Whodunnit? Murder in Mystery Manor

Whodunnit #1

by Anthony E. Zuiker

A grand estate. Ten unsuspecting guests. A diabolical game of life and death.

A companion to the upcoming show Whodunnit? on ABC

Ten excited guests arrive at the Westlake Estate, expecting a lavish retreat. They are the winners of a sweepstakes to "Live Like a Billionaire for a Week." But what was supposed to be a promising escape soon turns into a horrific nightmare.

Within hours of arrival, the guests sit down for an extravagant dinner. When they pull their party poppers as instructed, a loud chorus of bangs resounds, followed by earsplitting screams as the guest seated at the head of the table bursts into flames and slumps to the floor. The others are told they must solve the crime or be the next victim.

The killer, their diabolical host, is hiding among the frightened guests. Is the murderer the well-toned trophy wife, the retired deputy sheriff, the stoned college dropout, or perhaps the sweet, homely grandmother? The killer toys with them, inviting the guests to explore the lavish estate, from the stables to the hedge maze, in an effort to uncover the gory details of how the murderer pulled off such a gruesome murder.

Alliances are forged carefully and information is shared warily, since none of the remaining guests knows whom to trust. The next to die a hideous death will be the one with the least accurate solution to the latest murder. In the end, only three guests will the winner, the loser, and the killer.

Full of tricky plot twists and over-the-top schemes, Whodunnit? Murder in Mystery Manner is a riveting page-turner--required reading for mystery fans. Readers are treated to an edge-of-their-seat thriller as they participate in solving the crime. It's Clue meets Ten Little Indians .

Anthony E. Zuiker is the creator and executive producer of the CSI franchise, which includes Crime Scene Investigation , Miami , and NY . His mystery reality show, Whodunnit? , is his first foray into unscripted television. He lives in Los Angeles with his three children and his wife, Michelle.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Whodunit, Thriller, Suspense

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2013

About the author

Anthony Edward Zuiker is the creator and executive producer of the American television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He produced all three editions of the CSI franchise: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. Besides his work on CSI, he also founded the murder mystery show Whodunnit?. He also assisted in the writing of Terminator Salvation. He is currently involved in Blackbox TV, a YouTube series and is the executive producer and writer of the web series Cybergeddon.

On September 8, 2009, Zuiker released Level 26: Dark Origins, a book with associated web-based motion picture and interactive elements which he termed a "digi-novel". Zuiker produced 20 cinematic cyber-bridges, which readers are prompted to view online using special codes embedded in the book's text every 20 pages or so.

On October 14, 2010, Level 26: Dark Prophecy was released and the third installment, Level 26: Dark Revelations was released in 2011.

Reviews

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this in my audible account for about ever. I just kept skipping over it for other books until, finally, a long car ride with my family was the perfect time to crack it out.

And it was interesting. We definitely had fun pausing the audio and discussing what we thought was going on, guessing the crime and also who was doing it. We all loved the butler and the twists and turns. Even if I got a little fuzzy on the ending and even if we had to suspend a little disbelief, we loved listening to it over 2 long drives. It was entertaining and interesting. And the narrator was wonderful.

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a whodunnit that is quite unlike most I've read. It starts with the butler (GIles) who is employed by some mysterious person. Then the guests come and no one can leave.

And like Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, they start dying one by one. Until the murderer and one other gust is left (that guest "wins"), which I guess is a huge difference from Then There Were None. But the whole murderer among the guests thing is the same.

After each murder, the remaining guests/victims are given the option of examining the corpse, the last know place of the victim or the crime scene. They then have to figure out how the victim was murdered. The one with the correct/closest to the truth theory gets to live, while the two lousiest detectives are "Scared" - so one of them will become the next victim.

What I liked about this book is that we got to see the book from the Giles' eyes. Most of the time, we see the book from either the victim, the detective or the murderer. The staff? Hardly ever.

Which is why the part I didn't like about this book was that after a while, it started alternating between the guests and Giles. The problem was that we are given a glimpse of all the guests, including the murderer.

Therein lies the main problem. The narrative is third-person, but it's not objective. Basically, it's impossible to guess who the murderer is - and that was really what fustrated me the most.

Lastly, there was this loose end which was introduced at the end and never tied up. At least I still don't understand what was going on with that. It's not a big deal, but if you like to have everything neatly tied up by the time the book ends, you may be a bit annoyed.

Disclaimer: I got this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

This review was first posted to Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Patience · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to give this book half a star, but that doesn't seem possible. It is a very interesting idea as a promotion for a new reality show, but reading it mostly just reminded me how much I prefer good books to most TV. The writing is terrible (Was there no editor?) and bland, the characters could only charitably be described as one-dimensional, and the plot sits on the border of disturbing and just unbelievable.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery, set in the exact style of the current series on ABC. Not the same characters, locales, or murders, but Giles the butler does get some much needed fleshing out of his character that the show doesn't provide.

I'll read the next one! Fun and easy read!

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

An interesting and unusual locked room mystery.

There were pages of repetition, that slowed the story down, for me.

Highly improbable and unrealistic.

Not sure of the ending?!?

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a prequel to the Whodunnit TV show from 2013. I’d suggest reading book 1, then watching the show (it’s only one season), and then reading book 2.

[Deneé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Novel Reveries

“They will be playing a game. A game with the highest of stakes.” (loc. 174)

Oh, goodness! For me this book was beyond fantastic as it took elements of my favorite mystery of all time (Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None,) and mixed it with some CSI, Clue, Ellery Queen, and even the Saw franchise to create a truly chilling, reader participation murder mystery as everyone tries to find out whodunnit. I was hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put the book down, it was so good! It sort of felt like several separate murder mysteries all components of a larger complex mystery, in which I, unfortunately, did not guess right. DRATS!

“Because not only had ten guests arrived at the Westlake Estate that afternoon, but its owner and host was one of those ten.” (loc. 270)

What became the routine set-up of the murders were extremely thrilling and full of suspense as the author, Anthony Zuiker, describes wonderfully the different clues, the surroundings, the components of the game (Crime Scene, Morgue & Last Known Whereabouts,) as well as the riddles and challenges. I was so glad to be a participate in this twisted game, but even more glad that I’m not one of the guests, ha!

“Once again, he had to fight off the strange notion that he was getting himself involved in something he would later regret. Something that he wouldn’t ever be able to escape.” (loc. 64)

Giles, the prestigious butler, I am a fan of you and I’m counting on reading more. If there are more Whodunnit? books I will absolutely need to read more! The ending, while feeling a bit weird and off from the rest of the book, left a bit of a creepy chill in me so I am surely praying there will be more books! I’m also way more psyched to see the show airing on ABC on June 23rd! I’ll be front and center in my living room with my snacks and my wits!

This book easily brought back the essence of a real whodunnit mystery, in a way that I haven’t seen in a while. It’s a mystery that I’ll want to read again and again, and I’m so grateful that I’ve found this! If you love Agatha Christie novels, you’ll love this! You have a hankering for C.S.I., you’ll want to read this! You have a sick fascination with the games of the Saw movies, you’ll crave this!

I took copious notes and investigative remarks throughout the book, and still I couldn’t figure it out! Do you think you can figure out Whodunnit?

“Fail to solve the crime, and you may be the next to die.” (loc. 418)

--------------
First Line: “As the taxi drove up the long gravel driveway leading toward the mansion at the center of the Westlake Estate, the lone passenger adjusted his tie and tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him that he was making the biggest mistake of his life.” (loc. 49)

Last Line: “And that curse was real and he would never be able to escape it.” (loc. 2476)
--------------

Galley provided by NetGalley via Hyperion

*Quotes are from uncorrected advanced galleys and may change before going to press. Please refer to the final book for official quotes.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen this first as a TV show and find it fascinating because I have never seen such game before. I'm still watching it and I hope there will be a second season the players were eliminated by fictional death, those who were spared they will try to figure out how the victim died. I discovered that this game shown on ABC was inspired from a book.

It's my first time to listen to an audiobook and I had difficulties at first because I fell asleep. My second attempt, it gets better and I think it's effective to listen to an audiobook when you're going to read Mystery/Thriller (In my opinion) because you tend to imagine the scenes and you feel like you are actually in it. I love how I'm trying to figure out things and enjoy that some of my guesses were right.

