Cover Image: All Dressed Up

All Dressed Up

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The premise of this book immediately had me intrigued - a whodunnit with the theme of a 1920's murder mystery party that turns real when one player goes missing. It was definitely a unique read and I appreciated the effort put in by the author to add depth to the characters and story, but it was a bit confusing as a reader to follow with the two dueling setups (fake mystery + real mystery). Overall, a decent thriller and would recommend to those who would also be intrigued by this plot, but definitely a slower read to try to keep things straight!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for my gifted copy - all thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up is the story of Becca and her husband Blake who go on a 1920s murder mystery weekend. Over the 48 hours while she’s there, a real murder occurs. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this suspenseful, full-of-twists-and-turns book.

Was this review helpful?

Publication date: September 6, 2022
Ballantine Books
Yewon Son (she/her) Marketing Assistant│Random House
Dates read: 10/29/22-10/31/22

Rebecca Wilson is swept away on a surprise 1920's theme murder mystery weekend by her husband Blake in an attempt to reconcile with her for his betrayal. She is naturally curious but suspicious when realizes that they are at an old mansion coincidentally with another couple they know. This story is a convolution of characters which can be difficult to follow even if you have a list since all the characters have two names. They arrive with their own names but then have to "be" another character for the weekend to solve a mysterious "murder". Becca is on edge and just skeptical in general especially when she overhears a conversation which sounds dubious at best. When a character is found "murdered" the game begins with each character given specific clue pertinent to their character and how they are related to the mystery. Confusion begins when a character goes "missing" unexpectedly and they realize they might have an actual murder to solve.

It is an interesting story plot but used too much of my "headspace" following the story. I thought it was me until I noticed other reviewers with the same experience. It's a challenge to read because of all the characters and kudos to the author for being able to keep track of them!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a strong story up until the end. It kind of fell for me at that point and I didn't love how it was wrapped up.

Was this review helpful?

A delightful mystery that anyone who loves a whodunnit will be intrigued with. Got lost at some points with the characters and where the story was going. But other than that a good read.

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't wowed by anything in this book. It took me multiple attempts to read and I really wanted to love it but just couldn't. The premise was super intriguing, I love murder mysteries, but the execution falls flat.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Murder mystery themes and a stay in a hotel make for an interesting and compelling story. Truly an enjoyable suspense novel.

Was this review helpful?

Fun, themed mystery. It was a quick and enjoyable read but not terribly unique. Was a bit confusing between book characters and murder mystery characters

Was this review helpful?

All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon can be lauded for the ambitious way in which the author looks to set up the weekend getaway that turns deadly. It's a bit of a juggle with the dual roles individuals take between themselves and against the backdrop of the 1920s murder mystery game.

This one is a good option for those who enjoy historical mysteries with a touch of intrigue, even if the execution doesn't quite match the ambitious setup.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Had me hooked from the get go. It felt a little rused at points and like there was information overload, but overall a decent thriller.

Was this review helpful?

This novel unfolds over a 48-hour '1920s murder mystery theme' weekend at a hotel, and the concept of a mock murder intertwined with a real one is quite a fascinating setup.

However, I did encounter some confusion with the characters, primarily due to their dual identities. Our main character, Becca, for instance, is also known as 'Miss Debbie Taunte' in the game. The switch between names – Becca or Debbie – depending on whether the game was on, got a bit perplexing. This dual naming applied to most characters, and a character list at the start would have been really helpful to keep track.

While the book delves beyond the surface mysteries, exploring Becca's personal reflections and past, I found these aspects somewhat overwhelming. Although we get a good grasp of Becca, her husband, and their friends, other characters who are there for ambiance felt underdeveloped and somewhat one-dimensional. There were also a few minor quirks in the characters' actions that struck me as odd, though they didn't detract from the main storyline.

Overall, while the story was engaging, it didn't quite hit the mark of I was anticipating.

Was this review helpful?

I really wanted to like this one - the plot, the cover, really grabbed me.
Huge fan of closed mysteries - especially similar to Clue. This just fell flat for me.

Was this review helpful?

All Dressed Up focuses on Becca's relationship with her husband and his betrayal and her hurt over him having an affair. Over the course of a 48-hour weekend, the author takes the reader on what could have been a therapeutic weekend but instead is a weekend bogged down with way too many characters playing dual identities to keep straight and a fake murder that is anything but fake. Not many of the characters were very likable and while I loved the idea of the book, it somewhat fell flat as there wasn't much, to any character development.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley, PRH Audio, and Ballantine Books for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

Becca and her husband Blake are participating in a themed murder mystery weekend at a glamorous manor hotel. She loves mysteries so even though she feels a bit duped by her husband surprising her with this element on their weekend away, she decides to stay and play along. The murder mystery element of the weekend is super cheesy, but she's game to play. However, when one of the main actors doesn't show up, Becca gets suspicious that something else is going on, but the rest of the staff chalks it up to flakiness. Is there a real mystery afoot during this fake one?!

I messaged my friend in the middle of this book and asked if I should DNF it. I should know when I ask that that I should go ahead and quit. This book was terrible (and I normally can find something to redeem a book to give a semi favorable review, but not here). The main character, Becca, is a whiny entitled insecure woman who I wanted to stop talking (too bad she's the only POV you get). Plus this book is rife with all kinds of infidelity. All kinds. And in various degrees of celebrating vs distaining infidelity, often by the same characters. In addition, the actual mystery of this book was so predictable that it just made me roll my eyes when it was actually revealed. Do not read this book. There are much better locked door mysteries.

Was this review helpful?

I love locked room mysteries and anything that is Christie-esque. This book was successful in its locked room setting and resolution, and I was interested the whole time. However, this was definitely a book where the characters and the characters decisions bothered me and/or didn't make sense.

Was this review helpful?

This one had so so so much potential. The blurb had me sold in seconds. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

I felt like the focus was all wrong. Where I was hoping for the murder mystery vibe I felt it was more heavily with the drama aspect. Didn't live up to what it could have been.

Was this review helpful?

I very much enjoyed this twisted mystery that kept me guessing the entire time. It was quite a ride that I would be more than willing to take again!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House, for this eARC in return for an honest review.
Betrayed by her husband Blake, Becca agrees to accept his gift of a murder mystery weekend at an elegant hotel.
In the beginning, Becca was enjoying everyone getting into their 1920s characters.
Then Becca realize that this may not all be fake. Plagued by her rocky relationship with Blake and her suspensions of others, Becca decides to stray away from the game and try to solve a different mystery.

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't like being in Becca's head the entire time. I feel like if we followed different characters, it would have been better for me.

Was this review helpful?

"All Dressed Up" takes readers on a thrilling ride through a 1920s murder mystery-themed getaway. Becca finds herself at a gorgeous manor hotel, trying to navigate her husband Blake's recent betrayal and the elaborate attempt at an apology that this weekend retreat represents. If you like a good Whodunit check out "All Dressed Up" by Jilly Gagnon.

Was this review helpful?

So much time is spent inside the main character Becca's head, it becomes unenjoyable.

Becca and her husband, Blake, travel to a fancy hotel for a murder mystery weekend, as a way to repair the relationship after an affair with a colleague, and while the immediate plot line sounds interesting - so much gets bogged down and lost with Becca's distrust and own thoughts. We know that's part of the story, we know that the infertility happened, but we also know there's a 1920's themed murder mystery going on and I just wanted more of that!
Within the murder mystery, things start to become confusing because each book character also has a character they play for the party, and it ended up just being way too hard to keep up with who was who.

Was this review helpful?