5 out of 5 stars The Best So Far in the University Mysteries Series! October 28, 2024 Brenda Donelan’s House of Games is the tenth entry in her University mystery series and is just in time for Halloween. This time, criminology professor and amateur detective Marlee McCabe is investigating a murder that occurred close to home—in her own home, in fact! She and her boyfriend Hector Ramos have added three rooms to their vintage house to serve as a B&B and have a full house for the opening of their business. They’re also throwing a costume party for Halloween, complete with a murder mystery play in which some of the guests are the players and the rest are the detectives. But things go terribly wrong when one of the players is killed for real, and with Hector’s gun, to boot.
As Marlee and her cousin Bridget begin their investigation, it quickly becomes apparent that the killer wants to frame Hector for the murder. Hector is a policeman and has garnered many enemies, so there’s no dearth of suspects. Marlee and Bridget turn over every rock they can find and form many alternative theories. Then one dark night, Marlee feels the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of her neck…
When the denouement finally comes, it’s plausible, logical and you’ll wonder why you didn’t see it yourself. But I’ll bet you don’t.
5 out of 5 stars House of Games November 11, 2024 As usual, Brenda Donelan did not disappoint! House of Games is a fast action, keeps you on your toes murder mystery with plenty of twists and turns to surprise you in the end! Love her books!
5 out of 5 stars House of Games is no joke! October 29, 2024 I was one of the lucky readers who received an ARC and thoroughly enjoyed this read. It drops tomorrow so you can get your copy and is a perfect Halloween read! Below is my full review.
Brenda Donelan’s latest installment in her University Mystery Series, "House of Games," is rich in layers and loaded with well-developed characters. Having read the entire series, I believe “House of Games” stands out as the most intricate and captivating yet. Set in the usual Elmwood, South Dakota, Marlee is a full-time professor at the local university and is always curious about the happenings of this little midwestern burg. The narrative kicks off with Marlee and Hector hosting a Halloween party and B&B open house, complete with a few games to enjoy. True to the spirit of a good mystery and Halloween tale, a dead body soon appears, setting the stage for this thought-provoking mystery. While there are numerous moments of humor mostly due to the eclectic group of characters, the story also addresses an important societal issue, which I won’t name to avoid spoiling it for readers. This is a mystery book that I highly recommend for book clubs as it has many topics that would be great for discussion. Donelan skillfully weaves a fantastic tale filled with twists and turns that will have readers turning the pages faster than a gust of South Dakota wind. Even though this book is part of a series, for those of you who have not previously read the University Mystery series, the books are so well written they can stand on their own so just dive in and enjoy!
