Genre: Murder

Book Review | Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson

Posted August 26, 2024 by Emma in 5 Stars, Book Review, Thriller / 0 Comments

Hello my lovely readers. It’s been a summer of thrillers for me this holiday and I’ve loved it. I feel it’s the genre I read the quickest. Today I’m bringing you a review of a book/author I wish I read sooner. I love a YA Thriller and I was missing out. I am also meeting Maureen on Tuesday and I can’t wait. So here is my review of her latest book, Death at Morning House.

Book Review | Death at Morning House by Maureen JohnsonDeath at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Published by HarperTeen on August 6, 2024
Genres: Murder, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Waterstones
Goodreads

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?

It’s been the Summer of Thrillers for me. This book. This is actually my first of Maureen Johnson books and I loved that I started with her latest book. I didn’t know much apart from a YA Thriller and that other readers love Truly Devious series. But once I’m hooked on one book then I’m hooked for life on the rest of their books. Death at Morning House is a complusive, thrilling, bordering creepy YA thriller that is impossivle to put down. I read three quarters of the book in one sitting. It’s been a while since that happened.

Death follows you when your at Morning House. A mansion on a secluded island, owned by the Ralston’s family. A very idllyic and unique family to say the least. In late July, 1932, two Ralston children died by accident on the same day. Present day, our awkward, yet loveable Marlowe has had a rough start when her first date end is the house being burnt down. She’s known as the firestarter in town and she needs to get out of dodge and this summer employment at Morning House. Little did Marlowe know that she had taken over the dead guy. Marlowe loves a good quiz and loses herself in getting know her peers, Riki, Van, Tom and Liana and the mystery surrounding Morning House.

Maureen Johnson has a way of writing a thriller that I haven’t come across before. She writes a multi-layered mystery that the reader just sinks into. I found myself completely immersed in the mystery and found it hard to resurface until I finished the book. I loved the dual timelines and how each one has a compelling storyline separately but together brings this intricately plotted mystery spanning decades. I could not put this book down – did I mention that? Ha. Across both timelines you get to know two different cast of characters. Whilst you might think that quite overwhelming, which in some mysteries it can be when we think ‘who’s that?’, ‘I don’t remember them.’ but Maureen has a way to make all characters memorable, likeable, and intriguing. They are an air of mystery to each of them that you can’t help but want to delve in to more. I love getting to know the Ralston’s and Riki, Tom, Van and Liana too. I almost wish we had perspective from them in the present day as Maureen is so talented in her writing.

Whilst I feel that I missed out on the hype of the Truly Devious series, in a way I haven’t. I’m excited to read her backlist of thrillers for first time. I feel these are bingeable goodness and I can’t wait. Death at Morning House is compulsive, addictive and deeply immersive mystery that you won’t be able to put down. Maureen Johnson is now one of top YA Thriller authors and I can’t wait to read more. I think this is one of top reads of 2024.

Thank you so much to Nina and Harper360YA for review copy in exchange for a review.

Divider

Book Review | Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy – first book, first five star read of 2024

Posted January 18, 2024 by Emma in 2024 Books, 5 Stars, Book Review, Bookish Post, UKYA, YA / 1 Comment
Book Review | Signed Sealed Dead by Cynthia Murphy – first book, first five star read of 2024

Hello my lovely readers. Hope you are keeping warm in the minus temperatures this week. Today I’m writing my first review of 2024 and I’m excited! I’m going to try a different style of my review. I’ve been writing what happens and my reactions in my Notion and I thought I would share it. I love the fact that I start off 2024 as I started 2023 with Cynthia Murphy book and a 5 star read! So let me give you a little bit about the book. Paige lived in Manchester all her life until the unthinkable happened, her grandparents […]

Divider

Book Review | How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean – a queer Karen McManus Mystery

Posted August 18, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, UKYA / 1 Comment
Book Review | How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean – a queer Karen McManus Mystery

Hello my friends, welcome to my first book review of the Summer Holidays. I have broken up for the 6 weeks and I am catching up on some amazing books I’ve read. Today I’m reviewing the new Benjamin Dean book, I also met him at CampYA this weekend which was amazing. So before I say any more I think I should save it for my review, so here is a little more about the book. The return teen TV sitcom Sunset High with a murderous curse. Abel has always wanted to be a star and to get onto the revamp […]

Divider

Blog Tour – Book Review | Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy – something a little different…

Blog Tour – Book Review | Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy – something a little different…

Okay so I did a terrble thing, I judged a book by it’s cover and not realising quite was this book has instore. It took me by complete surprise but what’s more is that I haven’t been able to put it down over the weekend either. This book was the perfect welcome disraction, I love mixing up what I read but whilst I am a YA reader, adult mysteries are the perfect in-between books. Scorched Grace is anything but a typical crime thriller. This is a queer Sister Act (who doesn’t love those films) with a unsaintly nun who has […]

Divider

Book Review | Murder She Wrote: By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Gone by Stephanie Kuehn

Posted April 8, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, Murder, Mystery, YA / 1 Comment
Book Review | Murder She Wrote: By The Time You Read This I’ll Be Gone by Stephanie Kuehn

Hello my fellow booklovers, another day, another book review! Being on holiday is really inspiring me and I love it. Today I’m reviewing a book that got my out of my reading slump. To this day I live by thrillers and mystery books being my go to to get back into reading and this book certainly did that. Trigger warnings – anxiety, depression, mention of suicidal attempts/thoughts Did you ever watch Murder She Wrote with Angela Lansbury aka Jessica Fletcher? I grew up with these in my house, my mum and my grandparents would stick them on and whilst they […]

Divider

Mini Reviews – A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus and Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

Mini Reviews – A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus and Sixteen Souls by Rosie Talbot

Hellooooooooo my lovely bookworms. The last time I posted was middle of the summer and now it’s Autumn. Bring on the cosy nights of reading with blankets, slipper boots and autumn drinks. I’m sorry it’s been so long , neglecting my blog, something I absolutely love, but since I went back to work, it’s just been extremely busy. But I’m back slowly. I’ve trying to be more organised and forward planning some content as well. Whilst I may have been absent, I haven’t stopped reading even if it has been a chapter or 2 a day, I still reading so […]

Divider

My Top 5 Favourite Books of 2020 so far – the year of sequels and debuts!

Posted July 6, 2020 by Emma in 2020 books, Book List, Booked-In, Favourites / 4 Comments
My Top 5 Favourite Books of 2020 so far – the year of sequels and debuts!

Hello my lovely readers, so it’s July, over half way throughout the year. It certainly hasn’t been a great start to 2020 with the current situation but that hasn’t stopped me from reading. If anything it’s what I needed, books to escape into away from this reality. I’ve read some amazing books and I’m not the quickest of readers so rather than list loads, I thought I would list my top 5 from the beginning of 2020. So let’s forget the world right now and focus on my favourite books of the year so far especially during Booked-In. Top 5 […]

Divider

Blog Tour Review – Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Blog Tour Review – Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

Hello my bookish friends and fellow detectives too! A first for a Saturday post that’s for sure. Today Pip is once again taking over my blog for Part 2 of the Good Girl, Bad Blood blog tour. All week I’ve been reading this very book and today I finally put into words how amazing this book is… I have been giving subtle hints all week as well.   My Review “Mysteries always seem to find their way to you, don’t they?” I’ve hinted all week but whilst both books are 5 stars, Good Girl, Bad Blood is even better than […]

Divider

Blog Tour | In the Mind of an Author with Holly Jackson, author of Good Girl, Bad Blood

Blog Tour | In the Mind of an Author with Holly Jackson, author of Good Girl, Bad Blood

Hello my wonderful readers and detectives. I’ve got the magnifying glass out and my notepad as Pip and Holly Jackson take over my blog this week. Today is one of two post for the blog tour of Good Girl, Bad Blood – the sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.  I’m currently reading it and I’ll let you on to a little secret, I loving it even more than the first book and I can’t put it down. Holly Jackson has to come to my blog to be part of my author series ‘In the Mind of an Author’ […]

Divider