No one knows the true identity of J.R. Alastor. He (or she) has been a bestselling author for more than thirty years, but always anonymous. Alastor hires Mila, a sort of failed would-be author, to help organize an elaborate mystery writers retreat on Alastor's remote private island off the coast of Maine. Of the six already famous, successful authors invited, Mila has a dark past with one of them, and she would like to get revenge. However, soon one of the six authors is murdered, and it is NOT the author Mila had in mind. With more authors being killed one by one, and with a big storm shutting off access to the mainland, Mila realizes that she might be a victim herself soon, unless she can discover the true identity of J.R. Alastor. Unfortunately, she can trust no one, and time is running out. Great locked room style mystery!

WOW! This is a top 5 read for 2024 for me. Full of twists, suspense, beautiful writing, and thrilling mysteries. This was such a unique and fresh take on a "whodunnit" mystery, adding in multi-POVs (which were perfectly timed) and also adding in excerpts from books to further the plot. This story wasn't just a mystery, it also has wonderful dimension with the multiple character arcs and deeper themes being a highlight throughout. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me for this ARC!

Closer to a 4 - this was a ride. I like a locked room mystery. Several confusing points and a few weak backstories but I had no idea who was pulling the strings, and that propelled me through nicely. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy

Hard to believe that this beautifully crafted twister is a debut. While not perfect, it kept me guessing. Told through POVs of every character. it managed to create characters and situations fun to unravel. Looking forward to more from this author.

I was excited to receive an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley. In my opinion, this is a strong debut from Ande Pliego. The premise is what hooked me, with the concept of mystery writers being invited to a retreat featuring games and riddles. What came to mind initially was Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” because of the obvious parallels in the setup. I also liked that there are ties to the guests’ books and the host’s book about writing mystery (which made me think a bit of “On Writing” by Stephen King). I LOVED the discussion of tropes from the host’s “book” that then got used in the various games presented to the guests. There were some side plotlines that were difficult to follow at first, but as the novel progressed, it was easier to see how those fit. At the beginning, it felt like there were maybe a few too many characters to keep track of, but everything made more sense as we went along. This book definitely kept me guessing until the end, and had a couple of unexpected plot twists, as well. I will look forward to more from this author!

This was good!! It was such a unique concept and the writing was so good! It was like a movie in my brain 🙂‍↕️ it did take me a really long time to get into, I think because I was so confused by all the characters. In the beginning of the book they’re very intentionally vague to add to the mystery but it did make it a little harder to grasp. But overall I liked it! Thank you netgalley for the early copy :) 🩷

Thank you to NetGalley & Bantam Publishing for the ARC of this book.

I’m a fan of locked room mysteries with isolated locations, so I immediately requested an ARC through NetGalley when I saw this book become available. A secluded mansion in Maine, reachable only by boat, sets the stage for a writer’s retreat for bestselling authors. The host is an anonymous author no one has ever met or seen in person. J. R. Alastor is also a mega-seller of mystery novels. Alastor’s assistant, Mila (a former aspiring writer), will be handling the details of the writers’ arrival and leading them in “games” Alastor has planned for each night. It isn’t long, however, before the guests begin meeting fatal ends and plans go awry.

There is so much going on in this novel!

It tackles numerous mystery tropes, adds a touch of the board game Clue, and even gives a nod to slasher movies. I did grow frustrated with most every character at one point or another. My loyalties shifted more than once, as the author painted different sides to their personalities. Most of the characters are unlikeable but several surprised me in jaw-dropping ways. The isolation of the manor home and an approaching storm also added to the suspense which grows in intensity as the body count rises.

The plot is highly convoluted with plenty of misdirection. Plot threads sprout and weave together like a labyrinth. With so much going on, I wasn’t sure I would be satisfied with the ending, but the author did an amazing job of bringing this twisty tale to a gratifying conclusion. She even managed to change my opinion of a character I initially disliked. A highly engrossing story!

What a fun, creative read! The author has managed to intentionally squeeze in several murder mystery tropes, much in the way Scream incorporated horror movie cliches into the first film. Very impressive for a debut novel.

Six thriller authors, all of whom are harboring deep dark secrets, are invited to the private island of a famous, anonymous author and, one by one, they begin to be killed off a la Agatha Christie. There are plenty of twists, surprises, and red herrings to keep you guessing throughout.

Thanks to both NetGalley and Ande Pliego for providing an advanced reading copy. I am very selective when I request ARCs because I hate giving bad reviews to books I have received for free. Fortunately, in this case, ‘You Are Fatally Invited’ was a five-star read for me.

Debut author Ande Pliego creates a very impressive locked-room mystery at an isolated island retreat, where the guests are all mystery writers and at least two of them are plotting murder. It’s a brilliant introduction for a new contributor to classic mysteries!

The Maine (shades of Stephen King!) coastal isle’s owner is “anonymous” author J.R Alastor, who has written undercover for thirty years. Keeping anonymity intact is an outlier, but it’s akin to J.K.Rowling’s Robert Galbraith, Nora Roberts’ J.D.Robb, or Stephen King’s (him again) Richard Bachman. Never having been outed, and requiring an NDA for the attendees, our host’s newest, yet unpublished, book is a guide for writers, “On Writing Fear” and a bedside gift for all. Who is he? Possibly J.R. had been a cop or a lawyer with insider knowledge on procedure and prosecution (or a really talented Googler); other readers speculated that Alastor might be a doctor, or even an experienced murderer. Or, as the real life examples, an already well-known bestseller with a prolific talent for writing more thrillers on the side. In any case, we assume the mystery of the nom-de-plume owner might be revealed quickly, but just wait…

The authors that are attending all have POVs at some point, although the event coordinator, Mila’s, is more frequent.

The guests include:

Rodrigo and Olivia Sandoval — married co-authors: he’s a former Spanish lawyer who is hiding some legal secrets; Olivia, the wife, is not so innocent, but a very successful legal thriller author since her pairing with Rodrigo.
Thomas Fletcher — the stereotypical grumpy British author and former psychiatrist; self-professed confidant of Alastor; he writes “literary” mysteries
Ashton Carter — a young (late 20s) Chinese American, who wrote a paranormal thriller and has a partial memory of a childhood trauma; he also misses his dog (which immediately indicates “must be a good guy”)
Cassandra Hutchison — early 70s, a doyen of domestic suspense with romance elements; also stereotypically a busybody
Violet Blake — the youngest at 24; a horror mystery one book prodigy

As the boorish Fletcher mentions “Everyone of us kills people for a living.”

Also on the island:
Mila del Angél — event coordinator in her late 20s, but more assistant to the villain, bent on murdering one of the guests (but not the one who is first murdered); also crushing on Ashton
Curt and Taryn — staff, early 20s; he’s the chef and she’s the maid; both primarily offstage, but there are hints their backstories might be significant.

Author Pliego must have studied the suspense mystery genre at length and definitely demonstrates her own mastery. It’s true to the locked room mystery trope with the master manipulator possibly being one of the guests (Christie’s “And Then There Were None”), but this time the assistant to the villain slowly realizes she might become the fall guy. Most of the 21st century communication technology (except, of course, the secret spy cameras) is wiped out early, so the guests are as helpless as Christie’s “ten little Indians” were in the 1930s.

The guests are told they must survive each day; each one cleverly has its own trope: The Dinner Party, Cursed Artifacts, Game Night, Survive the Night, Final Girls, Confession, and Absolution. Also, very brilliantly, the victims get unalived by methods found in each one’s latest book — some authors have far more than just one method included. But when your only character has drowned, it’s a good idea to stay dry.

“You Are Fatally Invited” reminded me of a less light-hearted “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” or “Murder Your Employer.” The broken fourth wall in this plot is less obviously cracked via excerpts of J.R. Alastor’s supposed new book (on the art of writing mysteries) as well as the daily tropes. The plot keeps you reimagining who the killer is and there are, as one character declares, “plot twists!” I loved this book and I’ll be eager to read whatever Ande Pliego does next! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Cassandra has “muddy” green eyes; Mila has sharp green eyes; Jack has wide green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Although poisonous plants are used as clues as well as methods in the authors’ thrillers to eliminate characters.

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

I love a good mystery, and the description of this one an instant hook. It took me a while to get into this book. I put it down about four different times not knowing if I would pick it back up. I did end up getting hooked trying to figure out who everyone was (which is the best part of a murder mystery). The read was rough at times, and it was hard to keep all the characters straight for a while. I may have made a list. All in all, I believe that it’s a great murder mystery but it has a lot of moving parts.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This will be out in February of 2025!

LOVED this twisty mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seat! It is engaging and well-written! Such fun plot and characters! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bantam Publishing for the ARC of this book - which is to be published Feb 11 2025.

I was excited to read this one as the plot sounded amazing, but also similar to other thrillers (think secluded island, locked room murder mystery type). But this one turned out to be one of the better ones I’ve read. Sometimes these types are a hard sell for me because they can be repetitive, but I was intrigued because this is Pliego's debut novel. There were some odd plot lines, your typical obnoxious character that you are going to hate, but overall, it was done well, and I'd definitely recommend to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It surprised me that this is a debut because of the complicity. In the mist of this book you have pieces of another book written by J. R. Alastor. You get a chapter of some of the authors books. You get different points of views from Mila and the six thriller authors. Surprisingly with all this it flows and tells an intriguing story. Mila is left with wondering is murder and revenge really necessary? As more and more people start dying secrets start coming out and you realize just how connected everyone is. Who will survive? Who is J. R. Alastor? Who is everyone else really? What are their secrets? Why were they invited? It was the perfect locked room mystery. Pick it up!

I'm likely in the minority on this one, but this book didn't really work for me. It was a great concept and I especially liked labeling the sections by mystery tropes. But — and this could be on me — I had a very difficult time keeping the different POVs straight as things jumped around. And since I was having trouble keeping track of 7 plus characters and their vague inferences I just couldn't get invested in any of them which make it hard for me to engage,

Mysteries that are successful — in my opinion — dole out clues and details to culminate in a satisfying conclusion. However for me this was a too much teasing and not enough substance.

I found this book to be unique, interesting, and there was lots of twists! I loved the premise of a group of writers meeting up on a private island. I wished that I was there till people started dying! The story jumped between different points of views and every now and then I would have to go back and see whose chapter I was reading, but I really enjoyed the book.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy in turn for my honest review.

Thriller fans, follow along for a deadly, dangerous writer's retreat. As the group navigates every trope they've ever used in their stories, they realize that they've been brought to J.R. Alastor's private island for one reason and one reason only; to own up to their individual crimes, or pay the ultimate price. Drawn into a real-life game of Clue, the group slowly realizes just how high the stakes are when one of their own is found murdered. Just who is J.R. Alastor, and what has each of them done that's so bad that he's willing to kill for their crimes?

Twisty, exciting, where everything that can go wrong does. There were a lot of times where I had to suspend disbelief, but that doesn't bother me. This one was hard to put down. I love a good multiple POV, and I was totally duped by the true identity of the killer. I didn't care for the romance aspect, as I often feel like romances added to thrillers feel rushed/unimportant in furthering the plot. As always, this one didn't feel necessary, but didn't ruin anything for me either.

Pliego’s debut novel. It is excellent, though at first I thought it was just another version of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None,* but then, just like that the storyline takes a violent and dark turn and is so much the better for it. Several best-selling authors are invited to an authors workshop on an isolated island on the coast of Maine, the sinister plot is set up like an elaborate game of Clue but the diabolical use of murder suspense mystery tropes to drive the story is brilliant.

"You Are Fatally Invited" has a description that immediately called to me—a locked-room mystery with a faceless host who might be killing off guests one by one? WHERE DO I SIGN UP.

The book's construction was brilliant, using a multiple-POV structure that elevated the intrigue of every character and made guessing both fun and challenging. As the stakes rose, the flow of information kept pace to make puzzling things out more and more possible. And the reveals at the end were appropriately twisty and shocking; you might have to suspend a little bit of disbelief about how it's all possible, but trust me that it is entirely worth it!

There were a lot of characters, and it was hard at times to keep everything straight as I raced through the pages... but I honestly didn't really want to slow down for a minute to catch my breath. The pace, story, and characters were that good. This was a perfect thriller adventure, with a great balance between complexity and figure-out-ability. And this being a debut, I absolutely cannot WAIT to see what Ande Pliego does next! 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

[Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for an advance reader copy of this book!]

While there were a few instances within the story where I lost track of crucial details, the overall story was there. I was kept on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who the real mastermind was and how the characters were connected. The reveal at the end was definitely surprising and I enjoyed the epilogue. I felt like it provided the closure I needed from the story.

One of my favorite movies as a child was Clue, so I love reading adaptations. This one was like Clue on drugs- super bonkers, not very realistic, but I was along for the ride. There were secret passages, clues about what sins the participant had committed, confusion about the identity of the person who had invited them together, and of course murders. Overall, a fun, twisted thriller that isn't afraid to go for shock in lieu of being logical.