Murder on Sex Island is the kind of book that surprises you, instead of a gritty thriller, it's a hilarious, clever romp set on the world’s trashiest reality dating show. Disgraced faux-detective Luella van Horn (aka Marie from Staten Island) goes undercover to solve a murder on Sex Island, but quickly finds herself entangled in sleazy showbiz drama, suspicious contestants, and a body in her bathtub.
It’s part murder mystery, part redemption story, and 100% fun. If you like your whodunits with a side of satire and sunscreen, this one’s for you.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishing house for the chance to read this book in advance.

Marie Jones lives a quiet life. Recently divorced, she is a licensed social worker, has cats, and watches a reality show where beautiful young men and women live on a remote island and hook up. It’s a very popular show. And then one of the contestants went missing.

David G. is a popular contestant, and then he just disappeared from the show. Marie noticed it as she watched from home and thought it was odd. And then she got the call for Luella van Horn.

Luella van Horn is her alter ago, a private investigator who finds lost dogs and investigates potential affairs. As Louella, Marie wears a blonde wig and false teeth. She had found a lost dog for the sister of one of the producers of the reality show, and now they were calling her for help to find David G. The producers don’t want to raise alarm bells about their missing contestant, so they don’t want her to advertise herself as a detective on the set. Instead, they’re going to bring her in as a new contestant, someone who could shake up the current dynamic and make some waves.

Louella jumps at the chance, not only to take on the investigation but to join in on the reality show she watches every night. But once she’s there, on the set, in her trailer, faced with the tiny bikini the wardrobe department laughingly wants her to wear that day, she has second thoughts. She has to remind herself that there is a reason she is there, and she has to endure the filming in order to be able to investigate.

And investigate she does, especially when she goes back to her room and finds David G. in her bathtub. The police find out that he was poisoned, so Louella knows what she’s looking for. She just doesn’t know who could have done it. Was it one of the other contestants? Generally, poison is considered a weapon for a woman, so was it one of the women on the show? Was it someone who he’d broken up with? Or was it someone with the cast and crew? A producer? The director? The more Louella learns about the people who are around her on the island, the more questions she has.

Will Louella be able to figure out who killed David G. in time to save the show? Will she be able to figure it out in time to save herself?

Murder on Sex Island is the debut mystery novel from comedy writer Jo Firestone. Known for her work with Taylor Tomlinson’s After Midnight and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon as well as her own comedy specials, Firestone takes her knowledge of Hollywood and skewers it in this blistering satire of reality television.

The characters in this novel are bigger than life, and they all have an agenda, making it funnier than I expected and the mystery more complicated than I anticipated. This novel is a lot of fun. The setting alone sets up a lot of the humor, but add in the characters, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. Fans of reality dating shows and readers who love a good send-up of Hollywood should check this book out.

Egalleys for Murder on Sex Island were provided by Bantam through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

📚: Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone
⭐️: 2.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Okay, so imagine this:

Love Island (the TV show that's everyone's guilty pleasure, although I do prefer Temptation Island myself, but I digress) but... with a murder. And a chaotic amateur detective named Luella van Horn called to solve the case. (Yes, she wears a wig, fake teeth, and Luella van Horn isn't actually her name.)

Does this sound completely crazy? Because it is. And it was hilarious for parts, but really it was just mostly crazy in the why-am-I-reading-this way. What I would peg as a cozy mystery with a saucy edge (it does take place on set of a TV show called Sex Island for crying out loud), this one didn't quite hit the mark for me, but was a somewhat fun ride.

Thanks to Random House - Ballantine via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Murder on Sex Island is out now.

Murder on Sex Island by Jo Firestone is a comedy, murder mystery read. Marie Jones is a former social worker living a double life as a private investigator under the name Luella van Horn. She is brought to a remote island where her favorite trashy reality show, Sex Island, is filming to investigate a missing cast member. This was overall a fun and light read, with a lot of ridiculous and dramatic twists and turns. While it was entertaining, I was not enamored with the book, nor did I have the feeling like I couldn’t put it down. This would be a good vacation read if you are looking for a fun comedic mystery novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my usual genre. I laughed at times but really, the whole plot was absurd. and implausible. Who would hire a Private Investigator that didn't have credentials? At least not for a dead body! And fake white teeth that you can't eat with? What would make you think that was a good idea. Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the complementary ARC. This review is my own opinion and was not coerced in any way.

