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.

I loved the premise, and ended up enjoying the book but it was a bit convoluted at times. Hard to picture the first murder especially taking place.

I immediately got vibes of “And Then There Were None” at the start of this novel. A bunch of authors, a secluded island and home.. all the makings of a great thriller. Highly recommend!

I had a strong feeling going in that this would be a book I would love, and it didn’t disappoint. Locked room mysteries are one of my favorites and this one was a wild ride.

This is the sort of book that I knew I would love going into it and it did not disappoint. I love the whole invitation to something sinister trope.

Wow!!!!!! FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT, you are about to go on one hell of a ride. I was surprised to read this is a debut novel, Ande Pliego is an incredibly talented author and gifted story teller. She delivers this story with sophistication, style, twists, suspense, revenge, planning, plotting, it is an edge of your seat thriller. Not my typical genre and I was absolutely hooked. I’ll definitely be looking for the movie if one materializes as well as anything else she may write. I’m blown away by this book, what a creative mind she has and her writing and storytelling exquisite. Soli Deo gloria

The story is told in the voices of the many different authors attending the retreat. Each with their own agenda, secrets, and perspectives. It definitely keeps you guessing, I needed the end for full closure or I wouldn’t have put it all together. Trust me, you won’t be figuring this one out.

I am not going to recreate the synopsis, many other reviewers have already done that for you. I’m just going to say don’t miss this one. Get your copy. Solid five stars, I’d rate is six or seven if I could.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House LLC for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thrilling writers' retreat on a secluded island takes a dark turn when one of the authors is found dead. Organized by a famous novelist and a former hopeful writer, the gathering features six thriller authors skilled in the art of deception and chaos. As a fierce storm cuts off access to the island and the number of victims increases, the remaining participants must outwit a murderer who knows all their tricks. If you love a Clue-like atmosphere and the tension of being stranded on a remote island, this book is for you. You're Fatally Invited keeps you guessing until the very end, with a brilliantly crafted plot that wraps up in a way that left me completely satisfied, answering all the questions I had along the way.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for allowing me to review this ARC.

Six thriller authors are invited to a retreat on the private island of J.R. Alastor. But one by one, the authors are being murdered. They need to find the killer, but time is running out...
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was crisp and the characters well defined. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. I did guess a couple of the plot twists, but it in no way interfered with my enjoyment of this book. And this was a very twisty book. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley, in return for an unbiased and honest review.

This was a fairly good debut mystery but there was just too much going on. The characters and their backstories were hard to keep track of. It would be helpful to have a description of each character at the beginning of the book. But it was a good mystery with some surprising twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book.


This book is about 6 authors who are invited to a writing retreat by a famous author who no one has actually seen, J.R. Alastar and his employee Mila del Angel, a former writer, devise various creepy games and thrills for the attendees that become a little intense. However, Mila actually has an issue with one of the writers at the retreat and is planning out their murder...until the wrong author ends up dead leaving Mila to figure out who the killer is to put a stop to it and ensure the safety of the innocent on the island.

While the characters weren't necessarily a big draw for me in this story (most were lacking in personality minus Mila), the murders and anticipation of finding out the identity of the killer left me turning every page. The twists and turns throughout the story were great, and I really was not able to guess the ending, which I'm usually able to come at least close in mystery/thrillers.

This book is coming out in mid-February next year, and I definitely recommend picking it up!

This book was absolutely amazing. The mood throughout the book was heavy and mysterious and kept you right there in the middle of the action. The author does an amazing job of giving just enough details to keep you guessing as to what’s happening without giving everything away all the way throughout the story. I loved how every single narrator was completely unreliable and that there were so many twists and turns, it was impossible to try to guess what was actually going on. I was shocked all the way up until the end. I will definitely be recommending this to others. It was one of my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for- Ballantine for this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.