Escape to Mackinac Island with the witty locked-room mystery This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen. Follow septuagenarian Mimi and her granddaughter Addie as they solve a murder at a grand mansion. This debut novel is a refreshing take on the classic whodunit from a British-based author.
Two unlikely detectives. A killer cocktail of suspects.
A Gibson martini garnished with three silverskin onions is 77-year-old Mimi's favourite cocktail. It is best served with a crossword puzzle, not as an aperitif at Jane Ireland's extravagant auction party. But given Mimi has been blackmailed into attending Jane's event, at a grand old mansion on Mackinac Island (Michigan's answer to The Hamptons), there are worse drinks she could spend an evening sinking. Thankfully for her, she's roped her granddaughter, Addie - who is escaping the heartache caused by her manipulative ex-fiance - into accompanying her. While Addie spots celebrities and socialites in the manor's labyrinth of dark rooms and Mimi wonders how to confess the real reason for her presence at the soiree, a scream pierces the air. Jane is dead. And when a second body turns up, Mimi and Addie soon become the unlikeliest of sleuths in a race to narrow down the suspects. In a house that contains as many secrets as the people within it, it's going to take more than a Gibson to survive the night...
Other Information: Kelly Mullen has worked as a producer in Hollywood and a marketing executive in New York and London. During the pandemic she took online writing courses through Curtis Brown Creative and The Novelry, which reignited her childhood passion for writing. This Is Not A Game is her first novel and was inspired by a two-week stay at her grandmother's house in 2021. As an executive producer, her credits include Academy Award-nominated Trumbo starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and AppleTV+'s Dads produced with Ron Howard. Her creative work for brands has won over 50 awards, including Cannes Lions and Clios. Born and raised in Iowa, Kelly is now a dual citizen of the US and UK. She lives in London with her husband and their rescue cats.
