“Six thriller authors. One writing retreat.
You’d die to be on the guest list . . .

The Host
Legendary mystery author J. R. Alastor’s books are sold all over the world, but no one knows his real name. After years hiding in the shadows, he has sent out six invitations to an exclusive murder mystery retreat on his private island.

The Assistant
Mila del Angél has been hired to ensure the week runs smoothly. She has yearned for revenge on a ghost from her past for years – and this could be her chance to get it.

The Players
The six bestselling thriller writers accept their invitations without question – it’s an opportunity any author would kill for.

The Game
What should have been a week of trope-filled games takes a sinister turn when one guest is found dead, and the others find themselves in the midst of a nightmare drawn from Alastor’s dark imagination. They may have written thrillers – but now they and Mila must survive one…”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego. You Are Fatally Invited is published by Transworld Books today (that’s Thursday 13th February 2025) is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow. I chose to read a free eARC of You Are Fatally Invited but that has in no way influenced my review.

There are some books you’re intrigued by, but they pass you by. There are some books which, let’s face it, you’re just not the intended audience. And then there are books which feel as though they were written with you, specifically, in mind. You Are Fatally Invited is a book I felt was written for me. I am, 100%, the target audience here. There was no way on this earth I wasn’t going to read this book. Everything else on the TBR got shoved unceremoniously to one side and this book got my full, undivided attention. And what a corker of a book it is too!

Mysterious, elusive bestselling author, J.R. Alastor, has invited six thriller authors at different stages of their careers to an island off the coast of Maine to attend an exclusive writers’ retreat. The selected few are bubbling with excitement to learn from one of the greats. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, particularly as Alastor is known to shy away from the limelight, keeping his identity a closely guarded secret. When the group first meet, many of the guests are surprised at who else is also attending. Who Alastor has selected as being worthy of such an invitation, and his undivided attention. They’re immediately wary of each other, dismissive of each others work, perhaps a little jealous…? The week gets off to a rocky start, which only gets rockier when the first dead body (one of their own) is discovered. Completely isolated and alone with a murderer, can the remaining writers work out the killer’s MO before they become a gore-soaked victim in someone else’s story…

You Are Fatally Invited is a compulsive, highly intriguing mystery which held my attention from beginning to end. Told using snippets from Alastor’s newest book ‘The Ink in Your Veins: On Writing Fear’ and from multiple POVs, I was initially a little concerned that I was going to struggle to follow the story. But I needn’t have worried. Pliego handles the different POVs like a pro! It’s not just a bunch of writers stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere though. There’s also the hired help consisting of a chef, a housekeeper and Mila, an event planner who is responsible for the guests (and staff) over the course of the week. The reader discovers fairly early on that Mila has a secret of her own, that she’s out for revenge, but it’s not until much later in the book that we discover the details. All in all, there are nine characters in total (plus the ever-present but nowhere to be seen Alastor) and we hear from most of them at some point.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I enjoyed You Are Fatally Invited and would happily read more from Pliego in the future. I am a self confessed book nerd so books ABOUT books and writers are always going to appeal. This is definitely one of the best books ABOUT books and writers I have read in recent years. I absolutely loved how inventive the author was in killing off her characters. I also loved the setting of the isolated island. All escape attempts are thwarted as the levels of despair amongst those who remain increase. There were other little touches which I really appreciated. One of which was Alastor’s memorabilia museum where grisly props from horror movies were stored. A plethora of interesting ways to kill off your characters! All in all, You Are Fatally Invited is a compelling, trope-filled mystery that I found thoroughly entertaining. Loved the bookish-ness of it all. Loved how wonderfully ‘Agatha Christie’ it was. What an homage to one of the greats! Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of You Are Fatally Invited. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego was published in the UK by Transworld Books on 13th February 2025 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Ande began writing stories when she discovered she could actually wield her overactive imagination for good. A lover of stories with teeth, she writes books involving mind games, dark humor, general murder and mayhem, and most importantly, finding the hope in the dark.

When not reading or writing, she can usually be found dabbling in art, scheming up her next trip, or making constant expeditions to the library. Born in Florida, raised in France, and having left footprints all over the globe, Ande is settled in the Pacific Northwest with her craftsman husband and little son.