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Luella van Horn Mysteries #2
Sex on Murder Island: A Luella van Horn Mystery
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jun 26Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 03:42:05
10 copies available
U.S. only
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?
"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?
240 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 30, 2026
3 people are currently reading
2288 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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!
November 17, 2025
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!!
February 28, 2026
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really wanted Sex on Murder Island to be a sharp, ridiculous little satire. Instead, it mostly feels like a bit that goes on about 150 pages too long.
The premise is great. A private investigator. A secret island for the ultra-rich. Sex. Murder. It practically writes its own jokes. Unfortunately, the book seems more interested in reminding you how quirky it is than in telling an actual story. The humor is relentless but rarely escalates. It just sort of hovers there, nudging you in the ribs and saying, “See? Isn’t this weird?”
Luella van Horn continues to be less “lovably odd” and more “how are you still employed?” Her cluelessness stops being charming pretty quickly. Instead of building tension, the mystery often feels like a loose suggestion happening somewhere in the background while everyone competes for Most Random Line of Dialogue.
There are flashes of clever satire about wealth and reality TV excess, and occasionally a joke genuinely lands. But the plot meanders, the stakes feel low, and by the time the solution rolls around, it is hard to care who did what to whom. A murder mystery should at least make you curious. This one mostly made me tired.
If you love aggressively quirky humor and do not mind a mystery that feels optional, you might have a better time. For me, it was a two-star trip to Murder Island, and I was ready to leave long before checkout.
The premise is great. A private investigator. A secret island for the ultra-rich. Sex. Murder. It practically writes its own jokes. Unfortunately, the book seems more interested in reminding you how quirky it is than in telling an actual story. The humor is relentless but rarely escalates. It just sort of hovers there, nudging you in the ribs and saying, “See? Isn’t this weird?”
Luella van Horn continues to be less “lovably odd” and more “how are you still employed?” Her cluelessness stops being charming pretty quickly. Instead of building tension, the mystery often feels like a loose suggestion happening somewhere in the background while everyone competes for Most Random Line of Dialogue.
There are flashes of clever satire about wealth and reality TV excess, and occasionally a joke genuinely lands. But the plot meanders, the stakes feel low, and by the time the solution rolls around, it is hard to care who did what to whom. A murder mystery should at least make you curious. This one mostly made me tired.
If you love aggressively quirky humor and do not mind a mystery that feels optional, you might have a better time. For me, it was a two-star trip to Murder Island, and I was ready to leave long before checkout.
January 16, 2026
I loved Murder on Sex Island and was absolutely thrilled when I was provided an eARC of Sex on Murder Island from the publisher/NetGalley. I was not disappointed! While the first Luella Van Horne mystery was a ton of fun and quite funny, Jo Firestone really leveled up here. The writing and editing are much better and as a result the book is much better written overall.
The central mystery about, well, sex on Murder Island (and murder on Murder Island), is more complex and engaging than its predecessor, while still being absolutely ridiculous. It’s hard to craft a page-turner of a mystery that is also genuinely funny and Firestone succeeds here. The humor ranges from quick witted one-liners to all out slapstick and almost every joke or gag hits. I also absolutely loved the introduction of Joan and Betsy and the genuine reflection on how meaningful it is to have friends rather than always trying to go it alone.
The ending was so funny and the twist/cliffhanger at the end of the epilogue already has me looking forward to a Luella Van Horne #3. Highly recommend Sex on Murder Island and think you should all buy it as soon as it comes out so Jo Firestone is able to keep this series going for a long time.
Opinions my own! TY to publisher and netgalley!!
The central mystery about, well, sex on Murder Island (and murder on Murder Island), is more complex and engaging than its predecessor, while still being absolutely ridiculous. It’s hard to craft a page-turner of a mystery that is also genuinely funny and Firestone succeeds here. The humor ranges from quick witted one-liners to all out slapstick and almost every joke or gag hits. I also absolutely loved the introduction of Joan and Betsy and the genuine reflection on how meaningful it is to have friends rather than always trying to go it alone.
The ending was so funny and the twist/cliffhanger at the end of the epilogue already has me looking forward to a Luella Van Horne #3. Highly recommend Sex on Murder Island and think you should all buy it as soon as it comes out so Jo Firestone is able to keep this series going for a long time.
