Book Review: Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron
Published: December 7th 2023 by Usborne YA
Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Genre: Young Adult // Mystery, Thriller
Quick Thoughts: From snowballing plot twists to whodunit predictions, the book took me on an action-packed journey, painting an artful picture with a cleverly cunning edge.
About The Book:
Trapped in a mansion with a murderer and a family of liars – how would you survive? A mind-blowing thriller from the author of THIS BOOK KILLS, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.
When three girls are stranded at the grand Bramble Estate in the middle of a snowstorm, they stumble into a murder plot. Someone has poisoned wealthy Emily Vanforte in the middle of a family dinner – which means Devi, Lizzie and Jayne are trapped in the house with a killer and a mystery to solve. With knives under floorboards, vanishing guns and secret passages in the walls, no one is safe and everyone is a suspect. But in a house of liars and corruption, will the girls save themselves…or learn to fit in?
First Thoughts
After reading This Book Kills last year (it was my last read of the year!) I knew I wanted to read more from Ravena. So when Usborne reached out with the offer to read Catch Your Death, I was so excited to get lost in another mystery.
My Review
Told in three POVs belonging to teenage girls Devi, Lizzie and Jayne, we meet Devi first, who is detailing her last movements to a detective who is piecing together the mysterious death of Emily Vanforte, a wealthy and influential woman, owner of the Bramble Estate. We’re with Devi as she’s travelling to her grandmother’s house during a snowstorm, ending up stranded at the Bramble Estate when her old car will no longer get started. Jayne has been working at the Bramble Estate for a few weeks, alongside the long-term caretaker. Lizzie was only supposed to be dropping off a piece of expensive jewellery to Emily Vanforte, and also gets stranded there during the snowstorm. Emily wills them to stay and wait out the snow for safety, whilst also maintaining how the dinner party she’s throwing for her family will unearth some long-buried truths…
But when Emily gets poisoned during the dinner, it’s clear a murderer is among them. But is it Emily’s cold and horrible husband? Emily’s daughter Lottie and boyfriend Douglas? Rogue family member Tate? Suddenly the houses rumours of being haunted aren’t so fictitious, whispers and bumps in the night becoming alarmingly true. But as we learn more about Devi, Jayne and Lizzie, getting snippets of Emily’s last movements and story behind the Vanforte’s history, a plot twist storms inward, throwing all guesses out in exchange for a shock turn no one will see coming.
Overall, Catch Your Death was quite literally one of the most intricately woven mysteries I’ve read in a long time. From snowballing plot twists to whodunit predictions, the book took me on an action-packed journey, painting an artful picture with a cleverly cunning edge. I loved Devi so much, she was absolutely my favourite of the three—whip-smart, dedicated and full of heart. I really loved the connection she had with Tate, and the beautiful friendship she found in Lizzie and Jayne (also, thank you Ravena for using Jayne-with-a-Y because that’s my middle name!) This was honestly up there with my favourite reads of the year. A huge must-read, and an easy five stars!
About The Author
A born and bred Londoner, Ravena writes MG and YA, usually featuring antiheroines or snarky narrators. She is a lawyer with a degree in biochemistry, and hopes to use the knowledge gained from her experiences to plot her books, whether that’s wild MG fantasy adventures, or twisty YA murder-mysteries.
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happy reading!
