Starred review from May 20, 2024
Johnson (Nine Liars) departs from her Truly Devious universe with a standalone dual-timeline mystery helmed by a quirky and endearing teen. In New York’s Thousand Islands archipelago, Morning House—the once “idyllic,” now infamous site of two adolescents’ tragic deaths in 1932—is open for public tours coordinated by a local historian. Gay teen Marlowe Wexler signs on as a guide to escape her own notorious past: she accidentally burned down a cottage during her first date. What seems like an auspicious opportunity turns ominous after Marlowe discovers that she was recruited to replace a recently drowned employee. When the historian in charge disappears soon after Marlowe’s arrival, she senses deadly secrets afoot and fears she may be the next victim. Johnson’s signature mix of wit and mystery shines in this compelling sapphic thriller that comments on eugenics, family loyalty, and complicated friendships. The secluded island setting—which is described to Marlowe as “Death Disney World”—ratchets up suspense as narration deftly alternates between Marlowe’s self-deprecating reflections and flashbacks from 1932; the queer romance subplot adds warmth and depth. Marlowe cues as white; the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, KT Literary.

June 1, 2024
A Syracuse, New York, teen takes a summer job as a tour guide at a remote estate that was the summer home of a wealthy and eccentric family in the 1930s. Marlowe Wexler is stunned but delighted that her crush on Akilah Jones, her classmate and ice cream shop co-worker, is reciprocated. But when she accidentally causes a house fire on their first date, she's overwhelmed by anxiety, embarrassment, and doubt. When her history teacher recommends her for a job at historic Morning House in the St. Lawrence River's Thousand Islands, Marlowe is eager to escape to a place where no one knows her. Soon she's trying to find her footing among a troubled group of teens working there, all with their own messy secrets. Johnson's latest juxtaposes Marlowe's clever, funny, slightly neurotic first-person voice with chapters about the mysterious historical family, which included six children who were adopted from England during World War I by Phillip Ralston, a eugenicist physician. The other household members were Ralston's sister, his actress wife, and their youngest child, a biological son. Compelling mysteries unfurl in the past and the present, centering on tragedies that befall both groups. Marlowe serves as an anchor amid the many contemporary characters who seem like they may be deceiving her, keeping readers guessing. Lesbian Marlowe reads white; Akilah is cued Black, and there's diversity in race and sexual orientation among the supporting cast. An engaging and expansive mystery. (map) (Mystery. 13-18)

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Starred review from July 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Thanks to an exploding candle, New York teen Marlowe's first date with longtime crush Akilah goes up in flames--literally. Instead of a romantic night relaxing at a borrowed lakeside cottage, they get a house fire. Obviously, Marlowe can never show her face again, so she flees upstate to a summer job at Morning House, a mansion built in the Thousand Islands archipelago with a tragic past. The Ralston family, famous in the 1920s and '30s for their eccentric lifestyle, fell into ruin after a series of accidental deaths. Rumors of lost treasure and a curse have continued to fuel their legend. Marlowe joins a crew of local teens doing tours, managed loosely by historian Dr. Henson, but she is disturbed to learn she's replacing a guide who recently drowned. At least that explains the weird tension among the others, right? When Dr. Henson goes missing just as a storm isolates them, Marlowe realizes that someone at Morning House holds dangerous secrets. Johnson gives the Truly Devious series a break in this stand-alone sapphic mystery following two equally gripping time lines: the Ralston family deaths and Marlowe's present-day sleuthing. Marlowe's excellent memory and love of puzzles serve her well, while her self-deprecating, deadpan humor fills the narrative with quirky charm. Suspenseful, smartly executed, and hilarious.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Marlowe Wexler is an accidental arsonist. After an exploding candle ruins her first date with the girl of her dreams-and a family friend's cabin-Marlowe wants nothing more than to get away. She snatches at the opportunity to take a summer job as a tour guide on Ralston Island, one of the Thousand Islands (of salad dressing fame) and home of the infamous Morning House, where, in the 1930s, two of the Ralston children tragically and mysteriously died. As Marlowe gets to know her fellow teen colleagues-stoner Van, rich kid Tom, serious and put-together Liani, peacemaker April, and sarcastic Goth Riki-it becomes apparent that they and Morning House, with its marbled hallways and extravagant living quarters, hold many secrets. When Dr. Benson, a historian writing about the Ralston family and overseer of the tours, goes missing, Marlowe and company are thrust into solving an uneasy whodunit. If they're the only ones on the island, who can Marlowe trust? Alternating chapters tell the story of the fateful days leading up to the deaths of Clara and Max Ralston almost 100 years before. The fleshing out of the supporting cast leaves a little to be desired, but it is endearing, awkward, kind Marlowe who drives this narrative; readers can't help but root for her. Some readers may solve both mysteries long before the characters do, but that shouldn't take away from an enjoyable, fast-paced read. All characters are described or read as white, except Riki, who is Indian American. VERDICT A fun, thrilling mystery than spans almost a century, and a must-read for mystery fans.-Tyler Hixson

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2024
Johnson's first standalone mystery since the Stevie Bell universe (Truly Devious, rev. 1/18, and others) introduces readers to Marlowe Wexler, whose moniker "makes it sound...like there's a bartender who knows my name somewhere" but who is actually quite shy. After she accidentally sets fire to a vacation home while on a date with her dream girl, Marlowe's summer plans shrink to "evaporating." So when she is offered a job leading tours of a mansion with a tragic past, she jumps at the chance. Once there, she becomes drawn into the history of Morning House's cursed Ralston family (two of whose members died on the property on the same day in 1932), the abrupt disappearance of a professor who is writing a book about the Ralstons, and the recent drowning death of a local teen. Marlowe is up to the challenge of tying these disparate threads together -- as long as someone doesn't murder her first. Johnson successfully employs her well-known format of alternating chapters between the past and the present, dropping her detective into a diverse and dynamic friend group, and hinting at some of the dark secrets of America's past (here, including eugenics). Marlowe's self-deprecating first-person voice provides a compelling contrast to Stevie Bell's sardonic tone. Might there ever be a Marlowe/Stevie mash-up? This reviewer remains hopeful. Jennifer Hubert Swan

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Johnson's first standalone mystery since the Stevie Bell universe (Truly Devious, rev. 1/18, and others) introduces readers to Marlowe Wexler, whose moniker "makes it sound...like there's a bartender who knows my name somewhere" but who is actually quite shy. After she accidentally sets fire to a vacation home while on a date with her dream girl, Marlowe's summer plans shrink to "evaporating." So when she is offered a job leading tours of a mansion with a tragic past, she jumps at the chance. Once there, she becomes drawn into the history of Morning House's cursed Ralston family (two of whose members died on the property on the same day in 1932), the abrupt disappearance of a professor who is writing a book about the Ralstons, and the recent drowning death of a local teen. Marlowe is up to the challenge of tying these disparate threads together -- as long as someone doesn't murder her first. Johnson successfully employs her well-known format of alternating chapters between the past and the present, dropping her detective into a diverse and dynamic friend group, and hinting at some of the dark secrets of America's past (here, including eugenics). Marlowe's self-deprecating first-person voice provides a compelling contrast to Stevie Bell's sardonic tone. Might there ever be a Marlowe/Stevie mash-up? This reviewer remains hopeful.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)