Sex on Murder Island A Luella van Horn Mystery

By: Jo Firestone

Published by Random House, 2026-06-30

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?