Murder Most Actual

Murder Most Actual is a fun, LGBTQ+ friendly, cozy, amateur sleuth, romantic mystery by Alexis Hall. Released 9th Nov 2021, it's 302 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats. One additional codicil for retail buyers: the book is not currently available on Amazon and seems to be marketed exclusively through Kobo.

This is such an interesting modern day mystery with a golden age feel. The setting is an isolated castle in Scotland with a fixed set of suspects which has a bit of a Christie And Then There Were None meets Clue vibe. The main character is a podcaster who is fascinated with true crime and who wants a weekend getaway for herself and her partner to try to patch up their failing marriage. They get more than they bargained for when murder follows. 

The plotting and characterizations are competent and engaging. Some of the dialogue was a bit tropey and over the top, but not extremely so. There's a fair bit of drama and relationship angst along with the romance, which will certainly please readers who enjoy a large side of romance in their cozy mysteries. Since it's a cozy mystery, the murders occur off-page (though there are mentions of blood and violence in the text of course). The language is a bit rough for the average cozy mystery ("F bombs", shit, damn, and bloody). The spelling and idiom are UK English (torch, biscuits, etc), but shouldn't pose any problems for readers from elsewhere in context.

Three and a half stars. For readers who love large helpings of romance and campiness in their cozies, it's a 4+.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.