Antony Johnston’s “Can You Solve the Murder?” represents a fascinating evolution in crime fiction—a bold experiment that transforms readers from passive observers into active participants in a murder investigation. This interactive novel doesn’t merely tell you about detective work; it forces you to actually perform it, making every wrong turn and missed clue a consequence of your own investigative choices.
The Crime Scene: A Classic Setup with Modern Twists
The story opens with a scene that feels both familiar and fresh: the discovery of businessman Harry Kennedy’s body at Elysium, a wellness retreat housed in the Gothic Revival splendor of Finchcote Manor. Kennedy lies dead on the lawn, a gardening fork embedded in his chest and a red rose placed deliberately in his mouth. The locked room mystery element—the victim apparently fell from a balcony accessible only through a locked door—immediately establishes the puzzle-box nature of the investigation.
Johnston’s choice of setting proves particularly clever. The wellness retreat, with its holistic floral therapy and “Friends” membership system, creates a perfectly insular environment where secrets fester beneath the surface of new-age tranquility. The contrast between the retreat’s pastoral promises and the violent reality of Kennedy’s death generates a compelling tension that drives the narrative forward.
The Interactive Experience: Choose Your Own Investigation
What sets this book apart is its gamebook structure, inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure series and Fighting Fantasy books that captivated Johnston’s childhood. The story unfolds through 200 numbered sections, each presenting choices that determine which leads to follow, whom to interview, and what evidence to prioritize. This format transforms reading into an active decision-making process where your detective skills are genuinely tested.
The notebook system adds another layer of engagement. Recording clue numbers becomes essential for tracking evidence and unlocking certain story paths. Unlike traditional mystery novels where the detective’s deductive process is handed to you, here you must genuinely synthesize information, make connections, and draw conclusions based on incomplete data.
Character Development: Suspects with Depth
Johnston populates his investigation with a diverse cast of suspects, each harboring secrets that could constitute motive. Flora Kennedy, the victim’s widow, carries herself with suspicious composure. Carla Nesbitt, the local MP, maintains political facades that crack under pressure. Stephen Cheong, the retreat’s manager, desperately tries to keep his struggling business afloat. Alina Martinescu, the massage therapist, bears the weight of past trauma that resonates with present circumstances.
The character work shines particularly in how Johnston reveals information gradually through the interactive format. Different conversation paths expose different aspects of each suspect’s personality and potential guilt. The massage therapist Alina emerges as particularly well-developed, her backstory as a Romanian immigrant escaping abuse adding layers of complexity to her motivations.
The Murder Mystery Mechanics: Fair Play Detection
Johnston demonstrates his understanding of classic detective fiction by adhering to fair play rules. All clues necessary to solve the case are presented to the reader, though finding and interpreting them requires genuine detective work. The coded text messages, the significance of the rose, the missing storeroom key—these elements form a logical chain that astute readers can follow to the correct conclusion.
The multiple paths through the story create genuine replay value. Different investigative choices lead to different revelations, different character interactions, and different endings. The scoring system at the book’s conclusion provides feedback on your detective skills, encouraging multiple playthroughs to improve your performance.
Writing Style: Balancing Accessibility and Complexity
Johnston’s prose strikes an effective balance between accessibility and procedural complexity. The writing remains clear and engaging while conveying technical details about forensic evidence, police procedure, and investigative methodology. The dialogue feels natural, particularly in the banter between the unnamed inspector protagonist and Sergeant McAdam, whose Scottish background and forthright personality provide welcome moments of levity.
The author’s experience writing video games serves him well here. The interactive structure never feels forced or gimmicky; instead, it emerges naturally from the investigative process. Each section ends with choices that feel meaningful and consequential, avoiding the arbitrary branching that can plague interactive fiction.
Technical Achievement: The Gamebook Revival
From a technical standpoint, Johnston has created something genuinely innovative. While gamebooks dominated the 1980s, few authors have successfully adapted the format for adult crime fiction. The challenge lies in maintaining narrative coherence across multiple branching paths while ensuring that each route provides satisfying character development and plot progression.
