Lauren Muñoz' debut mystery novel hits me in all the right places - a manor house with secret passageways, a secluded island made even more inaccessible by a storm, young adult vibe, and adds in a 1920's party theme.

Why 1920s? The main BFFs are OB-sessed with movies from the era and host a week-long graduation party for their group of seven friends. Costuming, cocktails, location, and food are all luxuriously described.

One of them is murdered, using the knife prop from the movie that inspired the theme and one of the remaining six did it. Everyone has something to hide. The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks as the investigation proceeds, and we discover that the murdered friend was not a great person, but neither are the suspects. Who had the opportunity and the means? Who will do anything for a friend, even murder?

Definitely recommending for acquisition into high school library!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this. I was super excited to read this book when i read the summary> It's a 1920's whodunnit kinda book. I had a hard time reading it with how the writing style kept changing from first person then third person. I had a hard time following where it was going and what time I was in. I also didn't connect with Izzy. I found her to be annoying after a while with how she went about things. I was really wanting to like this book, but in the end it wasn't for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

Genre: YA thriller/mystery

Similar Books:
One of Us is Lying
The Legacies

Synopsis:
To celebrate high school graduation, a group of kids rent out a mansion to have a 1920s theme party. One of the guests is found dead and everyone is a suspect.

This is a locked room murder mystery. I liked the concept of the 1920s party without technology. There were some red herrings to try and keep you guessing along with another smaller mystery. It has Latino representation as well with some of the characters. The ending was predictable for me, but might not be someone else.

Overall, a very YA fun murder mystery!

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the gifted copy! 🔪🖤

I was provided an ARC of this manuscript in exchange for my honest review.

SUDDENLY A MURDER is about a group of friends who go to Ashwood Manor to celebrate their graduation. However, a couple of days into their trip, one of them is murdered. When the detectives come to determine who did it, tensions are high and old conflicts are brought to light.. They all had a motive, the question is... who hated the victim enough to actually do it?

Overall, it was a really interesting read. You know from the beginning that the main character, Izzy is the one who brought the murder weapon. But is she the one who actually used it in the end? Everyone has a motive to kill the victim, Blaine whether that be because they're a spurned lover-- or best friend-- or a victim of his poor choices. And, of course, all these people end up alone together in a big mansion, with no cell phones. It's really interesting to watch those hostilities play out.

The ending is also pleasantly unpredictable. I thought I had it figured out by the 50% mark, and I was pretty much completely off the mark. Without getting too much into it, there's a lot of evidence pointing to one particular person as the murderer, but then a key piece of information is introduced at the end and the whole situation changes.

My one potential gripe is that because I was so sure I had it figured out, a lot of the stuff where we went back in time and saw other characters' interactions with Blaine-- aka, their motives-- felt superfluous. Once I reached the conclusion, I sort of realized why the author was doing it-- to make it more clear that it could be anyone's game, so to speak-- but because the evidence was all heavily leaning in one direction, it didn't totally come through.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the novel though! If you love whodunnits with tense relationships and old, creepy mansions with secret mansions, I'd definitely recommend!

Young adult mysteries are the best. Truly, have you ever met a more chaotic group than hormonal teenagers without parental supervision?

Izzy Morales and her friend group are determined to have a memorable high school graduation trip. What could be more memorable than a 1920s themed week away on an island? Without any parental supervision, tensions start to run high between the seven friends, boiling over when one of them is murdered. Without a way off the island, the teenager’s lies and secrets are revealed one by one.

The YA mystery genre has let me down this year, but this book has restored my faith. Nothing quite beats reading about a crew of barely legal adults all drunk on illegal alcohol and hormones. Every character was very messy and complicated, with thought-out backstories. We have dual timelines, so we are reading about the teens lying to the detectives while also learning what actually happened.

I love the locked-room setting. They are all stuck in this old mansion on an island. No cellphones, only a landline which eventually gets knocked out when the storms come through. It was fun to try to price together who would have had the time to commit the murder, without managing to be caught in the small setting.

I had such a fun time reading this. Mystery, intrigue, dirty secrets, and complicated relationships, all complete with 1920 flapper dresses. What else could I want??

Go pick this one up, you won’t regret it. It’s a wild ride from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the advance copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I picked this book up because the blurb said One Of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out. It did not dissapoint. I love the locked room trope and with 6 suspects to pick from I could not turn the pages fast enough. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end because everyone had a motive. Why did Izzy bring the knife? This book is a must read!

I loved this. I loved Izzy's character and her relationship with Kassidy. Thank you for the arc netgalley.

Pitched as One of Us is Lying meets Knives Out, Suddenly a Murder is a YA isolated closed circle mystery that takes a lot of inspiration from Golden Age mysteries wow interrogating some of the racial and social injustices of that era and of today’s society.

I thought the idea was good and the book kept me turning pages, which is a quality that I look for in a good mystery novel. However, the pacing was inconsistent. The story flips back-and-forth between first person, present, and past third person, and in the past timelines we get back story from all of the teenagers that are currently on the island. I found that to be disjointed, especially in the beginning. I also didn’t love that our main characters method of gathering clues was just sitting in a secret passage, listening to the police interviews. And I couldn’t figure out if she was meant to be the detective character or if we were supposed to be seeing how she covered up her crime, which I think was maybe the point, but I didn’t like it. There were also some twists at the end that I could see being divisive, like I see where the author is coming from, but I’m not sure it fully came together for me, and I think it will work for some readers, but for others not so much.

3.5 stars rounded up!

This was a fast-paced and enjoyable murder mystery! The immerse 1920s/Gatsby-esque setting was done well and almost. felt like a character in the story. Suddenly a Murder is a story about 7 teens who embark on a post-graduation weeklong party, with every moment carefully curated to replicate the 1920s and two of the participants' favorite film. But, someone winds up dead and one of the friend group did it! I did eventually guess part of the final twist, but parts of it still surprised me. Overall, this was a fun read and I think it will really appeal to my students who like mysteries, but don't want the frequent body count/gore that often comes with books that lean more to the thriller/almost horror side.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

3.5 stars 🌟

This was a very fun murder mystery. I enjoyed the setting, the 1920s party theme was really fun, and the characters are interesting. The story was engaging and it kept me guessing until the very end. While I did eventually figure out who did it, I was certainly not prepared for the why. I will say that the story did leave me with a few unanswered questions. I really would have liked a little more at the end, maybe an epilogue to see the aftermath and wrap some things up, but overall it was a very enjoyable book!


Thank you, Lauren Muñoz, Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley, for allowing me the opportunity to review this book!

The title of this book is so fitting. This is a YA murder mystery. Izzy and 6 others get to spend a week on a small island after graduation for a 1920s themed party. Tensions are already high when Izzy’s best friend’s boyfriend is found dead. Tensions get even higher when investigators arrive on scene.

This locked room mystery was so much fun. I honestly thought I had it figured out but nope! I was wrong. My only issue with this book was the POVs changing. I did get a bit confused a few times, but once I got used to that I was fine. I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery! 4 stars from me. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Penguin Group for the ARC.

Suddenly…eventually…things happen…not a lot. Not much to care about. I would like to go on about this less because going on more makes it seem like there is something to cart about…characters…plot…anything. Alas…no.

What could be a better graduation party than a 1920's themed week at an island estate where your favorite murder movie was filmed? That is what Kassidy planned for her best friends, but the week turned deadly as her boyfriend is killed. As the police and the friends investigate, they realized every person had a reason to kill him, but who did it and why? Izzy Morales, Kassidy's best friend, tries desperately to figure it who since she is the one who brought the knife to the island. This will be added to my first order for school! Thank you netgalley & Putnam & Sons for the egalley-- order yours now!

When senior Cassidy throwss the 1920s style party at the fluent home of her favorite old movie it seems she invited everyone who had an ax to grind with her boyfriend Blaine and although this wasn’t her intention when he wound up dead the cops had a hard time figuring out who did it. Throughout the book the reader thinks they know but I was shocked as I am when not knowing the twist in any book. From Rick standoffish heartthrob Marlow to Chloe athlete Allison life of the party Ferguson even Cassidy‘s not so rich best friend is a Dora everyone has a motive and although the first 20% of the book I found myself getting bored but once the murder happens the book becomes Uber interesting. The book mainly focuses on Isadora who also shared a secret with Blaine and seems to be driven to be in on the investigation as I have said in many reviews teen thrillers or one of my favorite genres and although at first I thought this book was going to disappoint it really came through in the end it is a book I highly recommend any solid four-star read. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I really liked the setting of this story--themed locked-room mysteries are so much fun. The characters and their relationships were fun, and the murder mystery itself was well-plotted and a fun ride. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I would love to read more in this world and/or from this author! Great vibes, great characters, and great mystery!

suddenly A Murder is a clever locked room mystery story with interesting characters, social dynamics, and an interesting murder mystery. This book is exactly what you would expect from a YA book featuring a murder mystery.

This was a fun little thriller and while I think after a bit you knew who was getting murdered and who was the murderer it was still interesting and a fun take on the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this book!

YA murder mystery set in remote location is right up my alley. It's Knives Out meets Gossip Girl. A group of mostly rich kids go to a remote old mansion to have a graduation party before everyone leaves for college. Tensions are high and one of them is murdered. Detectives come to investigate, one being a Benoit Blanc-esque consultant who has taken an interest in this case for unknown reasons. The book flips back and forth from present day/post murder to the months/days leading up to the trip to help us peace together what each of the students is like and who could possibly want one of their friends dead. It kept me guessing for most of the book since so many people would have a motive. I enjoyed finding all the clues that lead to the reveal of the murderer and their reasons. A fun and quick murder mystery.

First - what a fun title for a book! And this book truly was a fun murder mystery to read. I loved the vibes it gave off, as if it was really set in the 1920s. The author did a great job setting the scene and tone for the book. I really wasn’t sure what the ending was going to be either, so I liked that I was a bit surprised. I was in the mood for a book I could devour fast, and this totally fit the bill.
This book is great if you like young adult and mysteries - especially murder mysteries!

Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC of this book!

Suddenly A Murder was the perfect read for me.

A 20’s themed graduation party? Who wouldn’t jump at that chance. Oh and it’s at a famous manor where movies were made long ago. Count me in!

Izzy and her friends are excited to wear themed clothes and stay in the manor for a last hurrah. All is great till someone dies. 😱

This is a classic ‘clue’ whodunnit and we have to figure it out. I didn’t guess correctly and I truly loved this book!

Give me all the premises like this. What a debut! Can’t wait to see what’s next for this author! Thanks for my early copy.