77 year old Mimi lives on her own on an Island in Lake Michigan. She is surprised to receive an invitation to a party hosted by her celebrity neighbour, Jane. But the notes accompanying her invitation fill her with more than surprise; they fill her with fear. She is being blackmailed.
Recently Mimi's not been getting on well with her only grandchild, Addie, but inviting Addie to attend the party with her seems a good way of building bridges. Addie, a game designer, is glad to have a break from the misery of betrayal from her former partner and agrees to go to the party with Mimi.
They arrive as the snow is falling and join a mixed group of guests. In a theatrical move, the drawbridge across the moat is raised, cutting the guests off from the rest of the world. The scene is set for murder and when it happens, the guests discover that the earlier snow has turned into a storm and no-one can get through to them. It's up to Mimi and Addie to try to solve the murder.
I really enjoyed this book. If I'd had the opportunity, I'd have sat down and read it in one go. It is a real page turner and left me guessing who the murderer was right up to the big reveal.

This story opens with an interesting plot line that grabbed my attention. Mimi, is retired and living in the beautiful setting of Mackinac island in the Great Lakes. She receives an invite to a party and art auction hosted by her very wealthy neighbour. This seemingly pleasant invite though includes instructions to bid on a certain lot and threatens to expose Mimi’s secret if she doesn’t comply. Mimi is determined to face up to the challenge and invites her granddaughter, Addie, to accompany her.

The setting in an old house with secrets passageways is described in delightful detail with Mimi and Addie doing lots of exploring. The dialogue between the grand mother and grand daughter was well paced as they tackled the investigation and Addie’s background in video game design provided a different perspective on the situation. Some of the other characters I felt were rather weak and the dialogue a bit far fetched in that some were too quick in offering up critical information to the two amateur sleuths. Overall though an enjoyable light hearted cosy murder mystery.

A locked room mystery with a twist and a lot of blackmail. Mimi and her granddaughter are attending a party that neither wants to be at and they soon find they're not leaving. Then there's a murder and they decide to find the killer.

This was very much a cosy murder mystery with a modern Agatha Christie feel to it. I loved the location and the uniqueness of the locked room side of the mystery. I have to admit that I wasn't totally sure on the killer as I was too busy enjoying the ride to the big reveal. It made sense and its a recognised way but I liked it. The plot was simple and fun. Mimi is brilliant and I loved Addie too. The ending was perfect especially that very last scene with Addie. A fun light mystery.

This Is Not A Game is a lighthearted, cosy, locked-room mystery. I love a locked room mystery as it just adds to the tension throughout the story, and you get to know the characters well as they’re all stuck in one place together and secrets get revealed. This was the case in this story too, although there’s quite a few characters and I had to remind myself who was who a few times.

I absolutely loved the duo of grandmother and granddaughter Mimi and Addie, as they worked together to try and find out whodunnit. There was great banter between them and it was really lovely to see their relationship develop throughout the story. It was fun that, as the reader, I got to follow along with the clues discovered by Mimi and Addie and try to work out what happened. However, there were some good surprises and reveals along the way and I didn’t work out who the murderer was!

The book was well-paced and built up well to the ending, which I loved as the reader finds out whodunnit along with all of the other characters as a big reveal.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is Not a Game was a full throttle locked-room mystery with a really interesting gaming angle that intersected perfectly with the plot. Add into the mix two engaging protagonists and plenty of secrets and you have yourself a recipe for success.

I loved the intergenerational feel of this book with the Gibsons drawn together by blackmail and eventual violence. Both Mimi and Addie have a lot going on in their lives which is magnified by the fateful events of Jane’s party. Their relationship is the beating heart of the book and makes it stand out amongst locked-room mysteries, especially as they both come under fire. Their investigation is as much to clear themselves as it is to find out the truth.

Mimi is sometimes unlikeable, snarky and slightly bitter, but incredibly observant about people and persistent in her sleuthing. She pushes against the Miss Marple gentle type of investigating often associated with older characters in the genre – she is brazen and nosy and takes no prisoners. Addie on the other hand takes a softer tact often but needs to grow her inner confidence, dented by the actions of her manipulative ex. Her background adds a meta layer to the plot as she developed a hugely popular detective game. It adds a layer to proceedings as she interrogates the conventions of the genre and relates it to her gameplay.

The actual mystery is well-constructed with plenty of twists and turns in store. It feels like a game unfolding before your eyes, but one where you get involved too. Mullen bursts out the gates with a bold and captivating debut. The writing has a cinematic feel to it, drawing on Mullen’s background, and would lend itself well to an adaption.

This is Not a Game is a love letter to classic locked-room mysteries with a meta twist and two protagonists that find a space in your heart. Count Mullen as one to watch.

This Is Not a Game is a suspenseful and utterly engaging mystery that had me hooked from the very first page. Kelly Mullen masterfully crafts a story full of intrigue, unexpected twists, and great characters that breathe life into every chapter.
The dynamic between the grandmother, Mimi, and her granddaughter Addie is the heart of the novel. Their relationship is authentic, warm, and laced with humor—a refreshing and emotional core that adds real depth to the story. I loved watching their bond evolve as they worked together to unravel the mystery.
The plot is tightly woven and incredibly well-paced, keeping me guessing the whole time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer was revealed. It’s one of those books where you keep saying, “just one more chapter,” until suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and you’ve read the whole thing.
Mimi, with her sharp mind and unflappable poise, feels like a modern-day Poirot, but with a unique charm all her own. Addie brings a fresh, contemporary angle to the investigation, making them the perfect sleuthing pair—old school meets new tech in the best way possible.
This isn’t just a mystery; it’s a story with heart and substance. The depth of character development, clever plot, and emotional resonance make This Is Not a Game a standout. Highly recommend for fans of classic whodunits with a modern twist.

Mimi is a spritely 77-year-old who lives in a Hampton's like mansion in Mackinac Island, Michigan. She is visited by her grand-daughter Adele and together they attend Jane, (a neighbour's) lavish party, However, the night quickly turns to murder and the house guests are forced to stay overnight, waiting for the police. Mimi and Adele decide to play detectives.
A light hearted easy read.

Addie is a game designer with her partner Brian but when he tries to steal the company from her and profit from her ideas, she goes to visit her Auntie Mimi on Mackinnac island.
Little does she know what she's letting herself in for. When her Auntie asks Addie to accompany her to Nelson Manor to an event hosted by Jane Ireland, a local celebrity, all is not what it seems.
Life is set to mimic art so to speak when Addie swiftly finds herself embroiled in a real life mystery when one of the party guests is murdered.

Addie and Mimi set out to investigate. If you take a smidge of scooby doo, a cup of Agatha Christie and a dram of Nancy Drew you've got the perfect recipe for this book.

A charming and breezy whodunit that relies largely on its older-younger relative pairing, This Is Not a Game has some fun flourishes with classic board games and proves a warm and cosy if slightly forgettable mystery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
High-concept, high-stakes, and wildly entertaining. This thriller blends reality TV, survival games, and psychological drama in a way that feels both timely and addictive. Kelly Mullen’s fast-paced style keeps the tension high right through to the end. A must-read for fans of The Hunger Games meets Black Mirror.

A cost humorous murder mystery that just loses a bit of pace at times. Perhaps it could be defined as a modern day Agatha Christie story. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

A classy, twisty, glamorous locked room murder-mystery. This is not a game but really fun to play along.

Mimi and Addie (Grandma and Granddaughter) reunite to go to a swanky party at the local celebrity’s mansion, where incidentally Mimi is being blackmailed. However the guests get more than they bargained for when the hostess is brutally murdered, the drawbridge (an actual drawbridge!) is stuck open and a thick snow storm is cutting off any rescue. Addie and Mimi need to come together and solve this puzzle before the next body drops.

This is a great, fun story! My favourite part is the setting! The old house filled with secret passageways and rooms was so well described and designed, it made me feel like I was exploring the house myself. I could see it that clearly.

I love the grandma/granddaughter combo and Mimi and Addie were so much fun as co-protagonists. There could have been more meat to their relationship but equally I really appreciate the author’s commitment to getting on with the plot.

Addie being a murder mystery games designer was a genius touch, it gave the whole story a new dimension and made it sort of self aware, but not in a pretentious way. The parallel between video game players and the reader in a detective story and how both participate in the story was just a really nice touch.

Highly enjoyed, and I can’t say more… you’ll need to play for yourself.

Thanks #Cornerstone and #Netgalley for my #arc

Well wasn't this a bit of a blast! We start with Mimi opening an invitation to a party which she really doesn't want to attend but kinda has to cos non-attendance will lead to her secret being exposed. She also has to bid for, and win a pricey item on the charity auction being held. Yup... we're talking blackmail. So she contacts her granddaughter Addie to accompany her, which also doubles to keep her mind off Addie's split with fiance Brian who not only dumped her but is also refusing to credit her in the video game they created together.
So together they attend the soiree, at the isolated house, on a remote island, reached only by an electric drawbridge, meeting their hosts. 70 odd year old narcissistic socialite Jane Ireland who is currently dating her own son-in-law, shock horror. Along with an eclectic mix of other guests, family and friends, most of whom do not appear to fit together, or even like each other. And with bad weather coming in...
What could possibly go wrong!?!?
Well... murder for one... But the Police can't reach them to help. And then the power goes out.
But, in Addie, Mimi has the perfect partner in crime to try and solve the mystery of what in the heck is going on... And then there's another body and time is running out.
While I really applaud the author for the story, the plotting, the mystery and puzzles, I really have to admit that this was marred for me a tad by the fact that I really didn't get on with Mimi. There was something there that just rubbed me up the wrong way right from the off. In fact I think I read the opening chapter a few times and put the book down for another before I eventually put my big girl pants on and really dug in. And I am glad overall that I did. I did like Addie better and thought she was quite helpful with cracking the puzzles although I found her a bit whiny at times, especially with the repeated mention of her video game creation skills. Yes, I got it the first time, thank you. They also felt a wee bit disjointed together, and more than just the stuff from their past, but that might have been by design.
But all that said, I did have fun along the way trying to second guess it all. I did and I didn't, let's leave it there, so apart from the already mentioned niggles, it was a good solid read that, on finishing, I discover to be a debut book. I would most definitely be interested in seeing what the author serves up next time. Even if it does turn out to be a series opener as I have been known to warm to MCs I initially disliked... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed this whodunnit which gave me TMC vibes. The story features two main characters, Mimi and her granddaughter Addie, who find themselves at a super fancy auction party. Well, Mimi has actually been blackmailed into attending and bidding, and has taken her granddaughter for backup. When the host turns up dead and nobody can leave because of the weather, the pair end up attempting to uncover the murderer.

I really enjoyed Mimi’s character in this book. She’s cantankerous yet classy, as well as being unintentionally quite funny. This book was a slower pace but I felt like it suited the story well. Can’t wait to see if these characters return in a future book!

This is a great book. It reminded me a little of the Thursday murder club books. Kelly mullen has written some great characters into this book and I look forward to reading more from her.

This book was so easy to read, I didn't want to put it down as I was having so much fun with the mystery and the twists and turns.

The premise of the story was very good. The idea of people being blackmailed into paying an extortionate amount of money at an auction being run by the blackmailer was a great start. The bad weather, the hostess being killed, the police not able to attend because of the weather added great interest. Sadly I found that the pace of the story was too slow. This is a story that when Mimi asked her grandaughter to accompany her to to the auction party it took away any interest I was trying hard to garner. I am not a gamer and all the references and abbreviations to the development of a good digital game took away what I felt could have been an excellent story. The reasons that everyone was being blackmailed were very convoluted was developd at a good pace and helped with the discovery of the murderer.
This is a book that any prson who enjoys PC gaming would love I am sure as it gives so many ideas on what a developer is expecting the gamer to think and hence act,
Sadly this was not for me but reading other reviews I think that it was loved or not.

This was a really great read filled with well written characters and witty dialogue. The pace was just right and the story kept me interested throughout. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving them to an early copy of this book.

This was such a fun time! I loved the relationship between Mimi and Addie, it felt so relatable. A fresh take on the classic locked room mystery. I'll definitely be reading more from this author!

A cosy murder mystery but bit slow moving at times.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book