Opinions my own! TY to publisher and netgalley!!
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March 6, 2026I thought this was going to be a fun, snarky, quick read. I read the first book and that is exactly what it was. It sometimes went on a little long and it was definitely cruder than I usually seek out, but it was funny and light and over the top in a way that was entertaining.
I went into the second book expecting more of the same but hoping things would tighten up a little bit both in terms of plotting and characterization. Specifically, I was hoping Luella would be a little more on the ball this time around - or at least have a slightly better developed sense of self-preservation. Instead I found her to feel even less well-developed than in the first book - and, more importantly, ditto on the plot.
This one wants to be witty and a send-up of murder/investigation stories, but it winds up feeling overdone and trying too hard. As a result a lot of the humor missed the mark for me, and the plot felt jumbled. The characters were odd rather than quirky, and all started to run together in my head. For a short book I seemed to be reading it forever and I still only got a third of the way through before I finally had to call it not for me and let it go.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
I went into the second book expecting more of the same but hoping things would tighten up a little bit both in terms of plotting and characterization. Specifically, I was hoping Luella would be a little more on the ball this time around - or at least have a slightly better developed sense of self-preservation. Instead I found her to feel even less well-developed than in the first book - and, more importantly, ditto on the plot.
This one wants to be witty and a send-up of murder/investigation stories, but it winds up feeling overdone and trying too hard. As a result a lot of the humor missed the mark for me, and the plot felt jumbled. The characters were odd rather than quirky, and all started to run together in my head. For a short book I seemed to be reading it forever and I still only got a third of the way through before I finally had to call it not for me and let it go.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Jo Firestone has done it again! Just seeing this title, realizing it's a sequel to MURDER ON SEX ISLAND, made me laugh out loud so I knew I was in for a treat. Luella Van Horn is a character we can all get behind: a down on her luck private detective, which a strange ex-husband, no friends, and an eviction notice. After solving a case on the reality show Sex Island a few months ago, she's back in New York City but cases are drying up. That is, until she gets a mysterious invite to Murder Island, a private island for the uber-rich near the city. There she gets roped into some pretty crazy stuff and it's done with only the flair Jo Firestone can pull off.
I had such a blast reading this, and read it in one sitting on an otherwise boring weeknight. I adored the new friendships Marie (Luella's real name) makes in her quest to crack the case, and this story is about her growing as a person just as much as it is figuring out what in the world is going on on Murder Island. You really won't know what's going on from moment to the next, and it's just such a blast. More Van Horn mysteries, please!
I had such a blast reading this, and read it in one sitting on an otherwise boring weeknight. I adored the new friendships Marie (Luella's real name) makes in her quest to crack the case, and this story is about her growing as a person just as much as it is figuring out what in the world is going on on Murder Island. You really won't know what's going on from moment to the next, and it's just such a blast. More Van Horn mysteries, please!
April 17, 2026
3.5*
Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for the eARC! I was obsessed with Murder on Sex Island, so when I saw that another one was coming out I was so excited!
This one wasn't as fun and quirky as the first, I still really enjoyed it and read a large period of it in one day.
This book is already short with being only 240 pages, but actually think it could have been 200-220 pages and it would still packed the same punch.
They was a big too much wandering around Murder Island for me, and then the end wrapped up very quickly.
With that being said it was still a fun quick read. I've really enjoyed this series, and it seems like the end of this is setting up for a third and I will definitely read it!
Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for the eARC! I was obsessed with Murder on Sex Island, so when I saw that another one was coming out I was so excited!
This one wasn't as fun and quirky as the first, I still really enjoyed it and read a large period of it in one day.
This book is already short with being only 240 pages, but actually think it could have been 200-220 pages and it would still packed the same punch.
They was a big too much wandering around Murder Island for me, and then the end wrapped up very quickly.
With that being said it was still a fun quick read. I've really enjoyed this series, and it seems like the end of this is setting up for a third and I will definitely read it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Jo Firestone is two for two! I adore Luella van Horn and her ridiculous antics, and I was beyond pleased by the addition of a funny, smart librarian friend for her (Go, Joan, go!), and a slutty sailor friend (Betsy had me in tears several times). That, along with the surprisingly nuanced tale presented here, even with the marble strap-ons and themed sex parties, made this story just as good as the first one in my opinion. I don't know if Firestone has any more Luella stories planned, but I really hope she does! Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
If you have a sense of humor and enjoy entertainment this series is a MUST READ! Be prepared to laugh your face off.
This hilarious, highly entertaining sequel is even more engaging than its predecessor, while still being delightfully ridiculous. A page turning mystery that’s also genuinely funny isn’t easy, but Jo Firestone’s uniquely sharp and playful writing style makes it feel effortless.
I loved the new additional characters and both books so far. Very much looking forward to Book #3.
Thank you Jo Firestone, Ballantine, and Netgalley for this LAUGH OUT LOUD Book!
Read and listen on 06 / 30 /2026
This hilarious, highly entertaining sequel is even more engaging than its predecessor, while still being delightfully ridiculous. A page turning mystery that’s also genuinely funny isn’t easy, but Jo Firestone’s uniquely sharp and playful writing style makes it feel effortless.
I loved the new additional characters and both books so far. Very much looking forward to Book #3.
Thank you Jo Firestone, Ballantine, and Netgalley for this LAUGH OUT LOUD Book!
Read and listen on 06 / 30 /2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was a huge fan of Luella Van Horn in Murder on Sex Island and was super excited to receive an ARC of Jo Firestone's second book in the Luella series-Sex on Murder Island. I love the author's sense of humor and the whole tone of the story, even the outrageous parts (aka "The Rooster"). Hysterical! Luella's two new friends were an added bonus! I cannot recommend this series enough! Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own. Expected publication: 30 Jun 2026 Rating: 5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine for the advanced copy!
I requested the ARC for ‘Sex on Murder Island’ after giggling all the way through ‘Murder on Sex Island.’ This book is straight up ridiculous, in the funniest, silliest way. Definitely not a read to take seriously.
After her initial success on Sex Island, Luella is struggling. In an attempt to redeem herself, Luella attempts to resolve the mysteries of Murder Island. During Luella’s investigation, I was giggling and rolling my eyes from the quick one-liners and classic slapstick comedy.
As always, all opinions are my own.
I requested the ARC for ‘Sex on Murder Island’ after giggling all the way through ‘Murder on Sex Island.’ This book is straight up ridiculous, in the funniest, silliest way. Definitely not a read to take seriously.
After her initial success on Sex Island, Luella is struggling. In an attempt to redeem herself, Luella attempts to resolve the mysteries of Murder Island. During Luella’s investigation, I was giggling and rolling my eyes from the quick one-liners and classic slapstick comedy.
As always, all opinions are my own.
April 5, 2026
ARC received from Netgalley
These books have come to entertain me more than thrill me. Especially this one. There were many moments where I found myself laughing out loud but I can’t say I was super invested in the mystery this time around. I think I was maybe less thrilled than the previous book. I love the characters and the quirkiness and the jokes though and that can be a tough tone to balance with mystery and thrills. I would still probably read a third installment. Love Luella Joan and Betsy!!!
These books have come to entertain me more than thrill me. Especially this one. There were many moments where I found myself laughing out loud but I can’t say I was super invested in the mystery this time around. I think I was maybe less thrilled than the previous book. I love the characters and the quirkiness and the jokes though and that can be a tough tone to balance with mystery and thrills. I would still probably read a third installment. Love Luella Joan and Betsy!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I LOVE JO FIRESTONE'S BRAIN!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
While Sex on Murder Island had some pretty humorous moments, the story required too much suspension of disbelief for me. The things the supporting characters don't notice or get confused by are hard to believe. The way the story wraps up is so odd and quick too... like after everyone is caught they really go to the cafe to eat together because the police just believe their story... It was too odd for me.
While Sex on Murder Island had some pretty humorous moments, the story required too much suspension of disbelief for me. The things the supporting characters don't notice or get confused by are hard to believe. The way the story wraps up is so odd and quick too... like after everyone is caught they really go to the cafe to eat together because the police just believe their story... It was too odd for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I will be the first person to admit that I am not the biggest fan of mystery novels. That being said, I hope Jo Firestone keeps writing Luella van Horn Mysteries forever. They are so fun and heartfelt at the same time. I'm not even mad this one ended on a bit of a cliffhangers because I hope it means we get a third installment.
VERY TJOBJOBO.
VERY TJOBJOBO.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews