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The Murder Game
When two men are killed inside of Dallas/Fort Worth airport - an off-duty FBI agent and his assailant - it triggers an investigation that uncovers one of the largest and most complex serial murder cases ever. FBI Special Agent Jessica 'JJ' Jansen, an experienced but troubled agent with a history of personal and job performance issues, is assigned to lead the investigation since it initially appears to be a simple and straightforward case, and in her boss' eyes, a case that even she couldn't screw up. As she starts digging into the 'why' surrounding the events at the airport, she uncovers more about the assailant (Jamarcus Hicks) that precipitated this whole encounter. She discovers that Hicks was flying home from Washington, DC, after murdering a man in Georgetown the night before. Feeling that there's more to the story than this one homicide, JJ is forced to enlist the help of a local investigative reporter (Kristyn Reynolds) to delve deeper into the mystery since her superiors are not even remotely convinced of her concerns. JJ and Kristyn uncover information tying Hicks to 20 murders over the past several years. Even more shocking, continued investigation uncovers the fact that Hicks was not a lone he, along with three friends from college, are responsible for committing more than 80 murders as part of an online multiplayer game that they created ('The Murder Game'). The criteria for each challenge, including target cities, victim 'persona', and type of weapon, is dictated by a computer program leveraging Artificial Intelligence to 'learn' and continually make the game more interesting and challenging. Fans of The Murder Game place bets on the outcome via the Dark Web portal and can earn substantial prize money if they bet on the Slayer amassing the most points for their execution. As they close-in on the group of killers, JJ and Kristyn find themselves being targeted by the very people they're investigating and scrambling for their lives. As the case comes to an end, they find that the old adage that 'no good deed goes unpunished' definitely rings true.
262 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 13, 2025
Mr. Hudson knows how to write a thriller.
There wasn’t too much setting description, just enough to visualize where it took place. The characters are developed enough to be able to tell them apart. The pacing was spot on, with enough of a roller coaster ride that you were holding your breath until the next curve ball.
And speaking of curve balls, they were plentiful.
The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 was I felt the dialogue, even though powerful, seemed a bit similar for all the characters. Granted the cast was all type-a, but it seemed to me like they all thought the same way, good guys and bad, and it showed in the dialogue.
There wasn’t too much setting description, just enough to visualize where it took place. The characters are developed enough to be able to tell them apart. The pacing was spot on, with enough of a roller coaster ride that you were holding your breath until the next curve ball.
And speaking of curve balls, they were plentiful.
The only reason I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 was I felt the dialogue, even though powerful, seemed a bit similar for all the characters. Granted the cast was all type-a, but it seemed to me like they all thought the same way, good guys and bad, and it showed in the dialogue.
May 1, 2023
Review:
🩸🩸🩸🩸(4/5)
The Murder Game
By: Sonny Hudson
Filled with vivid descriptions of scenes along with sound character building, The Murder Game, has all of the elements one would anticipate finding as this gripping mystery/thriller unfolds.
Right out of the gate, readers are lead through both the murder of an off duty FBI agent who’s honestly frazzled, tired and just trying to catch his flight home & the seemingly sketchy murderer. I was intrigued by the fallen agent’s character, and wished he had lingered for longer. There’s a slow burn that follows the exhilarating airport scene that draws you in at very beginning of the book….which typically causes me to put a book down unless I can quickly figure out if it’s a matter of writing style or with intent. It’s with intent in The Murder Game.
There are quite a few references to real life occurances that almost make you feel as if you’re reading a true crime book. I feel that any book that feels, ‘real,’ is a worthy read.
✅ Suspense filled
✅ the dark web
✅ unpredictable storyline
✅ strong female lead character
Give Sonny a follow, seek out his book and let him know what you think!!!
🩸🩸🩸🩸(4/5)
The Murder Game
By: Sonny Hudson
Filled with vivid descriptions of scenes along with sound character building, The Murder Game, has all of the elements one would anticipate finding as this gripping mystery/thriller unfolds.
Right out of the gate, readers are lead through both the murder of an off duty FBI agent who’s honestly frazzled, tired and just trying to catch his flight home & the seemingly sketchy murderer. I was intrigued by the fallen agent’s character, and wished he had lingered for longer. There’s a slow burn that follows the exhilarating airport scene that draws you in at very beginning of the book….which typically causes me to put a book down unless I can quickly figure out if it’s a matter of writing style or with intent. It’s with intent in The Murder Game.
There are quite a few references to real life occurances that almost make you feel as if you’re reading a true crime book. I feel that any book that feels, ‘real,’ is a worthy read.
✅ Suspense filled
✅ the dark web
✅ unpredictable storyline
✅ strong female lead character
Give Sonny a follow, seek out his book and let him know what you think!!!
December 30, 2024
The Murder Game
JJ is an FBI agent in name only according the FBI. She is not given the lead on any cases because her fellow agent and her superiors have no confidence in her. When a crime is committed against AN FBI. agent. JJ is the only available agent and is instructed to do the bare minimum of investigating no more. However JJ sees this as a way of proving herself and that her questionable behavior is in the past. She has every road block thrown at her but successfully climbs over each one to solve a series of horrific murders that is really an online “Murder Game”. I will say that the reason I read this books was because my cousin used to work with the author and my cousin’s name is mentioned in the book, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. This is book 1 of a trilogy and I will read the others books. Well done!
JJ is an FBI agent in name only according the FBI. She is not given the lead on any cases because her fellow agent and her superiors have no confidence in her. When a crime is committed against AN FBI. agent. JJ is the only available agent and is instructed to do the bare minimum of investigating no more. However JJ sees this as a way of proving herself and that her questionable behavior is in the past. She has every road block thrown at her but successfully climbs over each one to solve a series of horrific murders that is really an online “Murder Game”. I will say that the reason I read this books was because my cousin used to work with the author and my cousin’s name is mentioned in the book, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. This is book 1 of a trilogy and I will read the others books. Well done!
December 11, 2022
This is a fast-paced, thriller that you won't want to put down! Sonny once again creates a storyline that is aligned with the times - this time the digital, artificial intelligence era we live in. His characters are well-developed and relatable, and they each have a distinct personality of their own. While the Murder Game is scarily plausible, you can't put it down - the story and Sonny's masterful writing style create intrigue and anticipation of what will come next! Must read this holiday season!
February 26, 2023
A new author, since this is only his second book, and one with great potential. His tech background was subtly woven into the story without overwhelming the reader. In fact, I learned a few things. It was a good story. I hope he gets better editors/proofreaders, though. At least twice he gave the time (am/pm) and immediately said “in the morning/in the evening”, a glaring redundancy. And a typo with two semicolons instead of the lower case letter “l”. Minor stuff to be sure, but distracting to an admitted OCD reader.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews