The book was very enjoyable. Without giving spoilers I can say that it felt like an old school detective story but the case and the suspects were pretty intriguing. It is not hard to guess the story but it is still fun to read. The illustrations were pretty good. I have had so much fun looking at them. In some books like these, the illustrations can be boring but it was not the case with this book. Both the story and the illustrations are easy to understand and fun to read and look at.

The only challenge I had was that some of the story felt a bit long. It felt like it was dragging. However, it might be because I was reading from a screen. I think this book would probably be most enjoyable as a print book and also with a paper and pen next to you to take notes. If I saw this book in the store I would definitely buy it and recommend others to do so.

Also, this was my first Maureen Johnson book but I have found out that she is a pretty well known author. I will continue to check out her work as this book was quite good.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Ten Speed Press, and Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper for this book.

This is my first time reading and solving a ‘you are the detective’ type book. I thought that the information and storytelling was well done and I enjoyed looking through all the illustrations. I think that this would have been easier to navigate and cross reference using a book rather than on ebook but I would definitely recommend this and look forward to doing more of this type of thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder.

I love mysteries and the premise immediately caught my eye, as well as the creepy cover.

This was a fun, quick read where readers are given all the facts of the case, including background on the victim, the witnesses/suspects, a report of the interviews, each person's personal dossier and how they related to the victim.

There are cartoon-ish photographs, letters, what the suspects were carrying on their person at the time of the murder, and it's up to the reader on figuring out whodunnit.

I didn't figure out whodunnit but I did figure out how it was done.

There is a lot of miscellaneous info and red herrings meant to distract and throw the reader off.

This was a quick, engaging read though the characters, time and setting is old timey.

I would love to read a case set during modern times.

Quite a fun little mystery story here, YA author Maureen Johnson's "You are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" which is a short read full of illustrations and helpful (and red herring) clues to a 1930's London-set murder that occurs right in front of a group of people who've all been brought together with "poison pen" letters with various allegations. So "whodunnit"??? You, the reader, are invited to follow along with the Inspector and try. The answer is helpfully provided at the end, all tied up with a bow. This is a pretty cute book that should appeal to most mystery fans and I was, of course, reminded of the author's previous & similar one about "How Not to get Murdered in a Quaint English Village", so other fans will also enjoy it. Many thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for the advance reader's copy - a fun & quick early read - quite enjoyed it.

What a fun new style of book from YA author Maureen Johnson, known for the Truly Devious series. In this mystery, you are given all the clues to solve a murder--photographs, letters, police interviews, pocket contents, and more. As I was sent an ebook version of this book, it was challenging for me to flip through the pages and look back at previous clues, so I chose to read through the solution rather than try to solve it myself, but it does seem like, with enough careful study and piecing together of various clues, readers can come to the solution on their own. A very fun idea, and I hope this will be the first in a series.

Take a stab at being a detective for a moment in Maureen Johnson's fun little novel You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder.

In a room full of people, one man dies without any of them leaving their chairs. How can this be? In a multi-media format, readers go through each suspect's belongings and interviews. Johnson gives us funny and twisted British tropes with flair and Cooper provides fun and demented illustrations. At the end, you can deliberate and then open the final papers to reveal the killer yourself.

This was a fun read that made me quite annoyed at my husband and children for their many interruptions. I loved the format and layout of this book and only could have enjoyed it more if it was right in front of me in print so I could have more easily flipped back and forth to re-read or review evidence for a second time. Needless to say, I didn't even bother attempting to solve this and just ripped open the final answer pages like an animal, but, then again, I have never considered myself much of a detective.

Thank you NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this ARC

Maureen Johnson can do no wrong in my opinion. I will read and love everything she has a hand in forever!

This was fun! I don't see how you'd read it as an actual ebook - I used NetGalley's reading tool on a desktop computer, and it was very easy to read and allowed me to view all the details and pieces. A kindle simply wouldn't work - an iPad or tablet would, I'd think, but frankly I liked it best with a large monitor so I could see everything. The art work and multiple types of clues were engaging and interesting, and the whole thing was a fun and engaging way to pass an hour or so (it is short and reads quickly, even if you pay attention, since many of the pages are pictures). Kudos to Maureen Johnson!

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review**

What an intriguing premise! No narrative, instead the mystery unfolds through newspaper articles, photographs, witness reports, etc.

I must admit, I spotted some of the clues but hadn't worked out who the culprit was. I felt I missed a few things as the digital format didn't work as well as I think it will work in print (i.e., having to scroll to see both sides of a larger photograph / diagram). I'm sure the kids in our library will really enjoy this but I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.

This could have been better. The book is a collection of letters and diagrams, with a plea for your help to solve the case. It reminds me most of a Hunt-a-Killer game compiled in book form.
The situation of the case is interesting, despite the cartoonish illustrations. The characters are amusing, despite being over-the-top. The read is fun and short up to the stopping point near the end, right before the explanatory letter.
I’ve read enough locked-room-type mysteries (like this one) to have certain expectations. If the murder seems impossible, there is one sneaky way that the killer could have done the deed and fooled everyone. In this case, the complicated answer just feels like it raises more possibilities instead of leaving no other explanation.

i didn't expect this to be nearly as fun as it was! i was familiar with the author and i knew i could trust them to write a strong mystery, but the different types of media used in this book really elevated the mystery element and made it an even more fun read. i think it would be even better as a physical copy (the digital one can be a little difficult, sometimes the font was far too small for my myopic ass, but not to the point it was forbidding). the illustrations were also awesome. overall a silly fun time in the best way possible, i enjoyed this so much!!

many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this a lot. It was really fun. I think this would be pretty fun for teens. I enjoyed it more than I expected. I love a puzzle. I'd be happy to read more stuff like this. I definitely think it would be more fun if I had the physical book. I liked the mixed media presented, though the art style was very cartoony. It was mildly funny, not too grim though it touched lightly on some dark stuff (you know, besides the murder).

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is an original take on a classic mystery. The whodunnit, but the reader is the detective! I have read a few books that attempt to use this set-up, but this was by far the most intriguing due to the captivating illustrations and graphics. It certainly felt like I was reading newspaper articles and letters as the lead detective. While I didn’t correctly identify the murderer and motive, I did enjoy this format and reading the explanation at the end. I would have loved to read this in print to see the illustrations and easily flip through interviews and evidence, so I can’t wait until this is released! Enjoyable read!

This was a really fun read. The case files present are interesting enough to keep you hooked, and the images/illustrations all do hide enough clues to help you crack the case even before you read the solution document. A nice way to pass time on a lazy weekend. I would've been obsessed with this book if I were a kid, which is saying something.

3.5 stars, full review coming soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve never read anything like it before but the concept was brilliant.

I loved the aesthetics of the book, how all of the evidence is presented and the crumped paper look of the pages.

I had a theory on who I thought committed the murder, but as with many murder mysteries I read, I was well off base. It was a pleasant surprise and looking back it made much more sense!

Overall this was a lovely short read that kept me interested all the way through.

I read everything Maureen Johnson writes, but to be honest, for the first quarter or so of this book I was wishing I had looked more into what exactly this book was before requesting it on Netgalley. I think it would be better in a physical copy, but I'm just not the target audience for a mystery you're supposed to solve like this. I like mysteries to go along for the ride and find out what happens as it's revealed, not to try to figure them out on my own. I had no idea who had done it and didn't really try to solve it. But! It was still entertaining, and after the slow beginning I did find the rest of it really engaging and sped through it. I liked the resolution and how everything was laid out with all the information. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone interested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ten Speed Press for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This was a very fun (almost) grown up Choose Your Own Adventure. That's not the most 1:1 comparison but it is fairly apt. We- the reader- are called to the murder scene and get to interview suspects and inspect the crime scene (in photos.)

I enjoyed the experience of reading this book but it wasn't until the very end I was able to figure out who the killer was. The format was very very cool and I liked the paper effect the pages had. I love books told in interesting formats and this was definitely that. I also love anything Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper write so I hope this is the first installment of these types of mysteries!

Fun concept- probably more fun with a physical copy. I was looking in the wrong places for clues but I still mostly figured it out. Nothing thrilling or groundbreaking but a decent one sitting read.

This book is so cool! I’ve never read a book like this before. It reminds me of those hunt a killer games but with more of a story and context. I thought it was fun to read through the newspaper articles, pictures, interviews and all the other media. This would be a really good gift to give someone as well.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a mystery that you have to solve yourself. There is a dinner party and someone ends up dead. The clues are all laid out for you and you get to solve the case.

I really enjoyed this! I love when books are a different media and this one had a lot of things sprinkled it. I really enjoyed trying to solve the case.

I solved it myself but I think it was a good mix of challenging but not impossible. It kept me interested the whole time and it was a quick read.

I would recommend!