Sex on Murder Island

Luella van Horn Mysteries #2

by Jo Firestone

A secret island-enclave for the super rich. A dead billionaire. A one-of-a-kind detective.

"Bless Jo Firestone's quiet, mad genius."— Vulture

Marie Jones has hit rock bottom. Just three months ago, her crime solving alter-ego Luella van Horn cracked the case of a murdered contestant on the hit reality show Sex Island, but now all her gigs have dried up. Marie finds herself on the verge of eviction, broke and alone, in the midst of an August heat wave.

Then she gets a call that might change everything. Luella is asked to find evidence of a woman having an extra-marital affair. The case seems simple enough. The only hitch is that it's on Murder Island, a private island for the uber-rich just outside of New York City. But a job's a job, and maybe it'll be good to get out of town for a bit.

Just as Luella begins her investigation, the suspected paramour is found murdered. Luella soon uncovers a den of iniquity and sexual secrets that will shock the world if the news ever gets out—and if Luella gets out alive. It's her most challenging case yet, but for the first time, she finds herself not alone. She makes some friends in this one!

Murder! Sex! A boat chase on the East River! Pretty exciting stuff, huh?

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Humor, Cozy Mystery, Adult

241 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2026

Reviews

[emma]

me personally, i would never visit somewhere called murder island in the first place. that's how i've avoided murder for so long.

https://emmareadstoomuch.substack.com...

like the book it is a sequel to, this is more of a silly goofy romp than it is a compelling and satisfactory murder mystery. but it's by jo firestone, so of course it is.

i slightly preferred the first entry, the also fantastically named MURDER ON SEX ISLAND, for its uniqueness and its quasi-satire of reality television, but this was still fun and zany and jo firestone-y.

bottom line: strange and fun.

(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(3.5)

[Camille Klar]

THIS IS SO DUMB I LOVE IT

[Grapie Deltaco]

Luella van Horn continuing the trend of stumbling headfirst into fucked up, ludicrous situations but this time with a trusty librarian by her side !? And a horned up sailor??

Also at one point I just lost track of who all the rich horny people were.

Also also I look forward to seeing Luella’s adventures continue and wonder if we’ll get to see more strange islands.

CW: murder, violence, sexual content, blood, bodily fluids, kidnapping, drugging, drug abuse/addiction, infidelity, incest??? (I got confused about the dynamics and i don’t know for sure…there are so many people)

[Florrie Noble]

giving this five stars for the line “so this is the family strap on?”

[Laura Sullivan]

Received an advance copy from Netgalley. I'll be honest, I came into this as a huge Jo Firestone fan and adored the first book ao it would have taken a lot for me to give it less than 5 stars. This book is ridiculous but in a good way for me. Jo Firestone's distinct sense of humor is all over the pages and I loved it. Only thing missing was hearing her read it (I listened to the podcast reading for the first one along with reading the physical book) but maybe that will come later 🤞🤞 Can't wait for the 3rd installment!

[Jacqueline]

Bless Jo Firestone

[LeRon Summers]

Really great read! From beginning to the end I thought I knew exactly who the killer was but nope to my surprise I was wrong!! It was a shocker to find out who was really behind all the murders on Murder Island!! Although it’s a murder mystery it had some hilarious moments in it. The characters are great especially Betsy!! I would definitely recommend this book to all my book friends!! Overall I Loved the book and can’t wait for it to be released!!

[Hannah | Reading Under Covers]

Jo Firestone, you are a national treasure.

[Nicole]

Also fun but even stupider resolution

[Gab Sieber]

This was so unserious I loved it

[Sherwood Smith]

Best described as a wacky mystery. Marie, under the guise of her nom-de-detctive Luelle, is hired by a kind of creepy guy to find out if his wife is playing him false. She desperately needs cash, and so she's on her way to Murder Island--only to be imprisoned by her creepy boss, She escapes down a rhidden staircase, stumbles into an orgy in a sex dungeon, which also contains the dead body that gets the mystery going. A kinky, wise-cracking boat pilot named Betsy is the highlight of the weird cast in this mystery. Second best, a cool librarian sidekick. Caveat: the mystery itself was obvioius from the gitgo, and I'm usually the last to guess, but everything else was fun.

[Janie Borofsky]

I read this book in one day, so I’d say it’s pretty good
(very unserious and fun)

[Brigid]

Give me all the Luella van Horn mysteries please! I adored the first in the series and I liked this installment even more. The writing is laugh out loud funny and the mystery was clever. I just adore Luella/Marie and her new found friends. The rich and weird island made for a great setting. (We are talking real wacky and a bit raunchy too.) Excellent on audio narrated by the author, Jo Firestone. I hope there is more to come in this series!

Thank you to the publisher and author for an early review copy and early listening copy. Reviews are my own.

[Jamele (BookswithJams)]

This is the second in a series; I have not read the first book but had no issues here as it read completely fine as a standalone. Given the title, no surprise that the humor is a little on the saucy side, but all that aside, I really had fun reading this; it was just the right length, very funny, and just the right amount of drama, especially with the ultra-rich, who basically get away with everything. Our protagonist is a little clueless about what exactly goes on at Murder Island, but she is focused on the job she was hired to do as a private investigator, as the payout could really help her financially. Easier said than done as things quickly take a turn and she’s not sure if she’ll even make it out alive. It was fun to see how it was going to end and overall quite the entertaining read. I also want to note the author narrates the audiobook herself and I really enjoyed listening to this one and following along with the book.

