Murder Most Actual will work well for true crime podcast lovers who can catch various of Clue and Agatha Christie references. The snow stormed in a hotel with no phone or internet works as a setting; the visuals made it easy to picture as a film. I just didn't find it more than mildly engaging, unfortunately. It made the story something to wade through rather than speed through.

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Alexis Hall dives into yet another new genre with the murder mystery Kobo Original, Murder Most Actual. While it’s definitely on the cozier end of the spectrum, which isn’t always my thing, I really liked Hall’s take on it, especially as one of the comps is my recent obsession, Only Murders in the Building.

While obviously less romance oriented than Hall’s previous work, there’s still room for romance here as the reader becomes invested in the central characters. True-crime podcaster Liza and her wife, Hanna, are on a retreat hoping to rekindle their marriage when murder finds them. I loved seeing them find a way back together in these raised stakes, in spite of the fact that Liza is clearly more in her element than Hanna is. The sweet moments between the dangerous ones definitely elicited some warm fuzzies.

I liked the way it put a spin on Clue(do), with the quirky chapter titles and the way the characters and other elements felt very inspired by bits of the game. It keeps you guessing and trying to puzzle it out the same way the game would.

I enjoyed the quirky approach too…I like that it didn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s kind of out there while still feeling grounded. Hall has a very distinct style of British humor that has also come through in some of his other work, and I love that his tribute to the likes of Agatha Christie allowed him free rein to let loose with it here.

This is a fun read, perfect for anyone who loves a fun cozy mystery.

I have loved all of the Alexis Hall books I have read so when I saw they were coming out with a cosy mystery I knew I had to pick it up! Clue was my favorite game growing up and this book is like a real-life Clue game. There is a professor and a colonel, a conservatory and a ballroom. The revolver just might be the most frightening part though… The modern and real-life twist is that a couple who is having marital troubles is staying in the inn. One of them hosts a true crime podcast and takes it upon herself to solve the mysterious murders around the house because they are snowed in. This book is thoughtful, innovative, and so much fun! The perfect holiday read! It will absolutely take you down memory lane to playing Clue and wondering how exactly you would solve a puzzle like that in real life.

I'm not a big fan of cozy mysteries, so I probably should not have requested this book from Net Galley. In my defense, I have requested numerous Alexis Hall books and have never been approved for one, so I never expected it to end up in my hands.

Murder Most Actual has a high body count and a marriage-in-trouble subplot. I was more interested in the latter than the former, and Hall skillfully shows both why Hanna and Liza have drifted apart and how they find their way back to each other. Part of it is the unsurprising "facing the possibility of losing your spouse to a deranged killer makes you appreciate her more" but fortunately the other part is the two women talking things out, and then demonstrating that they can and will change their behavior (while trying not to get killed).

The mystery plot is obviously based on a Cluedo game (or Clue as we call it here in the States), complete with a Professor (eating a plum), Colonel (who likes mustard), etc. Liza puts her mystery podcast skills to use trying to catch a killer, but I was completely in the dark until the final denouement, when all of the figurative cards are revealed. Since I'm not a regular cozy mystery reader I don't know if more astute readers would have gotten there before Liza does.

As usual, Hall's writing is razor sharp, with plenty of opportunities to skewer (sorry) the upper class, like this one:
Sir Richard rose with the effortless social grace of the class for whom effortless social grace was the only skill they needed to develop.
It's a little jarring to juxtapose the nuanced troubled marriage plot with the murder of what are basically one-dimensional game tokens, but it mostly works. Not my favorite book by Hall, but YMMV if cozy mysteries are your favorite genre.

Note: This book is a Kobo original, which means you can't order it from the Zon. I believe you can download the Kobo app to purchase/read it though.

ARC received (surprisingly) from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.

I don't read a lot of murder mysteries but it was fun to check this one out since I have enjoyed this author's romances. This is a cosy mystery with a true crime podcaster, who's marriage is on the rocks with her wife. They set out on a romantic weekend away when they get stranded in an old hotel because of an epic snow storm and then murders start happening.

I admit I was a little confused with all the characters in the beginning but the author did a great job of summarizing what was happening without it being redundant, which I really appreciated. This was more of a who dunnit than it was a book on murders, which I appreciated. I wasn't very good at guessing what was happening but I enjoyed the way it all unfolded. This reminded me of Clue, probably because the chapter titles were like that. I could see this being a cute movie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own

I think as my first ever Alexis Hall book, this is a good place to start! It’s got so many things that I absolutely love and what really caught my attention was the lesbian couple struggling with their marriage and solving a murder mystery in the Scottish Highlands! I mean, you read that and you know you need to get your hands on it too.

Murder Most Actual is a story of what happens when Knvies Out meets Only Murders in the Building. Liza and Hanna are visiting a gorgeous castle turned hotel for the Easter weekend as a means to get their marriage back on track. They’ve been losing each other slowly over the last few years and their 10 year marriage needs a little fixing. Liza is a well known voice in the podcast world as a host of Murder Most Actual, while Hanna works with money – in her words: she helps the rich get richer. Their lives are not bad, but they’ve been drifting apart and this getaway is a means for them to sort through all the chaos and find themselves again.

Little do they know that their weekend getaway is about to turn into the scene of an epic crime!

Alexis Hall weaves such an interesting story that sucks you in and makes it feel like you’re truly watching a movie. The characters are all so interesting and captivating, and I spent most of the book predicting who would be next. I’d like to report that I never once got the murders right or even solved the twist before the end! I felt that reading a book with so many supporting characters and twists and turns would be confusing, but there wasn’t a single moment where I felt lost or confused. In fact, I was pretty excited about all of the reveals! I definitely gasped, screamed NO and laughed more times than I thought I would.

Liza and Hanna’s rocky marriage is a big part of the story, but it still takes a secondary role in the grand scheme of things. I loved the quiet moments where they talk and try to understand where they went wrong. It might sound weird to say, but marriage in crisis is such an intriguing trope and I absolutely love the way it was depicted in the book. Everything that happens outside of their marriage makes them look at their relationship in a new light, and you get some of the most incredible scenes between Liza and Hanna.

Every minute of this reading experience was wonderful. The little details, the intricate storytelling and the laughs hidden where you least expect it were such a great combination. I would highly recommend this to those who love a little bit of mystery in their stories – whether you like romance or not.

If you love murder mysteries, true crime, and a large and eclectic cast of characters, this is the book for you! There are loads of references to other literary mysteries (more than I could keep track of) as well as references to real life cases. In the tradition of cozy mysteries, the tone of the novel is fairly light and the murders aren't particularly gruesome or described in great, gory detail. Although I had a difficult time connecting to the story (I think it was just me being distracted), I did enjoy it! Liza is a great character and she takes charge of the investigation with humor, determination, and a wealth of true crime knowledge. At her side and providing necessary critique and assistance is her wife Hanna. Their relationship starts out on very thin ice but as their murder filled holiday places them in life and death danger, they start growing closer and working to repair years of damage. The two story lines fold together nicely and I was really pleased with the outcome. Grab your favorite drink, get cozy, and immerse yourself in the mystery!

I’ve been meaning to read Alexis Hall since hearing such great things about Boyfriend Material. It sounded like a book I would adore, and so many people have recommended it, but for reasons I cannot quite name I have yet to work around to it. When the chance came to read Murder Most Actual, I decided it was time to dive into the author’s work. In fact, I went into this one hoping that it would finally push me to finally read Boyfriend Material.

I’ll be honest and say that this one didn’t quite work for me. I feel this is one of those books that will appeal to a lot of audiences, yet I was not quite the right audience. Cosy mysteries can be enjoyable, but I find I’m extremely picky with them. For me, Murder Most Actual felt like one of those cosy mysteries that was trying to hard too be amusing by pulling upon cliches and known elements, which meant I was bored by quite a lot of the things that played out. I remained interested in how everything would come together, yet I never quite fell for it the way I had hoped.

As I said, however, I do feel this is one of those cases where I just wasn’t quite the right audience for the book. I remain interested in reading Boyfriend Material, yet this one didn’t push me to jump immediately into it.

A fun cozy mystery that was pretty much the game of Clue come to life. Take a married lesbian couple with serious relationship hiccups, put them in an isolated Scottish castle hotel during a major snowstorm. Add in all the characters of a Clue game.. the Professor, the Colonel, Miss Scarlet. Add a few murders. Add in that one half of the married couple is a true crime podcaster and voila…mystery solved. Actually there is a bit more depth to this book. The main characters relationship problems are explored and on exhibit as they react to the murders. My one complaint would be the sheer number of characters in the book; I often had to flip back to the beginning to remember which character was which.

This was a fun murder mystery with some surprisingly humorous moments! I don't want to call it predictable, since I wasn't able to figure out who was behind the murders, but most things that ended up being substantial clues were somewhat obvious in the moment rather than coming back as satisfying surprises in the end. Perhaps my expectations were too high, since the comps for this (Clue, Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building) were all things I've absolutely loved, but this just wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped it would be. Even so, it was an enjoyable read, and I'm glad I picked it up.

CW: murders, gun violence

I really enjoyed this book! I had previously read Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, and this book also delivered in terms of the exploration of a queer relationship in a story full of witty banter. I enjoyed that this was a previously established and longterm wlw relationship, which I haven't personally seen a lot of in today's fiction. The book was marketed to me as similar to Only Murders in the Building, and I think it does deliver on that aspect, with amateur detectives becoming embroiled in a case. I read it in about a day--a fun and quick read!

DRC provided by Valentine PR & Literary Management via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: lesbian Jamaican protagonist, lesbian secondary character, queer tertiary character.

Content Warning: sexism, misogyny, death, organised crime, classism.

Murder Most Actual by Alexis Hall is an extremely fun and thrilling cosy mystery novel with distinct Cluedo and Agatha Christie vibes.

Liza and Hannah have been married for a decade and in the last year they started having problems connecting and communicating, especially since Liza started her podcast Murder Most Actual with her co-worker Rachel. Hannah, in an attempt to re-spark the light of their marriage, decides to book a stay for them in the Scottish Highlands in a decadent castle. Unbeknownst to the couple, that hotel will be the site of a series of murders and Liza will find herself using her curious nature and investigative skills to save both her life and her wife’s.

I really liked reading this novel. It was my first time experiencing one of Alexis Hall’s books and I am happy to say I cannot wait to read another. The writing created the perfect mix of anxiety, exhilaration and curiosity I would expect from the atmosphere of a mystery such as this one, which was accompanied by a cast of kooky characters and an intrepid amateur sleuth that made the reading experience rather entertaining, especially because paired with the personal drama of Liza’s and Hannah’s marriage.

I’ve got to start this review with a confession: I’ve never played Cluedo. Never. Of course that didn’t stop me from loving this book. The Agatha Christie phase I went through years ago probably didn’t hurt, because MMA has so many elements from those books. There’s a remote Scottish castle hotel that gets cut off from the rest of the world because of a snow storm, there are quirky characters (femme fatale Ruby was my favourite) and of course there are murders. Luckily there are also sleuths: Liza and Hanna, who’ve been together for over 10 years but now their marriage is in trouble. Liza has a true crime podcast, which comes in quite handy.
A lot of the book is delightful. I loved how it mixes murder and sleuthing with a couple trying to work through their issues, especially in the first half of the book. Lots of little plot twists kept me guessing.
Alexis Hall’s books are always clever and this one is no exception. There are lots of funny lines, and a (to me) surprising denouement. As always, class differences play a part as well. At the same time, the plot feels a little bare. Some things are introduced (e.g. Hanna not liking her job) but not revisited. The second half of the book sees Liza and Hanna getting closer but I didn’t get the impression they had actually worked through their relationship problems. As for the sleuthing, it mostly seemed to focus on opportunity; I would have liked more of an exploration of possible motives as well.
So the book isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t stop it from being highly entertaining. The word I keep going back to is ‘delightful’. It’s only available on Kobo and if you don’t have a Kobo e-reader, you won’t regret getting the Kobo app to read this fun book.

Alexis, in the library, with a book

Channeling the classic who-done-it, murder mystery detective novels, Alexis delivers a funny, slightly crazy yet heartfelt story, that's bound to have you searching for clues and examining every line. Full of whacky and colorful characters, twists and turns you wouldn't expect and some serious real relationship talk, this is the perfect novel for anyone who will not turn down a game of clue.

4 stars and a mystery

An isolated Scottish hotel.

One-by-one grisly murders.

Master criminals, overly dramatic private detectives, family secrets and a femme fatales.