A murder happens on the set of a hit reality show, which just happens to be filmed on a beautiful tropical island. Marie or should I say “Luella” is called in to investigate on a recommendation, but the reader will find that she has secrets and a hidden past of her own. Being a devoted fan of “Sex Island,” will she be distracted by the other actors on the show? Can Luella find the murderer before they find her? Don’t let the title of the book dissuade you. This is a fun, easy summer read!

#NetGalley #MurderonSexIsland

This was a heck of a story. I think the most important thing I can say is that I plan to read the next installment in the series. Super quick, funny, cozy mystery full of shenanigans and challenges Luella, our fearless not quite a detective. Great entertainment, and I was sad when it ended!

3/5 stars

Thank you Bantam for the advanced reading copy!

This book had such a fun and interesting premise! I really wanted to like it, but it ended up being just okay. First of all, I listened to this on audio, which the author narrates, and I just did not love her portrayal of the characters. Props to her for doing this herself, though, which I find super impressive! I do actually think she’d be a great narrator for a different character, but her voice had a kind of silly & older-seeming quality that just didn’t fit the narrative of a young private detective.

Since this was set in a reality show, there were so many characters and it was definitely hard to keep track at times. This made it difficult to predict where the story was going, which can be good and bad. I really had no idea who to suspect, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the book.

There were some funny moments and quirks in this book, which kept things interesting. I liked the premise overall, and the mystery had some good surprises! Luella van Horn is possibly the worst private detective ever, which could be frustrating but also part of the charm. Overall, this was okay/solid, but I didn't love it like I had hoped.

I loved this book! Jo's writing is hilarious. I'm not usually the biggest fan of mysteries, but I was glued to this book. I loved how it incorporated reality TV --- it was the perfect combo of cheesy and relatable. I will definitely pick up Jo's next book!

The title was a turn-off for me, but then I read the synopsis and decided to give this a try...and I'm so glad I did! This is full of satire, so if you like that type of humor, you will love this book! This is a fun read that will have you laughing--it pulls digs at reality TV shows and although this is a humorous book, it's also full of mystery. A solid 3-star, good book for a summer read. *I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This book was a super fast, laugh out loud funny read. If you like cozy mysteries and reality TV shows- this book is for you. Our protagonist, Marie, has a secret identity a PI and is called in to help find a cast member who went missing on a reality show called "Sex Island". Only, to make her presence there seem less suspicious, she has to enter mid season as a contestant on the show, which leads to lot of hilarity.

I liked the twists in this book and didn't see them coming. While this book SOUNDS very spicy and inappropriate, it is called Murder on Sex Island, it is not nearly as risqué as it sounds and again, I'd call this one a cozy mystery. I would have liked more character depth and backstory into Luella AKA Marie but I think that will come in the later books in the series. This reminded me somewhat of Lisa Unger's most recent release- Close Your Eyes and Count to 10, but with a lot more levity, which I enjoyed. I can't wait to read Sex on Murder Island!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley, for the eARC. Views are all my own.

Detective Luella van Horn must go undercover on a hit reality show to find out what happened to a cast member who has gone missing. Luella, aka Marie Jones, must uphold her image and still work the case.

This was good enough - a light read with just enough mystery to keep it interesting. There were too many characters in my opinion, though that’s the nature of a story set in a reality show. It wraps up a bit to neatly, but if you’re looking for am easy beach read this summer, consider this one.a

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available June 24,2025.

This one was silly and ridiculous but made me laugh out loud several times, so I’ll say I enjoyed it! I love a story line revolving around reality shows anthis one was no exception. A wonderful takeoff on dating shows, Sex Island just promise beautiful people in their 20’s hooking up and “the one who’s best at sex wins” . Throw in a murder or 2 and the foolishness knows no bounds! This was a fun cozy mystery.

If there are a few things I love in life it's reality TV, funny books, and mysteries. So I was excited to read this one. Even though it had the Love Island vibe, I really just thought the book was mediocre, sadly. The parts that were supposed to be funny fell flat. The contestants didn't have any redeeming qualities, and the mystery solving aspect was just juvenile. A different reader may find this funny, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Bantam Books for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Most reality shows don't have to worry about murders. Sex Island's producers certainly did not think so until one of their most popular cast members went missing. Luckily, they call upon Luella van Horn (the alter ego of Marie Jones), Staten Island's newest private eye, to solve the case. But first, she must go extra undercover as a Sex Island contestant. As she gets to know her fellow castmates and crew members, she quickly learns that this case is going to be her most difficult yet. Everyone on the island is hiding something, and many more people are involved in this disappearance and eventual murder than she originally thought. After Luella's cover is blown in a small Sex Island circle, she needs to act quickly to ensure she can get off the island alive.

I didn't love this one, but I also could not put it down. It was fast-paced and easy to read! Some of the plot was predictable, but if you've read cozy mysteries before, you know what you're getting yourself into. I think this would be a good book for someone who loves Love Island or similar reality shows. Those aren't my thing, so maybe that's why I didn't love it as much as I could have. I also enjoyed the humor in the book, and it makes sense once you read about who Jo Firestone works with. Overall, this is a quick summer mystery to add to your beach reads list. You'll get through it quickly, and it'll keep you entertained the entire time.

Would you watch a show where the couples are intimate live on TV every night? Then welcome to Murder on Sex Island. This is a bizarre murder mystery. When a contestant gets unalived, they call in amateur sleuth Marie (Luella) to solve the mystery. This was a bizarre choice to me because why would a show that garners millions of dollars hire a women whose claim to fame is finding a dog? The entire book was really bizarre to me. Maybe this was supposed to be satirical and just didn’t play well with me. The only thing that kept me going was I wanted to know who was responsible. Every character is highly suspicious, sketchy, and downright insufferable. However, I think that was the authors aim. If you love murder mystery that is quirky, then this will definitely be the book for you!

This was so much fun! Quick cozy mystery read. Satire of a reality dating show. It was hilarious! It was silly! It was absurd! Exactly what I needed to read. It’s a new series about an ex-social worker turned amateur private detective with an alias of Luella Van Horn. I can not wait to read the next one!

If you are looking for a serious mystery thriller this is not the book for you however if you want some over the top fun and dry humor I recommend! Recommend! Recommend! Recommend!

Also I hear the audio is done really really well!

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Jo Firestone and Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Funny debut murder mystery a la Sex Island reality show. Absurdities abound with proposed orgy vigil and detailed descriptions of outlandish costumes, was a bit on the nose on the ending. Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine- Random House for an advanced copy for an honest review.

When a contestant on a sex filled reality show goes missing, the producers hire Luella - a burnt out social worker turned amateur private investigator to try and solve the case. Luella has little experience with human investigations (up to now it has mostly been finding lost dogs), but she is determined to redeem herself after her last case went sideways (and left her in hiding). As to not stick out, the producers cast Luella on the reality show as a contestant to conduct her investigation. All is going according to plan until a dead body is discarded in her bathtub on day one.

I really enjoyed this story! I found the Marie/Luella character to be witty and relatable, even if the initial concept seemed implausible. I truly appreciate the details that went into all the other contestants stories and personas - it felt exactly like watching a guilty pleasure reality show!

Although I quickly had assumptions as to who the perpetrator was, I was still pleasantly surprised by the ending, and felt satisfied at the novel's conclusion.

If you're a fan of whodunit stories and a good laugh - this one is for you! I was so sad when it ended, and hope this is the beginning of a long series of Luella mysteries!

A HUGE thank you to Jo Firestone, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait to share this with all my friends!

Murder on Sex Island is a fast faced humorous read! Marie Jones is a divorced, broke ex–social worker. She rebrands herself as Louella van Horn, a glamorous private detective. Louella gets hired to find a missing participant, David G., from the reality dating show Sex Island. Although this is a familiar plot theme, Jo Firestone keeps us laughing with her wit and over the top shenanigans as Louella goes undercover as a contestant with wigs and fake teeth stuck on a Caribbean island. Of course, Louella finds a dead body, in her bath tub, of all places.

Told from Louella's point of view we see the contestants don't like each other and with a 100,000 dollar prize anyone could be tempted to kill. So hang on and enjoy this rollercoaster of fun and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Bantam Penguin Random House, for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.