The Murder Game
By Linda Suzane
Reviews, Interviews, and Readers Comments
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Attention Mystery Lovers and Romance Readers! This is a tale for you. A lovely balance of both mystery and romance should appeal to a wide audience. Easy to read, provides great entertainment. You won't want to put it down until the end.
Murder is a game, usually played by a killer, victim, witnesses, and the law. But Gwen had turned it into a parlor game, a replacement for charades, for those party-givers who want something out of the ordinary. She has a reputation for realism in her games, but this latest game is much more, it brings murder to life. Follow the winding trail as she and the victim's son try to solve the murder.
Set in an isolated mansion in California complete with a nasty storm that cuts them off from the outside, this tale will keep you hooked. The author has constructed a compelling plot and intriguing characters. Reminescent of Agatha Christie, this story manages to give the reader a fresh look at an old subject, complete with twists and turns in the plot. Look out for red herrings.
I highly recommend this as a fun read and wait to see what the talented author's next offering will be.
Review by Anne K. Edwards, author of "Death Comes Knocking," http://www.rfiwest.com
Reviewing for eBook Reviews Weekly
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Gwen Wilson murders people for a living. Don't worry, she does it the
perfectly legal way - she's the author of mystery books and murder mystery
games. With these accomplishments under her belt, she is the perfect
choice to create a murder mystery for wealthy businessman Lawrence Van
Hise's seventieth birthday party. Lawrence's only stipulations are that
Gwen keep him up-to-date on the game, and that he will be the murder
victim.
At first, Gwen doesn't suspect anything untoward in Lawrence's requests
- after all, who hasn't dealt with a demanding client? But after Lawrence
demands Gwen include a housekeeper in the story, based upon his
housekeeper who stole from him years ago, Gwen's plotting mind starts
digging behind the scenes. Her mother was the housekeeper, and Gwen
vehemently believes her mother was framed in the robbery and is resolved
to discover the truth. As she is attempting to solve the mystery of the
robbery, she uncovers new evidence in her mother's death, which occurred
only months after the so-called robbery and departure from Van Hise's
house.
Believing that Lawrence doesn't know that she was once Taffy, the
housekeeper's daughter, Gwen continues planning his murder, and trying to
fight her attraction to his son, Hunter. As a young girl in the house,
Gwen had a crush on Hunter, three years her senior. As a widowed adult
woman, Gwen is still drawn to this enigmatic man. Hunter is returning
Gwen's impassioned glances and their relationship develops as Gwen
confides in him her thoughts about her mother's death. Hunter promises to
help Gwen in her search for the truth, and asks that she not upset his
father until after his birthday. Reluctantly agreeing, Gwen proceeds with
the game and the two enjoy a deepening desire for each other.
On the night of Lawrence's birthday party, all goes according to plan -
until Lawrence ends up dead. With the majority of the suspicion being cast
upon Gwen, our leading couple struggles to prove her innocence and
discover the identity of the real killer.
THE MURDER GAME is an enjoyable reading experience, once you move past
the somewhat choppy sentences in the first half of the book. The pace
rapidly accelerates in the last half of the novel, as Suzane hits her
stride and this reader felt more of a connection with the characters. The
story is a little predicable in places, but also contains enough twists
and turns to make the reader dizzy.
The emotional connection between Gwen and Hunter seemed, at times,
almost a tangible entity, which displays Suzane's gift for breathing life
into her characters. The character's sexual chemistry was a nice blend,
but Suzane deprives her readers of any actual fulfillment - she leads up
to a romantic encounter and then immediately skips ahead to after the act.
A fast-paced who-done-it that will leave you anticipating the next
scene, THE MURDER GAME delivers mystery with a splash of romance.
-- Julie Shininger
January 28, 2002
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One writing expert suggested including a review as part of the press
kit so I wrote a review of my own book under my real name.
Gwen Wilson returns to the Van Hise mansion on the flanks of Mt. Tamaplais
where her mother once worked as a housekeeper to create a murder mystery game
for Lawrence Van Hise’s seventieth birthday. Before she can explain to
Lawrence who she is, he tells her the story of a housekeeper who stole a jade
statue and suggests using it as part of the game. Gwen learns the housekeeper
was her mother and finds herself wanting to prove her mother innocent.
When Lawrence’s son, Hunter, makes it clear he disapproves of the idea of
the murder mystery game, Gwen is hurt and angry. Long ago, a thirteen-year-old
Gwen had a terrible crush on Lawrence’s handsome sixteen-year-old son, who
barely noticed her. Now that little girl inside Gwen is devastated when he
disapproves of her and later exalted when he asks her out for a date. Though the
adult in her warns her to be careful, the long denied child wants to live out
her childhood fantasy and finds his kisses even more exciting that she ever
imagined.
As Gwen works on the game, her search for the truth about her mother uncovers
long buried secrets about her mother’s death and her relationship with
Lawrence. When she tells Hunter, he is torn between wanting to help Gwen find
the truth and protecting his father, for Hunter’s own search for an
explanation for his father’s uncharacteristic behavior has revealed that
Lawrence is dying.
Though she is sure it will destroy any chance she has for a relationship with
Hunter, Gwen decides to use the murder mystery game to discover the truth about
her mother. The night of the party, just as the game begins, Lawrence is found
dead and it is clear someone is trying to frame Gwen for the murder. She must
use all her skills as a mystery game designer and writer to discover the
murderer and finally learn the whole truth.
The Murder Game is a complex story. A romance yes, but on a rather
mature level, dealing with complicated issues such as how one that deals with
grief and anger, childhood trauma and childhood fantasies, and our broken
illusions. Past and present mysteries combine to make for a rich brew that take
it beyond the typical lonely isolated mansion, a group of people stranded by the
storm, and the specter of a murderer haunting the night. The revelation of the
murderer and the solution to all the mysteries is immensely satisfying and
surprising.
Linda Suzane has used her own skill at creating murder mystery games to give
us an in-depth look into the creative process that goes on in the mind of a
mystery writer as she takes us behind the scenes to create her mystery game and
solve a murder. It makes for very interesting reading.
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Widowed Gwen Wilson is hired to return to the home where she lived for a
time as a young teen. Gwen’s mother was the housekeeper for divorced
Lawrence Van Hise and his teen aged son Hunter. Mystery writer Wilson is a
scriptwriter, novelist and producer of mystery murder weekends. She is
sure neither Van Hise Sr or his son recognize who she is. As the week
prior to the party unfolds Gwen gets her murder constructed, props set in
place and begins to learn that all is not quite as simple as had first
appeared. When Van Hise Sr is murdered Gwen is horrified to realize that
she has been set up as the murderer. With help coming from an unexpected
source Gwen begins to realize the full duplicity of the whole situation.
Excellent, well written narrative. Writer Suzane has produced a
gripping tale filled with the twists and turns found in Christine Spindler’s
‘Faces of Fears’ along with the suspense filled good writing of
William Manchee in his Stan Turner Mystery series. The Murder Game
is a book which will keep you turning the pages. With each aha! Now I know
who did it, you will find a fresh red herring to throw you into confusion.
Faced paced action, believable characters and dialogue insure The
Murder Game will find a home with those who enjoy a good mystery
flavored with just the right amount of romance, deceit and suspense.
Highly recommended
--Molly Martin
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THE MURDER GAME is a fun book. Gwen Wilson is a mystery novelist who writes murder games on the side. Much to her surprise she is hired by Lawrence Van Hise to create a game for his seventieth birthday party. Hise was her mother’s boss many years ago when they lived in the Hise mansion where her mother worked as a housekeeper. But as far as Gwen can tell Hise has no idea she is the little girl who used to run around his home. Since when Gwen was a child her mother was accused of stealing from the Hise’s and then supposedly commited suicide, Gwen sees this as a chance to find out the truth behind her mother’s death.
But she gets sidetracked by Hise’s son, Hunter, whom she once had a big crush on. Hunter learns that his father is dieing and doesn’t want Gwen to dig up the painful past, but along the way they begin to have feelings for each other, which further complicates the situation. Gwen continues to dig up many secrets and even finds herself accused of a real murder in the midst of the murder game, pushing her to find the real killer.
THE MURDER GAME is fast paced with numerous twists and turns, throwing in a little romance along the way. This was definitely a fun read.
Here is the first part of our interview with Linda Suzane
SUITE: Tell me a little about your books and what genre they are?
LINDA: My passions are murder and mystery, blood and vampires. It has taken me years to discover what I really enjoy writing about. I tried many different things. In 1998, I wrote the first drafts of the Darkhour Vampires. They really captured my soul and I knew I had found the magic combination for me. I have just finished the first book in the series, Bloody Captivity, and am now looking for a publisher. My other interest is murder mystery games. When murder mystery games became popular back in the 1980s, I started writing my own. I turned my experiences into a romantic mystery, The Murder Game. The Murder Game is available as an eBook from . My next book is a combination of all my passions, a real cross-genre. Eyes of Truth is a fantasy mystery with a touch of the supernatural. The Eyes of Truth will be available from February 15th.
SUITE: When did you first start writing? First start publishing?(short stories,
books,etc)
LINDA: I started writing after I got married, some 33 years ago. I always enjoyed fantasizing, but I figured a married woman couldn't waste time doing that sort of thing, but a writer could. My first story was a Science Fiction story about an alien race of vampires. I wrote mostly for my only entertainment. It was only after my daughter was born in 1978 that I began to get serious about writing. My first completed and published novel was a Star Trek novel that was published as a fanzine back before there was a Second Generation or Voyager. I explored many different kinds of writing, romance, science fiction, fantasy, screenplays, radio scripts, nonfiction, and murder mystery games. I even worked as a ghost writer, writing books about real estate. When we moved to Oregon in 1990, I put my writing on hold and went back to work. In 1996, I was a full time caregiver for my elderly mother-in-law. I needed something to do with my time, so I pulled out a book that I had started years before on spec for Harlequin and decided to finish it. When I finished The Murder Game I sent out birth announcements, "It's a Book." It had taken me nine years from start to finish. Unfortunately, Harlequin rejected it, and my attempts to find an agent only brought out the scam artists. When I began doing market research for my vampire series, I discovered e-publishing, publishing on the Internet.
Interview conducted by Lorie Ham, part 2 will be found here next week
April 16,2002
Part 2 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/mystery_suspense_book_reviews/90255
This is part two of our interesting interview with Linda Suzane.
SUITE: Why do you write?
LINDA: I'm addicted. A few days away from the computer and I begin to go into withdrawal.
SUITE: I can definitely empathize with that feeling. Do you have a day job?
LINDA: Writing! About a year and half ago, I lost my job. Because of health problems and living in an economically depressed area, I wasn't able to find another job, so I decided to try writing full time and see if I could make a living as a writer, which has always been my dream.
SUITE: Do you have something you wish to accomplish with the things you write? i.e. enjoyment, challenging, fear...what do you want people to take away with them when they read your writing? Do you ever have a message?
LINDA: Many people believe that being published is the goal of being a writer, but years ago, when being published was a far-off-dream, I decided that I would set a goal for each writing project. If I accomplished that goal, then I would consider it a success whether or not it ever sold and was published. I might focus on learning to plot better or write dialog or copy edit. To me the lessons I learn along the way are the important thing, being published is just gravy. As for what I want people to take away from my writing or my message. A writing instructor once gave us an exercise to figure out what our passion was, what was the one thing we always write about. I discovered that mine is exploring duality, dealing with the dark hidden side of ourselves, madonna-whore complex, the secrets that we need to face. That is what my stories tend to be about. So perhaps that is my message.
SUITE: What time of day do you find you are most creative?
LINDA: Early morning.
SUITE: Oh no, another morning person J What sort of things do you do for fun?
LINDA: Read. I love to read mysteries, partially because mysteries are often short books. Once I start reading, I rarely put a book down until it is done, so I try to choose short reads. And of course anything with vampires.
SUITE: Do you have a favorite author/authors?
LINDA: Too many to name. I have a computer database of all the books I have read just so I can keep track. I tend to discover an author and read every book they have written and then discover a new author.
SUITE: A book or author that influenced you a lot? Personally or professionally.
LINDA: Dune by Frank Herbert. When I was a teenager, it was the first adult book I had checked out of the library and the first science fiction book I ever read. It impressed me because he created such a rich and believable world that I literally inhabited that place. I have always hoped to be able to create worlds just as real.
SUITE: Favorite mystery movie?
LINDA: I can't think of one. I tend to like action movies and Science Fiction.
SUITE: Favorite mystery TV show? If you don't have a favorite mystery one, then some other type of TV show that is a favorite.
LINDA: All of the Mystery series, but especially Brother Cadfael and Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot and . . . You get the idea.
SUITE: Oh, I love those too. How do you feel about writing? And how does it feel when you are writing? Excited, frustrated, is it just business?
LINDA: As I said, I am addicted to writing, to the sense of creativity, to words flowing out of me in a stream, creation of characters and stories. First draft, that initial time when inspiration or the muse takes over, grips you and won't let go. When everything just clicks and you read what you have written and know that it is good. The thing I dislike most is copy editing. It is hard to motivate myself and keep motivated. Recently I serialized my vampire novel at www.midnightblood.com. That really worked well for me since I was only copy editing a short segment at a time, but I was committed to having a new episode each day. Very good discipline.
SUITE: What type of book promotion do you feel has worked best for you?
LINDA: I am basically new to book promotion. I haven't done any book signings or given any talks or even gone to any conferences. Right now I am trying to learn all the possible ways to promote myself on the Internet, building a web site, joining news groups, writing book reviews, etc.
SUITE: Can you ever see yourself not writing anymore?
LINDA: No. I will always do some kind of writing. Like I said, I am addicted. I need the creativity, the flow of words. But as in the past, life can tend to take over and I might not be so focused on writing.
SUITE: Pets? Types and names, please.
LINDA: Four very domineering cats, used to be five, a black, a white, a grey, a tiger stripped and a Siamese. We lost the black one, she was 16 years old, so now down to four. QC is the white one (it was supposed to be an affirmation, Quiet Cat, but it didn't work.) Then there is Spunky and Trip. Spunky was my daughter's cat and Trip belonged to her boy friend, but we ended up with them. And Lucky is the Siamese, he is Spunky's son, but there is no maternal/child relationship between them. Lucky is Mr. Personality who has recently been renamed Mr. Behave, by our Grandson, since we are always telling Lucky to behave.
SUITE: What part of you shows through in your writing? What does your writing say about you?
LINDA: I don't deliberately set out to put myself in my writing, but of course I am there. I guess I am always surprised by what I end up writing about. There is a sensuality and a sharp edge that seems to creep in that isn't in my life.
SUITE: Where do you get your character names?
LINDA: Some I make up, some I find in baby name books, and I like to watch the movie credits for interesting names.
SUITE: What about writing is important to you?
LINDA: The ability to submerge myself in a story, to become a part of that world. I describe it like having a love affair, all you can think about is the story, you live, breath, and eat the story. Sometimes it is painful to come back to the real world. Writing isn't always about getting lost in the story, but sometimes, and those are the times I live for.
SUITE: Advice to an unpublished writer?
LINDA: It takes time to learn how to write well. One of the best ways is to get involved with a good critique group. Don't worry about being published, concentrate on learning how to write well. Set a goal to learn something with each piece of writing and count that as your success. While the Internet is a lot easier to get published on, it still requires good writing.
SUITE: Anything that you would like to add??
LINDA: You can purchase The Murder Game from www.playmurder.com But I also have a free eBook version of my Writer's Digest article, Writing for Fun: Creating Mystery Games. My latest book, Eyes of Truth, a fantasy mystery will be available from www.twilighttimesbooks.com February 15, 2002. I have a short story appearing in Twilight Times Zine www.twilighttimes.com in April. My vampire flash fiction The Dawn is available in Blood Samples, a print zine of very short vampire fiction from Anxiety Publications, http://www.angelfire.com/va/fantasypoe/d...
SUITE: website URL
LINDA: www.lindasuzane.com This is my author website, includes my journal, information about my books, my virtual dragon collection, and information about web design. www.playmurder.com This site is devoted to murder mystery games. www.midnightblood.com Vampire fiction. I am serializing my Darkhour Vampires. www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/vampire_ebook_authors Vampire eBook authors, book reviews, author profiles. www.e-vampires.net Where to find the best bloodsucking fiction--booklists and links.
-- Review conducted by Lorie Ham, author of THE TROUBLE WITH TENORS and MURDER IN FOUR PART HARMONY www.LorieHam.com
April 23, 2002
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