What do you think?
Rate this book
The Murder Game
Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.
Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.
Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?
Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.
Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?
342 pages, ebook
First published November 1, 2016
927 people are currently reading
4932 people want to read
About the author
Julie Apple
1 book114 followersJulie Apple is both the pen name of Catherine McKenzie and the protagonist of her new novel, Fractured.
How did that happen?
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (okay it was Canada, Montreal specifically) (also, 2007), Catherine decided to write a novel she’d been thinking about since she attended McGill Law School in the 1990s. Sitting in her Criminal Law class, she wondered if a lawyer would have an advantage in planning a perfect murder. Could she use her knowledge of the law to do it? What if a group of friends tried it out, just for fun? A game.
But then, years later, what if that murder actually happened?
Catherine wrote that book. Though she was happy with it, she put it in a drawer because her writing career took a different turn.
Fast-forward to 2015. Catherine gets the idea for Fractured and its protagonist, Julie Apple (hey, that’s me!). She’s an author who’s written a book that’s drawn all kinds of unwanted attention to her and her past. Catherine decided to base Julie’s book on the book she had in a drawer. When Fractured was finished, Catherine thought it might be fun to take that book of the drawer and let it out in the world.
And that’s how I, and The Murder Game, was born.
Want to know more about me? Read Fractured—some crazy things happened to me ten years after the events that took place in The Murder Game. Not that The Murder Game is based on real events, or anything. Of course not.
And then maybe you’ll know the answer.
Were we guilty?
Were we innocent?
You tell me…
How did that happen?
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (okay it was Canada, Montreal specifically) (also, 2007), Catherine decided to write a novel she’d been thinking about since she attended McGill Law School in the 1990s. Sitting in her Criminal Law class, she wondered if a lawyer would have an advantage in planning a perfect murder. Could she use her knowledge of the law to do it? What if a group of friends tried it out, just for fun? A game.
But then, years later, what if that murder actually happened?
Catherine wrote that book. Though she was happy with it, she put it in a drawer because her writing career took a different turn.
Fast-forward to 2015. Catherine gets the idea for Fractured and its protagonist, Julie Apple (hey, that’s me!). She’s an author who’s written a book that’s drawn all kinds of unwanted attention to her and her past. Catherine decided to base Julie’s book on the book she had in a drawer. When Fractured was finished, Catherine thought it might be fun to take that book of the drawer and let it out in the world.
And that’s how I, and The Murder Game, was born.
Want to know more about me? Read Fractured—some crazy things happened to me ten years after the events that took place in The Murder Game. Not that The Murder Game is based on real events, or anything. Of course not.
And then maybe you’ll know the answer.
Were we guilty?
Were we innocent?
You tell me…
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
October 28, 2016
3.5 stars
I had no idea when I started Fractured how addicting it would turn out to be or its connection to The Murder Game. In that story, Julie Apple is the bestselling author of THE MURDER GAME, a book that changed her entire life. A book that earned her a stalker and was rumored to be based on real events that took place when Julie was in law school. How clever that THE MURDER GAME is an actual book written by Catherine McKenzie and being released under the pen name of Julie Apple? Talk about a genius idea.
FRACTURED was the type of book that grabbed my attention and made me hold on for dear life. I couldn’t put it down. It was all-consuming, exciting and kept me guessing until the very end. I was desperate to get my hands on this book for those very reasons. I was sort of expecting the same experience, considering the connection, but it turns out, I didn’t feel that same level of surprise or urgency. While this was an entertaining and quick read, it didn’t tug on me the way FRACTURED did.
This story follows Meredith, a depressed workaholic that’s given her entire existence to the prosecutor’s office. The latest case to hit her desk is a murder involving one of her friends from law school. Julian's confessed to the murder, but the circumstances are kind of murky. A little far fetched even? I’m not sure if anyone as close to the defendant as Meredith was would be allowed to prosecute a case like this. Not to mention, her obsession from college, Jonathan was the defense attorney. Smells like a conflict of interest to me. But what do I know.
My biggest struggle with the story was Meredith’s connection to this group from college - Julian (the accused), Lily (Julian’s significant other) and Jonathan (her on and off again “boyfriend”). It always felt like she was on the outside of the group looking in. Having more history, the three of them let Meredith in when then chose to. Mostly, they came off as a cold and uncaring bunch. I couldn’t understand her loyalty to them or her blatant disregard for what was right in front of her face. Did she really not know what was going down?
“Were we innocent? Were we guilty? You tell me . . .”
At about the halfway mark, there's something that gives away the entire plot. I was so bummed that the story stuck to that predictable path and didn’t veer off into something bigger. I thought it would all come together in a more exciting way. The ending felt kind of rushed, too. But wait . . . go back and re-read the prologue. Then maybe it won’t feel quite so abrupt.
*Thank you to Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea when I started Fractured how addicting it would turn out to be or its connection to The Murder Game. In that story, Julie Apple is the bestselling author of THE MURDER GAME, a book that changed her entire life. A book that earned her a stalker and was rumored to be based on real events that took place when Julie was in law school. How clever that THE MURDER GAME is an actual book written by Catherine McKenzie and being released under the pen name of Julie Apple? Talk about a genius idea.
FRACTURED was the type of book that grabbed my attention and made me hold on for dear life. I couldn’t put it down. It was all-consuming, exciting and kept me guessing until the very end. I was desperate to get my hands on this book for those very reasons. I was sort of expecting the same experience, considering the connection, but it turns out, I didn’t feel that same level of surprise or urgency. While this was an entertaining and quick read, it didn’t tug on me the way FRACTURED did.
This story follows Meredith, a depressed workaholic that’s given her entire existence to the prosecutor’s office. The latest case to hit her desk is a murder involving one of her friends from law school. Julian's confessed to the murder, but the circumstances are kind of murky. A little far fetched even? I’m not sure if anyone as close to the defendant as Meredith was would be allowed to prosecute a case like this. Not to mention, her obsession from college, Jonathan was the defense attorney. Smells like a conflict of interest to me. But what do I know.
My biggest struggle with the story was Meredith’s connection to this group from college - Julian (the accused), Lily (Julian’s significant other) and Jonathan (her on and off again “boyfriend”). It always felt like she was on the outside of the group looking in. Having more history, the three of them let Meredith in when then chose to. Mostly, they came off as a cold and uncaring bunch. I couldn’t understand her loyalty to them or her blatant disregard for what was right in front of her face. Did she really not know what was going down?
“Were we innocent? Were we guilty? You tell me . . .”
At about the halfway mark, there's something that gives away the entire plot. I was so bummed that the story stuck to that predictable path and didn’t veer off into something bigger. I thought it would all come together in a more exciting way. The ending felt kind of rushed, too. But wait . . . go back and re-read the prologue. Then maybe it won’t feel quite so abrupt.
*Thank you to Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2016
Some novels work because of the pleasure of reading about the familiar. I'm not sure I would have liked The Murder Game as much if it wasn't set in Montreal depicting a group of former McGill law students. My childhood city, my alma mater and a familiar profession -- they all drew me in. Of course, it's not just the setting -- Julie Apple aka Catherine MacKenzie has written a tight very readable legal mystery/courtroom drama. The story is narrated by Meredith, going back and forth in time between Meredith's years as a law student and her current life as a Crown attorney. In her current life, she is called upon to prosecute a murder charge against a former classmate who is being defended by another former classmate. The past and present are fraught, and I can't say much more without spoiling the effect. Would I have liked this one as much without the familiarity of the setting? I might have been a bit more put off by the unlikelihood that Meredith would be allowed to act as a Crown attorney in the circumstances. I may have also been a bit put off by Meredith's overwrought emotional state which seemed to lack any real explanation. So, prospective readers, be forewarned -- my four stars may be quite idiosyncratic, but I suspect many readers will like this one because the story is so well constructed -- fast, tight and hard to put down.
It is worth noting that this novel features in Catherine McKenzie's recently released Fractured, which I also just read a week or two ago. When I reviewed Fractured, I wondered whether the link between these two books would be too hokey. Having now read both books, my thought is that the link between the books is unnecessary. They both stand on their own, and gain nothing from being linked.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me access to an advance copy of The Murder Game.
It is worth noting that this novel features in Catherine McKenzie's recently released Fractured, which I also just read a week or two ago. When I reviewed Fractured, I wondered whether the link between these two books would be too hokey. Having now read both books, my thought is that the link between the books is unnecessary. They both stand on their own, and gain nothing from being linked.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me access to an advance copy of The Murder Game.
November 1, 2016
On Sale Now
I first met Julie Apple on the slopes of Mount Adams, one of Cincinnati’s seven hills. Of course this was long after she had written The Murder Game, her best selling novel.
In fact Julie is the main protagonist in Catherine McKenzie’s novel Fractured. What a clever way to introduce a new book.
I have to say I loved Fractured and was totally gripped, furiously turning the pages, glued to the words, anxiously awaiting that final denouement. Needless to say then, that I went into this book with high expectations.
So let’s turn back the hands of time and check in on what Julie aka Meredith was up to in 2007 as a young deputy prosecutor in Montreal.
She has just learned that she has been assigned a new case, despite her already full plate. Somebody had murdered Nick Allan, an up and comer with The Montreal Canadiens back in the 1960’s. Nick had destroyed his chance at a great hockey career by overindulging in cocaine, hookers and a toxic lifestyle, until he was finally arrested for the sexual abuse of a young boy. Meredith had prosecuted that case and now it would seem that someone has taken justice into their own hands.
To her complete astonishment Meredith soon learns that the man accused of murdering Nick is Julian McCarthy, an old friend of hers from her law school days. Oddly enough, even before Meredith reads the report on this apparent homicide she knows what details she will find there, what Julian would have told the police and what he would hold back. She even knows who his defense attorney will be, Jonathan Sayers, her law school lover. A third party will undoubtedly make an appearance at some not too distant point and Meredith knows who that will be as well. It is as though the stage has been set.
How is this possible? In order to understand we need to once again turn back the hands of time, back to 1995 and McGill Law School. It is here that Meredith first meets Julian, Jonathan and Lily. They quickly become a foursome that will spend a great deal of time in each other’s company over the next few years. Problem is that Meredith never truly feels like she belongs in this group. The other three come from money and the lifestyle that that brings. It is more like they let her in when it suits their purpose.
The Murder Game moves back and forth in time as we the reader try to determine what really happened here? Is Julian guilty of murder or is there another explanation for Nick’s death.
While certainly interesting, this story failed to hold me in it’s grip as tightly as Fractured. And I had some fundamental problems with the way it played out. I have a hard time believing that any Crown Prosecutor would assign a deputy prosecutor who had had such an obvious personal history with the defendant. My other big problem was with the plotting. In the prologue Meredith asks the reader a couple of pointed questions, questions which I was able to answer, without hesitation, way too long before I was done reading.
And, and, AND the really big question, why in hell would anyone…….but of course I cannot ask that - cause, you know, spoiler.
My thanks to Lawsome Books, Netgalley and Catherine McKenzie for an opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Release date November 1, 2016.
3 good but I had hoped for better stars.
October 13, 2016
This was a fun one!
“One of these things is not like the other,” Julian McCarthy jokes to Meredith Delay as she introduces herself to her law school orientation group at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. This statement describes Meredith to a tee. She slowly integrates her way into Julian’s tight knit group of friends that consists of his best friend, Jonathan, and girlfriend, Lily. Although she rounds out their group to make it a foursome, Meredith is often at the edge of the group, not fully aware of their plans or their history.
The four friends make their way through law school, and after learning about the ins and outs of criminal law, plot the perfect murder. The murder plot becomes a covert game that determines their futures.
Fast forward to 2007—Julian has been arrested for murder and Meredith is the prosecutor on the case. Has the foursome’s plan come to fruition? When you get to the end, re-read the prologue!
The Murder Game is a light, entertaining read that I couldn’t put down.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“One of these things is not like the other,” Julian McCarthy jokes to Meredith Delay as she introduces herself to her law school orientation group at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. This statement describes Meredith to a tee. She slowly integrates her way into Julian’s tight knit group of friends that consists of his best friend, Jonathan, and girlfriend, Lily. Although she rounds out their group to make it a foursome, Meredith is often at the edge of the group, not fully aware of their plans or their history.
The four friends make their way through law school, and after learning about the ins and outs of criminal law, plot the perfect murder. The murder plot becomes a covert game that determines their futures.
Fast forward to 2007—Julian has been arrested for murder and Meredith is the prosecutor on the case. Has the foursome’s plan come to fruition? When you get to the end, re-read the prologue!
The Murder Game is a light, entertaining read that I couldn’t put down.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2016
I highly recommend it!
November 9, 2016
The Murder Game was written by Catherine McKenzie under the pseudonym of Julie Apple. Julie Apple is actually McKenzie's protagonist in Fractured, a totally gripping novel released last month, which is definitely worth reading. But these can be read independently. Having thoroughly enjoyed Fractured, I was really looking forward to this, and I actually ended up reading this in one sitting yesterday.
So this is the story of 4 law students who meet at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. Julian, Lily, and Jonathan have been close friends since childhood. Meredith joins their group when she starts "dating" Jonathan, but she always remains on the periphery and her relationship with Jonathan is of the on/off variety and continues like that for years. The timeline switches between their university times in the nineties and 2007. This works seamlessly. In 2007, Meredith is a prosecutor, Jonathan is a defense attorney, and Julian has just been charged with murder.
At university, Julian came up with the idea of planning the perfect murder and for a while the four of them played The Murder Game, sitting together, working out how exactly one could get away with murder. Now, Meredith is tasked to prosecute Julian while Jonathan will be defending him.
Ok, so you pretty much knew where this was going to head right from the start unless you skipped the prologue, although I admit there were a couple of surprises towards the end. There were certainly some issues regarding the likelihood of the trial setup (conflict of interest?) and how realistic or rather far-fetched the whole thing was. Top that with a host of characters that weren't particularly endearing and usually, I would have some issue with the book, but I didn't. Not at all, and I can't quite figure out why not. There is just something about Ms. McKenzie's writing - this is only the second book of hers that I've read - that really pulls me in and I get totally lost in her stories. I really enjoyed all the courtroom action and legal drama even though I'm not a massive fan of this genre. However, I love watching "How to Get Away with Murder" and I think anybody who likes that series would enjoy this book.
Overall, very entertaining fiction delivered in an easy-to-read manner with an intriguing storyline.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
So this is the story of 4 law students who meet at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. Julian, Lily, and Jonathan have been close friends since childhood. Meredith joins their group when she starts "dating" Jonathan, but she always remains on the periphery and her relationship with Jonathan is of the on/off variety and continues like that for years. The timeline switches between their university times in the nineties and 2007. This works seamlessly. In 2007, Meredith is a prosecutor, Jonathan is a defense attorney, and Julian has just been charged with murder.
At university, Julian came up with the idea of planning the perfect murder and for a while the four of them played The Murder Game, sitting together, working out how exactly one could get away with murder. Now, Meredith is tasked to prosecute Julian while Jonathan will be defending him.
Ok, so you pretty much knew where this was going to head right from the start unless you skipped the prologue, although I admit there were a couple of surprises towards the end. There were certainly some issues regarding the likelihood of the trial setup (conflict of interest?) and how realistic or rather far-fetched the whole thing was. Top that with a host of characters that weren't particularly endearing and usually, I would have some issue with the book, but I didn't. Not at all, and I can't quite figure out why not. There is just something about Ms. McKenzie's writing - this is only the second book of hers that I've read - that really pulls me in and I get totally lost in her stories. I really enjoyed all the courtroom action and legal drama even though I'm not a massive fan of this genre. However, I love watching "How to Get Away with Murder" and I think anybody who likes that series would enjoy this book.
Overall, very entertaining fiction delivered in an easy-to-read manner with an intriguing storyline.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
October 28, 2016
Meredith Delay has been working as a prosecutor for the past ten years. She's hard working and her life revolves around her work while her personal life has been a bit up in the air. When a high profile case crosses Meredith's desk she's in a bit of a shock to see that the defendant is an old law school friend of hers, Julian, and he's been accused of murder with a very rare and risky defense.
Not only is the defendant an old friend but he is being represented by Meredith's ex-boyfriend, Jonathon. Meredith, Jonathon, Julian and Lily had been a tight knit group in law school and Meredith immediately thinks there is no way she should stay on this case with her history with all involved but her boss insists she's the one for the job.
The Murder Game is told by alternating the timelines between the current day where Meredith finds herself prosecuting her old law school friend and flashing back to the past when the group met and their time in law school. With this book I found the alternating timelines worked very well and brought so much more into the story as far as the character building was concerned.
This is one read that didn't take me any time at all to become completely hooked in trying to unravel this story. Meredith is a strong female lead that I immediately liked and it was certainly intriguing to find that she knows all those involved extremely well and to follow along with getting to the bottom of the case and whether Julian had committed the murder.
Overall, an intense legal thriller that had the pages turning, definitely one I'd recommend checking out.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Not only is the defendant an old friend but he is being represented by Meredith's ex-boyfriend, Jonathon. Meredith, Jonathon, Julian and Lily had been a tight knit group in law school and Meredith immediately thinks there is no way she should stay on this case with her history with all involved but her boss insists she's the one for the job.
The Murder Game is told by alternating the timelines between the current day where Meredith finds herself prosecuting her old law school friend and flashing back to the past when the group met and their time in law school. With this book I found the alternating timelines worked very well and brought so much more into the story as far as the character building was concerned.
This is one read that didn't take me any time at all to become completely hooked in trying to unravel this story. Meredith is a strong female lead that I immediately liked and it was certainly intriguing to find that she knows all those involved extremely well and to follow along with getting to the bottom of the case and whether Julian had committed the murder.
Overall, an intense legal thriller that had the pages turning, definitely one I'd recommend checking out.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
October 18, 2016
3.5 stars
I did it! I read the book written by a character in a book (that's so Inception!). That alone is reason enough for me to recommend The Murder Game. I only recommend that you first read Catherine McKenzie's Fractured. One of the main characters in Fractured is Julie Apple, the author of this book. And throughout the book people are constantly amazed and horrified of her imagination after reading her novel. So, she is constantly compared to the main character in Murder Game, Meredith.
Like with Fractured, we have two timelines: the present (in which Julian is accused of murder) and the past (in which we see Meredith coming to know the three friends). In the present we are taken along Julian's trial, while in the past we see how they got to imagining the perfect murder.
So you pretty much know from the start what happened and who did it. The mystery for the reader is why he did it, and what will happen to him in the end.
Meredith is broken so much more than Julie. She is also depressed, but where Julie seeks help at takes medication, Meredith doesn't. Moreover, she's in a destructive on-again, off-again relationship with Jonathan. And this relationship damages her almost completely as she doesn't seem able to be in a normal couple with a good man (Chris, her current boyfriend has all my sympathy).
