I really enjoyed this, and it kept me guessing right to the end. Excellent tongue in cheek nods to Agatha Christie type tropes. Recommended.

*You Are Fatally Invited* by Ande Pliego is one of those books that hooks you right from the start and doesn’t let go. It’s a thrilling, twist-filled mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

The plot centers around a group of strangers who receive a mysterious invitation to a remote location, promising them something big—money, power, maybe even a chance to change their lives. But things take a dark turn when they realise that the invitation might be leading them into something far more dangerous. As they gather in this isolated place, secrets come to light, and nothing is as it seems. It’s a slow burn that builds to an explosive climax.

One of the things that really makes this book stand out is its characters. These characters feel real, they have depth, flaws, and complicated backstories that keep you invested in what happens to them. It’s clear that everyone has something to hide, and as the story unfolds, you start to question who you can trust.

The pacing is great, the author keeps the tension high without rushing through key moments. The setting, a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere, adds to the suspense. You can almost feel the isolation and dread creeping in as the characters start to realise the invitation isn’t just a game—it’s a deadly trap. It’s the kind of book where you’re constantly trying to figure out what’s going on, only to have the rug pulled out from under you every time you think you have a handle on things.

Overall this book is a clever, fast-paced thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you’re a fan of psychological suspense with plenty of unexpected twists, this one is definitely worth picking up. It’s dark, intense, and full of surprises that will leave you thinking long after you’re done.

Up on Goodreads now, live on the blog on 10 February;

Ah tropes. We all have tropes we love and tropes we hate. Are they clichés? Well of course they are, but they work, that’s how they became tropes in the first place. At its core, You Are Fatally Invited is the embodiment of my favourite murder mystery trope: a locked room in the form of an isolated island, a group of people thrown together and a mysterious killer picking them off one by one. Very And Then There Were None, which, incidentally, is probably what kickstarted my love for this trope in my early teens.

You Are Fatally Invited goes the extra mile, though. Why limit yourself to one trope when you can have a whole bunch of them! This results in a delightfully clever murder mystery that, for me, managed to put a new spin on old clichés. Because of the particular usage of tropes and especially thanks to the excerpts from “J.R. Alastor”’s book on writing fear, You Are Fatally Invited is decidedly meta and at times a little tongue-in-cheek.

To be honest, it took me a little while to get into the swing of things, as the first part is used to set the scene and was a bit slower than my fatigue and my inner Fickle Frieda needed it to be, but I got over that and then I got into it and I ended up having a really great time.

You Are Fatally Invited is the kind of book you want to read with a notebook and pencil at the ready. Or a whiteboard, markers and metres of red string. It’s an intelligent, intricately woven, modern, not-at-all-cosy, Clue-meets-The-Traitors murder mystery that packs more than a few Wait. What?! moments and an impressive debut that I would happily recommend.

You Are Fatally Invited is out in digital formats, hardcover and audio on 13 February.

Massive thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book has so many twists and turns that you would think it would be impossible not to get lost. But the author, Ande Pliego kept it all together beautifully. It was very difficult to put down as something strange and dangerous happened in almost every chapter.

You Are Fatally Invited initially sounds like the classic locked room tale, or in this case, locked house, as it all takes place in a large house built on an island miles from anywhere. The six guests are writers who have been invited to a murder mystery weekend by the mysterious author JR Alastor, who has hired an event planner named Mila del Angel to organise the event, with many surprises thrown in. Mila has a surprise in mind for one of the attendees, and the illusive Alastor has something more sinister planned for all in the house, including Mila. Many of the guests know a secret about one of the other guests, and the secrets could destroy them.

One of my favourite aspects of the book is that it is written throughout from the different perspectives of each of the characters, so we could get into their heads and allow their thoughts and personalities to come out through their own words.

If you want to read an unputdownable book that is guaranteed to take you on a wild ride, I can't recommend You Are Fatally Invited More.

Crikey! What a roller coaster ride that was. I needed a few hours to get my thoughts straight, and so here we are. 🎢
It's hard to believe that You Are Fatally Invited is a debut novel. So complex is the plot, with its many twists and turns and obligatory red herrings, it certainly felt like the work of someone who has being turning out murder mysteries for quite some time. ✒
Six mystery writers are invited by another mystery writer, who has lived in anonymity for many years, to a writers retreat on an island. Overseeing the retreat is Mila, an events coordinator. Riddles, games and tropes are the order of the day. Until one of the guests is murdered. 🗡
You Are Fatally Invited is the locked room mystery turned on its head. There are locked rooms, and an island cut off from the mainland because of a storm. ⛈ The story has the feel of a game of Cluedo about it, indeed one of the games to be played by the writers is similar to Cluedo. 🗝
I loved this book. It was fun trying to work out who the anonymous mystery writer was, and sort out who amongst the guests did what. The various twists and turns, and the multiple POV's which threw out red herrings, made this nigh on impossible, but therein lay the fun.
You Are Fatally Invited won't be to everyone's taste, but for yours truly it was a little cracker of a book.
Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a reclusive author invites a number of guests to a writing retreat they didn't expect to become the characters and the plot ! Each of the authors is forced to confront their owner inner demons as their host plays games with them.
I knew when I opened the book and saw the map that this book was for me. This was a locked room thriller, reminiscent of 'When There Were None' - the story was pacy and left me holding my breath as the plot unravelled. The extracts from Alastor's book about writing were descriptively divine and added to the story. What a cracking debut!

From the island setting to the sinister mind games, Pliego delivers a page-turner filled with unexpected twists and sharp writing. I loved the dynamic between the authors and Mila, and the way the story plays with classic thriller tropes. It’s like Agatha Christie meets The Hunger Games—and you won’t see the ending coming.

Highly recommend this for any thriller fan who loves fast-paced suspense with a meta twist. Keep an eye out for You Are Fatally Invited when it drops in February 2025!

I wanted to love this book. The premise is brilliant and it is well written. However, for me, the pace is far too slow, there seems to be a lot of words used when the whole thing could be much more concise. Each chapter is from a different characters point of view and sometime it gets confusing as to who that person is so you have to go back and check. I also found it really hard to get into so overall sound rate it 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

This is a modern day retelling of And Then There Were None. Six people invited to a private island, in this case they are all writers invited to a murder mystery retreat, the real mystery is that they all have something to hide and someone knows al about it and starts killing off the guests, who will survive the retreat and who is doing the killing? This was an entertaining read, and I did enjoy figuring out what was going on, who was responsible and why they were doing it.

Writing retreat style books seem to never fully grip me. I'm unsure why. The premise sounds so interesting.
With this at times I felt the book felt messy. With multiple characters all telling lies, it was hard to keep track or who was who. But I also think that was part of the story. Everything was to keep you guessing.

You Are Fatally Invited is a taut, clever, and delightfully twisty debut that reinvents the locked-room murder mystery genre. Set on a private island off the coast of Maine, this thrilling novel transports readers to a weekend of games, riddle-filled fun, and sinister surprises hosted by J.R. Alastor, a reclusive, legendary thriller writer. When a real murder disrupts the festivities, the stakes quickly escalate, and the island becomes a deadly trap where nothing—and no one—can be trusted.

Mila del Angel, an event coordinator, is hired to host the murder mystery weekend, catering to a select group of thriller writers who thrive on deception and misdirection. The setting is perfect: a secluded island, a storm cutting off all escape routes, and a guest list of authors who know every trick of the trade. The narrative teases that the weekend will be filled with playful suspense, but things take a dark turn when a guest is killed. From that point on, the novel keeps readers on edge with a constantly shifting web of clues, red herrings, and dangerous games. The writers at the centre of the story are experts at creating tension, plotting twists, and weaving complex narratives—so when they become the ones caught in a deadly game, the tension is palpable.

The pacing is sharp and keeps the plot moving forward even as the web of intrigue deepens. Just when you think you have figured it out, there is another twist, keeping you on your toes and ensuring that you can't predict the outcome. The denouement is satisfying and rewards readers with a final, satisfying revelation that ties together all the carefully laid threads.

This is a gripping debut filled with tension, wit, and a brilliant mastery of genre conventions. It will keep you eagerly turning pages to uncover the next shocking twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Six authors are invited to a writers retreat on a island - and each one of them has something in their past which could ultimately cost them their lives - but only some of them. Plenty of twists and a clever take on a locked room who dunnit. A fast paced read that kept me fully involved to the last page. Would recommend.

I loved the title and premise - six thriller writers stuck on an island writing retreat - run by an anonymous but famous author - then one by one they start to die. Fun, fast read. and well written with lashings of atmosphere. The twists and turns keep you guessing, with surprises around every corner. Despite the deaths, it has a feel-good ending that’s not too bleak.

The cover is stunning. I love fountain pens, so was immediately attracted, but the whole structure of the cover is inviting. As for the content, this takes the locked room mystery to a new level. Simple premise, a reclusive writer invites a number of authors to a mystery island. Let the mayhem begin. A host of fascinating characters; intriguing and interesting. Who is the reclusive host and why were these individuals invited? This is fast paced and although it’s a well known formula, the twists are brilliant and I had no idea where the overall story was heading. Absolutely loved it; quirky and original take.

Wow!
What a great locked room thriller
Loved the different povs even though I did get lost in a couple

A riot of a read.

The book admits it uses and delves into commonly used tropes but builds upon them and keeps the intrigue fizzing.

You can feel the depth of the characters when they are in dialogue or being described but I was a little disappointed with the constant switching between point of views and this is when you lose track of the character.
For that reason I do have to knock a star off but overall it’s still a fabulous and clever debut novel in the style of a modern Agatha Christie.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

This is a complicated, "locked room" style murder mystery with a cast of crime fiction writers, each with their own dubious background, and with an invisible host who is also a writer of crime fiction who they are all looking forward to meeting. I had my suspicions quite early on in the novel, and think the author keeps readers very well-engaged as the elaborate plot unfolds. I'm sure that I missed several vital clues in my haste to reach the end of the book, and this is certainly one I shall be rereading before too long.

Thank you to netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was really fun! A little out of my comfort zone in terms of some thriller elements, but so fun in terms of a clever mystery full of twists and turns. There were many key details I guessed as I followed the thread of the story, but others I totally missed.
Complicated and a little hard to follow in a couple of places, but overall a worthwhile rollercoaster ride.

Ande Pliego's "You Are Fatally Invited" offers a dazzling reinvention of the classic locked-room mystery, weaving a tapestry of suspense that is intricately layered with a clever metafictional twist. Set on a hauntingly beautiful yet isolated island during a prestigious writer's retreat orchestrated by the mysterious and elusive author J.R. Alastor, the novel envelops its characters—and readers—in a thrilling game of cat and mouse, where the lines separating fiction from reality blur in alarming and unexpected ways.

**Pros:**

**Intriguing Premise:** The story's foundation—a diverse ensemble of thriller writers trapped in the midst of a genuine murder mystery—is irresistibly compelling and tantalizingly clever. Pliego expertly manipulates this framework to subvert conventional genre norms, enriching the narrative with a metafictional quality that deepens its intrigue and allure.

**Compelling Characters:** Each author at the retreat comes to life with vibrant details, showcasing an array of unique traits, intricate motives, and distinct writing styles. This rich constellation of personalities not only intensifies the narrative tension but also keeps readers engaged as they attempt to decipher which character might harbor the deadly secret at the heart of the mystery.

**Twisty Plot:** The storyline propels readers on an exhilarating rollercoaster ride, teeming with shocking twists and heart-pounding revelations that leave one breathless. Pliego adroitly interweaves multiple narratives and cleverly placed red herrings, constructing a complex puzzle that challenges even the sharpest sleuths among the audience.

**Atmospheric Setting:** The isolated island is crafted with such rich detail that it transcends mere backdrop, evolving into a character in its own right. The visually arresting descriptions instill a profound sense of claustrophobia and imminent dread, amplifying the novel's tension and cultivating a pervasive feeling of unease that lingers throughout.

**Fast-Paced Narrative:** The plot unfolds at an exhilarating pace, sweeping readers into a whirlwind of events that maintain a relentless momentum. This brisk tempo ensures that readers remain entirely absorbed in the unfolding drama, turning pages feverishly to uncover the array of surprises lying just ahead.

**Clever Exploration of Genre Tropes:** With a delightfully playful nod to metafiction, Pliego engages readers in a thoughtful examination of the very tropes that define the thriller genre. The characters exhibit a keen awareness of these conventions, imbuing the narrative with a whimsical self-reflection and humor, while adeptly utilizing those tropes to provide clever misdirection.

**Cons:**

**Pacing:** While the rapid pacing is often a highlight, certain segments of the story might feel slightly rushed. Some character developments and emotional arcs could have benefitted from a more deliberate exploration, granting readers a chance to delve deeper into their journeys.

**Depth of Clues:** Although the overall mystery is intricately designed, some readers may find the array of clues somewhat limited in scope. A more intricately woven trail of hidden clues could have enhanced the thrill of the unraveling puzzle, making the intellectual engagement even greater.

**Occasional Contrivances:** A few plot points may require readers to suspend their disbelief—particularly regarding some character decisions and motivations. Nevertheless, these instances are relatively minor and do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the narrative.

**Overall:**
Despite these minor critiques, "You Are Fatally Invited" emerges as an immensely engaging and satisfying read. Pliego's ingenious premise, beautifully crafted characters, and intricately twisted plot deliver a gripping experience, while the metafictional elements infuse the story with a refreshing layer of depth and insight. The atmospheric setting, combined with the brisk pace of the narrative, ensures that readers will remain spellbound until the very last page.

**Recommendation:**
This novel is an absolute must-read for aficionados of locked-room mysteries, thrillers, and metafiction. If you're seeking a clever and suspenseful adventure that keeps you poised on the edge of your seat, "You Are Fatally Invited" promises to be an exhilarating literary journey.

**Rating:** 5 out of 5 stars.

A quite good read, with solid construction, and many meta reflections on crime fiction. A crime thriller whose characters are crime thriller writers who are trying to find who is killing them.
Very well writing, with distinct first-person voices for many different characters, and a satisfying, well-wrapped conclusion. Very heartily recommended.