Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Suddenly a Murder

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Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz

8 reviews

styxx's review

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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

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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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.

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bekah1210's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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thenovelmaura's review

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dark 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? It's complicated

5.0

A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a gorgeous copy finished copy of this book to read and review. This is one of those books where, even though I finished it a few months ago, I remember it so vividly because I was hooked from start to finish!

I mentioned in a previous post that this book is marketed as a YA version of Knives Out, and that was an incredibly accurate description! We had a big shot detective who showed up uninvited, a glamorous locked-room setting, and a suspicious cast of characters who all had motive and opportunity. The fabulous wealth of these teens is tempered by our main character Izzy, a Latina student who was only able to attend their fancy private school because her mom is a teacher there. Izzy had her own secrets to hide and ended up helping and hindering the official investigation whenever it fit her agenda. Some parts of this book were quite dark, which pleasantly surprised me; I wasn't expecting that level of intensity from a YA book.

I was immediately swept up in the glitz and glamour of the island manor setting while trying to keep track of all the secrets and motives. Not spoiling anything, but Muñoz had a clever way of keeping Izzy up-to-date on the investigation so that the reader doesn't feel limited by her 1st person POV. Rather, it felt like we were solving the mystery alongside her as the plot thickened and the lies were revealed one by one. The ending was a wild ride and there was one aspect of it that I would have done differently, but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. Again, I can't say much without revealing too much, so you'll have to experience this one for yourself! I can't wait to see what Muñoz writes next after this fun, twisty debut.

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kassidyreads's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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vicwaltz's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

A very fun, fast story! Similar in vibes to Five Survive but also entirely different. The seven teenagers are all so very teenaged and stupid but in the believable way that makes a reader want to throttle them but also tell them to sit down and have a cookie. Muñoz does an admirable job of creating seven distinct characters (more if you include the side characters) all with compelling friendships and situations. Our primary person, Isadora, is strikingly relatable and the more you learn about her the more you want her to be innocent (or maybe want her to be guilty, choosing violence is sometimes the way).

There are some pacing hiccups - the book starts slow but all the table setting pays off in the back half. Some of the characters really are annoying but again, they're teenagers and if I were also a teenager (the target demo for this) I think I wouldn't have noticed the annoyingness. If this is Muñoz's debut, I'm stoked to see where she goes. It takes a lot for a YA thriller to surprise me with an earned twist and this one definitely did.
--
Thanks to netgalley/Putnam for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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chocolate_pondue's review

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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.

Spoiler

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.

Spoiler

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!

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arthur_ant18's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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