To solve the greatest unsolved murder mystery, that is the role of this book. Of course it is a work of fiction, but the parallel is there. You are invited to a murder mystery dinner party, the guests are all involved in the murder somehow; the police detective, the coroner, the expert witness, the ex husband, the boyfriend, friends of the accused even the chairman of the Coroner’s court jury. The host is the son of the accused, sorry the hosts, he has an imaginary brother. Then of course there is you, the reader who is given the role of the detective to solve the case.
Although there is quite a bit of unnecessary repetition I found the book intriguing and entertaining, a different take on the murder mystery. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

There is a lot about this book that I loved. It is quirky and a bit weird and it’s based on a very recognisable true crime case that I know quite a lot about, so it immediately gripped me. I sped through the first third and then I found it became rather repetitive and the quirkiness I loved started to go a bit awry.
I powered on and excused the repetition because of the courtroom type scenes and the multiple witness statements but really, it could have been cut down by several pages. The quirky stuff around the detective character could also stand to lose a few pages. The writing was otherwise enjoyable and I think with better editing it could have been a 4.5 star book.
A couple of things did annoy me though. There was far too much swearing and it seemed jammed in, in an unnecessary way. Also, there was mention of a school bus - in London, in 1974. There was also an instance of “mum” being spelled “mom” and I got the impression that the author might be American who happened to research this case and what was on TV in 1974. I could be wrong but it pulled me out of the book.
One last point, this book sort of spoils a few classic mysteries in a general, sweeping kind of way. You might not notice it unless you have read them or know which book they are referring to but it does spoil the plot of some classics, plus The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (I think). Not really fair to other authors, or readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Unfortunately I DNF'd this book, which I did not choose to do easily. The formatting for the Kindle made it rather difficult to read, but I chose to persevere with it, knowing it was an ARC. However when I was 14% in and still had over 6 hours left in the book, I was shocked. I felt like I had read a lot of the story and the plot and knowing I had so much left to read filled me with slight dread.

The concept of the book was clever, however the execution was not quite there and this made it difficult to get into and therefore enjoy.

I really tried with this book but sadly it was not for me.

Good premises however had to keep going back to reread as a little confusing at times and sometimes felt like I was being talked down to rather than along for the journey.

An interesting premise but this is a very rare book in that I didn’t finish it. Far too confusing, I didn’t have a clue who half the characters were and why they were in the story but worse I didn’t like any of them. Just not for me.

I liked the idea of the book but for me it rambled on far too long and I was not always sure the purpose of endless quotes and references to some far better detective stories. I think an edit down to novella length of even short story would have been a better idea. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

***Advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***

The Game Is Murder is built on an ambitious concept—inviting the reader to become “The Great Detective” and solve an old murder—but unfortunately, the execution just doesn’t deliver.

The book is slow, self-conscious, and far too pleased with its own cleverness. The characters feel flat and distant, making it hard to invest in the mystery or care about the outcome. There’s a lot of telling rather than showing, and the narrative voice is more interested in being meta than being engaging. At almost 500 pages, it drags considerably—bogged down by repeated exposition, theatrical flourishes, and a structure that ultimately felt more like a gimmick than a story.

If I hadn’t been reading this to review, I wouldn’t have finished it. It’s a long and frustrating slog, and while the idea had potential, the book never quite figured out what it wanted to be. A miss for me.

I had mixed feelings about The Game Is Murder. The premise is clever, inviting the reader to play detective and solve a decades old murder, but the execution didn’t always work for me. The story shifts from an interactive mystery into something more complex, and I found the first two thirds difficult to follow. While I enjoyed the twists, deception, and the fresh approach to a classic whodunit, the writing style felt off. The narrator’s tone came across as very know it all and that annoyed me, which made it hard to connect. Still, the last third was stronger, and I appreciated the unique concept behind the book.

At the beginning I really liked the idea but some of it did drag on. The end was disappointing as it seemed to fit one of the criteria he said they wouldn't do.

Interesting read though and lots of recommendations for other reading.

This is quite different to the usual crime story, where instead of the fictional detective the reader is put in this role to investigate an unsolved case. The reader is invited to a dinner party to examine the evidence and listen to the witnesses to solve the ultimate murder mystery.