Johnston succeeds by keeping the core mystery elements consistent while varying the order and method of discovery. Whether you prioritize interviewing suspects, examining physical evidence, or following up on background information, you’re always working toward the same ultimate truth—but your path to that truth shapes your understanding of the case.
Cultural Context: Modern Concerns in Classic Framework
The book doesn’t shy away from contemporary issues. The wellness retreat setting allows Johnston to explore themes of privilege, exploitation, and the commodification of spiritual healing. The revelation of sexual harassment among the retreat’s staff adds a modern dimension to the classic country house mystery format.
Alina’s story as an immigrant who kills her abuser after the authorities fail to protect her reflects current discussions about justice, trauma, and the failures of institutional protection. Johnston handles these themes with appropriate gravity while maintaining the book’s puzzle-box entertainment value.
Comparative Analysis: Standing Among Crime Fiction Giants
Johnston’s work bears comparison to both classic and contemporary crime fiction. The locked room mystery elements echo John Dickson Carr’s impossible crime stories, while the ensemble cast of suspects recalls Agatha Christie‘s country house mysteries. The interactive format, however, places it in a category of its own within the crime fiction landscape.
The book’s closest literary relative might be Dennis Wheatley’s “Crime Dossier” series from the 1930s, which presented mysteries as collections of physical evidence for readers to examine. Johnston’s approach is more sophisticated, creating a genuine interactive narrative rather than a static puzzle.
Strengths and Limitations
The book’s greatest strength lies in its successful fusion of traditional mystery elements with interactive innovation. The investigation feels authentic, the characters are well-developed, and the solution is both surprising and logical. The multiple paths through the story create genuine replay value rarely found in mystery fiction.
However, the format can occasionally feel constraining. Some readers may find the constant decision-making interrupts the flow of the narrative. The need to track clue numbers and maintain notes requires more active engagement than some readers seek in recreational reading.
The book also faces the challenge of appealing to both traditional mystery readers and gamebook enthusiasts—two audiences with different expectations and preferences. While Johnston largely succeeds in this balancing act, some elements may satisfy neither group completely.
Author’s Pedigree: A Career Built on Innovation
Johnston brings considerable experience to this project. His background includes the Dog Sitter Detective series, which demonstrates his skill with traditional mystery plotting, and his work on graphic novels like “The Coldest City” (adapted as the film “Atomic Blonde”), which showcases his ability to construct intricate narratives. His video game writing experience proves invaluable for the interactive elements.
This diverse background allows Johnston to approach the interactive mystery from multiple angles, drawing on his understanding of different narrative mediums to create something genuinely novel.
The Verdict: A Successful Experiment
“Can You Solve the Murder?” succeeds as both mystery novel and interactive experiment. Johnston has created a work that honors the traditions of detective fiction while pushing the genre into new territory. The book demands active participation from readers, rewarding careful attention to detail and logical thinking.
While the format may not appeal to all mystery readers, those willing to engage with its interactive elements will find a rewarding experience that offers something genuinely new in crime fiction. The book works both as entertainment and as a test of detective skills, providing multiple pathways to discovery and varying levels of investigative success.
Similar Reading Recommendations
For readers who enjoyed this innovative approach to mystery fiction, consider exploring:
- The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman – Contemporary mysteries with ensemble casts and puzzle-solving elements
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley – Traditional mysteries with interactive elements and young investigators
- The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton – Groundbreaking mystery with multiple perspectives and innovative structure
- Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger – For those interested in the gamebook format applied to different genres
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – Classic puzzle mystery that challenges readers to solve alongside the characters
Final Assessment
Johnston’s “Can You Solve the Murder?” represents a significant achievement in interactive crime fiction. While it may not revolutionize the mystery genre entirely, it successfully demonstrates that there are still new ways to engage readers with the timeless appeal of a good murder mystery. The book earns its place as both an entertaining read and an important experiment in the evolution of crime fiction.
Whether you solve the murder on your first attempt or require multiple investigations to crack the case, Johnston’s interactive mystery provides a uniquely engaging experience that transforms readers from passive observers into active participants in the ancient art of detection.
“Can You Solve the Murder?” is available in both print and digital formats. The digital version offers the added convenience of clickable navigation between sections, though the physical notebook-keeping experience may be more satisfying with a physical copy.
