The first “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel—The Cave of Time—was published in 1979, setting in motion an almost two-decade publishing journey. Young readers at the time discovered a new way to experience the act of reading, by becoming part of the story. At critical moments in those narratives, the reader is given a choice about what action to take next—a decision that could lead to a successful outcome or possibly even death for the main character. Inspired by this unique concept and his own love of the crime fiction genre, Antony Johnston has recently released Can You Solve the Murder? to great interest from genre readers. Similar in concept to the original adventure novels, this new work brings readers into the act of investigating a crime by allowing them to act as the lead detective on the case.
The case at the heart of Can You Solve a Murder? seems straightforward at first. Harry Kennedy—a guest at the Elysium wellness center—is found dead after having fallen from a balcony above the central courtyard, with a gardening fork buried in his chest. Acting as the lead investigator, the reader—along with a team of detectives—are then free to explore the grounds, interview the suspects they wish, and with any luck, hopefully apprehend the culprit.
At the beginning of Can You Solve a Murder? there are four pages of instructions, explaining to the reader how to proceed through the narrative. Basically, as one is reading there will be moments when the reader can make a choice on what action to take next (ie. interview the receptionist or the owner, examine the victim’s hotel room or the balcony from which he fell, things of that nature.) The plot unfolds differently depending on which choices the reader makes. At certain critical junctures, readers are directed to write a code in their notebook. These codes further affect choices that can be made later in the storyline. There are also a few cipher clues that readers get the joy (or frustration) of solving as events unfold.
With all of this in mind, Can You Solve the Murder? is a much more active reading experience than most readers are used to. It is suggested to have a notebook handy not only for the codes provided, but so that the reader can write down the clues they notice as the investigation unfolds. The narrative is written in the second person point of view, which at first takes some adjustment, but by the third or fourth chapter feels completely natural.
The plot is in the style of traditional (cozy) mysteries with complications coming from the character’s personal lives, business dealings, and other shenanigans. It is possible—because it happened to me—to get all the way to the end without getting the solution right, but rather than simply revealing the answer, the reader (lead detective) is told to go back to the beginning and try again—which makes the book quite a value for the money.
All in all, Can you Solve the Murder? is pure fun, a welcome distraction from the ills of the world. It’s so easy to get lost in the investigation and while the characters are quirky and occasionally annoying, they are never less than delightful company for a few hours. Fortunately, Antony Johnston is working on the next novel in the series, following the same style, as detectives (and YOU) investigate yet another crime.
BUY LINKS: Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston
