Get ready for an exhilarating new YA murder mystery from Maureen Johnson, Death At Morning House. This novel has it all: an accidental house fire, a job on a faraway island, an old historical house, and a thrilling murder mystery waiting to be solved. With murder, drama, lies, and secrets, plus a touch of romance, this gripping story features a strong female lead and is a brilliantly written sapphic novel. If you’re a fan of murder mysteries, this one’s a must-read.

Maureen has a great way of putting wordplay and puzzles in a story. She also has a great way of creating a found family with various characters. Each character is diverse and interesting and unique and can be relatable to so many different people. Putting these characters together to create a family is what I think people want in the real world.

I love that her mysteries always have a past and present. She knows how to play up different mystery tropes that exist throughout the history of literature and film in a way that makes them fun and new and exciting. I will read anything she writes!!!

Island, a giant house, what I imagine to be very Gothic with overgrown greenery, a history of deaths for the previous owners. What more could you want in the mystery?

Every single one of her books creates an entire ambience along side the believable and lovable characters. Her characters are diverse and representative. Reading this book like all her books I wanted to jump in it and be a part of the mystery and travel to the locations. I loved it!

Two mysteries involving suspicious deaths, one in the past, one in the present. Both taking place at Morning House.

I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters in the past. The writing and storytelling is very good. A doctor obsessed with eugenics lives at Morning House with his six adopted children and one child of his own. Their story was fascinating, intriguing, and I couldn't get enough of it.

The chapters taking place in the present paled in comparison. It almost felt like it was written by someone else. Led by an immature and annoying girl, Marlowe, it circled around a group of teens working at Morning House for the summer. She is preoccupied with ogling cute girls and moping about losing her first girlfriend, and pretty much nothing else. The other teens on the island are marginally better; they all know each other well, having grown up near the island Morning House sits on. Their back-and-forth banter felt real, there just wasn't much of it. There is tension between them all however, due to the loss of a friend at the beginning of summer. We slowly learn what tragedies haunt Morning House, at the same time nefarious doings start happening in the present.

The 'who done it and why' for both the present and the past are interesting and attention keeping, but it took way too long for the present to get to their ending. Five stars for the story in the past, three for the one in the present.

"Death in the Morning House" by Maureen Johnson presents an intriguing premise that keeps you interested, yet it didn't quite grab me like her other novels. The story unfolds well, but I found myself needing more time to connect with the characters and fully immerse myself in their world. Despite this initial hurdle, the plot eventually picks up, delivering a satisfying read with Johnson's trademark wit and suspense. While it may not top my list of her works, fans of mysteries will likely find it worth diving into for its clever twists and engaging storytelling.

MAUREEN JOHNSON THE WOMAN THAT YOU ARE!

I'll be honest. I, like the rest of the world, was not excited to learn that we would have to wait another year to find out what happens with Stevie Bell, BUT little did I know that Death at Morning House would quickly become one of my favorite of Johnson's books. My favorite things about Johnson's writing are the flashbacks and the cadence of the mystery solving. I think it can be easy when writing about the past, and especially about rich people as eccentric as the Ralstons, to leave the best details in the past, lost to time. I think that the flashbacks award the reader with clear glimpses into the lives of each of the children, which also helps them to feel sympathetic to each of the children in turn.

I really really hope that this becomes a series, akin to the Stevie Bell mysteries, which I DEVOURED within a month last year. I love Marlowe and Akilah. That is actually something I'll say as well! We get queer side characters all the time! And that's great! But to get a mystery novel with a Sapphic romance from the MAIN CHARACTER? Sign me up!

Maureen, if you're reading this, I would read anything you write. I would read your grocery list. Thank you for the care you put into your writing, and for creating mysteries that I cannot predict the endings of even at the ripe old age of 25. I appreciate you, mean it!

This was a good mystery. The story touched on many unconnected issues: eugenics, lgbtq in different time periods, mental illness, tourism areas, and the kinds of secrets that can exist in all these situations. The characters were mostly likable - because there were "bad seeds" ;), and the writing was tight.

I really liked this one! It kept me interested and needing to know what’s next! I did find some parts were a bit derivative of Truly, Devious, namely the eccentric rich man, his unusual family, and the story taking place on the property they lived on. The protagonists, however, were what truly separated this story from that one; the unique voices definitely shown through. I definitely appreciated the queer representation, even though — along with the attempts at Gen Z slang — it did make me cringe at times. I’ll definitely be recommending this to anyone looking for a YA thriller!

This was so much fun! I love when there are multiple perspectives in a mystery, and for that POV to be in the past just kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The characters were cute, a little immature with some of the FMC inner dialogue but that aside I really enjoyed this. I adore this author.

I loved this book so much! The mix of historical fiction and modern day mystery/thriller. It was the perfect summer read for me. I will be recommending this one alot and am so appreciative to have been able to read it.

This standalone mystery introduces intriguing characters like Marlowe Wexler, Riki, and Van in a haunted mansion setting with dual timelines of past tragedies and present-day mysteries. Contrasted with the Truly Devious series, Marlowe stands out for her endearing qualities and sharp intellect, offering a fresh take on amateur sleuthing. The narrative weaves a compelling tale filled with twists, tension, and unexpected turns, making it a captivating read for fans of YA mysteries. The story unfolds at Morning House and Ralston Island, revealing dark secrets and dangerous encounters that keep readers on edge. With a mix of suspense and ghostly elements, this fast-paced mystery is recommended for those seeking an engaging and well-executed plot. Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children Books/HarperTeen for the opportunity to explore Maureen Johnson's latest creation in exchange for an honest review.

Maureen Johnson is unparalleled. Her mysteries are clever, funny, and full of a rich cast of characters, and I this installment made me laugh out loud several times.

I really enjoyed this book. Full disclosure, I am a big fan of Maureen Johnson's books, but I do feel like I then also have high expectations. I wasn't sure how I'd feel reading another murder mystery of hers after the Stevie Bell books.

I like that Marlow just kind of happened into being a detective. She's awkward and clumsy and very relatable. Also really appreciate the way. Maureen Johnson writes queer characters. None of it feels overdone or being done to be quote" trendy. They're just all very real people but added to it being a great June pride month read.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 The summer of 1932 ended is absolute heartbreak for Morning House when two young lives ended far too early. Nearly a century after the terrible tragedies, the house has opened for tours and what follows is a hauntingly beautiful young adult mystery that will delight readers of all ages. Told in dual timelines and perspectives, Death at Morning House is a wonderfully atmospheric read and a poignant reminder that the feelings and themes of young adulthood span across time and generations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. This was a great YA thriller that switches between two timelines in one stately house on an island on the Canadian border. The storyline of the original owners was more engaging, but I really loved the present day protagonist Marlowe (yes, the name is a bit on the nose). She is funny and self-aware and the kind of person you want in a teenage sleuth. The mysteries here aren't really the focus of the book, though. They feel a little secondary. The Thousand Islands setting was marvelous, and the house and the island does most of the heavy lifting for the creepiness factor. All in all, a great summer read and a lot of fun.

Marlowe is so relatable so reading her inner dialogue felt like I was just hanging out. This book is an amazing YA mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for the eARC! This book was so much fun! It was face paced, and well written. The main character Marlowe was so relatable. She takes a summer job in a mansion on a secluded island after a date gone horribly wrong. It was a good, solid young adult murder mystery and I had a great time the whole time I was reading. 5/5 kept me thoroughly entertained

Maureen Johnson proves once again that she's the queen of YA Mystery.

Poor Marlowe accidentally burns down her parents friend's cottage on a first date. To get away from her intense embarrassment, she takes a job as a tour guide on an island where some mysterious deaths occurred in the 1930s. I absolutely loved Marlowe's internal dialogue - so real for us socially awkward types. 🥰

Very good modern twist on/homage to an Agatha Christie book called Crooked House.

I stayed up until 2am to finish this one, which I rarely do anymore.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the advanced e-reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a DNF for me. I was so excited and eager to read this. But I found it hard to follow and a bit confusing. I know the chapters were separate time lines but they weren’t written with a bit of distinction. So for me it wasn’t a pleasurable read.

Maureen Johnson does it again I loved reading this book. Her books are great thrillers that really have you flipping through the pages fast so you can find out the ending. I'm always sad when I come to the end of her books and anxiously await the next one. Grab this for your final summer read or save it for upcoming spooky reading season, either way put this one your tbr!

Ugh this is a masterpiece, perfection. I knew Maureen Johnson wouldn't let me down, YES. Usually dual plotlines are a hit or miss with me, but in this case, they 100% enhanced the book. Exploring the POVs of both the original and new residents of the house allows readers to fully explore the setting of Morning House and the mysteries that engulf it. I also really appreciated the way LGBT relationships were shown in the book; it was integrated naturally, without making a big statement on representation, thus drawing most focus to the mystery and bigger themes that are central to the point of the book.