Lauren Muñoz presents an intriguing murder mystery with a suspenseful plot, a diverse cast of characters, and a web of secrets, This novel keeps readers guessing until the final pages. The pacing of the novel is generally well-maintained, with Muñoz keeping readers engaged by gradually revealing new information and introducing twists and turns. The author creates a sense of urgency, urging readers to piece together the puzzle alongside the protagonist. The characters are diverse and multi-dimensional, each with their own motivations and secrets.
Muñoz's writing style is straightforward and accessible, making the book easy to follow. However, some readers may find the dialogue and descriptive passages somewhat lacking in depth and nuance, which could have enhanced the overall reading experience.

Wow! I didn’t want to ever put this one down. Gossip Girl Vibes + Locked Room Murder Mystery + Loads of Drama + Twenties Era Theme Parties! This captivating mystery was unique - filled with the decadence of the 20s and the dramatic intrigue of a classic mystery novel. The perspective of the main character and the dual timeline add to the twists of uncovering the murderer.

Thank you Lauren Muñoz for this story. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC.

Lauren Muñoz delivers a killer debut novel. A locked room mystery where seven friends throw a 1920’s themed graduation party where all is fun and games until one of them is murdered.

This book will keep you guessing until the very end. I had an inkling of who the killer was quite early on, but there were some surprises along the way and I never could have guessed the ending or the secrets that some of the characters were hiding.

I especially loved the flashback chapters where we got to explore the characters more in depth and get clues as to why they might have committed this murder.

A truly fabulous debut! Highly recommend to fans of the Truly Devious Series and fans of Jessica Goodman and Holly Jackson.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a bit of a slow start for me but once it got started it was great! I think our cast of characters were likeable enough but in the way characters in Succession or The White Lotus or Knives Out are - they’re uber rich (save for our main!) and I don’t think I was really rooting for any of them, but I was also invested in their stories. While I figured out who committed the murder, I didn’t particularly love the end for that character? That and the dad reveal marked off a star for me personally, but overall this book was great! I had a fun time with this murder mystery.

I also adored the flashbacks. It gave us great insight into the characters and provided them their own POV (and motives). It was so much better than just hearing about them in their interviews or through Izzy’s eyes - this made the characters feel more fleshed out and helped me empathize with them each a bit more. I’d honestly love for more murder mysteries to work that way because it’s such a quick but effective way to make me more invested in an ensemble of characters.

I love locked door murder mysteries, and this one was done very well! All of the kids are sequestered on an island in a mansion, dressed for the 1920's as that is the theme for the week, when one of them is murdered. Two detectives come in to question them, and that's how we get each character's story - their movements and their possible motives.

The mystery itself was well written, with tons of motives and possible murderers. There was some clever misdirection and just when I'd decide who I thought had killed the kid, the author would switch things up, give another clue, and I'd pivot to another character as the culprit! I can't say I was entirely surprised by who ended up being the murderer by the end, but the motive took me completely by surprise.

I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Lauren Munoz for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Suddenly a Murder is kind of like Agatha Christie meets Gossip Girl, and I mean that in the best way possible. Izzy is a "charity case" student at an exclusive prep school in Maine where her mother teaches. Her best friend Kassidy has surprised Izzy with a weeklong trip to Ashwood Manor on Sparrow Island, where their favorite Jazz Age movie was filmed. Kassidy has also invited some of their closest friends; her boyfriend Blaine, their friends Fergus, Ellison, and Chloe, and Izzy's crush Marlowe. They're going to spend the week having a 1920's themed vacation, complete with period accurate clothing, no technology, and plenty of Prohibition-era cocktails. It seems like the perfect end to their high school career, a true dream vacation. And then someone is murdered. And it turns out that everyone had a good reason for wanting them dead.

Lauren Muñoz jumps back and forth in the timeline, detailing the aftermath of the murder and its investigation, and jumping back to various points of senior year where we learn more about everyone's relationships, pressures, and potential motives. In the primary timeline, our point of view character is Izzy, but each flashback lets us take a look inside the head of one of the other friends / suspects. Muñoz also does a wonderful job laying out the clues for an observant reader. Once I finished I wanted to immediately re-read it to pick up the clues I missed the first time around.

Overall a great story, and a quick and fun read. This was Lauren Muñoz's debut novel; I look forward to reading more of her work!

Normally when I read a locked room murder novel like this, I can pick out who the culprit is fairly early on, but this kept me guessing til the last minute. I loved the characters and how everyone, including the protagonist, were the type of people you could love and hate all at the same time. Very well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC of Suddenly a Murder in exchange for my honest review!

The fact that this has been pitched as a cross between One of Us Is Lying and Knives Out drew me in immediately as a fan of both of those pieces of media. Now, the whodunnit itself doesn't beat out other stories I've consumed from this subgenre, and I wish I could have gotten more attached to some of the characters early on, but it's compelling all the same. It was easy to read and I like its choice to go for a 1920s-themed backdrop, although I do think it could have been designed with more atmosphere. It cuts back and forth between the present and the past smoothly and helps to add more layers to the characters, but I found that a few of the flashbacks were extraneous. Once it hits the third act, that's when the book rises to another level in regard to its twists (there's one in particular that caused me to physically lean backward and take a minute to process the new info) and the territory it's willing to explore with a few of its characters in order to get me more invested in them.

Overall, I'm officially rating Suddenly a Murder 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars here on Goodreads. It didn't land with me as one of the most riveting and memorable mystery novels I've read, but it did offer up an entertaining time that I'm glad I was able to experience. I'll keep an eye out for more of debut author Lauren Muñoz's work in the future.

3.4
My main issue here is that I've no indicators of how seriously I should be taking this. The ending was the most hysterically overdramatic thing I've read this year, but, like, was she for real? My not knowing the answer to that question lost this book a full star.

A fun and fresh Knives Out-esque murder mystery! The premise for this was definitely unique, and perfectly fit the Agatha Christie bill. Plus, I didn't see the twist coming, which is always a huge bonus for me as someone who reads quite a few thrillers!

This was a fun whodunit and the 1920's theme was a nice touch. I didn't particularly like Izzy's character and her love interest, Marlowe, was a bit pretentious, but overall it was a fun and engaging read.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun whodunit and the 1920's theme was a nice touch. I didn't particularly like Izzy's character and her love interest, Marlowe, was a bit pretentious, but overall it was a fun and engaging read.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whew this was fun! Suddenly a Murder follows a group of teens throwing a 1920s-themed party where one of them ends up murdered. YA thrillers and mysteries are often a hit or miss for me and this ended up being a hit. It was so fun and fast paced, and lacked any of the cringe that can sometimes come from YA. I loved the manor setting as well, it gave the story an old school murder mystery vibe. The best part was it definitely kept me guessing, I thought I had it figured out and then it threw me for a loop!

ARC provided by NetGalley.

A super fun story! 7 friends are on a small island celebrating a birthday in a 1920's themed party when there is a murder! Suddenly everyone is at risk and everyone is a suspect..

Izzy is being feted by her very rich best friend. As a scholarship student at her school, she is more than thankful for Kassidy's friendship -she relies on it. She is super excited for this birthday/graduation gift and looks forward to a week of fun and frolicking. Almost immediately a murder transpires. Police descend upon the scene and being a series of interrogations Can Izzy get to the bottom of this mystery before the murderer kills again?

This is a locked room murder mystery based on an island with great descriptions of fashion food and drink related to the roaring 20's. If you love locked room, the roaring 20's or just another vacation gone wrong tale, Suddenly A Murder is for you!
#Penguin #SuddenlyA Murder #LaurenMunoz

Solving a locked room murder with the clues coming along the way. A good read, although it would have helped to have chapter headers to know whose point of view the chapter is from so that you know who is speaking. The story keeps you guessing until the end and has a few surprises.

In this locked room mystery, the deadly combination of glitz, lies, and broken hearts sets the scene. Wealthy teens, along with Isobel, embark on a sail to a remote island for a 1920's murder mystery weekend in a historic mansion, but no one expects that not all of them will survive.

Kassidy organized the event and invited a group of friends and foes, including her unfaithful boyfriend, Blaine, who has cheated on her with at least two of the other guests; his insufferable best friend, Fergus; the hot rowing star, Ellison; the quiet reader, Marlowe, who is on the edge of their social group; Chloe, who got an invitation-only because her family is doing business with Kassidy's dad; and Izzy, Kassidy's best friend, who can only attend their wealthy prep school because her mom teaches there.

When Blaine is found dead, nearly everyone has a motive to resent him. As an epic storm hits and traps everyone on the island, two detectives arrive to solve the case.

The murder mystery has plenty of twists and turns, as many of the guests arrived with unclear motives. The reader experiences the story through Isobel's perspective, as she watches the privileged teens around her try to avoid looking guilty. Isobel also listens in on others' interviews from a secret passage, providing insight into everyone's motives and what they are and are not willing to reveal.

The explosive ending coincides with the storm reaching its climax, making this an atmospheric, moody mystery to remember.

Please, i am absolutely obsessed with this book! The vibes, the mystery, the chemistry between the characters had me hooked from the beginning! I loved the backdrop of the 20s party and I had ZERO clue as to who the murderer was! I was completely taken off guard and that never happens. I definitely thought I had picked the person, but it went in the total opposite direction. Clue meets Gossip Girl, this is a must read for any thriller/murder mystery fan!

I adored the story, the world building was amazing. I love meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. The writing was also really nice. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait for others to read and enjoy this story as well.

RATING: 4/5 STARS

I have been voraciously reading YA mysteries and thrillers lately, and how can I not, when they are as soapy, bloodthirsty, and surprising as SUDDENLY A MURDER? A group of 7 graduating high school seniors celebrate with a 1920s-themed getaway on a secluded island in a swanky mansion. Catty tension comes to a peak when the not-so-beloved golden boy of the group is found dead. I thought I had the mystery pegged until the last pages when I was thrown for a loop. This book did feel geared to a younger audience in its character interactions and motives, but that did not impede my enjoyment. Brava to Lauren Muñoz for this champagne-fizzy escape of a book.

A bit of a different murder mystery, but a fun one nonetheless. I did like that it leaned into the 1920s theme while still being modern.

I do think the flashback scenes helped make the reader sympathetic towards the characters, but I didn’t always find them necessary.

I also don’t know why Pilar de Leon was always referred to most of the time her her full name.

As far as why Izzy brought the knife, I knew it wasn’t to murder Blaine. I just couldn’t put the pieces together.

Was not expecting the ending, which is nice for someone who usually sees the twists coming. However, I do wish there had been more clues pointing towards the actually murder and various motivations.