Publication Date: 12th June 2025
Genre: Cozy Mystery
3 Stars
One Liner: Great premise, but a mediocre read
1973
Four people are traveling in a railway compartment of the early mail from London to Sunderland. They talk a little about themselves to pass the time.
• Claire works in electronics, hoping a desk-sized computer will make her a fortune.
• Tony is an actor going home after a tour.
• Edward is a top lawyer and adviser to the Heath government.
• John, the fourth man in the compartment, says ‘actually, I’m a murderer’.
They think he’s being funny, but who knows what will happen next?
The story comes in the first-person POVs of Tony, Aline, and John Brown.
My Thoughts:
I didn’t know the author was famous until I finished the book. Turns out, he is the author of the Horrible Histories Series (64 books!) and is quite popular. It did me good coz I didn’t have any expectations about the book.
The premise is intriguing. Being set in the 1970s gives it a sort of old-world vibe, but not much. Still, the setting and the use of the period are the best part of the book.
It’s not easy reading about the casual sexual harassment of women (but sadly, we don’t have to try hard to imagine women police not being safe with their male counterparts, as this happens even today). Still, it is realistic.
The presentation makes the story more engaging in a way, as we get the details from three POVs, one of whom is the killer. However, the foreshadowing sometimes spoils the suspense, and the lack of detail actually works in reverse to make some twists too obvious (yeah, I’m referring to the repeated use of ‘my lover’).
Now, readers don’t have to like the characters to enjoy a mystery. It’s usually the annoying one who gets popped off, so it’s not a loss. However, there’s hardly any likable character in the book. The narrators do have some sort of personality, but nothing you can actually root for!
Also, this brings me to a recurring issue in many books. Why is it that the so-called experts end up making so many mistakes once the story starts? The same happens with Mr. Brown, too. Though we see hints of his talent, he spends a lot of time making mistakes like a novice.
The initial rambling didn’t do the book any favor, TBH. The first quarter is slow when it should have hooked the reader. The pacing gets better later on, thankfully, but this is not a fast book.
I did figure out the twists, which is always a positive sign. It shows the story follows a well-planned arc rather than throwing in twists just to shock the readers.
Of course, a certain development is a bit strange, but it makes sense in a convoluted way, just like the characters. It aligns with their personalities.
To summarize, Actually, I'm A Murderer is a decent cozy mystery that combines dark themes with teeny bits of lighthearted scenes, and unlikeable characters. I’m not sure who to recommend this to.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK (Constable), for the eARC.
#NetGalley #ActuallyImAMurderer
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