It took me more than a week to finish this book. I’m not a fan of murder-mystery games, but for a debut, Hazell Ward has put in an outstanding effort. Kudos to the author! A 2.73 Goodreads rating feels like an unpopular opinion to me. This book deserves a fairer look.
The story is packed with a lot of extraneous detail, and at times, it feels quite repetitive. As a reader, I needed to piece together the context of the game, figure out who to trust since almost no one can be, and work with the minimal clues given.
Set in 1974, the book tells the story of Lord John Verreman, a professional gambler accused of brutally beating his children’s nanny, Mrs. Sally Gardner, to death. At the time, he had separated from his wife, Antonia, who later claimed he had tried to kill her. Her testimony, however, was dismissed due to her unstable mental state. The prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, and when Lord Verreman fled before trial, he left behind only a strange letter. He has remained missing ever since, and the truth of what happened that night was never proven.
Fifty years later, Max Enygma, a former detective, receives a mysterious invitation from Lord David Verreman to attend a murder mystery party. What begins as a harmless game soon unearths the echoes of a real crime one that still haunts the Verreman's. David’s eccentricities and delusions blur the line between reality and performance, and Max realizes that solving this case could restore not only his reputation but also his belief in justice.
In the end, The Game is Murder isn’t just about uncovering who did it, but understanding how the past continues to play its hand. It’s a slow, meticulous read, but one that rewards patience with a chilling sense of satisfaction.