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Mimi has lived on Mackinac Island in Michigan for years. She misses her late husband, and her only daughter died. And she hasn’t talked much to her granddaughter since a holiday argument. But she generally enjoys a nice life and routine.
Then she gets an invitation from socialite Jane Ireland, who also lives on the island, to come to a charity auction at her estate. Jane is pretty self-absorbed and is even dating her own son-in-law, so it’s not exactly an event Mimi is excited about attending. But then a note tells her she has to come and must bid on a certain item, or else an old secret of hers will be exposed to the world.
So Mimi has no choice but to go to the huge house. She decides to ask her granddaughter, Addie, to come with her. Addie could be useful as she faces this blackmail situation.
Addie is trying to get over being dumped by her fiancé, with whom she had created a very popular video game. She’s also trying to figure out how to prove how much she contributed so she can get the proceeds she deserves.
Just after Mimi and Addie arrive at the mansion and join a small number of other guests, a snowstorm comes in, trapping everyone there. And just after the evening auction, Jane is found murdered in her bedroom.
Mimi and Addie decide to work together to discover which of the others locked in with them is the culprit. Because, as it turns out, Jane isn’t the only target.
This Is Not a Game is an enjoyable cozy murder mystery. Mimi and Addie are characters I was rooting for, and it was nice to see them spend time together and get over past issues. Each also had the opportunity to feel more confident about themselves as they used their talents and skills to investigate.
Fairly clean reading, and it was sweet to see this grandmother and granddaughter draw closer through the wholesome bonding activity of sleuthing. (ha)
Rated: Moderate. I thought for almost the entire book it would be rated mild. But then for some reason one use of the f-word was put in there. Profanity includes that 1 use of strong language, 4 instances of moderate profanity, about 35 uses of mild language, and 6 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Violence is mild, with murders mentioned and some injuries. A bit of description of those but nothing gory.
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