There was something about this book that didn't do it for me. I can't exactly put my finger on it. It might be the fact that there's a lot of background information about Morning House and the Ralston family.

I have a lot of questions that weren't really answered. Why would someone just let a teenager take care of their house without really a set of rules? Why was Marlowe hired for the job instead of someone local?

The whole idea of both stories seemed like a stretch for me. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if Marlowe and Riki worked to figure out what happened in the past without the other storyline (the death of Chris).

I guess I was just hoping for more out of this book. It took until about halfway through for some action to happen in the story. Overall, I give it three stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Death at Morning House is out now.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Petrichor. Weirdly enough I could smell it throughout the entire book. I love the smell of rain the same way I loved this story. I couldn’t stop reading which led to me finishing it in one sitting.

Death at Morning House starts with a long unrequited crush, a cheesecake factory and a house fire. It also starts with 6 peculiar children, yoghurt and swimming. Both of them are mysteries, with people who aren’t what they seem. Both are lit by fire, although its sparks had already been in the air.

I cannot describe how much I liked this book, so much that I tried reading slower to make it seem longer. I loved the characters, especially Marlowe and Clara. I found them very similar in sense of determination and intelligence, but most importantly in bravery. I thought they were quite well written, not only their characters but also their interactions. While the stories balanced each other, they both held the same weight and were written with the same importance. I was quite a fan of the perspective switching, and found it tastefully done.

In conclusion, Death at Morning House was definitely a 5 star read for me. This author’s works have been recommended to me multiple times and I’m glad I finally gave one of them a go. In the same manner, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read!

I loved Johnson's Truly Devious series and had high hopes for this book. It didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the dual stories and getting to know characters from both parts of the story. Overall I had a lot of fun reading this book. It wasn't too serious and there was some humor injected into the book. I appreciated that the love story didn't take center stage, a nice subplot. I would recommend to those who like YA mysteries and an absolute must for those who enjoyed Truly Devious.

DEATH AT MORNING HOUSE by Maureen Johnson is designated YA Mystery, but even though I'm decades past YA, I enjoyed living the life of Marlowe, of encountering the mysteries of the past and the present and the reality of escaping from the shame of her real life for a summer being a tour guide and discovering wherever you go, there you are. Curiosity will bring you answers -- and into danger you don't see coming. I enjoyed the voice, the characters figuring out their lives and bonding when there is no easy way to figure out what is going on. An enjoyable summer read -- quick and dual timelines deepening the story -- and for me, the house was a powerful character in and of itself. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a really entertaining YA mystery thriller. I really enjoyed it. The setting on an island with a creepy old house was great. I loved the main character. The pacing was great!

My favorite part was the two storylines and honestly I wish there was more on the historical side.

Either way I really enjoyed this, it wasn't too predictable or too young even as an adult reader. It made me remember how fun a YA mystery can be.

4.25/5.00

I love YA mysteries and I particularly love Mauren Johnson’s YA mysteries. So I was thrilled to get an e-galley of Death at Morning House. While similar in tone to the excellent Truly Devious series this is a completely separate story. Which means you can read it right now with no homework.

Marlowe escapes to an island to work for the summer after a truly mortifying date gone wrong. She’s quickly enmeshed in the mystery that surrounds Morning House and the group of teens tasked with running it as a tourist attraction.

This has everything I like. Funny dialogue, historical murders, big spooky houses, SLEUTHING! But it also tackles heavy themes like say eugenics, while still being entertaining. I loved it.

Thanks for the ARC @netgalley

3.75 ⭐ This ya whodunnit story was a bit of a slow burn but I enjoyed the dual POV of past and present. I kind of was really more intrigued in the "past" POV and the mystery part of it kind of felt more of like a storytelling reveal. I felt like I wanted a little more from it as it was building up really well. I think that the book got ultimately intriguing about half way through although each chapter left you wanting to know more because the story was slowly unraveling itself. I enjoyed the characters and the subtle sarcastic humor the author threw in there. The "locked room" mystery style of the present day I enjoyed too! Overall, an enjoyable summer read and I did love the writing. I really can't wait to give the Truly Devious series a try!

Thank you #NetGalley for the arc!

I am a big fan of Maureen’s series “truly devious” so I went into this one with high hopes and was, unfortunately, very disappointed by the outcome.
I love books with dual storylines (past and present) and was excited to read the two murder mysteries taking place in both - but it was all very underwhelming. It started out fine, I was laughing at the dark humor and all, but it all fell very flat as the book went on. It felt like the mystery itself never took place - I was like “it’s been 50% and NOTHING so far”.
Around the 70% mark, when things STARTED to get interesting, the past mystery was resolved in a single sentence and handed out to me. I hated that. I wanted to have SOME thrill to it, but I opened the chapter and was met with “xxx killed xxx”.... bro. I did not read this whole thing for it to be solved like this.
As far as the present mystery goes, I was underwhelmed as well. I wouldn’t say i could've predicted it, but it felt very very boring and confusing. No normal explanation from the “villain”, just the main character making a bunch of assumptions and the murderer going “you don't understand!!!” please….
Also, if you read the truly devious series, you KNOW that she lacked originality there with a choice. Maureen girl you’ve already used that in one of your books WHY AGAIN???
Not a very happy pub day for this one.

This book was unexpectedly good. I have never read anything by Maureen Johnson though I have heard nothing but good things about Truly Devious series. I will be diving into those next.

Who could have known that a simple candle malfunction would lead to solving multiple murders?!

After starting a fire at a home she was housesitting, Marlowe Wexler was sent to Morning House for summer employment. Upon her arrival she finds that there is a sorted past to the property and a dark secret among the other employees of Morning house.

This was very well written, the characters all held their own in moving the plot along, and the whodunit atmosphere was heavy. Just when you think you know who the culprit is, THE HAMMER IS DROPPED!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Maureen Johnson, Harper Teen, and MBC Books for my e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Maureen Johnson is always full of magic. The latest from her is no different. It would appeal to fans of the Hawthorne books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes as well as those who enjoy quirky voice driven characters.

I'm a long time fan of Maureen Johnson. I loved her older Shades of London series and really enjoyed what I've read of her Truly Devious series. She does a great job with snarky, sometimes self-deprecating, yet earnest and lovable main characters, and multilayered mysteries to boot. This one's not set at a boarding school, as the previous two series I mentioned are, but it might as well be, as this one also features a slew of teens on an old estate with not a lot of adult supervision.

Marlowe Wexler has just joined the staff of Morning House, an old mansion set on its own island on a river separating the U.S.-Canada border. No one has lived at Morning House in generations, ever since it was the site of the deaths of two of the children who summered there on one fateful day in the 1920s. But now the property has finally sold, following the death of the last remaining ancestor, and a group of teens has been hired to conduct tours while a history professor researches the family for a book she's writing. Marlowe feels a bit of an outsider, as all the other tour guides are locals who have known each other forever. And there seem to be some secrets they'd rather remain buried, secrets about a death and about who might have been the cause of it. But nothing can remain buried forever.

I loved the duality of the mysteries here. Johnson weaves the 1920s story -- which is truly bananas -- between the chapters from Marlowe's point of view, flipping between them at key moments that make you desperate to keep reading. This whole thing is a bit of a romp, and I really, really enjoyed every spine-tingling turn. This one releases today, and I haven't heard a thing about it! If you're looking for a fun YA mystery to round out your summer reading, this is the one! Go grab your copy!

A heart pounding YA mystery thriller. Marlowe embodied the quirky awkwardness of the average teenager. After her first date debacle she takes a new summer job as a tour guide at Morning House, famous for the deaths that occurred there in 1932. She soon finds the reason they had an opening was because of another recent death on the property. The storyline switches between the event leading up to the deaths in 1932 & present day occurrences at Morning House. It was a fun journey with an exciting twist near the end. Highly recommend to anyone who loves murder mysteries.

Maureen Johnson does it again.

What I liked:

Johnson’s writing is truly addictive. I had a hard time putting this one down.

We have two mysteries in one. One in the present and one in the past. I really enjoyed the dual timelines.

This is a standalone, and I liked how everything was wrapped up. I wasn’t wanting more out of the plot when I was done.

What didn’t work for me:

I wish that there was a little more character development with the core group of characters.

Can a murder mystery, by its nature, be fun? Well, this one was. A creepy house on a dangerous river, dual timeline murder mysteries, a cast of teenage characters, and a female MC with a penchant for accidental arson? Sign me up. The banter was fun, the setting was fascinating and the mysteries kept me engaged. Four entertaining stars!

Pub Date: 8/6/24
Review Published: 8/5/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel! Death at Morning House releases August 6, 2024.

Death at Morning House follows Marlowe Wexler, a young teen who finds herself working at a new summer job in the aftermath of a house fire. This job, located on an island outside of where she lives, is in the acclaimed Morning House, a summer home mansion built in the 1920s, and a site of tragedy for the owners. Once there, Marlowe finds that things aren't quite what they seem. Mysteries ensue.

This is a totally fine book for its demographic. I think it's a good young adult mystery for younger readers. It does read very young. Marlowe's voice was a little exhausting for me, at times, because she just goes on diatribes that take the reader out of what's happening for no reason. It read like it wanted to come off as quirky, but they really slowed down the narrative.

I also had a really hard time understanding character motivations for basically every character. The work done to try and authenticate Marlowe's voice took away from time that was needed to build characterization -- and that's including Marlowe. I did not get the sense that Marlowe was an astute observer for most of the book, and then there is some backstory that tries to explain how and why she's able to deduce things at the end of the book. I didn't really buy it. I also didn't really buy the motivation that went into the historical POV following the Ralston family. While I thought that ending was well done, I also don't think it was necessarily earned in terms of the actual structure of the story and the information we had been given as readers.

Ultimately, this isn't a book that's for me, as I am far older than the target demographic. I do think I probably would have enjoyed it more as a younger reader, and I would recommend it to younger readers who like mysteries.

I really enjoyed this whodunnit!! The story involves two murders across two different timelines at the Morning House! While some twists I saw coming, there were others I did not!!! 🙌

This was my first read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last!! Highly recommend to mystery and YA lovers!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s, and Maureen Johnson for allowing me the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

After the release of the first Truly Devious book in 2018, Maureen Johnson quickly became one of my favorite YA authors. I always look forward to a new book in the Truly Devious series, and though we’re eagerly awaiting the 6th book, I was so excited to read a brand new story from Johnson.

I loved how different this felt to Truly Devious. Yes, there are similarities — a young female protagonist and a historical mystery that she solves, but that’s where the similarities end. The thing that caught my attention right away was how different our protagonist, Marlowe, was to the protagonist of Truly Devious, Stevie. Marlowe, God bless her, is a little bit of a mess and I loved her for it. She could be very self-deprecating, but not overly so that it annoyed me, and I found her very real.

I loved the comedy in this book. Johnson is really great at subtle and sarcastic humor, which is very much up my alley and the kind of humor that I enjoy in general, so there were a lot of moments during this book that made me chuckle and say “mood” throughout the book. There was a great balance of mystery and humor to keep the reader engaged as the story goes on.

Though the house wasn’t actually haunted, the way that people spoke about Morning House made it seem like it was; it felt like it had real personality and like it was a character rather than a location, and I loved that. There was so much history in that house and mystery surrounding it, I found it absolutely fascinating. I loved the isolated atmosphere — we know I love a locked room mystery, so I was really glad to see that involved in this story. There was such an uneasiness within Morning House that, aside from the deaths that took place there in the 30s, was definitely influenced by the home being isolated on an island. I just loved the vibe.

Something that Johnson does so well is compelling dual timelines. I’ve always loved how she flows between the present and the past — I would actually love a historical mystery novel from her, as I think she comes up with super interesting plots for the historical cases in her books. Both timelines are interesting with compelling characters and she’s so good at weaving together the reveals and twists of both timelines, and drawing parallels between the past and the present.

The Ralston family was so incredibly interesting to me, and while I loved the back and forth timeline, I couldn’t read a whole book about them. The dynamics of that family were absolutely fascinating, and you just knew something wasn’t right there. I loved reading the chapters from the POVs of the Ralston Children and the way that the story of the family unfolded.

Something I found interesting is that I had lots more theories and curiosity regarding the mystery around the Ralston family than I did the current timeline’s mystery. That’s not to say that I didn’t have my theories for what Marlowe and the other teens at Morning House were going through, but I had super strong theories regarding the deaths of the Ralston children. While the culprits changed a few times throughout the book (that I did end up being wrong about), the motive didn’t change, and that was the thing I was right about. Johnson did such a great job of giving subtle clues to the reader throughout the story; I found myself guessing the motive and saying to myself “No, no, that’s so horrible” and although I saw it coming, the reveal was not any less heartbreaking.

Johnson once again delivered on a fast-paced, well executed and smart YA mystery. If you’ve enjoyed her previous works, I think you’ll definitely enjoy this one as well!

Summer vacation, eugenics & nut cutlets

I love how Maureen Johnson writes young adults. Her characters always have such an authentic balance of confidence and inexperience, naïveté and cynicism, emotion and composure - the kind of teen attitude that comes with thinking you know everything, but not really knowing anything 😉

Similar to the first book in the Truly Devious series, this had one plot line in the present and one in the past. I was much more invested in the past story (the one that dealt with eugenics and nut cutlets) as the present seemed a bit unrealistic to me. However, the overall story was engaging and clever and just as great as Truly Devious.

Synopsis:
With her house-sitting career up in flames (literally), it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job. That’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.

Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?

Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.

All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.

Marlowe is living her best teenage life during the summer. She has a cool job and the girl of her dreams is into her. But all that literally goes up in flames when she accidentally sets a fire. To save face she accepts another summer job that brings her to the historic Morning House. Morning House was built on a small island in the 1920’s for an infamous family that was shortly abandoned after 2 tragic deaths. Now Marlowe will join a group of teens, who are a close group of friends, to give tours and live in the house. The close group of friends have also experienced a tragic loss and as Marlowe starts to investigate what is going on, secrets from the present and the past start to surface.

I love Maureen Johnson’s YA books and was thrilled to stumble upon this stand alone. The switching from the past and future POV’s were fantastic and I loved how everything came together at the end.

This one was...interesting. I suspected one of the two killers from the start, but maybe that is just because I read too many thrillers? I will say, and maybe this is just me, but the names of the Ralston children were hard to keep track of. There were a lot of them and I could not keep victory and unity straight for the life of me! Overall though, this was a pretty good YA thriller. The whole candle storyline was a bit much though.