And I ended up despising Julian, Jonathan and Lily. I felt they were using Meredith, gotten her into a situation where there was no escape for her. Yes, I understand why Julian did what he did, but in the process of his experiment he's destroying Meredith, too. So by the end of the book I was sad and enraged. Although there is an open ending, I was still unsatisfied. I wanted Meredith to have as much of a happy ending as she could.
Anyway, in the end I'm happy of reading this book, and I congratulate Catherine McKenzie for her cleverness. I think I would like to read more books written by characters in other books.
*I thank NetGalley, Lawsome Books, and Julie Apple (Catherine McKenzie) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
*************************************
I'm so excited about The Murder Game. This is the book written by Fractured's main character , Julie Apple. And NetGalley just approved my reading request.
I did it! I read the book written by a character in a book (that's so Inception!). That alone is reason enough for me to recommend The Murder Game. I only recommend that you first read Catherine McKenzie's Fractured. One of the main characters in Fractured is Julie Apple, the author of this book. And throughout the book people are constantly amazed and horrified of her imagination after reading her novel. So, she is constantly compared to the main character in Murder Game, Meredith.
Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.
Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.
Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?
Like with Fractured, we have two timelines: the present (in which Julian is accused of murder) and the past (in which we see Meredith coming to know the three friends). In the present we are taken along Julian's trial, while in the past we see how they got to imagining the perfect murder.
So you pretty much know from the start what happened and who did it. The mystery for the reader is why he did it, and what will happen to him in the end.
Meredith is broken so much more than Julie. She is also depressed, but where Julie seeks help at takes medication, Meredith doesn't. Moreover, she's in a destructive on-again, off-again relationship with Jonathan. And this relationship damages her almost completely as she doesn't seem able to be in a normal couple with a good man (Chris, her current boyfriend has all my sympathy).
And I ended up despising Julian, Jonathan and Lily. I felt they were using Meredith, gotten her into a situation where there was no escape for her. Yes, I understand why Julian did what he did, but in the process of his experiment he's destroying Meredith, too. So by the end of the book I was sad and enraged. Although there is an open ending, I was still unsatisfied. I wanted Meredith to have as much of a happy ending as she could.
Anyway, in the end I'm happy of reading this book, and I congratulate Catherine McKenzie for her cleverness. I think I would like to read more books written by characters in other books.
*I thank NetGalley, Lawsome Books, and Julie Apple (Catherine McKenzie) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
*************************************
I'm so excited about The Murder Game. This is the book written by Fractured's main character , Julie Apple. And NetGalley just approved my reading request.
October 15, 2016
By and large, I enjoyed this book. Now that I'm finished, though, I'm having a heck of a time coming to terms with what I read - but I'll give it the old college try. College, in fact, is a good place to start; that's where the four main characters - Meredith, Lilly, Jonathan and Julian - met as law students at McGill University in Toronto in the mid-1990s. Ten years later, they've graduated and, for the most part, have all grown up.
Now a prosecuting attorney, Meredith gets assigned to a grisly murder case, and surprise (or maybe not), the accused is old friend Julian, who is being defended by none other than Jonathan. Lilly, an attorney who works with Meredith, mostly stays behind the scenes to offer cryptic advice while Meredith grapples with her mixed feelings about the outcome. Will the talented Jonathan work his magic and get his client home free? Can Meredith prove her old friend is lying and convince the jury to return a guilty verdict? Perhaps more to the point, does she really want that to happen?
Chapters about the trial are interspersed with flashbacks to the friends' days as carefree students whose most pressing life question is, "Will that be on the test?" Gradually, readers get a fairly in-depth look at their individual personalities and rather complex interactions. Lilly and the off-kilter Julian, for instance, apparently are an item; Lilly is aloof and fond of bragging about her high IQ. Meredith, the only one who doesn't come from a monied background, seems stuck in inferiority complex mode - likely contributing to the off, on, off, on ad nauseam relationship she's had with Jonathan lo these many years.
Although I never really warmed up to any of the characters, they're certainly interesting. The plot, too, is well crafted and intriguing; the courtroom preparation and procedures in particular really held my attention (but then it's rare for me to read a book with a legal or medical focus that I don't love). For whatever reason, I wasn't thrilled with the ending - not the verdict, which I won't reveal, but the actual last page (nope, won't discuss that here, either).
Then, when I read the author's notes at the end - the part where she explains why she wrote this book under the pseudonym Julie Apple - I realized that if I'd known that ahead of time, it probably would have greatly influenced my take on the book - and I'm not at all sure in a good way. The author does suggest reading another of her books, Fractured, hinting that it will shed some light on this one.
At any rate, I give this book as it stands 4 stars and, as I said before, I enjoyed it. If you want to see the author's explanation of how it came about, you don't have to wait to the end; turns out it's in the "From the Author" on the book's page at Amazon.com. And if you want to read that other book first, that's your choice as well. As for me, I'm going back to trying to make a dent in my stack of to-read books, for now simply saying many thanks to the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.
Now a prosecuting attorney, Meredith gets assigned to a grisly murder case, and surprise (or maybe not), the accused is old friend Julian, who is being defended by none other than Jonathan. Lilly, an attorney who works with Meredith, mostly stays behind the scenes to offer cryptic advice while Meredith grapples with her mixed feelings about the outcome. Will the talented Jonathan work his magic and get his client home free? Can Meredith prove her old friend is lying and convince the jury to return a guilty verdict? Perhaps more to the point, does she really want that to happen?
Chapters about the trial are interspersed with flashbacks to the friends' days as carefree students whose most pressing life question is, "Will that be on the test?" Gradually, readers get a fairly in-depth look at their individual personalities and rather complex interactions. Lilly and the off-kilter Julian, for instance, apparently are an item; Lilly is aloof and fond of bragging about her high IQ. Meredith, the only one who doesn't come from a monied background, seems stuck in inferiority complex mode - likely contributing to the off, on, off, on ad nauseam relationship she's had with Jonathan lo these many years.
Although I never really warmed up to any of the characters, they're certainly interesting. The plot, too, is well crafted and intriguing; the courtroom preparation and procedures in particular really held my attention (but then it's rare for me to read a book with a legal or medical focus that I don't love). For whatever reason, I wasn't thrilled with the ending - not the verdict, which I won't reveal, but the actual last page (nope, won't discuss that here, either).
Then, when I read the author's notes at the end - the part where she explains why she wrote this book under the pseudonym Julie Apple - I realized that if I'd known that ahead of time, it probably would have greatly influenced my take on the book - and I'm not at all sure in a good way. The author does suggest reading another of her books, Fractured, hinting that it will shed some light on this one.
At any rate, I give this book as it stands 4 stars and, as I said before, I enjoyed it. If you want to see the author's explanation of how it came about, you don't have to wait to the end; turns out it's in the "From the Author" on the book's page at Amazon.com. And if you want to read that other book first, that's your choice as well. As for me, I'm going back to trying to make a dent in my stack of to-read books, for now simply saying many thanks to the author and publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2016
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher (and the wonderful Catherine McKenzie) for the free electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
“The Murder Game” is a legal drama written by Catherine McKenzie, under the pseudonym of Julie Apple. Apple, for those of you familiar with McKenzie’s other works, is the protagonist in McKenzie’s novel, “Fractured”, due out in October.
(See my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
So essentially, McKenzie wrote a book called “Fractured”, whose protagonist, Julie Apple, is also an author- this time of the novel “The Murder Game”. Just to clarify- it’s an author writing about another author, who write a book that appeared in a book. But please don’t let this explanation stop you!
In “The Murder Game” a group of law students devise the “perfect murder” and plan it out in detail. Years later, when one of these students commits a crime that resembles their “perfect murder” from their game, and two of the law students (now lawyers) are asked to serve as attorneys, questions begin to arise- Why was the murder committed now? What was the motive? Who was really involved, and why? Of course, no one is ever what they seem, and the line between guilty and innocent is blurred.
McKenzie (as Apple) writes a great crime drama! Her legal experience shines through, and she tells a gripping tale comparable to John Grisham (without the long, drawn out legal conversations and the unintelligible legalese). I loved the added bits of Canadiana too- such as details surrounding the Quebec referendum, and the communities and landmarks of scenic Montreal and Quebec. McKenzie’s characters are refreshingly honest, each with their own distinctive personalities. The ending of the novel packs quite a shocking punch, while still providing the reader with satisfaction.
I had the privilege of reading both “Fractured” and “The Murder Game” before their release date. (McKenzie was certainly kept busy). It is not necessary to read both books in order to follow either novel (each book is a separate entity, and is not connected by plot), although it is strongly recommended! Fans of “How to Get Away with Murder” or any of the “Law and Order” crime shows on television will devour “The Murder Game”. A fabulous and creative way to introduce this gem of a novel!
“The Murder Game” is a legal drama written by Catherine McKenzie, under the pseudonym of Julie Apple. Apple, for those of you familiar with McKenzie’s other works, is the protagonist in McKenzie’s novel, “Fractured”, due out in October.
(See my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
So essentially, McKenzie wrote a book called “Fractured”, whose protagonist, Julie Apple, is also an author- this time of the novel “The Murder Game”. Just to clarify- it’s an author writing about another author, who write a book that appeared in a book. But please don’t let this explanation stop you!
In “The Murder Game” a group of law students devise the “perfect murder” and plan it out in detail. Years later, when one of these students commits a crime that resembles their “perfect murder” from their game, and two of the law students (now lawyers) are asked to serve as attorneys, questions begin to arise- Why was the murder committed now? What was the motive? Who was really involved, and why? Of course, no one is ever what they seem, and the line between guilty and innocent is blurred.
McKenzie (as Apple) writes a great crime drama! Her legal experience shines through, and she tells a gripping tale comparable to John Grisham (without the long, drawn out legal conversations and the unintelligible legalese). I loved the added bits of Canadiana too- such as details surrounding the Quebec referendum, and the communities and landmarks of scenic Montreal and Quebec. McKenzie’s characters are refreshingly honest, each with their own distinctive personalities. The ending of the novel packs quite a shocking punch, while still providing the reader with satisfaction.
I had the privilege of reading both “Fractured” and “The Murder Game” before their release date. (McKenzie was certainly kept busy). It is not necessary to read both books in order to follow either novel (each book is a separate entity, and is not connected by plot), although it is strongly recommended! Fans of “How to Get Away with Murder” or any of the “Law and Order” crime shows on television will devour “The Murder Game”. A fabulous and creative way to introduce this gem of a novel!
December 20, 2016
The Murder Game written by Catherine McKenzie under the pseudonym of Julie Apple, is part legal thriller, part legal thriller. Julie Apple is actually McKenzie's protagonist in Fractured. I would suggest you read Fractured first. Having thoroughly enjoyed Fractured, I was anxious to read this book. The concept is brilliant!
A perfect Planned Murder
This is the story of four law students who meet at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. (Julian, Lily, Jonathan grew up together and Meredith, Jonathan’s girlfriend, joins the group after.)
Studying criminal law…they plot the perfect planned murder. After all, they knew the law?
All four law students play a game where they must each create the perfect murder!
But now fast forward to 2007, where Meredith is a prosecutor, Jonathan is a defense attorney, and Julian has just been charged with murder. Now Meredith has been assigned the case. The alleged offender-her old friend, Julian has confessed to the murder and her friend, Jonathan is defending him! (Conflict of interest?)
Now the game had become a reality
This book reminded me of "How to Get Away with Murder" and I think anybody who likes that series would enjoy this book. Love the courtroom drama and legal proceedings.
Enjoyed the setting of the novel, as I was born in Montreal, and am familiar with McGill University.
Many thanks to the author, Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC.
A perfect Planned Murder
This is the story of four law students who meet at McGill University in Montreal in 1995. (Julian, Lily, Jonathan grew up together and Meredith, Jonathan’s girlfriend, joins the group after.)
Studying criminal law…they plot the perfect planned murder. After all, they knew the law?
All four law students play a game where they must each create the perfect murder!
But now fast forward to 2007, where Meredith is a prosecutor, Jonathan is a defense attorney, and Julian has just been charged with murder. Now Meredith has been assigned the case. The alleged offender-her old friend, Julian has confessed to the murder and her friend, Jonathan is defending him! (Conflict of interest?)
Now the game had become a reality
This book reminded me of "How to Get Away with Murder" and I think anybody who likes that series would enjoy this book. Love the courtroom drama and legal proceedings.
Enjoyed the setting of the novel, as I was born in Montreal, and am familiar with McGill University.
Many thanks to the author, Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC.
February 15, 2017
ARC requested through Netgalley, and kindly provided by Lawsome Books in exchange for an honest review.
The blurb for this book really captured my interest and I was super excited to read this once I found out it was written by Catherine McKenzie, as Julie Apple. Catherine is a favourite go-to author of mine. I had the pleasure of reading Fractured in August and adored the story of neighbours, Julie and John. I didn’t make the connection between the character Julie from Fractured until I opened the book and saw Catherine’s name.
If you have read Fractured and loved it, you won’t want to miss The Murder Game. In Fractured, one of the main characters, Julie Apple, wrote a book called “The Murder Game” and it made her famous and led to all kinds of problems, including a stalker.
This was a great mystery. I’ll set aside my fascination with the fact that is is the “novel” Julie wrote in Fractured and my constantly wanting to parallel Meredith’s story to Julie’s. On it’s own, I found The Murder Game to be such a page turner. We got to meet Meredith as a hardened prosecutor, facing prosecution of an old friend and classmate. From there, readers were treated to a mystery that slowly unravels through the court case and Meredith’s memories from university- memories that included her close friendship with Julian, Lily and former boyfriend, Jonathan.
The Murder Game took place in Montreal and I loved all of the Canadian references and history, particularly around the referendum that happened in 1995. I found myself relating to Meredith. She was emotionally closed off to her boyfriend and as her history unfolded, it became clear that Jonathan was the source of all of her issues.
The ending totally surprised me and I liked that some things were left up to me to figure out.
Great read!!
The blurb for this book really captured my interest and I was super excited to read this once I found out it was written by Catherine McKenzie, as Julie Apple. Catherine is a favourite go-to author of mine. I had the pleasure of reading Fractured in August and adored the story of neighbours, Julie and John. I didn’t make the connection between the character Julie from Fractured until I opened the book and saw Catherine’s name.
If you have read Fractured and loved it, you won’t want to miss The Murder Game. In Fractured, one of the main characters, Julie Apple, wrote a book called “The Murder Game” and it made her famous and led to all kinds of problems, including a stalker.
This was a great mystery. I’ll set aside my fascination with the fact that is is the “novel” Julie wrote in Fractured and my constantly wanting to parallel Meredith’s story to Julie’s. On it’s own, I found The Murder Game to be such a page turner. We got to meet Meredith as a hardened prosecutor, facing prosecution of an old friend and classmate. From there, readers were treated to a mystery that slowly unravels through the court case and Meredith’s memories from university- memories that included her close friendship with Julian, Lily and former boyfriend, Jonathan.
The Murder Game took place in Montreal and I loved all of the Canadian references and history, particularly around the referendum that happened in 1995. I found myself relating to Meredith. She was emotionally closed off to her boyfriend and as her history unfolded, it became clear that Jonathan was the source of all of her issues.
The ending totally surprised me and I liked that some things were left up to me to figure out.
Great read!!
February 7, 2017
The Murder Game is a legal/thriller novel written over ten years ago by Catherine McKenzie. Although it remained unpublished for all of those years, the book itself was featured in Catherine McKenzie's 2016 novel: Fractured and inspired much of the storyline. Shortly after the release of Fractured, Catherine McKenzie self-published The Murder Game under the pen name: Julie Apple (who was noted as the book's author in Fractured). If you are not familiar with either of these novels, I'm sure this sounds confusing, but trust me...it was such a clever move on McKenzie's part. As an initially confused reader myself, I can now confidently say that each of these novels stands on its own, and in my opinion, there is no right or wrong reading order if you are interested in reading both. I chose to read them in order of their formal publication dates and it was fine. I truly believe it would also be fine the other way around because these are indeed two very different books.
The Murder Game offers alternating time frames that allows readers to follow a set of characters back and forth from their social/learning time in law school to their professional roles in the courtroom. Personally, I didn't think that some of these characters' roles in legal proceedings were ethical or realistic because of their known histories together but it was entertaining nonetheless to follow the same characters throughout the entirety of the book. All the legal what-if scenarios processed by the characters in The Murder Game kept my brain active and thinking so this book was a win-win in terms of being an entertaining brain-teaser of sorts. However, the resolution of the present-day courtroom drama was a bit of a let-down if I'm being honest. This could have been my fault though. I had this book built up so much in my head after the 5-star experience of Fractured so who knows. Check it out regardless! Catherine McKenzie (aka Julie Apple) is a rock star!
My favorite quote:
"Everyday is full of choices."
The Murder Game offers alternating time frames that allows readers to follow a set of characters back and forth from their social/learning time in law school to their professional roles in the courtroom. Personally, I didn't think that some of these characters' roles in legal proceedings were ethical or realistic because of their known histories together but it was entertaining nonetheless to follow the same characters throughout the entirety of the book. All the legal what-if scenarios processed by the characters in The Murder Game kept my brain active and thinking so this book was a win-win in terms of being an entertaining brain-teaser of sorts. However, the resolution of the present-day courtroom drama was a bit of a let-down if I'm being honest. This could have been my fault though. I had this book built up so much in my head after the 5-star experience of Fractured so who knows. Check it out regardless! Catherine McKenzie (aka Julie Apple) is a rock star!
My favorite quote:
"Everyday is full of choices."
October 16, 2024
If I were a person that could write a quick review, I would say, "Disappointing!" Then, I would move on and never again think about this book. However, succinct was never my jam. I am a teacher / preacher writing a review. There must be context, in order for you, my friends, to decide if anything here might interest you in a literary sense.
The Murder Game starts off in essence like a generic murder mystery. However, very quickly, the novel demonstrates a creative storytelling device of the dual timeline: flashing forward or back every other chapter. Our MC, Meredith, is a Canadian prosecutor with ten years' experience when she gets a blast from the past. Former schoolmates have run into a spot of trouble, and she must prosecute the case.
In the past, the schoolmates argued purely as a rhetorical exercise as to what it would take to get away with murder, and the murder accusation ten years into the future looks surprisingly similar to the plan devised by them as law school students. The story follows a very paint by the numbers mystery that winds up being not-very mysterious.
Overall, the characters are not very likable. Meredith is weak. When she appears to be strong, she is enacting trauma on a current relationship due to a past relationship that has returned to the picture. She still goes weak at the knees for a douche bag that holds no promise of change. She should have recused herself from the case due to her familiarity with the players and avoided the drama of trying to return to the past. An OK read, but not much more than that.
The Murder Game starts off in essence like a generic murder mystery. However, very quickly, the novel demonstrates a creative storytelling device of the dual timeline: flashing forward or back every other chapter. Our MC, Meredith, is a Canadian prosecutor with ten years' experience when she gets a blast from the past. Former schoolmates have run into a spot of trouble, and she must prosecute the case.
In the past, the schoolmates argued purely as a rhetorical exercise as to what it would take to get away with murder, and the murder accusation ten years into the future looks surprisingly similar to the plan devised by them as law school students. The story follows a very paint by the numbers mystery that winds up being not-very mysterious.
Overall, the characters are not very likable. Meredith is weak. When she appears to be strong, she is enacting trauma on a current relationship due to a past relationship that has returned to the picture. She still goes weak at the knees for a douche bag that holds no promise of change. She should have recused herself from the case due to her familiarity with the players and avoided the drama of trying to return to the past. An OK read, but not much more than that.
October 25, 2016
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie (writing as Julie Apple), and Lawsome Books for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with this review.
With Catherine McKenzie already having garnered much success in her literary career, she chose to put a spin on this story, writing under a pseudonym whose importance comes from another of her recent novels, Fractured. Julie Apple pens the story of protagonist Meredith Delay, a successful Crown Prosecutor in Montreal who finds herself handling many homicide cases in Canada's second largest city. When a particularly curious case lands on her desk, Meredith faces the ultimate decision. The accused is none other than her law school friend, Julian McCarthy, who admits to stabbing a former NHL star while sleepwalking, which led to the victim's death. Julian is being represented by Jonathan Sayers, another in the close-knit group from law school, who also happens to be a long-time on-again/off-again flame that Meredith has been trying to shake. Finishing out the quartet is Lily, criminal psychologist who works in the Crown's office and appears to have some insights for Meredith, but who will offer very little of substance while parroting her IQ whenever it seems worthy of mention. As she is unsuccessful in claiming a conflict of interest, Meredith moves forward with the prosecution, undeterred by her personal knowledge of those close to the case. As Apple pushes the story forward, the narrative switches from the time of the trial in 2007, back to the group's time in law school, circa 1995-99. The reader is able to see some of the strong connections between Meredith and Jonathan, as well as her feeling of being an outsider within this quartet. With the City of Montreal and some key Canadian history as its backdrop, the stories progress nicely, leading Meredith to press forward with the trial, where she tries to put up the strongest possible case for murder as she counters the defence of "non-insane automatism" that Sayers and his client feel fits perfectly. As the case unfolds, at issue is whether Julian's history of sleepwalking could have caused him to act out violently, but without the needed 'guilty mind' to be culpable of the crime. Additionally, as Apple pushes the flashback narrative towards its conclusion, the quartet enter into a legal game and make a secret pact that could influence their futures in ways none of them had imagined. A brilliantly crafted piece that is as captivating as it is succinct. Those who love a good legal thriller with courtroom antics will surely flock towards this novel.
I have to ask myself, where have I been for so long without ever having tripped upon McKenzie's work? After reading Fractured, I knew I had to get my hands on this book, if only to piece together some of the thoughts that floated around my head as I read about Julie 'Apple' Prentice and the fallout of her book, The Murder Game. In this novel, Apple presents four key characters and does so in such an effective manner that the reader cannot help but want to know more. The effective use of layering allows the reader to see the 'modern' character and then learn a little more in the flashback chapters, which also help explain and explore some of the key characteristics being developed on the page. The dual storylines work well in tandem, complementing one another well, while exemplifying key struggles in Meredith's life that have not been resolved over time. One of the greatest aspects of this book for me has got to be the true Canadiana that Apple uses, plotting not only a few mentions of Canada or Montreal, but going all-out in the entire novel. From McGill as the institute for higher learning to the Quebec Referendum in 1995 and through to the entire trial process (complete with My Lord and the gowns worn by the lawyers), this is something to give Canada its due in mainstream fiction. Many times I find authors ruin anything Canadian by making glaring errors or watering things down to make it seem like Law & Order of the Great White North. Save for a few early examples that Apple explained in detail with asides for her readers (does Nesbo do this in Norway or Fox in Australia?), the story forces the reader to fully submit to being in Canada and accepting the system or looking things up they do not comprehend. This is surely because Apple (and McKenzie) studied in Montreal, is well-versed with the city, and understands Canada's nuances when it comes to the legal system (the bastard child of Britain and the United States). The courtroom aspects of the story flow wonderfully and keeps the reader feeling as if the case is progressing with ease. While short in sections, it gets the impact of key witnesses and important testimony out for the reader, and permits an open-ended ability for the reader to decide for themselves how they might decide, should they have found themselves on the jury. Plus, that twist at the end left me applauding and helped better understand how Apple received such mixed reviews in Fractured, as the bestselling author who lived under a cloud of uncertainty.
I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to meld my thoughts from this novel to the Julie Apple created and developed in Fractured. I can see now how some characters had a jaded view of Apple in the novel, curious as to how she could have written something so sinister. That said, as many approached Apple to ask if Meredith was based on her, I can now ask the same about Apple being a loose characterization of Catherine McKenzie. I can see some similarities between Apple and Meredith and presume some of the same parallels between Apple and her creator. While Meredith struggled with her ongoing romantic magnetism to Jonathan, I wonder if Julie and John suffered a similar connection, though on a much more superficial level. That said, it is hard for the attentive reader to miss that both stories also offer open-ended plot lines that leave the reader to wonder about a key aspect in the story, which tells of McKenzie's brilliance in her writing. One might also wonder about Apple's foreboding as she wrote about Meredith's choice to uproot herself and the departure Apple faced when she showed up in Cincinnati after events in Tacoma. Both sought a needed reset of their lives. This novel offers a window not only into the mind of a character that was not entirely possible even with the first-person narrative McKenzie presented in Fractured, as though Julie Prentice needed a little more fleshing out. Such a brilliant piece of legal fiction helps explain some of the praise that Julie seemed hesitant to fish for but sought so passionately. I admit that. McKenzie did the right thing in having these two novels published close together, so that readers can draw parallels for themselves.
Kudos, Madam Apple/McKenzie for such an entertaining novel. I see from where all the hype arose and can only hope there is another novel in this vein to come. BOOK TWO was discussed in Fractured, so surely there is something percolating, eh?!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
With Catherine McKenzie already having garnered much success in her literary career, she chose to put a spin on this story, writing under a pseudonym whose importance comes from another of her recent novels, Fractured. Julie Apple pens the story of protagonist Meredith Delay, a successful Crown Prosecutor in Montreal who finds herself handling many homicide cases in Canada's second largest city. When a particularly curious case lands on her desk, Meredith faces the ultimate decision. The accused is none other than her law school friend, Julian McCarthy, who admits to stabbing a former NHL star while sleepwalking, which led to the victim's death. Julian is being represented by Jonathan Sayers, another in the close-knit group from law school, who also happens to be a long-time on-again/off-again flame that Meredith has been trying to shake. Finishing out the quartet is Lily, criminal psychologist who works in the Crown's office and appears to have some insights for Meredith, but who will offer very little of substance while parroting her IQ whenever it seems worthy of mention. As she is unsuccessful in claiming a conflict of interest, Meredith moves forward with the prosecution, undeterred by her personal knowledge of those close to the case. As Apple pushes the story forward, the narrative switches from the time of the trial in 2007, back to the group's time in law school, circa 1995-99. The reader is able to see some of the strong connections between Meredith and Jonathan, as well as her feeling of being an outsider within this quartet. With the City of Montreal and some key Canadian history as its backdrop, the stories progress nicely, leading Meredith to press forward with the trial, where she tries to put up the strongest possible case for murder as she counters the defence of "non-insane automatism" that Sayers and his client feel fits perfectly. As the case unfolds, at issue is whether Julian's history of sleepwalking could have caused him to act out violently, but without the needed 'guilty mind' to be culpable of the crime. Additionally, as Apple pushes the flashback narrative towards its conclusion, the quartet enter into a legal game and make a secret pact that could influence their futures in ways none of them had imagined. A brilliantly crafted piece that is as captivating as it is succinct. Those who love a good legal thriller with courtroom antics will surely flock towards this novel.
I have to ask myself, where have I been for so long without ever having tripped upon McKenzie's work? After reading Fractured, I knew I had to get my hands on this book, if only to piece together some of the thoughts that floated around my head as I read about Julie 'Apple' Prentice and the fallout of her book, The Murder Game. In this novel, Apple presents four key characters and does so in such an effective manner that the reader cannot help but want to know more. The effective use of layering allows the reader to see the 'modern' character and then learn a little more in the flashback chapters, which also help explain and explore some of the key characteristics being developed on the page. The dual storylines work well in tandem, complementing one another well, while exemplifying key struggles in Meredith's life that have not been resolved over time. One of the greatest aspects of this book for me has got to be the true Canadiana that Apple uses, plotting not only a few mentions of Canada or Montreal, but going all-out in the entire novel. From McGill as the institute for higher learning to the Quebec Referendum in 1995 and through to the entire trial process (complete with My Lord and the gowns worn by the lawyers), this is something to give Canada its due in mainstream fiction. Many times I find authors ruin anything Canadian by making glaring errors or watering things down to make it seem like Law & Order of the Great White North. Save for a few early examples that Apple explained in detail with asides for her readers (does Nesbo do this in Norway or Fox in Australia?), the story forces the reader to fully submit to being in Canada and accepting the system or looking things up they do not comprehend. This is surely because Apple (and McKenzie) studied in Montreal, is well-versed with the city, and understands Canada's nuances when it comes to the legal system (the bastard child of Britain and the United States). The courtroom aspects of the story flow wonderfully and keeps the reader feeling as if the case is progressing with ease. While short in sections, it gets the impact of key witnesses and important testimony out for the reader, and permits an open-ended ability for the reader to decide for themselves how they might decide, should they have found themselves on the jury. Plus, that twist at the end left me applauding and helped better understand how Apple received such mixed reviews in Fractured, as the bestselling author who lived under a cloud of uncertainty.
I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to meld my thoughts from this novel to the Julie Apple created and developed in Fractured. I can see now how some characters had a jaded view of Apple in the novel, curious as to how she could have written something so sinister. That said, as many approached Apple to ask if Meredith was based on her, I can now ask the same about Apple being a loose characterization of Catherine McKenzie. I can see some similarities between Apple and Meredith and presume some of the same parallels between Apple and her creator. While Meredith struggled with her ongoing romantic magnetism to Jonathan, I wonder if Julie and John suffered a similar connection, though on a much more superficial level. That said, it is hard for the attentive reader to miss that both stories also offer open-ended plot lines that leave the reader to wonder about a key aspect in the story, which tells of McKenzie's brilliance in her writing. One might also wonder about Apple's foreboding as she wrote about Meredith's choice to uproot herself and the departure Apple faced when she showed up in Cincinnati after events in Tacoma. Both sought a needed reset of their lives. This novel offers a window not only into the mind of a character that was not entirely possible even with the first-person narrative McKenzie presented in Fractured, as though Julie Prentice needed a little more fleshing out. Such a brilliant piece of legal fiction helps explain some of the praise that Julie seemed hesitant to fish for but sought so passionately. I admit that. McKenzie did the right thing in having these two novels published close together, so that readers can draw parallels for themselves.
Kudos, Madam Apple/McKenzie for such an entertaining novel. I see from where all the hype arose and can only hope there is another novel in this vein to come. BOOK TWO was discussed in Fractured, so surely there is something percolating, eh?!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 22, 2016
I really enjoyed Fractured, written by Catherine Mackenzie. It’s a book about a bestselling author forced to move her family halfway across country to escape a stalker. In Fractured, Mackenzie goes into a fair amount of detail about the bestselling mystery, called The Murder Game. The entire time I was reading the book I kept thinking what a shame that The Murder Game wasn't an actual book. Well, it is. Turns out Mackenzie wrote The Murder Game first and then used it as the basis for the bestseller in Fractured.
The book is told from both the present day perspective of Meredith, a prosecutor for the Crown and looking back at her time as a law student at McGill. A close friend of hers from law school has been charged as the defendant in a murder. Another close friend is defending him. And a third from their clique is the head of the Montreal Pysch unit that has to assign someone to give him an evaluation. This is English Montreal, and how few degrees of separation there are. Meredith was the last to join the group. The other three had been friends forever, while she meets them in law school. “One of these things is not like the others” says Julian and she is that one.
I loved Fractured, but this one didn't grab me in the same way. Yes, it's good. But it's not grab you and won't let you go good.
Do you need to read the books in order? No. they both stand alone. Those who read Fractured first may wait anxiously for the genesis of the book’s name to appear as it was laid out so early in Fractured. In truth, they more than stand alone. I think I would have like this better if I wasn't waiting for it to tie more closely to the synopsis laid out in Fractured.
My thanks to netgalley and Lawsome Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2016
This novel is written by Catherine McKenzie who is writing under the pseudonym of Julie Apple who featured as a character in her book Fractured. The Murder Game is a courtroom drama that is a lighter than a typical John Grisham novel but nevertheless an entertaining read.
The main character in the novel is Meredith Daley who after ten years working as a prosecutor have left her feeling tired and unsure what she wants from life. She is assigned to a high profile prosecution case that features the violent murder of a hockey star, but the case is given another dimension when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder. The story starts at the very end with Meredith, receiving a phone call telling her that a friend has died leading her to reflect on her life. The novel is about four law students, Meredith, Jonathon, Julian and Lily who play a game where they each try to create the perfect murder. Ten years later when she is told that Nick Alan has been murdered and the killer is her old college friend Julian McCarthy, the game becomes a reality.
I enjoyed this book and felt the need to read more but I felt the story was a little too simple at times. A good quick entertaining read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Lawsome Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
The main character in the novel is Meredith Daley who after ten years working as a prosecutor have left her feeling tired and unsure what she wants from life. She is assigned to a high profile prosecution case that features the violent murder of a hockey star, but the case is given another dimension when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder. The story starts at the very end with Meredith, receiving a phone call telling her that a friend has died leading her to reflect on her life. The novel is about four law students, Meredith, Jonathon, Julian and Lily who play a game where they each try to create the perfect murder. Ten years later when she is told that Nick Alan has been murdered and the killer is her old college friend Julian McCarthy, the game becomes a reality.
I enjoyed this book and felt the need to read more but I felt the story was a little too simple at times. A good quick entertaining read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Lawsome Books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
September 18, 2016
My first novel...so excited for you to meet it!
Read the except on my Goodreads blog and tell me what you think!
Read the except on my Goodreads blog and tell me what you think!
November 5, 2016
3.75 Stars - Netgalley Copy.
January 1, 2017
3.5 stars
The Murder Game is a companion novel to Catherine McKenzie’s excellent and highly-recommended Fractured. I am glad that I read Fractured first because, if I had read The Murder Game first, I may have passed on Fractured. While The Murder Game is a good read, it is not as accomplished or addicting as its predecessor. In Fractured, the central character, Julie (Apple) Prentice, has written a best-selling book (The Book as she refers to it) called The Murder Game, and has had to move her family to another state to avoid a stalker. It is a first-rate page-turner. When I reviewed Fractured (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), I felt that it would have been interesting to have some of The Book incorporated into the story since it is referred to often and, when I heard that it was being published as written by Julie Apple, I was intrigued and excited. Unfortunately, it did not overwhelm.
It is not necessary to have read Fractured to order to read The Murder Game - there is really nothing that connects them, other than it’s Julie Apple’s book. While entertaining and well-written, it does read a little like a debut novel in that it doesn’t always feel fully realized or polished. I did have a difficult time warming up to these characters as well. They are not exactly a likeable group.
McKenzie uses two timelines to tell this story. In the present, the protagonist, Meredith Delay, is an unhappy, workaholic Crown Prosecutor who has just been assigned to a high-profile case - the murder of a famous hockey player whose life had gone out of control and who had been prosecuted for child abuse. In the past, she is attending McGill Law School and is starting to form relationships with a tight-knit group of friends: Jonathan, Julian and Lily. They are presented as a foursome but I always felt Meredith was an outsider, past and present.
In present day Meredith’s case, the admitted killer is none other than her old pal, Julian. Not only that, the defense attorney is Jonathan, not just another old pal but a lover as well. While this creates all kinds of tension and raw emotion, I can’t believe that someone with Meredith’s connection to both the defendant and his attorney would be allowed to prosecute the case. Sounds like a major case of conflict of interest to me.
Since I’m not a big fan of legal dramas, I found myself losing interest at the lengthy courtroom scenes. Worse, though, is the lack of any connection I felt for the characters. Indifference is pretty much all I felt, unlike in Fractured where I was invested in several characters. Then again, unlikeable characters rarely interest me in books and I tend to get turned off when there is not a character in the bunch that really moves me. With characters like Julian and Lily, it’s hard to muster anything but distaste.
Despite having some issues with The Murder Game’s characters and execution, I kept reading because wanted to get to the bottom of Julian’s motives and wanted to find out how everything played out. McKenzie is very good at creating a situation that keeps you reading, even if you are not completely enamored of the story.
An interesting aspect is the insight into Montreal’s culture as well as its legal system. It’s not something you often see in popular fiction. I’m more a fan of police procedurals than legal dramas so I would be interested in finding some Canada-based police procedurals. I’ve only read a few by Louise Penny and I enjoyed those very much. It’s nice to have a change of pace from my usual police procedural bag of British and Scandinavian novels.
In the end, I didn’t feel all the questions were answered in this one and I admit that I was confused when I read the last page. I’m not sure if I missed something or if something wasn’t entirely clear. Even though this wasn’t a home run for me, I do think McKenzie is very talented and I plan to read more of her work.
March 31, 2021
This is such a fun idea! This book is written by the main character in Catherine McKenzie’s book Fractured. THE MURDER GAME is semi fictional account of a woman in law school and then ten years later that same woman called to prosecute a man she used to know. The defense attorney is her ex lover, the man accused is her ex lover’s best friend. In dual timelines we learn how Meredith knew Julian, the man who is now accused of murder. This story is semi fiction and written by a semi fictional character.
I found this story a pretty good page turner. The idea is solid and the twist is detailed enough to leave me a bit enraged. In the prologue we see Meredith trying to some to terms with what happened. The whole book is Meredith recounting her story for the reader to judge. One again, I think the author wants you to judge her and her friends. They aren’t exactly bad people, but they aren’t good people either. From the very beginning we follow Meredith as she is courted by Jonathan and her friendship with Lily blooms.
The nagging sense that something is wrong isn’t obvious. Meredith shouldn’t be trying this case, she is too close to accused to be fair and impartial. That becomes clearly irrelevant as Meredith puts her life on hold to try the case. If she looses, her career won’t ever be the same. I felt bad for Meredith being put in this situation. I found my anger was misplaced as everything that happens, happens for a reason.
Most of present day Meredith’s story takes place in a courtroom. I found the witness’ testimony riveting since I got the first hand thoughts of Meredith as they answered questions. In law school Meredith takes us into classroom and dishes out what competing with peers would be like. There is also the matter of a case so similar to what she is facing now that it lends the reader to think the case is not a coincidence.
I can’t say anything else about the plot for this book. I will admit that Meredith wasn’t an easy character to like. She is disillusioned in her present day life as a prosecutor and she allows herself to be used as a student in law school. I was torn on which Meredith to root for. This was a great story, but Meredith’s story isn’t quite as addictive as Julie’s was. I would still recommend this book to mystery/suspense fans.
October 26, 2016
The Murder Game is by Catherine McKenzie writing as Julie Apple, who is the protagonist in Catherine McKenzie's book Fractured.
I really enjoyed Fractured and definitely recommend that you read it prior to The Murder Game, even though both books can stand alone.
I didn't enjoy The Murder Game quite as much as Fractured. However, it is a quick read and I did like the premise. Putting aside some disbelief about the way a few things take place in this book, what bothered me was that I really didn't find any of the characters to be very likeable. Most of the time, they were -- to just state it plainly -- jerks to each other, and while Meredith seemed like a relatively strong character, her interactions with Jonathan made her seem a little on the pathetic side.
Having said that, unlikeable characters alone are never a reason for me to not like a book, and I found The Murder Game interesting enough to continue to the end. But I definitely preferred Fractured and recommend that if you read this book first and find it lacking, don't let it deter you from picking up a copy of Fractured.
I really enjoyed Fractured and definitely recommend that you read it prior to The Murder Game, even though both books can stand alone.
I didn't enjoy The Murder Game quite as much as Fractured. However, it is a quick read and I did like the premise. Putting aside some disbelief about the way a few things take place in this book, what bothered me was that I really didn't find any of the characters to be very likeable. Most of the time, they were -- to just state it plainly -- jerks to each other, and while Meredith seemed like a relatively strong character, her interactions with Jonathan made her seem a little on the pathetic side.
Having said that, unlikeable characters alone are never a reason for me to not like a book, and I found The Murder Game interesting enough to continue to the end. But I definitely preferred Fractured and recommend that if you read this book first and find it lacking, don't let it deter you from picking up a copy of Fractured.
January 21, 2017
The Murder Game, written by Catherine McKenzie under the pseudonym Julie Apple, is based on the possibility of a perfect murder and inspired by the experiences of the author at McGill Law Faculty. This is quite a controversial topic but the moral dilemma is not addressed in the novel at all.We know from the very beginning who the murderer is and as the plot unfolds we learn the motive. The book also focuses on the relationships of a group of friends attending law school and the romantic affair between the main character and her very unromantic boyfriend.
I don’t know if it is better to read Fractured, in which we learn about the life of this fictional author, and then The Murder Game, as I did, or the other way around. However, I recommend reading both novels, even if I found Fractured a bit more appealing, perhaps because the author was much more experienced when she wrote it.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
I don’t know if it is better to read Fractured, in which we learn about the life of this fictional author, and then The Murder Game, as I did, or the other way around. However, I recommend reading both novels, even if I found Fractured a bit more appealing, perhaps because the author was much more experienced when she wrote it.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
November 9, 2016
Julie Apple (AKA Catherine McKenzie) returns following Fractured (2016) where we met Julie Apple, with her bestselling novel--now featured in the clever twisty THE MURDER GAME, part legal drama, part thriller, and a perfect murder plan resurfaced.
Confused? Don’t be. First, read Fractured then circle back around and enjoy, TMG.
EW "Why Fractured author Catherine McKenzie wrote an entire book within a book."
Four friends make their way through law school, in the mid- nineties, learning the ins and outs of the criminal law system They plot the perfect murder. Ultimately later, becomes a reality. Facing the past.
With dual time frames that span twelve years, The Murder Game explores the powers of the unconscious mind with the history of a group of law students, and friends- planning the perfect murder.
Busy law students, tossing around possibilities for months. They would have breaks and would call one another for a rendezvous and set a topic of discussion. Poisoning, suicide, an accident – the perfect murder. Nothing was perfect. But you had to get away with it. Why not when you knew your way around the law, right?
Meet Meredith, Lily, Jonathan, and Julian, a group of friends who first met at McGill University Law School. They play a game where they each try to create the perfect murder.
Flash forward ten years, the son of a Montreal Canadian hockey player Nick Alan has been murdered in his sleep.
Meredith, now a prosecutor, has been assigned the case. The case seems straightforward. The alleged perpetrator has confessed and is in custody. But Meredith is shocked to find out that the perpetrator is her old friend Julian McCarthy and that Jonathan is defending him. Conflict of Interest?
The game becomes a reality. There are so many questions, doubts, who is guilty, who is innocent, who is involved?
Julian, is the accused and Lily is his girlfriend, and Jonathan Sayers, Meredith’s on and off boyfriend. Meredith was kind of an outsider of the group. Meredith never truly feels like she belongs in this group. The other three come from money and the lifestyle that it brings. Whenever it suits them they let her in. Their terms.
Nick had destroyed his chance at a great hockey career by overindulging in cocaine, hookers, and a toxic lifestyle until he was finally arrested for the sexual abuse of a young boy. Meredith had prosecuted that case and now it would seem that someone has taken justice into their own hands.
How did she know what would follow? Why does this seem familiar?
Sleepwalking . . .
Part One tells the story of the history of the friends back in law school in Montreal. Flashing back and forth, to present day from the college days. Part Two features the trial with Meredith, prosecutor, and Jonathan as the defense attorney representing Julian. There will be familiar circumstances—connecting the past with the present. Part Three ties it together with the closing arguments of the trial, sentencing and the final closing with a twist.
Would classify this as a cozy murder mystery/legal drama; not a deeply psychological or intense suspenseful legal thriller; however, it was a lot of fun; highly creative and twisty - tieing in both books.
Those who enjoy the TV series: (available on Amazon) “How to Get Away with Murder” A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor, become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives—"will enjoy" THE MURDER GAME.
A special thank you to Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
PS. Catherine/Julie, can we move to Canada with you if Trump wins tonight? It is looking very scary. Looks like you will have "plenty of company."
Confused? Don’t be. First, read Fractured then circle back around and enjoy, TMG.
EW "Why Fractured author Catherine McKenzie wrote an entire book within a book."
Four friends make their way through law school, in the mid- nineties, learning the ins and outs of the criminal law system They plot the perfect murder. Ultimately later, becomes a reality. Facing the past.
With dual time frames that span twelve years, The Murder Game explores the powers of the unconscious mind with the history of a group of law students, and friends- planning the perfect murder.
Busy law students, tossing around possibilities for months. They would have breaks and would call one another for a rendezvous and set a topic of discussion. Poisoning, suicide, an accident – the perfect murder. Nothing was perfect. But you had to get away with it. Why not when you knew your way around the law, right?
Meet Meredith, Lily, Jonathan, and Julian, a group of friends who first met at McGill University Law School. They play a game where they each try to create the perfect murder.
Flash forward ten years, the son of a Montreal Canadian hockey player Nick Alan has been murdered in his sleep.
Meredith, now a prosecutor, has been assigned the case. The case seems straightforward. The alleged perpetrator has confessed and is in custody. But Meredith is shocked to find out that the perpetrator is her old friend Julian McCarthy and that Jonathan is defending him. Conflict of Interest?
The game becomes a reality. There are so many questions, doubts, who is guilty, who is innocent, who is involved?
Julian, is the accused and Lily is his girlfriend, and Jonathan Sayers, Meredith’s on and off boyfriend. Meredith was kind of an outsider of the group. Meredith never truly feels like she belongs in this group. The other three come from money and the lifestyle that it brings. Whenever it suits them they let her in. Their terms.
Nick had destroyed his chance at a great hockey career by overindulging in cocaine, hookers, and a toxic lifestyle until he was finally arrested for the sexual abuse of a young boy. Meredith had prosecuted that case and now it would seem that someone has taken justice into their own hands.
How did she know what would follow? Why does this seem familiar?
Sleepwalking . . .
Part One tells the story of the history of the friends back in law school in Montreal. Flashing back and forth, to present day from the college days. Part Two features the trial with Meredith, prosecutor, and Jonathan as the defense attorney representing Julian. There will be familiar circumstances—connecting the past with the present. Part Three ties it together with the closing arguments of the trial, sentencing and the final closing with a twist.
Would classify this as a cozy murder mystery/legal drama; not a deeply psychological or intense suspenseful legal thriller; however, it was a lot of fun; highly creative and twisty - tieing in both books.
Those who enjoy the TV series: (available on Amazon) “How to Get Away with Murder” A group of ambitious law students and their brilliant criminal defense professor, become involved in a twisted murder plot that promises to change the course of their lives—"will enjoy" THE MURDER GAME.
A special thank you to Lawsome Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
PS. Catherine/Julie, can we move to Canada with you if Trump wins tonight? It is looking very scary. Looks like you will have "plenty of company."
October 26, 2016
Loved it!! When I first got The Murder Game from NetGalley, I had no idea that Catherine McKenzie was the author using the pseudonym of Julie Apple. Then I read Ms. McKenzie's book Fractured where the protagonist's name is Julie Apple and had written a book called The Murder Game. That's when it hit me that the two books were connected. I have to say that I think Ms. McKenzie came up with a brilliant idea to tie these two books together.
The Murder Game really held my interest right from the beginning where we first find out that a murder is committed and prosecutor Meredith Delay is assigned the case. In reading the file, she sees that the accused is Julian McCarthy, an old friend of hers from law school. The story goes back and forth to the start of law school for Meredith and we learn how she becomes close friends with Julian and two other law school students, Jonathan and Lily, who are prominent characters throughout the story, including the murder trial. The story was suspenseful and fascinating to me. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and actually thought the outcome for Julian would be different than what it actually turned out to be. Towards the end of the book, we learn of an idea that the four friends came up with while in law school that makes you wonder if it related to Julian's murder case. A nice little twist at the end that left me in awe! Such a very, very well-written book that I highly recommend!
A big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
The Murder Game really held my interest right from the beginning where we first find out that a murder is committed and prosecutor Meredith Delay is assigned the case. In reading the file, she sees that the accused is Julian McCarthy, an old friend of hers from law school. The story goes back and forth to the start of law school for Meredith and we learn how she becomes close friends with Julian and two other law school students, Jonathan and Lily, who are prominent characters throughout the story, including the murder trial. The story was suspenseful and fascinating to me. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and actually thought the outcome for Julian would be different than what it actually turned out to be. Towards the end of the book, we learn of an idea that the four friends came up with while in law school that makes you wonder if it related to Julian's murder case. A nice little twist at the end that left me in awe! Such a very, very well-written book that I highly recommend!
A big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
October 5, 2016
The Murder Game by Julie Apple
Four friends who are in law school together plan the perfect murder. Fast forward into the year 2007, Meredith is the lead prosecutor in a high profile murder case. She tells Charles her boss that she should withdraw from prosecuting Julian because he was one of her best friends in law school. Her on again, off again former boyfriend is the defense attorney.
It is clearly a conflict of interest for Meredith.
How does Lily, Julian's girlfriend fit in to all of this?
The story begins in 1995 when Meredith meets
Julian, Lily and Jonathan who all three of them went to the same boarding school. A blurb states that this is part John Grisham, part Donna Tartt. This author uses the all too common storytelling device of moving the story back and forth in time. Starting with the four main characters are moving from the strong bond that they developed in law school.
Fast forward to 2007 where they come together in the trial where their lives become entwined in the prosecution of this sensational trial.
This is an exquisite readable suspense driven mystery. I really enjoyed this book and will read her next book. The characters are all unique and fully developed. I loved it.
Thank you to Net Galley, Julie Apple and the publisher for providing me with my advanced readers copy for a fair and honest review.
Four friends who are in law school together plan the perfect murder. Fast forward into the year 2007, Meredith is the lead prosecutor in a high profile murder case. She tells Charles her boss that she should withdraw from prosecuting Julian because he was one of her best friends in law school. Her on again, off again former boyfriend is the defense attorney.
It is clearly a conflict of interest for Meredith.
How does Lily, Julian's girlfriend fit in to all of this?
The story begins in 1995 when Meredith meets
Julian, Lily and Jonathan who all three of them went to the same boarding school. A blurb states that this is part John Grisham, part Donna Tartt. This author uses the all too common storytelling device of moving the story back and forth in time. Starting with the four main characters are moving from the strong bond that they developed in law school.
Fast forward to 2007 where they come together in the trial where their lives become entwined in the prosecution of this sensational trial.
This is an exquisite readable suspense driven mystery. I really enjoyed this book and will read her next book. The characters are all unique and fully developed. I loved it.
Thank you to Net Galley, Julie Apple and the publisher for providing me with my advanced readers copy for a fair and honest review.
January 1, 2017
Let me start by saying that the premise behind this book is extremely fascinating! This book was written by Julie Apple, which is not just a pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie; Julie Apple is also a protagonist in Catherine's newest novel, Fractured. In the book Fractured, Julie is a writer who has written a best-seller titled The Murder Game, and this is the book she wrote! The Murder Game is a compelling crime novel about a group of lawyers who, as law students, try to devise a plan to literally get away with murder. What follows is an extremely smart book, filled with intrigue, compelling courtroom procedures, and the brilliant minds of these characters. A real page-turner, readers will be compelled to read well into the night to see how it all turns out!
November 5, 2016
So here is the thing. Catherine McKenzie wrote a book called Fractured. In Fractured the main protagonist Julie is in trouble because of a book she has written. That book is The Murder Game. So this book is a book from another book.
You've got to love that.
And also its a great story. Take a group of law students, friends, randomly tangled in relationships, learning criminal law and eventually moving on to various careers within that. Fast forward to a few years later, the friendships now somewhat fractured (yes yes I did that) and one of the group, Meredith, is assigned to a particularly sticky case. Not only sticky because of the defence being used but because this particular murder scene is all too familiar to Meredith...
I am a fan of the past/present vibe especially when it harks back to student days then catches up with those same characters years later, still being defined by what happened back then. And Julie Apple (AKA Catherine McKenzie) uses this with hugely satisfying results. Both timelines are intriguing, both are addictive, there is a great depth to the characters and an unpredictable quality about the whole thing that just makes you rocket through the read to find out what happens.
There are plenty of little twisty delights to be had here, also some great relationship entanglements that will have you shaking your head and the mystery element is beautifully drawn to make it more about the people than the actions. I really really enjoyed it. If you like a good psychological mystery you'll enjoy this for sure.
Now of course I want to read Fractured. It kind of has to be done. I shall track down a copy forthwith and see what happens to the author of The Murder Game. I'm hoping she survives. She needs to write more books.
Great stuff. Recommended.
You've got to love that.
And also its a great story. Take a group of law students, friends, randomly tangled in relationships, learning criminal law and eventually moving on to various careers within that. Fast forward to a few years later, the friendships now somewhat fractured (yes yes I did that) and one of the group, Meredith, is assigned to a particularly sticky case. Not only sticky because of the defence being used but because this particular murder scene is all too familiar to Meredith...
I am a fan of the past/present vibe especially when it harks back to student days then catches up with those same characters years later, still being defined by what happened back then. And Julie Apple (AKA Catherine McKenzie) uses this with hugely satisfying results. Both timelines are intriguing, both are addictive, there is a great depth to the characters and an unpredictable quality about the whole thing that just makes you rocket through the read to find out what happens.
There are plenty of little twisty delights to be had here, also some great relationship entanglements that will have you shaking your head and the mystery element is beautifully drawn to make it more about the people than the actions. I really really enjoyed it. If you like a good psychological mystery you'll enjoy this for sure.
Now of course I want to read Fractured. It kind of has to be done. I shall track down a copy forthwith and see what happens to the author of The Murder Game. I'm hoping she survives. She needs to write more books.
Great stuff. Recommended.
June 7, 2017
Meredith Delaney is a Crown Prosecutor who has been assigned the murder case of well-known hockey player but the suspect is her old friend from college Julian. Defending the suspect is her on and off ex-boyfriend from law school Jonathan. Meredith, Jonathan , Lilly and Julian were a tight close knit group in law school. The book has alternating timelines from the present with Meredith fighting the case to the past where the group met for the first time.
This is good legal drama story especially for fans of “ How to get away with Murder”. I was not as invested in it as much as Fractured but it was overall a fast entertaining read with a rating of 3 ½ stars.
Many thanks to Lawsome Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
December 2, 2016
I read Fractured after I won it from Good Reads. I thought it was clever and well written and gave it four stars. The main character in that book is an author, and The Murder Game is the book she wrote. I thought releasing this under the name of Julie Apple was a really neat idea and was excited to read it. I couldn't put it down once I started. They are very different books but both impressive.
Prosecutor Meredith Delay is a bit of a workaholic. It's pretty much all she has. She keeps the man she sees regularly (notice I didn't say boyfriend) at a distance. She rarely sees her own parents or siblings. She's very good at what she does, but she's not a happy person. A new case lands on her desk and rattles her. The accused is an old friend from school, Julian. His lawyer is another figure from her past, Jonathan. She soon speaks to yet another old friend named Lily... effectively completing her old school social group. Not the ideal situation to get back in touch with her old school chums... or is it? The man she spent so much time with has committed murder, that's not in question. He's confessed. But has he planned the perfect murder, complete with no motive and a reasonable explanation explaining why he wasn't in control of his own actions?
I devoured this book in a day. It was a pleasure. An easy, really enjoyable read and a great way to spend a couple of hours.
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lawsome Books. Thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Prosecutor Meredith Delay is a bit of a workaholic. It's pretty much all she has. She keeps the man she sees regularly (notice I didn't say boyfriend) at a distance. She rarely sees her own parents or siblings. She's very good at what she does, but she's not a happy person. A new case lands on her desk and rattles her. The accused is an old friend from school, Julian. His lawyer is another figure from her past, Jonathan. She soon speaks to yet another old friend named Lily... effectively completing her old school social group. Not the ideal situation to get back in touch with her old school chums... or is it? The man she spent so much time with has committed murder, that's not in question. He's confessed. But has he planned the perfect murder, complete with no motive and a reasonable explanation explaining why he wasn't in control of his own actions?
I devoured this book in a day. It was a pleasure. An easy, really enjoyable read and a great way to spend a couple of hours.
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lawsome Books. Thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews