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

I'm afraid this book was just not for me. I couldn't get into a flow for whatever reason and struggled to pick it up to continue. Maybe I was just not in the frame of mind for this type of story so take that into consideration.

The format of this ARC on a kindle is horrible, the chapters are all over the place, nothing made sense. In 6 days I read 14% of the book, normally it only takes me 4 days to read a whole novel! I didn’t relate to the characters, there was so many! And the story was just going on and on and on without any real substance
I wanted to love this book but I found it put me in a real slump so had to stop reading, I may go back to it but think it would be better reading the paperback than the kindle edition.

I really loved the sound of this book but unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for me.

I found the writing to be a bit erratic and hard to follow, with everything taking to long to get to the point.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

The Game Is Murder is unlike any mystery I’ve read, it’s immersive, cerebral, and unapologetically meta. Hazell Ward invites the reader to become the Great Detective, tasked with solving a decades-old murder from 1970s England. But this isn’t just a whodunit, it’s a genre-bending puzzle that challenges every assumption you bring to the table.

The setup is deceptively simple: a murder mystery party, a cold case, and a cast of unreliable witnesses. But as you dig deeper into the death of Sally Gardner in the basement of 8 Broad Way, the narrative begins to twist in on itself. The protagonist, Maximillian Enygma, is a washed-up detective battling addiction and self-doubt, and his unravelling mirrors the reader’s own descent into uncertainty.

What I appreciated:

🧠 The structure is bold and experimental. Chapters are named after classic mystery novels, and the book constantly plays with genre conventions.

🎭 The metafictional elements are brilliantly executed. Ward doesn’t just break the fourth wall—she dismantles it and hands you the pieces.

🔍 The mystery is layered and challenging. You’re not just solving a crime—you’re interrogating the very nature of storytelling.

💬 Enygma is a standout character. Flawed, literary, and deeply human, he anchors the chaos with emotional weight.

That said, the novel’s complexity may frustrate readers looking for a traditional mystery. It demands close attention and rewards those willing to engage with its deeper themes. For me, the payoff was worth it, a clever, unsettling exploration of truth, narrative, and the role of the reader.

The book was way longer then it needed to be, and over explains a lot. The way it’s written isn’t for me personally.

When I found heard of this book I was genuinely intrigued. Puzzle solving is right up my street.
When reading the first few pages, I was like OK, I need to pay attention. Let the problem solving begin. But I was just left confused. I struggled to follow the narrative and I don’t think I can really put it down to me being too tired to read. I didn’t really like the characters, it was a bit repetitive and by 25% in I was wondering why I felt like I needed to continue. I really did try for the authors sake so I could give a final opinion based on the whole story but I just couldn’t finish it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

2.5 stars

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately I didn't. The premise was very promising and it sounded like something I never encounter before. I was expecting something on the line of a choose your own story book, although I wasn't sure how that would have worked out.
In the end, I really could not get into the story. One of the main problems for me was the narrator constantly speaking to the reader (so you were addressed directly) and I felt it did so quite patronisingly. It also disrupted the flow of the story.
The book in general was wordy and the same evidence was reviewed at least 3 times at different points. It made it repetitive and, quite frankly, boring and I ended up skimming to the end because I just wanted to know whodunnit... again that was quite a let down as I felt it wasn't something it could have been worked out.

Unfortunately not one for me.

In all honesty, though this is well written the constant breaking of the fourth wall kept taking me out of the story in a way which made the book feel more of a slog than it should have done. I also felt the pacing was somewhat slow, possibly because I never felt truly immersed in the story. A shame, as the author is clearly a capable writer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I do appreciate that writing a book is a lot of work and a labour of love and I do not like to be negative but I am sorry to say that I could not get along with this book at all.

It is written in an experimental way with the author continually and I do mean continually addressing the reader directly. I tried to not mind this but it got on my nerves. I read a book to be entertained by a story not to work hard to try to solve a mystery. I also like the story to flow and not be interrupted by the author . I found it all very confusing.

After about 25% I started to skim and there seemed to be a great deal of repetition. Eventually I just went to the end to see if we find out whodunnit and actually, if the book was just written in a more familiar way, like an ordinary book, it would be quite a good story.

I was confused by the similarities to the real life Lord Lucan case, I don't know if there is a significance that I missed or if the difference between the book and the case are based in reality.

Did not finish.
I felt the style of writing wasn’t engaging and rather patronising to the reader.
Probably better as a holiday read when you can read long passages at a time, I tend to read in short bursts mostly in bed.
I had no empathy with the characters, although I gave up at 20%, so maybe they did form but I found them very one dimensional.
It reminded me a bit of an Agatha Christie novel about a card game.
Good potential, but not the writing style for me.
Sorry.

This one left me a bit puzzled by how I felt about it, so I looked at the other reviews, which is unusual for me. Yes, this is a ‘marmite’ book, it is slightly pretentious and again, yes, it is repetitive. However, you can’t fault the author for being ambitious and telling a story in a different way. I also loved all the classic crime novel references and especially enjoyed the categorisation of fictional detectives. If there is a sequel I’m definitely going to read it, and that’s my benchmark of a good story.

Getting Played by the Game is Murder

Well, I wanted unique and I got unique. With echoes of the Lord Lucan case, where an aristocrat did away with the nanny, but with a TWIST. Because in this version, not everything is as it seems and *you* get to play detective.

Which is a pretty epic premise and what drew me to impulsively request this on Netgalley. And at the start I enjoyed being toyed with. The layout was unique; the breaking of the fourth wall kept me on my toes…

Until it didn’t. After a while, the constant barrage of second person began to grate on me (and ultimately had the unfortunate side effect of making me feel like I was hearing voices). All of that might have been a deliberate (and in some respects smart) stylistic ploy- however I felt like it was trying to be too clever for its own good. I rather thought by the end that it lost the plot.

So, while this was a playful read, I think it was a little too silly for me.

Rating: 2½/5 bananas

An intriguing and ambitious premise that Hazell Ward carries off well.

I enjoyed much of this puzzle as this is what this really is. It’s not really a cosy mystery as you really are in the detective hot seat.

I found the early third of the book quite hard going with some very lengthy chapters and the narration did feel pretentious at times, if that’s the right word. But it is clever and if you can get used to the fact it’s very much a puzzle rather than a crime thriller then it’s really quite fun,

A book that from the NetGalley reviews is very much dividing the audiences. I am the side all for this and I think it’s very likely to be a big hit

I enjoyed the book that much I finished it before midnight it was a really good detective book

Blurb

What if a Great Detective reinvestigated the most famous unsolved murder case of the century?
What if that Great Detective was you?

You have been invited to a very special murder mystery party.
Thirteen guests have been gathered - rather, thirteen suspects.
But only one of them is a murderer. And only you can find them.

Your task is simple. Listen to the witnesses, examine the evidence, and solve the case.
Be careful. Trust no one. In this story, all may not be as it seems.

The ultimate murder mystery is yours to solve.
A word of warning, though - catch the killer, or face the consequences...

You have been invited to a murder-mystery house party, although you don’t know anyone. Still you are a Great Detective. Or perhaps not. Who can say? Your host is Lord David Verreman and the house is his family home. He had eventually inherited the title even though his father is not known to be dead. In 1974, David’s Nanny had been beaten to death in the basement of the house, his mother had been assaulted and his father had disappeared. Although it is suspected that his father was the murderer, no charge has been laid and no trial. However, the coroner at the inquest had been somewhat lax with the laws of evidence, and had as good as condemned him. Now David has convened this dinner party to review all of the evidence, so the other guests are all the key players who had been involved with the investigation and the inquest, ranging from the coroner, through the witnesses, to the chairman of the jury. You will hear all the evidence and then decide what had happened and whodunnit. Or perhaps not. Who can say?
This is the most Meta book I have ever read. You are a player in the game, assuming you are real, of course. But perhaps you not. Who can say? Like all murder-mystery stories, your ultimate aim is to solve the puzzle, although it seems there might be more than one puzzle. Or perhaps not. Who can say? The book can also be categorised as a courtroom drama, in fact three different versions of that format, because the evidence will be presented three times in three different formats, three different angles. That makes it a bit repetitive, which will annoy some readers, although repetition is common in this genre. It might also fall within the definition of an instruction manual, explaining and demonstrating the tricks of the trade (I ‘m familiar with the sources), which some readers will find distracting. There is a helpful, or annoying (your choice), quiz listing all of the options which you would consider in coming to a conclusion. To many readers it will be clear that this is based very closely on the real life Lord Lucan mystery, so it is also a sort of True Crime drama. The solution here is logical, the clues are there so it can be solved by the reader. It is, overall, a clever book, which will divide opinions and it doesn’t make it easy for rating purposes; clever, ambitious, challenging 5; repetitive and over long 2.5; plot, deductive challenge and logical conclusion 4; believability 3. That gives me 3.6 and I always round up which means 4.
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.

I was sent an advance copy of The Game Is Murder by Hazell Ward to read and review by NetGalley. This is an intriguing and altogether different type of crime/trial/mystery novel. I have to admit that when I was only about 30% in I seriously considered abandoning the book as it had become so repetitive. I am very glad I persevered though – I had decided to carry on as you are bound to get a certain amount of repetition when there is a trial in the story. In the latter part of the book it became more amusing and even whimsical in places. I won’t say that it wasn’t quite confusing at times but overall it was a good concept and some issues may be ironed out before finally going to print. Good enough to just sneak into 4 stars for me as it stands at the moment. Give it a read and see what you think!

✨2 stars✨

This had such an interesting premise and I was really engaged with the writing for the first part, especially with the context of the reader being the detective.

However, after the first part, my attention quickly dwindled paired with the fact that the plot and characters seemed to get more convoluted and confusing, I slowly started to lose interest.

I think some people may enjoy this book, however I found it too long for what the plot was. I’m my opinion this should have been shorter and snappier.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I’m sorry but I just could not get in to this book, I found the way it was written confusing and it simply didn’t engage my interest enough-I ended up skimming through it. I hate to do this to any author who has obviously put a lot of hard work into their writing but this just wasn’t for me. Obviously based on the Lord Lucan story, perhaps my view is influenced by having previously read about and seen things on tv and my not particularly wanting to revisit this infamous case.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review and my apologies to the author for not enjoying your work.

Thanks Netgalley for providing a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

I tried. I really tried to get through this book. But at the end of the day I was dreading picking this up again and genuinely falling asleep at most of my attempts.

I was intrigued by the premise and that I would be part of the book and solving the murder that has been reopened by the son who doesn’t believe his father has committed it, but I think I expected something a bit more dynamic than effectively 20% of the start of the book information dumping onto me, barely any character development or personalities shown on the page, and just an incredibly boring repetitive read.

It’s such a shame I have to put this book down before I finish it, because the idea behind it had so much promise, but it just really wasn’t for me. It’s still really unique though and I applaud the author for attempting something so far outside the box.

I wish them luck in their future books, and might give another a go, who knows.