SUDDENLY A MURDER is a gripping YA mystery paying homage to the Golden Age of Crime Fiction of the 1920s and 1930s.

The plot is a really fun celebration of all sorts of mystery tropes - the isolated house, the rich socialite guests and the one odd friend out money wise, secret passages, a consulting detective. It was so much fun - and the author clearly had fun bringing them all into the book. Of course, all the characters have their own motives and an absolute excess of drama - relationships, drugs, secrets that could affect their careers.

On top of the tropes, the book then ha the characters role playing into the 20s. There's the clothes and furnished house, the cocktails and the glamour. It was a really nice way to pay homage to it without taking the book back into the 1920s.

In all of this, the book plays a balancing act between "is it Izzy, given she brought the knife and we know went into his room before he died?" and "is it someone else and there's this other secret she's hiding?" I liked that, never quite being sure whether the book was a mystery to be a solved or a thriller to see if Izzy got away with murder.

The book almost but not quite alternates between Izzy's perspective in the present and chapters in the past from all the murder suspects, showing the lead up to the holiday. It helped flash out so many backstories and motives very efficiently, and was stylistically different so it was very easy to immediately know this was not the murder at the isolated house.

This was brilliant - I did not guess the major twist at the end and that makes a change! Cannot wait to read another

Suddenly A Murder, I was a bit hesitant going into this as I tried reading a different mystery book and it felt like it was trying too hard to be AGGGTM which put me off slightly HOWEVER!!!!! I enjoyed this. I thought it was gripping, the perfect intro to the book as well so I was desperate to know whodunnit, I did figure it out eventually after we see all the interviews and that. Everyone had a secret and they all had motives, I thought it was really well written and kept me up to finish it as I HAD TO KNOW! I knew I wouldn't sleep properly otherwise. Definitely recommend!

5⭐️

This was just as good as I was hoping it would be. I had my suspicions about what was going on but generally speaking this book kept me guessing! Loved it.

A great mix between one of us is lying and knives out! Loved the setting - transporting us effortlessly between present day and the fancy dress setting of the 1920s and the films the girls loved. Lots of back and forth to enhance the story between all the characters and the whodunnit aspect which I really didn’t guess until the end!

This was a really fun YA murder mystery. It has a little bit of a rocky start, I couldn't distinguish the characters from one another at first, their physical appearances aren't described enough for me to paint a picture in my head to separate them and so the dialogue blurred together. However the characters are fleshed out better during the story and I created my own image of them in my head from their background and was able to follow the story much better.

The writing is fine. It would have benefitted from more location detail and description I think. The main part of the story is set in an old manor house on an island that was once the set of a 1920s murder mystery. I wanted to know more about how it looked and felt to be there and in the detail when describing locations and rooms. But that being said it wasn't lacking so much it was hard to picture at all.

The plot follows a group of friends just finished college and having a party in an old manor house-museum that is the setting for Kassidy and Izzy's favourite murder mystery film from the 20s. Tension grows between the group as their annoying traits, alcohol and secrets start boiling away resulting in a murder.

The story flicks between the present and a point in each characters' past which gives us more insight to the friends and what their motives might be.

I think in the end the characters were well fleshed out and I did work out the murderer and the motive quite easily but with the introduction of the detectives it was really well executed investigation and very enjoyable.

Lots to enjoy about this pacey YA Murder mystery with lots of twists and turns. Setting is good, characters interesting, and the end a little surprising. Would read another by this author

A group of seven friends decide to celebrate their graduation with some epic partying at a 1920s themed location. Interestingly, in order to make it more authentic, they decide that anything that would not have been available in that era will not be available to them for the duration of their time at the party spot either.

Izzy and her friends are planning to have a wild time, but things don't quite go according to plan. Or, in fact, one could say that things got a lot wilder than they anticipated!

At close quarters, tensions begin to rise, and some of the long-held secrets and lies that are being kept within the group manifest in less than ideal behaviour. Nevertheless, they don't really expect someone to end up dead as a result of it... Or do they?

It is Izzy's best friend Kassidy whose boyfriend is murdered. Not much of a birthday present for birthday girl Kassidy - even if Blaine was a serial cheater.

The problem is, more than one member of this group had a beef with Blaine, and as a result, nobody is above suspicion. Even the investigators have secrets of their own, since one proves to have an unexpected connection to Izzy's group of friends.

This is a fun read, and is reminiscent of a classic murder mystery or one of those board games about sleuthing. It is clearly written for YA readers, but can easily be enjoyed it by readers less youthful themselves. I certainly enjoyed it.

When I was teenager I read this genre a lot, but it was books written for adults. With Suddenly a Murder I am impressed that here is a murder mystery book written for teenagers (in this case enjoyed by an adult). This is an enjoyable read, a murder mystery at a week long school graduation party with teenagers isolated in an island mansion. I have to add I didn’t work out all the twists. See if you can do better than me. Thank you to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Suddenly A Murder is a gripping murder mystery, set in an isolated manor where 7 friends are having a 1920s-themed graduation party. It's a great setting, and a well executed mystery.

It felt like a lot of characters to keep track of to start, and chapters switch between the present written in first person from our protagonist Izzy's point of view, and the past written in third person. This meant it took me a little while to settle in to the story, but it was definitely worth it and picked up pace quickly. Soon enough I couldn't put it down and rushed my way through to the conclusion.

The author cleverly laid clues that led to the perfect mix for me of being able to figure out some parts of the mystery, but being surprised by others. It had a satisfying ending, and a fun twist on the classic dramatic detective's exposition at the end, which I can never resist!

Highly recommended for YA (and adult!) readers of murder mysteries.

I didnt really know what to expect from this book and whilst it wasnt my favourite thing I've ever read i still had a good time with it I like mysteries bc I never work out what's going on so the twists always hit hard

Graduation is taking place and Kassidy decides that the all need to go away for a week together to a private Island to celebrate. After Graduation, The plan is for the friends to live just like they would if they were living in the 1920s. During the holiday one of the friends is murdered and so two detectives have to work out who the murderer is. Revealing lots of secrets along the way.

It is a little bit of a slow burner for me. Taking a little bit too long to get into the action of the book. But once you get into it it is better. Sadly I worked out who did it pretty early on which is always a bit annoying. However there are a few things that keep you reading that get revealed throughout.

A thrilling, intense murder mystery!

Suddenly a murder, by Lauren Muñoz, is an intense, fast paced murder mystery based around college friends.

I really enjoyed the plot and how it left you guessing to who could have done what. I really recommend it!

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters were so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

Suddenly a Murder is a YA murder mystery.

After Graduation, Izzy’s best friend Kassidy sets up an island get-away where they spend a week living as if they’re in the 1920s. Then, one of their friends is murdered. Two detectives arrive on the island hoping to solve the murder, except everyone has a secret.

I’ve seen this book a few times through newsletters and TikTok and it intrigued me. So I’m very glad I got the chance to read it.

I was a little unconvinced to start with. If it wasn’t a murder mystery I would have loved it, by for a murder mystery it felt slow and took far longer to get to the murder than I anticipated.

After that, I was hooked. The characters were all intriguing and although I did figure out whodunnit pretty early on, I was fascinated with everyone’s secrets and how they thought it would affect their futures. Some of the characters also gave me The Secret History vibes which was cool.

While I did figure out who the murderer was, the rest of the mystery eluded me. The whys and how we’re still a mystery and I loved the reveal.

Definitely a fun read and exactly what I needed after reading a heavy fantasy novel!

4.5⭐️

“Seven friends throw a 1920s-themed party, where it's all pretend--until one of them is murdered. There's the girlfriend, in love. The other girl, in despair. The old friend, forlorn. The new friend, distressed. The brooding enigma. And then, there's Izzy--the girl who brought the knife.
To find the killer, everyone must undergo a grueling interrogation, all while locked in an estate where, suddenly, the greatest luxury is innocence”

Really fun murder mystery, with an amazing description of the setting/outfits and food that made the reader feels as if they were experiencing it themselves. Everyone could be the killer and there are lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing till the very end. The tension and secrets between the friends added to the mysterious atmosphere which made it a really fast and entertaining read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and the author for this e-arc, all opinions are honest and my own. Release date is 5th September so set your calendars!

I absolutely loved this book!! A week-long 1920s themed getaway for six friends to celebrate graduating high school takes a murderous turn... The scene is already set for secrets, lies and twists a-plenty, but the arrival of a Latina Benoit Blanc is what puts this novel into the echelons of greatness for me. A YA mystery must read!

Many thanks to Bonnier Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Suddenly a Murder' by Lauren Muñoz.

It's hard to convey how I felt about 'Suddenly a Murder' and that's on me. The premise was intriguing and Muñoz's writing style is really great but sadly this book just wasn't my cup of tea. Is it the genre not being my thing or was I in a slump when I read it? I couldn't tell you, but it wasn't for me.

Reminded me a little bit of One of us us Lying. I really loved it. It was a great YA novel and very well written.

A murder mystery/whodunnit at a 1020s themed party? It was on my TBR in less than 5 seconds.

I can say without a doubt that this is the best book I have read so far this year. Everything about this book was so beautifully crafted and felt so incredibly authentic. I knew it’d be a 5 star read on page 3.

I loved all the characters in this book. They all felt so well-rounded and actually served a purpose in the story, rather than only being there to serve one character. It felt like a genuine friendship group with real arguments and issues. I loved Kassidy and Izzy’s best friends/more like sisters dynamic (which I am a sucker for in any book) and I adored the way all of the relationships in the book didn’t feel at all forced, they all just fit really naturally and with a lot of chemistry.

The pacing of this book was divine. The switches between current time and past events helped the story to flow so beautifully and keep me on edge a little more every time. When I tell you I physically gasped multiple times when reading, I mean dropping my phone and leaving the room to take a few minutes to breathe and process it all. As much as I adored the characters, none of them were safe from my questioning. I’d switch up so fast with every little plot twist and drop of info and I would just like to apologise to all of the innocent characters, I am so sorry.

Lauren Muñoz you are a genius. I can’t wait to read more from you