Hazell Ward

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The Game Is Murder

Penguin Shop: 3 Clothbound Classics for £33

A postmodern puzzler that dares to pull apart every trope in the book – literally

I thoroughly enjoyed The Game Is Murder. Strikingly original, but with nods to Golden Age crime, it's an ingenious story of constantly changing perspectives. Different, clever, and highly entertaining!

A remarkable, unique novel inspired by an infamous case that embraces experimental, postmodern and metafictional techniques

A mind-bending experiment in crime fiction, throwing light on one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth-century

You are invited to a very special murder mystery party. 
Thirteen guests have been gathered – rather, thirteen suspects. 
Only one of them is a murderer. 
And only you can find them. 
Your task is simple. Listen to the witnesses, examine the evidence, and solve the case. 
A word of warning, though. Be careful. Trust no one. In this story, all may not be as it seems... 
The ultimate murder mystery is yours to solve. 
Let the games begin.

PRE-ORDER NOW: THE MOST ORIGINAL, META MURDER MYSTERY OF 2025, PERFECT FOR FANS OF STUART TURTON, ANTHONY HOROWITZ AND AGATHA CHRISTIE! 
 
What if a Great Detective reinvestigated the most famous unsolved murder case of the century?What if that Great Detective was you?You are invited to a very special murder mystery party. Listen to the witnesess. Examine the evidence. Solve the case.Be careful. Trust no one. All may not be as it seems. If you agree to play the role of the Great Detective, you must provide a complete solution to the case. A simple verdict is not enough. We need to know who did, how they did it, and why.Are you ready? Can you solve the ultimate murder mystery – and catch a killer?A word or warning – unsolved mysteries are not permitted… 
Praise for THE GAME IS MURDER 
'A remarkable, unique novel inspired by an infamous case' Nicholas Royle'A mind-bending experiment in crime fiction, throwing light on one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth-century' Oliver Harris

What if a Great Detective reinvestigated the most famous unsolved case of the century? 
What if that Great Detective was you? 
 
You are invited to a very special murder mystery party. 
Thirteen guests have been gathered – rather, thirteen suspects. 
 
Amongst the key players, we have: the husband and boyfriend of the deceased (respectively), experts ranging from the pathologist to the lead investigator on the case, two singular gentlemen, and the valet who served them. 
 
But only one of them is a murderer. And only you can find them. 
 
Your task is simple. Listen to the witnesses, examine the evidence, and solve the case. 
Be careful. Trust no one. In this story, all may not be as it seems. 
 
The ultimate murder mystery is yours to solve. 
A word of warning, though – catch the killer, or face the consequences…

Hazell Ward spent years as an adult education teacher, before completing an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She enjoyed it so much, that she is now working for a PhD. She was shortlisted for the Margery Allingham Short Story Competition in 2021, and won the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2023 for her story, Cast A Long Shadow, published by Honno Press. 
 
She lives and works in Wrexham, Wales.

The Game Is Murder

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A postmodern puzzler that dares to pull apart every trope in the book – literally

I thoroughly enjoyed The Game Is Murder. Strikingly original, but with nods to Golden Age crime, it's an ingenious story of constantly changing perspectives. Different, clever, and highly entertaining!

A remarkable, unique novel inspired by an infamous case that embraces experimental, postmodern and metafictional techniques

A mind-bending experiment in crime fiction, throwing light on one of the most enduring mysteries of the twentieth-century

About Hazell Ward

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