Suddenly a Murder - by Lauren Muñoz

Highschool friends celebrate graduation with a 1920s-themed stay at the ritzy Ashwood Manor. One of them ends up dead. They are locked together while the investigation takes place. Is one of them a killer? SUDDENLY A MURDER was a quick enjoyable YA mystery. The 1920s-themed party was a fun setting and I liked imagining all of the period clothing and accessories based on the author’s descriptions. I love to hate rich kid parties. The cast of characters was diverse and there was a decent amount of social commentary throughout the book. I figured out the whodunit a while before the reveal but nonetheless still enjoyed reading the rest. There were some elements that surprised me as I hadn’t initially picked up on them. The dual timeline switches between first and third person narration which felt awkward at times. Overall, I liked SUDDENLY A MURDER and would recommend it to fans of YA mysteries. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC.

Loved this book! From start to finish…I couldn’t put it down. Within the first few pages of reading, I was pulled in and nearly immediately invested into the narrative and truly was on the edge of my seat to find out how it ended. Every few chapters I changed my mind on who I thought was the guilty party. The characters are fun, the story moves fast and before you know it you’ll be putting it down and adding it to your list of books you want to read again in the future! 5 stars! ⭐️

Izzy Morales joins her best friend, Kassidy, and 5 other friends on a 1920s-themed getaway to the famous Ashwood Manor to celebrate the end of high school. Once there, Izzy and her friends party while wearing lavish diamonds and vintage dresses - until Kassidy's boyfriend is discovered dead. Investigators declare that he was murdered once they arrive, and now all the friends are suspects. The girlfriend who is in love. The other girl who is in despair. The old forlorn friend. The new distressed friend. The brooding enigma. And then there's Izzy, the one who brought the knife. To put the pieces together and find a killer, the friends must undergo an exhausting interrogation, all while trapped in an estate where, suddenly, the best luxury is innocence. I enjoyed this one up until the very end. I thought the suspense was well done and kept me interested but the ending was just not good. It felt incredibly forced.