It was another solid, fast paced, easy to read, YA mystery/ thriller. If it would be only for this beautiful cover, I could give five stars without thinking any further.

But the book is a little predictable whodunnit murder mystery at school campus with plot holes, not so crafted characterization.

Oscar: the problematic bad boy who is presumed killer of his teacher and his roommate Luke who is A-grader, clean cut, great student, athlete, student rep., president of Outdoors Club is polar opposite of him, trying to prove his friend’s innocence by conducting his own investigation.

His loyalty depends on Oscar’s support when Luke transferred to the school after his abduction and his traumatic experience in the woods. When the other students observe him like a germ in microscope, Oscar treats him as if nothing terrifying happened to him which helped him to heal from his trauma with his friendship.

Now it’s time for him to pay him back. Their young and beautiful teacher Mrs. Heckler who recently married with Dean Heckler is killed by being choked with a scarf reminds the people of the strangler serial killer case of the town which is unsolved!

But instead of Oscar, there are so many suspects at this case including Dean’s old wife who can be jealous of her and her ex husband who ended their marriage and of course Dean is still at the suspect list because Luke, Oscar, Kelly and Pippa were the ones who heard Mrs. Heckler talked to some man in the woods before she’s been killed and they presumed she was having relationship with someone mysterious but who? Is the mysterious man the killer?

Even Pippa, Luke has a secret crush on may be a suspect because she’s also transferred to the boarding school to get away from a vicious scandal about her involvement to the murder of her close girlfriend.

Well, this was not complex or not so confusing or earth shattering, it is simple story like middle grade mystery reads. The adult characters are not developed enough. Only Oscar, Pippa and Luke were remarkable and connectable characters. Rest of them are full of cliches, one dimensional.

Overall: it was okay reading. I didn’t like too much but it was still engaging and quickly wrapped. It never bores me even you may guess the perpetrator so easily.

I still want to read more works of the author. I’m giving three solid, Switzerland: not lovable but also not so hatable, mystery takes place in location, whodunnit stars!

Special thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS FIRE for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

The Murder Game follows Luke, a student at a boarding school, as he tries to figure out who murdered one of the staff members and to clear his roommate’s name.
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This book was fine. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it wasn’t bad either. I liked the premise, and the title intrigued me, but the title was also very misleading. There is murder, but there is no game whatsoever. I did like the creepy atmosphere, and Pippa was a nice multi-dimensional character. Luke, however, got on my nerves.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really looking forward to reading this book.

I was disappointed. I was worried after I read the first chapter and the book just did not get any better.

I love this type of thriller book, but there was nothing interesting. Characters did not feel defined and I admit, I could not get through this one.

It is a shame.

3.5 stars.

Okay, so this book is literally a cross between <i>A study in Charlotte meets any boarding school book ever.</i> I thought the premise was really interesting and Carrie captured boarding school life how I would expect. I felt like the story’s ending was satisfying enough and I can see this book being a potential series.

- I liked the entire concept of this book and how the story played out. The reveals/twists felt realistic and I could understand the direction Luke’s character followed.
- I liked that this was not a romance heavy book which is typical for a lot of YA mysteries. I liked Pippa’s role but she wasn’t the centre part of the investigation and this was nice to read.
- Carrie’s writing was good but the pacing was off. It took me a while for the book to get going but once it did, it was good. I would say the first half of the book dragged which was frustrating as the latter half really was good.
- I also thought Luke’s backstory was interesting but I either think it should have been scrapped all together or more should have been explored with it because it was kind of mentioned a few times and didn’t really add anything to the book and I found myself wanting more from this.

Overall, a decently written YA mystery with a unique voice.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. See the end of my review for educator-specific feedback.

I feel the need to note that murder mysteries aren’t my typical preferred reading material, but every year I have scores of students who love them, so I dip my toe in the water to look for new offerings.

Not being a connoisseur of the genre, I found this book to be what I imagine is typical fare. Boarding school, sneaking around at night, heart-pounding suspense, and swaths of likely suspects that keep your head spinning until the end. If you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill murder mystery, this one fits the bill, but I can’t say it offered anything mind-blowing or genre-bending. It didn’t stand out.

That being said, this book is obviously the first in a series, and I was definitely intrigued by some of the loose ends and plot threads that will clearly be addressed in subsequent books.

The main character and his side kicks were pretty typical teens, and at the end of the day they all felt somewhat trope-like. There were hints at characterization beyond trope, but nothing ever really seemed to come of it, and the teen characters all played neatly into the roles it was clear they would from the beginning. The plot was well-paced and kept me turning the page, but I wasn’t shocked or awed by any of the twists. I did not accurately guess who the murder was before the end, as there was an 11th-hour clue that of course pointed to someone who hadn’t even previously been on the suspect list. I still can’t decide how I feel about that. I imagine it’s incredibly hard to point fingers and drop hints without giving it all away in advance, but it can be a little frustrating to get to the big reveal and have someone so entirely unexpected waiting behind the curtain.

All in all, if you love classic murder mysteries, give it a read. This is a book that is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin, so if that’s your thing, I think you’ll be satisfied.

And now the teachery bits: No sex happens on screen in this book, but it is heavily and frequently alluded to. Lots of talk about married teachers/ staff having affairs with other teachers/ staff, which is all heavily wrapped up in the main plot. There is also conjecture throughout the book that an adult staff member may have been having an affair with a student, though nothing really ever comes of this beyond rumors. Again, none of this is explicitly described, and is often referred to in euphemism. There is some violence, but it is not explicit; a character accidentally cuts their arm and bleeds, requiring stitches; there is a physical altercation at the end that is not super explicitly violent; there is a subplot involving flashbacks to a prior kidnapping that similarly involved violent physical altercation where someone dies, but again, the description is not explicit. There is little-to-no explicit language, though some more mature terms like “cougar” make an occasional appearance. I would say this book could be an independent reading option for 8th graders, but I wouldn’t offer it as book club option for anyone under grade 9.

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.