I enjoyed Ravena Guron’s This Book Kills, and I enjoyed this second standalone murder mystery-thriller even more!

The plot has a very clever hook, in that the author has placed two ‘pauses’ in the book where readers are encouraged to make notes and play along with guessing what is going on, and I was utterly caught up in attempting to solve the mystery before the reveal/s. In fact, it confirmed my previously-suspected belief that while I am pretty good at working out the whos and whys of a mystery, but am clueless when it comes to the hows!

We follow three young women narrators – Devi, Jayne and Lizzie – as they arrive at Bramble Estate and find themselves embroiled in an isolated-location murder investigation with a very limited suspect pool. Each of the three is a distinct and interesting character, making no difficulty in telling them apart, and I was quickly very anxious about their wellbeing and invested in them surviving to find their individual happy-ever-afters.

Really easy to read and great fun, I would recommend this to murder mystery fans who, like me, love to play along!

I loved all the twists and turns this book had to offer! I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t stop reading! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Wonderfully atmospheric YA thriller perfect for a winter read.

Told in multiple POV's of 3 girls who all become trapped in a mansion due to a snow storm when of course a murder happens! As we piece together the events that have taken place the twists had me gasping out loud. If you love an Agatha Christie style locked room mystery with secret rooms galore this is the book for you.

I enjoyed the twists in this one. It's a fun YA thriller, and was an easy read, to say you're following three POVs and different timelines.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

A curious mystery with strong characters but twists throughout that at times that are meant to take the reader on a tricky zigzag but really just fell flat, the drama redeemed itself in the last third of the novel with a clever move that saved the book.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

This book was easy to read and the plot has so many plot twists which I loved! I did guess the big reveal at the end (guess I can call myself a detective) but I still really liked it and how many layers there were to the mystery itself.

Though, my two issues with the plot were firstly how it moved very quickly. like super quickly. One minute they were investigating something then the next they were running down corridors to find something else. I felt like we were given a lot of information constantly and it was just a little hard to keep up with. And secondly, the main reasoning behind why the ‘bad guys’ did what they did felt a little flat and not very developed. They did all this stuff and the reason why just didn’t feel big enough to motivate someone to do it all.

I did like the setting with the old house full of secret rooms and passageways in the walls, it really was the perfect place for a murder mystery. When I say full of secret passageways though, I mean there were a lot of them and they went to so many places. And whilst they were cool, I did find myself getting a little confused with how the house was laid out and where everything was (though I am terrible with directions so this could just be a me thing)

I gave this book 4.5*

As always, I enjoyed the multiple POV. I found the switch between interviews and storytelling to be a fun aspect throughout - kept things interesting yet mysterious as it makes you think you're one step ahead.

I liked that the story was character heavy - it dived deep really early and we knew quite a bit about each character from initial intro chapters. The progression continued throughout.

My biggest intrigue was reading each characters initial impressions of Emily Vanforte. It was a smart way to make readers be biased toward the character. I think the whole plot was smart and creative and I'd look forward to another one!

This was like a literary game of 'Cluedo'! Great fun with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.

The premise seemed a little far-fetched - two strangers are stuck at a family home due to an extreme storm and whilst they are stuck in this forbidding, unwelcoming location, the family are due to have a significant dinner to reveal some dark secrets. Except the secrets are not revealed, and instead, the lady of the house is murdered.

There are knives, guns, hidden doors and corridors, a power-cut and mother nature at her best, all compounding the problem. Who can be trusted? Who has a story which sounds authentic. Many of the characters are not very nice people and seem capable (and have reason) to commit murder.

The story is revealed via a combination of police interviews, following the murder and a recount of the events by a number of the characters present in the house in the night of the murder. For the first half of the book I was slightly bewildered as I waded through the back story of so many different characters - it was hard to keep track of who was who and why they were in the house!

But, this is a book of two halves - slowly the motive for murder is explained and everything you thought you knew is turned on its head! This is a YA novel which is sure to be a big hit! It reminded me of Alice Feeney's 'Daisy Darker' for a younger audience ... family with a grudge - what's not to enjoy!

I enjoyed this latest instalment from Ravensa Guron. There were some great twist and turns which kept you guessing about who really was the killer. Although Guron’s previous book ‘This book kills’ was always going to be hard to follow as it was absolutely thrilling, I loved going on a new adventure and journey with new characters, some of whom were just as deliciously unlikable as some of her others. The story was well developed and although slow in places, was still an all round great time.

I put on my sleuthing hat then I was ready to dive into this locked room style murder mystery. However, as it turns out, I wasn’t ready for what was in store for me.

Like Guron’s previous story (This Book Kills) she has written fabulous characters that you will love, hate and suspect all at once!
Devi is an instant favourite because, 1 - her interviews with the detective were hilarious and 2 - love snarky, witty, confident characters, (as it usually means they are hiding a pain and/or a vulnerability and I love characters with more depth to them), but there was someone else that I loved just as much. And, although they aren’t a main character, I loved their humour & sarcasm. (Obviously I can’t say who but you’ll work it out once you’ve read the book).

