The Game Is Murder - by Hazell Ward (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A fresh meta murder mystery that riffs on crime classics and puts the reader in the role of Great Detective, reinvestigating an infamous never-before-solved case. 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..."--

Book Synopsis

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. . . .

Review Quotes

"A high-energy mystery, both exclamation point and question mark - like Agatha Christie on amphetamines. Imagine a labyrinth packed with ninety-degree turns and spiralling staircases and art on the walls - and a ruthless guide addressing you directly from the page - and you've got a sense of The Game Is Murder, a striking, playful novel for neither the faint of heart nor the slow of wit." -A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman In The Window

"Move over, Anthony Horowitz. First-timer Ward has entered with a whodunit just as playfully meta as yours, though in very different ways." -Kirkus Reviews

"A postmodern puzzler that dares to pull apart every trope in the book - literally." -Antony Johnston, New York Times bestseller and author of Can You Solve the Murder?

"A significant achievement, packed with insight and invention, The Game Is Murder presents the reader with a fiction killing that seems to defy explanation. It is witty and remarkable and entirely unpredictable." -Alex Pavesi, author of Eight Detectives

"Strikingly original, but with nods to Golden Age crime, it's an ingenious story of constantly changing perspectives. Different, clever, and highly entertaining!" -Guy Morpuss, author of A Trial In Three Acts

"Clever and unusual...What an intriguing start for this author!" -FirstClue Reviews

"Excellent fun, and perfect for anyone who loves Murdle." -The Bookseller

About the Author

Hazell Ward spent many years as an adult education teacher before going on to work for a charitable organization. She completed an MA in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and is now working on her PhD. She was short-listed for the Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition in 2021 and won the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2023 for her story "Cast a Long Shadow," published by Honno Press. The Game Is Murder is her debut novel.