Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I am giving my rating based on my own personal opinion and not that of any other party.

This is Not a Game is a mystery novel, that was very reminiscent of the movie Clue. Guests trapped in a mansion on Macinaw Island, a murder, did the butler do it? Perhaps Miss Barb in the library with poison. You'll have to read it to find out.
This one was fun, and I really enjoyed Mimi, the main character. There were plenty of plot twists and characters to keep readers guessing.
Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for this ARC!

This Is Not a Game has some of the biggest tropes of the mystery genre right now: an elderly MC (thanks, Thursday Murder Club), and a Then There Were None-type premise. Does it do them well? Not exactly. I was excited for the grandmother/granddaughter dynamic, which I thought would make this standout. While this dynamic was sweet, and sometimes fun, I was never really connected to these two. They end up a party in a huge mansion, and obviously someone turns up dead. The granddaughter, Addie, decides she should be the one to solve the murder, since she designed a murder mystery video game. Mimi, her grandmother, won't let her do it alone. Addie reads rather young, almost like a teenager, not like an adult with a career and a life of her own. She often comes across as insensitive while comparing the actual murders to the ones in her fictional game. Also, these two have no self-preservation instincts, which I guess is a requirement for MCs in a book like this. That being said, the mystery was fun, most likely because of the colorful cast of characters also stuck in the mansion. Not going to lie, it took me a while to remember who was who, but after that, I thought they were fun. Still, the actual sleuthing parts of this are kind of slow. This wasn't anything too new and exciting, but I can see it working for mystery fans who want something different in their main characters. I think it would fit in our library collection.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a mostly fun cozy mystery featuring grandmother/granddaughter sleuths. It wasn't the most exciting mystery I've read, but it was solid and I liked the main characters. It was the kind of book that made me think any potential sequels would be even more enjoyable.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This was a cute “classic” style mystery. Just a little cozy-esque. I like the relationship between Addie and her grandma, and it feels like this is likely going to be the start of a series with the two of them. The mystery kept me guessing, and when it was revealed at the end, I was mad at myself for not guessing. This would be a great pick for a mystery book club!

What I liked: I enjoyed the relationship between main character Addie and her grandmother Mimi. The two end up snowed in at a lavish house party on Mackinac Island. The party's hostess is murdered, and all the guests have a motive. I loved the island setting and the claustrophobic atmosphere in this beautiful mansion with hidden doorways and mysterious rooms.

What I disliked: The focus on the video game Addie created with her ex, which he has now stolen from Addie, got a bit tiresome.

Overall: A fun, atmospheric locked-room mystery.

Thanks to and NetGalley for providing the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This Is Not a Game was an exciting and fast-paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the clever twists and the way the story balanced tension with humor—it felt fresh and unpredictable. The characters were relatable and had just enough depth to make me care about their choices, though I wished a few plot points had been explored a bit more. Overall, it was a highly entertaining and engaging book that I really enjoyed.

I loved this cozy mystery! The standout was the relationship between Mimi and Addie! This book had strong 'Clue' and 'Knives Out' vibes that delivered!

"A unique locked-room debut..." - from Goodreads summary.

Literally all I needed to add this to the top of my TBR was those five words. I love a locked-room mystery especially when the characters are snowed in - it's my favorite! Reading this book felt a bit like the game Clue. Everyone was a suspect and had a possible motive behind killing their host, Jane Ireland. I was constantly guessing trying to figure out who the killer was and why. The storm that was keeping the guests stranded only added to the layers of tension and suspense. I also really enjoyed getting to know Mimi and her granddaughter Addie who were the two main characters in this book. It was enjoyable to see them working on their relationship with one another especially after they had a few struggles in the past. The book itself was fast paced and kept me guessing - really what more could I ask for in a good mystery? The answer is a solid ending which this book also had. I didn't guess the whodunnit myself and was pleasantly surprised by it all. This was a solid mystery which left me very excited to see what this author comes up with next.

Mystery fans and those who enjoy suspense filled reads should give this book a try. If you enjoyed How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin or You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego then definitely pick this one up. I'm rating it four stars overall.

A great cozy mystery novel for people who grew up loving Clue and Colonel's Bequest! This is a solid trapped-in-a-mansion-with-a-killer book, with interesting characters, and a great tag team of Mimi and her granddaughter Addie as our intrepid pseudo-detectives. I had absolutely zero idea who the killer would be, and I thought it all tied up really well. Do you like Only Murders In The Building? Then I'd recommend this book.

As a Michigander I was excited about a cozy mystery set on Mackinac Island, but around 25% in and I’m not feeling connected to the story or characters. Putting down for now.

A delightful locked-room murder mystery set in a local-to-me location, This Is Not A Game was pure fun! The dynamic between Mimi and Addie had me smiling the entire time. Honestly, who couldn't love a granny that drinks Gibsons and named her snowmobile Joan Rivers?

THIS IS NOT A GAME starts out well enough, with a nicely peppery relationship between an estranged grandmother and granddaughter. But once the mystery, involving the grandmother being blackmailed, kicks in, it falters considerably. Multiple suspects are initially introduced by their first names only, a grievous editorial choice that makes the characters hard to track. Our heroes make some unforgivable decisions, like destroying evidence. The setting, in picturesque Mackinac Island in Michigan, would seem to be a reason to read the book but the action is almost entirely confined to a snowbound house. And the pacing drags. A disappointment.

This was such a fun and refreshing read! I absolutely loved the mystery-solving duo of Mimi and Addie. It was my first time reading a grandmother-granddaughter pairing, and their dynamic brought so much heart and humor to the story. Their banter and bond made the unfolding mystery even more engaging, and I found myself rooting for them the whole way through. It was a unique twist on the cozy mystery genre that kept me interested.

Big thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this debut!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
☠️ small town setting
☠️ single POV
☠️ third person POV
☠️ lots of characters
☠️ grandma/granddaughter mystery solving team

I loved the scenery the author painted in this book. I really felt like I was on Mackinac Island 🩷🩷 The smells and sounds and everything. I love when the author does such a good job with the descriptions that I can picture the story in my mind.
I loved Mimi and Addie! I loved watching their relationship form and how everything wrapped up nicely in the end 🩷
This was a very exciting mystery story, with lots of things constantly happening and tons or murder 🤪🤪 I really, really enjoyed it!
I have to admit I did see the end coming 🤪🤪 but I was guessing right up until the every last minute.
Thank you so much to Penguin Group Dutton and Kelly Mullen for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 🩷🩷

This was such a fun, cozy murder mystery with just the right amount of chaos. Think Golden Girls meets Only Murders in the Building with a touch of Clue—and I was totally here for it.

Mimi is a vibe all on her own—martinis, sass, and secrets—and her dynamic with Addie adds heart and humor to the whole story. The grandmother-granddaughter duo is what really carries the book. Their banter is sharp, their relationship feels real, and watching them try to piece together a murder (while dealing with their own drama) kept me hooked the whole way through.

The mystery itself had solid twists and that classic “everyone’s a suspect” vibe, which I love. The setting—a glamorous mansion on stormy Mackinac Island—makes it even better. Plus, the dachshunds? Iconic.

Overall, it’s clever, charming, and just plain entertaining. I’d definitely read more from this series if it turns into one!

THIS IS NOT A GAME by Kelly Mullen introduces readers to Mimi, a resident of Mackinac Island, Michigan, and her videogame designing granddaughter, Addie. Mimi and Addie attend a local gala which morphs into a locked room mystery after a murder occurs, and guests are trapped due to a storm. That may sound conventional, but debut author Mullen provides plenty of twists and suspects as she compares the two women's sleuthing adventures to a video game: "about stimulating the hypothalamus of the player. Making them feel joy, pride, empowerment, victory, self-determination." At one point Addie says, "as players, we need to ask ourselves what mission we need to complete. What is this level telling us?" There are also multiple whimsical literary and game references (e.g., Carmen San Diego) throughout. Poor Mimi, though, "was silent as she tried to absorb everything... just revealed to them. It was becoming difficult to discern who was a victim and who was an accomplice in this whole blackmail scheme." The surprises keep coming in THIS IS NOT A GAME, a light, entertaining read. Hopefully, Mullen will have future opportunities to hone her craft and develop these inviting characters further.

This Is Not a Game is a debut novel by Kelly Mullen. I found it to be a fast-paced closed-door murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. I loved the duo of septuagenarian Mimi and her granddaughter Addie, who is a video game creator. The setting is Mackinac Island, which is a a place that has been on my bucket list for a while. I highly recommend it!

Synopsis:
Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiancé, Brian, dumping her and cutting her out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game, Murderscape, they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting).

When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland--a seventysomething narcissist who is having an affair with her son-in-law--to a charity auction, it is the perfect excuse to get Addie to join her for the weekend. What Mimi isn’t telling Addie is that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party’s invitation.

In case the scene wasn’t already set for a turbulent weekend, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane’s body is found. Soon Mimi and Addie are caught in a dangerous game, relying on their skills (Mimi loves a crossword puzzle, and Addie is a brilliant game designer, after all) to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night. . . .

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the advanced digital copy of the book.

4.5 stars! THIS IS NOT A GAME was very clue-esque! I loved the grandma/granddaughter sleuthing relationship (reminded me of Mother Daughter Murder Night). I read this as an e-book and audio together and it was a quick read.

*Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

What a fun mystery! Full of puzzles, secrets, and deception, this book will keep you guessing until the very end. I loved the references to gaming, puzzles, and classic mysteries. It's clear that Kelly Mullen has a real passion for the genre. Murderscape is totally a game that I would play, as a fan of all things Nancy Drew and riddles. I've always wanted to visit Mackinac Island, so it was cool seeing a book set there! It also was a surprisingly perfect environment to induce that "snowed-in isolation" that locked room mysteries are known for. This is a book that I think would naturally lend itself to a series, but can also stand on its own if that isn't pursued.