I found <i>The Murder Game</i> to be a bit misleading by the title (and cover). Luke and his boarding school roommate Oscar sneak out for the night to meet two girls for some fun, only to find out the next day they had witnessed (overheard) the death of a faculty member.

This novel was a slow read for me, with lots of red herrings and a little too much unnecessary plot. Then there’s a quickly wrapped up ending that comes with a promise of a sequel.

I loved a locked room mystery. I especially love a locked room mystery at a boarding school. This claustrophobic thriller will leave you on the edge of your seat or you try to solve a crime so dastardly even Sherlock Holmes would be so impressed.

Luke Chase is starting another year at his exclusive boarding school when his roommate, Oscar, convinces him to sneak out with two girls. That same night, a teacher is found murdered in the wood, near the spot where they were hanging out. Luke and Oscar are determined to solve the mystery before suspicion falls on them. The book has an okay plot but nothing too exciting. Luke is a bit dense at the clues thrown his way and the rest of the characters aren't overly developed, so it was hard to make a connection.

An average YA murder mystery, although I struggled to finish reading. The title is misleading as the story doesn't involve a game, nor is the number 13 relevant, as shown on the cover. Overall rating, 2.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, SourcebooksFire Publishing, and Carrie Doyle for an advanced eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story is a murder mystery, but don't let the title fool you. There is no game. I have no idea where that title came from. Here, we find rich kids at a prep school (seems to be YA trend for at least 20 books I've read this year). The story follows Luke Chase, a student who, three years ago, was kidnapped and escaped his captors. Does that have anything to do with the story? You'll have to read to find out. There is a murder on campus and the police can't figure out who coule have possibly done it. Luke decides that the adults are incompetent and sets out to solve the mystery himself. The book is okay, but predictable and no where near the level of books like Truly Devious.

The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle is a fun YA mystery. Full of twists and turns while still being accessible. The characters were well developed, though the adults were the typical stereotypical bunch…think Breakfast Club but in reverse. The plot was good, if a bit predictable at times. I would recommend this book to fans of the YA genre.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

Luke is a hero because he saved himself from kidnappers when he was younger. Now he is caught up in a murder at his school and while he thinks he can find the killer in time he is not sure his survival skills will help him here. This is a cool suspense filled mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

The Murder Game
by Carrie Doyle
Pub Date 06 Apr 2021
Read courtesy of http://netgalley.com

The cover pulled me in; bummer, it was misleading. There was neither a game nor were there thirteen murders. Although, there may have been thirteen suspects; I didn't count.

The story is a typical YA whodunit complete with teens who think they can solve a murder better and faster than law enforcement can. The adults were caricatures of stereotypical school-employed adults: the stern one, the buddy-buddy one, the crazy one, the immature one, the rule-follower, the rule-breaker, etc. Not only that, but the adults were way too free-spoken with the students in discussing an open murder investigation. Granted, it was a residential private school and not a public school, so teachers and students would have closer relationships there, but still, multiple teachers crossed the line on too many occasions to maintain a believable setting. Similarly, too often the adults accepted a teen character's brush-off answer to a direct question.

The author creates plenty of red herrings to keep the readers guessing. Unfortunately, the book's plot feels a little lopsided; the build-up was overbuilt and long, and the revelation was abrupt and short. I probably will get this book for my high school students because I don't know if they will be as critical as I was about the trite hero-teen-knows-more-than-lame-adults genre. It's a genre for a reason. ⭐⭐⭐
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A few things included in the story distracted me from just letting the story flow over me. These aren't spoiler alerts, but if you think you'll get them stuck in your head and interrupt your ability to read the story, too, then don't read this paragraph. Luke put both hands on a Pippa's face to kiss her after he just said his hands were most likely bleeding (ew); Luke was racing against time to catch the killer who was probably attacking his next victim, but Luke took the time to wait at a traffic light before crossing the street; and we never do find out what the motel clerk was going to tell Luke about the mysterious customer he was trying to identify.