Anyways, Whodunnit?: Murder in Mystery Manor takes place in an isolated mansion. Giles, applied as a Butler but didn't know that this position he accepted will make him regret. Mr 'X', his employer gave him a contract to work for him. He will have benefits and fortune but fail to do his job or try to escape the mansion, it will cost his life. 10 guests arrived the mansion, knowing they won a sweepstakes but the truth is they will play a game that involves life and death. Each of them will die, all they have to do is to figure out how the victim died. After such a given time, individually they will explain their theories. The person who got the most accurate theory will be SPARED and the person who got the least accurate will be SCARED, which will be the murderer's next target.

The question is who is that killer? WHODUNNIT?

I highly recommended this. You may get it on Audible.com for free :)

[Carmen DeSousa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I’m disappointed in the overall story as a mystery, because it was well written and the eight murders were creative, I’ll still offer ‘Whodunnit’ three stars.

I will also offer that I was correct. I had the killer pegged in the first scene, but I always figure out ‘whodunit’. The only time I am incorrect is if the author resorts to trickery. Sadly, I feel he did. I never write spoilers, so I won’t start now. But I feel he could have done exactly what he wanted without misleading the reader. A writer can mask a killer’s words and actions so that a reader is uncertain about their guilt. However, when you jump into the POV of the murderer--unless the killer doesn’t know they are the murderer--and write misleading thoughts, that is deceptive and not true mystery writing.

Also, there are several fatal flaws with the story:

Firstly, a butler knows all in a household, and Giles, as one of the best in his field, would know everything that is going on in a household. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be good at his job.

Secondly, each death, though creative, was nearly impossible to plan, unless the killer had known the victims intimately for more than one day. Each murder was planned out using something that the victim was in the habit of doing since they’d come to the mansion. But since the murders started immediately, the killer would have had no way of knowing the likes and dislikes and where the victims would be at all times.

And lastly, the hardest part for me, and though I know there’s never a good reason, I need a motive. It bothers me that instead of giving me any reason—even if convoluted—for the murders of eight innocent people, the author offered an epilogue of what I can only suspect is a prelude to another 'whodunit'.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eminently readable, if you're a fan of the show (which I am.) I guessed whodunnit about halfway through, and thoroughly enjoyed the creative ways the deaths were staged, but the real reason to get this book is to figure out what's behind whodunnit. I'll probably wind up getting the sequel in order to see if there are more clues, as well as to see what's befallen poor Giles next (and also for more creative murders--blame Agatha Christie for that predilection!)

I'm thinking there's some sort of organization, a sort of rich person's The Following, that's connecting the killers and providing support. As smart as the killer was in this book, I'm pretty sure she couldn't engineer all those murders on her own. No, I take that back, it's all possible, just less probable as the brainchild of a single mind given the larger scenario of related killings.

Not the greatest mystery on its own, but certainly more fun than some of the throwaway mysteries being published every day.

[Peter Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was promoted as the origin story of Giles, the butler on the TV show. In a way, it is, but the excitement in the book didn't really start for me until we got to the murder mystery. The game is set up in the book the same way as on the show, though the characters are different. At first, I found it difficult to remember the characteristics of 10 contestants in the book and was constantly flipping back to that chapter for reference.

As I said before, the book didn't really start getting interesting until the murder mystery started. As on the show, I was drawn into the game with the characters; trying to figure out how each of them was killed. Of course, I was WAY off about the killer.

The ending was interesting - and it'll be interesting to see if the ending for the show is similar. It sets up the story for Giles and why he's the butler on the show.

All in all, it ended up being a fun read and a nice companion for the show.

[Sheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this audiobook free from audible. I can see how some people might enjoy this book but I did not. I could not bear to listen to the whole thing. I thought it was twisted and a bit disturbing. In addition, from what I read of it, it's not really a mystery you can solve so much as one you just kind of follow along with the characters. I made it through the first murder and investigation but when each person received a note telling them whether they were "spared" or "scared" (that is to say, at risk of being murdered next), I decided this wasn't the book for me. I did jump ahead and listen to the last three chapters just to see who did it and how it was wrapped up and let's just say I wasn't all that thrilled with the ending either. Overall, I listened to about one-quarter of it and am glad I didn't spend any more time on it. Not my "cup of tea".

[Monty Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a novelization of the reality show "Whodunnit?" But instead of fictionalizing the current season (which would be weird enough), it's a an entire fictional season. This results in a redundant narrative, as every element of an episode has to gotten through several times.

Reading it was an odd experience. Do not expect a regular mystery, where people occasionally give any thought to motive or opportunity. Here, as in the show, the only question is "How was this murder committed?" And when that's solved, someone new gets murdered and the process starts again.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this book for free from audible as a promotion for the show, and I feel like I got what I paid for. The first quarter of the book or so is actually pretty fun - not the best mystery ever, but interesting enough to get promise. Then they get into the part where they're supposed to be mirroring what happens the show and the forced formula completely kills the suspense and intrigue. The characters are half-developed and unmemorable, and the way the story is so extremely predictable is annoying. I could not get through it. The narrator is great, though. :)

[Jeremy Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Literary trash. The plot is weak, the characters are one-dimensional, and the the contraptions used throughout the book are absurd. Complete waste of my time and the effort it took to consume this crappy novel.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. That was a waste of time.

[Laura Cushing · Rating 3 out of 5]

I 'read' the audiobook version on my Kindle, as it was free from audible, but I am still counting it as a book read. I enjoyed watching the Whodunit? tv series for the crimes and murder solving - but the contestants were annoying and shallow. This book at least gives you characters who are genuinely in that situation of being murdered, not just faking-scared to try and win money. So I definitely liked that aspect of it. And I loved that it was read by the actor that plays Giles the butler- he's the best part of the show and has a great voice. He did a good job giving all the characters (there are ten guests at the mansion in the book) a unique voice, as well.

I enjoyed learning Giles's backstory, and how he got involved in working for murderers. The ending leaves me wondering what will happen to Giles next, and I am going to read the second book in the series to find out. I didn't suspect the murderer, and was surprised at the end- and also surprised by who survived. I would've liked to have learned more about the killer's motivations, and more about what the winner did after surviving the 'game.' There were also some places where the writing was a bit off-putting, but not enough to make me want to put it down.

Overall entertaining, especially if you watch the show.

[Quenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good story done in the vein of “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie is filled with unique characters, great tension and a main character, the butler, who is very easy to root for.

The story is really engaging even though it doesn’t take much to figure out who the killer is. Mr. Zuiker does have a way of coming up with great deaths and a way of keeping you guessing about how the death was actually executed and who the next victim will be. The characters are very diverse even though some of them delve into almost stereotype territory. Mr. Zuiker finds a clever way to make each death complex yet somehow feel realistic but it does the give murderer an almost too omnipotent sense of intelligence.

Giles is the image of how I suspect a butler would behave, sound and deal with this type of situation. The other characters are also very well fleshed out and it is very easy to tell the characters apart.

I look forward to reading more books in the series.

[Karsyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic companion book to the new ABC series, Whodunnit. My hubby and I enjoy the show and listening to the audiobook, read by the butler of the show, was a fun read. I really liked the book and I look forward to more, plus watching the rest of the series. If you are a murder mystery fan and haven't checked out ABC's Whodunnit, I recommend it. It's good, if cheesy, fun!

[Theresa Sivelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked both of these Whodunnit books. They were entertaining and I was surprised by both endings. Sure wish there was more of these out there.

[Jordan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters: 5⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes:4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment:5⭐️
Total Average: 4.5⭐️ (rounded up)

[Gidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to listen to as it was as fun as the ABC TV show that it inspired; I wish the ABC network had gave it another season. Like the TV show the story had you guessing and trying to solve each murder along with the characters. Where some clues were obvious and easy to solve, there were some clues that weren't so obvious to the reader/listener and only made sense after one of the characters explained. Kind of like how in some Agatha Christie mysteries are only clear when Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot explain the significance of a clue.

This "Whodunnit" is much like many classic Cozy Mystery you may have read but of course this story most closely resembles the classic "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. Much in the same way in Ms. Christie's story a group of people are offered a lavish vacation under some ruse. Only to find out soon after their arrival that a week of lounging and indulging is not in the cards after all but rather that some nefarious being has more deadly plans for their short stay.

The death of each participant in this deadly game is very elaborate and it is evident that the killer had everything well thought out and prepared before he or she even considered putting her game in motion. The death of each character becomes more and more diabolical with deaths tailored for the victim and clever riddles and clues left for the remaining participants. And as the group starts to thin out we start to see who rises to the challenge, even those we underestimated, and who shows their true colors show us what they are made of.

From the start I had three suspects but half way through I dismissed one of the three as the possible host and murderer. But as the narrator of the book kept describing how my two suspected characters thoughts or felt I noticed a pattern and thus confirming my suspicious as to whom the culprit could be. I was correct in the end. I'm sure others who have read the book may have solved it sooner than myself but I kept getting hung on some details that would have me questing my theory.

The only trouble I had with this book was that I didn't feel satisfied by the ending. I had questions that were never answered. The epilogue was the best place the author could have answered the questions I had but instead he decided to use the time to focus elsewhere. All the same I am ready to read the next "Whodonnit" in the series. That one is held at an island resort instead of an estate. I wonder if that book will be just as good and as gruesome as the CBS summer series Harper's Island? I can only hope.

[Debra Jeakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHODUNNIT?MURDER IN MYSTERY MANOR BY ANTHONY ZUIKER is the first in what I hope is a lengthy series. The murder takes place at a locked up tight manor where ten contestants,or victims must solve a series of murders (theirs) or be killed. So basically its do or die! Even the staff must participate or they and their relatives will die horrible deaths. What proceeds as one by one,or in some cases two by two the ten contestants are murdered.The leftover contestants must solve the crime or they are next. The whole thing is coordinated by Giles,the butler. Of the ten contestants, one of them is the killer who is not only participating but judging and manipulating all as they participate. Complicated you say? Not so much.

The narrator of the book does the multitude of voices very well. The flow of the story keeps the reader locked up real tight inside the manor along with the staff and contestants. Great Job! I did have a bit of a problem with the ending as it seemed just a bit forced and confusing but all in all WHODUNNIT?MURDER IN MYSTERY MANOR hit a 9 on my creepy story meter.

[Christian Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute favorite book I've ever read of all books I have read. It's just like the tv show, but the murders are more gruesome and disturbing. It's about these guests who are playing a game of murder, where one of them is the killer, but they don't know who.

Game format:

An evil game of life and death, 10 guests, and one of them is the murderer. The game, solve how each murder happens and work together. If they do well in their murder solution as to how the murder occurred, those will be spared. Those who do horrible, will have to face their own death. The bad thing is, no one knows whom to trust, as one of them is the one killing off the other contestants. The killings happen until only two guests remain alive. Those two guests are the winner of the game, and the killer. The winner will unmask the killer, and will walk out with his or her life, as for the killer, we all know what happens to killers.

BEST BOOK EVER!!!

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an intriguing and engaging tale! The number of murders is unbelievable, and yet it's not offensive in the same way as, oh I don't know, Lee Childs's are. Maybe it's just the "cozy mystery" overall feel to this. I have to say, I had figured out the murderer early, but I always doubted that choice., In general, I like the ending and the way it was all tied up in the end. It was definitely a surprising book overall; I'm looking forward to the first book in the series!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the span of a few hours, back to back, and overall I really enjoyed it. The characters, the setup, especially Giles (who I was rooting for the whole time).

Unfortunately, I can’t say I liked the ending. There didn’t seem to be any true resolution. We found out who the killer was but not their motivations behind doing what they did. Plus, the book was left way too open ended for my liking.

4 stars.

[Size · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, this whole concept, from the books to the television series had such a good potential. It is such a shame that it was all canceled. I love hearing Gildart Jackson's voice and love his character, but the book does have some major flaws. It gets repetitive and trite quickly with it also struggling to keep my attention, but still, not too shabby for introducing somebody to the world of mystery novels and whodunnits.

[Teddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The set up was similar to a couple of other books in which the guests are forced to play the game of their life. What really fell down in this one is the ending which offered up no motive for the murders nor why the guests were selected - were they really randomly picked just so the killer could go on a spree or what?
I'd give the book 4 stars but the ending maybe 1 star.

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for whodunnits. I enjoyed trying to figure out the multiple murders as the story progressed. The author also created CSI so I knew there were bound to be some interesting deaths occurring.

However, only three stars as there was no motive and this makes the whole book feel unfinished. I’m a little let down, but will still be listening to the second in the series.

[Louise d'Abadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The murders were really creative and I found Giles a really compelling character. I certainly wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. It's a refreshing must read for murder mysteries/whodunit fans.