The Outer Limits

Journeys to the farthest reaches of interactive entertainment

- ALEX SPENCER

The body is a splatter on the sun- hardened ground, staining both the courtyard and reputation of the Elysium wellness retreat. It once belonged to Harry Kennedy, a local property developer whose pride came before a fall — and, before that, a gardening fork to the chest. If you have no interest in finding Harry’s killer, turn to p30. If you do... well, I suppose you'd need to buy Can You Solve The Murder? But first, read on.

This book is the latest from Antony Johnston, writer of both videogames (Resident Evil: Village, Dead Space) and murder-mystery novels and comics (The Dog Sitter Detective, The Fuse). For such a veteran of the genre — Johnston is a former vice-chair of the UK’s Crime Writers’ Association — the mystery within is surprisingly straightforward. The most unusual detail of the murder is the red rose discovered inside Harry’s mouth, and the cast of police detective and suspects are all fairly archetypal in their characterisation. But perhaps that’s necessary for a story seeking to reinvent the form in other ways.