I sat there thinking this is a really good whodunnit an easy 4 stars but then I got dizzy. Why you ask? Well, simply because of the plots twists I didn’t see coming! The first was a stroke of genius making you reevaluate what you thought you knew but then there’s more! I was in a constant state of “OMG!” And “No blooming way!” (Ok, I didn’t say blooming but I’m keeping it PG! lol). This was brilliant and clever. I loved it.

And again it’s an interactive mystery (kinda).
At two different points in the story you get to write down your thoughts and suspicions, really allowing you to play detective.

You might be wondering how I got on playing detective, well … one of my guesses was right but not exactly for the reasons I suspected, but it’s still a win! lol

My review today will feature the music of
Papa Roach - Getting Away With Murder because after reading this book, it was stuck on a loop in my head!

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Usborne, for inviting me to read this fantastic murder mystery.

A great twisty mystery with a couple of surprises I didn’t see coming!

Devi was a great character and I loved her enthusiasm and confidence.

I also loved the make note pages in between which I would’ve loved to jot on if not reading digitally.

The only thing that stopped this being a 5 for me is that I found the ending a tad too long. I got to around 92% and was happy that I knew what had happened to everyone.

This is a book which sounds like a classic whodunnit of the type Agatha Christie might have written - three strangers end up being snowed in at a mansion and then a murder occurs. But it's not just a murder mystery. This book had a surprising twist in it - both in terms of who the murderer was, and the whole background to the murder. The use of police interview transcripts to tell parts of the story made the story made alive Excellent book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Guron writes pleasingly twisty mysteries - there's always at least one element that I don't see coming - and this was no exception. She's almost giving McManus a run for her money! Without giving away any spoilers, I really liked how the relationships between the three main girls developed, though it might have been nice if Lottie was given a bit more airtime. I definitely enjoyed the double-bluff ending as well. A fun read.

Various reasons culminate in three teenage girls going to the big old house on the Bramble Estate. It is a snowy night with a howling gale & the girls look as though they are stranded. The family has gathered for a family dinner. The lady of the house, Emily Vanforte, insists they stay, however, keen to preserve the family's privacy, she insists that they stay in the West Wing where the door will be locked at 7.30. Devi, Lizzie and Jayne think this is all a bit weird, but beggars can't be choosers. When Emily dies at the family dinner the girls are stuck here with a murderer. The house is weird, with knives & guns under the floor & secret passages, what have they done?

. Told from each girl's points of view as well as extracts from police interviews. This was a fun read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This was my first book by Ravena Guron and it certainly will not be my last.
A very well written, tense, closed circle mystery filled with twists and turns like no other.

Highly recommend!

I loved this book! The first half was great but the second half twisted and turned so fast, it was amazing. I didn't expect that at all. Highly recommend

An excellent closed circle mystery, tense and well plotted. i liked the characters, the solid plot is full of surprising twists and kept me guessing.
The excellent storytelling kept me turning pages
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having read and enjoyed This Book Kills I was interested to read this latest book from Ravena Guron. This is a book which sounds like a classic whodunnit of the type Agatha Christie might have written - three strangers end up being snowed in at a mansion and then a murder occurs. But it's not just a murder mystery. This book had a surprising twist in it - both in terms of who the murderer was, and the whole background to the murder. The use of police interview transcripts to tell parts of the story made the story made alive. Another, fun but easy read, which I can see would appeal to teens.

A remote mansion during a violent snow with no cell signals. What could go wrong? Of course, there is a murder, but who is the killer? And who is going to die next?

I really had fun reading this novel, told through the perspective of three teenagers, who find themselves guests of the famous Vanforte family during a snowstorm. Devi was on her way to her grandmother’s house when her car broke down right in front of the Vanforte mansion. Lizzie is there to deliver a necklace that the intimidating Emily Vanforte had to have. And Jayne works there as a maid’s help. As the storm prevents them from leaving the house, they have no choice but to spend the night there, as long as they remain in their assigned wing of the house and don’t interfere in the family dinner. The relationship between the Vanforte family is strained: wife and husband don’t get along; Emily doesn’t approve of her daughter inviting over her boyfriend for Christmas; and Tate is the quiet cousin who no one seems to notice. When Emily suddenly dies during dinner, apparently from poison, Devi, Lizzie, and Jayne set off to find out the truth and, among secret passages, eavesdropped conversations, and well-hidden weapons and documents, they discover that the Vanforte family is much more dysfunctional than they thought. But nothing is what it seems and everyone is hiding something.

Full of twists and surprises, I was completely engrossed in Catch Your Death. It turned me into an amateur detective as I tried to figure out the truth (I didn’t, by the way) and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.