I really enjoyed this one!

Goodreads describes it as a “locked-room mystery” and “One of Us is Lying meets Knives Out”, which is hard for me to say that’s an accurate description, since I haven’t read One of Us is Lying, but there’s definitely some Knives Out vibes.

Reading it for me gave off the vibe of an over-the-top Agatha Christie mystery meeting an episode of Gossip Girl, and if that sounds appealing to you, then you would enjoy this one.

There’s diversity in characters within the friend group and the protagonist is Latina. The setting is also fun as seven friends gather together for a 1920s themed graduation get-away at an elaborate estate, Ashwood Manor.

The friends turn in their cellphones to fully commit to the theme of the party and dress up in vintage attire and drink 1920s themed cocktails. Someone ends up dead and there ensues an investigation and flashbacks of all the characters backstories with each other.

I recommend this book if you can get into some teen drama (wasn’t too much for me) and if you like those old timey detective mysteries, where all gets revealed at the end in an elaborate way.

Wow, there's a ton of twists in turns in this one. Red herrings are scattered everywhere. The description of the historic mansion and added jazz age nuances enhance the already enticing plot. As one last hurrah after graduation high school, a group of friends head to a secluded island for a week of period costumes and suspended reality. No parents, no cell phones, no communication with the outside world. Until one of them is murdered. The characters shine in this story, particularly the dynamic between the detectives who arrive to investigate. Can they get their own series please? Overall, Suddenly A Murder kept me guessing until the ending, which wrecked me. A definite read if you like mysteries where people are trapped on an island and dressed to the nines in vintage garb.

3.5/5

I love a good closed door mystery and while Suddenly a Murder was an excellent snack for my appetite, I’m not sure I’d call it a whole meal.

Setting the food metaphors aside, I thought Suddenly a Murder had an excellent premise. 7 friends get together to celebrate their high school graduation, playing the part of high rollers in the roaring 20s. (It’s clear the author has an appreciation for the period given their focus on the attire and artifacts). The characters are all varied levels of developed (especially some of the core characters) but that’s not a deal breaker with these types of books.

Rather, it was the mystery itself. Perhaps it’s because I had an arc but giving away the gender of the murderer within the first paragraph really reduced the mystery and made the plot too easy to guess once the interrogations started. That being said the interrogations themselves and the MC were certainly highlights to this story. I think my biggest issue is that nothing really stood out for me that would separate this book from other closed mysteries in the genre. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it or speed through it but more that it was a bit forgettable for me.

I will also say without spoiling how that there were also times that subplots seemed to be set up for perhaps future novels or to add extra twists but distracted from the main point of this one since they weren’t set up enough prior to the reveal.

Overall an enjoyable read even if not a new favorite in the genre. Thank you to Netgalley and Lauren Munoz for the advanced read of Suddenly a Murder in exchange for an honest review.

A lot of reviewers like to throw around the word “atmospheric” — I’m as guilty as anyone — but Lauren Muñoz’s Suddenly a Murder is as deserving of the description as any book. Taking place at an isolated manor during a 1920’s-themed party for a group of friends, Suddenly a Murder is a fast-paced and engaging love letter to the golden age mystery novels that I’ve loved for years. Between the descriptions of the estate, the clothing, and the meals, I felt so immersed in the setting that I may as well have been another one of the characters.

A lot of setting-heavy stories can accidentally neglect their plots in favor of building up the scenery, but Suddenly a Murder does not fall victim to that trend. In fact, I found the mystery to be quite thrilling, even having guessed a few of the twists. They were the type of twists that felt satisfying, even though I expected them, because the payoff was clear and they made perfect sense. Another twist knocked my socks off in the best way.

Suddenly a Murder was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it did not disappoint. Quick and engaging, this book is definitely one of my favorite young adult mysteries. If you’re a fan of Truly Devious, One of Us is Lying, or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, don’t hesitate to pick up Suddenly a Murder on September 5th.

This is a really clever story. By setting it on a secluded island and dressing it up in a 1920's themed costume affair the novel reaches a whole different genre/style. This unique flair helps keep the story feeling fresh throughout, even when the sometimes cliched arguments and teen drama take place.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an opportunity to read #SuddenlyaMurder !

I recommend! This is a fun who-dun-it 'manor mystery on an isolated island' with definite nods to the Golden Age of Mystery. The uber-rich teens are recreating a 1920s style weekend retreat to celebrate graduation when the cheating, spoiled, spiteful creep of a teenage boy ends up dead.

Suspects are plentiful and there are more red-herrings than I would have thought possible. The narrator, Izzy, is keeping huge secrets that don't come together to the end. This book requires a serious suspension of disbelief, but the mystery's solution is pretty satisfying the whole way around.

This book is sure to keep you entertained. I have been reading many mysteries recently, but the 1920s theme of this book was beautiful. It was well done, and I loved how the story flowed. Thanks for letting me read an arc copy of this book!

Izzy Morales and her six friends have just graduated high school and are about to spend a week at Ashwood Manor having a 1920s-themed party. As a surprise to Izzy, her best friend, Kassidy, rented out the glamorous manor, which was the filming location of their favorite old film. The group is excited to spend a week away from their parents, but from the moment they arrive, tension fills their air. When Kassidy's boyfriend is found stabbed to death, investigators are brought in. As they conduct their interviews, it's clear that each remaining member has a motive to kill. Everyone is on edge, especially Izzy, since she's the one who brought the knife.

I love a murder mystery, so I was excited to check this one out. I loved the 1920s vibe; it felt so fun. I also thought the setting of the island worked nicely and added a level of tension and a feeling of isolation. I liked our main character Izzy and her friendship with Kassidy. They come from different worlds, but their friendship felt so genuine. One of my issues was that the extreme lavishness of these kids felt so absurd. I get that they're all stupid rich, except for Izzy, but even so, it felt like too much. Another thing was that I predicted a few of the reveals, but one caught me off guard. Other than that, I found this pretty entertaining.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Oh my goodness.

I originally opened this book as I waited for my early-morning flight to take off the runway, intending to read for a bit until I got some much-needed sleep.

As it turns out, this was a bad idea—because I literally could not put this book down! I read almost the entire thing on my flight. The novel was relatively fast-paced and easy to read.

This is a classic, multiple-friends-on-an-island-with-no-communication murder mystery that reminded me a lot of Ten by Gretchen McNeil, which I was obsessed with in middle school. The main character was smart, caring, and sort of resembled Marta from Knives Out, so, you know. A lot of good murder mystery vibes happening here.

The one thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was (slight spoiler) all of the eavesdropping! I hateee when murder-mystery protagonists find a secret hideout in the wall where they can listen to other characters' secret conversations. It feels like such a lazy plot device to spoon-feed the reader clues, and I would've liked to learn about the other characters' motives in a more clever way.

Also, the book randomly switched a few times from first-person POV to third-person POV, which felt jarring and unnecessary.

I was only somewhat shocked by the ending; there were definitely clues leading to the big reveal. However, people who love a classic murder mystery will eat this right up—there's the perfect amount of secrets, drama, and good old-fashioned back-stabbing (perhaps literally).

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a charming, wonderful, classic locked-room mystery! Izzy is a scholarship student in a high school for insanely wealthy kids. Her friendship with Kass means that she’s part of this privileged group, although she feels like an outsider. When her ultra-rich but nice best friend Kass organizes a week-long costume party in a mansion on an island, this Agatha Christie fan was salivating. Izzy is living my fantasy, but then, there’s murder, and secrets, including Izzy’s own! There is also a butler, and a spectacular manor that appeared in a movie and that is riddled with hidden passages. What else could I ask for? How about smart and likable characters, a quirky consulting detective and a wonderful, unforgettable ending? Or a suspenseful plot worthy of the best classic whodunits? This novel has it all. The dialogues are witty and funny, the twists are completely unexpected, the relationships and motivations of the characters believable. I loved this book so much that I literally couldn’t stop until I had read the last word. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books!

3.5 rounded down to 3

This book is super creative and very different from other murder mysteries I’ve read in the past. It is compared to knives out in the synopsis, and I feel like that is the best description of this.

It wasn’t the mystery that was the best part, it was actually the chapters and the povs! The novel is told with alternating chapters from the present and various points from the past. All the present chapters are from Izzy’s pov, but the past chapters switch between the other supporting characters. I find this interesting because you can only see Izzy’s thoughts through the actual events, but you can see everyone else’s thoughts about others in the group using the past chapters.

The mystery itself was ok. I honestly didn’t expect the culprit to be the person it was, and there was a plot twist regarding one of the detectives towards the end that I never expected. I’d love to say more about my feelings, but I don’t want to give any of the plot away!

Overall, I had a fun time reading this! It is an excellent debut, and I look forward to seeing if the author writes any more mysteries :)

mystery/thriller isn't usually my go to genre, but I really loved this book! It had be guessing the whole time who did it and what happened. My only critique is that after so much guessing and stress I felt the ending was a bit of a let down. However, I still rate it a 4/5 and will be suggesting it to all my thriller/mystery lovers!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and kept me on my toes the whole time. The whole vibe of this story was spot on; 1920s themed celebration at an old manor, group of high school friends and lovers, scandal and murder. It was a thrill for sure. I'm not too sure how I feel about the ending of this one, but I can tell this is going to be a story I think about for a while.

received an e-arc from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

this was okay? the formatting was really off (i read a kindle version), which made it difficult to read at times. and idk, the story structure wasn't my favorite (it would switch from first person perspective to 3rd person for flashbacks, all from different POVs).

i liked the mystery aspect, but didn't love how it ended. kassidy's ending in particular. not a fan.

overall, just meh.

This was a fun locked-room murder mystery thriller and I enjoyed getting to know each character and learning how each was connected to the victim as well as their potential motives for killing Blaine.

The setting is amazing! The 1920's mansion was painted so vividly that I could see, hear, smell, feel, and even taste every detail. These details were interwoven so well and helped move the plot along and never felt as if their inclusion weighed down the pacing.

The flashbacks for each character helped me get to know the suspects and really "see" them as vulnerable individuals. The twists were fun and some of them I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the suspense, intrigue, and betrayals.

Although I was able to figure out the real killer about half way through, there was always a tiny voice in my head that said, what if you guessed incorrectly? And of course, I had to keep reading to find out the details--the whys, hows, and whens of the crime.

Over all I thought the setting and premise was fascinating. I would have loved to hear about the movie that had inspired the trip in the beginning to see more foreshadowing. Also the friendships that between the group I thought played well but could have dealt with less of them. My biggest criticism would be that I wish it has a faster pace and or was a bit puncher.

A glittering murder mystery reminiscent of “They Wish They Were Us” and “Five Survive,” Lauren Muñoz debuts onto the YA scene in style with “Suddenly a Murder.” Featuring time-jumps that slowly uncover possible motive for a slew of characters with entangled storylines, it is an engrossing, 1920s-fever-dream of a read.

Is it disappointing to easily figure out the not-so-secret killer within the first few chapters? Sure, but that was the only missing piece of this otherwise fascinating mystery. Muñoz demonstrates mastery at teasing plot devices that serve to distract readers from the truth, with some of her biggest reveals in this turning out to be heady twists I never once suspected.

I also really appreciated the way a running commenting about diversity was worked in, as well as the inclusion of diverse MCs. It’s also worth noting that the book’s unusual thematic ode to 1920s cinema gives an otherwise tired premise — a group of teens celebrating graduation, when one suddenly turns up dead — a rather fresh, revamped feel.

“Suddenly a Murder” will appeal to those who appreciate a good ‘whodunit’ set on a glamorous island, centered around young, wealthy characters with secrets they’re willing to kill for.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.*

I absolutely devoured this book! I've been in a murder-mystery mood and I was really excited to read 'Suddenly a Murder' and it did not disappoint. The atmospheric setting, the complicated characters and the plot twists were so good!

I DNF’d this about 50% of the way in. I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters or the plot. Which is unfortunate because I was excited about this.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC via netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CWs: drugs, alcohol, cheating, death, murder

This was an interesting one. I was really intrigued by the premise, and I love anything to do with Clue so I was excited to read this one.
It started off a bit slow for me, and it took me a few chapters to settle into the writing style and the story, but once I did I flew through the book. It’s told mostly through the present in first-person from Izzy’s POV, but there are many flashback chapters to moments from throughout the year that are told in third-person and feature each of our six murder suspects as the main focus. I liked the flashback chapters because they helped to establish motive and secrets, but it took me a while to get used to the switch from first- to third-person especially when the flashbacks were about Izzy.
This book was filled with secrets and lies, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was. I was correct in my guess, but there were twists that surprised me. I thought the ending was powerful but also a bit anti-climactic.
I also wish that there had been a bit more action from Izzy in terms of trying to discover what was happening instead of just sitting in a secret passage and listening to the lies and police interviews. It was more of the reader just being told things instead of seeing them play out.
I enjoyed this one, and I think YA mystery fans will too.