You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder

by Maureen Johnson, Jay Cooper (Illustrator)

November 1933. London. Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery?

An interactive murder mystery from the bestselling author and illustrator of Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village

Dear Detective,

Surely you have seen the papers and read about the murder of the American novelist Roy Peterson—stabbed while in a room with six other people, and yet no one went near him or saw the murder occur. The crime is so devious, so logistically impossible, that it seems to have been committed not by a person but by a disembodied hand.

I must confess that we are at a loss. Who wrote the poison pen letters that lured these seven people to this deadly gathering? What do a poet, an Earl, an actress, a cook, a telephone operator, and a lothario have in common? And how can a man be stabbed in a room full of suspects when none of them could have done it?

We have had our best people on the case, Detective, and we still can’t make heads or tails of it. We are giving this case file to you. Can you decipher the clues, decode the witness statements, and identify the murderer? You are our last hope. Can you help us crack the Case of the Creeping Hand?

Yours truly,

Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Adult, Historical

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

if i'm the detective...folks, we are not in good hands

(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a devoted Truly Devious fan (I’m counting down to the sixth book next April), I couldn’t resist this illustrated, locked-room whodunit that dares readers to play detective. The minute I saw the Clue-style setup—maps, notes, and juicy little visual breadcrumbs—I was in. Full disclosure: I would 100% barter for an early copy of Turly Devious 6; I’ve even joked about loaning out my husband as a guest chef or unpaid intern—he’s elite at espresso runs and photocopier wizardry—if it would get me an ARC.

This book is pure puzzle-lover bliss. It invites you to slow down, scour the art, and assemble the case like a corkboard queen/king. My Scorpio rising “spidey senses” were tingling from page one, and yes, I clocked the culprit early—but solving it didn’t ruin the ride. The interrogation scenes had me snort-laughing, yet the tension stays taut; that pitch-perfect Maureen Johnson blend of dark humor and genuine stakes absolutely sings. She’s so good at sliding from comedy into catastrophe and back again that you feel the thrill of the reveal and the sting of the fallout.

If you’re itching to test your sleuthing skills and want a zippy, smart, highly interactive locked-room mystery, this one has your name all over it. Grab your highlighters, trust your instincts, and happy hunting.

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[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published September 16, 2025.

3 stars

It’s London, 1933. Seven people receive anonymous letters telling them to be at a specific address at a specific time or their secrets will be revealed. When they show up, most are known to each other. They have a drink, then the police arrive, but none of the seven has called them . The police have been told there has been a murder and there has been. One of the seven has been stabbed…while all the others were in the room…and no one saw it happen.

You are asked to take on the case and through photographs, interview transcripts and all kinds of mixed media you are to solve it. Can you do it?

This was very cute. I love mixed media books. If you are paying close attention (which I wasn’t….shocking!) the clues are there to allow you to make a good guess at the murderer. It’s a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Teens would like it.

[Nikki Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 1933 London—-

Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their awful secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one person is stabbed right in front of everyone, but somehow no one saw a thing. Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery?

This is the coolest little book! It has illustrations, interview transcripts, articles, maps, photos and mixed media content. It brought the story to life. This was also funny at times.

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Clue and Knives Out. Can you solve the murder?

Thank you to MBC Books, both authors and Ten Speed Press for my gifted copy.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - a fun little mystery story here in YA author Maureen Johnson's "You are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" which is a short read full of illustrations and helpful (and red herring) clues to a 1930's London-set murder that occurs right in front of a group of people who've all been brought together with "poison pen" letters with various allegations. So "whodunnit"??? You, the reader, are invited to follow along with the Inspector and try. The answer is helpfully provided at the end, all tied up with a bow. This is a pretty cute book that should appeal to most mystery fans and I was, of course, reminded of the author's previous & similar one about "How Not to get Murdered in a Quaint English Village", so other fans will also enjoy it.

[Libbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't your average murder mystery, as the title suggests the reader themselves are the detective. When anonymous letters are sent to a group, summoned to a posh townhouse and one of them is murdered, with everyone claiming no one went near him all night, it is up to the reader to determine the culprit.

Inside this book, you won't find prose or long paragraphs. This book and story is told entirely in mixed media. A collection of drawings, photographs maps, letters, interviews are what awaits.

It is a very unique book. I would give this a 4.5 for concept and a 3.5 for execution. I did manage to figure out who the murderer was.

Pick it up if you're wanting a challenge.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of my book club friends and I are big fans of Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious mystery series, so we when saw this book was coming out, we planned a mystery solving day! We all got copies of the book, color coded snacks, and spent 5 hours reading and discussing our theories about the mystery. We didn't solve everything but we had a strong suspicion of the murderer and had figured out a lot of the pieces of how it was done. I highly recommend doing this book as a buddy read with a least one or two other friends- I would not have gotten as far as I did or had as much fun with it as I did on my own.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of this solve-it-yourself mystery (think Ellery Queen or Encyclopedia Brown) could not be more brilliant. The reader has access to witness statements, primary documents, illustrations, maps, photographs — everything you’d think you need to solve the crime.

Unfortunately, the ending is so convoluted that few could possibly guess the answer. Five stars for the concept and the many pieces of evidence; another five for Jay Cooper, the wondrous illustrator, but only one star for the execution of the ending. Let’s just call it three stars.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning presentation from a contemporary author of a perfectly plotted and tautly woven Golden Age "locked-room" Mystery! Plenty of puzzling, argument, humor, Secrets, even romance. "No, nobody here is dead! Of course not!" Surprise! This tale is so finely put together that only a genius could puzzle it out--and maybe not then. Absolutely adored it, and can't wait to reread it! Such a thrill!

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.

What a fun book!

This is not your traditional murder mystery book since it’s not written in a novel format. Instead, you are given all the pieces to solve the mystery yourself. These included pictures, interview transcripts, notes, maps, newspaper articles, etc.

As for the mystery, it’s historical fiction (it takes place in 1933 London) and seems to be in between young adult and adult.

I loved how the whole book was written. The pieces of evidence were engaging, and sometimes very comical. The interviews were often funny and the notes/maps/photos from Special Constable Nigel Stickley were hilarious.

I was not able to solve the mystery which is unsurprising since I’m always terrible at solving them. I was not expecting to solve it. Luckily the book does include the solution at the end. The solution is in a sealed envelope at the back of the book, which was a nice touch.

I read this book solo, but it would also be fun to read with another person or a small group.

Overall, I had a blast reading and attempting to solve the mystery. If you love mysteries and want to test out your detective skills, definitely give this book a try!

[Kali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through this out loud with a friend and we had such a good time. It definitely elevated the whole experience, which was already fun to begin with - all of the various illustrations that imitate articles, photos, and drawings, coupled with the transcripts of the interviews are presented to you to figure out the mystery of the murder.

It's actually quite complicated. I'm pretty happy with all that we were able to take note of and connections that we made. We mostly had the sequence of events and murder pinned down. Mostly.

The characters were very funny at times, I honestly didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. A few things we expected more of? But the overall experience was great.

I'm just satisfied I was correct about the cats (not a spoiler).

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this Solve-It-Yourself Mystery! The plot and characters are fun and the illustrations are amazing! The mystery takes place in London in 1933. The reader is the detective and is summoned to a house where an American author was stabbed, but none of the other guests saw it happen. The book included interview transcripts, maps and diagrams, illustrations of the crime scene and more to help you investigate.

I had so much fun going through all the clues and trying to solve the crime. I was able to put some of the clues together, but the solution was more complicated than I had expected, and I didn't figure it out. There is a sealed envelope inside the back cover that has the explanation of the crime, presented in a very clever way. I didn't come up with all the answers, but was correct on a few things and most of all, I had so much fun with this book!

I received a copy of this book from MB Communications and Penguin Random House for review consideration. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Manon (mysterymanon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. As a reader this is a real treat!! It’s a buffet of classic mystery tropes and traditions: fair play, impossible crime, closed circle. All in a quirkily-illustrated 1930s setting with delightfully kooky characters.

I am pleased as punch to have gotten the killer correct, even though I got plenty of other details mixed up. There is a nice balance of clues vs red herrings, though it was not as buttoned-up as I expected. I have at least one lingering question. Message me and we can talk about it…

To address another reviewer’s complaint about the complexity of the solution: IMO it *is* possible to solve at least part of it. But you must be paying attention, and it certainly helps to reread it. The clues are there!!!

RATING: Despite the cute drawings, please note that cocaine is a big theme here. Probably best for adults.

