Let’s Play Murder takes you on the trip of a lifetime with a thrilling and tightly claustrophobic plot, playing excellently with suspense, setting and sinister new realities.

This was a book that I was entirely sold on through its premise – a mesh of Squid Games and Agatha Christie meets virtual reality? Does anything else really need to be said?

Lupo capitalises on this premise brilliantly, with plenty of flourishes and twists that you will not see coming. The setting of The Game is very reminiscent of Golden Age mysteries with the classic antiquated house and family full of secrets. I loved the way the gameplay amongst the contestants created extra levels of intrigue and suspense. Lupo cleverly brings in multiple mysteries, keeping you constantly on your toes. Every time you think you have solved one puzzle, another appears. This layered method of storytelling is endlessly fascinating and engaging. I always love attempting to solve everything and was constantly challenged by something new.

At its core, this is a book that plays with the central themes of grief and guilt and questions how far you would go to solve your problems. There are some serious stakes to this game. It leads to such an intense atmosphere and one that only seems to shrink as you learn more about each character. These are three-dimensional, deeply flawed and yet still lovable characters. Lupo imbues each of them with a quality that you can love, while also casting enough ambiguity and doubt over each of them that they remain a major suspect. Veronica herself is a fantastic protagonist, with so many layers and depth to her. She is the beating heart of the book and you become invested in her story so quickly. Without giving too many secrets away, the way coding and certain glitches comes into play is sheer brilliance as well.

Lupo has crafted a twisted little gem of a book that I highly recommend, with characters that you will not forget anytime soon.

This was such an interesting concept! I loved the blend of genres, how it was a mystery but it was also blended with thriller and sci fi themes with an heavy mix of horror added to the balance. The concept gripped me straight away, but sadly it didn't keep me hooked. The ending completely felt flat to me even though I didn't really see it coming.

I also really hated some of the characters. The worst was Charlie, she just rubbed me the wrong way from the moment she appeared. I don't think we were meant to like her honestly, but she just annoyed me.

I was most put off though by the characters using the word "psycho" and "psychotic". These words have long been misused, especially in the horror genre and it's time we took them out of colloquial vocabulary for good. Psychosis is a very real condition and it doesn't even slightly make someone a serial killer.

This is a unique take on a video game murder mystery using VR headsets to make it seem extra real. Each character has their own different personality and I loved how even though Veronica is the narrator, you aren't able to trust anyone. This is a fun read which gets quite dark and there is a brilliant twist which left me feeling surprised!

A technothriller that could be set in the VR version of an Golden Age mystery. A closed circle mystery with plenty of twists and a sense of dread that kept me on the edge till the end.
The author deliver an excellent story mixing technology, classic mystery puzzled, and an interesting cast of characters.
Original and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Let's Play Murder is a phenomenal YA thriller from start to finish. If you enjoy locked room murder mysteries, you will be thrilled. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Let's Play Murder asap.

Veronica picks up an ancient VR headset to please her little brother who is critically ill in hospital, but as soon as they start playing she finds herself inside a different world. It is ‘The Game’ - an urban legend in VR gaming circles that turns out to be true. The Game is an incredibly realistic and immersive murder mystery. None of the players can leave until they’ve solved the case and the winner will receive a huge cash prize.

But soon after they start to play, the game takes a deadly turn. All of the players are concealing something from their real lives and all of them have a motive for murder. And the game itself is also out to get them - will any of them make it out alive?

VR is a tricky proposition to write (I know, I’ve tried!) because it’s difficult to raise the stakes in an environment that is all in your head - the contemporary version of it was all a dream. Except in this case it isn't, and the virtual world starts to bleed into the real world.

‘Let’s Play Murder’ is a mash-up of locked-room murder mystery, horror, ghost story and thriller, and the whiplashing twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing. A fast-paced, gripping and terrifying read.

Let's set the scene. There are rumours of a secret virtual reality murder mystery game on the dark web which you can only reach accidentally from another game. But once in, the only way out is by completing the story and hopefully picking up a large payout.

Let's Play Murder begins when Veronica, who hates VR, gets sucked in while she's playing a game to cheer up her sick brother. Her, and the other participants, are a bunch of young adults who by and large don't know each other - and by and large shouldn't be trusted, either. Can they work together to solve a murder mystery?

Tonally, it's a bit odd, and maybe it's meant to be. The first setting (ie the world the teens enter from) is 'near future' I'd say, but the murder mystery VR game is set in the 80s, complete with big hair, Walkmans, chunky cell phones and interesting fashion. But it's also set in a big country mansion with a butler and cook - where all the NPCs (non-player characters) they have to interview speak like they're from significantly older times. More Downton Abbey than 1980s.

As the game progresses, it also begins to break down around them. Everyone's in mortal danger - if they die in the game, they might die in real life! This adds a nice layer of tension, and a lot more action - but a part of me would've preferred more murder mystery or getting to spend more time with the individual characters.

There are twists and turns I think a YA audience will really like - whether it worked for me personally, I'm less sure. Ultimately there were lots of interesting things going on in this book, but I liked it rather than loved it.

If you're a fan of YA whodunnits with a modern/tech twist, this is one you won't want to miss out on!

All set in VR, we follow Veronica(MC), Charlie, Yasmin, Aaron and Nate as they try to work their way through a murder mystery known as The Game. Waiting at the end is a life changing prize! But is all as it seems? Soon, the characters start dropping like flies but is it real or part of the game? And who is behind it all?

This was a very fun read and it really did keep me guessing until the end! I take such comfort in reading YA mysteries so this was just what I needed. The VR setting was something I'd not read before so that was definitely a fun aspect and also made it a little creepy? The idea of being stuck in there against the clock with a murderer on the loose was so intense, and the writing really gets that across! The last few chapters were SO good! I'm going to leave it there as I don't want to give anything away but this is one for the TBR!

* Please look up any trigger warnings before reading *

I’ll be honest, after reading this book I don’t think I EVER want to play VR, like EVER. Video games have never seemed more terrifying.

Dawn into a murder mystery on the dark web, nothing is as it seems. The game is like no other, the prize has the power to change your life, but in order to win you have to compete against the other individuals before the clock runs out. There is no escape till the games completed, so when the players suddenly start being murdered the stakes begin to raise. This book is an immersive as the VR it explores, filled with twists and turns I never knew which of the players to trust.

If you are looking for a super twisty novel, with characters you can’t trust that you can’t put down THIS IS IT.

When I saw this book and the synopsis it made me think of ready player one with a cluedo/clue kind of twist. After now reading it I feel a bit disappointed, at times the story felt too rushed as the characters were navigating the rooms and finding clues.

I wished we had seen or heard more from Angel and Nate. I also wish the bulling from Em and one of the other players was done different or that there was less of it. It was focused on Veronica's appearance, her glasses and hearing aids, which in my opinion was slightly ableist. The character was lead to believe she was inferior because of these things and that Aaron would never like her because of them as well as her being a nerd. I felt she wasn't defended by anyone during this and even Aaron in the end said he just saw her as a friend, after all that? My younger sister and I both wear glasses and my older sister wears hearing aids so it really frustrated me and didn't sit right, which is a shame because other aspects were good.

I understand the author has hearing loss and wears hearing aids which is why this was difficult for me to say but as someone who reads YA a lot and have a sister in the age category this would be for, I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this book to a teen or buy the book for my sister because of this. I wouldn't want her thinking she could be bullied, disliked or seen less of because she wears glasses.

That being said I did read it quickly as I wanted to find out what was going to happen so it kept my intrigue, the descriptions of rooms were great and realistic and the conversations for their age groups were believable and the two twists were really well done near the end and the characters were diverse enough for me.

I think I’m going to say it, Let’s Play Murder has topped as my favourite YA thriller. I am in awe of how Lupo managed to successfully combine modern day virtual reality with classic murder mystery themes in this bingeable, jam packed story! 👀

Thank you @netgalley for the E-arc of this novel. Lupo’s imagination is something I’m in awe of, I fell for the storyline and the world building. Although it was summed up and left with no cliffhanger, I can only hope more thrillers of this kind are released in the future 😍

I loved the twists and the constant questions I had when reading the chapters of this one. Not knowing who to trust vs. how it would conclude, I was left reading this book and not being able to put it down👏

Murder mystery in Virtual Reality.

Like Freddy Kruger style if you die in the game you die for real!

A couple of teenagers who are playing different games somehow end up in the same game. The only way out is to play

Back in 2019 we reviewed Kesia Lupo’s debut We Are Blood and Thunder, which was an engaging fantasy novel, Let’s Play Murder is Kesia’s third novel and a significant change of direction. In her latest fantasy is nicely blended with both science fiction and murder mystery with five teenagers trapped in a dangerous virtual reality computer game which turns out to be very real and incredibly dangerous. Ultimately Let’s Play Murder is a computer geek version of an old fashioned whodunnit with red herrings, sneaky twists and with the finger being pointed at most of the characters at one time or another. Although it was a solid read, ultimately was not tecky enough for my taste and on numerous occasions I almost forgot that the story was set in a VR environment and everything was just too normal. This game world lacked the creative and visual flair of the classic Ready Player One and although it attempted to create an escape room feel I found some of it slightly dull.

The concept behind Let’s Play Murder was very clever, Veronica is visiting her little brother in hospital, hears some awful news and wakes up in a snowy wasteland. In quick succession four others find themselves in the same situation, finding themselves in ‘The Game’ a semi-mythical or notorious computer game which lurks on the Dark Web. You cannot choose to play, but are automatically transported there through easter eggs in other games. The group soon discover a sprawling mansion and a dead body and are instructed to examine the house for clues and identify the murderer through a succession of levels. The problem is you cannot choose to leave and they realise death in the game means death in the real world. There was a lot of fun to be had, but I found I did not particularly like any of the characters, but I am sure genuine teen readers will have fun breaking down the clues. AGE RANGE 12+

The blurb of this book sounded right up my alley.
A modern version of a whodunit. A virtual reality escape room.

Veronica is visiting her little brother in hospital and has just overheard some devastating news when she wakes up in a snowy landscape. There are four others who find themselves in the same situation. They are all in The Game. A virtual reality game that you cannot choose to play. You are automatically transported there through easter eggs in other games.

They soon discover a sprawling mansion and a dead body. They are instructed to examine the house for clues. Speak to as many NPC's as they like and find out who the murderer is and why they killed the victim.

You cannot ask to leave. You cannot refuse to play. These 5 need to work together. It's the only way to leave the Game.
When they Game begins to glitch, Veronica and the others realise that all is not right in the Game. One of the others is killed - but that's ok, isn't it. They aren't really dead - not in the real world - or are they?

I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the last half. I didn't take to any of the characters but since they were all hiding something, it's not surprising. I was left feeling as though something were missing from the end.

Hang on, I’m just glitching out after reading this immersive VR based creepy murder mystery. Need a reboot.

I got real ready player one vibes from this, it was brilliant !! Hooked just about covers it, but ‘consumed’ would be apt too. I couldn’t put it down and right from the beginning I knew it was going to be a 5 star. One of those entertaining, on the edge of your seat, intrigued books that you can’t get enough of.

I couldn’t believe how fast this book disappeared. Like, one minute I was at the start and the next, I was half way through and then I’d finished! It’s a true time portal book. Blink and you’re at the end!

Ah it was intense. I loved the element of creepy horror and the murder mystery vibe running throughout. I literally had no idea where it was going and wasn’t expecting the direction it took. I kept trying to figure it out and run with the clues the characters were collecting but I didn’t guess how it was going to end.

I loved the main characters that were thrust into this game. The nerdy Veronica who just wants the money to save her brother, the over confident Charlie, kind Yasmin, sultry Aaron and the mysterious Nate. There’s plenty to these character dimensions and they all bring something different to the story. The plot was great too and the writing was a perfect balance of everything it was meant to be.

Don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before as it’s kind of a mix of all sorts of different genres and I was loving it. Definitely not a read I regretted!

Let’s Play Murder follows Veronica, a socially-awkward teenage girl whose life revolves around caring for her hospitalised brother, Max. Despite a traumatic experience in a VR game a few years earlier, she reluctantly agrees to play VR hide-and-seek with Max, but finds herself quickly sucked into an infamous dark web game instead.

Veronica wants to escape the game to get back to her brother, but in The Game, there’s no way out unless you’ve completed its mystery challenge and solved a murder. After hearing about the substantial cash prize, Veronica decides that it may be worth playing after all, to get the money needed for Max’s treatment, and she finds herself suddenly sucked up into a game that definitely isn’t what it originally seemed.

I knew that I wanted to read this book the second I read the description (so thank you very much to Bloomsbury for the e-arc!) and I was absolutely not disappointed. The murder mystery element was really enjoyable and I found myself puzzling the whole thing out alongside Veronica and the other players, but the thing I loved most about this book was the total chaos that ensued as the game started to unravel. Veronica was a fascinatingly unreliable narrator and I questioned all of the other players just as much as she did, especially as the more horror-esque elements began to crop up.

I thought I’d figured the twists out partway through and, whilst a few parts were guessable, the biggest twists took me completely by surprise. I found myself genuinely shocked a few times throughout and couldn’t stop trying to guess what was happening in both the mystery and with the players at every turn.

This is a fast-paced, fun and creative read, which pulled me completely out of my reading slump. I wasn’t able to put it down at all, and absolutely recommend to anyone interested in traditional murder mysteries, and crazy dystopian twists.

Let's Play Murder is a real page-turner "can't put it down, lose track of time" book.
Five separate players in VR find the door to The Game, a dark web creation. Each has their own secrets and motivations for competing.. Let The Game begin!
This book is dark, tense, fast paced and immersive with plenty of plot twists to keep the reader guessing. It reminds me of Ready Player One with its clue solving quest for a grand prize and its 1980's pop culture references. The descriptions of the spooky mansion are so good you feel like you are there yourself alongside the players.
You don't need to be a gamer to enjoy this excellent murder mystery. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury for the ARC

I completely devoured this book in a matter of hours - this is going to be an absolute smash hit with my students!!

I devoured this murder mystery which was filled with twists and turns - it was immersive and impossible to put down

This book isn’t exactly to my tastes personally but I did think it was exciting and I think the right reader will love it. A nice addition to the UKYA market