Podcaster Liza and her wife are here to work on their rocky marriage and instead end up playing amateur sleuth.

MURDER MOST ACTUAL is a fun mash-up that sort of perfectly combines all the best bits of classic Agatha Christie style crime, Clue campiness and the up-to-date modernity of Only Murders in the Building. It’s also full of all the best, classic Golden Era over-the-top tropes and cliches alongside shoutouts and references to famous literary detectives from throughout the ages. It’s an added layer of entertainment for any crime fan or mystery lover.

I loved all the nods and winks, and just how much genuine joy comes through in the reading. It’s fun to try and solve the puzzled alongside Liza and Hanna, but the characters and setting are such a delight that it’s a fabulous ride from start to finish, whether or not you figure it out.

MURDER MOST ACTUAL is the sort of thing I could 100% see as an ITV or Sky TV multi-part adaption—the kind that always airs at prime-time over the winter holiday season, and gets dramatic covershoots on the TV Times Festive Edition. The kind where all the bit parts are played by big-name stars hamming it up for all they’re worth.

And I would watch the crap out of it.

I hope it happens. And I hope there’s a sequel. MURDER MOST ACTUAL wraps up fully and completely and, as far as I can see, there’re no plans to extend it. But, with this kind of story, especially an MC who makes her living pocking her nose into crime, I don’t see why this couldn’t spawn a couple of sequels.

4.5 stars

I had so much fun reading this cozy murder mystery featuring an established couple of lesbians and a weird bunch of hotel guests.

One of the things I loved is how the not-so-serious tone is set right away so that you don't end up expecting something this book is not. Maybe it's because I've had Ace Attorney on my mind lately, but some characters and some dialogues reminded me so much of some of the ridiculousness you might find in that game series, and I say this in the most positive way. Despite the lightness of it, the danger in the atmosphere is still tangible as you keep reading, so I think the book really gives you the sense of "fun mystery" in all its aspects.

I loved Liza, the true crime podcaster whose marriage to Hanna is going through a bit of a crisis. I'm always a little torn about established relationships in fiction, especially when the story arc is about fixing it, but I liked how their problems felt real and kind of...down to earth? In a sort of mundane way. And I like how that ties in to the overall theme of the book. I also saw a lot of my own ADHD in Liza and I could relate to her so much, even though she never mentions she is and I'm not sure if the author wrote her with ADHD in mind. But she just made sense to me in a way neurotypical protagonists sometimes don't.

While I liked the ending I also found it a little underwhelming, and I think some details that I took note of throughout the book since I thought were going to be important for the mystery turned out to be nothing. I also didn't understand why this was set over the Easter weekend since it didn't really match nor publication date nor the more typically-wintery snowy setting. At some point I realized that the guests had spent the actual Easter Sunday in the hotel and I don't think it was even mentioned at all, not even by the actual vicar present? Anyway, those are all minor details that I thought about after reading and didn't actually impact my reading.

Overall I highly recommend this if you're into murder mysteries that don't take themselves too seriously and are just in for a fun time.

TWs from the author site: Murder (happens off page but is discussed), threat of violence, mentions of blood

4.25 Stars

Liza and Hanna.

They've been together for ten years now and things are not good in their marriage. That's why Hanna booked them into a castle hotel in Scotland for a romantic weekend getaway - without asking Liza - which is kinda part of their problems.
And instead of working on their relationship they land in the middle of a crazy murder mystery with all kinds of interesting hotel guests aka suspects.

Let the fun times begin ...

══════════════════

Well, that was interesting. And funny and crazy and a bit heartbreaking with their crumbling marriage.
It was like reading or watching one of those old murder mystery movie thingies where we're in some old library trying to guess who did it. You know? The Professor, the rich heir, the priest, the beautiful mysterious lady et cetera. 🤣
All those hotel guests locked in that hotel due to the snow storm and one dead guy (for starters) ... lots of suspects and mysteries and questions. Perfect for our crime podcaster Liza. But horrible for finance-numbers girl Hanna. She wanted to get away from their work to heal their marriage!

I think I don't really have to say much more - the beginning of the blurb already explains the book perfectly:

... a cozy mystery that revisits the Golden Age of detective fiction, starring a heroine who’s more podcaster than private eye and topped with a lethal dose of parody -- perfect for fans of Clue, Knives Out, and Only Murders in the Building!

