What do you think?
Rate this book
Could You Survive Midsomer?: Can you avoid a bizarre death in England's most dangerous county?
An official Midsomer Murders Interactive novel.
All is not well in the beautiful county of Midsomer. On the eve of its first Villages In Bloom competition, a man lies dead, smelling of damson jam. Who could have done it?
Well, that's where you come in. Step into the shoes of Midsomer CID's newest recruit, choose your own path and decide which way the story goes.
Will you get to the bottom of the mystery? Will you bring the perpetrator to justice? And perhaps most importantly of all, could you avoid an untimely, and possibly bizarre, death... will YOU survive Midsomer? Your task is to make the right choices, solve the case and - most tricky of all - stay alive!... Good luck.
An official Midsomer Murders Interactive novel set in ITV's most celebrated and murderous county.
All is not well in the beautiful county of Midsomer. On the eve of its first Villages In Bloom competition, a man lies dead, smelling of damson jam. Who could have done it?
Well, that's where you come in. Step into the shoes of Midsomer CID's newest recruit, choose your own path and decide which way the story goes.
Will you get to the bottom of the mystery? Will you bring the perpetrator to justice? And perhaps most importantly of all, could you avoid an untimely, and possibly bizarre, death... will YOU survive Midsomer? Your task is to make the right choices, solve the case and - most tricky of all - stay alive!... Good luck.
An official Midsomer Murders Interactive novel set in ITV's most celebrated and murderous county.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
217 people are currently reading
462 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
October 6, 2021
This is the first interactive book I've read and I have to say, I loved it. While I've not seen Midsomer Murders (yet), I love murder mystery books and having the chance to play Detective was great. The storyline that needs solving is one which I can picture clearly happening on a tv show and the twists and turns remain as shocking as they would've been if this was a novel, in a traditional format. One of my favourite elements of this book is the performance review at the end to see how good (or bad) it went. This is such a fun book that you can go back to time and time again until you solve the murder!
If you'd like a break from your normal reading, if you're stuck in a slump or if you want to try your hand at solving a murder, then this is a great book for you!
If you'd like a break from your normal reading, if you're stuck in a slump or if you want to try your hand at solving a murder, then this is a great book for you!
March 23, 2022
This was so much fun! I didn't catch the murderer, but I also didn't die, so that's something 😉
March 28, 2022
This book is so much fun - reminds me of the ‘choose your own adventures’ I loved so much growing up you’re investigating a murder as a new detective in Midsomer and because I haven’t seen the show before, I had fresh eyes and ears while going through the investigation process - not much of a sense of who to trust or not. The writing is well done and thorough with introductions to important townspeople and committee members throughout. Once you get to the end of the storyline you chose, there is a section at the back of the book that goes on to review your performance in the investigation. Which is a really awesome addition to the book - and a great source of humour (as long as you don’t take yourself too seriously)!
The first read through conducting the investigation, I died almost immediately and therefore.. no performance review was to be had. I tried again and after some investigating, I did not find the murderer - they are still at large - and my performance review was so bad that it rendered me working as a traffic cop, never to be assigned to murder investigations again. Hahah!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read - it’s just an all around good time.
The first read through conducting the investigation, I died almost immediately and therefore.. no performance review was to be had. I tried again and after some investigating, I did not find the murderer - they are still at large - and my performance review was so bad that it rendered me working as a traffic cop, never to be assigned to murder investigations again. Hahah!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who can read - it’s just an all around good time.
December 13, 2022
I’m giving this 5 stars not because it’s a brilliant story, but because I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time! And the fact that you can read it over and over (choosing new decisions each time) makes it even more fun!
February 1, 2023
This was a choose your own adventure mystery. A nice twist on a cozy.
I used to love those books when I was a kid. We would read them on long car trips b/c you can always re-read & make different choices for the story thus keeping us occupied for a while. (as in
'if you want to do this turn to page ... if you don't want to do that, turn to page...)
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the British show "Midsommer Murders" which seems to be on all the time on various cable channels.
I've never read any of the books the tv show is based on but I've watched numerous episodes of the show.
I read it several times choosing different paths. The story asks you to imagine yourself as the new Detective in Midsommer. I used my theater skills to pretend I was that detective.
Unfortunately, every path I chose, ended badly. Oops! Some Detective I turned out to be...(hee hee)
Overall, it was an amusingly fun read.
I used to love those books when I was a kid. We would read them on long car trips b/c you can always re-read & make different choices for the story thus keeping us occupied for a while. (as in
'if you want to do this turn to page ... if you don't want to do that, turn to page...)
