Thank you to Netgallery and Harper Collin’s for giving me an early release copy of Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson, this book will be available for purchase on August Sixth of 2024.

I have mixed feelings about Death at Morning House, I found the characters to be on the boring side of things, more specifically our main character Marlowe. The only characters that I somewhat liked were Van and Riki, I just don’t think we had enough time to really get to know all of our characters.

The thriller parts of the story are well written, I was throughly entertained while reading them. The mystery of what happened had me hooked and wanting to know more and it didn’t disappoint! The ending we got with the Raltsons was certainly an interesting one!

However there was a few things that bothered me, the characters would make these jokes at inappropriate times while going over things that they had found out. Some examples are on pg 225 and 233 these jokes just felt really unnecessary and they took me out of the story. Another thing that bothered me was the romance. Who Marlowe ends up with was a disappointment, I didn’t connect or particularly like either love interest but she clearly had better chemistry with the other girl.

I was so eager to read this book and was so excited when I was approved to read this ARC. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and of course Maureen for allowing me to read this one early. This one did not disappoint. I loved the dual timelines, the setting, and the writing. Maureen has such a talent for just mentioning something so minor that you think nothing of it and then it turns out to be a clue. She does a great job at making these small clues throughout the book connect and explain how they were useful in figuring out the mystery in the story. I liked the different personalities of the characters and their stories. I will definitely be purchasing this one for my physical bookshelf when it comes out. Don't pass by this book if you like YA mystery/thrillers.

Things aren’t going great for Marlowe Wexler in Maureen Johnson’s new book Death at Morning House. Her first date with Akilah ended up in literal flames thanks to a faulty candle, and now she’s known for being the town arsonist. To have a fresh start, Marlowe leaves town for the rest of the summer to work at the famous Morning House, not anticipating things are about to take an even stranger turn.

Morning House, a mansion on an island built in the 1920s, was abandoned long ago after two tragic deaths in the family. Marlowe’s job is to lead tours of the mansion, but she soon discovers history is repeating itself – and the history of Morning House is a little more sinister than people realized. It will be up to Marlowe to solve the mystery – and to uncover secrets from the past in the process.

Fans of Johnson’s Truly Devious series will appreciate this book. The style is similar – a small group of teens are thrown together to solve both past and present mysteries. There are time jumps from the main characters to the past mystery, and there is also a little bit of romance thrown in the mix. As is usually the case with Johnson’s works, readers will find positive LGBTQ+ representation.

What makes this book especially enjoyable is the likability of the main character. Marlowe is almost accidentally charming, as she is awkward and quirky but also extremely smart and funny. Her awkwardness is endearing, and it is refreshing to read a book where the protagonist possesses complete self-awareness.

As Truly Devious has worked well as a series, it would be interesting to see if there could be more in store for Marlowe Wexler. It would be fun to see where this loveable character goes next.

This book will be a perfect pick for fans of YA and mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This book is going on my list of favorite reads in 2024 for sure. I started and finished this book in just a few hours. It has everything: historical fiction, mystery and suspense, drama and even romance. This book kept me at the edge of my seat and I wasn't sure what to expect next. I think if you enjoy The Great Gatsby or Only Murder's in the Building you will thoroughly enjoy this book! I will look forward to Maureen Johnson's next book. I highly recommend this book! All the stars!!!!!

******
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. If you are interested in seeing more of my reviews and other content feel free to connect with me <3

https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules

This link has all of the websites where I post my book reviews (Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, My blog and Substack newsletter, etc) If you are a publisher or author who has questions about my reviews (as well as questions about my stats, reach or engagement), please free to email me. I am also open to requests for book reviews from authors or publishers. Thank you again for taking time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Yeah Maureen Johnson is really good at what she does -- the writing was clear, tight, and enjoyable. There were a couple of good vocab words sprinkled throughout. Plot wise, the mystery arc was decent, not necessarily guessable, but not surprising either. The back and forth of the different timelines was done decently well.

I don't really think I'm going to expand on it too much, but all in all yeah this book was enjoyable but it wasn't anything special. I'm not sure we need more teen mansion murder mystery books.

I don’t know if this standalone may turn into a new series because I mostly connected with most of the characters, including the quirky, smart, and peculiar Marlowe Wexler. The sulking goth girl Riki and the flamboyant, easy-going Van surely resonated with my inner awkwardness, spidey senses, and quirkiness levels.

The two mysteries take place in the same haunted mansion theme, and the quirky young female lead’s attempt to solve the cases might show similarities with the main plot of the Truly Devious series. However, there are differences, starting with the heroines: Truly Devious’s Stevie Bell is more devoted, focused, and socially inadapted, obsessed with detective work while dealing with her own family problems. In contrast, Marlowe in "Death at Morning House" is a sweeter character with more engaging qualities. She’s self-deprecating, shy, queer, a little clumsy, and good-hearted, but her photographic memory and sharp gray cells help her connect the pieces to see the full puzzle.

If you’re a fan of the Truly Devious series, the semi-similar mystery-solving concept may lure you in with more likable characters (thankfully, there’s no character as annoying as Truly Devious’ David in this book)! The intertwined mysteries take us on a journey between tragedies that took place on July 27, 1932, and the present day, where Marlowe is hired to be a tour guide at Morning House. This is the very place where two deaths haunted the past, and another death occurs, resulting in Marlowe replacing one of the tour guides, increasing the tension.

Marlowe’s well-intentioned jest for Akilah, a girl she has a long-time crush on, ends up putting the house into flames, turning her into a pariah! (How could she imagine a $30 candle could explode and cause such a disaster? Poor Marlowe!) When Marlowe gets trapped in her own room, squirming in guilt, and losing her chance with Akilah, a job offer arises as a tour guide on Ralston Island. Here, Morning House has been renovated and opened to tourists after years, where the Ralston Family—a scientist, his ex-celebrity wife, his sister, and seven children—lived in a health-obsessed lifestyle from the 1920s to the 1930s. Tragedies have plagued the family, with little Max drowning at the age of four, and their eldest sister, Clara, jumping from the roof.

As Marlowe sets foot in the place, she senses the eeriness as if the ghosts of the family still haunt it. Most of her new friends seem friendly, except for Riki, who gives off suspicious vibes and is obsessed with finding out the Ralston history. Her new boss, Belinda Henson, tries to finish her book about the dark mystery of the place and acts as if she wants Marlowe to spy on the other guides from an outsider's perspective. Then, another tragic incident occurs, putting Marlowe’s life at risk as she keeps digging for the truth. Could she gather the pieces of the puzzle to find the bridge that unites past and present incidents? Could there be a dangerous killer around them who might do anything to keep their secret safe?

Overall, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced, smartly executed YA mystery that I highly recommend! I also loved to see Marlowe back for the later installments!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children Books/HarperTeen for sharing this unputdownable Maureen Johnson’s new standalone with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.