Oh I was disappointed with this!

I was excited by the premise of this book and the title was interesting too - however, for me, that's where the interest stopped.

Here we have 6 murder mystery writers all invited to the private island of renowned writer J R Alaster. Met at the dock by Alaster's assistant and host of the island Mila. The writers are expecting a relaxing few days of writing and sharing of ideas but they walk into what amounts to a game of life size Cluedo where the dead body keeps changing but the murderer is seemingly the same. Each of the 6 has a secret in their past that Alaster has discovered and he is hell bent on making them pay....with their lives. Who will be left standing at the end of the break and will Alaster every reveal his identity?

My issues with this book are many sadly. I was not a fan of the narrative flipping between the characters and I struggled to keep track of which character was telling the story at times because none of them had their own distinct voice - instead you got hints about who was narrating as they often referred back to the things that had happened in their past, without this it would have been near impossible to tell who was talking. I struggled to understand why some of the characters were killed off - I couldn't tell what they had done that was so bad that they needed to die. The scenarios got increasingly less believable as the story progressed and I am unsure how the characters who survived got off the island without revealing what had happened.

If you are looking for a story in this genre with a similar (but better) plot I would recommend 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie which is much better and makes far more sense than this did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a variation of the well known Agatha Christie novel, Ten Little Indians. It followed the same outline of the plot but went a bit more in depth with the characters and background storyline. It got slightly complicated as it went along and I found the continual jumping from one character to another doing the storytelling a bit annoying. I sometimes lost who was telling the story at certain times and the background story was a bit confusing. There was the usual twist at the end which I hadn’t worked out so that was good. Once I started reading, I felt that I knew where the story was going but it was still a fairly good read.

A locked room murder mystery that has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! Just brilliant!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

Wow! What a great book. So many twists and turns. Kept me guessing right to the end. I was shocked at the ending! Read this book now!

I was really excited to read You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego.

I’m a fan of Agatha Christie, and for me it channelled And Then There Were None.

In this case, J.R. Alastor, a celebrated but notoriously private author invites six authors to his estate on a private island for a writer’s retreat. He’s enlisted the help of an Events Manager, Mila, to run the event. Mila herself hasn’t even met the host and is hosting the event on his behalf.

The best-selling authors Aston, Cassandra, Olivia, Rodrigo, Violet and Fletcher are all keen to impress their host and outshine each other. However, as the games progress and their host doesn’t arrive - they are left with more questions than answers before things quickly spiral.

The book moves along from the perspective of the invited authors and also from Mila. It initially took me a while to get the characters established, but after that I whizzed through the book and loved all the twists and turns and reveals along the way.

This is a debut and I can’t wait to read Pliego’s next book!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam, for making the e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A locked room murder mystery featuring a group of thriller writers on a retreat that goes wrong. There are so many locked room mysteries out now that it can become repetitive, but “You Are Fatally Invited” brings a fantastic Agatha Christie-like feel that was captivating from start to finish. Mystery and thriller readers will love this!

Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

It's centered around a collection of thriller authors who find themselves entangled in a murder mystery of their own and is full of sly self-referential humor and staggering stakes that--just like the murder and thriller novels the book references--make you keep the lights on as you furiously turn the pages

Very clever but a bit over clever for me, with six writers invited to a weekend writing convention that turns into a locked room murder mystery. Clever plot twists and a good ending, just a bit too much “stuff”.

Incredibly complex and intricate plot, A group of authors are invited to an event on an island by a famous, successful thriller writer who has managed to remain a mystery throughout his career. "Fatally Invited" indeed, I have to admit I found the beginning difficult to follow as I took a few chapters to work out who was who, mainly due to the narrator jumping from person to person regularly. The story proceeds as expected, when you expect some of the guests to meet a nasty and sudden end and does not disappoint. There are twists, hints and clues laid out but they are much clearer in retrospect and the ending is a cracker! I loved the tension, the suggestions and familiarity of some of the clues. Well written and conceived, this is a clever and gripping ride, where the protagonists are all guilty and victims and the island is always dark and stormy. Absolutely loved it.

Not really my thing I'm a big fan of murder mystery books gave up after about ten pages as I just couldn't connect with the book or characters

An absolutely gripping story! Had me on the edge of my seat. Six thriller authors are invited to a writers retreat by JR Alaster on his private island. However, no-one knows who Alaster really is as he's maintained his anonymity for decades. The only other people on the island are the housekeeper, the chef, and the co-ordinator (who has ulterior motives of her own). In very 'And then there were none' style, complete with murders, the nine people are trapped on the island, forced to play Alaster's games, while also trying to find out who Alaster really is and how he knows the deepest, darkest secrets of each person. Very cleverly plotted, lots of twists, and very creepy! An outstanding debut.
Thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK, and Ande Pliego for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You Are Fatally Invited follows a group of mystery thriller writers who have been invited by a mysterious author to his private island. When people start dying, they become desperate to find out the authors true identity and what he wants.

The premise of this was good, it was clearly inspired by the classic Agatha Christie whodunnit and was a meta book that was somewhat of a book within a book.

It was a good debut with an ambitious story plot but I found it dragging and a bit clunky in parts, I also think the twists were quite obvious and I wasn’t really shocked by them. I’m sure this will find an audience who love it but it wasn’t really for me.

3.5/5

This book follows the same format as Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'.
A group of authors are invited to a private island for a writing retreat, but the host never appears and one by one the guests are picked off.
As far as thrillers/murder mysteries go this format isn't my favourite as I find there are too many people to keep track off and it always seems convenient when the killers is finally revealed. This did have a good ending as there was a redemption arc and more than one character survives. I found probably the first half of the book a bit slow but the second half definitely picked up as the stakes were higher and there was just more going on.

If you liked ‘ And then there were none’ you will like this. You’ll have to pay attention - there are lots of characters and lots of background to remember. A writers’ retreat is a place for exchanging ideas and networking but it’s also a place for secrets. I worked out ‘whodunnit’ but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment as I wanted to know the how and why. As a debut novel it’s a cracker! I will look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC of “You are fatally invited” by Ande Pliego

Plot:

Mysterious author JR Alastor invites six thriller authors for a killer writer’s retreat and each one is connected to Alastor. But Alastor doesn’t want them to come write, he wants them to confess…

Review:

A carefully constructed and well thought out tale. Whilst it could probably do with another revision to tidy up the elements that felt confusing, the story is magnificent. The mystery is unique and the ending is a doozy. Very much enjoyed and would recommend.

Sadly this one was a big miss for me. I do enjoy a murder mystery, Lucy Foley for example really nails this genre but this book just didn’t work for me. I wasn’t interested in any of the characters and the voices all just merged into each other so it felt like hard work trying to get through it. If I’m honest were it not for receiving a free copy via Netgalley I probably would’ve DNF’d pretty early on.

Six secret-laden thriller writers. One very exclusive writing retreat. What could possibly go wrong? Why murder, of course!

Ande Pliego’s debut novel, You Are Fatally Invited, is a Cludoesque murder mystery that pulsates with the disquieting vibes of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

So, you’ve guessed it: our authors are sequestered away on a remote island, cut off from the mainland, eagerly awaiting their enigmatic host, best-selling author J. R. Alastor.

But with J. R. Alastor mysteriously absent, the authors have only Mila, the events organiser, to guide them through a week of themed games, puzzles, and riddles. Each challenge unveils clues and tantalising tidbits of our scheming character’s backstories.

When one of the party is found to have succumbed to a grisly demise, panic ensues as the remaining participants grapple with the shocking revelation that a murderer lurks among them. As suspicion rises and tensions escalate, the novel takes us on a rollercoaster ride of misdirection and paranoia.

As suspicion swirls, You Are Fatally Invited dives deep into dark satire with a cast of eccentric, unhinged characters, including a cunning assistant who harbours her own hidden, dastardly agenda.

With clever foreshadowing and a cascade of red herrings, you’ll need to keep your wits about you, I was guessing until the very last moment! This book is a homage to thriller enthusiasts, brimming with irresistible genre tropes—from old houses with hidden passages to the ultimate final girl and many more—and it’s all delivered with a tantalising, intentionally over-the-top flair. 4⭐

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley; as always, this is an honest review. You Are Fatally Invited is due for publication in February.

I approached "You Are Fatally Invited" with high hopes, eager to dive into what seemed like a promising blend of crime and thriller. However, despite my best efforts to enjoy it, I found myself disappointed by the execution.

From the outset, Pliego seems intent on delivering a clever narrative, but the attempt often feels forced. The plot is crammed with familiar tropes designed to check off boxes for genre fans—unexpected twists, intricate plots, and a cast of quirky characters. Unfortunately, these elements lack the depth and originality needed to make them truly engaging. Instead of feeling like a gripping page-turner, the story sometimes feels like a collection of clichés strung together in a way that misses the mark.

Pliego's writing style, while occasionally sharp, tends to overindulge in cleverness at the expense of clarity. This results in passages that feel more like a showcase of wit than an effective means of storytelling. The prose can be distracting, pulling me out of the narrative when I most wanted to be immersed in the unfolding drama.

In the end, "You Are Fatally Invited" may find its audience among those who appreciate a book that aims for cleverness over substance. However, for readers looking for a gripping, well-crafted thriller, this one may fall flat. I genuinely tried to like it, but despite its ambitions, it simply didn’t resonate with me.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the premise of the authors being invited to an isolated island, not really sure what was going to happen and who the host was and the gradual killing off of them. I also enjoyed the ending . However, I did find it a bit confusing as to who was who at times and it all got very complicated. Overall, though, I enjoyed it. Three and a half stars.

Sadly, this book did not hit the spot in multiple areas.

Firstly, the changing first person perspective adds nothing to the story- their voice does not add to our knowledge of them, nor does it give us an alternative perspective. The voice can be descriptive at times in such a way that feels third person- and takes you out of the narrative. The protagonist, Mila, often uses 'You' to refer to the subject of her revenge- again merely confusing the reader momentarily. The overall result is too many characters that are never fully developed

Secondly, the plot feels quite derivative, being the film 'Glass Onion' meeting the children's book 'I know what you did last Wednesday', only for adults. That aside, the pacing isn't great, being slow to move forward and slow in the final third- which leaves the middle feeling rushed. Perhaps some strategic cuts would assist here. Writing about writers writing well comes across as self-gratulation and is grating- although this is a value judgement on my part!

The plot reveal is good, and the narrative was largely compelling to me to not leave this as DNF!

The typesetting needs a lot of work before publishing, especially in layout and capitalisations, as this hampered enjoyment.