(Why did it take me 3 months to read this? Well, I read a low-res digital galley very quickly, taking notes, and reread it once I received a physical copy. THEN I worked through most of the solution and finally read the ending. I hope it will not take you quite so long.)

[Talyr Lerwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun!! I loved how it all played out! 🔪

[Caitlin Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

i hope she does another one of these and next time i’ll be better at it LOL

[Wondrously Bookish Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was such a fun concept!

I loved the mixed media story and the way it slowly unfurled, allowing the reader to pick up the crumbs dropped by the author along the way. The absolute best though was the inclusion of drawings to illustrate various points in the book, like the content of the witnesses'/potential murderer's pockets, the broken window in the kitchen of the manor where the murder took place. Everything just added to the atmosphere of this murder mystery set in the 1920s.

Many different people coonvene at the house of one debonair socialite with a poisoned pen letter in hand, looking for explanations. While there and trying to sort out the mess, one of them gets murdered with an ice pick under everybody's eyes but nobody saw anything. It is then left to the reader to investigate sling with the detectives and figure out the whodunit.

Of course I didn't, but that's no surprise because although I'm a diehard fan of detective stories, my powers of deduction are not up to snuff. However, the story was so well-written and engaging, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Maybe you'll solve it, so definitely give this one a go.

If you love Maureen Johnson or Agatha Christie, this book is for you. And if you don't, I'm sure it'll win you over.

[Rachel Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Take a stab at being a detective for a moment in Maureen Johnson's fun little novel You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder.

In a room full of people, one man dies without any of them leaving their chairs. How can this be? In a multi-media format, readers go through each suspect's belongings and interviews. Johnson gives us funny and twisted British tropes with flair and Cooper provides fun and demented illustrations. At the end, you can deliberate and then open the final papers to reveal the killer yourself.

This was a fun read that made me quite annoyed at my husband and children for their many interruptions. I loved the format and layout of this book and only could have enjoyed it more if it was right in front of me in print so I could have more easily flipped back and forth to re-read or review evidence for a second time. Needless to say, I didn't even bother attempting to solve this and just ripped open the final answer pages like an animal, but, then again, I have never considered myself much of a detective.

Thank you NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this ARC

[Carol Whetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and fun mystery...that I didn't figure out!

[dessie*₊⊹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun concept- probably more fun with a physical copy. I was looking in the wrong places for clues but I still mostly figured it out. Nothing thrilling or groundbreaking but a decent one sitting read.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two stars are for the mystery itself; I did like the visual presentation with the drawings and the paper clippings etc.

The mystery started off strong but what ultimately made it fall flat is that the "clues" weren't sufficient to come up with a satisfactory explanation on your own, so the one you get at the end felt a little contrived (and the motivations for some of the murderer's actions felt a little petty, too). It also didn't help that the story just wasn't all that original and the humour made it even harder to take it seriously. Based on the cover and the title I was expecting something a bit darker and creepier.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the very unique format of this book—it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. The use of art, graphics, and illustrated photographs gives it a visual energy that makes the experience feel interactive and immersive. Structured as a collection of photographs and interview notes, the book follows what seems to be an impossible murder, and you, the reader, are tasked with examining the evidence and drawing your own conclusions.

Although I didn’t correctly guess the murderer, I had a great time trying! This was quite a lark—clever, engaging, and visually compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this inventive mystery.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I was expecting something quite different going into it- I didn’t realize that the “facts” of the case would be laid out and the reader would ultimately be the one coming to a conclusion as to who the murderer was. Overall, this book just fell flat for me. The drawings/pictures were hard to take serious and the layout of the book felt more like a comedy than a mystery to me. None of what took place during this “investigation” felt like it could or would really happen in real life, which also contributes to the comedy feel. After finishing this book, I felt as though the concept was great but it was poorly executed.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

London, November 1933. Seven recipients of poison pen letters find themselves in the same posh townhouse and at the scene of a murder. Each letter accuses the recipient of a crime, and each recipient denies said crime when interviewed by Scotland Yard. But a man has been stabbed and no one saw who did it. Can you solve the crime?

STOP IT this book was so fun!! This interactive murder mystery reads almost like a graphic novel with gorgeous and fun illustrations throughout.

If there was ever something that proves to me that healthcare and not police work was the way to go for my career…it is this book haha. I had NO idea who the murderer was. Not even a hint of a clue. But I devoured this fun read and just loved everything about it. The illustrations. The dialogue of the time period. The poison pen letters. The reveal at the end. It is just genius! What a way to make reading even MORE fun than it already is!!

Thank you to @mbc_books, @maureenjohnsonbooks, @jaycooperbooks, and @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted copy.

[Elizabeth Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there's one thing I love more than a classic murder mystery, it's a murder mystery with a gimmick. "You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder" is an illustrated murder mystery that lets the reader figure out for themselves whodunnit.

I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book. The illustrations are beautiful, even in the lower resolution ARC version, so I can only imagine how cool the finished book will be. The art style uses mostly black and white with pops of red to make details stand out, which I think really works here. I thought the mixed media elements were well balanced and liked the mix of interviews, photos, and letters.

I do think the story could have maybe been a little stronger, but I also did not realize how short this book would be before I picked it up. I figured out some aspects, but I definitely did not solve every part of the murder. The formatting of the title leads me to think this might be a series of different mysteries? If so, I would love to check out any and all future books!

Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[A Dreaming Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for providing me with an eARC.

This was a fun read. I loved the mixed media format -- all the illustrations, clippings and letters really added to the feel of the book. This would have been even more fun if it were in an actual physical format with all the cuttings. The locked room mystery premise was fun and it was great to see all the detailed interviews and evidence. Personally I didn't feel like that entire conclusion could have been reached from the clues only as such. I could make some guesses and some of the clues clicked when I read the final letter but I don't think that was enough. A Cluefinder would have been well appreciated -- pointing out the exact locations of all the hints in the evidence required to put together the solution. I would recommend this to anyone looking to solve their own mystery.

[Nichole Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in the fascinating 1930s. It starts with seven people receiving mysterious letters inviting them to the same address. Things take a twist when one of them is tragically murdered during the gathering.

The local police are stumped, unable to figure out who the killer is!
The only person that is best suited to solve this case is YOU! You are the detective in this fantastical novel.
You’ll be given clues and evidence to piece together as you try to solve the mystery and find out who committed the crime.

I honestly went on such an adventure with this book! The clues and evidence are all there for you to crack the case. I absolutely loved the illustrations and the maps of the house and surroundings. They really brought the story to life!

I want to buy this book for everyone that I know!

Thank you, Penguin Random House for this physical Arc book.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I had a lot of fun with this one until the end. I had hoped that we would learn the culprit. I got 3 suspects. And I don't like opening a folder as it feels like cheating if I don't have ONE clear culprit. So here I am, still not knowing what to do. My ADHD knows what he wants to do, burn the book, he wants the dopamine shot of knowing the culprit and he is not getting it. My hubby tells me it is OK to just open the folder if I can just narrow it down to one and that it doesn't matter if it is wrong. I have gone through the book several times now and I just keep on sticking with 2-3 people. So for me it would have been fun if we got the culprit and then can open the folder for information on the whys and the hows and then maybe an extra bit of story.

Longer review to come. Based on how I feel about the end the book is getting a 3 star. May up it if my feelings change.

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only way to give this book proper justice is to hold it in your hands - an ebook copy won't cut it here.

It's a fully illustrated detective dossier, filled with newspaper clippings, witness statements, police reports, suspect photos, and more. You're given all the "evidence" and have to piece together the solution to the mystery.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and done in a cartoonish Victorian style. You can tell the author and artist really poured their heart and soul into making it.

It's just a beautiful book all round, and it would be a great gift for anyone who loves whodunnits.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

[emkart_andbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niezapomniana rozrywka pod postacią interaktywnej książki, w której to czytelnik staje się detektywem!
Cała książka to nic innego jak przestawienie zebranych poszlaków w sprawie zagadki morderstwa — wycinki z gazet, fotografie, zeznania świadków itp. itd. Jest więc różnorodnie, a proces śledztwa pochłania czytelnika i zajmuje jego myśli już od pierwszych stron.
Stylistyka klasycznego kryminału spodoba się każdemu miłośnikowi Sherlocka Holmesa, powieści Christie i zagorzałym fanom rozwiązywania zagadek.
Czarno-biało-czerwona kolorystyka ilustracji dodaje całości mrocznej atmosfery.