The story is full of suspense, and I loved how the author mixed a bit of dark humor with the tension, making it fun to read even while things got intense. The characters are super interesting, and there’s just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing. It’s one of those books that’s perfect for when you want something a little different—fun, mysterious, and not too serious. If you're looking for a unique, page-turning read, this one is definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to Ande Pliego, Random House Publishing – Ballantine | Bantam, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me a strong vibe of the movie Glass Onion at the start and then of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians as the story progressed. The story involves a group of authors who are invited to a writing retreat by a famous author whom no one has ever seen. Murders ensue as each person’s past crimes are taken into account. The big questions are, of course, who is the murderer and who will survive?

The story moves between the perspectives of different characters to provide different perspectives as the events unfold. The author does a nice job feeding us enough information to allow us to develop our own theories of the solution without giving everything away. Recommended.

I was expecting a cozy mystery but what this book delivers is a smart, complex puzzle that kept me guessing until the end. The premise is that a group of writers are invited to a remote location for a writer's retreat. Their host is unknown to them, but as it is revealed, the host knows a great deal about them. The relationships among the writers are a bit complicated and I could have benefitted from a "cheat sheet" to keep them all straight. Overall, this is a great debut novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I really enjoyed the suspense of this! Just when you thought you knew What was going on and who, it became a little more interesting.

I loved the locale of the island and was tickled at the thought of having so many "mystery" minds being thrown into their own mystery.

I highly recommend this for people who want to think through and who understand the idea of revenge!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this title and provide my thoughts!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this offering.

I made it through to the end, but it was a struggle. The story begins with an invitation for a group of murder mystery writers to attend a seminar. Lo and behold, the meeting takes place in an eerie mansion smack dab in the middle of a deserted island. Sound familiar?

The characters weren’t particularly memorable, but those whose names were used to identify chapters always spoke in the first person narrative. So … having not paid attention … I was constantly back-pedaling to the chapter heading to see who in the hell was speaking.

I persevered to the finish for the purpose of learning who did what to whom and why. I found some satisfaction in the resolution of the plot, but for me, this felt more like a homework assignment than it did an interesting or enjoyable read.

What a fun book! It took me a little bit to adjust to the multiple POVs but once I did, I was hooked. The set up, the mystery of it and the fun of all of the tropes kept me reading.

I love murder mysteries and escape room type of events. Clue is one of my favorite movies. Seeing all of the tropes included and the inclusion of the map inspired by Clue was delightful.

A delicious read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
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When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance—particularly since she has an ax to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.

Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.

Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two—the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead—and it’s not the murder she planned—Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.

One by one, you’ll lose your turn.

With a storm cutting off the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.

Until only one of us remains…
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I first was drawn to this book because it reminded me a little bit of the movies Murder by Death and Clue, both long time favorites of mine. Murder, a mansion, writers, games, riddles...all of it seemed to have the makings of a good, twisty story. I have been a casual thriller reader in the past, but this year I have really leaned in and have been tearing through thrillers, and I was looking forward to reading this one when it was released. Reading it before its release date was an unexpected bonus!

It did take a little bit of time for the action to ramp up in this book, but once it did, I was all in. The twists and turns kept coming, and there were plenty of times that I was truly surprised by what happened next, which is what I think we always hope for when we are reading a thriller. The final twist at the end was not one that I saw coming, and I came away feeling very satisfied with the outcome.

Overall I enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists in the plot that kept it interesting. There may have been a few too many characters and I found some of it to be a bit over the top and therefore, hard to relate to. The ending was indeed a surprise.

For Agatha Christie and Clue fans comes this "locked room" mystery. A bunch of egocentric writers are invited to a retreat on an island off the Maine coast, and start dying of suspicious circumstances. Was it Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with the rope? The puzzle gets more involved as the bodies pile up, and the story holds together until just a few of them remain. This genre isn't my favorite, but I tried to hang in there but about 80% in I just gave up trying to follow the clues and action. Some of the plot points are more believable than others, and some of the characters doth protest too much. And of course each writer has a checkered past -- which was their ticket to the retreat. We find out the gory and unsavory details as the days go by and as more challenges are presented to the surviving members. If you tend towards trying to solve the puzzles presented, you will probably enjoy the novel more than I did. If you are a fan of Survivor or Alone TV series likewise.

Dang, this book was the real deal! It shocked me, confused me, and made me a bit crazy… I stayed up for ages until it was completely done. I didn’t even see most of the twists coming. That is a rare thing for me and I enjoy it so much. Great mystery and I was misled so many times. I loved it!

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!