by Jilly Gagnon
Overall: A solid whodunit set in an isolated hotel in the present day. Becca is expecting a fun 20s-themed weekend and an opportunity to reconnect with her husband Blake after recent tensions in their marriage. It turns out he’s actually signed them up for an immersive murder mystery experience, supposedly as a surprise because he knows how much she loves mysteries. However, no one participating – whether staff member or paying guest – is quite what they seem. And when one of the players goes missing, Becca takes it upon herself to try to figure out whether it’s just a coincidence or something more sinister.
Likes: The setting is fun, and Becca and Blake are well-developed characters. Anyone who has been to an immersive theater experience, especially one with a murder mystery theme, will recognize the awkward moments of participating with strangers and the hammy bits (especially the ridiculous fake names). The conclusion of the mystery is satisfying.
Dislikes: I had a hard time keeping the other characters and their alter egos in the game straight; it would have helped me to have a “cast list” with all the names listed. I also wished the reader had gotten all the clues to the 1920s game so that you could try to solve that puzzle yourself as well.
FYI: marital infidelity, disappearance.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and #Netgalley for my advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Liz Helfrich 