Day’s YA: FLIRTING WITH MURDER

FLIRTING WITH MURDER by Amanda Sellet
9781250360199
4/21/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Virginia Tillis is headed to Florida to spend the heat of summer with her favorite theatrical, eccentric grandmother Lainey, who lives in a perfectly pink condo known as Castle Claude. Within the walls of Castle Claude lives a crew of dramatic theater retirees who spend their days playing Killing Me Softly, a murder mystery roleplay game where they stage and solve fake murders (and they really go all out!). It’s Virginia’s specialty, and she’s gotten pretty good at spotting the bad guys and solving the crime. But this visit is different. The building’s beloved owner, Claude, has died, and Virginia is visiting to attend his celebration of life—and because he left her something in his will.

As it turns out, Claude has made his death just as dramatic as his life. Everyone has been left something in his will, but some people are not happy with what they were given, and they are determined to get everything they possibly can. To make the stakes even higher, the cute guy that she met at the airport just so happens to be the grandson of another resident. Virginia simply has to beat him at Killing Me Softly, because there is no way she can let him be the golden grandchild of the building—that spot belongs to her. But when they find a real dead body while playing, the two must bring their skills to the real world and team up to find the real killer and save their grandparents’ community.

As someone who grew up among the pink condos of Florida (my grandma also lived in one!) it’s always a treat for me to read something that brings me so much nostalgia for my childhood. Amanda Sellet’s descriptions of Florida are spot on, and they brought me right into the sticky heat of summer—I could practically feel the sweat running down my own forehead when Virginia arrived. Not to mention, one of my big dreams is to one day attend a murder mystery party, so Killing Me Softly pretty much sounds like the best game to ever exist. It really almost felt like this book was made for me.

To put it simply, this book is hilarious. The banter was a masterclass in banter. From the first page, I was laughing out loud, and at times I even had to hide my laughter while reading on the subway. From their first meeting until the end, the back-and-forth between Virginia and Felix was exactly what I look for in a romance. Their chemistry was obvious, they complimented each other so well, and they had that perfect slow-burn rivals-to-lovers dynamic. And, of course, they made a pretty great murder-solving team. With Virginia, I don’t think any young adult FMC has ever matched my internal dialogue so well at that age—I felt like I was reading my own thoughts from when I was 16. This would have definitely been a favorite book of mine in high school (and I definitely would’ve wanted to be Virginia’s friend), but I still love it just as much ten years older. And I most certainly can’t forget about the grandparents! They were the most quirky yet charming cast of characters, the sense of community among them was so strong. and the relationships between them and the grandchildren were so sweet to see.

All in all, FLIRTING WITH MURDER is like THE AGATHAS meets THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB meets Only Murders in the Building, with a side of romance. This hilarious whodunit is everything I wanted in a cozy, light-hearted mystery. The characters are absolutely unforgettable, and I think I would do just about anything to visit Castle Claude and play a game of Killing Me Softly. 

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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