THIS IS NOT A GAME
A unique locked-room debut about a grandmother and granddaughter who are snowed in at a lavish mansion party where the host has been murdered, and the unlikely sleuthing pair must draw on a unique skillset to navigate a dangerous game together
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…
"Slick and witty."
-- Daily Mail
"Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit."
-- Publishers Weekly
"A thriller with a twist!"
-- Cosmopolitan
"I adored this deliciously twisty and wickedly sharp murder mystery."
-- Lucy Clarke
"A zippy, witty and delightful game of twists, featuring a wonderful new puzzle-solving duo guaranteed to win your heart."
- Chris Chibnall, creator of Broadchurch and showrunner, Dr. Who
"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, multimillion bestselling author
"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, bestselling author and Crime Writers’ Association Chair
"A deliciously smart locked room mystery featuring an irresistible grandmother and granddaughter sleuthing duo."
- Steve Jones, author and Channel 4 presenter
"My early pick for 2025 Debut of the Year. I’m blown away. Read it in a single sitting and loved every single page. Part Agatha Christie part Alafair Burke with a touch of Anthony Horowitz, This Is Not A Game — a twisting mystery set on Michigan’s famous Mackinac island — grabs you immediately and never lets go. I don’t often suggest pre-ordering a book seven months in advance, but this one? Totally worth it."
- @TheRealBookSpy
"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, Sunday Times bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things
"A feast of a winter’s tale"
- Booklist
"This is absolutely a game from the first word to the last."
- Kirkus Reviews
