A very enjoyable book. Mimi receives an invitation to a party but it also includes a blackmail letter. Nervous about going on her own she invites her granddaughter, Addie to join her. Set on the island of Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) a fierce storm blows in. When the host is murdered, Addie, who is a developer of a successful murder mystery computer game, starts to investigate. Although it is a 'And then there were none' type plot, the characters are eccentric and written with a humour. Everyone has something to hide so with each interview more lies are revealed. It's an easy read and I read it over a 24 hour period. I look forward to more by this author.

Unfortunately this wasn't for me, I found the writing style hard to get into and the story lacking. The characters fell flat and the story was similar.

It's early November on Michigan's Mackinac Island, and 77 year old Mimi has been blackmailed into attending the scandalous Jane Ireland's auction at her isolated mansion, which she's co-hosting with her son-in-law (who's also her lover). In a bind, Mimi ropes in her heartbroken granddaughter Addie to attend the auction with her. But also in attendance are numerous other frenemies of Jane's, including the unlikely named Jim Towels. But as the storm takes hold, and the auction starts, so too do the murders. Soon Mimi and Addie find themselves the prime suspects, so both being puzzle fans they decide to turn detective to find the guilty. In doing so they discover that Mimi isn't the only blackmail victim, not by a long shot.

Although a murder mystery, this book was so funny, with some definite laugh out loud moments. The mansion shut off from the rest of the island by a moat, with the storm and the rising body count, and a cast of characters, almost all of them with something to hide, gives off And Then There Were None vibes. Add to that it's many secret passages which helps to increase the tension. You then have Jane Ireland, the 70-something narcissistic socialite, who's understandably estranged from her only child for having an affair with her son-in-law, both of whom have their own secrets. And then there's the relationship between Mimi and Addie, recently strained due to a falling out, who have to work together to bridge the generational gap and investigate the murders, and in doing so they start to see and appreciate the other's point of view.

This was really good, and I recommend it when it's published on 24th April.

I found this book really hard to read as the writing style felt like it was going to be set in like the 40s to 60s but then with the mention of fitbits you know this is set in present. So for me it felt odd reading.

Irascible grandma brings her game designer daughter to a dinner party and murder ensues. There's a moat with a raised drawbridge and a snowstorm, so the guests have little to do but mingle, bitch, and worry about who's next.
The various guests and staff are well-drawn, even the house itself has secrets, and it all adds up to a lot of fun - even with the necessary video gamesplaining for anyone who isn't a gamer (I am, and I would play the heck out of Murderscape).

I usually enjoy a locked room murder mystery having cut my teeth decades ago on Agatha Christie and thought with the side interest of modern day virtual reality murder games this would be a great book. Unfortunately I found it very slow going with two dimensional characters and the dialogue was so unrealistic which made reading it like wading through treacle. I did consider not finishing it, but pressed on to the end, which was supposed to be like a Hercule Poirot denouement but was more of a damp squib.

A fun murder mystery but slow throughout, I kept reading but only because I had hoped it would pick up pace

This is a fun locked-room murder mystery set in the US. Although I didn’t especially like the granddaughter-grandmother duo of detectives, the plot, characterisation and dialogue kept me well entertained, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

A slow starting locked room type mystery involving a dinner party in an isolated big house.

Lots of characters but none of them were particularly interesting and the detectives (for want of a better description) were no better. The fact that they were grandmother and granddaughter was also odd. I lost the enthusiasm for the book as the plot involved video games and the gaming industry./IT knowledge.

The slow start didn't really speed up, and I felt really disappointed in the whole book.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

I didn't love this as much as I wanted to, but I did like the relationship between Mimi and Addie. I found it very far-fetched with some rather large plot holes. I read it in one sitting, but I did doze off several times which isn't a great advert for the speed of the plot.

I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't rush back to it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Agatha Christie in modern form! This felt like everything I LOVE about a classic murder mystery, it grabbed my attention and held it the whole time, I couldn't put this book down, and if I did I was constantly thinking about what could possibly happen next... and ultimately - whodunnit!
Fantastic story I look forward to more from Kelly Mullen

I really thought from the cover and the description that this would be right up my street. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I felt like the book just dragged on - it could have been halved and still fitted everything in. I found myself struggling to reach for it as I wasn’t engaged.

The characters weren’t very interesting, not even the two FMCs. There was such potential for them to develop - both personally and in their relationship but it just didn’t happen!

This murder mystery has the flavour of a golden age Agatha Christie tale, with septuagenarian Mimi and her heartbroken granddaughter Addie finding that circumstances press them into service as detectives when a social event on Mackinac Island goes terribly wrong.

First, their hostess, Jane Ireland, cops it. And shortly thereafter, the second murder is discovered, leading to the need for urgent action! Witty and atmospheric, this story delivers beautifully, earning itself 3.5 stars.

If you love murder mystery then this is the book for you.

Brilliant story line just a bit long winded for me.

Really enjoyed this book, interesting setting, very atmospheric, I actually felt like I was there!

Mimi recives an invitation from Jane a local socialite who lives in a very grand mansion to attend a charity auction, unfortunately Mimi is left with no choice but to attend the invite also comes with a blackmail letter. She invites her granddaughter Addie to attend with her.

Mimi and Addie have been estranged for a while due to Addie's ex-partner who has since left her and seemingly stolen and sold from underneath her a computer game that Addie invented..

A snow storm brings the charity auction to a halt and everyone who is attending the event gets stranded in the mansion.

Great characters, great writing, interesting story, thought it really flowed well.

One small thing, Jane was spelt Jayne for the first few chapters.

Highly recommended

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mimi lives on an island called Mackinac quite happily. She keeps herself to herself and turns down invitations from neighbours. One day she receives a invitation from a local socialite to come to a charity auction which she plans to turn down. Then comes the hook. Mimi receives a blackmail letter and she knows she has to attend to find out what Jane knows. As much as Mimi is not a person to scare easily she invites her granddaughter, Addie, to come to the auction. Their relationship has not been good over the recent past – Mimi did not approve of Addie’s partner, Brian, but as they have gone their separate ways, Mimi feels the time is right to mend this. Mimi and Addie attend the auction and things go from bad to worse. A snow storm arrives and the visitors are all stuck at the huge house. Murders begin, first Jane. The Police cannot get to the island so Addie as a writer of video games brings her logic to the fore to find out the truth behind the murders. I changed my mind throughout the book who the murderer was – sign of a good story well written. I thought this was a good book and it flowed from start to finish. I love the interaction between Mimi and Addie.

This is a fun murder mystery set in an isolated manor house with a murderer on the loose. I found that the characters were a bit confusing to start with, they weren't really explained that well and the timings didn't seem to match up so I was a bit confused at points. Not a fan of the grandmother and granddaughter sleuth duo, they just didn't really work for me.
It's not the best one of this genre I've read but it's a quick read and ok if you want something easy.

Synopsis: Two unlikely detectives. A killer cocktail of suspects.
77-year-old Mimi and her granddaughter Addie attend Jane Ireland's extravagant auction party.

Mimi has been blackmailed into attending Jane's event at a grand old mansion, when suddenly Jane is murdered in plain sight.

Multiple suspects in a locked mansion, but who was it?

🔪

Fab debut! I read this offshore and flew through it 😅 it's a typical locked room murder mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you gripped throughout.
I really liked Addie and Mimi, the detective sleuths 🧐 loved their relationship and some comedy throughout.

Your typical cosy locked room murder mystery, just what I needed!

Thank you to Random House, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my advance copy in return for my honest review ✨️

Repetitive and slow, 'This Is Not A Game' turned out to be less enjoyable than the description would lead you to believe. Trapped in an old mansion after a shady event gone wrong, a group of unlikely suspects discover multiple bodies. Addie, the developer of a popular game, and her Grandmother Mimi, who has a secret she's not yet willing to share with her granddaughter, take it upon themselves to investigate who is to blame.

This book goes round and round in circles throughout, especially when it comes to Addie's character constantly referencing how the murders are similar to plots in her game 'Murderscape'. Honestly, her character comes across as insensitive - she's constantly going around comparing these deaths to fictional plots to 'friends' and family of the victims! It seems like she's just constantly promoting herself because most of the big discoveries don't even come from her anyway - she's too busy talking about herself whilst Mimi solves the crimes.

There was also little chemistry between any of the characters which for the most part makes sense as the majority of them are strangers. However, Addie and Mimi just come across like cliches of a granddaughter / grandmother pairing which doesn't work at all as it's explained multiple times how previously they haven't got on and barely spoke to each other! I think my judgement of their relationship may be a bit harsh as I previously read 'The Switch' by Beth O'Leary which I think perfectly shows this family dynamic - if anything, reading this straight after just highlights how badly written their relationship was!

This just doesn't compare to other mysteries I've read! The end reveal also seemed out of nowhere, having the killer be a character whose name barely even shows up and we as an audience know next to nothing about! I didn't feel anything as the mystery wrapped as I did not care for the characters at all!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for this arc !!

**All opinions are my own !!**

I love locked mistery murders and this one was amazing. I loved the video game aproach, with the hint of cozy murders. I'm going to read more books by this author for sure.