SKU: 22369908103

The Murder Game : Play, Puzzles and the Golden Age by John Curran

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The Murder Game : Play, Puzzles and the Golden Age by John CurranFrom The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to Magpie Murders, and related diversions including cryptic crosswords and Cains Jawbone, The Murder Game examines the games authors played with their readers and the importance of puzzles in Golden Age whodunits. With books flourishing in the 1920s and 30s like never before, no genre was more innovative or popular than detective fiction. It was an era that saw the emergence of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John

From The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to Magpie Murders, and related diversions including cryptic crosswords and Cain’s Jawbone, The Murder Game examines the games authors played with their readers and the importance of puzzles in Golden Age whodunits.

With books flourishing in the 1920s and ’30s like never before, no genre was more innovative or popular than detective fiction. It was an era that saw the emergence of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen and dozens of other authors who became household names for a generation of readers.

The Golden Age of Detection has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest in recent years, with publishers mining back catalogues to bring the best of yesteryear to very receptive new audiences. What is it about a literary movement that took off in the 1920s that still appeals to book lovers in the 2020s?

In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue. At its heart is the ‘whodunit’ game between writer and reader, but there is also the game between detective and murderer, between publisher and book-buyer, even between the writers themselves.

Coinciding with an increase in leisure time and literacy, the Golden Age also saw the development of the crossword, the growth of bridge and Mahjong, the enduring popularity of jigsaws and the emergence of Cluedo – all activities requiring the ‘little grey cells’. The Murder Game considers all of these, and many other sporting and competitive recreations, helping to explain the reading public’s ongoing love affair with the Golden Age.

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Binding: Hardback,
Pagination: 480 pages
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SKU: 22369908103

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4.0 ★★★★★
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Ashley Morgan
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
ABSOLUTELY A MUST for Omegaverse Girls!!!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Jillian West and her books!!! I’m so happy I already bought book two and now I have to buy the others for the Assurance Security series!! Not gonna lie Val kind of annoyed me at the beginning but she grew on me!! Her men are chef’s kisses!!! Holt annoys me some but I can let it slide. I already bought part two so I’m going to be reading that in between work phone calls!!!! DON’T TELL MY BOSS 😂😂😂😂
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Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2025
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Carmen Alicea
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 4
Baby bumps and bodyguards
Format: Kindle
Dark, emotional, and unexpectedly tender, Not Ready is an omegaverse romance that delivers found family feels, fierce protectiveness, and a very pregnant heroine who refuses to break. Vale’s on the run from a stalker, but lands in the arms of three private security alphas, cue the swoony tension, fake marriage twist, and slow-burn heat. It’s a little gritty, a little soft, and a whole lot addictive. If you love protective alphas, high stakes, and heroines with quiet strength, this one’s a must-read.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2025
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Shianne Whipple
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Strong Omegaverse Comfort and a Attention Grabbing Plot
Format: Kindle
Jillian West never misses when it comes to Omegaverse, and Not Ready is no exception. This story was the perfect blend of cozy comfort and emotional depth while still delivering a strong plot. Vale is such a powerful heroine, she is strong, capable, and determined but I love that she still allows her pack to love and take care of her. It’s that balance of independence and vulnerability that makes her so relatable. The relationship dynamics were amazing: Bishop is steadfast and completely head over heels, Mercy is skeptical but protective in his own way, and Holt is the hesitant one whose slow fall is so satisfying to watch unfold. The romance hits that sweet spot between insta-love and cautious build, keeping me hooked the entire way through. And that ending. Oh my god, the cliffhanger! I need the next book in this duet immediately.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2025
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NLB
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
Interesting
Format: Kindle
So I will say I enjoyed the story, for sure had its moments where it dragged but it was a great story. I really liked that omegas picked their alphas/make the pack. Normally the Alphas make it and the omega fits in with them which is great but I enjoyed this new version where all the power basically went to the omega. It was a nice change of pace. I can admit some of the weird bedroom stuff with her being pregnant was odd, it’s really not hard to do stuff when pregnant (I know I’ve had two and it’s normal and even encouraged at the end especially if you want the baby out). But I like the story as a whole and will read the second, I do hope the next one isn’t dragged bc it stopped being action or tense after she met her alphas and I don’t think it was brought up or properly done when they tried to do it. More sweet after she left.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2024
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Altairjones
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 3
I’m a little disappointed.
Format: Kindle
I usually like Jillian West’s books but this one was missing a lot for me. The pregnancy didn’t come across as real. She’s on her feet for 12 hour days but is perfectly healthy at 8 months pregnant? Yet the week she moves in all of a sudden she’s not? She is planning on actually running during one of the plot buildups. But at 8 months pregnant that’s incredibly hard to do. The lack of breathing ability and lung space, the change in body center, mass, and gravity. All of it prohibits running, unless you’re an athlete this didn’t come off as at all realistic. I didn’t feel any connection with the alphas. There wasn’t any emotional connection. It could be because of the tense it was written in. But I didn’t get any deep feelings out of this. It came across as checking off boxes. Even the spicy scenes weren’t really believable for me. I wanted to see them fall for her, and it just kind of all fizzled. Even Bishop. One thing I did really like was the ending. I did not see it coming and I’m interested in reading book two because of it. But on the whole this book was mostly disappointing for me.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2024

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