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Twelve Motives for Murder
Immerse yourself in TWELVE MOTIVES FOR MURDER, perfect for fans of KNIVES OUT and Agatha Christie.
TWELVE SUSPECTS. TWELVE INTERVIEWS.
TWELVE MOTIVES FOR MURDER . . .
This Christmas, sit back and become a real armchair detective.
A murder mystery told entirely through interviews.
Private Investigator Elizabeth Chalice needs YOU to help her solve this case.
It’s a beautiful Christmas day in Como, and the Caswell-Jones family are celebrating with their nearest and dearest in their Villa Janus. Merriment and limoncello abound . . .
That is, until Jonty Caswell-Jones is found dead in his study. With no staff today, the only suspects are the guests and the family. Under the surface, tensions have been brewing, guests seething, and rivalries have reared their ugly head . . .
Jonty’s wife, Catherine, knows there’s a killer among them so she calls her acquaintance, Elizabeth Chalice, to investigate. She wants to keep this firmly within the family if she can. No one else must know.
As each suspect is interviewed in turn, Elizabeth must work out who killed Jonty and why. And is anyone else in danger? But with twelve suspects each with their own very clear motive, anything is possible . . .
TWELVE SUSPECTS. TWELVE INTERVIEWS.
TWELVE MOTIVES FOR MURDER . . .
This Christmas, sit back and become a real armchair detective.
A murder mystery told entirely through interviews.
Private Investigator Elizabeth Chalice needs YOU to help her solve this case.
It’s a beautiful Christmas day in Como, and the Caswell-Jones family are celebrating with their nearest and dearest in their Villa Janus. Merriment and limoncello abound . . .
That is, until Jonty Caswell-Jones is found dead in his study. With no staff today, the only suspects are the guests and the family. Under the surface, tensions have been brewing, guests seething, and rivalries have reared their ugly head . . .
Jonty’s wife, Catherine, knows there’s a killer among them so she calls her acquaintance, Elizabeth Chalice, to investigate. She wants to keep this firmly within the family if she can. No one else must know.
As each suspect is interviewed in turn, Elizabeth must work out who killed Jonty and why. And is anyone else in danger? But with twelve suspects each with their own very clear motive, anything is possible . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2020
44 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 7, 2021
This was another read/listen for me and I have to say that I did prefer my time listening more than reading. Maybe it was cos I started off that way, not sure but the narrators managed to bring the story to life more than when I was just reading from the page. Oh and for those listening - it's Villa Janus... please don't mishear it like I did for the first hour or so...
So... Elizabeth Chalice, private investigator, is called to the Villa by the Caswell-Jones family when Jonty is found dead. The police don't suspect anything untoward but Catherine, his wife, does and turns to old friend Elizabeth, to find the truth.
And so begins the questioning of the 12 suspects. Family and friends - there's a few of them around as they were in the middle of their Christmas celebrations. It's an old fashioned murder mystery set in a big house, being solved by a private detective, You know the genre - Poirot, Marple, that kind of thing. Each chapter concentrates on one of the suspects with Elizabeth both interrogating them and also talking direct to the reader/listener some asides.
I found this way of story telling very effective. Well, until we got towards the end when I found out that Elizabeth was being a bit more than economical with some of the truths along the way. Maybe if it was just a narrator in a book doing that, as what happens in pretty much every other book of this genre - secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour - but when she has appeared to have gone out of her way to bond with the reader/listener as well as ask for their assistance... well... maybe I'm being harsh but I did feel a tad cheated.
Apart from that, the story gets on with itself well, plays out as expected as suspects are ruled in and out along the way, all leading to a denouement that, aside from what I have already said, did make complete sense and did eventually satisfy.
It is a long book but it doesn't feel like it is dragged out. Yes there are a few things that could possibly be trimmed back but, on the whole, it didn't feel as long as it was.
All in all, a good solid read/listen - a better listen - that I don't mind recommending to fans of the genre. We'll have to see what dish she serves up for next time.
So... Elizabeth Chalice, private investigator, is called to the Villa by the Caswell-Jones family when Jonty is found dead. The police don't suspect anything untoward but Catherine, his wife, does and turns to old friend Elizabeth, to find the truth.
And so begins the questioning of the 12 suspects. Family and friends - there's a few of them around as they were in the middle of their Christmas celebrations. It's an old fashioned murder mystery set in a big house, being solved by a private detective, You know the genre - Poirot, Marple, that kind of thing. Each chapter concentrates on one of the suspects with Elizabeth both interrogating them and also talking direct to the reader/listener some asides.
I found this way of story telling very effective. Well, until we got towards the end when I found out that Elizabeth was being a bit more than economical with some of the truths along the way. Maybe if it was just a narrator in a book doing that, as what happens in pretty much every other book of this genre - secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour - but when she has appeared to have gone out of her way to bond with the reader/listener as well as ask for their assistance... well... maybe I'm being harsh but I did feel a tad cheated.
Apart from that, the story gets on with itself well, plays out as expected as suspects are ruled in and out along the way, all leading to a denouement that, aside from what I have already said, did make complete sense and did eventually satisfy.
It is a long book but it doesn't feel like it is dragged out. Yes there are a few things that could possibly be trimmed back but, on the whole, it didn't feel as long as it was.
All in all, a good solid read/listen - a better listen - that I don't mind recommending to fans of the genre. We'll have to see what dish she serves up for next time.
January 31, 2025
I listened to this which I think was the point. But I found the additional talking to the listener, muffled sounds of talking and background noise really off putting and added nothing.
Wasn’t a massive fan of this and the plot was a little thin with things that I’ve read and seen before as twists.
Wasn’t a massive fan of this and the plot was a little thin with things that I’ve read and seen before as twists.
May 16, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
This is going to be a controversial read. The plot is a bog standard country house murder, rich people getting offed at the dinner table kind of deal. But the format is very different. You, The Listener (in the audiobook at least) are a character in the story. The main detective, Elizabeth, frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to you. It's like a mashup of Blue's Clues, a murder-mystery party, and those old Nancy Drew point and click games for PC. I wasn't sure at first but it was honestly a lot of a fun once I got into it. It helped that the audiobook is more like a radio play, with a full voice acting cast and some great atmospheric music and background sound effects.
The downfall of this book is that the writing isn't clever enough to sustain a good mystery. It committed the cardinal sin of whodunnits by withholding information until the final reveal. I, The Listener, can hardly be co-detective if I don't get all the same clues as Elizabeth. And when stories need to do that to keep up the intrigue... well, it means the mystery wasn't that well-crafted to begin with.
This is going to be a controversial read. The plot is a bog standard country house murder, rich people getting offed at the dinner table kind of deal. But the format is very different. You, The Listener (in the audiobook at least) are a character in the story. The main detective, Elizabeth, frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to you. It's like a mashup of Blue's Clues, a murder-mystery party, and those old Nancy Drew point and click games for PC. I wasn't sure at first but it was honestly a lot of a fun once I got into it. It helped that the audiobook is more like a radio play, with a full voice acting cast and some great atmospheric music and background sound effects.
The downfall of this book is that the writing isn't clever enough to sustain a good mystery. It committed the cardinal sin of whodunnits by withholding information until the final reveal. I, The Listener, can hardly be co-detective if I don't get all the same clues as Elizabeth. And when stories need to do that to keep up the intrigue... well, it means the mystery wasn't that well-crafted to begin with.
December 28, 2021
Worst murder mystery story I ever encountered regardless of medium, be it novel, movie or videogame. The final reveals, who and why, are not even remotely interesting. I never even once felt surprised throughout.
Every other murder mystery story I had encountered had nice surprises/twists, and final reveals are mostly satisfying/twisty. 12 motives for Murder, I wish I hadn’t read it.
Also, the format (mostly dialogue) just doesn’t work, at least for this story. It requires a very good story and even better writer to pull it off.
Every other murder mystery story I had encountered had nice surprises/twists, and final reveals are mostly satisfying/twisty. 12 motives for Murder, I wish I hadn’t read it.
Also, the format (mostly dialogue) just doesn’t work, at least for this story. It requires a very good story and even better writer to pull it off.
