Thank you Random House, #partner for the advanced e-copy of You Are Fatally Invited in exchange for my honest review.

A locked-room murder mystery with a bunch of thriller writers…say no more! I couldn’t put this Clue-style read down! The twists, the tropes, the mixed media format – it all comes together for a fantastic read! It had a classic mystery style, which as a fan of Agatha Christie, I really appreciated!⁣ All the characters have such interesting pasts and that only adds to the suspense as you try to figure out just what is going on here. This one really kept me guessing all the way through and I loved every second of it!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I requested a copy of this on a whim, but I was not disappointed. This book is like if the Knives Out: Glass Onion meets misery meets the White Lotus, but what if they were all insufferable authors. Thriller authors. Murder thriller authors.

I will say, I was able to predict where this was headed from the second chapter, but it was so well written it didn't matter. I honestly was rooting for all the characters to die, but the ending was satisfactory. It was all great, perfect, 10/10. I will be forcing my friends to read this.

This book is better than the description. As in the blurb, a number of authors are invited to a luxurious island retreat, only to find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery. It is mainly told from the viewpoint of the hostess, Mila, with a few chapters from some of the other characters. The action starts quickly with a murder, and then we are caught up in questions, including the whereabouts of the the actual host. I had a little trouble keeping up with all the interactions and perspectives of the different characters, but it definitely kept my interest. It was an entertaining,
fun, quick read with some neat twists. I give it a solid 3.5, rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley, and Random House/Ballantine Books for an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

4 stars!

I love books about authors, and this definitely delivered. Add in the fact that it's a locked room murder mystery and I was sold. I really enjoyed how this thriller played out, as we know the authors are connected to each other somehow, and may have shady pasts known by the mysterious author hosting them, but I honestly could not guess where things were going. In a time where a lot of mystery/thrillers feel tired and repetitive, I thought this one was more unique and would recommend for fans of the genre!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An anonymous author, a group of thriller authors, and a writing retreat that turns deadly.
I had a sneaking suspicion I would like this as soon as I read the official blurb on Ande's Instagram, and I was right. This book was so entertaining, mysterious, and meta. I think this will especially appeal to other authors, whether they write this genre or not. It makes it that much more realistic.
The POVs all sounded distinct and each character was sympathetic in their own way. It made narrowing down a suspect difficult and exciting. Each character entered this mansion with secrets they'd like to keep hidden, and watching the host force them to reveal themselves was so fun.
I'm still new to this genre, and this book drew me in a little more and made me eager to continue exploring different thrillers.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eARC. It was a wild ride!
5/5 stars!

Ande Pliego’s debut thriller YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED is a fresh take on the locked room murder mystery. Remember Colonel mustard in the library with the candlestick? Now you got it.

When Mila del Angel is contacted by anonymous author J. R. Alistor to host a writing retreat off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance mainly because one of the invites stabbed her in the back years ago. Attendees include Rodrigo Sandoval and his wife Olivia, Thomas Fletcher, Ashton Carter, Cassandra Hutchinson and Violet Blake. Rounding out the group is Tarwyn and Kurt, the housekeeper and cook. But justice is a dish best served cold. The house is wired for video and sound with secret passageways that Mila is aware of and some she’s not privy to. When the first guest ends up dead, the others must decide if there is a murderer in their midst, all the while wondering where the elusive JR Alistor is. When clues start popping up related to clues in the authors’ books, Mila is a surprised as the others. When the body count continues to rise, suspicions turn on each other and everyone begins watching their backs. Is it safer to stick together or safer to be alone? Will Mila get to even the score?

This one had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The intricate weaving of suspicions and clues led me down one passage way and then another as I tried to figure out what exactly was happening. I felt like a rat in a maze as I went down one wrong passage after another. And the reward at the end was oh, so satisfying. I was shocked to see that this is a debut and cannot wait to see where this author takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This was a really fun mystery reminiscent of And Then There Were None. It took me a little while to get into it and keep all the characters straight, but it was worth it when I did. The story moved along quickly and kept me guessing. I only had it partially figured out before the end. All in all, I'd say it's a solid read if you're in the mood for something twisty and claustrophobic.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

There were parts of this book that were utterly confusing in the beginning and unfortunately, they trickled through to the end. I loved where the author was going with all the twists and turns but due to the sheer volume of them, they weren’t clearly depicted.

With that being said, I still really enjoyed this read! As someone who binged thrillers early on in my reading, I tend to figure out twists pretty easily and although I did guess a part of this one, there was plenty that left me with my jaw on the floor. I loved (and loved to hate) all the characters!

Where it did unravel a little for me was the ending. Without giving spoilers, it’s hard to describe why, but certain things from a logical stand point were just had to believe. And I know, I know - it’s fiction! It’s not meant to be believable but when certain characters start making decisions that are unlike who we are lead to believe, as the reader, that they are…that’s unfortunate.

I do recommend this read for fans of the movie Clue or of authors like Alice Feeney or Ruth Ware.

I was a bit skeptical about this one towards the beginning as the plot took a little bit to set up. We have a group of authors that are invited by another famous author to a getaway, and the situation quickly devolves into a locked room murder mystery. I loved the twists and turns and shocking reveals as the story unfolds. I highly recommend the audiobook as well - it has a full cast! My one complaint is that for the first chunk of the book I struggled to connect with the characters and know who was who. The ending was wild!
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Working on my thriller back list, brought me to this thriller debut! And it’s a promising one.

Overall I did end up enjoying this thriller. The writer’s retreat paired with Clue like plot line was engaging and twisty. I did struggle with the sheer amount of characters and all of their details. I got some of the twists, but for the most part they were all a shock to me. In the end, I enjoyed the journey. I will definitely be looking for Ande Pliego’s next book!

Thank you to @netgalley and @bantam for this ARC!

Rating: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4

I havent really read a book like this before, I am new the to more thriller genre instead of cozy murder mystery style. I enjoyed reading it, I was interested to see what happened next and how its going to be end up. I didnt know who all the people would be, if anyone would survive and walk out and how the game would all play out. The reveal was just ok with me, the chapters bounced around a lot. I think I might read another like this but I do prefer a more cozy mystery.

This book was WILD.

A bunch of thriller writers are invited to an island by an author for a writers retreat/mystery party weekend thing.

BUT THEN. Authors start 💀 the same ways as the characters in their books, there’s no way off the island, the host mysteriously never shows up, and there’s another serial 🔪 on the loose! The remaining guests are forced to keep playing the games each night, and reflecting on their biggest mistakes and flaws to stay alive. 😱

This book had a LOT of of characters and quite a few POV. I was never sure about unreliable narrators, who was innocent (no one), and there were SO MANY twists near the end I was like WHAT?!

I will say, do this in physical copy, cause there’s different narrators for each POV, and then a couple mystery chapters where even more narrators voices are used to keep us from guessing the character, that I would occasionally get lost and have to double check the chapter title.

Overall though this was a great read and it had me hooked from start to finish. Definitely recommend picking it up if you love mystery/thrillers/slashers.

Thank you @netgalley and @ballantinebooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Writer’s retreat gone wrong! This novel takes murder mystery on a secluded island and adds a twist. Things I liked about it:

1. The days were based on common tropes
2. The writers used logic of thriller to base their inferences
3. A unique way the writers were given clues about how they’d die
4. There were no major plot holes
5. Developed characters

Room for improvement:

1. I enjoyed the way Rodrigo’s personality shines through with his Spanglish. I think it could have been developed a little more with Mila. Sometimes she added Spanish. Other times it didn’t seem like it was part of her personality

As a debut novel, the author did a phenomenal job at keeping readers hooked.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for the digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Reminiscent of a Agatha Christie novel, this book begins when a group of writers gathers on a remote island for a writer’s retreat. Drawn by the elusive famous author Alastor, they hope to finally uncover his true identity. But as the writers are killed off one by one, they realize they are trapped with a murderer among them, and perhaps it just might be one of them. As tensions rise, they begin to discover unsettling connections between themselves and others on the island. Mila, who has been working alongside Alastor to create this twisted game, is promised the chance for revenge on someone who wronged her as long as she does what he says. But as the weekend progresses, she starts to question everything she thought she knew about Alastor.
I was skeptical at first with this book. It seemed as though it took every mystery trope and Christie’s writing style and mashed it into one book. However, I appreciated how Pliego leaned into this, even humorously acknowledging the tropes within the narrative. The author ups the stakes with intriguing side stories, each with its own twists. And the ending was perfect, provoking readers to reflect on the need for revenge versus salvation. Mila’s character, initially set up as a villain, ultimately becomes more complex, allowing her to shine as she uncovers the dark truths about Alastor.


*Thank you to Ande Pliego, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

This was such a fun, twisty read! If you love locked-room mysteries, You Are Fatally Invited is a must-read! Six thriller authors arrive on a private island for an exclusive retreat, but when one guest turns up dead, everyone becomes both a suspect and a potential next victim. The story itself was engaging, and kept me guessing throughout. I loved that we got the POV's from each character as the story progressed, it threw me off the trail of different characters and brought a lot of color to the story. I will absolutely be reading Ande's next books!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC
3.5 ⭐️

This one was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the way the author used book tropes as a way to format and separate the sections of the story. I also liked the inclusion of other books and interviews in the narrative. These additions gave it a mixed media feel. I think the characters were pretty well developed, and some of them added a dark humor that I appreciated. However, it felt a little too long, and it became cheesy at times. I will be watching out for more from this author.

A mysterious author hosts a writing retreat at his isolated island mansion. The authors gather and of course things do not go as planned and there is a murderer on the loose. Island thrillers always give me heightened anxiety of feeling trapped. This one was enjoyable but not anything groundbreaking. 3.5 stars.

When several mystery authors are invited to an island retreat by one of the most famous authors, they know there will be games. Everyone has a secret, and everyone will pay a price for what they’ve done in the past. Mila is the coordinator of this event and is in communication with the mysterious author who owns the resort. Murders begin to happen; games are played and the body count rises. Mila is left to wonder if she is next on the list. They all had a secret that they were dying to keep. This is quite a twisty, complicated cat and mouse game right to the end. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I received an ARC of You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego from Netgalley!

The premise of the book really intrigued me and I was excited to start reading.. a secluded house filled with writers that get to play murder mystery games. However, I found that there were way too many characters and swapping points of view to actually come to care for any of the characters or what happened to them. Unfortunately, it took me a lot of energy to push through this book.

What a fun read! You Are Fatally Invited was a locked-room thriller/mystery with lots of red herrings, and lots of twists. Think: The game Clue, but with a bunch of thriller authors, and their tropes are being used against them.

A writers retreat on a (you guessed it) remote island quickly goes south when their host doesn’t show up the first night. Things start happening, and it’s clear someone is out for revenge.

This story unfolded like a dark and sinister game, and I devoured every page.

There were a lot of characters, and a lot of perspectives we got to hear from, which I enjoyed. I especially liked how it bounced from the excerpts from the “book” to what was happening in real life.

I thought for sure I had the who-done-it portion figured out, but definitely didn’t.

A great read!