Suddenly a Murder
Finished: May 2024
Book Source: Library
Book Publication Date: September 2023
Seven friends throw a 1920s-themed party, where it’s all pretend–until one of them is murdered. One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out in this killer locked-room mystery.
Someone brought a knife to the party.
To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her ride-or-die Kassidy and five friends on a 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.
Murdered, investigators declare when they arrive at the scene, and now every party guest is a suspect. There’s the girlfriend, in love. The other girl, in despair. The old friend, forlorn. The new friend, distressed. The brooding enigma. And then, there’s Izzy–the girl who brought the knife.
To find the killer, everyone must undergo a grueling interrogation, all while locked in an estate where, suddenly, the greatest luxury is innocence.
Trigger Warnings:
Suicide, murder, pedophelia
Characters
- Izzy – main character, her mom teaches at the high school and her sister is in a wheelchair
- Kassidy – Izzy’s very wealthy best friend
- Blaine – Kassidy’s boyfriend
- Marlowe – extremely rich, goes to school with everyone but seems to be more of a “too cool for the people at the school” vibe
- Gus – theater kid that is best friends with Blaine
- Chloe – valedictorian, very smart and rich
- Ellison – rowing prodigy, mom is a lawyer
My Review
Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz is a fun young adult read with a cool 1920s vibe. The story features a bunch of rich, spoiled teenagers caught up in an isolated, locked-door mystery. The 1920s theme really sets the scene with all its glitz and glamour.
The mystery itself is a bit far-fetched, and you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but it’s easy to get into the story. The main character, Izzy, isn’t your typical detective. She spends more time snooping and eavesdropping than actually solving the mystery.
What really kept me hooked was rooting for Izzy to be innocent and watching her relationship with Marlowe develop. Their dynamic adds a nice touch to the story and makes it more than just a whodunit.
Suddenly a Murder is an enjoyable read for anyone who loves young adult mysteries with a historical twist. It’s got its flaws, but the fun setting and cast of characters that all have a motive make it worth the read.
Spoilers/Summary
SPOILERS BELOW. Stop here if you do not want to read spoilers.
Everyone had a motive:
- Chloe – She was sleeping with Blaine, he gave her an STD
- Kassidy – Blaine was cheating on her
- Izzy – Her mom was sleeping with Blaine
- Ellison – did he have beef with Blaine? Maybe not? But he did have beef with his own family, specifically his mother trying to control his rowing career
- Gus – Blaine was treating him like garbage
- Marlowe – blamed Blaine for his brother’s OD death (even though he was out of town when it happened). Marlowe also had lexical-gustatory synesthesia, where he tastes words.. and he liked the way Isadora tasted
Kassidy was the killer. She was angry when she found out that Blaine was sleeping with Izzy’s mom and knew it would ruin her best friend’s life. She hits him over the head with a heavy bowl and then stabs him. She, dramatically, jumps off the cliffs when it is revealed. Kassidy’s dad was also in financial ruin.
The detective that was investigating as a consultant had come when she found out Izzy was there. It turns out she was best friends with Izzy’s dad’s sister growing up and took the missing person case when Izzy’s mom took off with the girls. She was angry that Izzy’s dad has found another woman when he was deported home so she hid the girls and told them that their dad didn’t want anything to do with them. Their aunt was willing to help raise them once their mom gets arrested for pedophelia and sleeping with Blaine when he was underage.