Could You Survive Midsomer? By Simon Brew
CAN YOU AVOID A BIZARRE DEATH IN ENGLAND’S MOST DANGEROUS COUNTY?
All is not well in the beautiful county of Midsomer. On the eve of its first Villages In Bloom competition, a man lies slain, smelling of damson jam. Who could have done it?
Well, that's where you come in. Step into the shoes of Midsomer CID's newest recruit, choose your own path and decide which way the story goes.
Could You Survive Midsomer? sets off on an engaging pick-your-own adventure format to challenge the reader to solve a crime or succumb to the county's suspiciously high death rate. Set in television’s most celebrated and murderous county, the book allows readers to see if they can get to the bottom of the mystery and bring the perpetrator to justice, avoiding an untimely, and possibly bizarre death, along the way. Your task is to make the right choices, solve the case and – most tricky of all – stay alive!
About the author
Simon Brew is the former editor and founder of Den of Geek - the popular culture news and reviews website. He is the author of three books including Movie Geek, TV Geek and The Secret Life of the Movies. Simon is also the founder of the magazine and podcast Film Stories.
About Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a TV national treasure. For over 21 years, residents of this quintessentially English county have hosted a series of homicides, which have been at the centre of over 100 episodes. With a huge international fanbase, Midsomer Murders has sold in over 220 territories. A top export of the UK detective genre, the show is hugely popular in Germany, France and all over Scandinavia, as well as having major fanbases in North America and Canada, Australia – and Japan!
Review
Oh my gosh how I loved reading and playing this book. It took me right back to being 8 or 9 when I used to devour this type of book. I have often mused about how much I missed them and this book certainly filled this hole! From the start you are flicking back and forth trying to make your choices throughout the case. It is definitely a lot of fun and if you are a fan of Midsomer Murders you will love this.
The premise is that the villages in the county of Midsomer are having a ‘Villages in Bloom’ competition and one of the finalist has been found murdered the day before it is due to start. You are playing as a new recruit to the area, so as well as having to deal with the murder, you are trying to feel your way round your new job and also the local politics. Who wants an angry village committee for gods sake! I really liked the ‘performance reviews’ at the end of the book which told you how you had faired - very much like a rookie detective would get in real life I am guessing. Let’s just say I didn’t do that well, I think I was far too forceful in my decisions. I forgot about tack. Oh well. The beauty of this book is that you can read and play it over and over again and get a different outcome each time. Here’s hoping I crack the case a second time round.
If you are a fan of the TV series you will love this book and I had great fun as it was a proper escape from life. It would make a great Christmas present.
Let me know if you pick this up. We could do a dual read at the same time and see how we fair!
