I enjoyed this tale of a group of authors invited to an island retreat to meet a reclusive author. From the first death, this was a bit over the top with the characters being knocked off, but I enjoyed reading from the different characters perspectives and even though I thought there were a few things that didn't ring true, I still enjoyed it.

A decadently dark modern thriller with a gothic twist. Combining the classic excitement of a locked room mystery with high stakes murder and fear, You Are Fatally Invited is a book for readers; playfully experimenting with horror tropes, crafting an entire Cluedo board of characters and full of clever, sharp twists.

A group of eccentric writers, taking their turns switching perspectives and letting us into their lives, a stunning setting and an isolated, suffocating atmosphere made for an absolutely brilliant time. For people who adore all things horror and thriller, you might be able to see some of what’s coming before it does, but the journey is still marvellous, moving quickly from scene to scene with snippets from books throughout with plenty of moments that made me audibly gasp.

Twisted games, plots, horror tropes brought to life — there are so many secrets, betrayals and conspiracies clawing their way to the surface and it’s clear you can’t trust a single narrator is telling the truth despite becoming fond of them in a strange way. Everyone is grey, morally questionable and could be a villain depending on where you’re looking from.

Think Misery Meets The Menu meets An Inspector Calls - then you’ve got something like this. A layered, dark, revenge fuelled murder that could only be dreamed up by a writer.

"We've all done things in the dark, after all."

I was looking forward to reading this book as I always enjoy a whodunnit in a isolated place with the suspects already there and some good twists and turns. Sadly this book didn’t live up to my expectations. I had to read the "introduction" a couple of times to follow it and then I found the writing style quite jarring and pretentious "olivia attempted to unsequester my hand"
"a growl curled in my throat"
"Carter you fool how on earth did you procure an invitation?"
Maybe it was an example of one of the fictional author's writing, but I have to admit I didn't stay long enough with the book to find out if the characters became more interesting
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

nstead of writing my own novel, I've been reading a lot about writing. And reading a lot of other writers writing novels about other writers. After reading You Are Fatally Invited, I may well just put my pen away and never think about writing ever again.

Acclaimed but reclusive thriller writer J. R. Alastor invites 6 other renowned thriller writers to join him on his remote island for an exclusive writing retreat, and they all jump at the chance. But his assistant Mila del Angél has other plans. Mila has a history with one of the writers, and will be using the retreat to exact revenge.

Her plans are put on pause however when bodies start mounting up, none of which she actually planned for. It seems Alastor has his own motives for calling the writers and cutting them off, with his own scores to settle. And with 6 writers known for killing people off in a variety of ways with the stroke of a pen, it seems some of them may not be too averse to trialling ways to kill in real life. With Alastor as an unseen mystery puppet master setting fiendish games along horror novel tropes, the "puppets" themselves complicate matters by taking advantage of a dark situation to resolve their own issues.

Even the twists have twists in this dark mystery thriller, as writers become victim to murders they've written themselves. It's chaotic and dark, with moments of dark humour, and it's easy to get sucked in and keep reading long after bedtime

I mean, you'd think such esteemed thriller writers would have read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Going to a remote island with a big secret from your past is just asking for trouble.

An excellent debut - many thanks to the author, NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for an advance copy for review.

The novel is out on February 13 th - preorder now and prepare to put everything on hold while you read.

With it's slow, almost pointless plot, it took a very long time for me to get into this book.
With very unlikable characters, which maybe was the point, it didn't really take my interest until about 60% in.
The ending was a slight suprise, but I had pretty much figured it out.
Saving grace was that it had a proper ending with no questions unanswered.

Six authors have been invited to spend a few days on a Scottish island belonging to the renowned author, J.R Alastor.
But things aren't what they appear to be, and soon, it becomes apparent that it becomes a game for survival. It's not long before one of the guests has been murdered.
What is going on, and where is their host?
This is a debut novel that I thought was cleverly written. I particularly liked where chapters from the different authors' work had been rewritten.
The atmosphere on the island adds to the dystopian feel and impending doom.
For me, the ending and explanation were a bit lengthy and drawn out.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Twists and turns from start to finish, Andé Pliego's debut novel is a thriller lover's dream.

Filled with every thriller trope imaginable, this book kept me captivated and intrigued, always wondering and questioning the motives and connections between each and every character.

Everyone is a suspect, and through chapters told from different character's perspectives, the story unfolds all the way until the final pages.

I expect to see this book, and this author EVERYWHERE in the near future.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

A great whodunnit which keeps you guessing until the end.. The legendary mystery author J R Alastor invites 6 authors to his private island for a Murder mystery retreat.
Loved the twists and turns and the back story of each author and Mila is the Housekeeper, and is tasked with following the absent JR Alastor's instructions whilst carrying our her own private mission of revenge..
Would recommend for a exciting mystery murder which keeps you wanting to read more.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. I enjoyed the concept of this book, but unfortunately could not get into it and did not finish it. The characters were unlikeable, and, while likeable characters are not essential, the writing style did not engage me enough to continue.

The cover of the book had me intrigued, I knew I would have to read it. Thanks to NetGalley for making that happen.

The book started slow for me, it didn’t grip me like I’d hoped and I found it difficult to get in to with the changing POV, I had to keep checking back to see who was who. The second half of the book picked up the pace and I finished it in one sitting however it didn’t have the exciting plot twist I was hoping for.

I am a sucker for a fun thriller premise and this one definitely delivers!

An exclusive thriller writer’s retreat hosted by a resclusive and anonymous author, on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered in this locked room mystery.

That is all the synopsis you need! The characters in this thriller are endlessly compelling, unique and full of secrets. This is not your usual locked room mystery, there is more than one crime covered up in this room!

A storm cuts off the island and creates the prefect isolated atmosphere for the locked room setting. Darkly twisty, terrifying and at times plain creepy! It took me a minute to get into the story but once I did you couldn't tear me away!

As one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year, I can say it won't let you down!

This was a brilliant whodunnit that reminded me so much of the classic novels of Agatha Christie and it was a gem of a read. Lots of different characters made it a little difficult for me at times as I have a tendency to get mixed up as to who is who but I soon overcame that as the story progressed.
With a plot line that has some fabulous twists and turns and kept me guessing to the end this is a read that I can really recommend it’s so well written and thoroughly entertaining and just what reading is all about…. Roll on the next please Ande Pligeo and thank you very much for a super read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers,Bantam for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an enjoyable read, although it did get a bit confusing with the different POV. I did find myself having to go back to the beginning of some of the chapters to remind myself who I was reading. I did find it predictable at times, but I do read/watch a lot of thrillers so this isn't unheard of. I would be interested in reading other novels from this author though.

Really enjoyed this one. It is a twist of And Then There Were None- which is a classic set up.

I’ll not reveal more of the plot than the above, but it’s possible to go wrong with this set up, and this book does it justice. I honestly had not a single clue who our host was, and this took many turns that I did not anticipate…

Really good fun, and very exciting!

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Famed author J. R. Alastor has invited a group of successful crime and thriller writers to his personal island for a so-called writer's retreat. The trouble is, in his 30-year career, Alastor has kept out of the public eye. Nobody on the retreat really knows who he is - or why they've been invited. But as things get underway, it's clear this is no ordinary retreat: the writers all have secrets, and it seems Alastor wants to expose them in the worst way possible.

I enjoyed You Are Fatally Invited immensely, but it's occasionally a little dense and hard to follow. The viewpoint switches between multiple characters and it's hard to keep up with who's who - I found myself needing to flick back to a chapter heading to remind myself who was narrating the current chapter. It's worth sticking with, though, because this is one heck of a thrill ride. There are mysteries and secrets galore, all of which are purposefully obfuscated from the reader: you know almost as little as the guests of the retreat, and that makes for some seriously tense situations and some great a-ha moments in the final few chapters.

For a debut novel, Pliego has cemented herself as an incredibly talented writer. I feel like I've just read a classic piece of murder mystery literature, not a new author. It's a very visceral, visual read - sometimes I struggled to fully *feel* a situation, which I don't normally have a problem with, but everything that Pliego has described is so filled with detail and so rich that there's a lot to take in. One thing is for sure: this is going to make an excellent movie/TV adaptation one day and I am fully there for it.

Ande Pliego's debut novel is a reworking of a classic formula. Six authors are to legendary mystery author J R Alastor's private island for a Murder mystery retreat.

Each author has a secret that would ruin their careers and it quickly becomes apparant that the secrets are out and JR Alastor, who's own identity is unknown to all, is keen to reveal all in a series of games where only the winner will leave the island.

Mila is the Housekeeper, and is tasked with following the absent JR Alastor's instructions whilst carrying our her own private mission of revenge.

This bookis clearly a homage to the Agatha Christies classic, 'And Then There Were None.' Guests, each guilty of something, invited to an island and held captive whilst they are murdered one by one, trying to solve who amongst them is the culprit.

The book is told from varying points of view, with each chapter told by one of the characters. This helps build the suspense and gradually reveals the backstory of each person. The chapters are interlaced with excerpts from JR Alastors guide to writing mysteries very fittingly placed.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns, sufficiently different to Christies classic. I found this hard to put down as each chapter left you wanting more.

A very successful debut novel from Ande Pliego, who's career I shall now be following with great interest.

I would like to convey my thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

Oh. My. Goodness!! Where to begin.

This book is exceptional. An absolute masterpiece of twisty and suspenseful writing. I was kept guessing from start to end, and engaged to the point of resentment when I had to put the book down.

I’m slightly biased in that I’m a sucker for a book-related trope. So things like book clubs and someone is a murderer. In this instance, the setting is a writers retreat. I just think there’s something very subtly clever in that, and it always fascinates me.

Each writer at the retreat gets their go at narrating the story, so plenty of unreliable narrators here. Another trope of choice for me!

The thriller element itself was just the right balance of a good whodunit mixed with some subtle psychological moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an e-copy of the book for an honest review.

I lost track of who was who so quickly and found that I didn’t really care what happened to any of the characters . I found the ending disappointing and confusing. Not great for a whodunnit.

You Are Fatally Invited was an inventive spin on a classic locked-room mystery set-up with excellent twists and a deliciously meta layer to proceedings.

This was such a twisted tale with plenty of twists, turns and reveals along the way. It was a well-constructed mystery and kept me glued to the pages. Pliego pays homage to the classics, especially And Then There Were None, but adds her own innovative twist. I think the concept of these writers having to solve a mystery of their own is ingenious, especially when you place them on an isolated island. That is a premise designed to snare the reader and Pliego builds on it masterfully. There are several different deadly games going on here with competing motivations and secrets. Like all good thrillers, there are plenty of rabbit holes to go running down. It is paced perfectly. I also enjoyed the snippets from their own work, giving us even more of a meta layer to proceedings. It is quite fun how tropes and expected beats from the genre come into play. After all, these should be experts playing.

Our central cast of characters is excellent, as we get each of their perspectives throughout, but can you trust anyone? Pliego does a great job at casting doubt on all of them, moving between the past and present. They are all embroiled in their own deceits and have their own secrets to protect. You get a clear sense of how their personalities affect their writing, pulling their lives into their stories. It makes you trust everyone even less - these are masters at deception and weaving a convincing story. I loved this ambiguity and feeling of complete helplessness. Even as you may begin to connect with a character, you cannot shake that doubt.

You Are Fatally Invited is a clever puzzle box of a book with a destructive game at its heart. It is a bold and captivating debut.

You Are Fatally Invited Ande Pliego

3 stars

This book was recommended to me by Netgalley and ,on the surface, it looked like an amazing plot. Various authors are invited to a writers' retreat by the famous J R Alastor, a person who has never revealed his/her identity.

All the invitees are intrigued by the invitation and are hoping to finally discover who J R Alastor really is. Mila is the event coordinator who has been employed to arrange the retreat and various games for everyone to participate in. However after the first night one of the authors is found dead which was not what was supposed to happen. We learn that all of these people are connected in some way and they all have pasts to be ashamed off.

As the murders mount up we hear different stories form the various characters and this is where I lost interest in the book. I had to keep checking whose chapter I was reading and none of them resonated with me. I actually was not that interested in who had done what and found the ending disappointing without really explaining what had happened,



Karen Deborah
Netgalley Reviewer