Murder Game: Murder Game

by Janice Harrell

The ad read "You're invited to a murder. . . ". It was to be a party, complete with a pretend corpse and plenty of clues. Only Meg Redding knew the host's real motive: Dusty Ellis was determined to catch his twin sister's killer--even though the police had ruled her death an accident. But when the corpse is found, it's real. And Dusty's the prime suspect. . . .

Genres: Horror

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[Erica Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should’ve been a fun and crazy murder scavenger hunt in an isolated cottage but it…wasn’t. No real scares, just a power outage and a couple of dolls.

The party itself feels so disconnected and nothing really happens for much of the book—the characters spend too much time theorizing.

The murderer just….wanted to dress up in fishnets and go to raunchy Rocky horror showings, and kills the girl who was accompanying him. He doesn’t want this ~horrible secret to come out bc he’s the Senator’s son and has to uphold his reputation as a Good Boy. No, seriously. That’s why. That’s the motivation.

Also, the dead girl’s twin brother decides to host a murder mystery party and thinks lightly scaring everyone will help him suss out the killer. Wrong.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book as a 12 or 13 year old, and recently found it in a box of my old books and reread it. Oh, man, it was so much better when I was 12! It's an interesting concept (murder mystery scavenger hunt to catch a killer) executed poorly. From the pointless cliffhanger chapter endings, to the predatory relationship between a 16 year old girl and a 30 year old man, to the dumbest motive for murder ever (EVAH!), this book is a train wreck. Read my full recap here: https://ogwnostalgia.wordpress.com/20...

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoy this one! Reading through a bunch of my old 80s/90s pulp horror reads and this is the first one I've come across so far where the parents are actually semi-involved in their kid's life.

[Galion Public Library Teens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review by H.F. : "Dusty and her friends were invited to the Murder Game."

[Mark Flowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An opening so full of clunky exposition that I almost stopped reading 10 pages in, and a resolution (including the solving of the murder) that is equally painful sandwich about 100 pages of really excellent, psychologically based mystery.