A good read that kept my attention. Read in less than a week. Didn’t guess the whodunnit but very rarely do I

The Murder Weekend is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. The characters are incredibly well-written. The plot is fast-paced and captivating. If you're looking for your next favorite thriller, this is the one for you. Be sure to check out The Murder Weekend today. Highly recommended!

This is an absolute gem!!! I’ve been so excited about this book and it hasn’t disappointed.absolutely will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.

Wow what a great book! I enjoyed the mysterious plotted circumstances and the interesting characters. If you are after a good mystery then this book is definitely for you.

An interesting concept a mystery set during a murder mystery weekend in a 1920ies hotel. Despite the limited cast of characters, it took me a while to figure out who is who because the people have real names and character names for the murder mystery set-up. It took me also a long time to figure out what the italic sections were for and I found that very confusing.

I also did not know that it had a theme of "going on a weekend with your cheating husband to forgive him already" which is a trope I hate.

All in all, this was just about ok.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no large gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book therefore a star is lost for this.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was a brilliant premise - a murder within a murder mystery weekend. Trying to work out what was real and what was part of the game was fun - and should've been enough but the author over-complicated things with lots of side drama. As well the murder mystery (real and pretend) it was also a bit of a domestic drama with a lot of time spent analysing the state of the main character's marriage. These bits distracted from the main plot as well as being pretty repetitive and slow especially when combined with the author's very descriptive way of writing. In short, this novel had a lot of promise but rather deviated from the murder mystery.

A remote hotel. A murder mystery. A missing woman. Everyone has a role to play, but what's real and what's part of the game? This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the copy. Recommend it!

Really great murder mystery. Everyone is following the clues and immersing themselves in their parts, when one of the actors disappears. Is this part of the plot? With complicated relationships and no-one knowing what is going on, this is an addictive read. A murder mystery weekend like no other!

I enjoyed this well plotted and entertaining mystery. There's echo of golden age, Cluedo, and there's a gripping story.
The author did a good job in developing a solid mystery and interesting characters.
The twists surprised me and it kept me guessing.
A bit slow at the beginning but I appreciated the introduction of the characters and the setting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Jilly Gagnon and NetGalley for a copy of "The Murder Weekend".

I was straight away drawn to the book due to being a murder mystery reader and the idea of being at at murder mystery weekend where a murder happens sounded great. I was drawn at the start to the narrator and really enjoyed that the book focused on certain topics which are seen at "taboo" such infidelity in marriages.

However, I unfortunately did not the "mystery" part of the book as exciting and was hoping for more twists.

This was a new author for me and I’m so happy I gave this book a chance and requested it!

I found the writing witty, engaging and a heat joy mix of logic mixed with intrigue and mystery, adding a dash of marriage and relationship issues and commentary on the ordinary life, not only concentrating on the mystery aspect of the plot.

Honestly, I found this book super fun and so different from any other murder mystery novels I’ve read recently.
The ending was a commentary on the whole experience itself and I loved it.

Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!

A murder mystery weekend takes a wrong turn.

This book is entertaining, well written, at times good fun and clever.

I found it thoroughly captivating and would recommend it to anyone who likes a mystery.

This was a slightly different murder mystery weekend story, with couples staying at a hotel, trying to solve a 1920s style murder mystery. It soon becomes apparent to Becca that there may be more sinister reasons for the disappearance of an actor/cast member who goes missing part way through the weekend.

An ok story, very easy reading but didn’t wow me.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this read, I wasn’t expecting it to be what it was. Loved the fact it was about a themed weekend and guest has to be in character and we’re all in the mystery together! I would haven’t guessed the murder. Enjoyed the read, look forward to more of the same from the author.

The Murder Weekend is great. The setting was fantastic, a creepy mysterious remote hotel where our characters are attending a 1920's murder mystery weekend where things don't seem to be going quite according to plan. It was a really addictive page turner of a story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my ARC.

A Game Not To Be Missed…
The perfect weekend away - it was meant to be fun. A beautiful Manor House, a stunning estate, the ideal 1920’s themed murder mystery weekend - what could be better and what could possibly go wrong? What indeed. Cleverly crafted whodunnit set within a weekend whodunnit with a suitably menacing atmosphere, a well drawn cast, some intricate storytelling and with a couple already on the edge this makes for an immersive, compelling and wholly entertaining read. A game not be missed.

The Murder Weekend (also known as All Dressed Up) by Jilly Gagnon.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
⚠️ CW: profanity, derogatory language, sexual imagery, spider, blood, murder, alcohol use, cheating, pornography, mention of suicide, vomiting, gun and stabbing ⚠️

Becca is still reeling from her husband Blake's betrayal, when he decides to surprise her with a weekend getaway at a remote manor hotel, which is hosting a 1920s murder mystery theme. As Becca is a murder mystery enthusiast, Blake feels like this is the perfect gift to help them repair their marriage. It's not long until the guests find speakeasy songstress, Ida Crooner, murdered and it is up to them to figure out who is the murderer. However, it is not long until something sinister happens and Becca finds herself investigating a disappearance, alongside taking part in the murder mystery weekend. But is it really just a disappearance or is there more to the story than meets the eye?

This book is different to anything that I have read before - it gave me similar vibes to 'An Unwanted Guest' by Shari Lapena, mixed with the game Cluedo. I found myself not wanting this book to end. The more that I read on, the more that the book kept sucking me in and I put off finishing this book for a day because I wanted to savour the ending. This book revealed things at a steady pace, which left you hungry for more information about each character that you encounter within this story. I really liked how the book was concluded and I found myself laughing at some of the things Becca would come out with. It was also great to see her character grow throughout the book, in terms of her working through her feelings and thoughts about her husband's betrayal and I really liked how this was portrayed within the book.

However, I do wish that the map of the manor hotel that is referred to throughout the book was included as I think this would help the reader feel more immersed with the story and like they are solving the murder of Ida Crooner together. Also, there were mentions of symbols to look out for that related to each of the guest's personas that were not included in the book, which I would have liked to see. Lastly, it was sometimes hard to keep up with each character included as they would be referred to by their real name and their persona for the theme interchangeably.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an e-ARC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I have posted this review to my NetGalley and Goodreads accounts. I will also post a review on my Instagram and Tiktok a week before the publication date (6th September 2022). This book will be available as a paperback for £9.99 and as a ebook on Kindle for 99p.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of The Murder Weekend, a stand-alone pastiche of the country house murder genre set in upstate New York.

Becca Wilson and her husband Blake have driven upstate to a beautiful manor house hotel to attend a twenties themed murder mystery weekend. It should be a fun weekend, but for Blake it’s a surprise apology present to make up for his betrayal and Becca doesn’t like the surprises sprung on her, but decides to try and enter into the fun. Famous singer and hostess Ida Crooner is brutally “murdered” and soon Becca, as ingenue Debbie Taunte, is investigating, but she’s more interested in the disappearance of one of the cast, Bethany, who fails to turn up for work the next day.

I enjoyed The Murder Weekend, which is something a bit different with both fictional and real life crimes to be solved. It is told from Becca’s first person point of view, so that brings both the good and the bad. She has a distinctive voice, good observational skills and a logical mind, but she is also bitter about Blake’s betrayal and has low self esteem. I could have done without all the self examination and pity party and don’t get me started on how she decides to move forward - it’s too American for words.

Feelings aside, the plot is clever and absorbing. The fictional murder is hammy but holds a genuine mystery and no, I didn’t guess it, but then I didn’t guess what was behind Bethany’s disappearance either. Of course, I would never have guessed the latter in a million years, because the mindset is totally alien to mine. Still, the journey was fun, amusing and entertaining.

The Murder Weekend is probably more chick lit than I am used to, but it’s a fun read that I can recommend.

Set on a themed weekend it took me a while to keep track of name and character name of each person, but there were reminders at intervals which helped. I did guess the murderer but it wasn't until late in the book and I often second guessed before the reveal. Everything moved along fast as I finished it in a day (slow plots take me days) and the characters were well written.