THIS IS NOT A GAME by Kelly Mullen

Pub date: April 8th, 2025
Publisher: Dutton
Rating: 3 / 5


Who doesn't love a bit of blackmail with your murder?

Rosemary MacLaine, or Mimi to her granddaughter Addie, is being blackmailed. The deal? Attend socialite Jane Ireland's weekend charity auction... or else. Mimi abhors Jane, but with no other options, calls on Addie to join her for the weekend. Addie is in a messy legal battle with her ex-fiancé who is locking her out of a successful business deal, but both women's issues are soon overshadowed when Jane is murdered at her own party. Everyone's a suspect, and it seems the killer isn't stopping with Jane.

THIS IS NOT A GAME is a debut whodunnit mystery underscored by a charming family relationship. Mimi and Addie are the dual narrators and their dynamic is one of the best parts of the story. Mimi is a sharp, Gibson-loving old lady and Addie is a creative murder video game developer. While the book for the most part delivers a cozy, locked-room whodunnit, the ensemble characters and plot progression made it difficult to be fully immersed in the story. The ensemble characters did not have much personality or development. Rather, their existence in the story felt more like checkpoints to get to the next misdirection. The final reveal just felt okay rather than stand-out, and the resolution to Addie's business/relationship plotline could have been given more page time to be satisfying. Fans of easy-to-read murder mysteries or amateur detective stories will likely enjoy Kelly Mullen's debut.


(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

Thank you Penguin for the ARC of this book!

This was more along the lines of what I wanted with Mother Daughter Murder Night! This was a cute cozy mystery for fans of locked room mysteries, and who are able to put up with some incredibly cheesy dialogue.

The premise is pretty standard--everyone is gathered to a mansion under the premise of a nefarious auction, they're trapped in the house by the weather, and BAM! Host is murdered. Now we've got a team of a grandmother and her granddaughter working together to try to repair their relationship while cosplaying as Sherlock and Watson.

The overall story was fun and interesting, and I was definitely invested in the story, but the secondary plot points just weren't it for me. The video game designed bit had SUCH a strong potential, but it was really only every used to add in weird and random pop culture references and video game jargon and didn't really serve a purpose. And I really hoped her relationship/battle with her ex would play a bigger role than it did. It came and left in two sentence bits throughout the story, and I think it was such a missed opportunity.

Overall if you like a cozy mystery and don't mind some cheesy dialogue, this was a fast and fun read!.

This was good, but it was a little hard for me to follow. I couldn’t quite keep track of who was who/what they did. Honestly that could be more of a me thing. I also didn’t love the narrator’s voice so that might have been a contributing factor.

I definitely liked the premise of this book. But it just didn’t work for me.

Thanks to PRH Audjo for the early audiobook.

I enjoyed this. I thought that the characters were really well done, and the dialogue and banter was great, too. I thought that the mystery aspect was twisty and turny and I really liked that our MC was a mystery video game maker. I especially enjoyed that the mystery felt complex--I didn't feel like it was too surface level, or that the twists were easy to guess. Overall, I really liked this and I cannot wait for my branch to get our physical copies in!

⭐️ 5/5
Third Person POV, Dual Narrative
Linear Timeline
FMCs: Addie & Mimi
Setting: Mackinac Island, Michigan
Murder Mystery, Whodunit

Kelly Mullen brings us a clever, witty, suspenseful whodunit following the story of Addie, a mystery genre video game creator and her somewhat absent grandmother Rosemary, or Mimi, as they try to uncover the blackmail mystery Mimi finds herself in and the murder that shows up at an off-putting cocktail party.

This was a complex, tense, witty, and fun read! I enjoyed the twists and turns, as well as the banter amongst characters. I appreciated the relationship growth between Addie and Mimi as well, which added a perfect heartwarming and enduring element!

Thank you Penguin Group and Dutton for providing me this ARC via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"The mansion looked like a vampire's lair designed by Henry VIII."
Septuagenarian Mimi is having a small blackmail problem and invites Addie, her (recently jilted videogame inventor) granddaughter up for a visit to picturesque Mackinac Island at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. They need to go to a party at the mansion of the richest woman on the island despite the raging blizzard. That woman is a really nasty sort and is also the first one murdered and robbed of the jewels she wears. Let the sleuthing begin! Mimi and Addie work (kinda) together to investigate who else among of the many guests on this isolated island was being blackmailed and which one did the deed. Nearly all of the characters are more than a little quirky (except for the dachshunds) and the fun is as liberal as the alcohol.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected e-book file from PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton via NetGalley.
#ThisIsNotAGame by @kellymullenauthor @penguinbooks @duttonbooks
@mackinacisle #DACHSHUNDSx2 #closedcirclemystery #Cozymystery #gaming #blackmail #witty #blizzard #suspense #mysterythriller #fun #HumorousSuspense @goodreads @bookbub #murder @librarythingofficial #smalltown @barnesandnoble #nonagenarian ***** Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org #library #unputdownable @bookshop_org_uk #CozyCrime

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This book was not my cup of tea, unfortunately. I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. I may be interested in reading more by Kelly Mullen though in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the digital advance reader copy.

Eh. This just wasn't my cup of tea. As a Michigander, I was drawn to the description of this Mackinac Island mystery, which is why I picked it up. However, there was neither enough of the Mackinac Island setting nor enough mystery for me.

Septuagenarian Mimi has lived on the island for years, but when she's invited to a party where the invitation requires her to purchase a piece of art or her darkest secret will be revealed, she calls on her video-game creator granddaughter, Addie, to attend with her.

Unfortunately, she doesn't tell Addie about the blackmail invitation immediately, which doesn't make a lot of sense since Mimi invited her to help her, and when Addie calls her out for bidding a quarter of a million dollars on manga during the party, Mimi finally confesses to the blackmail, but still doesn't tell Addie the secret she's hiding for three-quarters of the book, despite the murders happening around them.

A lot of this story seems to depend on the main characters not telling each other important things and important clues that they find not being revealed to the reader until the final solution is disclosed, which is frustrating and unfair for a mystery reader. Yes, you told us a picture was found in so-and-so's room, but if you don't tell what us the picture was, then the reader is left to guess what it might have been, instead of being able to puzzle through the clues with the main characters.

I also never found any of the characters engaging, not even Mimi and Addie. The dialogue was wooden and stilted, their motivations unclear, and their interactions with the other suspects oftentimes unrealistic (one woman confessed her blackmail secret immediately to the two of them, despite not knowing them and despite her secret being a serious criminal matter).

So, while I found this underwhelming, someone else may find it to be just right for them, if they're looking for a fast, straightforward whodunnit.

*occasional language, off-page violence

Mimi is a septuagenarian living in Mackinac Island, enjoying her Gibson and crossword filled existence. When she receives an invitation to a socialites party with a side of blackmail she knows she can't attend alone. She invites her granddaughter, Addie, along to the party for support. Things take a turn for the worse when a terrible storm hits, trapping them all in the mansion and their host turns up dead.

Mimi and Addie were such a great team. They bounced off each other so well and their banter was amazing! All of the other characters were unique and had lots of secrets that unraveled steadily throughout the book. This book kept me guessing right until the end. The only issue I had was that there was no real way to work out the solution ourselves. It felt like it was just thrust on us at the end. I would have preferred some foreshadowing throughout the book.

This is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen

3.5 stars

I love a good murder mystery story, especially when I need a pallet cleanser from high fantasy and romance novels, This one is like a real life Clue party on Michigan's Mackinac Island. Being from Michigan, I know the lore of Mackinac Island, and I think this was such a fun location for the setting of this book, The concept of this novel was great! You have a grandmother and a granddaughter being blackmailed into attending a socialites auction party, and then people start dropping like flies, leaving this duo to find the murderer, or also be murdered. I loved the concept, but the story seemed to drag at parts, and not fully come together neatly in the end like I had hoped it would. The hilarious one liners from the characters made me bump this from a 3 star to a 3.5 star.

(Review will be posted on my bookstagram account on April 7th)

3.5 stars
Kelly Martin's debut novel, This Is Not a Game, is reminiscent of the board game Clue mixed with the complicated relationship between granddaughter and grandmother.
Mimi lives a quiet life on Mackinac Island, keeping to herself and her routine. Her world is upended when she receives a blackmail invitation from neighbor and socialite, Jane Ireland, to her yearly auction/party. She enlists her granddaughter, Addie, as her plus one to the help with the blackmail, and explain why it's happening in the first place and why their relationship has been strained. Addie is coming off a horrible break-up with her ex-fiance and business partner that created the #1 gaming console, Murderscape. When bodies start dropping at the party, it's up to Addie and Mimi to work through their rift and solve their real life Murderscape so Mimi doesn't end up behind bars.

I love Clue, both the game and movie. To read a book somewhat based off of it mixed with a little Christie and Poirot just seemed like the perfect mash-up. Unfortunately, the flow and storyline just seemed to fall flat. The relationship of Mimi and Addie never felt familial and even as the story when on and they 'talked it out' it was still strained and never seemed to be resolved. The plot of the suspects and who did it was drawn out and felt as though it didn't add up. I also would've loved to see the scene of Addie presenting the facts and information to her ex-fiance proving that Murderscape was also hers, resulting in her vindication. Overall the idea was there, but it felt unfinished.

I appreciate NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to give my honest review of This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen.
Pub Date: 4/8/2025
Goodreads review posted 03/17/25
Instagram review will be posted on my Bookstagram account Pub Day 04/08/25

“Dear, I thought you said this wasn’t a game.”

So very Clue meets And Then There Were None, which is a GREAT formula for a cozy-ish mystery like this. If that is what you’re looking for, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, especially with the fun additions of video game elements and a sassy grandmother/granddaughter duo.

I was unfortunately a LITTLE disappointed with the whodunnit; it felt a bit anticlimactic after such a good build up.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the e-arc!

despite the ominous cover, this one is generally cozy. great setting, interesting if not super shocking murder, and generally good characters. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

3.5 stars - this is a well done cozy mystery with my favorite trope (isolated closed circle mystery). I'd say the writing is kind of clunky, with it overall feeling more like a TV show than a book, but it was entertaining and the plot gave me what I wanted.

This Is Not A Game is a fun murder mystery book with locked room vibes and reminded me so much of the game CLUE. Mimi and Addie were very lovable characters and Mimi was especially fun for how feisty she was and her love of her favorite drink, the Gibson. I enjoyed the granddaughter and grandmother relationship and banter between Mimi and Addie and as someone that also grew up close to both my grandmothers, I liked reading about this little adventure the two of them had and how it brought them closer together.
I enjoyed the Mackinac Island setting and it was such a unique group of characters that eventually all become suspicious of each other.
Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Dutton for the eARC of these book!

This is Not a Game has all the great setup of a classic locked door murder mystery.

Mimi, a grandmother living on picture-perfect Mackinac island, is invited to a dinner party charity auction by local socialite Jane. She invites her granddaughter Addie along, since she is being blackmailed and wants Addie's keen eye she honed from creating a murder mystery video game. When Mimi and Addie arrive at the soiree, things quickly take a dark turn and they have to put their sleuthing skills to work.

I did enjoy Mimi and Addie quite a bit. I also am a sucker for the trapped in a mansion murder mystery vibes, which this had in spades with the snow storm and dinner party. I did feel like the cast of characters could've been fleshed out better and the mystery part felt like it was missing some details that would've made it more enthralling. Still it was a decent mystery novel for a first time author.

Tropes:
* Locked Door
* Snowstorm
* Blackmail
* Murder Mystery
* Secret Identities
* Party at a Mansion
* Amateur Detectives
* Grandmother/Granddaughter MCs

3.5 stars

A fun new twist on the classic locked-room mystery.

Mimi is being blackmailed. But not only that, her blackmailer has invited her to a lavish party where she is to bid on an outrageously expensive item. Who better to help Mimi deal with this nuisance than her game developer granddaughter Addie, who recently got her heart broken *and* got cheated out of their jointly developed gaming business by her ex-fiancé? Only when the two women arrive at said party, they find themselves locked into the mansion with all the other guests - and the host turns up murdered.

What could have been a rather run of the mill locked-room story feels fresh and unique in this exciting debut. First of all, there is the relationship between Mimi and Addie, which is far from cuddly and heartfelt (in fact, Mimi is no Jessica Fletcher, but a rather prickly character). Furthermore, Addie's background in game development adds a modern twist to a classic setup. There was also a clever plot and lots of red herrings that contributed to the mystery, as well as an amazing cast of side characters, which definitely kept me guessing about the culprit.

My only complaint was the characterization of Addie as someone with extremely low self-esteem; she was way too smart for her constant self-doubt, not to mention her continued affection for her obviously useless ex.

Overall, an impressive debut that was thoroughly enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"This Is Not a Game" is slated to be released on April 8, 2025.

The review sounded great and I'm sure it will be popular, but it wasn't for me. We will purchase it for the library. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie!! I had so much fun trying to figure out how this was gonna end, and honestly, I wasn't even close (which is great!). It took me a couple of chapters to really understand who everyone was, but otherwise, this is fantastic! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

Loved this story about a grandmother and her granddaughter solving a murder on Mackinac Island! First off, the setting on the island in the off season is great, but perhaps a little underutilzed. The characters though are richly developed with sass and a strong sense of who they are. Mullen did a great job of plotting a story, weaving in both main characters with the suspects in a locked room setting. I love reading locked room mysteries and this is probably my favorite of my recent ones. Looking forward to more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC!