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The Murder Game: Play, Puzzles and The Golden Age
From The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to Magpie Murders, and related diversions including cryptic crosswords and Cain’s Jawbone, The Murder Game examines the games authors played with their readers and the importance of puzzles in Golden Age whodunits.
With books flourishing in the 1920s and ’30s like never before, no genre was more innovative or popular than detective fiction. It was an era that saw the emergence of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen and dozens of other authors who became household names for a generation of readers.
The Golden Age of Detection has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest in recent years, with publishers mining back catalogues to bring the best of yesteryear to very receptive new audiences. What is it about a literary movement that took off in the 1920s that still appeals to book lovers in the 2020s?
In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue. At its heart is the ‘whodunit’ game between writer and reader, but there is also the game between detective and murderer, between publisher and book-buyer, even between the writers themselves.
Coinciding with an increase in leisure time and literacy, the Golden Age also saw the development of the crossword, the growth of bridge and Mahjong, the enduring popularity of jigsaws and the emergence of Cluedo – all activities requiring the ‘little grey cells’. The Murder Game considers all of these, and many other sporting and competitive recreations, helping to explain the reading public’s ongoing love affair with the Golden Age.
With books flourishing in the 1920s and ’30s like never before, no genre was more innovative or popular than detective fiction. It was an era that saw the emergence of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen and dozens of other authors who became household names for a generation of readers.
The Golden Age of Detection has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest in recent years, with publishers mining back catalogues to bring the best of yesteryear to very receptive new audiences. What is it about a literary movement that took off in the 1920s that still appeals to book lovers in the 2020s?
In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue. At its heart is the ‘whodunit’ game between writer and reader, but there is also the game between detective and murderer, between publisher and book-buyer, even between the writers themselves.
Coinciding with an increase in leisure time and literacy, the Golden Age also saw the development of the crossword, the growth of bridge and Mahjong, the enduring popularity of jigsaws and the emergence of Cluedo – all activities requiring the ‘little grey cells’. The Murder Game considers all of these, and many other sporting and competitive recreations, helping to explain the reading public’s ongoing love affair with the Golden Age.
480 pages, Hardcover
Published January 27, 2026
9 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
John Curran
37 books23 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 15, 2025
In his introduction, John Curran runs through some of the previous major critical studies of the Golden Age mystery genre, concluding that, while many of them mention the ludic – game-playing – aspects, none make it central to their theses. Curran believes it deserves more attention – arguing that the rules, even or especially when broken, are part of the game. So in this book he sets out to re-examine the genre with that as the focus.
He starts by tackling the perennial problem of defining the Golden Age era. Almost everyone agrees it began just after the First World War, even though a few writers had been dabbling before then. But the end date is harder to pin down. Often it’s taken as 1939, but Curran points out that many of the major names continued to produce Golden Age-style mysteries through the Second World War and some of them went on for years afterwards – not least Christie, of course. Some that we think of as stalwarts, in fact, only began their careers in the late 1930s or even ’40s – for example, Christianna Brand’s first mystery was published in 1941. After an interesting discussion, Curran rather chickens out, choosing not to set an end date. Instead, he suggests the Golden Age was about style rather than era, and specifically about the idea of the author and reader playing a game together.
Between the chapters, Curran analyses a classic of the genre, usually using it to show what he has discussed in the previous chapter. These are very well known books, that most even casual readers of vintage crime will have read – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Poisoned Chocolates Case, etc. These analyses are spoiler-filled, but the reader is well warned right at the start of the book. Curran goes through each plot in detail, focusing on the game-playing aspects – clues, adherence to or breaking of ‘the rules’, the occasional breaking of the fourth wall, which he suggests is part of the game and therefore acceptable in a way that it wouldn’t be in more realistic crime fiction.
His premise is that realism isn’t a major factor in Golden Age mysteries – the plots, settings and characters are merely parts of the game, like Miss Scarlett in the dining room with a rope, and are often based on those Cluedo-like stereotypes – the country house, the vamp, the reverend, the old soldier, etc. To qualify as detective fiction, Curran argues a book must contain four essentials: a crime, a detective who detects, clues, and a solution, with clues being the element that differentiates the genre from crime fiction or thrillers.
Curran discusses how ‘the rules’ were formulated over time, and some unexpected names crop up, like WH Auden and TS Eliot, often contributing their opinions via reviews of mystery novels. The rules were never hard and fast, and Curran again analyses some of the earlier literary criticism of this aspect and often argues with their conclusions. He looks at many writers and books to see how closely they stuck to the rules, or how daringly they broke them, and suggests that it is often in the breaking that books stand out from the crowd – Murder on the Orient Express, or Curtain, would be prime examples of this. (In fact, those who think Ms Christie wrote to a formula might be surprised to find she was one of the chief rule-breakers!)
So there’s a lot of interesting information here. However, not much of it is new, as I suspect Curran would agree – the ‘new’ aspect is that Curran is putting game-playing at the centre and using that as the starting and finishing point for his analysis.
My major issue with it is that it is packed full of spoilers, not just in those chapters analysing specific books, but throughout. He will discuss some feature – say, for example, the idea that ‘the butler did it’ – and then list all the books in which a butler or other form of servant actually did do it. At one point he discusses the rule that the detective should never be the criminal, and then lists all the breakers of that rule, inadvertently spoiling a book that I intended to read very soon.
This made me wonder who the audience for the book would be. I’d say it’s definitely not a beginner’s guide to the genre* – I doubt it would be interesting to anyone who doesn’t already possess a reasonable familiarity with the major authors, books and styles. But even for readers like myself, who have read many of the best-known books and authors but have still only dipped into the less familiar, I felt the prevalence of spoilers made this a risky read (unless the reader has a sieve-like memory). So I’d tend to recommend it mostly for people who are already pretty knowledgeable, who may find Curran’s arguments add an interesting insight into how and why the genre works, or sometimes doesn’t. In some ways it feels more like an academic text forming part of a debate with other scholars, rather than a guide for the general reader. However, I found the discussions interesting and soon learned to skim the book lists, so overall I felt my time reading it had been well spent.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
* * * * * * *
*If you are looking for an introduction to the genre that gives an idea of which books to start with, spoiler-free, then I highly recommend Martin Edwards’ The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books .
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
He starts by tackling the perennial problem of defining the Golden Age era. Almost everyone agrees it began just after the First World War, even though a few writers had been dabbling before then. But the end date is harder to pin down. Often it’s taken as 1939, but Curran points out that many of the major names continued to produce Golden Age-style mysteries through the Second World War and some of them went on for years afterwards – not least Christie, of course. Some that we think of as stalwarts, in fact, only began their careers in the late 1930s or even ’40s – for example, Christianna Brand’s first mystery was published in 1941. After an interesting discussion, Curran rather chickens out, choosing not to set an end date. Instead, he suggests the Golden Age was about style rather than era, and specifically about the idea of the author and reader playing a game together.
Between the chapters, Curran analyses a classic of the genre, usually using it to show what he has discussed in the previous chapter. These are very well known books, that most even casual readers of vintage crime will have read – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Poisoned Chocolates Case, etc. These analyses are spoiler-filled, but the reader is well warned right at the start of the book. Curran goes through each plot in detail, focusing on the game-playing aspects – clues, adherence to or breaking of ‘the rules’, the occasional breaking of the fourth wall, which he suggests is part of the game and therefore acceptable in a way that it wouldn’t be in more realistic crime fiction.
His premise is that realism isn’t a major factor in Golden Age mysteries – the plots, settings and characters are merely parts of the game, like Miss Scarlett in the dining room with a rope, and are often based on those Cluedo-like stereotypes – the country house, the vamp, the reverend, the old soldier, etc. To qualify as detective fiction, Curran argues a book must contain four essentials: a crime, a detective who detects, clues, and a solution, with clues being the element that differentiates the genre from crime fiction or thrillers.
Curran discusses how ‘the rules’ were formulated over time, and some unexpected names crop up, like WH Auden and TS Eliot, often contributing their opinions via reviews of mystery novels. The rules were never hard and fast, and Curran again analyses some of the earlier literary criticism of this aspect and often argues with their conclusions. He looks at many writers and books to see how closely they stuck to the rules, or how daringly they broke them, and suggests that it is often in the breaking that books stand out from the crowd – Murder on the Orient Express, or Curtain, would be prime examples of this. (In fact, those who think Ms Christie wrote to a formula might be surprised to find she was one of the chief rule-breakers!)
So there’s a lot of interesting information here. However, not much of it is new, as I suspect Curran would agree – the ‘new’ aspect is that Curran is putting game-playing at the centre and using that as the starting and finishing point for his analysis.
My major issue with it is that it is packed full of spoilers, not just in those chapters analysing specific books, but throughout. He will discuss some feature – say, for example, the idea that ‘the butler did it’ – and then list all the books in which a butler or other form of servant actually did do it. At one point he discusses the rule that the detective should never be the criminal, and then lists all the breakers of that rule, inadvertently spoiling a book that I intended to read very soon.
This made me wonder who the audience for the book would be. I’d say it’s definitely not a beginner’s guide to the genre* – I doubt it would be interesting to anyone who doesn’t already possess a reasonable familiarity with the major authors, books and styles. But even for readers like myself, who have read many of the best-known books and authors but have still only dipped into the less familiar, I felt the prevalence of spoilers made this a risky read (unless the reader has a sieve-like memory). So I’d tend to recommend it mostly for people who are already pretty knowledgeable, who may find Curran’s arguments add an interesting insight into how and why the genre works, or sometimes doesn’t. In some ways it feels more like an academic text forming part of a debate with other scholars, rather than a guide for the general reader. However, I found the discussions interesting and soon learned to skim the book lists, so overall I felt my time reading it had been well spent.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
* * * * * * *
*If you are looking for an introduction to the genre that gives an idea of which books to start with, spoiler-free, then I highly recommend Martin Edwards’ The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books .
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
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October 24, 2025A fairly erudite look at the game-playing nature of Golden Age mysteries. This volume probably isn't for the casual reader, as it's overall a bit dry, but if your familiarity with 1920s and 30s crime fiction is wide-ranging and you love to index things and trace trends, this might be for you.
Thanks to Harper 360 via Netgalley for this digital review copy!
Thanks to Harper 360 via Netgalley for this digital review copy!
February 5, 2026
I picked this up thinking fun little mystery history moment, and suddenly I was deep-diving into puzzles, plot tricks, and the delicious mind games of classic crime fiction. 🕵️♀️📚
The Murder Game feels like sitting down with a super-smart friend who loves Golden Age mysteries and cannot wait to spill the tea on how authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ellery Queen played fair and sneaky with their readers. I loved how John Curran connects whodunits to crosswords, jigsaws, Cluedo, and even Cain’s Jawbone, showing how the real joy has always been in using those little grey cells.
This book made me appreciate classic mysteries in a whole new way not just as stories, but as games we’re invited to play. Honestly? It explains perfectly why these books still hit just as hard a century later.
✨️Thank you Harper Collins and John Curran for sharing The Murder Game with me!
The Murder Game feels like sitting down with a super-smart friend who loves Golden Age mysteries and cannot wait to spill the tea on how authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Ellery Queen played fair and sneaky with their readers. I loved how John Curran connects whodunits to crosswords, jigsaws, Cluedo, and even Cain’s Jawbone, showing how the real joy has always been in using those little grey cells.
This book made me appreciate classic mysteries in a whole new way not just as stories, but as games we’re invited to play. Honestly? It explains perfectly why these books still hit just as hard a century later.
✨️Thank you Harper Collins and John Curran for sharing The Murder Game with me!
November 20, 2025
Detective novels, with the classic locked room mystery, amateur detectives, and a circle of suspicious possible culprits, were hugely popular in the earlier part of the 20th century, with dozens of best-selling authors led by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, G.K.Chesterton, and the writing duo of Ellery Queen. The central premise of erudite author John Curran's book "The Murder Game" is that there was a code of detective fiction that revolved around the requirement that clues be revealed in such a way that the reader could pit their wits against the detective and, by extension, the writer. There are some other parameters for the best works, but that's the "game" of the title.
I'm a big fan of mystery novels and have enjoyed them, from "The Red House Mystery" (A A Milne), to Christie's excellent "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", along with (admitted non-Golden Age) Doyle's immortal detective Sherlock Holmes and even the O.G. detective mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe. I understand the game that these writers offer up to us readers and sometimes I even puzzle out the culprit before the denouement by the sleuth in the story.
Curran clearly knows his stuff and has done exhaustive research and categorization for this work, but the problem with it is captured in the first few words of its description: "In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals...". In fact, it's too dense, too exhaustive, too detailed, and rapidly becomes boring, even as the topic remains fascinating. When talking about, say, stories set on cruise ships, he doesn't say "a half dozen authors used this setting, most notably X", he lists all of the matching stories and authors. And does the same for factories, country homes, trains, hostels, backpacking, etc, etc, etc. It's an overwhelming amount of information and was far more than this reader was interested in knowing.
To be candid, "The Murder Game" would have made a fantastic 4,000 word feature article for "The Smithsonian" or "WIRED" magazine, but expanded out to book length - and this is a loooong book - it's overwhelming. Props to Mr. Curran for his research, but be aware, dear potential reader, this is more of what we in academia refer to as a "survey", a typically exhaustive research paper rounding up other people's research.
I'm a big fan of mystery novels and have enjoyed them, from "The Red House Mystery" (A A Milne), to Christie's excellent "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", along with (admitted non-Golden Age) Doyle's immortal detective Sherlock Holmes and even the O.G. detective mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe. I understand the game that these writers offer up to us readers and sometimes I even puzzle out the culprit before the denouement by the sleuth in the story.
Curran clearly knows his stuff and has done exhaustive research and categorization for this work, but the problem with it is captured in the first few words of its description: "In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals...". In fact, it's too dense, too exhaustive, too detailed, and rapidly becomes boring, even as the topic remains fascinating. When talking about, say, stories set on cruise ships, he doesn't say "a half dozen authors used this setting, most notably X", he lists all of the matching stories and authors. And does the same for factories, country homes, trains, hostels, backpacking, etc, etc, etc. It's an overwhelming amount of information and was far more than this reader was interested in knowing.
To be candid, "The Murder Game" would have made a fantastic 4,000 word feature article for "The Smithsonian" or "WIRED" magazine, but expanded out to book length - and this is a loooong book - it's overwhelming. Props to Mr. Curran for his research, but be aware, dear potential reader, this is more of what we in academia refer to as a "survey", a typically exhaustive research paper rounding up other people's research.
February 3, 2026
n his new book, The Murder Game, John Curran goes on a quest to write a book that focuses on the early mystery novel and its love of the game. Beginning with the always tricky question of defining the Golden Age of the mystery (everyone agrees it starts around the first World War but endings vary. Curran ends up not choosing a date but saying it is more of a vibe than a specific time period), Curran explores what games mystery writers play, why, and with whom.
Ranging from the obvious: can the author keep the reader from figuring out the ending while presenting all the clues; to the more unique: acutally having puzzles within the book whose answers help readers figure out "whodunit"; to the brief stint in the 1930s of full on game kits including physical clues and suspect files, Curran surveys the range. He talks about when "rules" developed and how authors worked with or broke the rules (Agatha Christie was a constant rule bender if not full on rule breaker).
At its heart, this is a survey, with references to the books that fit whatever Curran happens to be talking about. The can make for sometimes lengthy lists or dry spells when reading and the book definitely went a bit long, even for me. There are spoilers, many of which he flags ahead of time, but the reader should be warned that if you haven't already read particular books you'll at least be getting hints and might want to skip some sections if you don't want to know what happens in certain books before you've read them.
Who is the audience for The Murder Game? This is not a book for the casual reader. But someone fascinated with the history of the development of the genre; a fan of Martin Edwards' fantastic nonfiction books The Golden Age of Murder and The Life of Crime; a professor of writing; or a student of the Golden Age of mysteries will absolutely need John Curran's The Murder Game in their collection.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Ranging from the obvious: can the author keep the reader from figuring out the ending while presenting all the clues; to the more unique: acutally having puzzles within the book whose answers help readers figure out "whodunit"; to the brief stint in the 1930s of full on game kits including physical clues and suspect files, Curran surveys the range. He talks about when "rules" developed and how authors worked with or broke the rules (Agatha Christie was a constant rule bender if not full on rule breaker).
At its heart, this is a survey, with references to the books that fit whatever Curran happens to be talking about. The can make for sometimes lengthy lists or dry spells when reading and the book definitely went a bit long, even for me. There are spoilers, many of which he flags ahead of time, but the reader should be warned that if you haven't already read particular books you'll at least be getting hints and might want to skip some sections if you don't want to know what happens in certain books before you've read them.
Who is the audience for The Murder Game? This is not a book for the casual reader. But someone fascinated with the history of the development of the genre; a fan of Martin Edwards' fantastic nonfiction books The Golden Age of Murder and The Life of Crime; a professor of writing; or a student of the Golden Age of mysteries will absolutely need John Curran's The Murder Game in their collection.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 16, 2025
Fair Play mysteries are making a comeback thanks to authors like Anthony Horowitz and Benjamin Stevenson. In this book, Curran goes back to the basics, the first and the greatest, to investigate why and how they created classics that are still widely read today. It’s just not easy to determine the audience this was written for. Definitely not for casual readers. I’m a huge fan of the classics and have read many of the books he analyzes, but definitely not all of them. There are a lot of spoilers, some are clearly marked but not all. Curran digs so deeply into the format, tricks and games, that it feels like reading someone’s doctoral dissertation. Some parts were fun, like the initiation ritual to the Detection Club, and I loved revisiting a few favorites. I also enjoyed the parts where he explores whodunits that broke the rules, but then there came a series of lists of novels (for example: where the detective was the killer, where the butler did it or where the baddie was an evil twin). When the reference was a whodunit that I’ve read (sometimes more than once), I was fascinated. The rest of the time, I just Googled the ones that sounded more interesting and added them to my TBR. I’m not an expert, but I’ve read more classics than regular readers, and felt completely over my head, that’s why I’m not sure who the target audience is, unless it’s college professors who specialize in the period. Some parts get five stars, others three so I’m rounding up because it’s really well researched.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Harper 360.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Harper 360.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The Murder Game is a well-researched book about the various elements of 'gameplay' featured in the classic murder mysteries written during the Golden Age (generally described as being between the two wars). Author John Curran's detail is superb, and there are some interesting observations about the manner in which the writers of these novels adopted the 'rules' into the construction of their plots, before a more characterisation-based writing style became popular further into the 20th century.
Whilst I really enjoyed reading this book - and it is jammed-packed with examples and snippets of information, which has swollen my 'to-be-read' pile considerably - I can't help but feel that it might not appeal quite as much to the casual reader; more the literary scholar or dedicated fans of the genre. Nonetheless this is an excellent book, and one well-worth seeking out.
Whilst I really enjoyed reading this book - and it is jammed-packed with examples and snippets of information, which has swollen my 'to-be-read' pile considerably - I can't help but feel that it might not appeal quite as much to the casual reader; more the literary scholar or dedicated fans of the genre. Nonetheless this is an excellent book, and one well-worth seeking out.
November 8, 2025
As someone who loves history in about every era ever recorded, I have to say this is one of the best Golden Age focused historical accounts I've read in quite some time! Focus on games and mystery throughout the 1920's and 1930's reminds me of the old detective noir stories and radio programs that I enjoyed devouring as a child. In some places, the information feels a bit dry especially for some readers who aren't used to that type of writing voice but I didn't mind it in the least.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, games and mystery! This would make a fantastic gift for any bookworm out there!
I would love to take this opportunity to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me check out this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, games and mystery! This would make a fantastic gift for any bookworm out there!
I would love to take this opportunity to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me check out this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2026
I’m a sucker for a good whodunit, a great cover, and the roaring 20’s - a true fit for this book and anyone fascinated with the history of the crime genre.
The Murder Game by John Curran, digs into how classic mystery writers built their puzzles, bent the rules, and kept readers guessing. It’s packed with fascinating details and examples. If you haven’t read some of the books talked about, beware of spoilers. While it may not hook casual readers, anyone obsessed with the history of crime fiction will find this a smart, worthwhile deep dive.
The Murder Game by John Curran, digs into how classic mystery writers built their puzzles, bent the rules, and kept readers guessing. It’s packed with fascinating details and examples. If you haven’t read some of the books talked about, beware of spoilers. While it may not hook casual readers, anyone obsessed with the history of crime fiction will find this a smart, worthwhile deep dive.
February 15, 2026
I would love to know how many golden age books John Curran has read. As a fan of Agatha Chrtie and mysteries, I really enjoyed learning about the time period in which many wonderful books were written. I really recommend that if you are a fan of the rules behind how a mystery book works.
Thank you for the ARC from Netgalley.
Thank you for the ARC from Netgalley.
January 2, 2026
Very impressively researched. Compelling and informative, and inspiring. Clearly a labour of love!
January 21, 2026
For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
https://crossexaminingcrime.com/2025/...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews