This Is Not a Game

Gilmore Girls meets Knives Out. A deliciously smart locked-room mystery featuring an irresistible grandmother and granddaughter sleuthing duo.

'I adored this deliciously twisty and wickedly sharp murder mystery' Lucy Clarke 'A thriller with a twist!' Cosmopolitan 'Slick and witty' Daily Mail _____

Two unlikely detectives. A killer cocktail of suspects.

A Gibson martini garnished with three silverskin onions is 77-year-old Mimi’s favourite cocktail. It is best served with a crossword puzzle, not as an apéritif at Jane Ireland's extravagant auction party.

But given Mimi has been blackmailed into attending Jane's event, at a grand old mansion on Mackinac Island (Michigan’s answer to The Hamptons), there are worse drinks she could spend an evening sinking.

Thankfully for her, she's roped her granddaughter, Addie – who is escaping the heartache caused by her manipulative ex-fiancé – into accompanying her. While Addie spots celebrities and socialites in the manor's labyrinth of dark rooms and Mimi wonders how to confess the real reason for her presence at the soiree, a scream pierces the air.

Jane is dead.

And when a second body turns up, Mimi and Addie soon become the unlikeliest of sleuths in a race to narrow down the suspects.

In a house that contains as many secrets as the people within it, it’s going to take more than a Gibson to survive the night… _____

Praise for THIS IS NOT A GAME:

'Agatha Christie brought bang up to date in this innovative and funny spin on the classic country house murder. I adored Mullen’s intrepid sleuthing duo and loved unravelling this locked-room mystery with them' Clare Mackintosh

'Miss Marple meets Only Murders in the Building, this is a proper old school murder mystery brought bang up to date by Kelly. Entertaining from start to finish' Jennie Godfrey

'A stunning read. So gripping and atmospheric, I barely made it out alive' Steve Jones

'A zippy, witty and delightful game of twists, featuring a wonderful new puzzle-solving duo guaranteed to win your heart' Chris Chibnall

'A wonderfully vibrant take on the classic whodunit, This is Not A Game tackles the locked room mystery with warmth and humour, serving up a crime solving duo that I couldn’t stop rooting for. After finishing the book, I was craving three things - a visit to Mackinac island, a Gibson, and more from author Kelly Mullen!' Kristen Perrin

'Mullen’s debut introduces us to a sparkling new crime-fighting partnership: acerbic septuagenarian Mimi and her smart-as-a-whip granddaughter, Addie. In This Is Not A Game, the pair find themselves trapped together on an island mansion as murders ensue. Crackles with wit and cosy crime goodness' Vaseem Khan

'Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit' Publishers Weekly

The Bookseller's '10 Titles not to miss in April' pick

Slick and witty Daily Mail Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit Publishers Weekly A thriller novel with a difference Cosmopolitan 'Slick and witty.' The Daily Mail

Kelly Mullen has worked as a producer in Hollywood and a marketing executive in New York and London. During the pandemic she took online writing courses through Curtis Brown Creative and The Novelry, which reignited her childhood passion for writing. This Is Not A Game is her first novel and was inspired by a two-week stay at her grandmother's house in 2021.As an executive producer, her credits include Academy Award-nominated Trumbo starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and AppleTV+'s Dads produced with Ron Howard. Her creative work for brands has won over 50 awards, including Cannes Lions and Clios.Born and raised in Iowa, Kelly is now a dual citizen of the US and UK. She lives in London with her husband and their rescue cats.

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