Ande Pliego’s You Are Fatally Invited is a wickedly entertaining blend of classic mystery tropes and modern psychological thrills, offering readers a gripping “locked island” whodunit with a meta twist.

The story centers on Mila del Angél, a former aspiring writer, who finds herself hosting an exclusive thriller writers’ retreat at the request of the enigmatic J. R. Alastor. The setting—a secluded island manor off the coast of Maine—drips with gothic atmosphere, complete with a storm to trap its characters and heighten the tension. With a guest list of six thriller authors, each an expert in misdirection and dark deeds, the stage is set for intrigue. But what starts as a carefully curated experience of riddles and scares takes a deadly turn when one of the attendees is murdered—and it’s not the murder Mila planned to commit.

Pliego masterfully intertwines the tropes of the genre into the narrative, creating a self-aware puzzle for readers to unravel. The concept of thriller writers battling wits against a real-life murderer is executed with cleverness and dark humor, making the book both suspenseful and fun. Mila is a standout protagonist—sharp, morally complex, and deeply relatable as she navigates her own tangled motivations and the increasing danger around her.

The pacing is taut, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that keeps readers turning the pages. The clues, red herrings, and character dynamics are expertly deployed, allowing armchair sleuths to piece together the mystery while keeping them guessing until the final reveal. And that reveal? Jaw-dropping in the best way, tying all the narrative threads together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable.

You Are Fatally Invited isn’t just a locked-room mystery; it’s a commentary on the genre itself, playfully critiquing and celebrating its conventions. Fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley will find much to love, but Pliego’s fresh voice ensures the book stands out in a crowded field.

With its twisty plot, vibrant characters, and razor-sharp wit, You Are Fatally Invited is an invitation you won’t want to decline—just make sure to keep the lights on.

I always love a locked room mystery, and I thought the setting for this one, the island retreat weekend for thriller writers, sounded intriguing. It has all the hallmarks of a great thriller- interesting mansion full of secret passages and weapons, characters full of secrets and hidden agendas, A DOCTORED CLUE GAME TO FIT THE FESTIVITIES!
Unfortunately some of these things made it also a little messy. Several times I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to figure out who was narrating that particular chapter. As with any book with a huge cast of characters, you have to pay close attention to remain on top of the story.
It was fairly easy (I thought anyways) to figure out the main “villain”, but that didn’t make the ending any less twisty and satisfying. I loved the Confessional puzzle!

Thanks to Ande Pliego, Bantam/Ballantine/Random House Publishing for providing this arc to NetGalley readers!

US pub date: 2/11/25
Genre: thriller, locked room mystery
Quick summary: Mila's excited to host an exclusive writers' retreat on behalf of a famous author. She's planned some games and surprises - but she never thought that a guest would bring murder to the table.

Clue gets a horror-esque twist in this debut novel - I wasn't expecting that level of darkness! There were plenty of twists and turns and of course, lots and lots of secrets. I liked all the little details of the riddles, and I bet other thriller fans will too. It's a strong debut from Pliego, and I'll look out for more from her. 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Bantam for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A locked room mystery set on a remote island off Maine, this is a debut novel with a lot of twists and turns.

Best-selling author J.R Alastor holds a writers retreat at his estate on the island, hiring Mila as the event coordinator. Alastor's real identity has been unknown for years, and 6 writers are eager to finally meet him.

In true Christie style, Alastor has an ulterior motive, wanting to make these writers confess to previous misdeeds. Mila has set up a series of games to be played, and she has one of the writers in particular that she wants to exact revenge upon.

Alastor isn't present at the start of the retreat, and as people start disappearing, everyone is questioning whether Alastor is one of them. When a storm hits, the boat is damaged, the phone and wifi stop working, everyone is unable to leave the island, and is locked together trying to figure out who wants them dead.

I enjoyed all of the twists and turns. The game of Clue features in one of the games played, and as in Clue, everyone is trying to match each person with their 'sin' and their personality traits. The plot was complex, with quite a few characters to keep track of. The chapters are short - and each is told from a different person's point of view. Not only do we hear from each of the 6 writers, and Mila, but we also hear from "the serial killer", "the thief" and other personality traits without knowing who they apply to. That was an interesting way to present the clues. There were enough characters that I frequently had to flick back to the beginning of the chapter to remind myself of who was 'speaking' in order to follow the plot along.

Twice I thought I knew who Alastor was, and twice I was wrong!

I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, although I sympathized with a few on occasion. But I was intrigued to finally unravel what was going on.

Not everyone can deliver a locked room mystery that'll shock you with twists and turns and allows you to enjoy the unfolding of the story without constant comparison to Christie. This book did that for me. This author is most certainly on my must read list.

I'd call this 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars. There is definitely a market for this title. For myself, I found the beginning very slow and the writing rather choppy. The premise was interesting, and once things took off, the book moved right along. I wasn't invested in any of the characters, however and the entire thing failed to click for me.

I enjoyed this one. It started a little slow but really picked up in the middle. The story is told through different points of view. Very entertaining if you like a murder mystery. Highly recommend!

Thanks to the publisher & NEtGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

4.5 ⭐️ A big thank you to Ande Pliego, random house, and netgalley for an arc copy of You Are Fatally Invited! Fantastically written murder mystery! This book offered multiple POV and chapters from the “anonymous authors” excerpt. The chapters ending in cliffhangers making you want to read more. Games played that will leave you wanting to learn more about the characters and their pasts/connections. This novel kept me guessing the entire way through!! This is author Ande Pliegos debut novel! It publishes 2/11/2025! Put it on your TBR!

This book has been creating a lot of buzz on Instagram! Fully original, filled with thriller tropes throughout. Is a perfect book for those who love thrillers!

5⭐️

When world renowned, anonymous author J.R. Alastor decides to invite several up and coming thriller authors in various stages of their career to a writing retreat on their isolated island, everyone thinks this might be their big break. Instead, it becomes clear that each author has their own secret that they would kill to keep under wraps and that someone is out for revenge. The goal of the retreat becomes clear: confess to your crimes, survive the tropes, and survive the retreat.

I loved this! I always love Clue adaptations and this was wonderfully done. With the secluded locale, no one knowing who their host was, a house full of secret passages and clues, and each character having their own motive and crimes, everything just fit together for a perfect remake. The secluded island in the middle of a storm really drove the tension of the story and kept me on edge. Things like the island cemetery, the missing boat and golf cart, and lack of communication with the main land also really drove the story.

I loved how Mila’s chapters read as a retelling of the entire weekend even as it was done in real time. I also really liked how the way her chapters were narrated made it hard to guess who her target really was. Each character had enough misdeeds in their past that made them obvious choices to be who Mila was after and I spent a lot of time trying to guess who was shady enough to plagiarize their entire book. The red herrings were nicely done and they really kept me guessing. I was surprised when I found out who J.R. Alastor actually was and their motives for everything. Is as also shocked at the ending.

Thanks NetGalley and Bantam Books for providing this ARC to me!

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande PliegIf you’re a fan of locked-room mysteries with a modern twist, You Are Fatally Invited delivers all the tension and intrigue you’d hope for. The story follows a group of thriller writers gathered on a secluded private island for an exclusive retreat, only to have fiction turn into a grim reality when one of them is murdered.

Pliego masterfully blends sharp, witty dialogue with a steadily mounting sense of dread. The setting is vividly atmospheric, and the characters—each with their own secrets and motives—are as entertaining as they are suspicious. With twists that keep you guessing until the very last page, this book is perfect for fans of The Guest List or One by One. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves mysteries where writers become part of the plot they might have penned themselves.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego has 6 thriller authors invited to a secluded island by a famous reclusive author JR Alastor. Mila is the event coordinator and she has her own plans but Alastor has other plans.

A locked room mystery/thriller with puzzles, a threatening storm, past relationships and how they all connected . Fun trying to figure out the whodunnit. In the beginning, I had a hard time keeping the characters straight but eventually was able to keep track of them.

A suspenseful read especially if you like murder mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

J.R. Alastor is an anonymous writer who has been left in charge of inviting a previous hopeful writer to be in charge of a writing retreat off the coast of Maine. Six authors are on the guest list, and due to the nature of this being a thriller book, we find out some of the six have secrets, and our hopeful writer might even have some issues with the guests. There are multiple POV's throughout, but the characters are very well fleshed out, so they are fun to read about at least. As a fast reader, I did get confused a few times while I was switching back and forth from point of views. The riddles included are brilliant and my absolute favorite part of the book! They are all trope heavy, original, and fun when it comes to connecting them to the plot. This one had the ability to move slowly somewhat, but I think the similarity to Christie and the unique basis of this one really made me view it on a high note. Certainly recommend! Thanks so much to the publisher and the author for the chance to check out the eARC.

One of the major drawbacks of the book is the sheer number of characters. There are so many individuals introduced throughout the story that it becomes a challenge to keep track of who’s who. Each character seems to be given equal narrative weight, but the book doesn’t do enough to differentiate them or make their motivations compelling. As a result, it’s hard to care about anyone, which, for a mystery novel, is a major issue.The writing style itself also contributes to the confusion. It’s sometimes unclear which character is being referred to, especially when the perspective shifts between different viewpoints.
Thanks to NetGally for advance copy

I’m getting more picky with books as I get older. I would say I haven’t gotten a good read in a while, but this one definitely was a good one. The multiple POVs were nice and easy to follow. I love a good “And then there were none” trope.
The only thing keeping this from five stars is that it could have wrapped up a little sooner. But truly it does not take away from this being a good book.

Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the DRC of #YouAreFatallyInvited. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A "locked room" mystery with a Clue vibe makes for a pretty good debut novel. Anonymous author JR Alastor invites 6 mystery/thriller writers to a "writing retreat" on his private island in Maine. Shortly after the guests arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that Alastor has something different planned.

The story is told from multiple perspectives with some being referred to by their sin/crime which can make things a little confusing. Each chapter is also introduced with an excerpt from Alastor's upcoming book on mystery writing.

Overall this was a fun read that kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the "book within a book" and the use of all the mystery tropes.

1/5 stars: This is Pliego's stand-alone which is a Mystery Thriller that takes place on a private island off the coast of Maine and features a group of authors brought together for a thriller writer's retreat and the former aspiring writer turned event coordinator who's plot to use the gathering as cover for the perfect murder goes off the rails when bodies start dropping but none are the murder she planned. Written in multiple POVs, Pliego's writing and character work are well done; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. With tact and sensitivity, Pliego takes on some sensitive issues; so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 19%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

A writer’s retreat with a renowned author that turns when someone is found murdered?!

This is a perfect book for those who love thrillers! The book kept me interested in the characters and wanting to know who was the murderer. The story is reminiscent of the game Clue, which added to the fun!

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was my most highly anticipated debut of the year, and it did not disappoint! Pliego has a true talent for creating complex characters and an intricate plot. I felt like I was immersed in the game of Clue the entire time, searching for evidence and marking off suspects on the list. It was truly a riveting reading experience. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a thrilling mystery!

Highly enjoyable, this “And then there were none” meta mystery is a lot of fun. Six authors go on a writing retreat at the island estate of reclusive J.R. Alastor, who is famous and anonymous. Each chapter is written from the POV of each of the characters, plus Mila, the event organizer. Soon, they are isolated, their host is a no-show and people start dying. Since they all earn their living writing such scenarios, they start analyzing their situation using their knowledge, but that doesn’t seem to help much, since they are all hiding secrets. There are so many things I love about this. Each voice is distinctive, not only in their first-person narration, but in their dialogues and their novels. I loved it when they discussed their work, and I could almost compare each book with real ones. The references to real-life pop culture were also fitting, including a “Museum Room” where Alastor collects movie props such as the Psycho knife or the bat from The Walking Dead. The plot was very reminiscent of the original Christie, so I can’t get too into it for fear of spoilers. The house is well described, and the twisted games that Alastor wants them to play are nerve-wracking. A truly page-turning classic that any genre fan will inhale.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam.