Review: Let’s Play Murder by Kesia Lupo

 

If Agatha Christie wrote Ready Player One, it would probably read a lot like Kesia Lupo’s Let’s Play Murder. That’s not a criticism, it’s a compliment because like all great murder mysteries, it’s an impossible book to put down. The story follows Veronica who gets sucked into The Game – a virtual reality murder mystery puzzle – while playing with her sick kid brother. It’s now up to her to try to solve the mystery and win the cash prize while competing against four other players and her own past traumas. 

Written in a simple, stripped-back style, this book is highly readable with realistic, snappy dialogue, and teenage interactions so accurate I was brought back to my school days. With such great writing and the unique premise, it is unsurprising that this novel is gripping from the outset. Veronica’s character is complex, with a troubled past and plenty of secrets, which only adds to the pull of this story. Themes of bullying, grief, trauma, and violence are all addressed significantly and fearlessly. 

The only real weakness of this book is that it’s extremely dialogue heavy. There are many instances where simple exposition could have been used to progress the novel considerably instead of pages of sometimes mundane dialogue, particularly during the first half. Then again, the whole idea of this book is that it is meant to be an immersive virtual reality experience, and immersive is the perfect adjective for describing this novel. 

Mark Jackson