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shelfofunread's review
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars rounded up. Having enjoyed the blending of Golden Age ‘locked room’ tropes with contemporary thriller stylings in Tom Hindle’s debut novel, A Fatal Crossing, I was excited to see what he would do with the ‘classic country house’ murder mystery formula promised by The Murder Game.
When Damien White and his daughter arrive at Hamlet Hall for a 1920s-style murder mystery evening, they aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms by the assembled guests. Despite going from local lad to international property magnate, Damien isn’t exactly popular in Hamlet Wick. His plans to turn the lighthouse – the site of a local tragedy – into a private home haven’t gone down well with the residents.
When Damien is found dead, apparently murdered in a dark echo of the mystery that the guests were tasked with solving, it becomes apparent that several of the assembled guests have personal axes to grind with Mr White. And when it is revealed that the ‘murder game’ has links to a second tragic death in Hamlet Wick, it looks as if someone amongst the group might be intent on playing a much more serious game…
As with A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game isn’t quite the ‘classic’ crime novel that the stylings and the blurb might initially lead you to expect. Whilst several Golden Age tropes – a small cast of characters, a ‘locked room’ scenario, and some 1920s stylings – are all present and correct, the contemporary setting and the focus upon the politics of close-knit communities provide a modern twist on the classic formula. The plotting felt tighter than in Hindle’s debut whilst still providing plenty of red herrings and unexpected twists to keep the pages turning.
Characterisation was also, for me, much stronger in this novel. My main critique of A Fatal Crossing was that I struggled to connect with any of the characters, including the main protagonist. Whilst The Murder Game still has its fair share of unlikeable characters (and Hindle really does write them so well!), the use of multiple narrative perspectives meant that I never felt stuck with the more disagreeable types for too long. Whilst the head-hopping does mean that it takes a little longer to figure out who’s who, the shifting-perspectives gave good insight into the motivations of the various characters and added to the tension as the various secrets and lies hidden within the small community were bought to the surface.
The ending was a little less revelatory than in Hindle’s debut (I guessed several of the key plot points before they were fully revealed) there’s still a satisfying – and thrilling – reveal of whodunnit, and a rather sweet epilogue that wraps up the various threads nicely. That said, I did feel there were a few too many of those plot threads. Every single character has a secret to hide and some plot strands – such as that of the policewoman sent to secure the crime scene – felt superfluous to the action. I also thought that the depiction of one character’s mental health problems (content warnings for depictions of PTSD and anxiety) was somewhat clumsy.
These are, however, minor niggles in what was otherwise a quick and enjoyable read. Hindle’s writing has definitely got stronger and his plotting tighter, making The Murder Game a punchier and more impactful read than its predecessor. For anyone looking for an entertaining way to while away a rainy weekend, The Murder Game offers an intriguing contemporary twist on a classic formula.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher and to NetGalley UK for providing an ecopy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
When Damien White and his daughter arrive at Hamlet Hall for a 1920s-style murder mystery evening, they aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms by the assembled guests. Despite going from local lad to international property magnate, Damien isn’t exactly popular in Hamlet Wick. His plans to turn the lighthouse – the site of a local tragedy – into a private home haven’t gone down well with the residents.
When Damien is found dead, apparently murdered in a dark echo of the mystery that the guests were tasked with solving, it becomes apparent that several of the assembled guests have personal axes to grind with Mr White. And when it is revealed that the ‘murder game’ has links to a second tragic death in Hamlet Wick, it looks as if someone amongst the group might be intent on playing a much more serious game…
As with A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game isn’t quite the ‘classic’ crime novel that the stylings and the blurb might initially lead you to expect. Whilst several Golden Age tropes – a small cast of characters, a ‘locked room’ scenario, and some 1920s stylings – are all present and correct, the contemporary setting and the focus upon the politics of close-knit communities provide a modern twist on the classic formula. The plotting felt tighter than in Hindle’s debut whilst still providing plenty of red herrings and unexpected twists to keep the pages turning.
Characterisation was also, for me, much stronger in this novel. My main critique of A Fatal Crossing was that I struggled to connect with any of the characters, including the main protagonist. Whilst The Murder Game still has its fair share of unlikeable characters (and Hindle really does write them so well!), the use of multiple narrative perspectives meant that I never felt stuck with the more disagreeable types for too long. Whilst the head-hopping does mean that it takes a little longer to figure out who’s who, the shifting-perspectives gave good insight into the motivations of the various characters and added to the tension as the various secrets and lies hidden within the small community were bought to the surface.
The ending was a little less revelatory than in Hindle’s debut (I guessed several of the key plot points before they were fully revealed) there’s still a satisfying – and thrilling – reveal of whodunnit, and a rather sweet epilogue that wraps up the various threads nicely. That said, I did feel there were a few too many of those plot threads. Every single character has a secret to hide and some plot strands – such as that of the policewoman sent to secure the crime scene – felt superfluous to the action. I also thought that the depiction of one character’s mental health problems (content warnings for depictions of PTSD and anxiety) was somewhat clumsy.
These are, however, minor niggles in what was otherwise a quick and enjoyable read. Hindle’s writing has definitely got stronger and his plotting tighter, making The Murder Game a punchier and more impactful read than its predecessor. For anyone looking for an entertaining way to while away a rainy weekend, The Murder Game offers an intriguing contemporary twist on a classic formula.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher and to NetGalley UK for providing an ecopy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
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