Can You Solve the Murder?, my choose-your-own-story interactive crime novel, is now on sale at bookstores everywhere* in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.
ARE YOU READY TO BE A DETECTIVE?
In this choose-your-own-story murder mystery, at the end of every chapter, YOU choose what to do next...
You arrive at Elysium, a wellness retreat in an English country manor, to investigate a murder. You find the body of a local businessman on the lawn – with a rose placed in his mouth. What will you do next?
You examine the body and learn he was stabbed with a gardening fork and fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can only be accessed through a locked door - and the key is missing.
Everyone in Elysium is now a suspect, but who will you interview first? Will you examine the balcony, or interview the suspects? Every decision you make has consequences - and and some of them will prove fatal…
Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder?
Can You Solve the Murder? combines my experience of writing both crime fiction and games into a single book. Reception from advance readers, both authors and reviewers, has been amazing. We’ve got 5-star reviews all over Netgalley, people calling it “the cleverest book I’ve ever read”, and more. I’m so glad readers are enjoying it!
So, do you think you could solve a murder? There’s only one way to find out… 😉🔍
*US and Canadian readers can get it July 1, with these covers:
CYSTM Live! – an interactive book tour
…Actually, there’s another way to find out 😅
To promote the book I’m going on tour throughout June and July, hosting Can You Solve the Murder? Live – a fun and unique interactive event where the audience competes to solve a “mini-murder mystery”, specially written by me for bookstores and festivals, based on characters and locations from the book.
Of course, I’ll also talk about writing CYSTM? itself and sign copies. Here’s the current itinerary:
June 11: Waterstones Leeds, 7pm – Tickets
June 12: Waterstones Nottingham, 6.30pm – Tickets
June 29: Bradford Literature Festival – Tickets
July 1: Waterstones Chelmsford, 6.30pm – Tickets
July 2: Waterstones Fareham Whiteley, 6pm – Tickets
July 7: Waterstones Edinburgh West End, 7pm – Tickets
July 8: Waterstones Newcastle, 7pm – Tickets
July 25: Criminally Good Books, York, 7pm – Tickets
On that note, follow me on social media for news of any more dates we might add near you. And if you’re a bookseller or festival organiser who would like me to host CYSTM? Live, contact Emma Fairey at Transworld.
What is this Sorcery?
I’ll also be livestreaming on YouTube at Jordan Sorcery, one of my favourite gaming-focused channels, on June 22 @ 6.30pm BST.
We’re going to talk about Can You Solve the Murder?, writing gamebooks, and my work in games. We’ll also read through some of the book’s opening, with the live audience voting to make decisions about where to go and what to do next!
Join us for an evening of nerdy fun at Jordan’s YouTube channel:
Harrogate-bound
In July I’ll be talking Can You Solve the Murder? and other books with unusual structures at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
This is my first year appearing as a panelist at the festival, and what a panel it’s going to be – alongside me will be Janice Hallett, Cara Hunter, and John Finnemore, and it’s chaired by the Rev Richard Coles. Now that’s a line-up!
“It’s the Way You Tell ’Em” is on Sunday 20 July at 10.30am. Details and tickets:
Sparkle in my Mind
In addition to this newsletter, you can follow me on most social media platforms – either search for my username @antonyjohnston, or check the Contact & Follow page of my site for links: https://antonyjohnston.com/contact/