Rachel Abbott is one of my favorite authors, I have read all her books and this one does not disappoint. It is fast moving with lots of twists and turns. The setting is fabulous and loving Stephanie and Gus. Hoping the story will continue and we will find out what has happened to the characters.

I am a HUGE fan of Rachel’s work, having fallen in love with Tom Douglas back in 2013 and following his career with eager anticipation over the past 8 books. When Rachel wrote her new series And So It Begins, I was a little concerned because of my love for Tom…. but WOW seriously this book blew my socks off and got the easiest 5 stars from me (see review here). So, when Anne Cater of Random Things Tours asked me if I would like to be on the blog tour for Rachel’s latest book featuring Stephanie King it was an immediate YES please from me.

What I particularly LOVE about Rachel’s books is even though they feature the same police team, the books can be read as a standalone, as the main characters, the crime, the victims, the villains are the most central part of the story and Stephanie King is sitting quietly on the sidelines trying to solve the case but not taking over the story line.

The Murder Game is a seriously dark and disturbing tale about a group of childhood friends who meet up several years later to celebrate Lucas’ wedding, however on the eve of the celebrations one of the group is murdered. One year later to the day, the remaining friends are required to attend Lucas’ home and take part in a macabre game. The story is narrated through several of the characters, taking the reader on a roller coaster of a ride, not sure who to believe or who to root for.

Full of interesting characters, some likeable and some utterly unbearable, The Murder Game looks closely at the secrets these childhood friends have kept from each other and their fears that everything they’ve carefully hidden will be exposed in the most deadly way possible.

It’s a fast moving, gripping story which kept me absolutely glued to my kindle – I had no idea where we were going and when we got “there” I was completely shocked. Another super page turner from Rachel Abbott. Highly recommended.

Lucas Jarrett invites his three closest friends to his wedding at his home in Cornwall. The morning of the wedding he discovers the body of his half-sister Alex on a nearby beach. Following the discovery of a video on Alex’s laptop the police in attendance decide that she had committed suicide. A year later and Lucas has invited the same guests to his home to celebrate his first anniversary. After they’ve all arrived he announces that they are to play a game - a murder game - to discover who murdered his sister.

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish. The fact that Lucas was planning a murder game with all the same guests was like something from an Agatha Christie novel. Great read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Rachel Abbott or the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This is the first time I have read a book by Rachel Abbott. I absolutely loved it. I guessed the ending about half way through but it didn't make any difference as I still loved it. It was dark, gripping and full of suspense. I can't wait for more of her books I think I've found a new favourite author.

The Murder Game

This is the first book I have read by Rachel Abbott & I really enjoyed it.
Literally could not put it down.

This book is wonderfully atmospheric..I found it genuinely creepy. Hair on the back of my neck standing up creepy.

The characters were very well drawn and the story unfolded at a leisurely pace that left me wanting more information all the time...which is great. It wasn't excruciating or drawn out though, but left you on the edge of your seat.

There were so many aspects to this mystery and the characters were original and intriguing...and all untrustworthy!
I guessed some parts of the mystery and not others ...but seeing it all slot together was very enjoyable.

I felt actual dread whilst reading this book...and to provoke such strong feelings...is a great credit to the author!

I would have liked to know a bit more about some of the characters and more about what happened next but both of those show how much I enjoyed this book.

Really enjoyed it.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free copy in return for a genuine review.

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the advanced copy of this book.
This is the third book I have read by Rachel and won’t be the last. I didn’t realise this was the second in a series but didn’t feel lost with Stephanie’s character.
The book was very well written and the story although told via different characters flowed well and kept me guessing. I didn’t guess the ending until the last few pages which is great for me.
I would highly recommend this book and really look forward to the next one in the series - I now need to read the first. A very big thank you.

This is the first of Rachel Abbott's crime books that I have read and I did not know it was part of a series featuring Stephanie King. This is only the second in the series, however, and you don't need to have read the first as it works as a stand alone.

The premise felt like it was going to be akin to a classic Agatha Christie and I wasn't disappointed. The clever slights of hand and clues laid out in conversation etc are very well plotted and although I thought I knew some of the answers, I wasn't completely right!

All the characters had secrets and their emotional responses to the situation were believable and truthful to the story. Although you had some of the view point from DI King, you also had first person narrative from Jemma, one of the guests, which helped bring you closer behind the veil of what the police were seeing.

Definitely one for classic crime fans!

I do really enjoy Rachel Abbott books but the Tom Douglas are my favourite. This is the second book for Detective Stephanie King but actually could of been a stand-alone as the police were not the main characters.
Lucas calls his friends together a year to the day from when they were all last together. And someone died. Lucas now wants to find the killer.
This was enjoyable but I guessed the main plot points halfway through and was right. I always like thinking I’ve got the answers and then being proved wrong but this did not happen. So I enjoyed but didn’t love it. Can’t wait for Tom Douglas to come back.
Thanks to Wildfire and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheMurderGame #NetGalley

Although I have yet to read the first book, And So It Begins, in this series by Rachel Abbott, I was happy to dive into this second book, The Murder Game and I think it worked well as an individual thriller as the story was reasonably self-contained. Although a total Rachel Abbott novice (I haven't even read her highly acclaimed DCI Tom Douglas series), this was a mightily impressive, cleverly plotted, utterly engrossing read that threw out twists leaving me fizzing with tension throughout!

One year ago, a bunch of childhood friends gathered in Cornwall for a wedding however, a tragedy occurred and the ceremony never took place. A year later and the same guests have been invited to return. But for what purpose as there's nothing to celebrate... is there? Lucas, their host, has a plan up his sleeve and all will be revealed whilst the guests play a murder mystery game.

First off, the author made great use of the location - the lush seaside Cornish estate, Polskirrin, was described in such glorious and vivid detail that I felt as though I was on the guest list myself. A luxurious mansion in such an idyllic place stood in direct contrast to the awkward and dysfunctional friendships proffered by the guests.

The Murder Game is told in two parts; part one deals with the events that happened a year ago; part two deals with the current happenings. The story is mostly told through the eyes of Matt's wife, Jemma. (Matt is one of the childhood friends).

Rachel Abbott possesses some admirable character development skills - the group of friends were so different from one another and most of them weren’t particularly likeable, but that enriched the mystery element of the story. I frequently found myself wondering who, if anyone could be trusted. Immensely gripping from start to finish, The Murder Game read more like super-tense psychological thriller than the police procedural I had been expecting, though this was no bad thing. When DI Stephanie King made an appearance I found her to be strong as well as endearing, and very determined in her pursuit of justice. She wasn't, rather surprisingly, the main event of the story, but helped things nicely along nudging the reader towards the satisfying conclusion.

Ingeniously plotted and perfectly executed, The Murder Game is an absolute treat. Very highly recommended, I am certain that psychological thriller aficionados will love it!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Headline/ Wildfire via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I so enjoyed this intriguing murder mystery story which had a unique twist to it. From the start when we are first introduced to the characters the reader becomes aware of some friction in the group, a sense that something is not quite right which I found very interesting. It was very enjoyable to follow the characters throughout the book and unwrap all their secrets. The author does this in a very clever way as she gives the reader a chance to piece everything together and work out what was happening themselves.

The characters were very interesting creations with colourful backstories which I enjoyed learning about. I didn’t particularly warm to any of them, as I didn’t feel very sympathetic towards them but I think that was part of the fun as I didn’t have anyone I was particularly routing for, so my opinion wasn’t biased.

It’s tough to review this without giving too much away but I thought it was a very clever, well plotted book which kept me guessing until the end. The multiple narrators meant that I got to know the characters personally and that I gained more understanding of everything that was going on. If you enjoyed The Guest List then I think you’ll enjoy this book as I felt like the styles were similar.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Rosie from Headline for my copy of this book.

This really was an intriguing one and I was glued almost instantly.
A group of old friends and their partners gather for pre-wedding celebrations down in Cornwall.
But a tragic accident on the morning of the wedding leaves them all shocked and the upcoming celebrations not surprisingly cancelled.
Now a year later on the exact same date, they have all been invited back by there host Lucas to play a game.
One that will expose long-buried secrets and rivalries within the group.
Nobody knows who to trust and everyone's a suspect.
Full of twists and turns and suspenseful intrigue this was a page-turner of a read that was impossible to put down and I managed to consume this in one complete sitting.
I did kind of guess a few things regarding the conclusion here but that didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.
A fantastic read that I highly recommend.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Murder Game (Stephanie King #2).

It’s the day before Nina and Lucas are due to get married. However, the wedding is cancelled after a tragedy.

The story is told from multiple points of view but it is very easy to follow what is happening. It is also told in dual timeline- present day and a year ago. This book is filled with twists and turns right until the end. The characters are well developed and are multi layered.

This book is amazing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Murder Game is the second instalment in the Detective Superintendant Stephanie King series and although it is preferable to have read the preceding book, And So It Begins, beforehand, it is not a necessity. Abbott writes stories that can be described as contemporary takes on the brilliant, Agatha Christie.

A group of old school friends make their way to Polskirrin, a stunning mansion and estate in the heart of Cornwall, for the wedding of affluent Lucas Jarrett and Nina Belanger. Andrew, Matt, Nick and his twin sister Isobel are all in attendance having been friends with Lucas and Nina for many years. But when Lucas’s sister, Alex, dies in an apparent suicide the couple decides to cancel their big day and despite time passing Lucas can't shake his gut instinct that his beloved sister was savagely murdered and cooks up a wily plan to prove as such. Fast forward a year and in order to try and ascertain who the perpetrator was and tired of waiting to see if they would slip up Lucas invites the very same wedding party back to the house set amongst lush gardens to play the eponymous murder game.

Ms Abbott rarely lets readers down and this super thriller is her most accomplished and sophisticated to date. It flows well and begins in an explosive fashion gripping you from then right through to the conclusion.
It's a stark reminder that despite a stunningly luxurious location psychopaths can only keep their brutal intentions hidden for so long and although the cast of characters is distinctly unlikeable and spiky I didn't feel this impacted my enjoyment at all; in fact, the air of mystery surrounding most of them only serves to intensify the amount you are chewing at your nails with the palpable tension. This is a page-turner in every sense of the word; it’s compulsively clever, devilishly dark and expertly plotted. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Wildfire for an ARC.

Rachel Abbott's THE MURDER GAME is a fabulous twisting, turning story which will keep you guessing to the end! Like all of Rachel's books, you will not be disappointed. This is a DS Stephanie King novel, book 2 and well worth reading.
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Matt and Jenna receive an invitation to the wedding of Lucas and Nina at the beautiful family home of Lucas, named Polskirrin, in Cornwall. Lucas is childhood friend of Matt, who Jenna has never met. Also Jenna has not met the other party members, Isabel, Nick, Chandra and Andrew who are also invited. The events of this day leave Matt & Jenna drifting apart and lies, secrets, deception and trust issues come into play! ​
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One year later, an invitation to celebrate Lucas and Nina's first anniversary is received but what anniversary, as no wedding took place that day. There are costumes to wear and games to play and everyone has a part to play in THE MURDER GAME.​
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Can their life together be fixed? Read Matt & Jenna's story and find out!​
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I was lucky enough to be given an advance copy of this book and I found it impossible to put it down!!

I have to say I am a huge Rachel Abbott fan and have read all of her books, she can’t write quick enough in my opinion!!

This story is about a group of friends who meet up for a wedding at Polskirrin, Cornwall and they are not all who they seem to be. As the story unfolds you will always be kept guessing and the ending has a twist you won’t see coming.

This is the second book in the Stephanie King series and it’s great to find out a bit more about her as a person and the relationship between her and Gus.

Although Tom Douglas from Rachel’s other books will always be my favourite, I can’t wait to see how Stephanie’s character will develop like Tom’s has.

Utterly absorbing, The Murder Game is another brilliant book from Rachel Abbott! A whole cast of characters with secrets, motive and lies are thrown together in a real-life version of a murder mystery weekend on the anniversary of the death of Lucas's sister, Alex.

The second in the DI Stephanie King series (but also can be read as a standalone) The Murder Game is a great addition to the series. I felt like we saw slightly less of Stephanie King's personal life in this book than in the first of the series but more of the investigation.

Rachel Abbott is an absolute master of the complicated interwoven whodunnit. I'd highly recommend The Murder Game and rated it as 4 stars (more like 4.5 to be honest!) as it is a really good, enjoyable read that will keep you guessing all the way through. I did guess one major part of the plot fairly early on but there's plenty of diversion and motive in Rachel Abbott's books which did throw me off the scent! Throughout The Murder Game, I thought this was going to be another 5 star read for me but I found it was slightly too complicated in the end and I struggled to follow what had happened and why. Maybe that's just me though!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel Abbott and Headline for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#TheMurderGame #NetGalley A bit slow to begin with and took me a while to get into it but once we got to present day it really started to liven up with plenty of twists and turns as you would expect. Not sure I would call it a DS Stephanie King book as she really played a back seat in this drama which is a shame as she seemed to be a character that I wanted to see more of and learn more about. Easy to read and plenty of action, will look out for the next in this series.

The Murder Game by Rachel Abbott

This is the second Stephanie King book set again in Cornwall, and like the first one, this is a great read.

It starts like a country house murder, with people arriving at a large house in Cornwall for the wedding of Lucas Jarrett. Some of the guests have known each other since their youth, and all have secrets that they don’t want revealed. This section is narrated by Jemma, married to Matt, one of Lucas’s friend, and we see the characters through her eyes, as she tries to negotiate and understand the dynamics of the group.
The wedding party ends in a death, which is where Stephanie becomes involved, and also Gus, her (maybe) partner.
Exactly a year later the same group return to the house at the request of Lucas, who wants to find the truth about what happened that night, and play a game called The Murder Game. As the secrets begin to be uncovered, Jemma places herself in danger, as she realises that she doesn’t even know her husband.
Stephanie and Gus are involved, investigating the disappearance of an East European worker who may have visited the house at the time of the wedding.
The climax is a rollercoaster, with unexpected twists, and a satisfying ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the opportunity.

First of all this book needs serious trigger warnings for rape and abduction, and some warnings also for alcoholic parents and financial child abuse.

Not having read any Rachel Abbott books before, and this being book 2 in a series, I prepared by reading book #1, ‘And So It Begins’. Both books are relatively self-contained and could be read as stand-alone if desired. There is a little life progression for ‘Stephanie’ but nothing that would ruin the story. More on that later.

I can’t speak to Abbott’s other books but the structure of both books in this series, is to focus initially on the main characters of the murder drama and bringing in the detective at a later point. The book begins, and for the most part continues, from the viewpoint of Jemma Hudson, arriving at a big country house, one year on from a wedding celebration that ended in murder. Host Lucas Jarrett, an old friend of Jemma’s husband, Matt, is determined to re-enact the night of his sister, Alex’s murder. Cue flashbacks.

Here’s where the trigger warning comes in because as a teenager Alex was abducted and raped. The culprit was never caught. Just before her murder, Alex seemed to have suspected that one of her brother’s friends, all present for the wedding, was responsible.

The aforementioned Stephanie King is a local police detective, who attended the murder scene one year ago and now returns on another matter. Like all good detectives Stephanie is like a dog with a bone. She doesn’t let go of this mystery until it reaches a solution.

There is a twist. Maybe I read too many Agatha Christies and know what to look for, as I guessed it early, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. What I do have an issue is that we don’t see enough of Detective Stephanie King herself. We are a good chunk of the way in to the story before Stephanie pops up and her character is not nearly so developed as others in the book. She almost feels like a plot device to provide the conclusion, rather than a character in her own right. Odd given her titular status.

Overall this is good solid ‘locked room’ mystery. The characters are interesting if rather rich and successful (no mere office clerks here). There is enough menace to give readers a thrill. Perfect for whiling away a long day on lock-down.

I was a big fan of the first book in the series And So It Begins so I had huge expectations for the newest release. I must admit I had a great time reading the story.

A group of friends meets to celebrate a wedding of one of them but the gathering is brutally stopped by the horrible tragedy. Twelve months later the same people are invited back to the newlywed’s luxurious house but this time the host has a different plan in mind.

The Murder Game was definitely on the lighter side. There was no gruesome crimes and manic killer chasing their victims. The novel was a unique and interesting take on the locked room murder mystery which I really enjoyed. The choice of characters was brilliant - each of them had dark secrets and motives to kill, I wasn’t sure who to trust and kept guessing which one of them was a killer.

Although I guessed the main twist of the book early on I still had a lot of fun reading the story and the ending was very satisfying to me. I wished we could see more of Stephanie as I feel like her part was pushed back to the side a little bit.

Overall the book was fantastic: full of secrets, clues and variety of characters. It was a totally gripping story that kept me entertained till the last page. Highly recommend.