You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego is a fun locked room mystery with twists, turns, and shocking revelations. Proving we all have deadly sins we’d do anything to keep hidden.
You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
Synopsis
Six thriller authors have been invited to an exclusive writing retreat hosted by the anonymous author extraordinaire J.R. Alastor. Located on a private manor off the coast of Maine it’s sure to be a thrilling good time. But, all isn’t as it seems as these authors walk blindly into a trap to force them to face their sins and repent.
Alastor’s assistant Milia del Angél has worked tirelessly to ensure Alastor’s plans for the event go off without a hitch. However, she has plans of her own as she’s seeking revenge against one of the attendees. Mila believes the games and riddles she created with Alastor will be the perfect cover for murder.
However, when one of the guests is found dead Mila quickly realizes she’s in over her head. The combination of the storm trapping them on the island and the rising body count means Mila has to shift her focus to uncovering a ruthless killer before it’s too late.
Tropes
🔍 Locked Room Mystery
🔍 Hidden Secrets
🔍 Absent Host
🔍 Suspicious Host
🔍 Bad Weather
🔍 Remote Island Setting
Content 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The premise of this book is interesting and executed in a fun way. There was plenty of mystery and foreboding to compel you to dive deeper into the story. Furthermore, the exploration of vengeance was wonderful. You see how it’s a poisonous obsession that when allowed to consume your mind can lead you to make choices that are morally ambiguous at best and downright criminal at worst.
Also, the vibes were immaculate the combination of the setting, weather, and location enhanced the events in the story heightening the feelings of foreboding where you know something bad is going to happen.
Writing Style🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pliego’s writing style was fresh and modern yet simultaneously maintained the expectations that are common with a locked room mystery a la Agatha Christie. The multi-pov worked to expose the motivations of the six authors and reveal that they had secrets they were desperate to hide.
This also made it difficult to parse out the truth and figure out who was behind the madness. Pliego’s prose was straightforward and didn’t weigh down the story unnecessarily but succeeded at creating a terrific atmosphere.
Plot Development🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This story had an excellent pace with tons of external aggravators to move the story forward. It was rife with red herrings and misdirection making you do work to untangle the identity of the offenders in the story. Additionally, the concluding events did a good job of tying up the loose ends and providing you with a satisfactory ending.
Characters ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Pliego did a good job creating dynamic characters that were interesting to follow and try to figure out their motivations for their behavior and actions. They may have been a little on the nose in some instances but it still worked. My favorite character was Fletcher because he was so deliciously unlikeable and the epitome of a problematic, self-absorbed asshole. He was an essential element of the story and the plot.
The character that I struggled with the most was Mila. While generally I liked her I also thought her motivations for revenge were weak and inflated. They didn’t feel justifiable for her to desire to commit such a heinous crime as murder. Assassinating one’s character and integrity publicly certainly. Murder? That was a leap for me.
My Rating & Recommendations
This mystery thriller worked for me. It balanced an intriguing mystery where everyone had secrets to hide with bodies steadily piling up. Rife with misdirection, drama, tension, and an impeccable atmosphere it was a vibe.
If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie-style mysteries and appreciate the tropes I mentioned above but don’t mind the author creating a modern twist to them. You’ll love this.
However, if you’re not a fan of multi-pov, or locked-room mysteries that can be a bit on the nose this may be a miss for you.
