Hello hello and welcome or welcome back to my little corner of the internet. Today I’m bringing you my review of The Boyband Murder Mystery, a book I finished right at the end of May. This fun, vibrant, young adult murder mystery was a book I read in twenty four hours, and I’m happy to be talking about it here now.
Synopsis
‘I have long believed that loving a boyband brings with it a wealth of transferable skills, but I’d never imagined solving a murder would be one of them…’
Harri and her best friends worship Half Light – an internationally famous boyband. When frontman Frankie is arrested on suspicion of murdering his oldest friend Evan, Harri feels like her world’s about to fall apart. But quickly she realises that she – and all the other Half Light superfans out there – know and understand much more about these boys than any detective ever could.
Now she’s rallying a fangirl army to prove Frankie’s innocence – and to show the world that you should never underestimate a teenage girl with a passion…
Review
I think the best way to describe this book is “a cosy armchair mystery for 2021”. Think Miss Marple… But Miss Marpel is a teenage girl with anxiety and a Tumblr account.
I couldn’t relate to the absolute devotion that Harri, Jas and their friends show towards Half Light. It’s not something I’ve ever experienced, building friendships around love of a band or a person. What I do have that I could link this to is the book community that I’ve become so involved with. I have friends around the world that I speak to on a daily or weekly basis, all of whom I’ve met because of being a book blogger.
I also didn’t meet one of my bridesmaid’s until the day before my wedding after we had been friends for eight years! I know how that statement sounds. I was having my nails done, waiting for her to get the train into town from 200 miles away, and we just fell into place like we’d always been there. So I completely understood how close Harri and Jas could be despite never meeting in person.
That said, while I could find things to link to in the book – something that can be hugely important – I struggled with other aspects of this book. I didn’t find it particularly thoughtfully written, found there were plot holes, and big ups and downs where everyone and their dog was being accused of being guilty which I found very frustrating as it’s one of my pet hates in a murder mystery. Suspect them, yes, but accuse them, no.
It was an easy, casual read that I devoured quite happily in twenty four hours, that I’d happily recommend for someone looking for just that. Harri, Jas, and their friendship is a reassuring constant throughout, and the fact that you can learn to live without something that has been your support net was a positive message to come out of the story.
And On She Reads 