This Is Not a Game - by Kelly Mullen (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A grandmother and granddaughter are snowed in at a lavish party at a mansion where the host has been murdered, and the unlikely sleuthing pair must draw on a unique skillset to navigate a dangerous game together"--

Book Synopsis

Golden Girls meets Only Murders in the Building

MURDER
MARTINIS
A GRANDMOTHER-GRANDDAUGHTER SLEUTHING DUO
DACHSHUNDS (x2)
A GLAMOROUS ISLAND MANOR

Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island, where cars are not allowed and a Gibson martini with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her estranged granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of not only being dumped by her fiancé, Brian, but also being cut out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game Murderscape they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting).

When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland--a seventysomething narcissist who's having a salacious affair with her son-in-law--to a charity auction, she invites Addie. But Mimi doesn't tell her that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party's invitation.

Once they arrive, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane is murdered. Soon Mimi and Addie's strained relationship is put to the test when they must team up to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night.

Review Quotes

Praise for This Is Not a Game

"Fabulous, over-the-top fun."
--Guardian

"Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit.... Mullen makes the most of her classic setup, playing scrupulously fair with readers while leavening the bloodshed with dashes of wry humor. It's a promising start."
--Publishers Weekly

"Mimi and Addie have plenty of time to pool their resources, question the boilerplate suspects, one-up each other's brightly witty remarks, puzzle over a truly ingenious series of clues, and solve the murder. Oops, make that murders. . . Despite the title, this is absolutely a game from the first word to the last."
--Kirkus

"A feast of a winter tale."
--Booklist

"A wonderfully vibrant take on the classic whodunit, This is Not A Game tackles the locked room mystery with warmth and humour, serving up a crime solving duo that I couldn't stop rooting for. After finishing the book, I was craving three things - a visit to Mackinac island, a Gibson, and more from author Kelly Mullen!"
--Kristen Perrin, author of How to Solve Your Own Murder

"Agatha Christie brought bang up to date in this innovative and funny spin on the classic country house murder. I adored Mullen's intrepid sleuthing duo and loved unravelling this locked-room mystery with them."
--Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author of I Let You Go

"Mullen's debut introduces us to a sparkling new crime-fighting partnership: acerbic septuagenarian Mimi and her smart-as-a-whip granddaughter, Addie. In This Is Not a Game, the pair find themselves trapped together on an island mansion as murders ensue. Crackles with wit and cosy crime goodness"
--Vaseem Khan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"A zippy, witty and delightful game of twists, featuring a wonderful new puzzle-solving duo guaranteed to win your heart"
--Chris Chibnall, author of Death at the White Hart and television creator of Broadchurch

"I adored this deliciously twisty and wickedly sharp murder mystery. Kelly Mullen has created a rich and intriguing cast of suspects--all of whom are outwitted by our loveable crime-solving pair, Mimi and her game-designer granddaughter, Addie. A joyful, smart and deeply entertaining read."
--Lucy Clarke, author of One of the Girls

"Miss Marple meets Only Murders in the Building, this is a proper old school murder mystery brought bang up to date by Kelly. Entertaining from start to finish."
--Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things

"A stunning read. So gripping and atmospheric, I barely made it out alive."
--Steve Jones, author of Call Time

About the Author

Kelly Mullen is an author, producer and marketing executive. Her creative work for brands has won over fifty awards, including Cannes Lions and Clios. As an executive producer, her credits include the Academy Award-nominated film Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and the Apple TV+ documentary Dads, produced with Ron Howard. Born and raised in Iowa, Kelly is now a dual citizen of the UK and US. She lives in London with her husband and their rescue cats.