Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Suddenly a Murder

I enjoyed this book, but it really didn't meet my expectations. When I read the back of the book I thought it was intriguing, I mean, it was too obvious that the girl who brought the knife was the killer. So I bought the book out of interest. I felt it was less of a murder mystery and more of a book about relationship drama and family problems. Not to say it still wasn't interesting, it just wasn't wasn't I hoped for. Tho it was entertaining and sometimes kept me reading out of curiosity. I feel like with this book there were so many missed opportunities, but it was a good book nonetheless.

Kassidy being the murderer surprised me. But that was just it. It didn't shock me. Just a small surprise. It was anticlimactic. Her death was sad, and even tho she was the murderer, I felt myself almost tear up over it. Because Izzy lost her best friend, basically sister, because some relationship issues and her mum. I will say I liked the detectives, especially Pilar de Leon. The thing with Izzy's dad really surprised me, and I felt so sorry for Izzy in that moment when she found out all that stuff. Marlowe was interesting, and I found myself enjoying his character. I felt sympathy for him when I learnt about his brother, and I think he's a very sweet lover. Him and Isadora work really well together.

But still, this book was barely a murder mystery, more so a drama about relationships and family problems. I don't think this book was for me, but I think if you like that kind of stuff, you'd enjoy it. The characters were also loveable and diverse. Kassidy made me feel like I was her best friend. She, Marlowe and Izzy have got to be my favourite characters in this. Not my favourite read, but I still enjoyed it.

Content Warnings

starrygoldeneyes's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

xlaurareads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

this one was a nice murder mystery story with a great plot and lots of suspects who all had quite a motive, which made it fairly difficult to point out the real murderer in the beginning. however, i found it pretty obvious after some time (not 100% sure but very likely to be the person i thought it'd be and it turned out to be the right guess). i liked the setting of the story a lot but sometimes got a bit confused by the different timelines as they jumped from "2 weeks ago" to "3 months ago" and so on. the characters also seemed pretty shallow except for izzy and we didn't get to know too much about them and i felt it pretty hard to imagine how they looked like because there never was a proper description to each of them. moreover, i think the book misses an epilogue where we can see how izzy moves on with life after everything. nonetheless, it was a nice read.

Content Warnings

aseel_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I definitely did not suspect the twist at the end but it felt like it took forever to get there and all the flashbacks didn't really add much to the mystery

Content Warnings

styxx's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Content Warnings

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, it was layered, and not super predictable. Once a particular clue was revealed I knew who the killer was but wasn't clear on why. The final few twists kept the book interesting. I didn't find many of the characters likable however, some were but many weren't.
The narrator did a fantastic job and helped make the book come to life.
I also liked how the author made it so that technology wasn't a giant part of the mystery. That added to the atmosphere of the story.
Overall a decent mystery with great narration.

Content Warnings

chocolate_pondue's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Suddenly a Murder is an outstanding murder mystery novel about 7 friends, one murdered having been stabbed to death in his bedroom, and the other 6 who all have complicated histories and clear motives. And of course, our main character who brought the knife. As a huge murder mystery fan, I loved this novel. It was very reminiscent of Knives Out, where the answer seems obvious but has a surprising twist. And though I was able to identify the murderer and their motive, there were still secrets that shocked me and had me rethinking the entire events. The main character, Izzy, is very relatable and charming. It is evident how much she loves and cares for those around her and the lengths she would take to protect them and herself. Her relationship with Kassidy was endearing.

I really felt the love between the two which really drove it all home when the true culprit's motive was revealed.

The shifts between the present and the months leading up to the murder perfectly illustrated the dangerous tension with not only the victim but with each other. The creepy 1920's atmosphere as well as the charismatic detective Pilar de Leon reminded me of the classic murder mysteries with striking detective Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie, one my favorite mystery authors of all time.

One criticism I have with the book is the ending seemed hectic and rushed. The murder's motive could have been fleshed out more and the information surrounding Izzy's father came out of the left field and didn't seem to fit into the tone. I also would have liked more suspension and development on the other characters. I believe there was too much focus on Izzy's secret and not enough on the others. Everyone had solid motives, but none moved or acted suspicious enough to be considered real options. Not including Kassidy or Izzy, Ellison was the only other believable suspect, the rest would have fallen flat. Marlowe, Izzy, and Kassidy were also the only characters with dynamic development towards the end while the others remained stagnant.

Overall, I give this book an 8/10. It was a thrilling, gratifying mystery with a lot of heart. If you're a fan of classic murder mysteries with a modern feel, this is an excellent choice!

Content Warnings

More...