I really liked detectiving with Liza and Hanna in this beautiful but slightly creepy setting! I so wouldn't mind seeing this as a movie!

I didn't love the extreme British-ness of the book. It needs to be British to be amazing - to be what it needs/wants to be, but it was a little bit too much for me. There were soo many expressions and words and names thrown in that a non-English person just doesn't know what to do with.
Also, the beginning of sentences were often weird. When someone talked, they kind of stuttered. "I... uh...it's...I...uhm." I know what it's supposed to achieve - and it would make sense if this were a movie, but in a book it just stops my reading flow. 😏

But still - I loved reading it. It wasn't edge-of-your-seat thrillerish, but it was cute and cozy and snowy and mysterious and dangerous ... just a cozy fun couch read!

► MURDER MOST ACTUAL was a fun, cozy, snowy, British murder mystery! Run to your nearest bookstore to find out who the bad guy(s)/girl(s) is/are - and to see if Liza and Hanna will survive their romantic weekend! 😱

This is the story of Liza and Hanna Blaine, who are out at a remote Scottish castle in an attempt to save their marriage. Liza is an up and coming true crime podcaster, and so when people at the castle start getting murdered, she can’t help by try to investigate, to her wife Hanna’s consternation.

I really enjoyed my time with Murder Most Actual. It’s like playing a game of Clue in book form, right down to the secondary characters being more or less nods to characters from the game. The head chef’s name is White, there’s a professor who wears purple, and a femme fatal named Ruby, for example. Each of the chapter titles also reads like the result of a Clue game, and I loved them. Some of them were hilarious.

I liked Liza a lot, and I cheered for her to solve the mystery, even if Hanna wasn’t on board for the whole thing. I did like Hanna as well, though not quite as much, at first. She grew on me pretty quickly, because I could see her side of things as well. By the end, I cheered for them both to both solve the mystery and to come out of it with their marriage stronger than ever.

Alexis Hall does it again by keeping me super invested in a book from start to finish. This is a gem of a read, with a good amount of laughs in between a legit Clue-like mystery that left me guessing whodunnit. If you like mysteries, Clue, and second chance romances, you’d probably have a great time with Murder Most Actual!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really (really!) wanted to like this book, and I fully expected to. Firstly, because Alexis Hall wrote it, and he wrote Boyfriend Material, an all time favourite of mine.
Secondly, because it has an Agatha Christie-ish mystery and I am such a sucker for a good mystery.
Thirdly because the story takes place in a snowed-in Scottish hotel.

However: the story was boring. I had to drag myself through the various murders and was constantly tempted to skip pages. The pacing was all wrong.
The characters were very unlikeable, although I don't think this was intentionally.
I also didn't like how often the word "wife" was used, it seemed like Alexis Hall was overjoyed to have a lesbian couple in his book, and had to keep reminding himself that this was actually happening.
The ending was just...no. There's Agatha Christie far-fetched and there's Alexis Hall far-fetched and the latter is not something I enjoy. It was messy, it was unnecessary and it was very annoying.

What I did like: how Liza and Hannah's marriage slowly healed. Apparently Alexis Hall is just a lot better at writing relationships than mysteries.

I love a cozy murder mystery and romance novels and interracial romance and queer representation and the 1985 cult classic movie Clue. Who would have thought I would get all of that in one book! This book is all of that and more and I'm here for it!

Murder Most Actual is a modern yet classic feeling whodunit? This book is perfect for people who love a good mystery without the dark seriousness of a murder crime drama. It is dark in atmosphere but light in tone. It has plenty of eccentric characters (while they still live) including the protagonists, true crime podcaster Liza and her stock broker wife Hannah who thought they were going away for a romantic weekend in the Scottish Highlands to fix their marriage but end up trying to solve a murder. But this unfortunate murder is just the kind of thing that is right up Liza's crime alley and she plans on solving (well at least documenting) the case.

There is a lot of witty dialogue that will keep you thoroughly entertained and engaged. And oh what would a modern cozy murder mystery be without a mysterious international bisexual femme fatal thief that keeps trying to seduce Liza and Hannah? You'll be laughing while guessing whodunit until the very end and keeping your fingers crossed🤞🏾that Liza and Hannah's marriage will survive - and they will too...