Caffeinated Reviewer

I am always up for a good locked-room mystery thriller and devoured You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego. You are cordially invited to the island of the coast of Maine by renowned anonymous author J. R. Alasto for a writer’s mystery retreat. Come along with six authors, all successful in their own rights at crafting murder, mischief and mayhem. A word of caution not all of you will make it off the island.

An exclusive locked-room murder mystery party hosted by a legendary thriller writer on his private island for his fellow thriller writer friends turns lethal when a guest is found murdered in this twisty debut novel.

When the legendary and mysterious author J. R. Alastor hires Mila del Angel to host a murder mystery retreat on his private island off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance. The guest list? Six thriller writers, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.

Alastor is planning a week of games, trope-fuelled riddles, and maybe a jump-scare or two--and Mila is plotting some fun of her own. But when a guest turns up dead--for real--and Alastor goes rogue, Mila suddenly finds herself in a deadly endeavor to stay alive. With a storm cutting off the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book...

An addictive debut from author Ande Pliego! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie who love a suspenseful, dark locked-room murder mystery or in this case a group of writers, all with secrets trapped on an island.

The tale begins with six authors arriving at the docks to board a yacht. Each has received an invitation for an exclusive mystery retreat from the famous author J. R. Alasto. They are met at the boat by Mila, the host of this week’s event. Alasto is a recluse who has never even been photographed but all agree his works are outstanding. Each hopes to glean some inspiration.

The tale that unfolds is deliciously suspenseful as the authors find themselves in a deadly game. It all begins on the first evening at dinner. Alasto doesn’t make an appearance, but gives them a game to play. When the first body appears, things turn deadly. Is Mila involved? What secrets do each of these authors possess? Is this a game of revenge?

Pliego blended mystery, thrills, games and clues with horror in this deadly tale. The set up was perfection and added to the tension. Mila communicates with Alasto through her smartphone. Hidden cameras are set up all over the island and manor. The authors invited are Fletcher, Rodrigo and Olivia (a writing duo), Violet, Ashton and Cassandra (rumors say she is a black widow). Each is a successful author in the mystery genre and we learn their backstories, including Mila’s. As I’ve stated, each has a secret and those are slowly revealed as the suspense and danger increase.

Twists, turns, and horrifying moments will have you reading past your bedtime. The author kept us guessing, and the players terrified. The pacing was well done, but I am not sure if there was perhaps a smoother way to share the back-history of each of our guests. While important, it slogged up the beginning with information dumps. Once we got past that, I could not set this one down. I cannot wait to see what this author brings us next.

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About Ande Pliego

Ande began writing stories when she discovered she could actually wield her overactive imagination for good. A lover of stories with teeth, she writes books involving mind games, dark humor, general murder and mayhem, and most importantly, finding the hope in the dark. When not reading or writing, she can usually be found dabbling in art, scheming up her next trip, or making constant expeditions to the library. Born in Florida, raised in France, and having left footprints all over the globe, Ande is settled in the Pacific Northwest with her craftsman husband and little son.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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