where every character has their secret. Readers have ample opportunities to flex their detective skills while still being left in the dark about some pretty big plot twists.

This book is more focused on plot and entertainment than craft, but young readers will love the laugh-out-loud moments, over-the-top characters, and opportunities for mystery-solving. I will recommend this to my upper-grade students who love humor and mystery.

A bounty hunter called The Lilac who also happens to be a witty, clever, capable detective? Yes please!

Lila and Dulcinetta are a set of tag team adventurers who find themselves smack in the middle of a locked-room murder mystery. They manage to outsmart the bad guys, solve the mystery, and save the day while barely breaking a sweat.

While the characters are familiar from earlier Healy books, this one can stand on its own. The writing is irreverent and somewhat silly at times and could certainly be a gateway to Terry Pratchett’s work for young readers.

I believe this may be part of a series, which I didn't know when I requested it or started reading it. It was fine to read without ever having read any other books by this author. I was able to understand what was going on just fine! This story is engaging and entertaining with very cool elements!

Thank you for the digital ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Christopher Healy makes a welcome return to the setting of his Hero's Guide series, the Thirteen Kingdoms, with something I'd been hoping to see: a book starring Lila. First introduced as the younger sister of one of the Princes Charming, Lila stole the show in the original trilogy, and she's more than capable of helming her own novel. (Or series! Please?) Calling herself "The Lilac," Lila has run away from her frou-frou royal life to make her way as a bounty hunter, accompanied by Dulcinetta, her own personal bard. But things don't go quite according to plan when a theft she's hired to solve turns into a murder...and a wizard has enclosed the entire castle murder scene in a magic (and shrinking) bubble. The story is a nimble pastiche of mystery and fantasy tropes alongside the sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that marked the original trilogy, none of which detracts from the more serious elements or Lila's very real achievements. Technically you don't have to have read the first set of books to enjoy this one (though it does add something), so if you're a fan of the 1985 film "Clue" and/or genre mixing parodies, this is definitely worth ploughing through the slow start for.

A fun fantasy mystery! What first starts as a stolen weapon ends up with a murdered wizard. Before he died, he had set into motion a bubble that didn't allow anyone to leave. Now bounty hunter The Lilac and her bard friend Netta must investigate before the bubble crushes everyone! This was like a light DnD fantasy romp that was delightful! I really enjoyed it, and thought I had figured out a big twist... and was completely wrong haha! I definitely would read more in this world.

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

I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a mysterious adventure that I almost loved from start to finish. It has excellent characters, a good mystery and the setting is a character in of itself. I really enjoyed it, but I had to dock it a star for two primary reasons: the pace and the final twist.

The pace in the beginning was great. It started of with this wonderfully described setting and great humor from the narrator which hooked me with the first couple of chapters. However, once everyone was locked in the castle, the pace slowed to a grinding halt. I understand that you have to misguide the audience and the main character was relatively new to the mystery aspect of her job, but it still was very slow and meandering. It could have used some serious editing in the middle of the book.

The second issue I had with this book is the final chapter. It all came together and somehow it all got undone in the final chapter. I don’t want to spoil the story, but the fact that it hinges on one character being deceitful kinda kills it for me. It just took me out of the story and I just didn’t really believe what I read, it didn’t fit with that character. I want to say so much more, but it would ruin the whole thing.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading more.

I don't usually read kids chapter books but this cover caught my eye. I enjoyed this book and trying to solve the mystery.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

No One Leaves The Castle was honestly better than I expected. Another review was correct in saying it seems similar to the board game Clue in ways!
The book involves some magic, a bounty hunter, a bard, fantasy - and a cast of interesting characters.
The author did a great job with world-building and character development. Some of the characters were so unique and fun to read about.

The storyline was DEFINITELY unique for me. I haven't read anything like this before.

This book reminded me of playing the board game Clue. All the secrets. The blackmail. The political and financial machinations. The book was a really fun read with each of the characters - the Lilac, Netta, and all the other ragged cast - shone in their own right. Who they were and what they wanted bled from the pages even as they try to solve a murder with more mysteries than they had considered possible. Toss in magic - defined by the need for words and hand gestures and that a caster can only hold so many spells going at once time - makes the fantasy adventure a roller coaster with its peaks and plateaus. Give to young gamers, fantasy fans, and mystery solvers. Enjoyed the read.

No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy is a fun adventure story with a bounty hunter and a bard tagging along to sing The Lilac's praises, both of whom turn out to be young ladies, and the tale of a murder, magic and lots of fun. A welcome addition from the author and I eagerly await the next adventure from these characters.

This is very funny, (featuring an especially witty and deadpan double act set of heroines), and also a very engaging and satisfyingly twisty mystery. A classic manor house style who-dunnit, with some magical complications that are much more interesting than the standard letter opener in the library set up.

Okay, this book was AMAZING. It started out calm, and then you got to the castle and things got crazy. I loved how you would learn little pieces of the mystery, but not really how they fit in with the story, and then little by little everything would come together. The ending was shocking and completely unexpected! I would definitely read it again, and this will definitely be at the top of my recommendation list!

Fun and satisfying locked-room mystery with an entertaining cast! I liked the quirky kind of writing style and most of the humor; I think both worked really well to match the setting and story. Though we were introduced to all the characters very rapidly, they were all distinct enough that I had no trouble keeping track of the large cast and their actions throughout the story. The things that did not work for me were the omniscient 2nd person narrator and I found Netta as a comedic relief character annoying at times, but kids might find it charming. Overall, the ending was very satisfying, both in terms of the mystery and Lila's personal journey.

This was a fun mystery I will definitely be getting for my niece- I think she will love it! I really enjoyed the fun vibe between the characters and the wit. Overall this was a funny whodunnit- definitely recommend. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a classic whodunit mystery with a huge dose of sarcasm. The best way I can describe it is Clue meets Psuedonymous Bosch. Truth be told, it didn't grab me at first, but once I got past those first few chapters, things picked up.

The opening is a bit dull. Baron Angbar's emerald ax has gone missing so he sends his butler out to find a bounty hunter. The bounty hunter ends up being a teenage girl with her own bard. She tracks down a magician who might be involved, but also might not. And that's how the whole story goes. It's one big rabbit hole after another.

Once they all end up at the Angbar mansion, the plot emerges. Everyone is invited to stay for dinner, and suffice it to say, things go awry. The ax, returned earlier in the day, goes missing again, so the magician casts a barrier spell around the castle so no one can leave. The suspects are numerous. Baron and Baroness Angbar. Their children, Kade and Araminta. A guest baron. Lilac the bounty hunter and her bard. The magician. The butler. The chef. The etiquette coach. The guard. Lilac is given the task of solving the crime, but when thievery turns to murder, all hopes of a quick case go straight out the window. Well not exactly. Since the magician is the victim, there is no one to undo the barrier spell. Things are about to get tight. Literally. The barrier is moving in and the castle is going to be crushed if they don't figure things out fast.

There is so much going on in this story it's downright comical. In a good way. Everyone has a ludicrous story to tell. You must be on your A-game to write a book like this. I applaud the author. It couldn't have been easy keeping up with all the details of this crazy plot.

Not a book for everyone, but get this into the hands of the right kid and he'll be forever grateful.

If you enjoyed Christopher Healy's 'League of Princes' trilogy, then you should enjoy this as it takes place in the same world, the Thirteen Kingdoms.

Lila the Lilac is the sister of one of the main characters in the Prince's trilogy, and in this book, she gets her own story.

Lila is tired of living under the confines of her selfish royal parents and is determined to make a name for herself as a mighty Bounty Hunter. She travels many Kingdoms away in the hopes no one will recognize her true identity, and along the way, she befriends Netta, a plucky young lady who wants nothing more than to be invited into the Guild of Bards.

Lila and Netta end up trapped together in the creepy Castle Angbar, trying to solve first a theft, then a murder. There's quite an eclectic cast of characters locked in the castle with them, and if they want to get out alive, the Lilac needs to solve the case before sunrise, or the magic cast by a powerful magician will crush them all.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Even though I had guessed very early on who the culprit was, I was surprised by some of the twists at the end that I didn't see coming.

Side note: If you're a fan of audible books, I would recommend listening to this if he has Bronson Pinchot narrate it as he did for all his other books. Bronson Pinchot (he played Balki Bartokomous on Perfect Strangers for those of you over 40) is a FANTASTIC narrator, and he does an amazing job with these books.