Becca is having a rough time. Ever since she found out that her husband Blake had been cheating on her, she has been beaten down with feelings of insecurity, jealousy, and betrayal. To help ask for forgiveness, Blake set up a weekend getaway for them, to a gorgeous hotel in the middle of nowhere. And when they show up, Becca is happy to find out that some of their best friends, Heather and Phil were there for the weekend also.

Suddenly there is a scream, and they all run to try to figure out what happened. Becca finds a maid on the floor and realizes that there is a woman lying on the floor not too far away, a pool of blood around her. She jumps in immediately and tries to help, and then realizes that no one else is reacting the way she is. She looks around and realizes that everyone else there had expected something like this to happen. It’s a theme weekend, a murder mystery, and Blake had kept that secret from her.

Becca is furious with him for not letting her into the theme of the weekend. She had known it was a 1920s theme, but the murder mystery came as a big surprise, and she felt really embarrassed to be the only person who didn’t know about it. Blake apologizes, saying that he thought she’d enjoy it since she’d been spending so much time lately watching mysteries on television. But she’d been doing that to try to process her feelings about Blake cheating on her.

Later, Becca tells the rest of the group that clearly she hadn’t known about the murder mystery, to try to save face, but no one else really cared. They understood and just wanted to have fun playing the game. So as they got into their characters, and into the alcohol, Becca’s embarrassment melts away and she starts to make new friends.

The next day, hungover but excited, the murder mystery game starts in earnest. Each person is given a character to embody, with secrets to keep and clues to offer to others. As they question each other and look around the hotel for clues, Becca starts to think something else may be going on. She sees Blake flirting with other women and tries to keep her anxiety in check. But then one of the actresses in the game, Bethany, who was playing the part of a maid, goes missing. Becca starts to question if something happened to her. The staff are saying that she had just left, but that doesn’t ring true to Becca, who had talked to her about the murder mystery when she had needed some help, and Bethany had been really excited about her role.

As Becca tries to balance her relationship issues along with the murder mystery game and the possibility of a genuine mystery at the hotel, she observes the others, keeps her eyes and ears open, and searches for clues. But will she be able to figure out what’s really happening at the hotel, or will she lose her marriage, or maybe even her life, as she gets wrapped up in a series of mysteries that may or may not even be real?

All Dressed Up is a layered murder mystery from author Jilly Gagnon. There is a lot happening in this novel, between the struggles in the marriage, the murder mystery game, and the missing maid. The variety of the characters, the way they each have their own agenda, and the way they interact almost lends the feeling of a farce. However, the seriousness of the marriage issues and the mystery of the missing woman bring a gravitas to keep the story from becoming flippant.

I enjoyed All Dressed Up. I loved the setting of the murder mystery weekend for this locked-room mystery, and the layers of secrets added a lot to the story. However, there are some issues with pacing, so reading this book takes some effort. I think it’s worth it in the end, but telling almost the entire story through Becca’s perspective adds a very emotional element that does slow things down (the only parts that weren’t through Becca’s perspective were the blurbs from the booklets that each character had in the game). But there are a lot of fun elements to All Dressed Up, and I do think some mystery readers will enjoy it. I’d recommend reading an excerpt first, to see if you think you’ll find it enjoyable.

Egalleys for All Dressed Up were provided by Bantam Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I love a good twisty turny book that keeps me guessing. The author brilliantly forces the reader to trust no one and to question everything. While I had my suspicions throughout, the twist at the end surprised me in more ways than one.

All Dressed Up begins with Becca and her husband Blake arriving at a manor home for a weekend away to help heal their relationship after Blake cheated. A lover of mysteries, Becca is excited to be a part of a murder mystery weekend set in the 1920s. Soon after their arrival, the game has begun and Becca attempts to focus on the game and put Blake’s betrayal at the back of her mind. By the next day, however, Becca begins to believe that a murder might actually have occurred with the manor’s maid fails to show. She simultaneously works to solve the “murder” of Ida Crooner in character and the disappearance of Bethany in real life.

This one was slightly hard to follow as you’re having to keep track of the characters in present day, as well as the characters they are playing in the murder mystery. Jilly Gagnon did a fabulous job drafting the murder mystery part of the story and the punny names and clues were fun to explore. However, I found this book dragging by the middle. Being in Becca’s head turned out to be a struggle as we were constantly reminded about Blake’s infidelity and I ended up not really enjoying her as a character very much. I felt like this book had a lot of promise, but didn’t really deliver. Trying to thread the two stories together plus having to be reminded ad nauseam about Blake’s cheating made it so you weren’t able to give any of the plotlines your full attention.

I will say that I didn’t see the ending coming, but also felt like it was quite over the top when all of the pieces came together. Plus, I became invested in the murder mystery aspect and really wanted more closure on the fictional murder of Ida. You may enjoy this one if you are better at tracking stories within stories than I am, but be prepared to be regularly reminded that Blake cheated. Thank you to Random House – Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

As soon as I read the one sentence summary of this book being like CLUE meets [book:An Unwanted Guest|38240386], I was so excited to leap right in! CLUE has long been one of my favorite games and movies, and this one definitely has some strong vibes from the film! The central characters - narrator Becca and her husband Blake, head to an ornate and remote upstate NY hotel for a 1920s themed weekend away. It's a gesture on Blake's part to help them start fresh in their reconciliation after Becca's discovery of his affair. Becca doesn't immediately know that the weekend is more than historically themed - the four couples and the staff members also play roles for the weekend as part of a murder mystery show. As this was the same theme (though not the same time period) for my 16th birthday party (one of my favorite birthday parties of all time), I really enjoyed the snippets and clues that reminded me of the clues and plot we created for my own party. It just really added to my personal fun of reading this one!

But as the clues unfolded, Becca uncovers clues of her own that seem to point to a real murder - making this a genuine loved room/hotel mystery wrapped into a fictional one! These layers add to the fun, but does draw the pacing out a bit. Though really bogs down the book is Becca herself. Her character, still reeling from the betrayal of her husband, spends a good portion of the book wrapped in her own interior monologue about her marriage. Becca does work through some things in between conversations with other guests and terse interactions with her husband, but it doesn't exactly amplify the plot or its pacing. The real life murder resolution may not surprise readers, but the solution to the faux murder is more disappointing even as it functioned so well as a good red herring.

Overall, I did have fun reading this one, and I think that it would make for a good choice for a book club or discussion group, but it just wasn't quite as fast-paced as I hoped it would be. Nor were the characters as likable.

⚜️ A 1920s murder-mystery-themed story?! The premise practically screamed Agatha Christie to me, and I was all for it! Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I hoped to.

⚜️ This is a quick read. The story moves along at a good pace and things keep happening to throw wrenches into the plot. However, at times those wrenches felt a little convoluted and convenient. There was almost too much going on at times, in my opinion of course.

⚜️ I couldn’t stand the constant bickering and misunderstandings between Becca and her husband Blake. Sometimes Becca’s behavior felt childish and incredibly unreasonable, and I just wasn’t buying it as realistic.

⚜️ I felt like most of the characters in the book were overly stereotypical and I didn’t really connect to any of them.

⚜️ The character names (for the murder mystery weekend) were fun, but not very original (e.g., Debbie Taunte, Miss Ann Thrope).

⚜️ I did enjoy the mystery within a mystery element.

⚜️ While not unique, I felt like the ending wrapped up in a realistic way.

⚜️ Considering my nitpicks, I actually didn’t hate this book. But I was a little disappointed based on my initial expectations. I really wanted to love it.

Thank you @NetGalley and @RandomHouse Bantam for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Is it just me, or is there something so iconic about a bold red and black cover? Naturally, I was immediately drawn in by the artwork on All Dressed Up's cover, but it was more than that. All Dressed Up, written by Jilly Gagnon, is a mystery thriller set in a grand manor – making for an intriguing foundation for this tale.

Can one amazing getaway cure heartache? Becca isn't convinced that anything will help her get over her husband's betrayal. But she's ready to let him spend all the money he wants on trying to earn her forgiveness.

The expensive trip? A weekend in a manor hotel, which happens to host a murder mystery game with a distinct 1920s vibe. Already keyed into the idea of a mystery, Becca will find herself quickly catching on to a real mystery occurring on the grounds.

I feel like many readers have fantasized about a weekend getaway. Maybe fewer readers hoped to combine that getaway with a murder/mystery-themed hotel stay, but you've got to admit that it sounds like fun!

I'm trying to say that this was a fascinating foundation for All Dressed Up. It immediately caught my attention. I'm almost tempted to say that we didn't need the personal drama to get me invested.

Actually - I am going to say that. Becca's emotional state was downright distracting at times, and not in a good way. It was like there were two huge plots vying for center stage, and Becca kept drop-kicking the murder/mystery plot. It was frustrating! I just wanted to explore that bit of the plot for a moment.

I would advise going into All Dressed Up expecting more of an emotional read, as Becca has a lot to work through. The hotel and the mystery are more supporting characters than actual focal points. If you adjust your expectations accordingly (and don't make the same mistake I did), I can see this book being enjoyable.

Blake Wilson is trying to save his marriage, and plans a getaway for his wife Becca, thinking it'd be a fun surprise. Becca is a fan of murder mystery shows. A home that was used as a summer home once is now a tourist attraction with themes. This time it's the Roaring Twenties.

Each guest is given a character name and invited to scope out for clues to solve the mystery. One of the staff members and Becca get to know one another, but the following day, the guests are told the staff member was a no show. Becca decides to use the object she borrowed to sneak into the staff member's room and discovers personal items left behind that normally wouldn't be. When someone enters the room, Becca dives for cover and overhears a conversation.

In looking for clues, Becca's suspicions grow, but she's not sure what is the game and what is real anymore.

I loved how there were two mysteries simultaneously, which kept me guessing about both. The ending was a surprise.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

There is not a lot of love for All Dressed Up by Jilly Gagnon, but I for one had a GREAT time with it. Sure, I didn't love Becca, and I wish we had some actual background on her and Blake's relationship, but I LOVED the premise and basic execution of the story. I am a huge fan of the murder mystery and have always wanted to go to a Clue-style type of weekend such as what we have in this book. There is a lot to keep track of between the characters at the hotel for the weekend on top of the staff and the characters everyone is playing as part of the game. This is why I am really glad that Gagnon had the foresight to add a list at the beginning of the book with the guests and the staff named, as well as their associated character names. She even listed them all in order of appearance, and this was such a great resource to have when I couldn't quite remember who was who.

Although it will probably confuse some people, I also loved the audiobook and that there was one narrator for Becca (Christine Lakin), plus a narrator for the other things like the unknown narrator, cast of characters, and background character information for the game (David DeSantos). Thanks to Lakin I didn't hate Becca as much as I probably could have, and DeSantos was THE perfect narrator for the other parts. He gave it that old-timey feel that was perfect for the story and he was just pleasant to listen to in general. I had 0 idea what was going on, and I did not see the whodunit coming at all. I think All Dressed Up would make a really fun movie or mini-series, and I loved getting lost in the characters and all aspects of the game. You spend a lot of time in Becca's head since she is the main narrator, but I really didn't mind it and just wish I could have gotten to know her better.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of All Dressed Up, in return for a fair and honest review.

I like cozy mysteries just fine, and I like the idea of this - a mystery weekend, with multiple levels of murder going on! It makes the plot interesting - when the protagonist overhears discussions that appear to refer to murdering someone - do they refer to the murder game, or to real life murder? I enjoy the multiple layers of the plot.

The part I didn't enjoy was the characters, particularly the protagonist. I could not find any feeling for Becca - while I do understand her ambivalence over staying with her cheating husband or leaving him, I quickly became tired of her constant thoughts about it. I really didn't think that all the marital infidelity ruminations (both by her and by other characters) was all that interesting in the context of the plot. Plus, while an unreliable narrator can make a plot more interesting, I just didn't feel that it worked here.

On thinking about it, I think my main problem was that the mystery aspects definitely played second fiddle to the marriage aspects. Far more attention was devoted to the whole question of marriage, both of the main character and secondary couples. It appeared that the author was mainly interested in analyzing marriage and what's important in a marriage and how do you make a marriage work. The mystery aspects seem to have been thrown in as a vehicle to discuss this.
And, while I found the book somewhat entertaining, I was more looking for a mystery than marriage counselling.

The premise of All Dressed Up had great potential. A couple dealing with the aftermath of the husband's infidelity goes to a weekend 1920's themed getaway that turns into a murder mystery. I wanted to love it.

In reality, there was too much time spent in Becca's (the protagonist) head and focusing on her anxious thinking. The murder mystery aspects were okay but got lost in the shuffle of the relationship stuff. It was hard to focus on the mystery or to feel empathy for Becca as she wallowed.

Most of the characters in the book were pretty unlikable which made it hard get into the story.

Jilly Gagnon’s All Dressed Up has an interesting premise. Blake surprises his wife Becca with a murder mystery weekend to make up for his prior infidelity. There is a “murder” which the characters are supposed to solve, but Becca suspects that an employee of the hotel has really been murdered and the book focuses on her efforts to answer this question. The book also asks the broader question of who people really are beyond the characters they are playing. I liked the premise, but the book was frequently difficult to follow as there was not much time spent on character development causing the plot to drag. 3.5 out of 5.0 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary advanced electronic copy of the book.

Husband caught cheating decides to try repairing his marriage by planning a get away weekend at a Mystery house..Why? Because his wife loves murder mysteries. Does he share with her that it is a theme weekend...umm, no.
So they and three other couples, one of whom they actually know, embark on a weekend of "who did it"
The wife , who sees symptoms of infidelity in every move her husband makes, tries to settle down and play the WHO DONE IT game.
Unfortunately she begins to find clues that she believes might be real as opposed to part of the game. The maid goes missing....a door gets left open.
Full of twists, this books entertaining but is also hard to read do to the many switches between the wife history with her husband, the other couples history with them, the game, and other activities of the staff.
If you don't mind flipping back a couple pages from time to time.....this is readable.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC

One Sentence Summary: During a murder mystery weekend with a 1920s theme, Becca and Blake work to repair their marriage, but actual murder might get in their way.

My thoughts:

I’m a big fan of Clue, both the movie and the game, and the 1920s is one of my favorite time periods. Combine that with a murder mystery weekend at an isolated hotel and I’m intrigued! All Dressed Up has a couple whose marriage is on the rocks trying to work things through while attending a themed murder mystery weekend. It sounds like it should be a lot of fun, perhaps a little humorous and maybe a bit suspenseful. I mean, there are two mysteries going on at the same time even if one is completely fabricated. Unfortunately, there just seemed to be too much going on and the characters were mostly flat, each playing one or two roles and doing nothing else. I found it to be a more pleasant reading experience as long as I didn’t think about it and simply went with the flow.

At its heart, All Dressed Up is about Becca and Blake trying to repair their marriage after an unforgivable breach of trust. It’s woven throughout the book, though it takes a while for what happened to come to light, and then Becca just dwells and dwells without making much forward progress. Honestly, about three quarters of the way through I still wasn’t sure of what she intended on doing and whether or not this supposed last ditch effort was actually going to work. For one, Becca was excellent at keeping things from her husband, and her husband felt like he used his introversion to get out of just about everything that actually mattered to his wife. Though she didn’t do much about it herself, telling herself that was just what her husband was like and she ought to take care of him. It really sounded a bit like a bizarre marriage where both of them avoided a lot of things, but I suppose it worked for them. I was just left dissatisfied with how this plot line ended.

Then there are the two mysteries. One is contrived as it’s the one four couples are working to solve while taking on 1920s personas, including a gangster, a reporter, and a society lady. It was humorous the way it was so contrived and the acting on the part of the staff was clearly subpar, but so amusing. I loved how this one hit the ground running and I liked how the character backgrounds and the different game play sessions were woven in. It made me feel like I was reading one of the Clue books. Unfortunately, this one had the most unsatisfactory ending despite being my preferred plot line. The second mystery took a while to get going, but I liked how it seemed to really get to Becca psychologically. It made me feel a little nuts, too, especially since it was woven in right alongside the contrived mystery. Sadly, it felt like they didn’t jive together well and poured too much confusion into the story. They, since both used the same people, tended to blur together too much to the point where it was impossible to tell who was playing their 1920s role and who was actually involved in the very real mystery. This one did have a satisfactory ending and I liked that it made sense, even if I was missing out on all the hints that should have lead to whodunit (I don’t actually remember very many clues to this).

But my biggest issue was with the characters. There are four couples, two who are unknown to Becca and Blake and one who are basically couple friends with Becca and Blake. Only one couple, one of the unknown ones, was really into the theme of the weekend, making it impossible to tell which mystery they were actually involved with, which really made things confusing. They were the only ones who actually played their 1920s roles well. The others felt like they were doing things half-heartedly. But, at the same time, I really couldn’t figure out their actual characterizations. They all just felt like they were there for the sake of the story and no more thought was put into them. I did find the hotel staff to be interesting, though. They played their 1920s roles and then easily slipped back into being modern people. Their transitions were clear and I liked how they could pull off the duality in a way that made all the hotel guests just feel confused about what they were there for.

On the plus side, the contrived mystery did feel a bit tongue in cheek, very much like Clue. I loved how exaggerated it was and just how well each piece was actually thought out. I also loved how isolated the hotel was, and how the grounds and hotel reminded me of the mansion. Even though the story slipped back and forth in time, I loved feeling like I was working to squeeze myself into one of the Clue books. The setting was probably my favorite part of this book, so I was a little disappointed the characters and plot didn’t use it quite as well as I would have liked.

All Dressed Up had so much promise. There are so many good pieces that just didn’t work well together, making it feel like it was trying to bite off more than it could chew. The characters felt like cardboard cutouts, the marriage story was pushed and pulled in and out of the spotlight in a way that felt uneven. The mysteries were poorly meshed. There was simply too much going on, and I hated the way Becca and Blake were supposed to be there to repair their marriage but managed to not actually spend much time together. Overall, this was disappointing, but I was highly amused and really loved the contrived mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love any mystery in a gothic mansion. This was a fun ride. While a great story, it also looks at what makes for a successful marriage and how outside influences can reshape such views. Everyone has secrets, and what happens if they are exposed? I enjoyed this book as a simple mystery as well as a psychological look into people's lives.

Could have been a good story but I’m sorry to say it was disappointing.
My feeling was that the author tried to put too much in the story and ending up diluting both the mystery and the mental agony the main character is going through. It isn’t till nearly the end that you have a bit better understanding of the main character when some of her past is explained. In the meanwhile, you are getting sick of her whining and want to tell het either trust your husband and forgive him or divorce him. More than likely you both need professional counseling. The murder mystery in itself had as good ending but all through the story it was hard to define what was a mystery game and what was a real murder. This is the first book I read by Jilly Gagnon, and I might give her another try to see if her writing grows on me.

A trip to a luxurious hotel to take part in a murder-mystery themed party seems like a perfect get-away for Becca and Blake. But Becca can't get out of her mind that Blake sees this as an " I'm sorry" trip hoping for forgiveness for an affair he had with a co-worker. While the premise of the story is interesting and has the twists normally involved in such a theme....an actual murder takes place which puts a whole different spin on the game and the participants. Whodunit? I wanted to like the book more than I did..it managed to spin around a bit much between learning back-history of Becca/Blake, dealing with a problem-marriage, playing a game - and yet then looking at an actual murder! I had difficult becoming invested in any of the characters as there was so much going on. Granted - this will be a favorite for many readers. However - while parts were a good read - the whole fell a little flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #AllDressedUp #NetGalley.

This was a fun book and I was really excited to read this one when approved. I overall enjoyed it and I think it was a decent story! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this one.

Becca and Blake have hit a rough patch in their relationship and have decided a Roaring 20s murder mystery weekend will help repair things. Aside from the planned "murder" of the weekend, one of the maids/actresses goes missing. Becca is the only one who thinks this is more than a flakey employee but doesn't want her already fragile relationship further tested if Blake doesn't believe her.

All Dressed Up combined the fun/awkwardness of a murder mystery event with the difficulty of figuring out how to move on from infidelity. Jilly Gagnon ultimately shows, through an interesting cast of characters and the actual mystery afoot, that trying to emulate someone else's relationship as the "ideal" will leave all involved unfulfilled.

I loved that the setting and characters led to the creepy feeling of the book. I could picture myself there and how off-putting the situation would be. I think being able to empathize with where Becca was coming from, really being able to be in her head, added to how the story worked. Jilly Gagnon made her so relatable but not without faults and questionable decisions.

This one was. a bit challenging because I just wasn't invested in the characters or the story. There was too many side drama and I was uninterested in her marriage problems. Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the opportunity to read this book and provide my unbiased opinion.

Becca and Blake head to a a weekend getaway in a beautiful hotel and Becca is unaware it is a murder mystery weekend. Blake thought his wife would love a themed weekend giveaway due to her love of mysteries and to attempt to make amends for his infidelity. The book weaves you through the Becca and Blake tumultuous marriage and the murder mystery. For Becca, the line between real life and the game blur to the point she cannot separate the two. As the game unfolds, Becca cannot tell if there was a real murder or if it is all part of the game.

A well written novel that is fast paced and keeps one engaged. Many did not like the focus on Blake and Becca's marriage and the constant focus on Blake's infidelity. I found it important to the overall plot, and as the plot unfolds, Becca and Blake's relationship goes through a transformation. Dive in to find out who the murderer is and is there hope for Blake and Becca?

Thank you #JillyGagnon , #NetGalley and #BantamPublishing for the eARC of #AllDressedUp in exchange for my honest review.