Title: YOU ARE FATALLY INVITED
Author: Ande Pliego
ISBN: 9780857505842
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Pages: 371
Source: Private Copy
When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance—particularly since she has an ax to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.
Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.
Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two—the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead—and it’s not the murder she planned—Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.
One by one, you’ll lose your turn.
With a storm cutting off the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.
Until only one of us remains…
Official Summary
05 November 2025
Once again, I picked this book purely because of its cover — I couldn’t resist that gorgeous fountain pen design. I first spotted it on NetGalley, and when I later found a copy in my local bookstore, I knew I had to have it. It’s such a pretty addition to my bookshelf.
Six bestselling authors are invited to a writers’ retreat on a secluded island. What they don’t know is that their darkest secrets are about to be exposed. Mila jumped at the chance to work with the mysterious Alastor to plan the week-long event — the perfect opportunity to execute the perfect murder. But when the wrong guest turns up dead, Mila quickly realises she’s not the one in control after all.
As a newcomer to Ande Pliego’s work, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The story starts a little slowly, and at first, the characters feel slightly unrealistic. But the more I read, the more this eccentric group of writers grew on me. The pace picks up nicely, and before long, you’re completely caught up, trying to piece the mystery together.
The premise is fantastic — six bestselling thriller authors on a secluded island, bodies starting to appear, and the constant question of who the anonymous “Alastor” really is. The tension builds beautifully, and no one feels safe. Mila was a standout character for me — determined, clever, and deeply flawed. She had a plan and was set on seeing it through, but as the chaos unfolded, she was forced to reconsider everything.
They say judging a book by its cover is never a good idea, but in the case of You Are Fatally Invited, it turned out to be a great decision. I absolutely loved this story and would highly recommend adding it to your TBR. If you enjoy a clever murder mystery with a secluded setting, dark secrets, and a quirky cast of characters — don’t miss this one.
Also By Ande Pliego
THE LIBRARY AFTER DARK
Aria Stokes is finally feeling settled—she lives in a tiny New York apartment, works as a bookseller at a local shop, and has even taken a leap of faith in love by indulging her attraction to bookstore regular Jasper. And he seems to already know her so well.
As a Valentine’s Day surprise, Jasper gets the two of them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the Daedalus Library—the grandiose establishment famed for its immersive genre-based reading rooms and, more notoriously, its rumored hauntings. While Aria normally loves all things ghastly, this place holds more dark secrets than she’d prefer Jasper to know. Like the last time she was here, she left a body behind.
But when the automatic-door entry malfunctions and Aria, Jasper, and the five other people in their tour group become trapped in the library, they are forced to venture through the storied rooms and hidden passageways of the Daedalus in search of escape . . . and Aria quite literally has nowhere to hide from the shadows of her past. Then the group learns there’s a murderer in their midst.
Now, as she tries to break out of the library’s intricate reading rooms, Aria has to decide who she can trust—and what secrets are best kept buried—if she wants to make it out alive.
COMING MAY 2026
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
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.
I just love this author’s book covers. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of The Library After Dark – it would look stunning on my bookshelf. Thank you for visiting and reading my review. Have you read this one? I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below. Until next time…. Happy Reading!
