Oh this was a whole lot of fun. A bit like going to a murder mystery weekend. Fun characters and some interesting relationships between them. I enjoyed this one and its golden age vibe. Its Christie but with its own identity and I hope there are more to come!

A locked room mystery in effect with the background a fancy dinner party in an isolated big house with all concerned either being, or involved in, blackmail. Naturally the weather was bad, the electrics off and hence the drawbridge wouldn't work. The 'detectives' were Mimi (being blackmailed) and her grand daughter, Addie. They are fairly remote with each other with Mimi being reclusive and Addie more than bothered about her ex stealing her video games. There were plenty of discussions about gaming in the IT sense which just passed over me and how brilliant Addie was, really? The characters were just, well, just - neither that interesting or likeable. Sorry but this felt like an attempt to bring a standard mystery into the gaming 21st century but didn't work for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This if Not a Game by Kerry Mullen
This book features Rosemary and woman in her 70’s who is known as Mimi. She lives alone on Mackinac Island and is invited to a party by a neighbour, Jane Ireland, who indicates that she knows a secret about Mimi and that she is willing to blackmail her. Mimi is currently not on close terms with her granddaughter having fallen out about her granddaughter’s partner but she decides that it would be good for her to accompany her.
Addie her granddaughter is currently separating from her fiancé who is trying ot steal her rights to a game they developed together entitled Murderscape. The pair of them arrive at the party and are faced with a locked room mystery which they have to solve. I have to say that I was not hooked by the story and had no desire to discover who had committed the deed. I wasn’t bothered enough about the characters to want to find out who the murderer was. I’m sorry but this just did not work for me. Many thanks to Kerry Mullen, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this in return for an honest review.

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen is a delightful, fast-paced mystery that blends suspense with wit, all wrapped up in a setting of wealth, glamour, and old-school charm. The novel introduces readers to two unlikely detectives: Mimi, a sharp-witted 77-year-old who enjoys crossword puzzles and Gibson martinis, and her granddaughter Addie, a woman recovering from a broken heart and a rocky past.
The story kicks off at a high-society auction party hosted by the extravagant Jane Ireland at a grand mansion on Mackinac Island. Mimi, reluctantly blackmailed into attending, finds herself in the middle of a tangled web of suspects when Jane is found dead. As if that weren’t enough, a second body turns up, and the pair is thrust into a race against time to unmask the killer.
What makes it so enjoyable is the chemistry between Mimi and Addie. Their contrasting personalities — Mimi's seasoned, no-nonsense approach and Addie’s more idealistic, emotionally-driven outlook — create a quirky, endearing dynamic. Their investigation is filled with clever twists, red herrings, and an ever-growing list of suspects, each with their own hidden motives and dark secrets.
Mullen excels in creating a vivid, atmospheric setting. The mansion, with its labyrinthine rooms and mysterious corners, feels like a character in itself, adding tension and suspense to the plot. The sharp dialogue, combined with Mimi’s dry humor and Addie’s emotional depth, keeps the tone light even when the stakes are high.
Though the novel is packed with suspense and intrigue, it never takes itself too seriously. It’s a perfect blend of cozy mystery with a touch of darker drama. The story’s pace is brisk, but it doesn’t skimp on character development, allowing readers to become fully invested in both the whodunit and the personal arcs of Mimi and Addie.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a mix of clever plotting, endearing characters and a touch of humor to go along with the thrills.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

This Is Not A Game is a fun whodunit with wit and charm.
One for fans of Richard Osman and Only Murders in the Building.
4 stars.

An excellent locked room murder mystery where the guests attending an exclusive party are being blackmailed. When the weather changes and the house is cut off the first murder is revealed. Mimi, a cocktail drinking, crossword solving ex journalist and her granddaughter Addie a designer/developer of video games begin a race to uncover the murderer. Very entertaining and I think it could make a really good screenplay.

This has an Agatha Christie vibe to the murder mystery. Everyone trapped in a houses together but who is the killer. I spent most of the book moving from person to person without quite putting it all together!

📚 Book Review 📚

When does a game look like a murder and when does a murder stop the game?

Great cosy whodunnit with twists and turns reminiscent of Agatha Christie herself. I really enjoyed this.

Addie is a clever tech mystery games designer and producer who is reeling after the break up of her relationship with the man she loves and business partner. After receiving an invitation from Mimi, her sharp witted and sharp tongued grandmother to stay with her, Addie finds herself with her grandmother, locked away in a large house with the inhabitants dropping like flies. Very soon, Addie and Mimi know that to solve the mystery, Addie needs to use her mystery writing skills before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed this book, the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter is lovely and the mixture of traditional whodunnit along with more of a contemporary mystery vibe, works very well. This is a fun, twisting and enjoyable read.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 24th April 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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!

I’ve rated this 2 stars because I enjoyed the beginning. I saw the potential for the rest of the book but it just didn’t grip me and felt rushed.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

What I loved about this book was the grandmother, granddaughter super sleuth team! We have here a reclusive grandmother who isn’t particularly affectionate and enjoys her solitude in her small village. Her world is shaken when she receives a blackmail letter directing her to an upcoming party at a wealthy neighbours. She daren’t face it alone so she calls up her granddaughter who is going through a difficult break up and legal case. Things are tense between them but through their investigation into this blackmail case they are able to understand each other better.

The relationship between grandmother and granddaughter was fantastic. It was such a fun pair to investigate the criminal occurrences and mystery that occurs and they just bounced so well off of each other! I thoroughly enjoyed the way they learned more about each other and they way they continue to surprise each other.

Here we have a group of people with secrets and lies, trapped in a house together by inclement weather following a dramatic party. There’s an interesting mystery here with layers and hidden connections. However what makes this memorable is the fab investigative duo!

Thank you to Netaglley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I have to be honest—this book just wasn’t for me. Despite the positive reviews that initially drew me in, I found myself struggling to get through it, hoping it would improve as the story progressed. Unfortunately, it never did.

The characters were completely unlikable, which made it difficult to care about what happened to them. On top of that, the plot felt silly and far-fetched, making it hard to stay engaged or take the story seriously. Overall, I found the book disappointing and wouldn’t recommend it.

Thank y ou net galley for this copy!
Absolutely loved the storyline & found it extremely gripping throughout!

I absolutely adore the relationship between the grandma and granddaughter in the book. It was a fun, easy-to-read, and entertaining mystery that beautifully explored family dynamics. The story had a cozy atmosphere, infused with humor and delightful twists. What more could you possibly need in a book?

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and all the twists and turns that came through as you continued into the book. The characters were great and really believable.

Addie is still in love with her ex-fiance Brian, but it is evident that he used her to get ideas for their co-created video game. Mimi, Addie's grandmother, is being blackmailed for a secret she is unwilling to reveal. The blackmailer demands that she spend a lengthy weekend at her neighbour's mansion, and she invites Addie along. Before you know it, it's a game. A hazardous game in which partygoers die one by one. Add in a violent storm, and no one is leaving the mansion. I loved the dialogue, and the fast-paced plot kept me gripped.

This is as cosy as Only Murders in the Building which is my favourite show at the moment! This gave all the cosy feel good thriller vibes! Highly recommend

4.5 stars!! 🌟

I flew through this in a few days, I was hooked! The story takes place on Mackinac Island, where a big, glamorous mansion sets the stage for a fancy auction party gone wrong. Mimi, a witty 77-year-old with a love for Gibson martinis and crosswords, is blackmailed into going, so she drags along her granddaughter, Addie (a murder mystery game founder), who’s trying to get over a messy breakup. What starts as a high-society event quickly flips when their hostess, Jane, ends up dead, and it’s Mimi and Addie left to figure out who’s behind it all.

I loved the grandmother-granddaughter bonding, they end up making a great/ slightly chaotic, detective team. The dialogue is nonstop & Mimi’s sense of humour had me giggling!!

The whole story was just the right mix of mystery, family drama, and suspense. It’s perfect if you love a good whodunit with a quirky twist!

When does a murder-mystery become a game? When does a murder become a mystery-game? Whose in charge, the gamer or the murderer? Rosemary, Mimi to her friends and family, is a retried journalist and lives alone on Mackinac Island in the Great Lakes. She is seventy-seven and the grandmother and the only relative of Addie, a designer and developer of the immersive, multiplayer, ‘choose your own adventure’, video game “Murderscape”. She is in dispute with her co-developer over ownership, and is losing, The pair have a tense relationship, mainly due to Mimi’s restrained personality.
Rosemary is surprised to receive a letter from Jane Ireland, super-rich owner of the islands largest estate, inviting her to a charity auction at the Ireland mansion, a castle surrounded by a moat and accessible only by drawbridge. The surprise, initially, is becomes she does not move in those circles and has a negative opinion of Jane. However, that is a minor detail when she realises that this is a blackmail situation, in which she will be expected to bid a ridiculous amount for an item to prevent her darkest secret from being revealed. Having no choice, she accepts the invitation and takes Addie with her for moral support. Duly assembled with an assorted bunch of strangers, the auction proceeds despite the fact that a massive snow storm is blowing down from Canada and will shortly turn into a ‘historic bomb cyclone. Needless to say, this will cut them off from the rest of the island and from the mainland. And then Jane is murdered. Trapped with a murderer on the loose, a classic murder-mystery situation, Mimi and Addie pool their expertise to discover all the secrets of the house and its occupants, and solve the murder.
Mimi and Addie are now two players on a quest inside a ‘choose your own adventure’ story, a constrained space, with multiple locations, multiple artifacts, open and concealed passages, equivocal characters, clues and red herrings, easter eggs and potential dangers. In other words, they are inside the sort of game that Addie develops for a living, and proceed through it the way a player would. It’s a novel approach but more because it explains the mechanics rather than hides them – a sort of Meta approach. At heart it is just a standard murder mystery; quite a good one because there are a lot of potential clues but very few real ones. The writing style is relaxed but a bit repetitive, and it rolls along nicely although the ending is a bit rushed. I wasn’t very engaged with the actual characters but that isn’t really an issue because I’m the Player in this game inside a game.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

A locked room mystery and who dunnit set on a snowy Great lakes island. I liked the dynamic chemistry between grand daughter and granny and their amateur sleuthing skills based on their individual hobbies. However, the storytelling dragged and there was no excitement to the plot. I persevered to the lacklustre denouement.

a multiple pov mystery about a video game called murderscape and a mystery party held by a rich woman who ends up brutally murdered.

i actually really enjoyed the inclusion of video games - it felt very modern and i haven’t really seen anything like that before in thrillers.

the only thing that annoyed me a little is there wasn’t an indication the point of views switched so it got a little confusing at times.

however, the book was beautifully written and constantly kept you guessing.

fans of alice feeny’s daisy darker and the tv show sherlock holmes would definitely enjoy this book.