Thank you to Bantam Books #partner for the gifted copy and to PRH Audio for the ALC to review.

[Miranda Giles]

Jo Firestone, I need the next book like YESTERDAY! I love this series, it’s so silly and witty and mysterious and makes me giggle out loud. I would love Joan the librarian as a new constant in the coming books, bc her and Marie/Luella are a wonderful pairing.

[Tori Strother]

“Most days, my go-to state of being is ‘coward eating cereal’”

[Gigi]

Sure okay. clearly a great idea for a book title and then the plot came later

[Sarah]

Outrageous & a hoot

[Alison Beninato]

"She makes some friends in this one!"

Had some genuine chuckles while reading. Love Jo Firestone and will read whatever she writes. :)

[J.R.]

Marble dild's? Obvious veneers? A waiter with a natty juicy peach? SOLD.

[Sarah Elizabeth Schiel]

If you liked Murder on Sex Island, you'll like Sex on Murder Island.  Yes, there's murder.  But there is also just obscene hilarity that had me snort laughing.  If you’re looking for a detective who is equal parts chaotic, clever, and completely impossible not to root for, meet Luella van Horn. The whole book has this wonderfully absurd, offbeat vibe. Luella is definitely a detective I’d happily follow into another ridiculous mess. Thank you to Jo Firestone, Ballentine, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Evah Engel]

Silly enough but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one. I hate veneers so I’m glad hers broke and also I’m glad we acknowledged that everyone knows she’s wearing a wig bc the whole time I’ve been like there’s no way she’s actually pulling this off

[Sarzaddy]

I listened to the audiobook because if there’s one thing better than reading Jo Firestone’s work in your head, it’s her reading it TO you! This was a fun and hilarious read with a crazy cast of characters, and there were even some wholesome character development moments and wild plot twists. What’s the next installment?!

[Drew]

Jo Firestone, I have three things to tell you.

1. I’m your biggest fan.
2. Write another Luella van Horn mystery please please please.
3. If you need inspo for a gay character, please give me a call. I cannot imagine a bigger honor than being memorialized in this world.

[Audiobook’d]

[Lata]

With shiny new veneers in her moth that she could afford after her previous successful case on Sex Island, you'd think the jobs would be rolling in. But, nope, Marie needs money. She's on the verge of being evicted and it's super hot in August.

Out of the blue, while at the library, Luella is contacted and asked to find evidence that the caller's wife is having an affair. Marie thinks this should be fairly easy, but, the case is on Murder Island, an island for the uber-rich located near New York City. Not having anything else lined up, Marie dons her wig and heads out.

And everything is weird, super weird, amongst these very, very rich people. And just as Luella is ready to show her client evidence, the man in the affair turns up dead, after a sex party in her client's basement.

And Luella gets hurt, but thinks she knows whodunnit. She asks for help from the horny sailor who brought her to the island, and the librarian with encyclopedic knowledge she met just before this job. Luella again more or less falls face first into the reveal, but this time she has two now eager people working with her, something she realizes she has been missing in her life and that she really, really likes.

That the various sleazy rich people don't really pay for their conspiring and murdering is no surprise, as the rich don't live by ordinary rules.

But, Luella has friends now! Yay! And that librarian, Joan Clyborne, is a hoot, as is Betsy Clench, the sailor. I enjoyed watching this small team stumble and bumble their way around to the dénouement. And it was interesting also meeting Marie's ex, Leslie Jones, an actor, with whom she's on better terms with by the end of this book, which is a big step forward for Marie.

I'd happily read more Luella van Horn mysteries; I like the constant ridiculousness and humour.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Alyssa Deville]

Luella is at it again! This time, her past confronts her as she attempts to discover the secrets of the mysterious, elite families of Murder Island. Will she piece the mystery together in time?

Throughout the book, I giggled, rolled my eyes, and may have referred to my own character chart more than I care to admit. The adventures that Luella finds herself on really are far fetched yet also not? Regardless, the little Easter eggs throughout that pointed back to her first ever attempt at private investigating had me SHOOK. I initially was going to give this one a four star rating but the ending felt a smidge disjointed, so it’s a solid 3.75 for me!

I was given an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Chuck Jones]

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the digital ARC of this title to read and review in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this novel! This was the perfect blend of over-the-top comedy, mystery, and thrills that kept me glued to my chair, and I couldn't put this novel down. The characters in this novel jump off the page due to the great dialogue and interactions between them, and I loved how the author described them all and juggled each of their own styles with ease.

The plot was fast-paced and very engaging, and the author did a phenomenal job introducing a large cast of characters without losing the reader one bit. She also did a great job setting the scene, with descriptive writing that really helped transport us to this filthy rich cesspool.

I can't wait for another Luella Van Horne mystery!

[Vivian Friedman]

meant to get the first one but this was the only one I could get my hands on so had to start with the second. a fun and cute read. very very corny at times so that sometimes I wanted to give her a one but then other times it was so camp I wanted to give her a five, so three it is! Can’t wait to see what Luella and the gang get up to next

[Annie Ashbrook]

3.5 for silly sex murder!
Not anything groundbreaking, but a fun and quick read. Some of the humor was very funny and some cringed me out so bad. My biggest issue with this book was the ending. It was so random, rushed, and felt anti-climactic after the first 2/3s of the story.

[Josh Lieberg]

luella van horn… the woman that you are! i could read an infinite amount of these books! they make me laugh so hard every time. is it because i find juvenile humor really funny, potentially! can’t wait for the next one because this one ended on a CRIMINAL cliff hanger.