This was a thrilling murder mystery! It did remind me of Clue with how the invited writers had never met their host before heading off to his private island for a writer's retreat as they are all very successful writes (including the mysterious host) and also have some pretty dark secrets. Those secrets end up being the death of some and it gets all nice and twisty with the reader not being able to tell (at least not me!) who might be trustworthy as the body count rises! And while there are devious games being played, I did enjoy them and their creativity. Plans within plans and so many ulterior motives, plus a few taking advantage of the chaos to get their own brands of revenge make this story very hard to put down cause you can't guess what happens next!

I do like Mila, who is the main narrator though it does switch it up to keep things interesting. Be sure to pay attention to the headings for which character is telling the story! And there are a couple other characters (I won't say who though) that you can pretty safely root for (though there are thieves and even a murderer on the island though not so surprising as people end up dead!)

So, I great locked room clue thriller mystery with a bunch of mystery thriller writers as the victims! I enjoyed it and would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book!

I was drawn to this book because the blurb sounded so intriguing: "(A) writer’s retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered in this twisty locked room mystery".

A murder-mystery on a private island?? Yes, please!

I was not disappointed.

Ande Pliego definitely did her homework; I would suggest that it might have involved maps and pages of notes of the multiple timelines in order to weave the intricate story that she did. In a genre that can sometimes be overshadowed by the giants like Christie or Chandler or even Higgiins-Clark, Pliego did an standout job of keeping the murder-mystery bar unrealistically high with this book.

I was impressed at how much thought went into this, and how Pliego used technology bringing a modern edge to the genre. The premise is not far-fetched in the slightest, and as I had to dip in and out of the book myself, I took great delight in checking in to see what the characters were up to.

If there is humour, it is acerbic and wry. Every fear is frought, every doubt is a new worry and the emotions are raw. The characters are three dimensional in a way that, without knowing how, I instictively loved or hated or trusted them instantly.

Pliego allowed the characters to do their own talking by switching between the narractives; each character getting a chapter to allow the reader to follow them like a shadow. Interestingly, there are a couple of chapters voiced by anonymous characters, which was a delightful twist on the format. Pliego has a distinctive voice and, through that, her confidence shone.

Although I started out trying to figure out who the killer (or killers) was, I eventually just gave up and let the story unfold before me. Mainly because Ande Pliego was very meticulous about not revealing anything, any clue or any hint, before she was ready to. The reveals (of which there are a few) were perfectly timed and Pliego wrote them in such a way that I never felt like I was being patronised. I discovered along with the characters in this chaos ballet and it all somehow felt more immersive than a standard mystery; as though I was there with them all along.

This was a great, fun read and I enjoyed getting to experience the story told by a truly talented writer whose passion and vision lead me into a fantastic and intriguing mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Bantam for sharing this well-written locked-room mystery’s digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good closed room murder mystery where I want to try to work out the story before it unfolds. I remember reading Agatha Christie’s book set on an island with ten people and this is a modern day equivalent. The writing is good and the tension is cleverly crafted, however I did get confused as to who was narrating each chapter as their ‘voices’ all sounded similar to the point where I had to flick back to the beginning of the chapter to understand whose pov was being expressed. Overall I enjoyed reading this book.

The premise to this book intrigued me from the start. Six writers invited to a writing retreat on a private island. However I found it hard to keep track of who was who. All the characters told lies and had 'something' in their past they wanted to hide. I found that there was too much information. I also skipped a lot just to get to the end (that probably didn't help) as I had, quite literally, given up. Not for me I am afraid.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved ‘You are fatally invited’. I found the plot to this book brilliant that kept me entertained from the very beginning. This thriller/mystery theme had me shocked and guessing throughout the entire book, and the twists I believed I guessed right were actually wrong which I love!
The story involves thriller authors invited to a retreat on a private island by another thriller writer. The book consisted of multiple POVs giving us an insight into the experience and involvement of multiple characters. The details in this story were so well thought of, it was just so good.
This book is due to be released on the 13th of February 2025 and I highly recommend this read.

"Perhaps you, reading this, had an inciting incident— a moment when your voice was silenced— and taking pen to paper is your way of saying I will not be silent again. Or perhaps writing is how you can tell a story uninterrupted."

J.R. Alastor is a legendary mystery writer his books are sold worldwide but no one knows his real name. He has invited six authors to an exclusive murder mystery retreat on his private island. A week-long retreat of trope-filled games but it soon takes a sinister turn when one of the writers is found dead.

I thought the first half of this book was great the second half was fantastic! I enjoyed the multiple povs it helped to get to know all the characters and their backgrounds. Fast-paced with twists I didn't see coming which is always the best.

If you love a locked room mystery this is one to pick up in 2025. A fantastic debut novel!

This modern day spin on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Was None is an incredible debut by Ande Peliego. We follow writers who are sent to an island for a themed retreat held by the renowned JR Alastor and to put it simply through challenges and trials (which they are not always aware of) the authors are killed off, one by one.

I would like to start with things I particularly liked:
- The twists were great, they added to the story and weren’t completely illogical like some murder mysteries use. I didn’t feel like this book was dependent of twists to give the reader any feelings. While they did add to the tension and questions I had, suspense was still built throughout with the dialogue and actions.
- The alternating POVs really helped for a successful execution of telling this story. We weren’t confined to one persons perspective and this meant more questions could be asked. I think it worked particularly well here because as the reader we are attempting to comb each person for clues, and we won’t know until further into the book wether our suspicions are right or not.
- The character motivations were something that I was really into and something I had many questions about. I thought the motivations were written well for each character.

I had fun reading about our crew of characters. In the beginning it was a little difficult to differentiate characters that weren’t brought up as much but the more I read the more the characters took shape in my head and I could clearly envision them. It took a couple chapter to get into but after that I was full absorbed, in fact I was up till 5am finishing the book simply because I needed to know how it ended! And I was not disappointed. I don’t want to spoil the ending but I will say I felt satisfied with how it ended, I wasn’t questioning how it was even possible or feeling as thought it was anticlimactic and I thought it worked well.

Overall this was a great read and I would definitely recommend you check it out if you like multiple POVs, characters trying to work out who the mole is and surprising twists.

Really enjoyed this read, perfect thriller for cosying up on the sofa during the holidays.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me for my honest review.

J.R. Alastor is a famous thriller writer, but he always write anonymously. He has never attended book signings etc and no one knows what he actually looks like. So, when six thriller writers are invited to on writer retreat on a secluded island, they jump at the chance to go and meet him. But when they get there, instead meeting the famous writer they meet Mila who is an event planner. Who has planned a set of games. But Mila is hiding something. She has set up the games seeking revenge and that in the end someone dies. But she gets a surprise when the wrong person is found dead, and the others are in a whole heap of danger.
If you like a good, locked room mystery on a secluded island this is for you. As this is a debut novel, I didn’t know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised that this is better than I thought. it was going to be, this is a complex thriller, with several points of view but gripping and tense in every game wondering what is going to happen next. This is also quite different to the other locked room mysteries of this type that I have read. I found it to be really good and will look forward to see that the author next endeavour in the future. 4 stars from me.

Ande Pliago: You Are Fatally Invited. This was an arc from NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity! First the cover caught my eye (what a creative solution is that the fountain pen that takes up space in the middle of the book title and replaces the letter "i"), and then the blurb itself, so I was really looking forward to getting started! 🔎

I have to say that this simply was brilliant! The whole story, as it was, completely held my attention, my mind was constantly on this story, and whenever I could, I read further.

According to the story, a world-famous best-selling author, J.R. Alastor, whose true identity is shrouded in mystery, announces a course for writers, and the venue will be on his private island (Wolf Harbor Island), and only the best will be allowed to enter.

J.R. Alastor asks young Mila to organize the entire event. Eventually, six famous thriller writers join the circle, all excitedly awaiting the big meeting with the mysterious writer. (Rodrigo, Olivia, Fletcher, Cassandra, Violet and Ashton)

The plan is for the guests to spend a whole week away from everything and everyone. However, the writers soon find themselves in the middle of a murder and have no one to rely on but themselves...but who can they trust?

I highly recommend it, this book gets a ★★★★★ from me!

Revenge is a dish best served cold - and this book relies on that adage for its plot-line. Two people who have been desperately hurt in the past and have waited for their perpetrator to pay the final price for their earlier misdeeds - except, they are each acting individually and secretly and it is incredibly difficult to tell who is acting and murdering the guests.

A number of thriller writers are mysteriously invited to an island for a writing retreat. On the face of it, they don't appear to know each other or have any prior relationship to each other, except for them all being writers. However, they all lie, names and biographical details are changed and it becomes increasingly difficult to untangle a very complicated web as you read on. This story is told from a number of POV - sometimes chapters are clearly labelled as to which character is narrating, but at other times the 'speaker' is a cryptic name and, as a reader, you need to act like a detective to work out who you think might actually be revealing that information.

This was an incredible read - cleverly plotted with so many twists and turns. Just as I thought I had figured out a relationship or a motive for murder, the character then seemed to die. I had no idea who to trust or how the characters were linked. The murders are inventive and gory to say the least - this is more than a suspense thriller, bordering on horror at times!

The ending was tame, in my opinion. There were some final twists that I did not see coming - but after that it felt a little too neatly parcelled up. so much bloodshed and retribution was tidily laid to rest - exciting read all the same!

This is everything I wanted from the writing retreat and the mystery writer and more! The pacing was perfect!

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.