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Death at Morning House
Win a free print copy of this book!
24 days and 11:36:37
5 copies available
U.S. only
From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.
With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?
Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.
All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.
With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?
Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.
All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 6, 2024
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March 29, 2024
I don’t know if this standalone may turn into a new series because I mostly connected with most of the characters, including the quirky, smart, and peculiar Marlowe Wexler. The sulking goth girl Riki and the flamboyant, easy-going Van surely resonated with my inner awkwardness, spidey senses, and quirkiness levels.
The two mysteries take place in the same haunted mansion theme, and the quirky young female lead’s attempt to solve the cases might show similarities with the main plot of the Truly Devious series. However, there are differences, starting with the heroines: Truly Devious’s Stevie Bell is more devoted, focused, and socially inadapted, obsessed with detective work while dealing with her own family problems. In contrast, Marlowe in "Death at Morning House" is a sweeter character with more engaging qualities. She’s self-deprecating, shy, queer, a little clumsy, and good-hearted, but her photographic memory and sharp gray cells help her connect the pieces to see the full puzzle.
If you’re a fan of the Truly Devious series, the semi-similar mystery-solving concept may lure you in with more likable characters (thankfully, there’s no character as annoying as Truly Devious’ David in this book)! The intertwined mysteries take us on a journey between tragedies that took place on July 27, 1932, and the present day, where Marlowe is hired to be a tour guide at Morning House. This is the very place where two deaths haunted the past, and another death occurs, resulting in Marlowe replacing one of the tour guides, increasing the tension.
Marlowe’s well-intentioned jest for Akilah, a girl she has a long-time crush on, ends up putting the house into flames, turning her into a pariah! (How could she imagine a $30 candle could explode and cause such a disaster? Poor Marlowe!) When Marlowe gets trapped in her own room, squirming in guilt, and losing her chance with Akilah, a job offer arises as a tour guide on Ralston Island. Here, Morning House has been renovated and opened to tourists after years, where the Ralston Family—a scientist, his ex-celebrity wife, his sister, and seven children—lived in a health-obsessed lifestyle from the 1920s to the 1930s. Tragedies have plagued the family, with little Max drowning at the age of four, and their eldest sister, Clara, jumping from the roof.
As Marlowe sets foot in the place, she senses the eeriness as if the ghosts of the family still haunt it. Most of her new friends seem friendly, except for Riki, who gives off suspicious vibes and is obsessed with finding out the Ralston history. Her new boss, Belinda Henson, tries to finish her book about the dark mystery of the place and acts as if she wants Marlowe to spy on the other guides from an outsider's perspective. Then, another tragic incident occurs, putting Marlowe’s life at risk as she keeps digging for the truth. Could she gather the pieces of the puzzle to find the bridge that unites past and present incidents? Could there be a dangerous killer around them who might do anything to keep their secret safe?
Overall, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced, smartly executed YA mystery that I highly recommend! I also loved to see Marlowe back for the later installments!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children Books/HarperTeen for sharing this unputdownable Maureen Johnson’s new standalone with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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The two mysteries take place in the same haunted mansion theme, and the quirky young female lead’s attempt to solve the cases might show similarities with the main plot of the Truly Devious series. However, there are differences, starting with the heroines: Truly Devious’s Stevie Bell is more devoted, focused, and socially inadapted, obsessed with detective work while dealing with her own family problems. In contrast, Marlowe in "Death at Morning House" is a sweeter character with more engaging qualities. She’s self-deprecating, shy, queer, a little clumsy, and good-hearted, but her photographic memory and sharp gray cells help her connect the pieces to see the full puzzle.
If you’re a fan of the Truly Devious series, the semi-similar mystery-solving concept may lure you in with more likable characters (thankfully, there’s no character as annoying as Truly Devious’ David in this book)! The intertwined mysteries take us on a journey between tragedies that took place on July 27, 1932, and the present day, where Marlowe is hired to be a tour guide at Morning House. This is the very place where two deaths haunted the past, and another death occurs, resulting in Marlowe replacing one of the tour guides, increasing the tension.
Marlowe’s well-intentioned jest for Akilah, a girl she has a long-time crush on, ends up putting the house into flames, turning her into a pariah! (How could she imagine a $30 candle could explode and cause such a disaster? Poor Marlowe!) When Marlowe gets trapped in her own room, squirming in guilt, and losing her chance with Akilah, a job offer arises as a tour guide on Ralston Island. Here, Morning House has been renovated and opened to tourists after years, where the Ralston Family—a scientist, his ex-celebrity wife, his sister, and seven children—lived in a health-obsessed lifestyle from the 1920s to the 1930s. Tragedies have plagued the family, with little Max drowning at the age of four, and their eldest sister, Clara, jumping from the roof.
As Marlowe sets foot in the place, she senses the eeriness as if the ghosts of the family still haunt it. Most of her new friends seem friendly, except for Riki, who gives off suspicious vibes and is obsessed with finding out the Ralston history. Her new boss, Belinda Henson, tries to finish her book about the dark mystery of the place and acts as if she wants Marlowe to spy on the other guides from an outsider's perspective. Then, another tragic incident occurs, putting Marlowe’s life at risk as she keeps digging for the truth. Could she gather the pieces of the puzzle to find the bridge that unites past and present incidents? Could there be a dangerous killer around them who might do anything to keep their secret safe?
Overall, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced, smartly executed YA mystery that I highly recommend! I also loved to see Marlowe back for the later installments!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children Books/HarperTeen for sharing this unputdownable Maureen Johnson’s new standalone with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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Want to read
December 29, 2023Is this the sixth Truly Devious book? It better be? Because we need you to clear up THAT ending of Nine Liars, Maureen? P.S. if it isn't clear: I LOVE STEVIE BELL WITH ALL MY HEART
Want to read
March 7, 2024"a YA contemporary mystery novel about a girl who finds herself in a house with a terrible secret and becomes obsessed by the place, the people, and the romance of it all—and ends up finding the darkness at its core."
MAUREEN. You can't keep doing this to me!
Update COVER??
MAUREEN. You can't keep doing this to me!
Update COVER??
Want to read
July 5, 2024Back up folks, Maureen is coming for a book tour in August and I'm ready to interrogate her
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Gasp. How dare you fool me into getting excited for the next Truly Devious? How could she just start something else without getting rid of damage control? WHAT.
#JusticeForStevieBell #JusticeForTheTrulyDeviousFans #JusticeForMe
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I better get compensation for the ending of Nine Liars🤨
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Gasp. How dare you fool me into getting excited for the next Truly Devious? How could she just start something else without getting rid of damage control? WHAT.
#JusticeForStevieBell #JusticeForTheTrulyDeviousFans #JusticeForMe
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I better get compensation for the ending of Nine Liars🤨
May 5, 2024
3.75***
Want to read
February 6, 2024For those wondering, Maureen Johnson said on Instagram that isn’t the next Truly, Devious book but I’m excited regardless! And apparently it’s SAPPHIC?! 😭🥰 the excitement is real
April 16, 2024
It’s not surprising that I loved this book as much as I did! I’ve read the entire Truly Devious series and pretty much adored all of the books, so as soon as this story was announced I knew I NEEDED to read it asap.
Death at Morning House felt reminiscent to TD but what I loved about this one was Marlowe felt less like she was LOOKING for this mystery and more that it was happening to her one way or another! She wasn’t so much of a sleuth, but more like picking up and noticing details since she loves to solve puzzles inside her mind!
The dual timeline, one set in the prohibition period and one set in model times, was EXCELLENT and expertly weaved together to make a stellar murder mystery story!
I’d really love if Maureen Johnson decided to come out with more stories following Marlowe and the crew like she did with Stevie Bell. I adored this cast, they were almost all quite likable and fun!
One last thing to gush about, the SETTING! Death at Morning House takes places in the 1000 Islands at an old mansion where a super strange and rich guy lived with his seven children and wife. The somewhat remote island and old mansion really lend a helping hand to making this story just a bit more eerie!
Overall, I adored it but I’m not surprised at all!
Death at Morning House felt reminiscent to TD but what I loved about this one was Marlowe felt less like she was LOOKING for this mystery and more that it was happening to her one way or another! She wasn’t so much of a sleuth, but more like picking up and noticing details since she loves to solve puzzles inside her mind!
The dual timeline, one set in the prohibition period and one set in model times, was EXCELLENT and expertly weaved together to make a stellar murder mystery story!
I’d really love if Maureen Johnson decided to come out with more stories following Marlowe and the crew like she did with Stevie Bell. I adored this cast, they were almost all quite likable and fun!
One last thing to gush about, the SETTING! Death at Morning House takes places in the 1000 Islands at an old mansion where a super strange and rich guy lived with his seven children and wife. The somewhat remote island and old mansion really lend a helping hand to making this story just a bit more eerie!
Overall, I adored it but I’m not surprised at all!
March 22, 2024
Big surprise, I loved the new Maureen Johnson book 🤭 The Queen of Mystery is back! It all started with a malfunctioning petrichor candle. Soon, the house is up in flames and so are all of Marlowe’s summer plans. Instead, she takes a job as a tour guide for a house isolated on an island that is as stunning as it is haunting. With singular, dry wit, and sinister disquiet, Johnson is able to craft a novel with such suspenseful, lace-like foreboding, that you are racing with shaking fingers to get to the final page.
June 24, 2024
If you like the game ‘What remains of Edith Finch’ you’ll love this book… fucking hell Maureen! 10/10
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 11, 2024THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THIS ADVANCE REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
It's been a month since I've been forcing myself to read this book. I am giving up, 100 pages in, and can't relate or connect to anything.
It's been a month since I've been forcing myself to read this book. I am giving up, 100 pages in, and can't relate or connect to anything.
June 17, 2024
Things are not going well for Marlowe, and it only gets worse when she accidentally burns down a house while on a date with her dream girl. A change of scenery is in order, and soon she finds herself moving away to take a summer job giving tours at the historic Morning House. There are quite a few mysteries to unravel, both in the past and present. Why was the Morning House left abandoned and what happened to the family that used to live there? Who's job did Marlowe take over and why was she brought to this island?
If you're a fan of the Truly Devious series (which why wouldn't you be? those books are great) then you will love this standalone novel. Marlowe is a great narrator and her snarky tone brings a lot of humor to an otherwise dour and creepy story. It was hard to put this one down and I loved that there were multiple mysteries to solve along the way.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
If you're a fan of the Truly Devious series (which why wouldn't you be? those books are great) then you will love this standalone novel. Marlowe is a great narrator and her snarky tone brings a lot of humor to an otherwise dour and creepy story. It was hard to put this one down and I loved that there were multiple mysteries to solve along the way.
Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 19, 2024
This was decent. I will say I’m a huge fan of Maureen Johnson’s Stevie Bell books so I had super high expectations for this one. I love the way Maureen writes mystery thrillers. For some reason Death at Morning House just fell a bit flat for me. I liked how it started with a brief summary of the dark history of Morning House and the tragedies that plagued the Ralston family. The dual timelines were done well and I never felt like it was too jarring or took me out of the story when it would switch. After an unfortunate date goes awry Marlowe joins a group of local teens at Morning House to be tour guides for the summer. The characters were fun and quirky. I liked Marlowe. She’s a shy, good hearted character who also has a photographic memory. It came in handy with connecting pieces of the mystery together. I do think the mystery felt like less of a mystery and more of a kind of tell us type story. It wasn’t like the Stevie Bell books where we have to piece the clues together. We are sort of just shown / told events as the story goes on so the ending felt a bit underwhelming. I did like the mystery but I think personally I just wanted more. But overall it was a cute coming of age story with some summer romance and mystery. I think it’ll be great for fans of stories with quirky YA characters that have a lot of heart but that are also looking for something with a bit of a darker background mystery.
Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC
Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC
May 16, 2024
When a date ends up in a house fire, carrying on in the same town is difficult. Fortunate to land a summer job, she hops on the island, excited for a fresh start at Morning House. But often horrors are disguised in the form of opportunities and Marlowe is just beginning to uncover the dark secrets of this place. May what is buried, come to light!
The storyline is well-written with dynamic pacing that confronts the plot from the views of the helpers of the house. For a majority of the time, we are observing the events happening as a 3rd party between past and present - which I feel works better in reading but not in audiobooks. Sparking with lively characters in a contemporary world, the author has given us yet another murder mystery spanning over decades.
Thanks @this_is_edelweiss @epicreads & @maureenjohnsonbooks for the digital review copy.
Genre: #contemporary #murder #mystery
#queer
The storyline is well-written with dynamic pacing that confronts the plot from the views of the helpers of the house. For a majority of the time, we are observing the events happening as a 3rd party between past and present - which I feel works better in reading but not in audiobooks. Sparking with lively characters in a contemporary world, the author has given us yet another murder mystery spanning over decades.
Thanks @this_is_edelweiss @epicreads & @maureenjohnsonbooks for the digital review copy.
Genre: #contemporary #murder #mystery
#queer
June 26, 2024
what a great time. this wasn’t traditionally creepy like some of maureen’s other books, but i actually found it scarier. it was the kind of unsettling that gets right under your skin. it’s hilarious, atmospheric, and perfectly paced. maureen is really doing all she can to avoid finishing the shades of london series but if she keeps writing books like this, i can be forgiving!!!
April 4, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.
This book is going on my list of favorite reads in 2024 for sure. I started and finished this book in just a few hours. It has everything: historical fiction, mystery and suspense, drama and even romance. This book kept me at the edge of my seat and I wasn't sure what to expect next. I think if you enjoy The Great Gatsby or Only Murder's in the Building you will thoroughly enjoy this book! I will look forward to Maureen Johnson's next book. I highly recommend this book! All the stars!!!!!
This book is going on my list of favorite reads in 2024 for sure. I started and finished this book in just a few hours. It has everything: historical fiction, mystery and suspense, drama and even romance. This book kept me at the edge of my seat and I wasn't sure what to expect next. I think if you enjoy The Great Gatsby or Only Murder's in the Building you will thoroughly enjoy this book! I will look forward to Maureen Johnson's next book. I highly recommend this book! All the stars!!!!!
June 24, 2024
Wow! I am so thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and HarperTeen so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.
In the last almost year since I started doing ARC reviews the books have been ones I have come upon rather than ones that ai searched for due to waiting for it to be published. Well this title was the later. After reading Maureen Johnson’s other books ai could not wait until her new one came out. So I was really excited when I was approved!
The beauty of Johnson’s prose is that while they are YA with teen protagonist’s and such, they don’t read “young”. And she does this whilst also keeping them fairly clean in the relationship department. It’s refreshing.
The story took a bit for me to get fully engaged in but not in a bad way. I enjoy her use of flipping between different time periods and it’s something her fans are used to seeing.
The other thing I really enjoyed is that I was able to just go along for the ride and not try to guess who the culprit was or even worry about if something was a crime or not. Frequently in mystery novels the culprit screams out from the pages whether you want it to or not and it takes away from the story as it it focused on the “who done it” part of the mystery. Johnson’s books aren’t like that. You are just along for the ride and realize a mystery is a foot at different points . I’m not sure if that makes sense?
I highly recommend putting this on your TBR for Aug 6 2024 as it’s a fun read that can mix up the typical summer beach reads!
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
In the last almost year since I started doing ARC reviews the books have been ones I have come upon rather than ones that ai searched for due to waiting for it to be published. Well this title was the later. After reading Maureen Johnson’s other books ai could not wait until her new one came out. So I was really excited when I was approved!
The beauty of Johnson’s prose is that while they are YA with teen protagonist’s and such, they don’t read “young”. And she does this whilst also keeping them fairly clean in the relationship department. It’s refreshing.
The story took a bit for me to get fully engaged in but not in a bad way. I enjoy her use of flipping between different time periods and it’s something her fans are used to seeing.
The other thing I really enjoyed is that I was able to just go along for the ride and not try to guess who the culprit was or even worry about if something was a crime or not. Frequently in mystery novels the culprit screams out from the pages whether you want it to or not and it takes away from the story as it it focused on the “who done it” part of the mystery. Johnson’s books aren’t like that. You are just along for the ride and realize a mystery is a foot at different points . I’m not sure if that makes sense?
I highly recommend putting this on your TBR for Aug 6 2024 as it’s a fun read that can mix up the typical summer beach reads!
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
June 8, 2024
* 3.5 but rounding down *
When tragedy strikes where can one turn if not an island job where you give tours to a mansion known famously for the curse that befell the owners? ‘Death at Morning House’ is Marlowe’s chance to start over but thrown into a group of other guides she finds herself in the middle of grief over the recently deceased she has trouble finding her footing even more so as a whispered lost treasure lurks beneath the floorboards.
A story with split timelines are some of my favorites especially when it comes to unraveling a whodunit like mystery however there are times when you find yourself more intrigued by one mystery vs the other and this book sadly fell into that category. As much as I enjoyed Marlowe and the idea of giving an island tour of a stricken old mansion I wanted to live in the past with the family who owned the house to begin with.
The entire dynamic of these six perfect children losing their seventh sibling and the constructs of their upbringing along with what ultimately shatters that perfect image had such a strong hold on me and I wanted an entire book with just those characters and plot. When we moved to the present, while a decent mystery, it is still one I have read before with a cast of characters I too have seen so there was nothing really new there to keep my attention.
I wish these had been separate stories but still paired together they work well and there is a sense of completion there when you reach the final page but man do I wish we spent more time in the fractures of the past.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
When tragedy strikes where can one turn if not an island job where you give tours to a mansion known famously for the curse that befell the owners? ‘Death at Morning House’ is Marlowe’s chance to start over but thrown into a group of other guides she finds herself in the middle of grief over the recently deceased she has trouble finding her footing even more so as a whispered lost treasure lurks beneath the floorboards.
A story with split timelines are some of my favorites especially when it comes to unraveling a whodunit like mystery however there are times when you find yourself more intrigued by one mystery vs the other and this book sadly fell into that category. As much as I enjoyed Marlowe and the idea of giving an island tour of a stricken old mansion I wanted to live in the past with the family who owned the house to begin with.
The entire dynamic of these six perfect children losing their seventh sibling and the constructs of their upbringing along with what ultimately shatters that perfect image had such a strong hold on me and I wanted an entire book with just those characters and plot. When we moved to the present, while a decent mystery, it is still one I have read before with a cast of characters I too have seen so there was nothing really new there to keep my attention.
I wish these had been separate stories but still paired together they work well and there is a sense of completion there when you reach the final page but man do I wish we spent more time in the fractures of the past.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
June 24, 2024
This book is the perfect summer mystery.
In the summer of 1932, Max is found having drowned in the lake and shortly after Clara Ralston, the oldest of Phillip Ralston’s adopted children, falls from a balcony and dies the same day. Because of this tragic story, Morning House, the former home of the Ralston family, has become a tourist attraction for one summer only, before the new owners turn it into something else.
And so enters Marlowe, a girl escaping her (untrue) reputation as an arsonist for a summer at a historic house on Ralston island. She has always been a wiz with puzzles and problem solving, but she might be a bit in over her head as she begins to uncover the secrets of her fellow tour guides- a group of friends who grew up there- and of this incredible house.
Maureen Johnson does an excellent job of overlaying and intertwining these stories together. This is truly a masterpiece of mystery and I could not put this down. I felt equally invested in the lives of Marlowe’s crew and the Ralston family. I am only sad that this doesn’t come out until August and more people won’t get to enjoy this during the summer months when the story takes place.
Also, I now need to read everything Maureen Johnson writes.
In the summer of 1932, Max is found having drowned in the lake and shortly after Clara Ralston, the oldest of Phillip Ralston’s adopted children, falls from a balcony and dies the same day. Because of this tragic story, Morning House, the former home of the Ralston family, has become a tourist attraction for one summer only, before the new owners turn it into something else.
And so enters Marlowe, a girl escaping her (untrue) reputation as an arsonist for a summer at a historic house on Ralston island. She has always been a wiz with puzzles and problem solving, but she might be a bit in over her head as she begins to uncover the secrets of her fellow tour guides- a group of friends who grew up there- and of this incredible house.
Maureen Johnson does an excellent job of overlaying and intertwining these stories together. This is truly a masterpiece of mystery and I could not put this down. I felt equally invested in the lives of Marlowe’s crew and the Ralston family. I am only sad that this doesn’t come out until August and more people won’t get to enjoy this during the summer months when the story takes place.
Also, I now need to read everything Maureen Johnson writes.
June 18, 2024
3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
This is definitely a brilliant starter book for fans of YA and murder mystery, especially if you like your mysteries historical!
I really struggled to get into this in the beginning as i felt the narrative was really confused and kept jumping between an interesting whodunnit to a 12 year olds diary. The romance plot seemed so out of place within the story and really pushed without any real chemistry developing or being felt as a reader. I understand its a teenage YA story but the writing around the romance plot lines felt so juvenile and jarring compared to the rest of the book.
HOWEVER, once things started happening at Morning House, it did get really interesting and intense and i was GRIPPED. I really enjoyed the plot and overall story line of this book and found the jumping between time periods brilliant especially towards the end when you became able to draw comparisons between the two stories being told. I really hope that this character group is revisited in future books as some of the characters were just so loveable and I would really like to see more of them.
This is definitely a brilliant starter book for fans of YA and murder mystery, especially if you like your mysteries historical!
I really struggled to get into this in the beginning as i felt the narrative was really confused and kept jumping between an interesting whodunnit to a 12 year olds diary. The romance plot seemed so out of place within the story and really pushed without any real chemistry developing or being felt as a reader. I understand its a teenage YA story but the writing around the romance plot lines felt so juvenile and jarring compared to the rest of the book.
HOWEVER, once things started happening at Morning House, it did get really interesting and intense and i was GRIPPED. I really enjoyed the plot and overall story line of this book and found the jumping between time periods brilliant especially towards the end when you became able to draw comparisons between the two stories being told. I really hope that this character group is revisited in future books as some of the characters were just so loveable and I would really like to see more of them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
This was such a great YA mystery and I loved that we got multiple different POV of the days before the deaths that happened at Morning House in the 1920s that caused the family to flee the house and never return which was unfolded so well and I thought I knew what happened and it took me completely by surprise. The modern mystery at Morning house with the death of one of the teen tour guides before the job even starts that opens up the position for Marlowe to work there and get away from the disaster of life at the moment to the fact that their boss goes missing just kept you guessing. Poor Marlowe had the worst first date with her girl crush that anyone could have and just wanted to get away for the summer and instead she ended up neck deep in a mystery and trying not to get murdered. All in all, this was a great mystery that really keeps you guessing until the end.
Thanks to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
May 8, 2024
Thank you to SE, MB, and Harper Collins for allowing me to read the ARC of this book.
3.75 rounded up to 4.
I felt this book was not veru gripping for the first 50% of it. During this part, you are led to believe you know who the killer is for the 1932 death you're are immediately introduced to, most of the characters we meet are a bit forgettable except for our mc Marlowe, and I was thrown off due to some major grammatical mistakes (which I would hope are corrected before it's officially published).
The second half of the book was a ride, though! I couldn't put it down after things happening on the island in present day and the kids have to solve a mystery while other things start to happen. The twist of the 1932 murder is revealed and I wish we had more from the character that revealed what truly happened. They seemed like they had a lot to say about everything that happened on the island in their time there as well as the life they lived prior.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, the main character, the relationships built and explored, the mysteries, and twists.
3.75 rounded up to 4.
I felt this book was not veru gripping for the first 50% of it. During this part, you are led to believe you know who the killer is for the 1932 death you're are immediately introduced to, most of the characters we meet are a bit forgettable except for our mc Marlowe, and I was thrown off due to some major grammatical mistakes (which I would hope are corrected before it's officially published).
The second half of the book was a ride, though! I couldn't put it down after things happening on the island in present day and the kids have to solve a mystery while other things start to happen. The twist of the 1932 murder is revealed and I wish we had more from the character that revealed what truly happened. They seemed like they had a lot to say about everything that happened on the island in their time there as well as the life they lived prior.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, the main character, the relationships built and explored, the mysteries, and twists.
July 10, 2024
4.5 rounded up. I really liked this book a lot. The main character is quirky and awkward, which I love. I also really liked how it was written just like she was telling it- rambling thoughts and weird side comments.
There’s two timelines, a whole lot of murder mystery, and a group of teens on an island playing tour guide at a murder mansion. What could go wrong?
The story follows Marlowe, a teen who accidentally does something real bad and is offered the opportunity to spend summer at Morning House with five other teens giving tours. The house is on an island and was abandoned in the 1930s after a family suffered two child deaths. We have a stories unfolding in the present and the past and both are not what you would expect.
Thank you so much HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for letting me read the unedited copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
There’s two timelines, a whole lot of murder mystery, and a group of teens on an island playing tour guide at a murder mansion. What could go wrong?
The story follows Marlowe, a teen who accidentally does something real bad and is offered the opportunity to spend summer at Morning House with five other teens giving tours. The house is on an island and was abandoned in the 1930s after a family suffered two child deaths. We have a stories unfolding in the present and the past and both are not what you would expect.
Thank you so much HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for letting me read the unedited copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 4, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. This was a great YA thriller that switches between two timelines in one stately house on an island on the Canadian border. The storyline of the original owners was more engaging, but I really loved the present-day protagonist Marlowe (yes, the name is a bit on the nose). She is funny and self-aware and the kind of person you want in a teenage sleuth. The mysteries here aren't really the focus of the book, though. They feel a little secondary. The Thousand Islands setting was marvelous, and the house and the island does most of the heavy lifting for the creepiness factor. All in all, it was a great summer read and a lot of fun.
April 9, 2024
No one makes murder fun like Maureen Johnson! In her new standalone mystery novel, Death at Morning House, Johnson expertly strings the plots of two timelines into one captivating murder board. It’s always an achievement when an author makes the past timeline as interesting as the present timeline, but when they include murders in both storylines and set them in the same creepy murder mansion as Johnson has in Death at Morning House, then readers are sure to be white-knuckling the pages until the very end.
June 11, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperTeen for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am a HUGE Maureen Johnson fan and love the Truly Devious series. I was a bit apprehensive when I found out her next book was a stand alone mystery but that it was for nothing. I really enjoyed Death at Morning House. I found the characters to be quirky but different from the Truly Devious characters. It felt fresh. I like that she splices a case from the past with events from the present that create one long timeline. I thought Marlowe could be a bit annoying as a narrator but that has to do with the fact that the character is a teenager.
June 24, 2024
I liked the characters and the setting. The characters were complex, flawed, and believable. The story was told by alternating two different time periods: modern day and 1932. The narrator/main character managed to solve multiple mysterious deaths in both time periods while navigating romantic interests. The ending was very exciting and dangerous.
The mysteries were pretty good. I did manage to figure out one of the killers before the reveal, but the other was a complete surprise.
The mysteries were pretty good. I did manage to figure out one of the killers before the reveal, but the other was a complete surprise.
June 20, 2024
This book started a little slowly for me but once it picked up I was hooked. I love a good historical thriller and the way the author blended with past and present was so interesting! There was a lot of suspense and some chilling moments that had me gripping my kindle. I give this 4.0/4.5 and would recommend it to my reading friends.
July 4, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s for the eARC! This book was so much fun! It was face paced, and well written. The main character Marlowe was so relatable. It was a good, solid young adult murder mystery and I had a great time the whole time I was reading. 5/5 kept me thoroughly entertained
June 11, 2024
I enjoyed this mystery story, but found it a bit slow. I felt like things didn't ramp up until halfway into the book. I also didn't connect well with the main character, but I really liked many of the side characters. I also wasn't super invested with either mystery. I would have preferred to focus on one storyline rather than switching back and forth, as I felt like they weren't connected. This was still a fun read, but would have liked it to be a bit more focused on the characters and one storyline.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperTeen and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/HarperTeen and NetGalley for the ARC.
June 24, 2024
Maureen, you can’t keep getting away with this! Writing bangers left and right and *whispers* not finishing The Name of the Star series 😂 But in all seriousness, this was such a treat to read and perfect to read during the summer.
Atmospheric, mysterious, FUNNY, all the things. I loved the main character Marlowe - she was anxious and witty and absolutely hilarious. The side characters were also lovable, especially my guy Van.
I loved the weaving of two different stories and timelines for it to all come together beautifully. A great read and I highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Atmospheric, mysterious, FUNNY, all the things. I loved the main character Marlowe - she was anxious and witty and absolutely hilarious. The side characters were also lovable, especially my guy Van.
I loved the weaving of two different stories and timelines for it to all come together beautifully. A great read and I highly recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
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