If you're looking for a classic mystery with a plucky teenage sleuth like Truly Devious, this book might disappoint, but I enjoyed it overall. I always like to see how mysteries slowly unfold, whether the protagonist is actively trying to deduce everything or not. I do wish the Morning House deaths were more connected to the present-day ones; that would've really helped tie everything together. I also have a bone to pick with authors of obviously lesbian characters who refuse to use the word "lesbian" (or even "gay") to describe them. If Chris can be described as bi on the page, there's no reason why Marlowe can't be referred to as a lesbian.

Marlowe Wexler has a near photographic memory, a crush on her gorgeous co-worker Akilah Jones, and about the worst first date story of all time. When a kindly neighbor gives her the chance to leave town for the summer and lick her emotional wounds while working on one of the nearby Thousand Islands, she takes it.

Morning House is the name of the mansion built on Ralston Island where an eccentric physician, his glamorous wife and their seven children lived on a strict regimen of diet and exercise in the early 1900s. Then disaster struck, causing the survivors to flee the place as if cursed. Now the entire complex has been purchased and restored, and is being opened to the public under the watchful eye of Dr Belinda Henson. She’s hired a cadre of local teenagers to live on the premises and oversee the public tours while she works on a book about the Ralston family and their tragedies.

Marlowe is happy enough to join the teenaged crew, who mostly do their best to welcome her into their once tightly knit friend circle. As she learns the ropes of both her job and her new friends’ tangled history, she discovers that not everyone believes the official story of what happened to the island’s former occupants. While discussing a book about the legend of the Princes In The Tower and the subsequent vilification of Richard III, one of the other teenagers posits its connection to the more recent tragedy:

QUOTE
[“]What if the stories are all bullshit, made up by his enemies and then passed along through history. Because that’s what history is–passed-down stories, documents. And people choose the story they like the best a lot of the time.”

“What,” I said, “are you talking about?”

Riki let out a frustrated grumble, but focused. “The official story has always been that Max Ralston snuck out when his nurse was napping and drowned, and then [his eldest sister] Clara died of grief. But there’s always been a local story as well. People around town always wondered about what went down at Morning House. These two kids die, then the family immediately skips town and never comes back. Some people thought that another family member killed Max.”
END QUOTE

Rumor even has it that treasure is buried on the island, which is riddled with hidey-holes and secret passageways that are as much a legacy of bootleggers passing through the area as of the idiosyncratic mind of Dr Philip Ralston, the family’s patriarch. Marlowe herself isn’t too bothered by the peculiarities of the place, until she realizes that the deaths of the Ralstons aren’t the only ones haunting the people currently living there. As she finds herself unwittingly embroiled in solving murders old and new, she’ll find her own life threatened as a desperate killer seeks to keep their awful secrets buried with the unspeaking dead.

Maureen Johnson has a knack for writing vibrant teenage characters who feel like real people, whether they’re contemporary or historical. While the insecure but well-meaning Marlowe was definitely my favorite character here, I also had a soft spot for Clara, whose struggles against the confining rules of her family lead her to some pretty dark places. I kept drawing parallels between the teenagers of the present-day story with the young Ralstons, and overall found it a fulfilling exercise. Ms Johnson knows how to plot and pace her twist-filled novels perfectly, such that I only figured out whodunnit a little before Marlowe did.

I also loved how the author seamlessly includes historical controversies that still cast a long shadow over the present day. Upon arriving at Morning House, Marlowe isn’t fully cognizant of its obscure and often unhappy past, saying to Dr Henson:

QUOTE
“You must be glad they saved it,” I said. “All this history.”

I said this as an offhand remark–something you do to punctuate a conversation. Like “nice to meet you” or “have a good day” or “this concludes my TED Talk.” I wasn’t thinking much of anything aside from that the view was nice, I missed Akilah, and I wondered how many nights in a row I could just eat hot dogs until everyone else here dismissed me as a dirtbag. So I was confused when Dr. Henson said, “No, not really.”

“No?”

“No. That’s not how history works. We don’t save every monument just because it’s big or because it’s there. Lots of things are big, lots of things are there. Some things should be allowed to fall down.”
END QUOTE

Full of wisdom, charm and a perhaps surprising amount of action, this vividly written murder mystery is a terrific standalone novel that is my favorite so far of the author’s oeuvre. In addition to the excellent representation of diversity throughout, it’s got a sweet and entirely realistic love story. I honestly wouldn’t mind if this were the start of a series featuring Marlowe and her friends, who are engaging and smart and feel like people I’d love to spend more time around.

dnf @ 36%!!!

i love & enjoy maureen johnson’s books so much, but this book lost my interest very early on and i couldn’t convince myself to keep reading it. maybe later on i might try again!

Death at Morning House was such a highly anticipated read for me! I loved the Stevie Bell/Truly Devious series and this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoy the style of an old mystery being solved in the future, and loved the added present day mysteries. I personally was able to predict some of the ending but the main plot twists I did not see coming! There being multiple mysteries allowed the plot to move forward nicely and we didn’t have to wait for the very end for all the answers. I overall loved the way this wrapped up but I felt like I still had a few lingering questions. I almost wish the epilogue wasn’t included but was able to appreciate the present day crimes being tied up, too. Even though this was YA, I got a good thrill during the ending and flew through the last 30ish%. I’d definitely recommend this, even to young adults, because it didn’t feel too young to me (other than the romance aspects, which were mainly concentrated to the very beginning and end). This was a great story, the writing was wonderful, and I really really enjoyed this.

This was such a thrilling read. I have been reading more YA thrillers lately and I tend to be disappointed by some but this one was so thrilling and it grabbed me from the start.

I enjoyed the two mysteries and finding out how they were related to each other. I really enjoyed everything about this book. I think this is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last.

Missed pub date but thanks for the ARC NetGalley!!!

I'm ride or die for Maureen Johnson tbh so the odds of me not liking this were so low. She writes an interesting, compelling mystery! I found both timelines to be interesting but I think the Ralston family mystery was a little bit more gripping personally.

The character work in this was pretty good, and I really enjoyed the real lack of romance there was despite the characters obviously feeling things as the story went on. I was a little worried that Marlowe would just feel like Stevie but I think her voice was distinct enough that there was definitely a clear difference!

Humor was great and the end reveals were satisfying. This one was fun!

I love Maureen Johnson's writing style, especially her use of wit in both dialogue and internal monologue. This plot however, was not my overall favorite of her books. While I am always game for a dual plot/timeline situation, I feel like the present day plot was much weaker than the historical plot line. I wished there had been a stronger tie between the two stories beyond just the setting of Morning House. I think this book will be a well received title for those that are fans of YA mystery. It delivers all the twists, comradery, and explosive climax scene that readers of this genre have come to expect. The unsettling historic characters were definitely the strongest aspect of this story.

After Truly Devious (just the first three, I don't count the others because I hated them) I knew that Maureen Johnson was probably going to be an auto-pick up author for me. I was beyond excited to hear about this new book coming out from her. And I have to say, unlike the last books in the Truly Devious world, this was actually so good. The characters were great, the mystery was compelling and I found that the time-jumpig actually felt good and useful in this story where a lot of stories it just serves to confuse me. I can't wait for more from MJ!

Since I have finished this book I’ve been recommending it to all my teen readers. I already knew I loved Johnson writing from The Vanishing Stair, but I don’t usually read long series. So, this is a perfect combination of her writing in a standalone. I loved the time jump from the present day to the day of the murders. I absolutely could not put this book down until I was finished.

I was really excited for this since I loved the author’s previous books. Maybe my expectations were too high because, unfortunately, this was a bit of a letdown for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the “mysteries.”

For the most part, nothing significant happens during the first half of this book. We basically follow Marlowe, who accidentally sets a house on fire while on a date and then accepts a tour guide job at Morning House to escape the rumors surrounding the accident. That’s pretty much all that happens in the first half of the book. It’s just Marlowe obsessing over her crush, brooding over the fire, and training for her new job. The pace was painfully slow until the 50% mark, when the story finally picks up. But by that point, I didn’t really care about any of the characters. I was a bit curious about how the second storyline would unfold and managed to push through to the end. Overall, it was a bit of a disappointing read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn’t known anything about Maureen Johnson when I requested this arc. I now can’t wait to scoop up every other book she’s written. Taking place both in the 1930’s and present day Death at Morning House was such a fun and cozy mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialing storylines, and attempting to solve what ended up being three mysteries. I truly wasn’t expecting the who done it to be who it was.

Johnson does an incredible job of immersing the reader in this cast of characters. It feels as though you’re alongside our lovable heroine Marlowe as she does her best to fit in, and solve all the puzzles around her. Marlowe was such a relatable lead with her insecurities, her falling for any girl who smiled her way, and her clumsy attempts so fit in and make friends. The entire ensemble cast was so fun, and the mystery was so well thought out. I truly enjoyed this book so much. As a queer person this representation that just felt normal and not a spectacle was so refreshing. I highly encourage everyone to read this book.

Death at Morning House gives the same thriller-mystery vibes as Johnson's Stevie Bell series, and is just as good.

A queer alleged arsonist gets shipped off for the summer to get away from the rumors, only to find herself the replacement for a tour guide who recently died in suspect circumstances. Working on one of the 1000 Islands in upstate NY, in a mysterious house that's been shut up since the 1930s, with a massive storm coming through the area, Marlowe learns that two children died in this family home, echoing what recently happened.

With two timelines, both involving deaths, Johnson keeps you on your toes and wanting to devour this book.

Definitely recommending for high school library acquisition!

I have never read any of Maureen Johnson’s book so I went into this with no expectations. Death at Morning House was an unexpected mystery with clues you had to follow all the way until the end. I was left delighted and throughly entertained. I now need to go read some of her older books.

Every time, Maureen Johnson captures my interest and holds it through to the very end of the book. She is skilled at bringing many mystery tropes from both film and literary history to life in a way that is entertaining, novel, and thrilling. I will read anything she writes!!

I have to say that I truly adored the main character.. Marlowe, the endearingly awkward lead character, finds herself sucked into a significant drama involving her buddy group while working as a summer employee in a funeral house.

The two timelines—one set in the era of prohibition and the other in contemporary times—were superbly combined to create an outstanding murder mystery! In addition to giving the story more depth, this narrative decision keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they solve the mystery with the protagonists.

I was captivated by the mystery around what transpired and was eager to learn more, and it did not let me down! There are enough turns and twists in this well-written mystery to keep readers guessing. There is tension and dangers on Marlowe's path to discovering the truth since every clue she finds gets her one step closer to revealing the fatal mysteries of the estate.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone who like YA mysteries and thrillers.

As usual as soon as I saw that Maureen Johnson was writing another mystery I added it to my TBR. Doesn’t take much for me to want a book from her lol Was I upset that it wasn’t another Stevie Bell and Truly Devious book? Yes. Was I going to read it anyway? Absolutely.

The beginning of this one was so weird lol I didn’t know where it was going when I first started reading it. And then the THING happened and I was very confused. No weirder than Johnson’s other books, but still. Usually she starts the book when the person is already on the way to the place they’ve been banished to lol So this was weird but good and I couldn’t wait to get to the mystery.

The characters were funny tho. Marlowe was hilarious. I still can’t believe all of this happened because she had a crush on a girl. And like girl, I love love, but she was doing too much lol I hated that she just wanted to get closer to the girl and then that happened. Definitely wasn’t what she was expecting at all I’m sure. But the way she handled it was crazy. But she went on to do some amazing things on that island. And I will say, I liked that we didn’t learn everything about her at once. This made it feel no info dumpy and that was perfect.

The mystery was weird. I liked that we went back and forth from the past to the present. And it wasn’t giving us too much at once so there were no spoilers. I liked it so much. But I did think this one was a little more weird than her others. The “dad” was terrible and I hated him. Everything they mentioned about him was terrible. I couldn’t figure out how in the world people kept giving him kids! But it all made sense in the end. So please, don’t let this man keep you from reading it! You NEED to get to the end.

I don’t want to say too much more about this since this is a mystery, but I will say the ending had me say out loud, “WTF!” Because when it happened it was just mentioned so casually lol They were so proud. It caught me off guard. So please, read this and let me know if you feel the same. I need to know I’m not alone!

This book had a few things I really enjoyed and quite a lot of others that I really didn't.

I'll start with the things I didn't like:
- The dual timelines- they tend to slow a book way down and it frustrates me.
- I didn't connect to either story line- I honestly didn't care what happened to any of the characters at any given time. This book was trying to tell two separate stories and I think it would have benefitted immensely from telling either one or the other.
- Marlowe's obsession with her crush was borderline stalker creepy. I found her obsession with all things Akilah made me extremely uncomfortable.
- The Aunt's letter in the end summing up/ explaining everything seemed like the easy way out.

Things I liked:
-Marlowe was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times.
-Marlowe's "high" scene was fantastic. Hilarious and relatable and believable- loved it.
-Parallels between the timelines- While I didn't like the dual timelines I did like that the present mimicked the past throughout, that was a nice way of tying them together.
- The house seemed cool.

Overall I didn't like this one. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, either mystery- if you want to call them that. I mean, the answers were nearly immediately handed to you as soon as they arose. I feel like this book was written to tell the story that took place in the 193o's not the present time and I think the author should've just written that book.

I received this book for review. I enjoyed the second half of this book. I was over 50% before I felt the story really starting to click for me. Most of the time I wouldn’t stick that king, but I love Maureen’s Truly Devious series so I wanted to give this a fair chance. I felt like the first half tried too hard when setting up the story. Too many characters and side stories kept pulling me out of the story. Once we got to the actual action in both storylines I enjoyed it much more. Personally I think the old timeline of the weird family with the rigid Dad and regimented family was much more interesting than the present day. I felt like the family, although super odd, was way more engaging than any of the present day characters. I could not relate to them and didn’t feel invested in their story at all.
Overall the book was good, just much slower paced than Truly Devious.

I always have a fun time with Maureen Johnson's YA mysteries and this new one was no exception. Admittedly the mystery here is a little thin and obvious - especially the modern-day story. But Marlowe is SO much more likable as a protagonist than Stevie from Truly, Devious. SORRY, I SAID IT.

This had a very fun and quirky setting typical of Johnson - a tricked-out mansion full of secret passageways on one of the Thousands Islands along the Canadian/New York border. (I had no idea that's where Thousand Island dressing originated!) I want to visit these islands so badly now.

Johnson also loves her 1930s backstories, and so do I, although the historical sub-story was actually super devastating. But overall, this was a super quick and fun read for my vacation brain. Recommend if you’re a Maureen Johnson fan.

Maureen Johnson never fails to write a fun mystery and this was a fun addition to her other mysteries I've read. While it is a standalone and not part of her ongoing series, it had many of the same elements: suspense, witty characters, twists and turns, and a satisfying finish. However, this one felt slower to me than her other novels and I wish that the characters had been more developed. As a reader who reads for characters, I found it very challenging to read about a family of eugenicists. It was fun to have two plot lines going at the same times but it also made me feel like there were some plot holes in it. Despite it all, I absolutely loved the main character's voice and personality. There were many times I chuckled or laughed out loud and her voice was definitely one of the things that kept me reading. I also enjoyed that the two plot lines converged because of the setting. I think this would be a great spooky season read -- lots of creepy, spooky, dark vibes. I will say this novel was darker than some of her others so perhaps be prepared for that. I definitely recommend if you love mystery, others of Johnson's novels, twists and turns, or spooky season reads.

I was given this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

We have our MC Marlowe who's a bit of a love obsessed, accidental fire bug and that's how we start this story. She is obsessed with this girl at school. Honestly this sub plot is dragged through the whole story and makes the MC seem whiney and obsessive. I could've done without this whole sub plot. It did nothing for the story and the character and I found it distracting and it made me lose my connection with the story every time it was brought back up.

However, the story plot of the morning house is super interesting both present day and in the past. We have someone who may be a murderer in present day and we definitely have one from the past. The plot is definitely intriguing and fast paced. It sucks you right in and you want to keep reading to get to those snippets of scenes from the past.

******Spoiler******

I will say I was unprepared for some of the information given by Aunt Dagmar. I would've loved more information on the mother's and what really happened to them and how the children ended up in his care. I know he says they became his bc of the circumstances of war but we later learn that's not true. I wonder how he talked six women into giving up their children to him and going no contact.

Overall the book is good 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I would've rated higher had it not been for the rude interrupting sub plot.