Do you like mysteries? Do you fancy yourself the detective ready to take in all the clues and solve the crime? Would you like a fancy detective name like Max Enigma? The Game Is Murder is a quirky, and very meta, murder mystery where you the reader are asked to participate in solving the crime. The year is 1974. Lord Verreman, who has given up his job to become a professional gambler, and is doing very poorly at it, is estranged from his wife Lady Verreman. In a cruel twist of fate the latest nanny for their son David (or is it their sons David and Daniel) is brutally murdered. But was she the actual target of the murderer or was it Lady Verreman who was. That all depends on if you believe that Lord Verreman, who has been missing now for 50 years, was the murderer. This story takes you on a mystery romp that leaves you guessing at times and laughing out loud at others. Oh, and don't forget the narrators, and A. N. Author, the prime witness for the defense. If you are looking for a change of pace in your murder mystery genre this is just the book for you.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Unfortunately, this book is just not the one for me. I found the "meta" perspective to be tiresome and long-winded, and it just never really captured my attention.

"In this fresh and immersive murder mystery that riffs on crime classics, the reader is put in the role of the Great Detective, reinvestigating an infamous never-before-solved case from 1970s England.

You are invited to a very special murder mystery party. The game is simple: Listen to the witnesses. Examine the evidence. Solve the case. Be careful. Trust no one. All might not be as it seems.

If you agree to play the role of the Great Detective, you must undertake to provide a complete solution to the case. A verdict is not enough. We need to know who did it, how they did it, and why. Are you ready? Can you solve the ultimate murder mystery - and catch a killer?

A word of warning: Unsolved mysteries are not permitted...."

Oh. Oh yes.

Thanks netgalley & berkley publishing for the chance to read and review.

Silly & quirky, however, it took too long to get to the point. Things were over explained and I was dying to get to the end. I actually had a headache at one point because everything was so convoluted. Breaks the 4th wall and I felt like I was arguing with myself, the characters and the author, which was confusing at times.

Unique concept and I've never read anything like it before. So, I'll give it that.

Act 1: Interesting, never before read anything like it. Ends with a twist.

Act 2: More evidence and evaluation, but now the MC has a name and it isn't you.

Act 3: Confusing, repetitive. Needs revised & cut down to like 3 chapters for the reveal. I got bored and it was no longer silly & quirky. It was too much.

It was smartly written I suppose, but the meta thing wasn’t for me. It got old pretty quickly and the last third of the book went on way, way too long.

If I had to give this a rating, I'd say 3 or 3.5 stars, but honestly, this feels more like a puzzle in the way of "Cain's Jawbone" versus an experimental mystery novel, so I'm not going to rate on GR. I'd if you're looking for a novel-esque mystery puzzle game, this is for you. If you're looking for a metatextual mystery novel, this may not hit

This book turns the classic crime novel on its head. There are several references to literature, characters, and films if you enjoy the murder mystery genre. I loved this original approach to murder cases, as well as how captivating and deep it was. This book is incredibly unique, fascinating, and a very clever. Mystery readers will enjoy it a lot.

The premise of this book is fascinating—an interactive murder mystery? Sounds fresh, innovative, new.

I really wanted to like this, but sadly it just didn’t deliver for me. It felt very slow, hard to get into, with a lot of legal jargon. Too long and tedious to be the immersive experience it claims.

This book was something of a rollercoaster for me. I was super excited when I read the description. Then the first 20% or so dragged, and I was starting to feel disappointed. Then the narrative picked up, and I was having a blast in the role of the Great Detective, trying to solve a cold case from 1974, where my hosts and fellow dinner guests were definitely suspicious characters, and possibly bending the truth as much as possible. And again, the narrative dragged and writing got too interested in amusing itself and less interesting in moving the plot forward. Then! I really enjoyed a taste of red herring. Finally, a sequel was set up and I was exhausted. This novel is very much a love-it-or-hate it, but puzzle lovers and RPG/cosplayers will have a blast.

Really interesting, meta-like premise with a lot of potential. But, in practice, it was just way, way, way too long and loaded down by way too much evidence to keep track of.

This book is an unusual read. It's not for everyone. It took a few pages (okay, maybe more than a few) to get my bearings. But once I got over my initial uncertainty, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. But it is an unusual read!

The Great Detective is called upon to solve a mystery from the 70's. A man has been accused of murdering his son's nanny and attempting to murder his wife. His son, or maybe sons, has/have brought in the Great Detective to reanalyze the facts of the murder and determine if his father is guilty of the crime. And if he is innocent, figure out who committed the crime. After a review of the facts, the trial is held in the courtroom.

As I said, I really enjoyed this book. Once I resigned myself to the weirdness of the format, I settled in for a ripping good murder mystery. I highly recommend it for all flexible mystery readers!

I had to DNF this one about 15% of the way in. The book never really captured me and I found the meta writing to be somewhat irritating. Other reviews love the meta writing, so I am definitely in the minority!

Thank you to Hazell Ward, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC!

🕵️‍♀️ Trust No One, Not Even the Narrator 🧩

Okay. So this book? Messed. With. My. Head. And I loved every second of it. I was waiting for it to give me a Choose Your Own Adventure vibe and tell to jump to different chapters based on who I thought the murderer was...

The Game Is Murder isn’t your typical cozy mystery. You’re not following a detective. You are the detective. You get tossed into this cold case from the 1970s with a stack of interviews, clues, and a creepy little contract that says, basically: solve it or else. No pressure, right?

The whole vibe is very Clue meets Agatha Christie meets some extremely clever author who clearly had way too much fun writing this. It’s full of little nods to classic mysteries, but never in a pretentious way, more like, “Hey, mystery nerds, this one’s for you.”

It’s twisty, immersive, and weirdly personal. Like the book knows you’re reading and is challenging you the whole time. I didn’t even trust the table of contents. 😅

It’s not super fast-paced and it’s definitely a brain workout at times—but if you like your mysteries smart, meta, and a little bit cheeky, this is such a fun ride.

What I loved:
🧠 Brainy clues that made me feel like Sherlock with a latte.
🎭 A moody, retro vibe that oozes atmosphere.
📚 Tons of cheeky nods to classic mystery greats (yes, Christie fans, you will live).
🌀 A plot so twisty I might need chiropractic care.

Will you solve the case? Maybe.

I’m still thinking about the ending. Still mad I didn’t solve it first. But still recommending it to everyone.

Just give it a chance - you might like it!

I love a good meta mystery and this book does not disappoint. It's like a surrealist painting and a murder mystery book decided to have a baby and it works.

The Game is Murder was clever and interesting, and definitely not your run-of-the-mill murder mystery.

Basic premise: A washed-up ex-detective in London gets an invitation to a murder mystery game. Having nothing left to lose, he decides to go.

Style: The Game is Murder is written in a very meta, story-within-a-story, not-quite-straightforward style.

Based on a famous UK murder case, there is definitely some true-crime appeal here. I liked the careful exposition of the clues, the crime, and social milieu within which it took place. This aspect of the book was thought-provoking and made me curious to learn more about the real-life case.

The Game is Murder is also written as an homage to mystery novelists and their creations, which really adds another layer of fun... if you are a classic mystery fan.

In summary, I would say The Game is Murder is a unique, twisty, brain-teasing murder written for readers who like something different, especially if the reader is mystery aficionado and well-versed in famous crime novelists and novels. Personally, it was my cup of tea, so to speak and I give it a solid four stars.

I would not recommend this to someone not looking for that particular type of thing. A reader unfamiliar with Christie, Doyle, Chesterton, et. al., might find the plentiful allusions tedious or confusing. And it is definitely not for a reader looking for a very action-packed, plot-driven story. For the right reader, however, it has a lot to offer.

I gave this one to 20% but gave up… I thought I’d enjoy the unique way of telling the story but this just didn’t work for me

Thank you for the opportunity to read early

A fun take on the mystery genre. Like with most mysteries, you will not be sitting on the sidelines watching the events unfold and following the detective on their hunt to solve the crime. This time you will be a part of the mystery. You will be “The Great Detective.” At the start you are given a contract to sign. Basically a set of rules with the most important being: unsolved mysteries are not permitted. You will meet a cast of characters and hear their testimonies. And others who will deceive you. Like in all great mysteries, there will be twists to make you question what is real and what is a deception. No one is to be trusted. Listen to your instincts. Think you got what it takes? Now it’s your turn to play, The Game is Murder.

Hazell Ward puts a new spin on the mystery genre. This book was entertaining, kept you on your toes and kept the pages turning. I enjoyed the references to some of the mystery greats. Puzzle lovers and armchair detectives will have a great time with this one. Buddy up with someone and read it together. See who can solve the mystery first.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was definitely an interesting take on a murder mystery, I loved how we are the “detectives” and tasked with figuring out what’s going on. It definitely made the book read a little faster.

3 stars

In this book you, the reader, are the Great Detective, reinvestigating a never-solved case from England in the 1970s. Your job? To determine who, how and why.

So, this was…..different. A bit meta. It was just OK for me. I think some people will like it, others will think it’s a bit too precious. I honestly don’t have any strong feelings one way or the other. The clues to figure out the “who” are there, even though I didn’t put them together.

I've enjoyed the recent spate of meta detective fiction we have been experiencing, of which this book is an exciting example. You get everything you sign up for in a detective novel--a brilliant detective, a closed set of suspects, and trope after trope after trope. While reading this book, I told multiple people who asked me what I was reading that I was immersed in a mystery where the author is messing with me, and it's really fun. That's the most succinct argument I can make for this book--you will be messed with, you will be told you are being messed with, and the whole thing is a great time. Come for the mystery, stay for the commentary and chapter titles.