I'm sure many of you are familiar with the British show "Midsommer Murders" which seems to be on all the time on various cable channels.
I've never read any of the books the tv show is based on but I've watched numerous episodes of the show.
I read it several times choosing different paths. The story asks you to imagine yourself as the new Detective in Midsommer. I used my theater skills to pretend I was that detective.
Unfortunately, every path I chose, ended badly. Oops! Some Detective I turned out to be...(hee hee)
Overall, it was an amusingly fun read.
February 19, 2022
That was a lot of fun! I’ll have to try again though!
Yes, I survived Midsomer, but no, I didn’t solve the murder! I got demoted… I’m clearly no Barnaby!
But even though I failed, I thought it was super fun! I had to get used to the ‘you-tense’, but it made sense in this interactive novel. Choice after choice and you have to flip through the book constantly, which may sound like it would interrupt the flow, but it didn’t, because it was such fun! The choices at the very start felt a bit random, maybe I had thought it would be more clue-driven, but I am definitely going to be trying to solve the case again soon! In the hopes of solving it this time! What a unique and exciting book!
Yes, I survived Midsomer, but no, I didn’t solve the murder! I got demoted… I’m clearly no Barnaby!
But even though I failed, I thought it was super fun! I had to get used to the ‘you-tense’, but it made sense in this interactive novel. Choice after choice and you have to flip through the book constantly, which may sound like it would interrupt the flow, but it didn’t, because it was such fun! The choices at the very start felt a bit random, maybe I had thought it would be more clue-driven, but I am definitely going to be trying to solve the case again soon! In the hopes of solving it this time! What a unique and exciting book!
September 4, 2022
This is my second ever interactive novel and it was so much fun that it's made me want to buy many more.
The first time I played it, I died. The second time I played it, I didn't crack any of the case. And the third time I played it I did relatively well? But I wish I'd known where I went wrong so I could go back and get the best outcome 😂 But the point is, you can play this over and over again because there's so many options.
I never watched the TV show so I can confirm that you don't need to be a fan to enjoy this (I'm sure it helps though!)
The first time I played it, I died. The second time I played it, I didn't crack any of the case. And the third time I played it I did relatively well? But I wish I'd known where I went wrong so I could go back and get the best outcome 😂 But the point is, you can play this over and over again because there's so many options.
I never watched the TV show so I can confirm that you don't need to be a fan to enjoy this (I'm sure it helps though!)
June 5, 2022
I enjoyed “Choose Your Own Adventure” books as a child and it was delightful to find one geared toward adult mystery lovers.
I solved the crime, even if there were a few loose ends. I haven’t yet figured out (many attempts later) how to get a “perfect score”, but I look forward to trying again in the future.
A nice relaxing way to spend an evening after so much serious nonfiction reading lately.
This book was a 4.5 to 5 stars read for me.
I solved the crime, even if there were a few loose ends. I haven’t yet figured out (many attempts later) how to get a “perfect score”, but I look forward to trying again in the future.
A nice relaxing way to spend an evening after so much serious nonfiction reading lately.
This book was a 4.5 to 5 stars read for me.
September 20, 2022
I loved this book! I had never read an interactive novel so I think that is the portion I loved most, more than the actual storyline. I loved getting to pick and choose between the options and how everyone gets a different outcome. We read this for my bookclub and we all had a different ending-some solved, some were murdered, some ended up on traffic duty...
This is a fun read to mix up the usual books in our lineups!
This is a fun read to mix up the usual books in our lineups!
January 8, 2022
I've enjoyed the Midsomer Murders TV series for years and I've enjoyed the books by Caroline Graham on which the series was based. Could You Survive Midsomer?: Can you avoid a bizarre death in England's most dangerous county? by Simon Brew provides an interactive take on the series.
It was a fun read and in a style that is new to me. Basically after each chapter or sequence of the investigation, you, the reader, are given an option to follow one or another path. Depending on which path you take, you end up in a different section of the book. The story continues in that vein until you come to your solution. Obviously, if you choose other paths, you will come to a different solution to the case. When you've reached your personal solution, the Chief Inspector provides a rating on whether you've solved the case satisfactorily and how you are rated as a police inspector.
So that's it. The crime is the murder of one of the contestants in a Village in Bloom competition, where the various towns in Midsomer are competing to have the best blooms in the county. The murder is assigned to a new Detective in the Midsomer police force.. You! There you go, that's it and all it's about.
As I said, it's a fun read, nothing really deep, but entertaining in that it puts you in the middle of the case. The mystery is ok as mysteries go, but that doesn't really matter. You could read this book a few times and choose different options and come up with different solutions. All a great premise. Most enjoyable, because it puts you in the middle of one of the favorite British mystery series, actually helping solve the case. (3.5 stars)
It was a fun read and in a style that is new to me. Basically after each chapter or sequence of the investigation, you, the reader, are given an option to follow one or another path. Depending on which path you take, you end up in a different section of the book. The story continues in that vein until you come to your solution. Obviously, if you choose other paths, you will come to a different solution to the case. When you've reached your personal solution, the Chief Inspector provides a rating on whether you've solved the case satisfactorily and how you are rated as a police inspector.
So that's it. The crime is the murder of one of the contestants in a Village in Bloom competition, where the various towns in Midsomer are competing to have the best blooms in the county. The murder is assigned to a new Detective in the Midsomer police force.. You! There you go, that's it and all it's about.
As I said, it's a fun read, nothing really deep, but entertaining in that it puts you in the middle of the case. The mystery is ok as mysteries go, but that doesn't really matter. You could read this book a few times and choose different options and come up with different solutions. All a great premise. Most enjoyable, because it puts you in the middle of one of the favorite British mystery series, actually helping solve the case. (3.5 stars)
October 19, 2021
We absolutely love a bit of Midsomer Murders in our house and thoroughly enjoy putting our wits in against the village murderers and helping the Barnaby’s with their cases. So when I saw this book which puts you in the DI’s shoes, I had to give it a go.
I loved the way this book is set out, I was a huge fan of Choose Your Own Adventure novels as a kid and this is structured in exactly the same way. You read a section and make a decision, you then follow your decision to another part of the book and ‘your’ story follows the choices you make.
There are lots of different paths and endings and I think I’ve read through most of them now. Some of the bizarre deaths you can lead your detective to, really made me chuckle! 🐿
The mystery itself oozes cosy crime and is very much in the MIdsomer tradition, the first crime being death by damson jam. The range of suspects are all villagers with a grudge and a keen interest in gossip and their gardens.
My only complaint is that even with the ‘flawless’ read through, some questions about the mystery still remain for me. If you read through a few times you do get more of the answers though.
Overall, this is a simple mystery that isn’t going to keep you awake at nights guessing the solution, but the fun element and the aspect of control over the story make it a worthwhile read. I would say this is the perfect Christmas gift for any armchair sleuths!
I loved the way this book is set out, I was a huge fan of Choose Your Own Adventure novels as a kid and this is structured in exactly the same way. You read a section and make a decision, you then follow your decision to another part of the book and ‘your’ story follows the choices you make.
There are lots of different paths and endings and I think I’ve read through most of them now. Some of the bizarre deaths you can lead your detective to, really made me chuckle! 🐿
The mystery itself oozes cosy crime and is very much in the MIdsomer tradition, the first crime being death by damson jam. The range of suspects are all villagers with a grudge and a keen interest in gossip and their gardens.
My only complaint is that even with the ‘flawless’ read through, some questions about the mystery still remain for me. If you read through a few times you do get more of the answers though.
Overall, this is a simple mystery that isn’t going to keep you awake at nights guessing the solution, but the fun element and the aspect of control over the story make it a worthwhile read. I would say this is the perfect Christmas gift for any armchair sleuths!
March 25, 2023
It took me about 5 tries to figure out who done it, but I did it!! I loved reading this book and seeing all the possibilities of an ending. I have never read a book like this before and I have to say I want to read more like this. From a writing standpoint, I can't even begin to imagine how the author put all these pieces in......what a woven, conflicting and shocking pieces to bring the audience INTO the book and really EXPERIENCE the murder mystery!!! I highly recommend this book!!
April 24, 2023
Generally enjoyable and better written than the "choose your own adventure" books of my youth. I survived my first trip through, but only solved part of the mystery. I made a deliberately poor choice the second time and ended up dead for no reason that was explained. I made a third pass through with a fair amount of backing and forthing before I gave up trying to find the route to the full solution. May try again at some point in the future.
July 31, 2023
I read the book twice. Once I got murdered pretty fast ... In my second run I managed to get through it alive ... and I solved the crime. I recommend the book to all Inspector Barnaby fans. The negative thing that I can pont out is that Joyce Barnaby doesn't appear in the book. Lovely interactive novel with several outcomes.
November 16, 2025
4.5 - This was a lot of fun! Fans of the show will definitely love it, but I think even individuals who just enjoy murder mysteries and choose-your-own-adventure books will like this one. I played through it twice and enjoyed both stories and outcomes, which were quite different. So glad I got to spend an afternoon working through this book!
January 9, 2022
This was so fun but also incredibly frustrating! I would have preferred it if the book had come with more hints or a cheat sheet, although it was still very enjoyable to try my hand at being a detective.
April 8, 2023
Waited until I had some time to read this because I wasn’t sure how long it’d take to make it through and I knew I’d want to go through it multiple times. It was so fun!! Haven’t read a book like this since my youth. Was able to go through it in about an hour and spent the afternoon trying to solve the murder. First & second time, didn’t solve. Died times 3 & 4 and finally figured it all out the 5th time.
December 26, 2023
I spent whole going through multiple choices and ending up at different conclusions, it’s a fun book. I liked all the callbacks to the show, the campy story, and (like the show) that there were so many characters I got them confused. Very much keeping the Midsomer vibe
March 27, 2022
This was my first interactive novel and it was so fun! I really hope they make more of these.
April 28, 2022
This was so much fun and being interactive, something a bit different! My love of crime dramas paid off as I didn't get killed and got a good result 😁 You could read this so many times and try different ways to solve the case.
December 23, 2024
Super fun holiday mystery option! Especially for those that read Choose Your Own Adventure growing up!
September 14, 2025
Hauska kirja, jossa pääsee tutustumaan omiin etsijätaitoihin. Haluaisin kyllä tutkia kaikki tarinalinjat läpi, mutta pakko siirtyä uusiin kirjastolainohin. 😌
December 1, 2021
There where more choices than I expected and also more endings. You really blow through this book so I might when I have time and forgot some things try to solve it even better
July 25, 2022
I received this as a gift. It was fun, but would be even more fun if done as part of a book club, with wine. :)
October 11, 2021
Oh my, this was so much fun, yet so frustrating! 😤
I literally read it FIVE times in quick succession but STILL didn't solve the murder....guess I'll stick to the day job as I'm not cut out for detective just yet 🤣
It's one of those books that has so many twists, turns & wild goose chases to lead you on. I loved the plotline & how cleverly written it was.
Is this the first in a line of Midsomer interactive reads?
Never watched an episode of Midsomer before, so this has piqued my interest to start watching old episodes.
At the back of the book you can check on your progress status. Here's mine
Read #1
Minor success, but murder case still open.
Read #2
Case unsolved, detective injured & expected to make recovery.
Read #3
Both dissapointing & dead.
Read #4
Still alive. Not much of an asset to the department.
Read #5
Case remains unsolved & little chance of that changing.
I literally read it FIVE times in quick succession but STILL didn't solve the murder....guess I'll stick to the day job as I'm not cut out for detective just yet 🤣
It's one of those books that has so many twists, turns & wild goose chases to lead you on. I loved the plotline & how cleverly written it was.
Is this the first in a line of Midsomer interactive reads?
Never watched an episode of Midsomer before, so this has piqued my interest to start watching old episodes.
At the back of the book you can check on your progress status. Here's mine
Read #1
Minor success, but murder case still open.
Read #2
Case unsolved, detective injured & expected to make recovery.
Read #3
Both dissapointing & dead.
Read #4
Still alive. Not much of an asset to the department.
Read #5
Case remains unsolved & little chance of that changing.
December 1, 2022
This CYOA book seemed like a fun idea, but kind of wasn't. There wasn't really a way to tell what decisions would lead to solving the mystery, and unlike with a real investigation, you only got limited time and limited opportunities to visit places/talk to suspects. After I failed a couple of times, I gave it up.
July 2, 2025
"If, as a child, you ever read the (CYOA books) and choose your adventure books, you will appreciate this one!
The first time through I died, two turns into the book. :\
The next attempt, I was allowed to survive, but I didn't find out who the killer was. :|
I'm going to use this book like a video game: keep trying until I survive AND catch the killer! :]"
The first time through I died, two turns into the book. :\
The next attempt, I was allowed to survive, but I didn't find out who the killer was. :|
I'm going to use this book like a video game: keep trying until I survive AND catch the killer! :]"
October 21, 2021
I love a bit of Midsomer Murders, although would definitely not want to live there, so was really keen to try out this all new interactive novel set in England's most dangerous county!
The story revolves around Midsomer's first Villages in Bloom competition, and begins on the eve before the event gets underway when Old Norton resident Peter James Maddock, one of the competitors, is found murdered in a most unusual way.
As the reader, you play the part of a new detective on the Midsomer police force and it's your job to direct the course of the investigation into Maddock's death. You do this by choosing different options at the end of each scene, depending on how you wish the case to proceed. The options include things like choosing to question a particular character, or examine a location linked to the crime, based on what you have discovered or your investigative hunches. Each decision you make takes you to a different numbered scene, sometimes forward in the book and sometimes back, until you have run out of available options and are directed to the relevant section at the end to find out how successful you have been in solving the case - there are various levels of success, and it is even possible to become a victim yourself, which is rather exciting.
Channelling my best John Nettles as Midsomer's DCI Tom Barnaby (my particular favourite), I took a stab as seeing if I had the detective skills to solve the murder of the mysterious Peter James Maddock in this rural hotbed of murderous mayhem myself, and I had a great time doing so. This book is such fun, and I found it really enjoyable deciding what sort of detective I wanted to be; who to question and when to question them; which locations to give the once over; and which leads to go with. It's very easy to follow the story through the book and highly entertaining choosing what to do next, even if you have never watched Midsomer Murders, but I think it helps if you have some sort of notion about how the Midsomer yarns typically play out. The characters are authentically Midsomer types too, with plenty of simmering spite, village gossip, and secrets to be discovered behind the twitching net curtains, which all adds to the charm.
So, how did I get on with the detecting lark? Am I destined for a career defending the thin blue line, a job confined to base making the tea, or did I end up six feet under? Drum roll, please... well I am happy to report that I did not do too badly at all. I did manage to find out the identity of the murderer, although was unable to charge them as they unfortunately died in the course of the investigation (oops), but I did close the case, with a few other lines of enquiry that needed following up. My recommended course of action was: 'Further training required, but a good candidate for future promotion', which I am pretty happy with for a first attempt, and I am looking forward to having another go to see if I can do better next time.
This is the kind of book that you can read lots of times - with 219 different scenes included and a myriad of paths to follow in undertaking your investigation. It's intriguing playing the investigating game on your own, and I think you could also play with a friend or two by discussing what you discover as you go along and hammering out theories about the whos, whys and wherefores of the case too.
If you are a fan of crime stories, especially cosy crime, you are bound to enjoy this book as much as I did - and should you have a loved one who is partial to these things then this would make an ideal gift for them. In any event, it is an absolute must for lovers of good old Midsomer Murders!
The story revolves around Midsomer's first Villages in Bloom competition, and begins on the eve before the event gets underway when Old Norton resident Peter James Maddock, one of the competitors, is found murdered in a most unusual way.
As the reader, you play the part of a new detective on the Midsomer police force and it's your job to direct the course of the investigation into Maddock's death. You do this by choosing different options at the end of each scene, depending on how you wish the case to proceed. The options include things like choosing to question a particular character, or examine a location linked to the crime, based on what you have discovered or your investigative hunches. Each decision you make takes you to a different numbered scene, sometimes forward in the book and sometimes back, until you have run out of available options and are directed to the relevant section at the end to find out how successful you have been in solving the case - there are various levels of success, and it is even possible to become a victim yourself, which is rather exciting.
Channelling my best John Nettles as Midsomer's DCI Tom Barnaby (my particular favourite), I took a stab as seeing if I had the detective skills to solve the murder of the mysterious Peter James Maddock in this rural hotbed of murderous mayhem myself, and I had a great time doing so. This book is such fun, and I found it really enjoyable deciding what sort of detective I wanted to be; who to question and when to question them; which locations to give the once over; and which leads to go with. It's very easy to follow the story through the book and highly entertaining choosing what to do next, even if you have never watched Midsomer Murders, but I think it helps if you have some sort of notion about how the Midsomer yarns typically play out. The characters are authentically Midsomer types too, with plenty of simmering spite, village gossip, and secrets to be discovered behind the twitching net curtains, which all adds to the charm.
So, how did I get on with the detecting lark? Am I destined for a career defending the thin blue line, a job confined to base making the tea, or did I end up six feet under? Drum roll, please... well I am happy to report that I did not do too badly at all. I did manage to find out the identity of the murderer, although was unable to charge them as they unfortunately died in the course of the investigation (oops), but I did close the case, with a few other lines of enquiry that needed following up. My recommended course of action was: 'Further training required, but a good candidate for future promotion', which I am pretty happy with for a first attempt, and I am looking forward to having another go to see if I can do better next time.
This is the kind of book that you can read lots of times - with 219 different scenes included and a myriad of paths to follow in undertaking your investigation. It's intriguing playing the investigating game on your own, and I think you could also play with a friend or two by discussing what you discover as you go along and hammering out theories about the whos, whys and wherefores of the case too.
If you are a fan of crime stories, especially cosy crime, you are bound to enjoy this book as much as I did - and should you have a loved one who is partial to these things then this would make an ideal gift for them. In any event, it is an absolute must for lovers of good old Midsomer Murders!
November 15, 2021
An interactive book that could remind you of children’s make your own adventure book, this one is definitely aimed at adults. Anyone with the vaguest knowledge of television will have heard of Midsomer Murders, now on series twenty two, which features a collection of English villages which are the scene of multiple murders, often in a single episode. All are investigated by either Detective Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby or subsequently by his younger cousin John Barnaby; after all, the series has been going on television since 1997 so only two DCIs and an impressive list of sergeants have had their day in searching out the motives from a host of hapless villagers, who have included many British actors over several generations. Rather than another book of photographs or guide book to the area, this book is more of a puzzle or a book to get involved in. It is usable by those of us who have seen many episodes many times, or those whose knowledge of the actual television version is sketchy. I tried it several times so far, and am very pleased to have had the opportunity to discover and review this book.
The basic idea of this book is to survive as a brand new detective in the area as you work through the various options that the book presents. Everyone begins with the same basic scenario; on your first day as a detective in the Midsomer area you are sent out to discover the circumstances of the unfortunate death of Peter James Maddock whose body has been found under a pile of homemade damson jam jars. This being Midsomer, the sun shines as a Villages in Bloom competition begins. At the end of two sections which describe the setting (beautiful villages, gorgeous gardens and a whole host of suspicious characters) you are asked to make a choice as to what to do next, and you flick over the pages to find a numbered section accordingly. Some feature largely bewildering interviews with village characters, some have you investigating the scene of possibly relevant developments. Not only are you looking for clues and motives, methods and possibilities, but also avoiding dangerous situations of sudden and unusual death yourself. Do not be concerned; like the television series there is definitely dark humour in each section and sometimes actual comedy in the unlikely events.
I really enjoyed attempting to navigate my way through this book. Being a huge fan of the series I recognised many references to episodes (lethal cheese, anyone?) though it would be possible to enjoy the book without knowing anything beyond accepting the rural scene. I could even visualize certain types of actors who would take the roles. There are a few pictures to break up the text, and they are also interesting. In these days of more time at home instead of actual socializing this book would undoubtedly be in the style of murder mystery gatherings, and could definitely be appreciated repeatedly as various choices can make for a successful detection of the guilty, or a very short experience as the becoming the latest victim of the mysterious murderer. This is a very well presented hardback with clear directions and well printed directions, and even space for notes in the back. This would make a lovely treat for oneself, or a intriguing gift for a murder mystery fan.
The basic idea of this book is to survive as a brand new detective in the area as you work through the various options that the book presents. Everyone begins with the same basic scenario; on your first day as a detective in the Midsomer area you are sent out to discover the circumstances of the unfortunate death of Peter James Maddock whose body has been found under a pile of homemade damson jam jars. This being Midsomer, the sun shines as a Villages in Bloom competition begins. At the end of two sections which describe the setting (beautiful villages, gorgeous gardens and a whole host of suspicious characters) you are asked to make a choice as to what to do next, and you flick over the pages to find a numbered section accordingly. Some feature largely bewildering interviews with village characters, some have you investigating the scene of possibly relevant developments. Not only are you looking for clues and motives, methods and possibilities, but also avoiding dangerous situations of sudden and unusual death yourself. Do not be concerned; like the television series there is definitely dark humour in each section and sometimes actual comedy in the unlikely events.
I really enjoyed attempting to navigate my way through this book. Being a huge fan of the series I recognised many references to episodes (lethal cheese, anyone?) though it would be possible to enjoy the book without knowing anything beyond accepting the rural scene. I could even visualize certain types of actors who would take the roles. There are a few pictures to break up the text, and they are also interesting. In these days of more time at home instead of actual socializing this book would undoubtedly be in the style of murder mystery gatherings, and could definitely be appreciated repeatedly as various choices can make for a successful detection of the guilty, or a very short experience as the becoming the latest victim of the mysterious murderer. This is a very well presented hardback with clear directions and well printed directions, and even space for notes in the back. This would make a lovely treat for oneself, or a intriguing gift for a murder mystery fan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews