This is not a game A novel

Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit. Septuagenarian Mimi MacLaine mostly keeps to herself on Michigan's idyllic Mackinac Island, so she's surprised to receive an invitation to an auction at the home of her wealthy neighbor, Jane Ireland. Mimi's surprise turns to shock when she discovers a note inside the invitation threatening to expose an undisclosed secret unless she makes a high bid on a valuable manga. Horrified, Mimi turns to her estranged granddaughter, Addie, for help. A lifelong mystery fan, Addie is the creator of Murderscape, a popular multiplayer video game; Mimi hopes that Addie's passion for puzzles might help loosen her from the jam. Addie agrees to help, but after she and Mimi arrive at Jane's home, they find her dead, and immediately wonder if her blackmail plot has gotten her killed. Soon, a storm traps Addie, Mimi, and several more of Jane's auction guests in her mansion, and the body count starts to balloon. Mullen makes the most of her classic setup, playing scrupulously fair with readers while leavening the bloodshed with dashes of wry humor. It's a promising start. (Apr.)