By skyforbes 
Read time: 3 minutes
📱📖 Read on Kobo
📃 371 pages
⏱ Duration: 5 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Bantam
🧩 Genre: Thriller
Book Blurb:
Six thriller writers receive coveted invitations to a secluded island retreat hosted by reclusive bestselling author. Organized by the enigmatic Mila, the event promises mentorship and inspiration. But when storms cut off escape and guests start dying in ways mirroring their own plots, paranoia erupts. Trapped with a killer who knows their darkest secrets, the survivors must unmask the murderer before they become the final chapter in a deadly game of revenge.
Let’s Talk about the Book:
The setup? Deliciously familiar: six writers, one island, one elusive host. If you’ve read And Then There Were None, your murder-mystery senses will start tingling right from the invitation. Even though I could predict how things might play out (because really, the invitation-to-an-island trope rarely ends in a group hug), the buildup was intense and absolutely gripping.
Ande Pliego manages to pull you in with atmospheric writing, sharp pacing, and a slow, satisfying build-up of tension. I was hooked. six genre pros lured by the mysterious J. R. Alastor, with event planner Mila pulling strings that screamed hidden motives. Early chapters built suspense like a pro, layering secrets and red herrings that had me flipping pages on my Kobo, convinced this debut thriller was destined for my book club’s next obsession. The atmosphere? Claustrophobic perfection, with storms raging and accusations flying.
But then came the last 25%. And that’s where things unraveled. The final 25% felt like the author ran out of time and crammed everything into a chaotic rush. The motives didn’t land, the twists veered toward the unbelievable, and suddenly, it was less “brilliantly murderous intrigue” and more “wait, what just happened?” Rushed reveals, absurd motivations, and one victim’s backstory piling on tragedies like a bad-luck bingo card. Throwing in a serial killer among the guests? Overkill that strained believability and diluted the elegant premise.
It’s frustrating because the premise had so much potential. I could see the brilliance shimmering underneath, but it never quite reached the shore.
Would I recommend it?
Promising debut with killer setup and heart-pounding tension, but the botched ending left me frustrated. Maybe not this one, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for Ande Pliego’s next book, hoping the storytelling patience matches the ambition.
★★★
Instead…
Try these books:
- Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Dysfunctional family gathers on a tidal island - The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Old college friends reunite at a remote Scottish lodge for New Year’s. - The Guest List by Lucy Foley
An exclusive wedding on a remote Irish island becomes a nightmare - One by One by Ruth Ware
A corporate retreat turns deadly in an avalanche-trapped ski chalet. - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The ever-green classic and the OG of closed room mystery
Drop Your Island Survival Tip
Spill in the comments: What’s the one plot twist that always ruins a thriller for you? Have you read You Are Fatally Invited? I’m genuinely curious how forgiving other readers are when a thriller fumbles the finish.
Book Links:
Amazon CA
Goodreads
Visit Ande Pliego on her author page