Death Was Not on the Guest List
- Judith D Collins
- Jun 14
- 5 min read
By: Jenni L. Walsh
Narrators: Lauren Ezzo, Barrie Kreinik
ISBN: 978-1662536274
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: 06/16/2026
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
From USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh comes a witty Jazz Age mystery where rivalry, ambition, and deceit glitter under every chandelier…and no one gets out until the killer is unmasked.
In Chicago’s Gold Coast district, twenty of the city’s most glamorous socialites gather for a charity whist drive at the Bellevue House mansion. Brightest among them are Ginevra King Mitchell and Edith Cummings, real-life debutantes who inspired Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.
But when their sharp-tongued hostess turns up dead and a blizzard traps everyone inside, suspicion and gossip give way to fear. After all, one guest has a habit of burying husbands, another a proclivity for poison. Their charming veneers belie jealousies, ambitions, and deceits aplenty, enough to drive any one of them to kill.
As whispers turn to accusations, the police start closing in. Ginevra and Edith compete to solve the murder, uncovering secrets far more dangerous than the gossip columns ever revealed. But when a second body is found—strangled with Ginevra’s own pearls—their restless rivalry becomes a race for survival. Who’s next? And is the answer hidden in Fitzgerald’s exasperating novel?
My Review
A glittering, razor-sharp 1920s historical locked-room masterclass. "A witty and glamorous Jazz Age whodunit where rivalries clash under the chandeliers of a snowbound mansion."
In DEATH WAS NOT ON THE GUEST LIST, bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh departs from her usual wartime and espionage dramas to deliver a deeply atmospheric, roaring twenties historical thriller mystery. The story hinges on two sharp-witted real-life debutantes who must outthink a killer while trapped by a blizzard in a high-society Chicago estate.
Real-life inspirations vs. high-society serial killer.
Elevator Pitch
Two iconic Jazz Age debutantes—the real-life inspirations behind The Great Gatsby’s Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker—find themselves trapped in a locked-mansion charity event during a brutal Chicago blizzard, forced to compete against a killer and each other before the body count claims them next.
Setting
The winter of 1923 in the exclusive Gold Coast district of Chicago. The setting is the Bellevue House, a lavish, sprawling mansion defined by glittering chandeliers, high-society card games, and a sudden, suffocating blizzard that completely cuts the estate off from the outside world.
Vibe
"Glitzy, fast-paced, and treacherous." It blends the dazzling, champagne-soaked decadence of The Great Gatsby with the claustrophobic, paranoid dread of a classic Agatha Christie locked-room mystery.
Genre
Historical Mystery / Locked-Room Whodunit / Jazz Age Thriller.
Themes
Rivalry and Ambition
Perception vs. Reality
High Society Constraints
Survival vs. Status
GINEVRA & EDITH: THE RECONSTRUCTED ICONS
Turning real-life historical muses into sharp, competitive sleuths.
Standout Characters
~Ginevra King Mitchell:
Beautiful, sharp-tongued, and aristocratic; the legendary inspiration for Daisy Buchanan, who refuses to play the victim.
~Edith Cummings:
Fiercely competitive, observant, and independent; the pioneering athlete who inspired Jordan Baker, matching Ginevra wit for wit.
Author Writing Standout
Walsh’s thorough background in meticulously researched historical fiction shines through in her sharp, captivating dialogue and vivid period accuracy.
Takeaway
The most glamorous social facades often conceal the deepest rot; when a community values reputation over truth, the truth will eventually strangle them with their own pearls.
Title Significance
Death Was Not on the Guest List acts as an ironic, witty nod to the meticulous planning of Chicago's elite charity drives. It highlights how easily an uninvited, murderous reality can crash an exclusive event, forcing the ultra-wealthy to realize that their money and status cannot buy them safety from a hidden monster.
Metaphor
Ginevra's own pearls serve as the central metaphor of the novel. They represent the heavy, strangling weight of high-society expectations and wealth—a beautiful ornament of status that ultimately becomes a deadly physical weapon used against them.
Why You Should Read
Read this if you are a fan of witty, glamorous historical mysteries like Clue meets Knives Out, or if you want a fast-paced whodunit that breathes brilliant new life into the real women who inspired American literature's most iconic characters.
My Thoughts
The novel succeeds beautifully in building period-accurate tension. The 1920s timeline is perfectly captured—not just through glitzy aesthetics, but through the dual-POV narrative of Ginevra and Edith that keeps you guessing. The sharp-witted pacing avoids dry history, delivering an incredibly grounded look at systemic female rivalries and an unforgettable, high-stakes climax.
Verdict 5 /5 Stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
"A glittering, masterfully executed Jazz Age mystery that pairs iconic literary history with a genuinely chilling locked-room conspiracy."
Recs
For more standout historical fiction by the author, Jenni L. Walsh, I highly recommend:
~Sonora, a historical fiction inspired by the incredible true-life story of Sonora Webster Carver, one of America’s first female horse divers.
~Ace, Marvel, Spy, the historical fiction novel that recounts the incredible true story of Alice Marble.
~And The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (for a rich, witty, and atmospheric period-piece mystery)
Special thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: June 16, 2026
June 2026 Must-Read Books
Praise
“Completely entertaining! This witty and glam roaring twenties thriller is Clue meets Knives Out with the cleverest element ever—the fictional version of the debutantes who inspired the iconic characters in The Great Gatsby. Captivating dialogue reveals suspicion, gossip, ambition, and murder—and a terrific relatable story. Break out your champagne, your long pearls, and your cigarette holders…and don’t miss this glitzy and irresistible drama of the jazz age.”
—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of All This Could Be Yours
“The best kind of whodunit caper, with sharp-witted female sleuths on the case. Death Was Not on the Guest List serves up a dazzling cast of take-charge women determined to unmask a killer, even as the body count rises. Clever and exciting, this page-turner kept me guessing alongside Ginevra and Edith as they pieced together a wonderfully tangled mystery.”
—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book Society
About the Author
Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it historical or contemporary. Jenni’s historical novels for adults include Sonora; Ace, Marvel, Spy; Unsinkable; The Call of the Wrens; A Betting Woman; Side by Side; and Becoming Bonnie. She also writes books for children, like the nonfiction She Dared series and the novels Outlook Unclear, The Bug Bandits, Operation: Happy, Over and Out, By the Light of Fireflies, I Am Defiance, and Hettie and the London Blitz.
A proud member of Tall Poppy Writers, Jenni is a graduate of Villanova University and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit www.jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media. WEBSITE
