Welcome to Litsy!

I chose two books for March's #aardvarkbookclub.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
Back After This by Linda Holmes

I don‘t know, this was okay. I think I just need to take a long break from mystery writers being invited to writing retreats at secluded locations. All these writers are beginning to bleed (so how I worked that pun in 🤣) together. I didn‘t figure out how this would resolve but I also didn‘t care enough about the characters to care how it resolved.

Overall, I did like this locked room thriller about authors and revenge. I did guess the big mystery, but there were still some solid twists. 4⭐️

Ooooh, I love a good locked-room mystery, and this one delivers in a new way. This time, the mystery writers are smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery! Author Ande Pliego uses many of our favorite tropes to turn the story onto the storytellers. This twisty, fun read utilizes the unreliable narrator to create a unique whodunit. You Are Fatally Invited is an invitation you don't want to turn down.

What a great premise. Unfortunately I couldn‘t get into it at all. It was so messy and disjointed I hadn‘t the energy or will to bother so I bailed.

You Are Fatally Invited is an homage to many horror tropes. Six writers come to a retreat to learn from a master. What they find is terror. Pliego skillfully uses multiple POVs to keep you guessing about the killer(s) identity. A fun, slick read. 5 stars.

With a closed setting, six mystery/thriller authors, three staff members & a total Clue vibe, Pliego packs this debut full of genre tropes, books within books & twists. Unfortunately the multiple perspectives don‘t allow for the deeper character development that would strengthen the motivations here to a more convincing level. I had a hard time connecting with the characters & while I love the premise, this just has too much crammed in for me!

“Six thriller authors, one private island, and a killer plot twist…

Can they confess their crimes and survive the tropes?

This one is all of your murder mystery dreams rolled into one twisted tale of revenge.”

FULL SPOTLIGHT: https://tinyurl.com/mrxtuvvb

@andepliegowrites
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