The writing was engaging and kept me on my toes. I had to concentrate hard on what was happening as there were lots of little bits of information being drip fed throughout the story. At the same time lots of things were also being held back to keep you in the dark.

The book was split into chapters made up of different character points of view and excerpts from a book (written by one of the characters). It was always clear whose point of view you were reading from, with one character view per chapter, but it very cleverly only showed you what the character wanted you to know.

The chapters were fairly short so you moved quickly through each character's point of view. The pace of the book was interesting. Whilst each chapter was short, there was a lot for you to take in so you took time to digest what was happening, resulting in a slower overall pace.

There was a good flow to the book, with an excerpt from the book written by a character followed by a character point of view, that ran neatly from one character to the next. All the bits of information that were added in bit by bit flowed together nicely and tied up well at the end.

The characters were excellent. Everyone was suspicious and everyone had something to hide. Both you as the reader and each individual character was kept in the dark until the very end. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, mainly dark ones. The whole book was morally grey.

Lastly the settings. The description was wonderful. The words used to describe the surroundings really emphasised the darkness and the danger that the characters were in. Nothing was pretty. The settings were like additional characters, adding a darker layer to an already dark story.

Overall a dark, twisty read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

At this point I suppose it’s fair to say I’m addicted to locked room mysteries. There is just something about them that I can’t resist. 'You Are Fatally Invited' undoubtedly looked to have pretty much everything I like in a story. Maybe it was that level of expectation that meant I ended up feeling somewhat disappointed.

At its heart, this is a story of revenge plotted by a reclusive author and an event organiser called Mila. Their actions are very much inspired by various tropes that are often found in crime fiction stories. While I initially liked that idea, it unfortunately also meant that I far too early realised who the mysterious author pulling the strings was. Their motive was a lot harder to unravel, though. However, I had a hard time with Mila’s reason for being at the retreat. It felt slightly flimsy to me.

Naturally, bodies start to drop and there is no way off the island. I couldn’t at all figure out how this tale would conclude, or even if anyone would still be left standing at the end of it. At first, I couldn’t wait to see where things would lead but at some point, I found myself rather confused. I often caught myself swiping back to the start of the chapter to see which character was actually talking, and I wasn’t entirely sure if things were still making sense. Then when the reveal came, which wasn’t a surprise to me as I mentioned earlier, it was almost as if the story just wouldn’t end. Those final few chapters dragged on so much that I nearly gave up on them.

That said, this dark and disturbing plot was pretty ambitious for a debut novel. I particularly liked the “writing tips” from the unknown author, and the references to items from well-known films and tv shows. Not a particularly likeable cast of characters, but then they do all have dirty secrets they’d like to keep hidden and obviously, once the first murder has occurred, they'd quite like to stay alive and so what if you're not coming across as a particularly nice person after that. Right?

There were parts I liked and enjoyed, but as a whole 'You Are Fatally Invited' didn't quite work for me as well as I thought it would. All in all, an okay read but I personally find there are way better locked room mysteries out there.

⭐️⭐️💫
I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. On paper, it's my dream story but I was so confused! I did t connect or like any characters and I had no idea what was going on. It was very confusing.

Six thriller writers are invited to an island writing retreat by the reclusive author J.R Alastor who has planned lots of games and surprises with the help of his event coordinator Mila which take a deadly turn. Can the writers make it off the island alive?

This is a locked room mystery with lots of twists and turns. The use of multiple POV’s help to add to the intrigue although are a little bit confusing at times.
The plot is fast paced and kept me gripped whilst I read on to find out who J.R Alastor was.

Really enjoyed the Agatha Christie like mystery.

Ah! I love this book! It was so packed with suspense, drama and twisty turns; I was sucked into the story so quickly, desperate to learn what was going to happen! It was thrilling, dark and foreboding in the very best way. With gothic elements and the exceptional extra of books being a major plot part - you cannot go wrong with this book!

I chose to read a free eARC of You Are Fatally Invited but that has in no way influenced my review.

There are some books you're intrigued by, but they pass you by. There are some books which, let's face it, you're just not the intended audience. And then there are books which feel as though they were written with you, specifically, in mind. You Are Fatally Invited is a book I felt was written for me. I am, 100%, the target audience here. There was no way on this earth I wasn't going to read this book. Everything else on the TBR got shoved unceremoniously to one side and this book got my full, undivided attention. And what a corker of a book it is too!

Mysterious, elusive bestselling author, J.R. Alastor, has invited six thriller authors at different stages of their careers to an island off the coast of Maine to attend an exclusive writers' retreat. The selected few are bubbling with excitement to learn from one of the greats. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, particularly as Alastor is known to shy away from the limelight, keeping his identity a closely guarded secret. When the group first meet, many of the guests are surprised at who else is also attending. Who Alastor has selected as being worthy of such an invitation, and his undivided attention. They're immediately wary of each other, dismissive of each others work, perhaps a little jealous...? The week gets off to a rocky start, which only gets rockier when the first dead body (one of their own) is discovered. Completely isolated and alone with a murderer, can the remaining writers work out the killer's MO before they become a gore-soaked victim in someone else's story...

You Are Fatally Invited is a compulsive, highly intriguing mystery which held my attention from beginning to end. Told using snippets from Alastor's newest book 'The Ink in Your Veins: On Writing Fear' and from multiple POVs, I was initially a little concerned that I was going to struggle to follow the story. But I needn't have worried. Pliego handles the different POVs like a pro! It's not just a bunch of writers stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere though. There's also the hired help consisting of a chef, a housekeeper and Mila, an event planner who is responsible for the guests (and staff) over the course of the week. The reader discovers fairly early on that Mila has a secret of her own, that she's out for revenge, but it's not until much later in the book that we discover the details. All in all, there are nine characters in total (plus the ever-present but nowhere to be seen Alastor) and we hear from most of them at some point.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I enjoyed You Are Fatally Invited and would happily read more from Pliego in the future. I am a self confessed book nerd so books ABOUT books and writers are always going to appeal. This is definitely one of the best books ABOUT books and writers I have read in recent years. I absolutely loved how inventive the author was in killing off her characters. I also loved the setting of the isolated island. All escape attempts are thwarted as the levels of despair amongst those who remain increase. There were other little touches which I really appreciated. One of which was Alastor's memorabilia museum where grisly props from horror movies were stored. A plethora of interesting ways to kill off your characters! All in all, You Are Fatally Invited is a compelling, trope-filled mystery that I found thoroughly entertaining. Loved the bookish-ness of it all. Loved how wonderfully 'Agatha Christie' it was. What an homage to one of the greats! Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of You Are Fatally Invited. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 13th February 2025]

Six writers of mystery/ thriller books are invited to a writers retreat on the private island owned by fellow author JR Alastor, an author whose identity is a well guarded secret. Not even the event organiser Mila has met the author. The retreat is planned to include games and has been meticulously planned by Mila and Alastor. Mila is very taken aback when the plans go awry on the first day with one of the guests going missing.
Well written and full of twists, with perfect pace, with the story narrated by different characters and with reveals coming at just the right time. An excellent read.
Thank to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

A deliciously wicked and twisty debut novel.

Six authors of mystery/thriller novels are invited to an exclusive retreat at the private island of the illustrious and elusive J. R. Alastor. The event has been planned meticulously with the help of events coordinator, Mila, with lots of games and workshops to help them along with their next novel. But when they start playing the games they realise that their host knows their darkest secrets, and what was once fiction quickly turns into reality.

The book is a contemporary version of And Then There Were None, but it is by no means a copy. It so aptly replicates the ingenuity of Christie’s work and is cleverly written. It has deaths, murders, and plot twists you won’t see coming! The characters are developed excellently with new details slowly revealed like a melting ice cub until you get to the nexus of the plot’s mystery.

I honestly can’t believe this is a debut novel and can’t wait to see what she has for us next. The bar has been set very high!

I really enjoyed this isolated, invite only writers retreat island whodunnit, which surprised me as I have DNF’d a few recently due to poor characterisation. This one is told from different perspectives, sometimes not knowing whose point of view it is and it works well. The pacing was good and the backgrounds and secret identities of and relationships between the characters dropped at the right time.

A dark, sinister tale which kept me gripped throughout, just not quite sure on the ending though.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I refuse to believe this is a debut – surely a pseudonym reveal is coming, which would be apt!

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 is a glorious locked-room mystery, dripping with pop culture references, from 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰's infamous knife to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘥's Lucille. Fans of Agatha Christie, Alex Pavesi’s 𝘌𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, the 𝘒𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘖𝘶𝘵 series and those who grew up playing 𝘊𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘥𝘰 will devour this.

Six thriller authors are invited to an exclusive writers' retreat hosted by the elusive J. R. Alastor, an anonymous literary legend. But when one of them turns up dead, it becomes clear that the parlour games at play are far deadlier than expected.

Expertly plotted and entertaining, this book is an absolute blast. There are a lot of moving parts, but the writing flows effortlessly, making it an easy-to-digest thriller. I had so much fun reading and pretending to be Hercule Poirot/Benoit Blanc whilst doing so. I am incredibly proud of one of my theories too 🔍

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and surprises. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on, something happened that changed my mind again.

Mila is an event coordinator tasked with hosting a murder mystery themed writer's retreat on a private island. She has her own secret agenda to get revenge on one of the authors. But when one of the guests is found dead, the murder mystery games become very real.

In order to uncover who the killer really is, and to make it off the island alive, the guests must admit their own darkest secrets.

This book was like a human game of cluedo. It was told from multiple points of view which added to the deception and intrigue, as anyone on the island could have been either the killer or the next victim!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was well paced, entertaining and I couldn't put it down!

I loved the authors writing style.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced reader copy.

Six authors invited to a secluded island for a writers' retreat sounded an intriguing setting, but that each of the authors was hiding a guilty secret was rather extreme. The story was written from the authors' different viewpoints but, for me, these viewpoints were not different enough. In order to keep the secrets the viewpoints were rather vague and I found I had to keep checking back to check whose it was - and even whether the writer was male or female. Add in the inclement weather making the isolation complete and the 'games' and conditions required, the story became more confused. I found it quite a chore at times to continue reading, not really becoming too invested until well over half way through the book.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Ande Pliego/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A group of murder/mystery writers have been invited to an isolated island for a week, by mysterious author J. R. Alastor, who's real identity has never been revealed. They will be set several tasks that they need to complete each day.
Event organiser, Mila has been employed by J. R Alastor to oversee the proceedings, and to see that everything runs smoothly. She has only ever communicated through email, so has never met the famous author herself. She also has her own reasons for taking the job, as she wishes to exact her revenge on one of the writers, who stole her own written work many years ago, and ruined her career.
However, things don't go to plan (do they ever?), and the body count rises, as the remaining writers are left wondering just what is going on.
I loved the idea of this book, and I wasn't disappointed. This was an excellent read, with many twists and turns along the way.

I had a really enjoyable time with this book. I love a good isolated mystery, and this one had enough twists, turns, and surprising reveals to make a fun, engaging read.

I appreciated how good a job it did of showcasing how strongly it was inspired by And Then There Were None whilst still managing to tell a unique story.

I love the setting of this book, a murder mystery on an island, and no one can escape the plans someone has made. There are many good things about the book, including the intriguing mystery itself, but I felt like the different voices mixed with each other in my head, and that bothered me a bit. I also find the story lagging at times, a better flow would have made it better. All-in-all not a bad read at all, but with some fixes it could have been a brilliant read.

**Review for *You Are Fatally Invited* by Ande Pliego**
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

Ande Pliego’s debut novel, *You Are Fatally Invited*, is an intricately woven, genre-bending thriller that offers a compelling exploration of paranoia, deception, and retribution. Set on a secluded island where six renowned thriller authors are invited by the enigmatic J.R. Alastor for a writing retreat, the novel deftly plays with the conventions of the locked-room mystery, drawing on both classic tropes and innovative twists.

The narrative structure, with its alternating perspectives, is both a strength and a challenge. While the shifting voices provide a rich depth to the character development and heighten the suspense, they occasionally blur together, making it difficult to keep track of who is speaking. This, however, does little to detract from the overall tension, as Pliego masterfully builds a sense of isolation and dread on the island, keeping readers perpetually off-balance.

The atmosphere is one of claustrophobic unease, skillfully enhanced by the novel’s setting—a remote location cut off from the outside world. The plot itself unfolds with meticulous care, each revelation layered with complexity. Though some of the narrative’s twists were predictable, there remains a palpable tension that ensures the reader remains engaged throughout, constantly questioning both the characters' motives and their reliability.

The pacing is deliberate, and while it does lag in moments—particularly in the midsection—the novel’s climactic resolution proves to be both satisfying and thought-provoking. Pliego’s prose is richly detailed, with a cinematic quality that lends itself well to the tension-filled moments of the narrative. Though at times dense, this approach serves to create a visceral reading experience.

In sum, *You Are Fatally Invited* is an accomplished debut that demonstrates Pliego's prowess in blending genre conventions with psychological complexity. While there are moments where the novel’s length and narrative structure may challenge some readers, its intellectual depth and thrilling twists make it a rewarding read for fans of sophisticated mysteries and character-driven thrillers.

Renowned anonymous author J.R. Alastor invites a group of crime authors to his private island for a writing retreat. He hires event planner Mila to host this and play some deadly games along the way. She jumps at the chance as she is looking for revenge against one of the writers. Only the revenge she had planned does not turn out as expected. Soon the body count rises.

What’s not to love about a book featuring a bunch of thriller authors involved in deadly games? As soon as I read the description for this I knew I had to read. This ended up being a fun, locked room mystery, full of clues, games and an exploration of familiar writing tropes. I enjoyed trying to work out the clues the author laid out to try and work out the killer. My mind kept changing. I also liked the isolated atmosphere and think the author did a good job portraying this.

The reader is immediately introduced to multiple characters and the story is written in a mixture of voices. I have to admit I sometimes found it hard to distinguish whose voice it was, which stilted the flow of the overall book. Even though I was interested to see where the story would go, I did find it slow and at times I found my mind drifting. It also seemed overly long. This was an intriguing book overall with an original premise, however I think it would have benefited by being slightly shorter. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Listen. Did I accurately predict almost every twist and definitely every secret identity in this book? Yes. Did I care? No. This was such a fun ride! The locked room mystery is taken to another level when 6 thriller authors end up trapped on a remote island at the whims of a the secretive bestseller JR Alastor. I loved all the games they had to play, all the deviously creative ways they met their ends, and the extremely satisfying conclusion. A very fast paced and beautifully written thriller with multi POVs, all of which have a distinctive voice and personality.