Best puzzle books of 2026

Reading lists

13 of the best quiz and puzzle books for adults

You-play-detective

11 murder mysteries where you play detective

Can You Solve the Murder?

'Follow leads, find clues, and interrogate suspects in this intricately crafted page-turner!' G. T. Karber, author of Murdle 
 
Do YOU have what it takes to solve the crime in this interactive mystery? 
 
***A Top Ten Kindle Bestseller*** 
***A Waterstones Paperback of the Year*** 
 
You arrive at Elysium, a wellness retreat in an English country manor, to investigate a murder. You find the body of a local businessman on the lawn, with a rose placed in his mouth. 
 
When you examine the body, you learn that he fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can only be accessed through a locked door – and the key is missing. 
 
Everyone in Elysium is now a suspect, but who will you interview first? Be careful what you choose, because every decision you make has consequences, and some of them will prove fatal… 
 
Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder? 
 
Experience a gripping new type of story, unlike anything you’ve read before, from Antony Johnston, award-winning crime author and veteran games writer. 
 
Everyone is talking about Can You Solve the Murder? 
 
'Guys, this book was SO much fun! I had the best time playing detective and trying to figure out who the murderer was!' FIVE-STAR reader review @Laurajadeslibrary 
 
'This was amazing! I adored it.' FIVE-STAR reader review 
 
'Oh how I loved this book. Just brilliant!' FIVE-STAR reader review 
 
'A great gift for murder mystery fans' FIVE-STAR reader review 
 
'Keeps the genre fresh' FIVE-STAR reader review 
 
Top Ten Kindle Bestseller, July 2025

A superior interactive crime story is always a delight. Sharpen your wits: this clever, intricate book is a highly entertaining mental workout.

A wonderfully intriguing mystery that tests your powers of investigation! Follow leads, find clues, and interrogate suspects in this intricately crafted page-turner! Will you make the right calls and catch the culprit, or will they slip through your fingers?

G. T. Karber, bestselling author of Murdle

This is just glorious! An interactive crime novel where YOU sleuth-for-the-truth! After the first chapter, you’re in the driving seat of the investigation, by collecting clues and choosing which direction you want the story to go in… a must-read for any and all crime fans!

'Devilishly engaging! A meticulously crafted work of interactive fiction.'

Written with great gusto by Antony Johnston, the book makes use of a compelling second-person narration, allowing readers a certain amount of agency while enmeshing them in a world of colorful and suspicious characters such as Sgt. McAdam and the massage therapist Alina Martinescu. Can You Solve the Murder? also offers a neat bonus for savvy crime-solvers – a detective scoring system that awards keen “sleuthing skills” and diligent notetaking.

Antony Johnston’s pedigree in both crime novel and game writing coalesces delightfully here. Can You Solve the Murder allows you to become an amateur Poirot or Miss Marple without ever leaving the comfort of your favourite reading spot. It’s a smart take on the interactive novel formula that will delight crime lovers and gamers alike.

I really enjoyed it... a story that grabs you by the arm and drags you in ... because you're deciding what course to follow, you become much more invested in the unfolding story; this is a unique crime-reading experience.

This is a story for puzzle lovers everywhere – but only you can separate the real clues from the red herrings. It’s an unusual tale where you really are the detective, and just make sure you don’t accidentally die in the process. Antony Johnston masterfully guides you through.

Nostalgic, compulsive and totally addictive - Can You Solve The Murder? is a masterpiece of interactive storytelling. Prepare your little grey cells to be given a THOROUGH workout as Johnston serves up a delightful slice of puzzling fun.

Can You Solve The Murder? is cunning, clever and so, so compelling! I had the best time trying to beat the book and solve the murder. Filled with clues, codes and more than a few red herrings, it's the perfect read for any armchair detective.

If you're a fan of both puzzles and crime fiction...you're going to love this new interactive crime novel. (A) fiendish whodunit.

If you love a murder mystery and grew up reading choose-your-own adventure novels, then grab a copy of this brilliant book.

'Reinvents the traditional whodunnit. Slick, well-structed, and genuinely challenging. This is a fresh, fast-paced crime read where your brain does the heavy lifting - and that's what makes it so satisfying.'

Fiendishly clever and addictive, this book provides a great workout for the little grey cells.

Antony Johnston's imaginative flair and experience as a video game creator shines through every scene of Can You Solve the Murder? Move over Murdle, there's a new game afoot!

A stunning feat of masterful plotting, Johnston makes an intricate idea effortless to sail through. This is the perfect test of wits for readers who love to race the detective to the solution.

This interactive murder mystery is so much fun.

Can You Solve the Murder? is great fun, deviously clever and has a plot and characters that make you want to explore every avenue and possibility to discover the truth. Solving the murder after navigating puzzles, twists and turns and a string of red herrings was so satisfying – and now I want to dive back in and see what would happen if I chose a different path!

Combines the intrigue of fair-play detective fiction with the excitement of a Choose Your Own Adventure book in this entertaining whodunit...will delight armchair sleuths of all ages.

Antony Johnston's Can You Solve The Murder? is a beautifully crafted delight. Not only is it a thoroughly fiendish mystery, but also an intricate puzzle to challenge the over-confident amateur detective, with choices, red herrings, and unpredictable outcomes that will throw you off your case. It's put together with such precision that it's hard to believe anyone could pull off the feat of writing it.

Notebooks at the ready - a fiendish puzzle!

Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective and Losing Control

Antony Johnston is the multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, graphic novels, and comic series, including the popular Can You Solve the Murder? and Dog Sitter Detective murder mysteries. His graphic novel The Coldest City was made into the multi-million-dollar blockbuster movie Atomic Blonde. He is also a celebrated videogames writer, and is credited with many franchise-defining titles. Johnston is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in Lancashire.

ARE YOU READY TO BE A DETECTIVE? 
 
In this gripping interactive crime novel, at the end of every chapter, YOU choose what to do next… 
 
You arrive at Elysium, a wellness retreat in an English country manor, to investigate a murder. You find the body of a local businessman on the lawn, with a rose placed in his mouth. 
 
When you examine the body, you learn that he fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can only be accessed through a locked door – and the key is missing. 
 
Everyone in Elysium is now a suspect, but who will you interview first? Be careful what you choose, because every decision you make has consequences, and some of them will prove fatal… 
 
Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder? 
 
Experience a gripping new type of story, unlike anything you’ve read before, from Antony Johnston, award-winning crime author and veteran games writer. 
 
***Preorder Book 2: Can You Solve the Murder? - The Forest of Death***

Can You Solve the Murder 3

Get ready for a gripping interactive crime novel, where YOU are the detective. At the end of every chapter, YOU decide what to do next… 
 
A sleeper train full of suspects. 
You are travelling to Scotland when your train derails in the middle of the countryside. Then a shout rings out – a passenger has been murdered in their cabin. No help is coming, so it’s up to you to solve the crime. 
 
Nothing is as it seems. 
Inside the victim’s room, you find a series of cryptic messages written on cards, and a fire extinguisher that may or may not be the murder weapon. As you interview each passenger, your list of questions begins to grow. Whose story do you believe? Who do you think is lying? And which of them is capable of murder?

A wonderfully intriguing mystery that tests your powers of investigation!

This is just glorious! An interactive crime novel where YOU sleuth-for-the-truth!

A smart take on the interactive novel formula that will delight crime lovers and gamers alike.

A story that grabs you by the arm and drags you in … a unique crime-reading experience.

Antony Johnston

'Clever, intricate ... highly entertaining

'A wonderfully intriguing mystery that tests your powers of investigation!'

'This is just glorious! An interactive crime novel where YOU sleuth-for-the-truth!'

‘A smart take on the interactive novel formula that will delight crime lovers and gamers alike'

‘A story that grabs you by the arm and drags you in … a unique crime-reading experience’

‘A story for puzzle lovers everywhere’

In this gripping interactive crime novel, YOU are the detective. At the end of every chapter, YOU decide what to do next… 
 
A village of secrets. 
You arrive at the heart of a remote forest to investigate the murder of a young woman, found dead inside an ancient stone circle. She’s a rock singer, who was filming a music video. Now her bandmates are suspects, along with the eccentric locals. 
 
No one is telling the truth. 
There’s just one problem: they all have water-tight alibis, and many villagers believe the singer was actually killed by the ‘Stone Warden’ – a figure from local folklore who haunts the forest. 
 
Only YOU can solve the mystery. 
Decide who to interview, decode the strange symbols written on the stone circle, and uncover what the villagers are hiding behind closed doors. Will your choices catch the killer – or will they be your downfall? 
 
Can You Solve the Murder? was a Top Ten Kindle Bestseller, July 2025

Antony Johnston

Books by Antony Johnston

Series by Antony Johnston

Can You Solve the Murder?

Articles featuring Antony Johnston

13 of the best quiz and puzzle books for adults

11 murder mysteries where you play detective

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