'Til Death takes us to Lagos, Nigeria for a huge wedding, except the bride has been receiving threats and not everything is as perfect as it seems. We follow Lara, the bride's cousin and close friend who will stop at nothing to discover the truth.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't lie, I was expecting a lot more murder and instead it mostly had family drama. But it had so much juicy family drama. I was truly thrown into the world and the setting and I loved every second of it. It was such a gripping read and I really liked the main character. I sometimes had trouble keeping track of all the characters but I didn't really mind. It was such a good story about family and friendship and drama. I also enjoyed the mystery storyline and even though most of my earlier guesses were pretty close, I still found it captivating. This was a really great debut and a good book, period. I cannot wait to read whatever Busayo Matuluko writes next!

What a fun book this was! A YA thriller following Lara, who goes to Lagos to celebrate her cousin Derin’s wedding in the summer before she joins university studying law… or so her parents think/hope. Lara is interested (read obsessed) in true crime and finally has the chance to play detective as Derin receives increasingly threatening messages in the weeks approaching her wedding.

I am not in the business of reading synopses thoroughly before diving into a book so I actually had no idea this was YA but don’t let that deter you from picking this up. There is so much to LOVE here, the family drama, the larger message behind the novel, the cultural depth, the character development, and the cherry on top for me was the author’s note. This wasn’t a novel where it was difficult to guess the twist but the journey leading up to the revelation was worth it.

This book was excellently paced, with every page turn and new character introduction keeping me engrossed until the very last word. I need a Netflix producer to pick this up immediately!! What a brilliant debut.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really wanted to enjoy this but I really struggled with the pacing. It didn't really start to pick up for me until around the 30% mark but then it continued to fluctuate. The story took way to long to get to the actual mystery too. This felt more like a family drama, which I'm not complaining about I love a bit of drama but when a book is marketed as one thing and ends up being something else I feel a bit misled.

On to the characters. I could relate to Lara a fair amount. Like her I'm obsessed with true crime, I went to uni to study Forensic Science and Criminology and I had a tough conversation with my mum when she wanted to me to go down one path and I wanted to go down another. I thought Lara was a well planned out character, I just wished she reached out for help sooner than she did. The other characters I thought were a great edition, they bought chaos and drama at every opportunity. I started out really liking Derin but as the story went on she started to really get on my nerves.

I absolutely loved the cultural references in this and the food! Nigerian culture is not something I'm overly familiar with so I really enjoyed learning about it. The descriptions were really vivid too. Unfortunately though I found the story to be too descriptive to me, to the point some of it wasn't necessary. I also found it to be repetitive in some places too.

I had my suspicions on who the perpetrators were early on and they were confirmed by the end of the story. I don't know if that's because it was obvious or if it's because I been trained to with work out these kinds of things.

I loved the sickle cell representation. It's not an illness I know a lot about and I really liked how this was incorporated into the story.

This would be good if you enjoy programmes like Gossip Girl.

What a gorgeous book... an easy 4.5 stars, and a story I'm absolutely going to be recommending to just about everyone.

I'm a big fan of the show 'Death in Paradise'... of which this book reminded me of, a lot. A gorgeous overseas wedding in a hot city, filled with rich people, influencers and socialites; a mysterious sender of horrible letters, comments and DMs; poisoned guests and kidnappings gone wrong. And, at the book's heart, a teenage amateur sleuth, desperate to save her favourite cousin's wedding.

There were so many things I adored about this book. I loved Lara, our main character, and the simplicity of her character... she was complex enough that she was interesting to read about, but the story felt uncluttered and focused entirely on the mystery. I loved the setting of hazy, hot Lagos... I've never read a UKYA book set in such a different location before, but it's something I hope we see more of, going forward, because it's a fab way to introduce teens with British heritage to an entirely new way of life. And I loved the mystery itself, which was tense and twisty and wrapped up perfectly... and so beautifully written, with heart and sensitivity, that I honestly felt so deeply for the characters when all was revealed.

The book follows a chaotic Nigerian family as they cluster in Lagos for the wedding of a prized daughter, to another charismatic, wealthy boy from an equally dramatic family. Right from the beginning, nothing seems to be going right... from the parents of the groom refusing to pay for their share of the already-planned wedding, to the cupcakes at the bachelorette party being poisoned. Desperate to put on a brave face, the bride tries to push things under the rug... and only Lara is set on fixing things before the big day, before the worst happens and someone ends up dead.

The mystery was wonderfully paced and plotted. I loved Lara's struggle with deciding where she wants her future to lie... and the exploration of societal and parental pressure. The only thing that brought me out of the book was Lara's A-level results, which were numbers instead of letters - I'm not sure how this slipped through the net!

The strong subplot of characters struggling with sickle cell disease was something I also really appreciated - and found fascinating - because it's definitely not something I've ever been made aware of. My previous read was Channelle Desamours' 'Needy Little Things', which tried to do the same but failed... in contrast, this book explained exactly what the disease is and how it affects so many in Nigeria, seamlessly tying it up into the mystery. I thought this was such a clever way of including such a relevant and overlooked issue in a book that, on the surface, is just another UKYA mystery.

But I also really loved the fact that the book didn't end up necessarily as a murder mystery; it was just a mystery, and a brilliant one, at that. I'm definitely guilty of writing about death in a callous and detached way, so I'm going to be a lot more conscious of this, going forwards!

I honestly can't recommend this book enough... thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for sending me a copy. I can't wait to read more from Matuluko!

If you’re into mysteries with a Nigerian setting, this YA thriller is worth adding to your list! It follows Lara, a true crime enthusiast, as she travels to Lagos for her cousin Derin’s wedding. Things take a dark turn when Derin receives anonymous threats demanding she cancel the wedding…or else. Lara of course, can’t resist diving into the mystery to figure out what is going on.

I really appreciated how the book highlighted sickle cell in a Nigerian context. It’s such an important topic, and the story sparked some eye opening moments about stigma and awareness. Learning that Nigeria has the highest number of sickle cell carriers in the world gave the story even more weight. It also reminded me of the importance of blood donation.

The Nigerian backdrop was one of my favorite aspects of this book. The family gatherings, wedding prep, and banter felt so authentic and brought the story to life. While it leaned more toward family drama than a full-blown thriller, I was here for it!

As for the mystery, there were definitely some predictable moments along the way, but the main villain reveal completely shocked me. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the twists pulled me right back in.

Though it took a little time to pick up, once it did, I couldn’t put it down. Til Death is an impressive debut that blends mystery, culture, and meaningful conversations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

‘Til Death is a captivating debut with an addictive plot filled to the brim with Nigerian culture. Lara’s socialite cousin Derin is getting married. It’s the talk of the town and the gossip blogs; but who is threatening to ruin Derin unless she cancels the wedding?

This book gave me Gossip Girl / Bridgerton vibes with the snippets from the gossip blogs and the mysterious notes Derin receives. Whilst the mystery was definitely unfolding in the background, it did feel like this book was more of a family drama to me than a full blown thriller. That being said, I was totally taken in by the plot and really enjoyed how it all played out.

There were SO many characters in this story, all of whom I enjoyed reading about although at times I found myself confusing some of them. I do think the complexities of the many relationships, the expectations on Lara and her brother, the sisterly relationship between Derin and Lara all contributed to me enjoying this book! I also really liked learning a lot more about Nigerian culture, especially around the various wedding traditions and celebrations.

By far the most poignant thing about this story is the intricate way in which the author addresses the rings of sickle cell disease, both in the story and the author’s note.

Overall a really enjoyable debut that was an easy but interesting read. Lara is a loveable protagonist who I rooted for throughout.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK, Busayo Matuluko and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVED this book! It had all the elements I love in a mystery: strong characters, family secrets, multiple twists and I was surprised about who was the main criminal! I reaaaaly hope we will get a sequel!

Spectacular give me 14 of them right know !!

I was so invested !! It’s basically a Nollywood thriller, very unserious but serious at the same time, with sickle cell rep and awareness

Firstly thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this in advance.
I really love mysteries, specially when secrets are spilled in the process of solving a case.
As soon as I saw the first note left for Dérin and saw the underlined letter, I knew that would have some significance cause otherwise why would there be a letter underlined in the middle of a sentence? That was my first thought. When Lara was assessing suspects, I had my eyes set on Alika from the start. She was a weird character to me. Totally useless at her job and everytime she was necessary for said job, she was nowhere to be seen, so where was she? Not to mention she was privy to the bride's schedule and whereabouts all the time.
I liked our main character Lara, she's smart, she's witty, she doesn't back down to try and find the truth., she assembled all the info she had and did the "famous" murder board which I love. Her bond with Dérin was so adorable and pure, just like sisters and I really liked Dérin too.
The whole family had such fun dynamics. I really loved to read about a wedding in such a span of time and in a background like Nigeria, which is something I've never read before. The only ones who hit my nerves were Uncle Yinka (omg I just felt like punch him all the freaking time), Joseph (dude she moved on, you tried once, twice, so can you just stop?) and Seni (so annoying with her jealousy), I understood her at the end but most of the book she was annoying to me and a shittty friend honestly.
As for Alika's accomplice, I was shook. Love the way Lara confronted the person and was joining more and more pieces of everything that happened and kept accusing of everything that was done to Dérin (Yes Lara!) but the not denial and even smirk while admiting had me gagged. I did not see that coming!
And finally I teared up a little bit as Lara's parents finally accepted her choices.
Overall it was a good book, a good mistery.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

While I really thought the blurb was interesting - including that it was set in Nigeria - I feel the book itself was a little slow for a thriller. I do not say it was a bad read, just more drama than mystery, for me at least.

However, I did still finish it. Maybe I have some of Lara in me too, I really wanted to know who wanted the wedding to be canceled and what was going on! All in all, it is a really solid book, just be aware that a lot of family drama is going on when reading it!

WHAT A WILD RIDE!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't think I've read a book this fast (3 days) since Bloodmarked (I gulped that down in 2 days). This was a superb read!

As someone who knows very, very little of Nigerian culture, I felt immersed in this rich culture, traditions, yet woefully underdressed amongst the glamor of this wedding and the lead up to it. It's basically a crash course in Naija culture! The scenery descriptions (Why do I feel like I've physically been to Uncle Otunba's house?) were very easy to imagine, and the set up for the tightly knit family dynamic was well established before the real drama starts.

This may sound strange, but the characters are easy to distinguish. For me, new names that I'm not familiar with make it hard to remember who is speaking, but with the great character development and descriptions, it's so easy to know who is who. Each character is so different from one another that it would be impossible to confuse Seni with Amaka, for example.

I'll probably have to Google what most of these outfits look like (not including the gele. I know what that looks like, at least!) but I'm hoping there's artwork for all these gorgeous outfits, and especially the beautiful people in them. The abundance of melanin and elegance really deserves nothing less!

The meat of the drama starts to sizzle as we get introduced to exes, who are nefarious and self-serving in their own ways, and a plot to make the wedding as memorable as possible. In the worst way. I love the way I wish for the culprit's downfall! I'm right there with Lara, trying to figure out the mystery. Derin was right about her being the best for this job. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was thrown for a loop and had to reanalyze the evidence again.

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat as I get more than halfway through, and there are times I want to just shake Derin and Lara. And then the reveal at the end...I was shocked! Even though there's one prime culprit, I really enjoyed how they're all responsible for the grim turn of events in some innocuous way or another. Not even gonna lie, I even suspected the gossip column! Haha! I didn't think I would enjoy a mystery novel, but I honestly couldn't wait to finish this!

There are some typos, and at least one word that probably should be reconsidered, but hopefully they get caught before final printing. I'm sure the author is already aware. They didn't distract me too much from reading, and since this is an ARC, it's probably not the final copy.

Thank you very much to Netgalley Simon and Schuster for giving me the great opportunity to read an ARC of this story. As my very first ARC review, I hope this review is helpful.

I feel like this book being marked as "YA mystery thriller" is wrongly targeted, especially with the authors mentionned in the blurb - I feel like it's missing way too many investigations parts, confrontations throughout the book, and deaths.

It felt way more like a family drama than a mystery thriller: we're only starting to talk about the menacing notes at the 25% mark, and we get the prologue's big drama happening at... around 80% mark. All along the way we're following the family drama, the wedding from beginning to the end. It's long, way too long, when you're waiting for the mystery thriller part to kick in.

However if you push aside this mystery thriller label, it was still a pretty good read! I really enjoyed the family dramas getting out of nowhere and everywhere because let's be honest, we probably all love watching dramas when it's not concerning us haha All the culprit stuff was pretty predictable so that was a let down, but other than that the developping of all the different dramas were really great.

I also learned a lot about the sickle cell , which takes a big part of the book ; and I feel like it was an amazing idea to use this book to destigmatize the disease, and educate those who, like myself, didn't know much about it. I've learned a lot and it was really important in this story.

Overall: get into this book for the family drama, the nigerian wedding traditions, and the sickle cell representation ; don't get into it for the mystery thriller side.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

This is a book well done! And I say it again. This is a book well done! The author did a fantastic job weaving all the pieces of this book together without leaving a thing out of place. This is one of those books that you just have to read as quickly as possible!

It is how the author weaves sickle cell awareness with mystery and still manages to keep us in suspense the whole time! 'Til Death is the perfect book that includes Nigerian drama and shenanigans!!

And I seriously hope that this book turns into a series 🥺🥺.  I need to see more cases that Lara gets to solve 🔥.

Thank you for the e-ARC ❤❤.

What a nice debut novel, I'm not disappointed. I had no time to get bored with this fast-paced novel, full of drama.

It was a nice change of scenary as it was probably my first time reading a book set in Nigeria. It felt fresh and unlike other books I'm used to reading. Although I struggle with characters' names and places as it was a first time.

I really liked Lara, I think she was an amazing protagonist.

The writing style was well executed. It was engaging and I wouldn't put my e-reader down.

Of course, I was surprised with the revelation as I hadn't guess who it was.

Londoner Lara travels to Lagos with her parents and brother to attend the lavish wedding of her cousin, Dérin, a social media star. In a chatty teenage style, the author introduces the reader to the lavish customs of a Nigerian society wedding and a dizzying array of Lara’s extended family and Dérin’s friends. Sounds fun, right? Well, yes, even when bride-to-be Dérin falls victim to a series of threats and baffling accidents and aspiring criminology student Lara decides to investigate. What could possibly go wrong…?
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog and on GoodReads.

I am loving this book so far, full review to come soon but it is so funny, so engaging to read and I cannot wait to finish it soon!!

This story follows Lara as she and her family head to Nigeria for the wedding of her cousin, Dérin.
Lara and Dérin are incredibly close, and when Lara discovers Dérin has been receiving threatening, anonymous notes since her engagement she decides to investigate to protect her cousin.

This is a fast-paced, drama filled novel with a lot of heart. Lara is a fantastic protagonist, easy to root for and her passion for her interests and love for her family come off the page so well. I loved the writing style for this book, it was engaging and a fun read.

I would highly recommend this book and excited to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.