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bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
If you like Clue (the movie, not necessarily the game), you’ll probably like this. It was pure quirky, campy fun, plus a number 6 of non-graphic murders. The audiobook was pretty fun with all the voices. There’s a great balance of clues for people who like to try to solve it themselves and some complicated twists for people who like to be surprised.
I liked our main characters Liza and Hanna once it hit about the halfway point. My least favorite part was their marriage troubles. There were so many other things going on that I don’t think it was necessary to include unless there was going to be a point where one wife genuinely suspected there was a slim possibility that the other could be a murderer. In any case, an Easter vacation was probably not what their marriage needed; it was to genuinely just talk to each other.
I liked our main characters Liza and Hanna once it hit about the halfway point. My least favorite part was their marriage troubles. There were so many other things going on that I don’t think it was necessary to include unless there was going to be a point where one wife genuinely suspected there was a slim possibility that the other could be a murderer. In any case, an Easter vacation was probably not what their marriage needed; it was to genuinely just talk to each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide
A note about suicide that contains spoilers about a character’s death:ashwaar's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Murder Most Actual is a light-hearted, cosy mystery that follows married couple Liza and Hanna, who visit a lavish Scottish hotel to rekindle their relationship and become trapped in a snowstorm and ringed into solving a murder of potentially international intrigue. I loved that our two main characters were already well-established with each other instead of meeting for the first time, but I felt like the rest of the story needed some streamlining.
I don’t want to be incredibly critical of this book because there were parts that I enjoyed. I thought using Cluedo-style characters in this locked-room mystery was intriguing and worked well in a tongue-in-cheek way. I was really invested when the first murder happened and was keen to get caught up in the whodunnit, as I haven’t read anything like that before.
However, unfortunately, I found the mystery to be very dull. Characters kept on being murdered, but no one seemed like they were doing anything about it. Our main character and investigator, Liza, continuously repeated herself but never made any actual conclusions. I understand that murders in IRL are pretty uninteresting and boring, and that’s true, but that’s not very satisfying for a fictional murder mystery book.
I was expecting Knives Out in book form, and this isn’t that sort of book. I feel like the author needed to choose what to focus on - Liza and Hanna’s marriage or the increasing murders happening around them as doing both meant each storyline felt tenuous and thinly explored. But at the same time, the book was too long, and the repetition of dialogue and plot resulted in both becoming pretty dull, pretty quickly. Hall’s style of witty, sarcastic writing worked so well for Boyfriend Material, but it didn’t have the same effect on me here, which was disappointing.
Rating: 3/5
Trigger Warnings: blood, death, gore, gun violence, homophobia, murder, suicide, sexism violence
I don’t want to be incredibly critical of this book because there were parts that I enjoyed. I thought using Cluedo-style characters in this locked-room mystery was intriguing and worked well in a tongue-in-cheek way. I was really invested when the first murder happened and was keen to get caught up in the whodunnit, as I haven’t read anything like that before.
However, unfortunately, I found the mystery to be very dull. Characters kept on being murdered, but no one seemed like they were doing anything about it. Our main character and investigator, Liza, continuously repeated herself but never made any actual conclusions. I understand that murders in IRL are pretty uninteresting and boring, and that’s true, but that’s not very satisfying for a fictional murder mystery book.
I was expecting Knives Out in book form, and this isn’t that sort of book. I feel like the author needed to choose what to focus on - Liza and Hanna’s marriage or the increasing murders happening around them as doing both meant each storyline felt tenuous and thinly explored. But at the same time, the book was too long, and the repetition of dialogue and plot resulted in both becoming pretty dull, pretty quickly. Hall’s style of witty, sarcastic writing worked so well for Boyfriend Material, but it didn’t have the same effect on me here, which was disappointing.
Rating: 3/5
Trigger Warnings: blood, death, gore, gun violence, homophobia, murder, suicide, sexism violence
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Gore, Homophobia, and Sexism
robin_reads's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was cute. It felt like a cozy mystery and that’s a first for me.
I liked a d disliked the slightly struggling marriage a bit. It did add to the story and gave the characters depth and a developed character but at the same time it felt a bit out of place.
All I. All an easy but slow read with a lot of familiar tropes.
I liked a d disliked the slightly struggling marriage a bit. It did add to the story and gave the characters depth and a developed character but at the same time it felt a bit out of place.
All I. All an easy but slow read with a lot of familiar tropes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Blood
Minor: Vomit
stacy837's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Alcohol, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Classism, and Suicide
taratearex's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a cute and fun murder mystery. It takes place in a snowed in hotel where the characters are all stuck and I read it in February in the winter when I feel like there's nothing to do and nowhere to go, so it was an extra cozy read. I liked the play on the Clue murder mystery with over the top characters and farfetched events- yes you'll have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but I don't know how you couldn't given it's a play on the "people are stuck in a house and suddenly start getting murdered". I liked that the lead characters were a lesbian couple and it was cute that the main sleuth is a murder mystery podcaster. Having the main characters be a younger lesbian couple and most of the other characters old "fuddy-duddies" made for some fun banter and nice jabs and sides about politics. I got a bit lost in the tangled web of the mystery, but I just went with it and I like the turn it took, going for a bit of an over the top plot that is grounded in reality somehow worked. Once I got towards the last dozen chapters I really didn't want to put it down. If you like murder mysteries with some comedy, especially if you liked Clue the movie, I would definitely pick this up.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Body horror
soobooksalot's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A cozy mystery in the tradition of Clue, you say?
Well, Clue happens to be my favourite board game AND favourite movie. So when Kobo releases it's exclusive Murder Most Actual with comparisons to my faves, I'm in. Also I do happen to enjoy author Alexis Hall and my Kobo. So it's a win-win-win.
Hanna and Liza have been together 10 years and their marriage has lost it's spark, it's magic. Perhaps a long weekend away at a grand, snowy, castle-esque hotel - lacking many murders - should help?
So things don't turn out as hoped on the murder element.
Though it doesn't hurt that Liza is a well-known crime podcaster, and would rather everybody stop insulting her career, thanks!
This is a nicely turned-out mystery, featuring nods to the aforementioned Clue as well as some Agatha Christie. It's a fun, witty read with many turns I didn't expect. Recommended!
Well, Clue happens to be my favourite board game AND favourite movie. So when Kobo releases it's exclusive Murder Most Actual with comparisons to my faves, I'm in. Also I do happen to enjoy author Alexis Hall and my Kobo. So it's a win-win-win.
Hanna and Liza have been together 10 years and their marriage has lost it's spark, it's magic. Perhaps a long weekend away at a grand, snowy, castle-esque hotel - lacking many murders - should help?
So things don't turn out as hoped on the murder element.
Though it doesn't hurt that Liza is a well-known crime podcaster, and would rather everybody stop insulting her career, thanks!
This is a nicely turned-out mystery, featuring nods to the aforementioned Clue as well as some Agatha Christie. It's a fun, witty read with many turns I didn't expect. Recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
musebeliever's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood
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