New Years Eve and at Hamlet Wick on the Devon coast, a group assemble for an evening of fine food and a murder mystery. All are linked to the village through the death of two people many years ago, one an accident, one an unsolved murder. However just as the evening is about to begin properly, one of the guests is discovered dead.
I liked Hindle's first novel and I admire the sentiment behind this one. In updating the classic 'locked room' mystery Hindle has put his writing up against many of the genre's masters. This is a clever novel but I didn't find it particularly convincing, the plot has huge holes in it and the ending was weak to my mind. Unfortunately the book sits between two rocks and didn't engage me as much as I would hope.

Initially I feared this would be a difficult book to keep up with due to the characters coming into the story at once with lots of people and plot to remember. This story did a brilliant job at keeping everything clear and concise whilst also having lots of layers to keep interest.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Cornerstone for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I really loved how much depth the mystery had and how many layers there were to the plot. You can tell that the author has put a lot of thought into everyone's backstories and how the different aspects of the mystery entwine together.

That being said, there were a couple of plot holes and there wasn’t too much time spent on the murder mystery party part. The plot summary makes it seem as though the murder mystery party is going to be a big part and I was kinda looking forward to seeing the party play out but they really didn’t even start playing it which was slightly disappointing.

As far as characters go, there are a lot of them and we get introduced to them all very close together. It was just a little confusing and I ended up getting them all muddled up (though this could just be my terrible memory).

It’s out of season for a small hotel and trying to boost their cash flow, they hold a murder mystery event. They invite some locals and hire three actors to help run the game and provide the clues. It all goes down hill rather quickly when the last two guests for the evening arrive during the dinner and no one is pleased to see them. There is plenty of intrigue to keep you reading, the characters are rich and the plot flows well. I really enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it. Thank you #netgalley

This was a very enjoyable read.
A locked room type mystery with so many undercurrents threaded throughout. The details of past events were only hinted at originally and revealed slowly as the book progressed adding layer upon layer. There were clues and hints as to who could have done it but also suspicion thrown onto others too.
A book that kept the pace flowing all the way through and kept the reader engaged throughout.
Recommended!

The story:
The small harbour of Hamlet Wick is divided over plans to develop the local lighthouse. But when some of the residents gather at a murder mystery party on New Year’s Eve, no one expects there to be a real crime committed…

My thoughts:
Having enjoyed last year’s “A Fatal Crossing” by Tom Hindle, I was keen to read his latest murder mystery. This time the story is set in the present day, and the book begins by introducing us to the inhabitants of the small Devonshire town of Hamlet and neighbouring Hamlet Wick, in which the residents are at odds over the development of the local lighthouse into a luxury home. So-called “local boy turned London property magnate” Damien White has obtained planning permission, but local opinion agrees that the this should have gone to local tourist board head Gwen Holloway, and her proposal to develop the lighthouse into a memorial to a tragic past event in the village.

So the scene is set for a pretty awkward evening, when on New Year’s Eve various local residents attend a murder mystery party at hotel Hamlet Hall, organised by a Will Hooper, a young man with a troubled past who has his own reasons for wanting the night to be a success. Gwen, along with local shopkeeper and leader of a campaign to save the lighthouse, Edward Finn, represent the village point of view. On the other side, Nigel Cobb, local contractor currently employed by White on the renovations on the lighthouse. And for good measure, Justin Fletcher, journalist on the local paper the Hamlet Herold, is in attendance and determined to get a good story that might be his ticket to a better job.

After the introduction to the main players in the story, the book proceeds in hourly increments, starting at seven o’clock and the beginning of the murder mystery party. There things take a turn for the even more awkward when the hated Damien White himself turns up with his daughter, as the final guests for the party.

Of course, the inevitable happens, and one of the guests ends up dead, and it seems impossible for anyone to have left the hotel. So the murderer is among them, and it’s left to the guests, along with local PC Natalie Fay, to get to the bottom of the group’s hidden secrets and possible motives, and uncover the killer.

This is a classic murder mystery, with an isolated location and a killer amongst the guests. I thoroughly enjoyed the clever plot, and the way the book was structured in hourly blocks as the night progresses kept things moving at a good pace. Many of the guests have plausible motives for the killing, and Hindle keeps us guessing before the dramatic reveal at the end of the story. Highly recommended to fans of Anthony Horowitz, Richard Osman and Agatha Christie!

It’s New Year’s Eve in Hamlet Wick, in a quiet corner of Devon, and a few people are celebrating by taking part in a murder game. Organized by young Will Hopper, the guests of the murder game include: Gwen Holloway and her husband Hugh, Syvlia and Nige Cobb, Edward and Martha Finn, Justin Fletcher, and Damien White and his daughter Lily.