November 30, 2024
Whilst I could see what the author was trying to do with the strange format, it just didn't work for me. The storyline was good but I just felt it lacking something.
January 12, 2024
3.25 starzzzz
The layout was fun because you could guess who killed Jonty on your own. 🔪 Kinda guessed who it was from the start 💪
Alright iggg
The layout was fun because you could guess who killed Jonty on your own. 🔪 Kinda guessed who it was from the start 💪
Alright iggg
December 28, 2021
A really interesting way of writing a crime novel. It too me a while to get into it but it had me gripped. Like all good crime fiction (good for me I mean) I guessed some things but not others. Will definitely read more of Fiona’s books
January 3, 2025
Maybe this was just too complex for my small brain but I kept getting lost on what was going on. There were too many characters to keep track of (and yes I was making notes) and their relationships with each other were to entangled it became super confusing. For that reason it took me way too long to finish as I just kept not wanting to pick it up.
It wasn’t an awful book I just don’t think this style of murder mystery is for me.
It wasn’t an awful book I just don’t think this style of murder mystery is for me.
April 7, 2024
Quite fun and a bit different, a bit like an extended game of Murdle! Each of the 12 suspects has their own section and you gradually build up a picture of what happened through the interviews with the engaging detective, Elizabeth.
Tongue in cheek but not sure that I totally bought the period setting at all times.
Tongue in cheek but not sure that I totally bought the period setting at all times.
January 10, 2022
An interesting format and presentation, with the story narrator speaking to the audience and interviewing each of the twelve suspects. Complete with various readers and sound effects.
July 31, 2022
Opzich wel een leuk boek, maar de plottwist op het einde kwam heel onverwachts (en niet op een goede manier). Ze hadden wel meer uit dit boek kunnen halen. Ook kreeg ik door de "what do you think?/reader, what is your opinion?" Vragen een Dora vibe 😂 ik had wel de moordenaar goed geraden yeah
February 27, 2023
Wonderful
March 31, 2023
4.5⭐️
February 2, 2025
3 stars.
Didn't get along with this one as much as I thought I would from the blurb and concept, can't quite put a finger on why. I liked how the scene was set out at the very beginning, with an introduction to each of the characters and how they related to one another, and it was very clear from this point that it would be a pretty complicated case as everyone seemed to have a reason to want to kill.
But somehow the lack of a single likeable character got to me at one point, and
Didn't get along with this one as much as I thought I would from the blurb and concept, can't quite put a finger on why. I liked how the scene was set out at the very beginning, with an introduction to each of the characters and how they related to one another, and it was very clear from this point that it would be a pretty complicated case as everyone seemed to have a reason to want to kill.
But somehow the lack of a single likeable character got to me at one point, and
December 15, 2023
3.5 stars. This was... odd. Not bad, just... less a novel than a game. I didn't hate it, but it also wasn't as engaging as one might hope. It definitely feels like you need to get the audiobook AND the digital version (although they're priced well enough that it's not terribly expensive to get both) for the full experience. Having the text is very useful to keeping everyone separate, but the full-cast audio is extremely well done.
It does scratch that Knives Out/Agatha Christie itch, but it likely won't feel as satisfying as either of those.
It does scratch that Knives Out/Agatha Christie itch, but it likely won't feel as satisfying as either of those.
January 12, 2021
I was looking forward to this book. The concept was good, but the execution was poor in my opinion. The characters were all awful, especially the narrator that by the end I was bored of all their reasons anyway. Not for me.
May 30, 2022
I read this as a physical book but I do think it probably would have been a better experience as an audiobook so that is my bad. That being said I do enjoy a book written in interview or script formats because I find them to be quite easy to read but also quite compelling. I picked this up because I find murder mysteries to be very interesting stories and I liked the cover and the format.
As for the story itself, it was…okay. Like I did not fall in love with it and I found the writing style of the narrator talking to the audience to be quite awkward (again maybe it was better in audiobook). Elizabeth, the main character, annoyed me most of the time and to be honest was not that great of a detective. I have no idea how she managed to figure it all out in the end because up until that moment girlie was lost and confused. I know that happens alot in murder mysteries but it was just done really badly here in my opinion.
Also there was just too much intermingling going around here. Like one cheating plot or forbidden love plot is fine but nearly every character was involved in one or the other and I was just not convinced by any of the realtionships in this. I understand with this format and genre of story it can be hard to develop the relationships and romance but gosh like why should I care about any of these relationships and their drama? I spent the whole start of the book just thinking “yeah that character is gay, oh that other character is definitely gay” and you know what? spoilers but some of them were gay (not the ones I initially suspected but they were definitely on the list at some point). One thing I hated was the underage daughter being in a relationship with someone older very icky.
I finished the book quickly enough so something was keeping me going. I don’t think it was bad because it is definitely a solid 3 stars. Like as far as mysteries go it was fine. I was more interested in some of the secrets people were keeping (until it was revealed they were just cheating or something because thats such an easy cop out, especially in this book as I have already noted) than the actual murder investigation.
As for the story itself, it was…okay. Like I did not fall in love with it and I found the writing style of the narrator talking to the audience to be quite awkward (again maybe it was better in audiobook). Elizabeth, the main character, annoyed me most of the time and to be honest was not that great of a detective. I have no idea how she managed to figure it all out in the end because up until that moment girlie was lost and confused. I know that happens alot in murder mysteries but it was just done really badly here in my opinion.
Also there was just too much intermingling going around here. Like one cheating plot or forbidden love plot is fine but nearly every character was involved in one or the other and I was just not convinced by any of the realtionships in this. I understand with this format and genre of story it can be hard to develop the relationships and romance but gosh like why should I care about any of these relationships and their drama? I spent the whole start of the book just thinking “yeah that character is gay, oh that other character is definitely gay” and you know what? spoilers but some of them were gay (not the ones I initially suspected but they were definitely on the list at some point). One thing I hated was the underage daughter being in a relationship with someone older very icky.
I finished the book quickly enough so something was keeping me going. I don’t think it was bad because it is definitely a solid 3 stars. Like as far as mysteries go it was fine. I was more interested in some of the secrets people were keeping (until it was revealed they were just cheating or something because thats such an easy cop out, especially in this book as I have already noted) than the actual murder investigation.
December 30, 2024
Twelve Motives for Murder by Fiona Sherlock - OK at best
The next of my own bookish advent calendar (*)
Not quite sure what to make of this. The story is quite interesting, a family Christmas on Lake Como with various partners and friends included. A sudden death, maybe murder, on Christmas Day. The lady of the house contacts an estranged friend who is also a private investigator. She rushes to the house and finds 12 suspects with 12 motives. All pretty much as you would expect for this sort of book.
Now, the format. Written as if the investigator is talking to the reader. Lots of asides, if it was a play you would say it broke the 4th wall. In fact it's written like a script for an audio book. There are no conversations as such, just the characters name and then what they said. Vaguely reminiscent of some of Janice Hallett's books but, unlike those, this didn't work for me. I found it really distracting and I couldn't follow who was doing what or who was talking to who. By the end I didn't care 'whodonit' although it was all wrapped up satisfactorily.
It may well suit another reader and would definitely work as an audio book (I think it actually came with a link to one) but it wasn't for me.
(*) every year I collect interesting looking Christmas themed books, wrap them up and then pick them at random during December. I never know what I'm going to get and I have some sweet treats wrapped for non-book days. Works for me!
#review
The next of my own bookish advent calendar (*)
Not quite sure what to make of this. The story is quite interesting, a family Christmas on Lake Como with various partners and friends included. A sudden death, maybe murder, on Christmas Day. The lady of the house contacts an estranged friend who is also a private investigator. She rushes to the house and finds 12 suspects with 12 motives. All pretty much as you would expect for this sort of book.
Now, the format. Written as if the investigator is talking to the reader. Lots of asides, if it was a play you would say it broke the 4th wall. In fact it's written like a script for an audio book. There are no conversations as such, just the characters name and then what they said. Vaguely reminiscent of some of Janice Hallett's books but, unlike those, this didn't work for me. I found it really distracting and I couldn't follow who was doing what or who was talking to who. By the end I didn't care 'whodonit' although it was all wrapped up satisfactorily.
It may well suit another reader and would definitely work as an audio book (I think it actually came with a link to one) but it wasn't for me.
(*) every year I collect interesting looking Christmas themed books, wrap them up and then pick them at random during December. I never know what I'm going to get and I have some sweet treats wrapped for non-book days. Works for me!
#review
February 15, 2022
I have been plagued recently with mediocre reads. Twelve Motives for Murder is your typical whodunit murder mystery and I knew it full well going into it. Just because it's typical, doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable.
What has drawn me in was the format of this book - it's written as a play. It's definitely a nice and unusual way to frame this kind of a story. We follow a main character, an investigator, who is called to a wealthy family's home on Christmas to uncover a murderer, after the head of the family was found dead in his office.
Told in a series of interviews, with the main character addressing the reader and therefore breaking the fourth wall, it is quite a unique read, but sadly the characters and mystery itself didn't work for me at all. I found them all to be quite insufferable and the "mystery" unconvincing and rather forced. I flew through the book, sure, because the format was very easy to read, but it is not a book that will stay with me for a while.
What has drawn me in was the format of this book - it's written as a play. It's definitely a nice and unusual way to frame this kind of a story. We follow a main character, an investigator, who is called to a wealthy family's home on Christmas to uncover a murderer, after the head of the family was found dead in his office.
Told in a series of interviews, with the main character addressing the reader and therefore breaking the fourth wall, it is quite a unique read, but sadly the characters and mystery itself didn't work for me at all. I found them all to be quite insufferable and the "mystery" unconvincing and rather forced. I flew through the book, sure, because the format was very easy to read, but it is not a book that will stay with me for a while.
January 9, 2025
What an unusual choice narrative.
The story was okay once you get used to the way it's written (took me about 30 pages to get into it). However I absolutely disliked the way the case unraveled at the end. The narrator asked you to keep a pen and paper ready for taking notes so you can have an immersive experience figuring out the puzzle on your own BUT she keeps some pieces of information to herself for the reveal. The reason she gives for holding back the information is because she had to hold something for the end! Then she says 'perhaps you figured it out for yourself?'. Huh? That's some lazy writing, if you keep evidence from the reader, how is the reader supposed to figure out the killer by themselves? That made me instantly drop the rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.
The story was okay once you get used to the way it's written (took me about 30 pages to get into it). However I absolutely disliked the way the case unraveled at the end. The narrator asked you to keep a pen and paper ready for taking notes so you can have an immersive experience figuring out the puzzle on your own BUT she keeps some pieces of information to herself for the reveal. The reason she gives for holding back the information is because she had to hold something for the end! Then she says 'perhaps you figured it out for yourself?'. Huh? That's some lazy writing, if you keep evidence from the reader, how is the reader supposed to figure out the killer by themselves? That made me instantly drop the rating from 3 stars to 2 stars.
July 28, 2025
Did Not Finish.
Firstly, I didn't care much for the meet the characters section at the beginning of the book and it felt strange for the characters to then address the reader as they did in the meet the suspect section, however I can understand why it was done. It seems that the authors intention was to invite the reader to also be part detective alongside Elizabeth, nice concept, but it just didn't work for me.
The whole book appears to be made up of interviews with the suspects / witnesses and Elizabeths written account of things. I didn't get very far so I'm not sure if this was the format for every single part of the book, but I found it incredibly boring and I had very little motivation to continue reading.
Firstly, I didn't care much for the meet the characters section at the beginning of the book and it felt strange for the characters to then address the reader as they did in the meet the suspect section, however I can understand why it was done. It seems that the authors intention was to invite the reader to also be part detective alongside Elizabeth, nice concept, but it just didn't work for me.
The whole book appears to be made up of interviews with the suspects / witnesses and Elizabeths written account of things. I didn't get very far so I'm not sure if this was the format for every single part of the book, but I found it incredibly boring and I had very little motivation to continue reading.
September 4, 2023
This is a strange one.
The book starts slowly and one-by-one all of the usual Agatha Christie tropes are trotted out. Inheritances - check, gambling - check, opioids - check, allowances - check. Even the characters themselves seems to be amalgams of various tropes we've seen countless times. What keeps it interesting is the writing perspective. Elizabeth Chalice, our detective, continually talks to the reader while the text is presenting in the style of a screenplay.
Eventually about half way through the pace picks up and although the array of (somewhat unoriginal) reveals are confusing, I really wanted to read to the end.
Also, I did love Elizabeth Chalice.
The book starts slowly and one-by-one all of the usual Agatha Christie tropes are trotted out. Inheritances - check, gambling - check, opioids - check, allowances - check. Even the characters themselves seems to be amalgams of various tropes we've seen countless times. What keeps it interesting is the writing perspective. Elizabeth Chalice, our detective, continually talks to the reader while the text is presenting in the style of a screenplay.
Eventually about half way through the pace picks up and although the array of (somewhat unoriginal) reveals are confusing, I really wanted to read to the end.
Also, I did love Elizabeth Chalice.
January 8, 2024
This didn’t take me long to finish and it’s not an unreadable book. I spent my time reading and listening along at the same time, which I kind of wish I hadn’t of done now. Some of the audio book didn’t match to the text of the book so I had to keep skipping and finding where the audio book ended up, even though this was only for maybe a few sentences or words, it was very frustrating. There was also a lot going on but at the same time not much at all. Maybe my thoughts would have been different if I just read the book on its own.
February 11, 2024
I think this concept and plot is good, though when reading it, I found it hard to follow and feel like finishing it. The almost script like setting of the book can work but I don’t think it works in this instance. The characters were all vile and horrible, and the investigator is well so appalling and just useless. I have to admit that I found this a bit bland and boring. It’s taken me too long to read this and get it finished. But I will admit it’s an intriguing idea if it had been written better.
July 13, 2021
This was an fun ride.
It's essentially a hard boiled murder mystery with a big cast of characters told via interviews. I listened to the audio version, which I would recommend as the cast brought the story to life.
I had no idea who the killer was until the end, and I fell in love with Elizabeth, our detective, who was an engaging, flawed and stellar main character. It hints at sequels, so I look forward to the book 2
It's essentially a hard boiled murder mystery with a big cast of characters told via interviews. I listened to the audio version, which I would recommend as the cast brought the story to life.
I had no idea who the killer was until the end, and I fell in love with Elizabeth, our detective, who was an engaging, flawed and stellar main character. It hints at sequels, so I look forward to the book 2
January 17, 2022
Interesting concept for a Murder Mystery Novel.
The script dialogue style kept it fast paced however there were parts of the plot that dragged and characters that were irrelevant fillers to the story. Not all the loose ends were tied up at the end and I believe the author forgot about a few of the red herrings peppered throughout the book which made the ending less convincing. Overall it was good fun and an easy read.
The script dialogue style kept it fast paced however there were parts of the plot that dragged and characters that were irrelevant fillers to the story. Not all the loose ends were tied up at the end and I believe the author forgot about a few of the red herrings peppered throughout the book which made the ending less convincing. Overall it was good fun and an easy read.
November 16, 2025
2025/34. Ending—spoilers!
March 13, 2021
Really enjoyed this book. A great array of characters and an exotic setting made it a great escapist read, just what I was looking for. Elizabeth Chalice is a a refreshingly unusual detective with a hint of mischief about her that I really enjoyed. Looking forward to seeing what scrapes she gets into next!
January 9, 2022
Actual score: 1,5. On the plus side, it's easy to read and I did enjoy the format IN THEORY. Added half a star for the bonus story in the end leaving me flummoxed. That rarely. However, all the characters were supremely annoying, especially the narrator, and I was utterly unimpressed by and disinterested in anything that happened.
December 26, 2022
Beyond boring. I kept reading hoping it would be worth it but is absolutely was not. The storyline was very flat and uneventful. It dragged on and on. I found it so awkward when Elizabeth spoke to herself and the reader as an aside. Also, there are typos in the book which is never a good sign. Do not bother with this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews