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Murder Board
The suspense filled murder mystery of Chloe Jolene. Murdered. Left for dead. Who did it?
Five inspectors are on the case, Emma, Jake, Michael, Loa and Sam. And what they'd discover was beyond what they could ever imagine.
They play games to find clues about who committed such an awful act. However, their lives were on the line, on the edge of doom. Who would survive? Who would die. And who was in control?
Let the games begin..
Five inspectors are on the case, Emma, Jake, Michael, Loa and Sam. And what they'd discover was beyond what they could ever imagine.
They play games to find clues about who committed such an awful act. However, their lives were on the line, on the edge of doom. Who would survive? Who would die. And who was in control?
Let the games begin..
274 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2024
20 people are currently reading
545 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 11, 2025
Having read Lloyd's second murder mystery, 'Blood Books', this is a slightly amended version of my original review. If you're looking to read one of her mysteries, please check that one out instead - it's much stronger! It's also much more rich in plot and logic, making for a much easier, smoother read, written and published when the writer was older and more knowledgeable about the genre.
Altogether, Alicia Lloyd is such a promising young writer, and her style is so unique! I'm genuinely so excited to read more from her in the future, and support any further books she puts out. This one, personally, was a struggle to read, but her later books have really improved. She's since worked passionately with an editor, ARC readers and dissected past reviews, striving to make her books better and better. Take those things into account when reading this book... and definitely check out some of her later works, if you haven't already!
Altogether, Alicia Lloyd is such a promising young writer, and her style is so unique! I'm genuinely so excited to read more from her in the future, and support any further books she puts out. This one, personally, was a struggle to read, but her later books have really improved. She's since worked passionately with an editor, ARC readers and dissected past reviews, striving to make her books better and better. Take those things into account when reading this book... and definitely check out some of her later works, if you haven't already!
November 22, 2025
A very interesting concept for a story!
This young author creates a story that takes the reader on a dangerous journey on a game board.
The characters are literally pawns of this game. Who are the players? The voice that directs them? So many questions asked as a reader.
In what feels like real time, the players of the game are instructed to participate. Their very lives depend on it.
If you like thrillers, here is a short YA mystery/thriller!
Read this is you dare!
This young author creates a story that takes the reader on a dangerous journey on a game board.
The characters are literally pawns of this game. Who are the players? The voice that directs them? So many questions asked as a reader.
In what feels like real time, the players of the game are instructed to participate. Their very lives depend on it.
If you like thrillers, here is a short YA mystery/thriller!
Read this is you dare!
September 3, 2024
As a sixteen year old author, Alicia shows a lot of promise as an author. The plot is very creative, original and is written very stylistically. Her use of direct address with the author with the playful tone of voice is very fun.
I think that, over time, Alicia's work will only continue to improve and I am very excited to see where it takes her.
Next up in my reading, A Race Against Death!
I think that, over time, Alicia's work will only continue to improve and I am very excited to see where it takes her.
Next up in my reading, A Race Against Death!
February 27, 2025
This book was written extremely well (especially considering Alicia was so young - I think around 16... when she wrote it)!! It is very well plotted and easily grasps your attention. The characters and their relationships are also written quite well, and they seem as if they are real people, which I have found some young authors struggle with. I would 1000% recommend this book!! I also can't wait to read more books by Alicia Lloyd and see where her writing takes her in the future - it seems like a bright one!!
March 2, 2025
Downloaded goodreads purely to review Alicia's books because I binge read all three in a week after finding her on social media and wanted to give her the credit she deserves.
Murder Board is a beautifully written murder mystery set in a dystopian reality following characters Emma, Jake, Loa, Michael and Sam, five inspectors in a case, and the voice, who has trapped them in a reality where they have to play board games to find out clues and survive.
I didn't guess the killer, but the book kept me guessing, but after reading I see it now! What a wonderful read, props to her as well for being 17 and an author and I believe writing this around 14/15!
Murder Board is a beautifully written murder mystery set in a dystopian reality following characters Emma, Jake, Loa, Michael and Sam, five inspectors in a case, and the voice, who has trapped them in a reality where they have to play board games to find out clues and survive.
I didn't guess the killer, but the book kept me guessing, but after reading I see it now! What a wonderful read, props to her as well for being 17 and an author and I believe writing this around 14/15!
November 22, 2025
Unfortunately, this one ended up being a DNF for me, but I still see a lot of promise in it. It’s clear that the author began this project at a young age, and while the writing can feel overly descriptive at times, making the pacing a bit chaotic, the creativity behind the story really shines through. The concept itself is intriguing, and with time, practice, and experience, I truly believe the author can grow into a strong storyteller. I hope she keeps writing and continues pursuing her dreams, because the foundation for something wonderful is already there.
November 11, 2024
This book was brilliant beginning to end. The games were intriguing and the pace was fast but not too fast.
The characters Emma, Loa, Michael, Jake and Sam were well developed, especially our main protagonist Emma who had great growth throughout the book making us as the reader empathise with her.
The subplot of romance was so cute and the ending put me in tears. I loved this book! I definitely recommend reading as it is highly underrated!
The characters Emma, Loa, Michael, Jake and Sam were well developed, especially our main protagonist Emma who had great growth throughout the book making us as the reader empathise with her.
The subplot of romance was so cute and the ending put me in tears. I loved this book! I definitely recommend reading as it is highly underrated!
January 6, 2025
I don’t usually review books but I feel this author needs it so I will! I am not a quick reader, but I sped through this book. I only bought this one but now I want to read the rest so I bought the others as ebooks.
I don’t know what Alicia put into this but it’s brilliant, twists and turns in a game life setting, hitting at thrill and nostalgia. I loved it, got me out of my reading slump for sure.
10/10 Recommend.
I don’t know what Alicia put into this but it’s brilliant, twists and turns in a game life setting, hitting at thrill and nostalgia. I loved it, got me out of my reading slump for sure.
10/10 Recommend.
May 24, 2025
First of all as a fourteen/fifteen year old author (at the time of writing this book) this book holds PHENOMENAL potential and has truly hooked me into reading more of her books! Some of the phrasing and language used is truly beautiful and helps paint a scene of not only the experience the characters go through but the emotions they feel (grief, loss, relief, fear, all so beautifully represented). I liked the book I just found myself yearning for more- more of the characters, the narrative, etc. A demand which will most definitely be met by the second more modern book I am confident. The romance subplot was quite choppy and confusing at times possibly due to the heaviness of the main plot leaving less room for reflection on or even context around the coupling. I also felt slightly lost when imagining the setting there was definitely room for more description around them. However, the overall plot was SO interesting, I had actually never heard of a plot like this before and I really enjoyed guessing what game came next. Overall it was a really strong early novel hooking and leaving room for improvement that I look forward to in the second book!! And undoubtedly more of her novels.
December 10, 2024
Young author with potential
This author is young but has great potential. It was honestly difficult to rate this book knowing the authors age. At the end of the day, I need to stay true to my fellow readers and be honest, giving this book 3 stars.
This story has an interesting concept and well thought out characters but lacks some organizational elements to pull in readers. For example, toward the end of the book, we get a clip of exposition for each character, but readers need that first. Readers need to care about characters first, or they won't keep reading, and they will not care if characters live or die.
The game board idea is good but honestly super boring to read. We all know those games, but there isn't enough dialogue to, again, make us care about the characters.
I read this entire book in about 2 hours because I could speed read through all the boring nonsense game talk.
Again, this author has potential as they learn and grow as a writer. They need a good college level grammar and usage class to understand the correct way to write and punctuate a narrative story. As a reader, people need to clearly understand what they are reading. The beginning is awkwardly written, leaving me wanting to DNF the book several times in just the first two chapters.
The authors mentions doing a lot of research to remain authentic but there is nothing authentic about this detective process or Jury process. Hi, hello, you're guilty, is NOT how trials are done anywhere. Either make the story complete made up fiction or do the real research to be truly authentic and real. Interview people in those jobs. Have them read parts of your draft and help you fix it. Use people as a resource.
So... all that to say that this young author can (and will) have a bright future in writing once they get some much needed life experience and editors help.
This author is young but has great potential. It was honestly difficult to rate this book knowing the authors age. At the end of the day, I need to stay true to my fellow readers and be honest, giving this book 3 stars.
This story has an interesting concept and well thought out characters but lacks some organizational elements to pull in readers. For example, toward the end of the book, we get a clip of exposition for each character, but readers need that first. Readers need to care about characters first, or they won't keep reading, and they will not care if characters live or die.
The game board idea is good but honestly super boring to read. We all know those games, but there isn't enough dialogue to, again, make us care about the characters.
I read this entire book in about 2 hours because I could speed read through all the boring nonsense game talk.
Again, this author has potential as they learn and grow as a writer. They need a good college level grammar and usage class to understand the correct way to write and punctuate a narrative story. As a reader, people need to clearly understand what they are reading. The beginning is awkwardly written, leaving me wanting to DNF the book several times in just the first two chapters.
The authors mentions doing a lot of research to remain authentic but there is nothing authentic about this detective process or Jury process. Hi, hello, you're guilty, is NOT how trials are done anywhere. Either make the story complete made up fiction or do the real research to be truly authentic and real. Interview people in those jobs. Have them read parts of your draft and help you fix it. Use people as a resource.
So... all that to say that this young author can (and will) have a bright future in writing once they get some much needed life experience and editors help.
November 27, 2024
I devoured Murder Board by Alicia Lloyd in less than 24 hours because I simply couldn’t put it down. From the opening page, the tension grabbed me, and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. The way the author layers the mystery is masterful—just when I thought I had it figured out, another curveball would leave me stunned.
What really made this book stand out, though, were the characters and their group dynamics. Each one brought something unique to the table: the sharp and determined leader, the quiet thinker who surprises everyone, the sarcastic skeptic who adds tension, and, my favorite, the wildcard who constantly kept me second-guessing their motives.
The "game" aspect was another highlight for me. The challenges were brilliantly designed, adding to the suspense, and every success or failure revealed new layers of both the plot and the characters.
And those twists—wow. Alicia Lloyd really knows how to keep you on your toes. Every revelation felt earned, yet I never saw them coming.
If you’re a fan of tightly plotted mysteries with strong character dynamics, clever puzzles, and unexpected turns, Murder Board is a must-read. I’m still thinking about the characters and that ending—it was the perfect kind of mind game! I can’t wait to see what Alicia Lloyd comes out with next!
What really made this book stand out, though, were the characters and their group dynamics. Each one brought something unique to the table: the sharp and determined leader, the quiet thinker who surprises everyone, the sarcastic skeptic who adds tension, and, my favorite, the wildcard who constantly kept me second-guessing their motives.
The "game" aspect was another highlight for me. The challenges were brilliantly designed, adding to the suspense, and every success or failure revealed new layers of both the plot and the characters.
And those twists—wow. Alicia Lloyd really knows how to keep you on your toes. Every revelation felt earned, yet I never saw them coming.
If you’re a fan of tightly plotted mysteries with strong character dynamics, clever puzzles, and unexpected turns, Murder Board is a must-read. I’m still thinking about the characters and that ending—it was the perfect kind of mind game! I can’t wait to see what Alicia Lloyd comes out with next!
May 5, 2025
From one 17yr old author to another:)
With this being the authors debut it deserves a well done and so I am 100% giving it that recognition. although, like most first books, I found character development on the lesser side (eg. characters not described physically) which made it difficult to really see the characters. however, the game scenes were fun and I looked forward to finding which game was next (keeping in mind I DNF’d about 60% of the way through-- with full intent to read another of the author’s books ‘A Race Against Death’. Although, making my review a 3 star was that setting description lacked and so again, made it tricky to truly visualise.
as much as this seems to be picking flaws, I'd like to say a massive well done as the idea was fun and interesting, and I really do look forward to delve into Alicia’s recent books as the potential shone through her words!
With this being the authors debut it deserves a well done and so I am 100% giving it that recognition. although, like most first books, I found character development on the lesser side (eg. characters not described physically) which made it difficult to really see the characters. however, the game scenes were fun and I looked forward to finding which game was next (keeping in mind I DNF’d about 60% of the way through-- with full intent to read another of the author’s books ‘A Race Against Death’. Although, making my review a 3 star was that setting description lacked and so again, made it tricky to truly visualise.
as much as this seems to be picking flaws, I'd like to say a massive well done as the idea was fun and interesting, and I really do look forward to delve into Alicia’s recent books as the potential shone through her words!
December 15, 2025
I'm sorry if l'm harsh with this review but this is my opinion:
When l first saw this book on Tiktok l read the description and was fascinated with how different this book is from all the other books l read and was very excited to read it. So of course l had high expectations of this book but as soon as l started l thought of a few things. I believed this book had no character development (until the last 30 pages), a weak plot and l couldn't believe that these people were supposed to be fully grown detectives. I felt as though they were too emotional and too expressive to be a fully grown adults and well-trained detectives.
This was my first one star review and hopefully my last.
When l first saw this book on Tiktok l read the description and was fascinated with how different this book is from all the other books l read and was very excited to read it. So of course l had high expectations of this book but as soon as l started l thought of a few things. I believed this book had no character development (until the last 30 pages), a weak plot and l couldn't believe that these people were supposed to be fully grown detectives. I felt as though they were too emotional and too expressive to be a fully grown adults and well-trained detectives.
This was my first one star review and hopefully my last.
November 27, 2024
She is so well-written, even though she is only 16 years old!!! Any fans of Frieda McFadden, Agatha Christie, and any mystery thriller type of book would enjoy this I would say this is a PG-13 book. I saw style games but as classic board games we all loved like Jenga, Monopoly, Uno, Chutes, and Ladders, but in a very sinister way. For a short period, it didn't feel rushed and flowed well.
December 30, 2024
This was a good "pull you in" type of story. The plot was well thought out as was the story line. The character building could use a bit of work, but due to this Very talented author only being 16, I will be giving her the credit she deserves!
If you like mystery, thriller, or are a crime junkie like me, you will need to be sure to pick this one up!
If you like mystery, thriller, or are a crime junkie like me, you will need to be sure to pick this one up!
January 3, 2025
It’s hard to believe that Alicia is only 16! The writing was absolutely amazing and this book had me intrigued from beginning to end. The games were so addicting to read and the ending had me in tears. She is definitely a very promising author and I can not wait to read more by her. I’m so thankful to call her a friend of mine!! I would definitely recommend this book.
November 29, 2024
This book is a keep you on the edge of your seat with twist and turns! Written in a way that keeps you guessing and engaged the whole time. The characters are written very well. If you like romance, murder and who done it you'll love this book.
December 3, 2024
Wow, for a 16 year old author Alicia Lloyd has so much potential. I never normally pick up a YA from the get go but this book shows a lot of promise for Alicia! The plot and twists of the story is so creative considering it was written when Alicia was 14/15, keep up the good work!💗
September 27, 2024
This was Saw meets board games, and I would love to see it as a movie
January 5, 2025
This book was just amazing, hooked from start to end, a wonderful debut at just 16!
January 14, 2025
This book was so good, I believe it’s a dystopian, kinda murder mystery at least that’s the vibes it’s giving and I loved it. So good.
March 12, 2025
This book was the perfect mix of dystopian and thriller with a lil bit of romance, loved it!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews