Suddenly A Murder

By Lauren Muñoz

What it’s about?

Everyone has a secret. Everyone has a motive. But only one of them brought a knife to the party . . .

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her best friend Kassidy and five friends on a luxury 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds – until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up dead.

And when a raging storm traps them on the island with two detectives, the sparkling young socialites become the prime suspects in his murder. There’s the girlfriend, and the other girl. The old friend, and the new friend. The brooding enigma. And then, there’s Izzy – the girl who brought the knife . . .

What I think:

This was a look of two halves for me.

It took me a long time to get into the story and get a feel for the different narratives. Different sections of the story are told through the viewpoint of different characters and the time jumps about from past to present.

At the beginning of the book, all of the characters are pretty unlikeable. There is so much emphasis on the fact that Izzy has brought a knife to the island, that it’s pretty clear that she is not going to be involved in what happens.

The novel got into its stride in the second half of the book.

I was genuinely intrigued to find out who was responsible for the murder and how the events would pan out.

The premise of this book is great. I love the idea of staying in the isolated mansion and living the film star life with vintage clothes. I did warm to characters, particularly Izzy and Kassidy as the story progressed.

The world of YA thrillers is pretty crowded, but this one does seem to be a popular read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my gifted copy of Suddenly A Murder.