Right from the start, the tension is high. Gwen wants to renovate the local lighthouse as a first step for her campaign for mayor, but Damien White, the local boy who has turned into a ruthless London property magnate, has bought it to make it into a holiday house. The lighthouse is the set of a tragedy years earlier and the locals want to protect it, so they have started a petition against Damien White. The only one supporting him is Nigel Cobb, who’s been hired to make all the work on it. And while the guests clash, journalist Justin Fletcher hopes that this dinner will get him the scoop to attract the national newspapers and get him out of Hamlet Wick. In the meantime, in another room, the actors hired for the night are dealing with their own tension. And then, someone is murdered and the murder game is no longer a game. No one entered or left the hotel, so who among them is the killer?

The author presents us with a long cast of suspects, each one of them with a reason to want the victim dead, some more than others. Hamlet Wick had been hit by two tragedies in the past and many of the guests are hiding secrets connected to them. But who would be willing to kill to keep their secret?

The Murder Game was a fun and thrilling read and it kept me guessing until the end. It has Agatha Christie’s vibes, a full cast of suspicious characters, it is well-written, and it is set in a location not easily reachable and with no phone signal… everything to keep the suspense high and keep you engrossed in the story. I really enjoyed reading The Murder Game and I couldn’t put it down until the truth was finally revealed!

In the tiny village of Hamlet Wick, Exmoor, a murder mystery party is being held in a hotel close to the sites of two tragic deaths.

As the guests gather they are joined unexpectedly by Damien White, the former resident turned property magnate, the source of much dislike in Hamlet.

As the party gets underway one of the guests is found murdered, and what was meant to be a game becomes a reality.

I enjoyed this book. Not too heavy, very Agatha Christie-esq, and with a twist that I only partially guessed. A nice easy read with enjoyable (and dislikable) characters to keep me entertained along the way.

I Loved A Fatal Crossing and I loved this. This is my favourite genre of books so I was so happy to read this. It's a locked room story, full of clues, and red herrings and twists.
Set in an old country hotel, the story centres around a murder mystery weekend.
A perfect cosy read. My absolute favourite kind. I will be reading more of Tom Hindle's books.

I really enjoyed The Murder Game. I loved the Agatha Christie vibe with the nostalgic setting, plenty of suspects and just as many red herrings. It was a really enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

After reading and thoroughly enjoying the author’s first novel, A fatal crossing, I was delighted to read this next offering.

A classic murder mystery weekend in an old hotel in a beautiful costal area, where tensions are running high between many of the attendees. The arrival of a man who is hated by all heightens the mystery and as the events of the evening progress an actual murder takes place.

A really interesting storyline peppered with characters who interlink in ways that the reader becomes aware of mainly at the end reveal. Well written and tense, another hugely enjoyable book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, his previous book A Fatal Crossing was a huge success so I was excited to read this one after hearing such good things.

From the very first page I found the story easy to read and follow, it reads like a classic whodunnit but set in the present day which I found so good.

Each guest at the dinner party has a motive but which one was it ?.

If you love a classic murder mystery but with a modern twist you’re going to love this.

As a huge Agatha Christie fan this was right up my street. I love a locked room mystery and this did not disappoint, I enjoyed the hotel setting and it totally had me gripped , loved every minute of it, highly recommend and will be reading more of this author in the future. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early proof.

I loved everything about this. The setting, the history and the characters - the perfect mix. The way the history of the area and the characters blended with the evening was cleverly done - little snippets of conversation adding to the mystery but never revealing too much.
I was gripped from the very beginning and willingly turned each page to see what would be uncovered next. I must admit I had an inkling about what had happened but wasn’t prepared for the overall reveal. Taking inspiration from all the previous clever locked room mysteries, The Murder Game is fast paced and thrilling and definitely a 5 star from me. I need to move A Fatal Crossing up the pile now.

In the beautiful coastal town of Hamlet Wick there are many buried secrets. On New Year’s Eve those secrets will be revealed when the local hotel hosts a murder mystery party. Before the game is over, one guest will be dead and the others will be left reeling as long concealed events come to light, threatening to forever shatter the peace.

As a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie and any kind of murder mystery set in a hotel or a manor house this book instantly appealed to me. The author is clearly a fan as well, as scattered throughout are subtle nods to the Queen of Crime and her works. The party is thrown by Will, a young man who works in the antiques shop and among the guests are the head of the local tourist board and Damian White, a very rich man who has just bought the local lighthouse. Mr White is universally despised in the town and so when he is found dead in an upstairs room there are no shortages of suspects.

I enjoyed the claustrophobic atmosphere of this book and the setting of the slightly run down hotel. The coastal location really added to the tension and the feeling of being trapped. I was hoping that the murder mystery aspect of the book would play out more and be more incorporated into the plot as that was what drew me to the book in the first place. While the plot was entertaining, it wasn’t as tightly drawn as I would have liked - there were a few plot holes that I couldn’t bring myself to ignore. I had guessed the killer about halfway through the book and although the final twist was one I didn’t see coming, it stretched my credulity somewhat.

The characters were mostly unlikeable apart from Theo, one of the actors hired for the party, and Lily, the victim’s daughter. I would have quite liked to see them team up and try and solve the mystery together.

Overall it’s a good read and it was an entertaining few hours but it just didn’t have the depth and complexity I was hoping for.

This was one absolutely brilliant read, if you are a fan of locked room mysteries and Agatha Christie then this is a book for you. The story opens with a few chapters about the characters that will be going to a 1920’s themed murder mystery evening at Hamlet Hall. This is an attempt for the owner of the hall to hopefully bring some business in if this evening is a success because the business is failing and the Hall needs work doing on it.

Several of the residents of Hamlet Wick are invited to this event. It’s New Years Eve the guests gradually arrive at 7pm all except for Damien White and his daughter Lily who are running a little late. But when they do arrive the tension in the hall could be cut with a knife. They all seem to just about eat their starters and main course before tensions begin to raise a little. What has Damien done to make these people so angry, his daughter has no idea.

Ian calls for a 30 minute interval as he hopes the tension will cool a little, but when they all gather back to begin again Damien White is not there. His daughter is concerned, so Ian and Will Hooper who had written the script and arranged the clues etc for the murder evening go upto Damien’s room. But when there is no reply they open the door to find him dead on the floor. Ian tells Will not to tell the guests whilst he calls the police.

One constable arrives PC Natalie Fay, assessing the scene she wants to see if she can solve this on her own. Before calling for back up. Gradually questioning everyone there. Who wanted Damien dead? Later a second murder why?

The characters in this are all so well developed, and believable. There were several red herrings thrown in, I did suspect who it was about half way through but then another curveball was thrown that I didn’t see coming. Another good read from Tom Hindle.

Thank you to #netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

3.75 Stars
In the seaside town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests assemble for a New Year's Eve party to remember.
The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play. But the game has barely begun when one guest is found dead - killed by a fatal injury to the head. With no phone signal and no way out of the house, the others are trapped with a killer in their midst.
The first book I’ve read by the author & found it to be a well written interesting read, I enjoyed that the suspects were locked in together with no phone. I thought the pace was good & there were twists & turns I wasn’t expecting. However I found the characters were a bit two dimensional, I get that they weren’t likeable but I would have liked them to have had more depth. Whilst not the most riveting book I've read, it was worth reading & I'd certainly read more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

In the small coastal town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests gather for a New Year's Eve party with a 1920s themed murder mystery event at Hamlet Hall.

The game has only just started when one of the guests is found to have been killed by a fatal blow... this becomes a locked room mystery in an isolated location. In such a small community suspicion falls on all those present. As the story progresses and we learn more about each characters secrets there are many twists and turns along the way. I felt it was a little formulaic but overall very enjoyable.

One house. Nine guests, Endless motives for murder…

In the seaside town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests assemble for a New Year’s Eve party to remember. The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920’s twist, and everyone has their own part to play. But the game has barely begun when one guest is found dead – killed by a fatal injury to the head. With no phone signal and no way out of the house, the others are trapped with a killer in their midst.

Someone is playing by their own rules. And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep…

If you’re into cosy mysteries like Agatha Christie, Midsomer Murders, Murder She Wrote, etc., then you should love this too! Luckily, this is exactly the type of murder mystery that I love and the murder mystery within the murder mystery was just the icing on the cake (or the cherry) whichever you like. Personally, I’d prefer the olive in the cocktail – now that should be an idiom!! Although the motive and murderer weren’t too difficult to figure out, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. The small set of characters and their backstories were well-written and plotted.

The story is told from multiple points of view, and I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives which kept the story fresh and moving along. It was a cosy relaxing read – just like settling down to watch an old favourite. There were the usual twists, red herrings and reveals. Some of them were more obvious than others but it was a really enjoyable story that took you on a ride to another place for lots of murderous fun. I’ve not come across this author before but ill definitely be interested in reading his future work.

My thanks to the author and Random House UK for my advance copy to review via Netgalley. Due out 2nd February 2023.

I loved Mr Hindle’s last book, but this one is even better. Set in an old fashioned private hotel with a limited number of suspects it’s a true whodunnit. The characters are great, each with their own secrets. This is a very good Christie style plot, but updated. A winner!