This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen

I was so excited for this when I read the description, but it ended up being just your average murder mystery and there is not, unfortunately, much that sets it apart from any other book in this genre. Also, I am sorry to say, I just didn’t find this the most enjoyable read.

This is your classic, cosy locked-room type murder mystery. I enjoyed the setting of the idyllic Mackinac island and how this contrasted nicely with the gruesome murder which later takes place there. The setting was definitely well constructed. Jane’s house was explored in thorough detail by the two main characters, and it was really brought to life in the writing, so you could really picture the lavish, expensive home full of hidden passageways and secrets waiting behind every corner. There was a real sense of atmospheric tension throughout and the author does deserve credit for the careful, clever way she sets the scene.

The plot was fun and, for a murder mystery, not too complicated so it was easy to read. The whole book had a very lighthearted tone to it so it is definitely not your gruesome, heart-pounding type mystery book. I found the pacing a bit off at times, and felt after a while that the repetition of the “interviews” with the suspects became tiresome and drawn out. Furthermore, it came across at times that the author was trying too hard to explain things to us; the story felt contrived and the plot felt forced rather than a natural flow of events. Certainly it didn’t help that the author employed a lot of “tell” techniques to give readers information rather than letting us work things out ourselves which was frustrating as a reader. I did enjoy the way we got to follow the two at-home sleuths and almost solve the mystery alongside them, it felt like we were actually inside Addie’s game Murderscape. The addition of the murder-mystery game element was fun, and I liked that this was a new twist on the “mystery writer solves crime” trope, which has become a bit overused lately, in my opinion. However, the fact the video game references kept being brought up in almost every scene was a bit annoying after a while, as it was not really relevant to the story other than to show where Addie got her mystery solving techniques from. It absolutely should have been included to make the main plot, and the sub-plot regarding Brian and Addie, make sense, but it did not need to be so repetitive or forced upon the readers. In general, I just didn’t find the plot overly gripping or suspenseful so it was a relatively average reading experience for me. The ending was okay, but the scene where Addie encounters the killer felt rushed and the “big reveal” scene at the end with all the characters was sort of just an information dump (information we pretty much already knew just being repeated) that left it feeling anticlimatic.

The characters were the real saving grace for me with this book, especially when it came to Mimi. I didn’t really warm to Addie much throughout the book, perhaps mainly because I found her only personally really to revolve around Brian and Murderscape. Yet, I did appreciate the character development that was explored from beginning to end; her growing into herself, gaining confidence, trusting her own instincts and becoming less dependent on her a-hole ex-boyfriend (which was really annoying me at the start as she was just so naive and obsessed over this guy who clearly manipulated and used her, but I appreciate that was probably the author’s intention there as it did help show her development over the course of the book). I did like as well the development between Mimi and Addie and how their relationship blossoms through the shared experience of solving the crime together and found this a heartwarming sub-plot that ran throughout. Mimi was who I really loved. I found most of the things she said to be hilarious and her droplets of sarcasm and snarky comments throughout did lighten the scenes that I was otherwise finding tedious to get through. Her having a snow-mobile named Joan Rivers was brilliant, as with the potted plant Big Phyllis, and I loved that there was this almost hidden layer of comedy with her bag that seemed to be bottomless and full of random items that just kept miraculously coming in handy. She was what carried this book for me. The other characters, or suspects, were well crafted and did all seem distinct from one another, which is hard to do with that amount of background characters. Yet, I found it a bit unrealistic that these two relative strangers (Addie and Mimi) were able to draw so much information out of this set of characters who they knew very little, if at all. I know if I was stuck in a house with a potential murderer I wouldn’t be sharing my life story with two random people and would be locking myself in my room hiding until the police arrived, but maybe that’s just me. It just felt forced that our two main characters managed to get all these clues together and it felt like they (and we) were being fed the information too easily rather than much real work having to be done for them to solve it.

Overall I rated this a 3 out of 5 stars, so very average unfortunately. The writing felt unfinished; something about it just didn’t seem coherent, the plot and the solving of the mystery felt forced and it was in general just awkward to read, at times. I would be very interested in playing the Murderscape Game, but less so in reading more from this author at this time. It’s a real shame as this book has real potential, it just fell short in the actual delivery. Thank you to Netgalley and Kelly Mullen for the ARC.

A very ironic title as everything about the book is a game that Mimi and her puzzle loving, murder mystery game creating granddaughter Addie set about solving.

Okay, so I am a big fan of this trope, trapped locale – in this case, the traditional isolated house. This novel took on a modern version of the murder mystery and set everything up rather nicely so we as readers could play along with Mimi and Addie. The setup gave off Agatha Christie vibes, and there are frequent references to one of the writers’ well-known creations, Poirot.

The ameteur sleuth duo went about solving the crime in a traditional and methodical way. It’s always fun to explore a big house in this kind of novel, and it didn’t disappoint. I warmed up to Addie more than Mimi and found her actions towards her husband, reading this from the perspective of a disabled reader, problematic.

The clues were given subtlety, and the cast of suspects all appeared to have the same motivatation, none of them really stood out more than others. At times, I had to remind myself who some of them were.

I guess that was kind of the point. Unlike some modern crime novels, the book really made the reader work those ‘little grey cells’ to solve the case. I partly guessed, ‘whodunit’, and when I looked back, the clues were there, but oh so subtle. A few red-herrings, but for me, I wasn’t particularly swayed in any direction.

I would have liked to get into the psychology of the suspects a little more, too – like in Christie’s And Then There Were None. This would have added a more chilling aspect to the book and built up a little more suspense. Overall, a clever mystery that gets you thinking. 3.5 stars.

Grandmother/Granddaughter duo, Mimi and Addie, are a force to be reckoned with in this locked room whodunnit!

This is a fantastic debut novel from Mullen. It is atmospheric and throws you right into the thick of it alongside a host of wickedly funny and some just plain wicked characters. The wit and banter between Mimi and Addie had me laughing out loud until the very end.

Highly recommend. Compelling, cosy crime at it's best!

A mysterious locked-room debut, with a lot of thrills and a wonderful grandmother and granddaughter relationship.

Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiancé, Brian, dumping her and cutting her out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game, Murderscape, they invented together.

Mimi discovers she's being blackmailed over a dark secret in her past and is lured to a party at a neighbours mansion. Addie comes as back-up, though in the dark about the parties real purpose. Before the party can truly begin, the first body is found and Addie and Mimi must solve the crime before one of them is next.

A fun and twisty mystery with a unique focus on mystery games and the classic points of the genre.

This is an enjoyable locked room murder mystery with a duo of feisty protagonists.
Mimi and her granddaughter, Addie are invited to a party by a local celebrity. It takes place in the middle of a snowstorm, the drawbridge to the house is pulled up so there’s no escape and the host is dead.
This is more of a cosy crime caper than I usually enjoy but Mimi and Addie are great detectives. Addie is the inventor of a murder game and Addie has a fabulous tote bag with any number of very useful things in it (a woman after my own heart). The other guests are a diverse bunch of slightly odd people, which makes this a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great whodunnit with memorable characters. Would love to see more of Mimi and Addie

This was a great whodunnit set in a locked house with lots of interesting characters. I loved Mimi and Addie and their relationship as they set out to investigate the murder of their blackmailing hosts……

Three and a half stars.

Mimi is a septuagenarian living on Mackinac Island in Michigan, living her best life of bridge, crosswords, and the occasional Gibson martini. Then she receives an invitation to a Jazz Age themed auction party at Jane Ireland's extravagant mansion - the kicker is the invitation comes with a side of blackmail, Jane knows Mimi's secret and the price of silence is to buy a specific lot at her auction, no matter the cost.

Mimi has been estranged from her only living relative, her granddaughter Addie, since Addie started dating Brian. But when she receives the invitation/threat she knows she needs Addie's keen mind to help her ... at the very least she needs to tell Addie her darkest secret before it gets exposed.

When they arrive at Jane's party there's a motley group of guests, including Jane's son-in-law (who is also rumoured to be her lover), her brother, her life coach, a tv host, a famous artist, a pianist, a perfume creator (and there may be more). There seems to be a brittle atmosphere and Jane is seen arguing with guests at different times in the evening, before retiring to bed at just gone 9pm.

With the mansion's drawbridge raised and an extreme storm blowing in, the party are set to spend an uncomfortable night together, and then they find Jane's body and Mimi is accused of the murder. Can Mimi and Addie draw on all their resources to solve the mystery before more bodies pile up or the police can get onto the island from the mainland?

This sort of mystery harks back to some of the great locked room mysteries, all the guests (and staff) have secrets, most of them are also being blackmailed, some of the guests are co-conspirators, most of them are lying, the power has gone out and they are all trapped in the mansion which has lots of secret passageways (cue duh, duh, duh music).

