Suddenly a Murder is a fun and engaging YA Mystery from debut author, Lauren Muñoz. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I had to pick it up. The setting is a 1920s-theme party that ends in murder...on an island! This was screaming Classic Mystery feel to me, and that's something I have soooo been into this year.

This story follows a group of teens who have just graduated from high school. Before they go their separate ways, their queen bee, Kassidy, plans an OTT-all expenses paid, 1920s-themed week at the lavish, Ashwood Manor, set on Sparrow Island, off the coast of Maine. Frankly, if that alone doesn't grab you, I don't know what else to say.

I suppose I should give you a little more though. So, basically, Kassidy is the organizer of the entire weekend.
She's super wealthy and is footing the bill for the entire event. Not only does this include the rental of the extravagant, and completely secluded island property, but it also includes all the 1920s-themed wardrobes and accoutrements for the guests.

All is going well, I mean except for the occasional teen drama, or spat, obviously to be expected, until the very unexpected happens. Before dinner one night, Kassidy's boyfriend, Blaine, is discovered dead in his room. Desperate and afraid, the teens call the authorities, who make it just in time, before a ferocious storm stops ferry travel to-and-from the island.

Murder, they say. But can that possibly be true? Who of the group of friends could possibly commit murder, and why?

Y'all, this was a fantastic set-up by Muñoz. I love how she brought that classic feel we all know and love, whilst seamlessly making it modern and engaging enough for the next generation of Mystery Readers.

I was pulled in right from the very start, as our group of characters is making their way out to the island. We begin to learn a bit about each of the guests for the week, as well the relationships and history they have amongst themselves.

Isadora, Izzy, is our main character that we come to know and love, or at least I did, over the course of the story. She is a bit of an outsider with this group, even though Kassidy is her tried-and-true best friend. Izzy's Mom is a teacher at the prestigious academy from which the teens just graduated. Izzy was able to attend due to scholarship, unlike all of her other friends, whose parents could more than afford the pricey tuition. Because of this, and other experiences, Izzy provides a bit of a different insight into the events than the other teens.

There are some hints dropped in this one where I was like, could this be the answer? But honestly, I didn't figure this one out until about 80% of the way through, and even then, I didn't figure it all out. Some aspects I still needed the characters to fill in the blanks for me.

I thought this was a ton a fun. I feel like Muñoz plotted the murder mystery aspects so well, while also including some more heavy-hitting topics for consideration. In my opinion. the story overall was really well balanced and it definitely kept me engaged throughout.

I definitely recommend this to any Reader who enjoys a YA Mystery/Thriller with well-developed characters, lush atmosphere and rich people behaving badly. Bonus points if you enjoy reading about private school students and drama.

Thank you so much to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had a ton of fun with this and cannot wait to read more from this author!!

This was a fantastic debut Young Adult thriller. I loved the setting of Ashwood Manor. Also, love a locked-room murder type of mystery. I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. It was so good!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Rich teens on an island and one of them ends up dead. Only one narrator, but since she brought the knife, she could be the murder. A well done locked room who did it, and the rich kids do grow on you a little by also telling you some about their pasts.

Seven friends go to Ashwood Manor, a glamorous mansion on an island, to celebrate their high school graduation with a 1920s themed party. Kassidy, who organized the whole thing, is insistent that things be as authentic as possible, so they leave their phones behind and spend the days partying in expensive vintage dresses and jewellery – and until the fun comes to a halt when Kassidy’s boyfriend Blaine is murdered. Detectives are soon on the scene and everyone in the house is a suspect. Each guest is hiding secrets and grudges of their own, including Izzy, Kassidy’s best friend, who is concealing the fact that she brought the knife that was used to kill Blaine to the island. What was meant to be a luxurious getaway soon turns into a nightmare for the seven teens as each of them must undergo an interrogation while protecting dangerous secrets – they all seem to have motive for murder, but only one is guilty.

I typically don’t request ARCs when the release date is just around the corner, namely tomorrow, but this one was too interesting to pass up even if it meant messing up my blogging schedule for the next fortnight. I love picking up books like this every so often as a thrilling mystery novel is the perfect book to turn to after a couple of heavy reads.

The premise is a fantastic one and perhaps it was the whole 1920s themed party in a manor that caused it, but this book had a very classic murder mystery feel to it. I do wish the story would have focused more on the setting in the first chapters, describing the manor and its surroundings better as I couldn’t picture it all that well.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve started to feel that I’m outgrowing most YA novels, but mysteries and thrillers are one of the few remaining genres that still work for me in YA. The teenage high school drama still made me roll my eyes, but as it was more in the backdrop of the story, I mostly ignored it and focused on the mystery. The pacing was slow initially but the writing was solid enough that it held my attention until the plot started moving.

This was a proper whodunnit and each of the friends looked suspicious at one point or another. They all had POVs, even if was only in flashbacks, which was a good touch, and most of the rest of the story was told from Izzy’s perspective. With so many characters, they all blurred together at first, but as the story progressed and a little of each of their backstories came to light, it became easier to tell them apart. Although this was supposed to be a group of friends, the tensions between them were immediately visible which added another layer to the story as it caused the reader to wonder which of the many entanglements in this group could have been the reason for the murder. While I wasn’t necessarily rooting for any particular character, I was certainly very invested in all of them and finding out how it happened. It was interesting that Izzy started to investigate the murder while she herself still was a very viable candidate to be the murderer, but it would have been nice if she had take a more active role in it, actually looking for clues etc rather than listening in on the police interviews from a secret passage, which made this book more telling the reader what was going on and less showing.

I felt that the conclusion was a bit rushed and everything fell into place rather conveniently. There was a lot revealed that I felt should have been explored in more detail. As for the culprit, I didn’t guess until the last quarter of the book, but looking back, there was such a major hint dropped early in the story that made it so clear!

All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Although it was tailored to a younger audience, I found that I was still able to get caught up in the story and it definitely had some great plot twists too. I would recommend this book for mystery fans.

This is the YA version of Agatha Christie's Halloween Party! Lauren Munoz's book Suddenly a Murder took me a bit to get into, but once a twist occurred midway through, I had to know what happened! The characters weren't particularly likable which I found enjoyable. Normally, unlikable main characters aren't for me, but in this case, I found it added to the story!

I look forward to reading more books by this author!

A huge thank you to Putnam and Son's and PRH Audio for granting me access to this title.

There was a lot of potential here, but most of the book fell flat for me. The idea of a group of friends going to a remote manor for a 1920s themed graduation celebration only for one to end up murdered is a great setup, and having Izzy, the mc, be fairly unreliable in her narration left a lot of room to create an interesting mystery. Instead, the focus was on friend group drama, relationship issues, and way too many flashbacks, many of which were unnecessary. The plot takes a lot of time to get going, focusing instead on building on the fact that Izzy brought a knife to the party and knows a secret about Blaine, her best friend's boyfriend and future murder victim. After the murder, how Izzy goes about investigating is rather boring, and really just dumping all of the info onto the readers. The last thirty pages or so, when things are fully revealed, were great and I wish the rest of that book maintained that sort of energy. There were parts, like the depths of Kassidy and Izzy's friendship, that were integral to the plot but not fully explored until the last few pages, which makes the resolutions pretty hollow and unfulfilling.

I knew from the moment I saw this title that I needed to have it. I didn’t care who it was by, what it was about, I didn’t care about any of that. I truly added this to my TBR because of one word in the title. And we know what that word is….. Something is truly wrong with me lol

Ok so there’s this large group of friends who’s celebrating graduation with a 1920’s themed party on a getaway island where a famous old movie was filmed. This party has vintage style costumes, no cell phones, the whole 9 to fit the theme. When all of a sudden one of them turns up dead. Investigators are called in to figure out whodunit.

Ok so the main thing about this that I didn’t like about this was the convenience of everything. She heard everyone’s testimony in this passage and nothing ever came of it? That’s something serious because she could lie to manipulate evidence. Once they found out, someone should have said something. I would just really like to think the adults would at least give her a strong talking to and tell her about obstruction or something. And no I don’t think I’m being too harsh. I read teen sleuth novels all the time, but they at least get reprimanded. She just got told she’s had it bad before so I’m allowing you to get away with this DURING A MURDER INVESTIGATION. Like at the very least make her THINK she was in trouble so she doesn’t do it again.

I DID like the ending tho. It said they weren’t able to find them, so maybe it’s a series? Do we think the person is coming back for revenge on someone else? Do we think that they did this because of their family’s problems? I have so many questions. Also if there is a sequel, who tf are they coming back to get? Maybe there’s a spin off of some kind? Idk. But it just ended entirely too open for me.

I also really liked all the characters. I just wish we got to know them more. All of them were like just bodies. No one had a real personality or back story until it was time for them to be interrogated or they were dropping a bomb about the case. Yeah it would have been a lot of filler, but if we’re gonna give clue vibes, might as well go all out and tell a little about them too. But even with the surface level, I thought the MC was getting good at sneaking around. I’m not going to save detective work because she was literally just snooping lol

The narrator was really good tho. Idk if that was my first book from them or not, but she’s a large part of why I rated this the way I did. And y’all know I love me some OwnVoices Narrators. I was very happy to see this one had one. It always just makes the listening experience more authentic.

This was fun, but also still filled with ridiculous teen antics. I do think that there could have been some changes, but not too many. The vibes and the mystery were vibin. I just had issues with the characters as a character driven reader.

Overall, I give this

Kassidy throws a lavish graduation celebration where she and six classmates plan to spend a 1920s themed week at on a secluded island, in a house with a tragic history and secret passageways, in honor of her best friend Izzy. When Kassidy's boyfriend is murdered, everyone has motive, and all are kept in the mansion until the surly detective and his whimsical sidekick can solve the crime. Suddenly a Murder kept me turning pages late into the night with twists and turns and secrets revealed.

Very good debut!
Kassidy has invited her best friend Izzy and five other friends onto the island for a week of 1920s inspired fun. Until Blaine, Kassidy's boyfriend, is murdered, and everyone has motive. With flashbacks and reveals galore, can the killer be caught before the teens have to return to the mainland?

I really liked this. It's a bit of a slow-burn, in terms of mysteries, but the flashbacks really help put things in perspective. Someone seems very, very guilty right out of the gate, but looks can be deceiving. The characters were interesting, but a couple characters of color were kind of stereotyped. Ellison, the only Black rower on the team, is a star athlete, and Chloe Li is the valedictorian of the school. Both fall into common tropes which wasn't ideal.

While the 1920s aspect plays a major role, I didn't connect with it as much because we only see Izzy and Kassidy watch one movie together and are told that they love the movies. I would've liked to see more references or more to do with the times. I did not see most of the twists coming, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending. Izzy trades one guilty thing for another. And I think the inappropriate relationship could've been handled with some more depth.

Overall, a great locked-door mystery with a compelling protagonist!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!:)

YA Knives Out meets One of Us Is Lying is such a great description of this book. This was such an engrossing and zippy ready; all the characters were unique and the individual mysteries that unfold was fun to learn. Add in gorgeous 1920s costumes and a good ending, making this a great read.

Seven teenage classmates are set to celebrate graduation with an elaborately planned 1920’s themed getaway in a remotely located historical mansion. Izzy Morales and her bestie Kassidy are obsessed with film noir and that hobby is the basis for this excursion, but when the party turns deadly and one of the guests is found murdered, the Gatsby-esque costumes are forgotten. Two modern day gumshoes show up on the island to investigate and the locked room aspect of their remote destination makes every guest a suspect. This YA thriller is fun and fast with enough character development to make the reader care about these kids, their motives, and their futures

Overall, a good mystery read. The ambiance of the setting and removal of modern devices was a nice way to write a present-day mystery with an old mystery feel. The main character's motive was something a little different and made for an interesting twist. The teen characters did fall a little flat for me and I didn't feel any connection to the main character. Much more interested in the quirky private investigator.

This book was such a fun read. It was definitely a murder mystery but gave me big Clue energy.

Right out the gate, I felt like it was almost too obvious who the murderer was, but I feel like each character really developed and built a story with motive. I did eventually figure it out, but this book kept me guessing as I was following along. I do think the end was a bit far fetched, but not so much that it ruined the story for me.

This book was heavily character driven but full of interesting twists and turns that kept me reading all the way till the very end. What a fun read!

First off, I adore the cover of this one, it's beautiful and absolutely drew my into the story. I enjoyed the characters and the overarching plot but I hated what ended up happening. One reason for this is I saw it coming unfortunately, and I was disappointed in the way it ended. I liked it up until the ending.

CW: death, mild violence, underage drinking, drug use, teens having sex, some others

Read via NetGalley.

What happens if you take a group of modern teens, stick them in a 1920’s themed party, and then surprise them with a dead body? This book! And it’s a strangely enjoyable adventure.

Seven friends rent out a historic mansion on a private island to celebrate their high school graduation. When one of them ends up dead, their party turns into a nightmare. Did one of them kill their friend? And will the detectives be able to unravel all the lies?

First, a disclaimer: while this book is marked as young adult, and the introduction by the publisher labels it for ages 12+, I don’t think it would necessarily be appropriate for 12 year olds. It feels more fitting for maybe 15 and up? Either way, use your best judgement. (Or read it yourself first; it’s really quite a good book!)

I love locked room mysteries. They’re one of my favorite genres because there’s just so much tension and so many moving pieces; you never really know what’s going to happen. This book, much to my joy, did not fail to deliver. It gives strong Agatha Christie/“And Then There Were None” vibes and I am here for all of it. If you haven’t read a lot of locked room stories, or if you aren’t sure if psychological thrillers are your thing, or you just want a really good story, this is a marvelous place to start.

The story is told in 2 points of view— the main timeline is told through our MC, Izzy. Every so often we’re given 3rd person views of things that happened in the past. These flashbacks are used to give extra context to the characters and their relationships with each other, and I really liked seeing these relevant bits. What I didn’t love, though, is that the flashbacks are not in chronological order; they’re more used when the relevant character or event in present time is going to be important. It made it a little difficult to keep track of what happened and when leading up to the current event. The disorganization may have been intentional, but it just wasn’t my thing. Fortunately, it didn’t detract overmuch from the main timeline or the story overall.

Can I relate to any of these characters in any way? No. No I cannot. Did that stop me from loving every single page of this story? Also no. Obviously I can’t really discuss the plot without giving things away, but it was so good. Everybody has their own motivations and desires and flaws, and nothing is what it seems on the surface. The book also deals a surprising amount with things like hidden grief, anger, and how secrets can eat away at you. For all the things it touches on, though, it never feels overly introspective or abstract as some books do when discussing the human condition. It’s just good writing telling a good story.

So, the short version is that you should most definitely read this book if you like mysteries. Be prepared to not want to put it down until you get to the end. “Suddenly a Murder” is out now!

Mysteries with characters isolated in any sort of way (bonus points if it’s on an island) is seriously my favourite type of story. If I see that it’s an isolated whodunit, it’s an immediate must read.

This one did not disappoint. It’s honestly remarkable that this is the author’s debut novel. Every scene, scenario and character was so well fleshed out.

There’s a lot of complexity regarding each character’s life and their relationships with each other. It was a wild ride witnessing the airing of the dirty laundry while everyone is decked out in their 1920s high fashion.

I honestly just had a lot of fun with this one. It was completely addictive and I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down.

Diana Bustelo was a perfect narrator for the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller book. The main characters all of different secrets they are trying to keep while also trying to not be implicated with the murder of their friend. This book had 1920s murder mystery Great Gatsby vibes set in modern times when a group of friends inhabits an island mansion and they are all role playing the 20s. Then there friend is murdered and it's definitely one of the remaining 6 teens. This book keeps you wondering on who killed him and why. And what are everyone's secrets. I definitely loved all the drama. Enjoyable read for sure.

I love a good thriller, and the elements of this novel having a Latinx protagonist and a 1920s themed party had me instantly sold from the synopsis!

Protagonist Izzy goes on a graduation trip thrown by her very privileged BFF, Kassidy, at a famous estate owned by an eccentric mogul that served as the setting of many of their favorite silent film era movies. It gave me MAJOR Heart Castle vibes (a landmark on the Central Coast of California that was owned by William Randolph Hearst who threw parties that were rumored to have inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gatsby parties). The themed week of high school shenanigans takes a dark turn when one of the 7 guests turns up dead, leading to a literal murder mystery party. The rest of the week is spent with the 6 teens trapped on the island amidst a storm, being interrogated by two detectives.

At first, it seems obvious (almost too obvious) as to who the killer is going to be. I was honestly almost confused as to where the story was going to go because it seemed so on the nose. However, as the story unraveled, it becomes clear that each character has a pretty compelling motive (which is the mark of good mystery writing, IMO). While dealing with the anxiety of the police interviews and wondering who will get caught (and for what, as many of the characters are hiding one thing or another), Izzy also struggles with her own feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability next to her peers who will have access to unlimited funds and resources once they return to the protection of their wealthy parents back on the mainland.

With any good thriller I am hoping for a twist or two at the end, especially one that I didn’t see coming. While I eventually guessed the identity of the killer, this book took a some really unexpectedly dark turns, not just with the motive behind the murder, but with some other secrets that led up too and boiled over into a motive for the murder. While shocking and compelling, I’m not sure if I found there were adequate breadcrumbs for it to really make sense to the reader- some of the twists, while interesting and shocking, seemed to really come out of left field for me.

Overall: Thematically lush and with some surprising twists and turns at the end, Suddenly a Murder managed to surprise me! While I found some of the reveals at the end a little far-fetched, it was a quick and atmospheric read that scratches the itch for a YA mystery.

This book had really interesting and complex teenage characters. I enjoyed getting to see the drama in their lives and how it connected to the murder. This book is very character heavy and at times I thought it a bit too focused on the characters and not enough on the plot. I also thought it was pretty obvious who killed the victim from pretty early on. It was an okay murder mystery for me. I did like the ending though. It was weird and kind of satisfying.

A YA version of an Agatha Christie novel, this “locked room” whodunit was an enjoyable read. I listen to this one as I read it, and I think that heightened my enjoyment. It brought the main character, Izzy, to life with her accent and mannerisms. The whodunit part wasn’t a super hard case to figure out, but there were some twists and turns that surprised me. Overall, a good read

A 1920’s themed party in a newly renovated museum on an isolated island, where only a few staff and a handful of freshly graduated teenagers are staying. It was fun until it wasn’t, and someone ended up dead. But with everyone keeping secrets, it turns out more than just one person had the motive to kill.