When I heard about this I jumped at the chance to read it as it sounded like such a fun, original concept. I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately I ended up struggling with it. My main issue was that the plot was very repetitive and at times very slow and convoluted. I struggled with the writing style, being spoken to directly my the narrator who I found tiresome, and the lack of character development. The book was overly long and quite overwhelming with the amount of concentration needed to properly understand the storyline.

I found myself trying not to skim parts but struggled due to not being engaged in the story. The author notes that concentration is needed at the beginning of the book to properly work out the mystery so this was not ideal. I did enjoy the puzzle element and really liked how interactive this was. I love that the author has thought outside the box and appreciate the concept. I think that tightening up some of the plot and making the chapters shorter, less repetitive and less wordy would make this flow better and be more immersive. As I love the idea behind this I would be interested to see what the author writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I really did want to like this book, the premise is a great idea but I found the authors voice annoying and just a bit like talking to a child and/ or idiot. The voice sounds smug and really I did not want to spend time with that person. The tale itself is ok but a bit confused.

I loved the premise of this, you being the detective and trying to solve the murder. But it did fall a little flat for me at parts and difficult to follow. But I did enjoy some of the twists and deception that keeps you guessing and that it was different to books I’ve read before.

You are invited to a Murder Mystery Party and you called on to be The Great Detective. There are thirteen guests at the party or rather thirteen suspects. What you have to do is decide is to listen to the suspects, examine their evidence and solve the crime. The story is about the unsolved murder and the events before and after the crime. It was full of twists and turns with a few red herrings thrown into the plot, and it led to a satisfying ending.

In all honesty I struggled with this book and was close to not finishing until the last third, when I started to enjoy the concept of the story and developed an interest in the conclusion. Which I didn’t guess, possibly as I found the first two thirds difficult to grasp.

It is essentially a mystery to be solved and the reader is invited to take part initially as the detective, it seems, which then becomes a little muddy as the story shifts into something more complex.

The crime to be solved is the murder of a nanny some 50 years ago and a dinner party being held in present day, to which all of the leading participants are invited.

The writing was a very modern style and yet each chapter is started with a quotation from an author by a fictional detective. I didn’t like some of the style of storytelling and feel it needed some further thought. For me anyway.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This locked-room mystery throws you straight into the action with puzzles, twists, and a deliciously clever setup.

This is a murder mystery novel which involves the reader. As the Great Detective, you have been invited to a dinner party, at the home of Lord David Verreman. Your purpose is to solve the cold case murder that took place in the very house years ago.

In 1974 a murder took place in the aristocratic home of Lord and Lady Verreman. Lady Verreman was the intended victim and her husband the murderer. The two were going back and forth in their divorce settlement, and particularly the custody of their children.

On the night of the murder the nanny Sally Gardner was mistakenly blundered to death and, in the confusion, Lady Verreman managed to escape. Those of us who remember the Lord Lucan case will draw parallels to this. Especially as Lord Verreman also goes on the run.

The dinner party consists of key players and witnesses who attended the coroner’s inquest, and their testimonies will be reexamined by you or maybe someone else, who knows.

This is a unique take on murder mystery writing, frequently breaking the fourth wall to keep you fully engaged in the plot. That is despite goal posts frequently moving to create smoke and mirrors. There are some real gems in the one liners too. All in all, a nice bit of fun.

Thank you NetGalley and ARC for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication

From the Preface I wasn't sure if the author was trying to put me off reading the book or intrigue me. I persevered but found it somewhat bizarre and decided it was not for me.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This seemed like it would be an interesting read. Based on a very famous true life crime it quickly became a slog. I don’t mind the breaking of the 4th wall but didn’t appreciate such a patronising manner. No progress seems to be made and I gave up at 30% with hours of reading remaining. It’s unusual for me not to finish a book but this simply wasn’t worth the effort.

This is an original format for a crime novel which I found too confusing to be a success. I felt the goalposts were moved too many times with David and the imported detective, Max, had too many issues - of his own and inflicted - which detracted from the mystery. I believe less would have been more. There was also too much repetition during the course of the book which made it overlong.
I would be interested to read more by this author.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Hazell Ward/Michael Joseph for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this book immensely and immediately. It’s a cerebral book, and it’s a great read. .#Netgalley #TheGameIsMurder