I enjoyed this, I didn't guess the identity of the murderer and there were plenty of red herrings along the way. Maybe my only quibble was that it was a bit convoluted at the end.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

OK, this was a bit of a weird read, so I should make clear what to expect. You see, based on the title, and Addie’s occupation, I was expecting a something a bit… well, meta, I suppose. Something that invites the reader to play along, plays tricks with them, you know the sort of thing. And that’s not what this is.

Yes, there are plenty of references to Poirot, but to the utter delight of Brad at Ah, Sweet Mystery! it seems primarily to the TV programme, not the books. And who in their right mind would put on the dreadful adaptation of Appointment With Death to unwind?

No, what this is, is a fairly straightforward cosy murder mystery with a few modern mentions, notably to computer games, but at the end of the day, this is a grandmother-granddaughter teaming up to solving a crime in a situation where everyone should be panicking but mostly seem strangely relaxed.

At the end of the day, there were too many clichés without anything new being done with them. Fans of cosy mysteries will enjoy this – Addie and Mimi are pretty good company, especially Mimi – but just read it with your eyes open.

Attending a swanky charity auction should be fun but for Mimi the only reason she is there is because she is being blackmailed. She brings along her grand-daughter Addie, herself struggling with a lawsuit against her ex, but before Mimi can confess, there is a scream and their hostess is found dead. As the weather isolates the mansion and the body count rises, can Mimi and Addie solve the puzzle?
I really liked the modern update of the Golden Age of Crime Writing trope of the 'locked room' in this story and there are lots of references to Christie et al in the narrative. The cast of characters is varied and the story is moderately interesting but...I really felt that there was too much here and the actual plot seemed lost in the cleverness of it all. It's a jolly enough read but felt rather contrived.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great whodunnit with memorable characters. Would love to see more of Mimi and Addie

77 year old Mimi lives on her own on an Island in Lake Michigan. She is surprised to receive an invitation to a party hosted by her celebrity neighbour, Jane. But the notes accompanying her invitation fill her with more than surprise; they fill her with fear. She is being blackmailed.
Recently Mimi's not been getting on well with her only grandchild, Addie, but inviting Addie to attend the party with her seems a good way of building bridges. Addie, a game designer, is glad to have a break from the misery of betrayal from her former partner and agrees to go to the party with Mimi.
They arrive as the snow is falling and join a mixed group of guests. In a theatrical move, the drawbridge across the moat is raised, cutting the guests off from the rest of the world. The scene is set for murder and when it happens, the guests discover that the earlier snow has turned into a storm and no-one can get through to them. It's up to Mimi and Addie to try to solve the murder.
I really enjoyed this book. If I'd had the opportunity, I'd have sat down and read it in one go. It is a real page turner and left me guessing who the murderer was right up to the big reveal.

This story opens with an interesting plot line that grabbed my attention. Mimi, is retired and living in the beautiful setting of Mackinac island in the Great Lakes. She receives an invite to a party and art auction hosted by her very wealthy neighbour. This seemingly pleasant invite though includes instructions to bid on a certain lot and threatens to expose Mimi’s secret if she doesn’t comply. Mimi is determined to face up to the challenge and invites her granddaughter, Addie, to accompany her.

The setting in an old house with secrets passageways is described in delightful detail with Mimi and Addie doing lots of exploring. The dialogue between the grand mother and grand daughter was well paced as they tackled the investigation and Addie’s background in video game design provided a different perspective on the situation. Some of the other characters I felt were rather weak and the dialogue a bit far fetched in that some were too quick in offering up critical information to the two amateur sleuths. Overall though an enjoyable light hearted cosy murder mystery.

A locked room mystery with a twist and a lot of blackmail. Mimi and her granddaughter are attending a party that neither wants to be at and they soon find they're not leaving. Then there's a murder and they decide to find the killer.

This was very much a cosy murder mystery with a modern Agatha Christie feel to it. I loved the location and the uniqueness of the locked room side of the mystery. I have to admit that I wasn't totally sure on the killer as I was too busy enjoying the ride to the big reveal. It made sense and its a recognised way but I liked it. The plot was simple and fun. Mimi is brilliant and I loved Addie too. The ending was perfect especially that very last scene with Addie. A fun light mystery.

This Is Not A Game is a lighthearted, cosy, locked-room mystery. I love a locked room mystery as it just adds to the tension throughout the story, and you get to know the characters well as they’re all stuck in one place together and secrets get revealed. This was the case in this story too, although there’s quite a few characters and I had to remind myself who was who a few times.

I absolutely loved the duo of grandmother and granddaughter Mimi and Addie, as they worked together to try and find out whodunnit. There was great banter between them and it was really lovely to see their relationship develop throughout the story. It was fun that, as the reader, I got to follow along with the clues discovered by Mimi and Addie and try to work out what happened. However, there were some good surprises and reveals along the way and I didn’t work out who the murderer was!

The book was well-paced and built up well to the ending, which I loved as the reader finds out whodunnit along with all of the other characters as a big reveal.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is Not a Game was a full throttle locked-room mystery with a really interesting gaming angle that intersected perfectly with the plot. Add into the mix two engaging protagonists and plenty of secrets and you have yourself a recipe for success.

I loved the intergenerational feel of this book with the Gibsons drawn together by blackmail and eventual violence. Both Mimi and Addie have a lot going on in their lives which is magnified by the fateful events of Jane’s party. Their relationship is the beating heart of the book and makes it stand out amongst locked-room mysteries, especially as they both come under fire. Their investigation is as much to clear themselves as it is to find out the truth.

Mimi is sometimes unlikeable, snarky and slightly bitter, but incredibly observant about people and persistent in her sleuthing. She pushes against the Miss Marple gentle type of investigating often associated with older characters in the genre – she is brazen and nosy and takes no prisoners. Addie on the other hand takes a softer tact often but needs to grow her inner confidence, dented by the actions of her manipulative ex. Her background adds a meta layer to the plot as she developed a hugely popular detective game. It adds a layer to proceedings as she interrogates the conventions of the genre and relates it to her gameplay.

The actual mystery is well-constructed with plenty of twists and turns in store. It feels like a game unfolding before your eyes, but one where you get involved too. Mullen bursts out the gates with a bold and captivating debut. The writing has a cinematic feel to it, drawing on Mullen’s background, and would lend itself well to an adaption.

This is Not a Game is a love letter to classic locked-room mysteries with a meta twist and two protagonists that find a space in your heart. Count Mullen as one to watch.

This Is Not a Game is a suspenseful and utterly engaging mystery that had me hooked from the very first page. Kelly Mullen masterfully crafts a story full of intrigue, unexpected twists, and great characters that breathe life into every chapter.
The dynamic between the grandmother, Mimi, and her granddaughter Addie is the heart of the novel. Their relationship is authentic, warm, and laced with humor—a refreshing and emotional core that adds real depth to the story. I loved watching their bond evolve as they worked together to unravel the mystery.
The plot is tightly woven and incredibly well-paced, keeping me guessing the whole time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer was revealed. It’s one of those books where you keep saying, “just one more chapter,” until suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and you’ve read the whole thing.
Mimi, with her sharp mind and unflappable poise, feels like a modern-day Poirot, but with a unique charm all her own. Addie brings a fresh, contemporary angle to the investigation, making them the perfect sleuthing pair—old school meets new tech in the best way possible.
This isn’t just a mystery; it’s a story with heart and substance. The depth of character development, clever plot, and emotional resonance make This Is Not a Game a standout. Highly recommend for fans of classic whodunits with a modern twist.

Mimi is a spritely 77-year-old who lives in a Hampton's like mansion in Mackinac Island, Michigan. She is visited by her grand-daughter Adele and together they attend Jane, (a neighbour's) lavish party, However, the night quickly turns to murder and the house guests are forced to stay overnight, waiting for the police. Mimi and Adele decide to play detectives.
A light hearted easy read.

Addie is a game designer with her partner Brian but when he tries to steal the company from her and profit from her ideas, she goes to visit her Auntie Mimi on Mackinnac island.
Little does she know what she's letting herself in for. When her Auntie asks Addie to accompany her to Nelson Manor to an event hosted by Jane Ireland, a local celebrity, all is not what it seems.
Life is set to mimic art so to speak when Addie swiftly finds herself embroiled in a real life mystery when one of the party guests is murdered.

Addie and Mimi set out to investigate. If you take a smidge of scooby doo, a cup of Agatha Christie and a dram of Nancy Drew you've got the perfect recipe for this book.

A charming and breezy whodunit that relies largely on its older-younger relative pairing, This Is Not a Game has some fun flourishes with classic board games and proves a warm and cosy if slightly forgettable mystery.