Cels Reviews: Krystyna Kuhn—"The Game"

(Translated from the original German By Helena Ragg- Kirkby)

Julia Frost and her brother Robert have just started at the prestigious Grace College- a school for the best and brightest stuck in isolation in the Rocky Mountains. There’s something odd about the Valley and its inhabitants and when you’re desperately trying to hide your own past, trying to uncover the secrets of others is risky business.

The best way to sum up The Game in just a few words and give you a feel for the magic within would be to call it a mold breaker. Here we are introduced to a protagonist we never truly know until the very end, and who takes us on a journey unlike any other. Then there’s the fabulous jump-off-the-page cast of secondaries so shrouded in mystery and adept at throwing up the red herrings that you never know just who you can trust. And just to amp the mystery and intrigue value to the max, there’s a murder to solve and a blackmailer afoot.

All in all The Game is a standout story that will have your pulse racing and your mind picking through suspicious behaviour at breakneck speed. My only gripe was that it is hard to feel involved in the first few chapters- mainly because I felt no connection with our main – her doing the whole ‘lady of mystery’ act and all. As the plot unfolds, the action picks up and Julia starts to let the reader “in”, you can easily forget your earlier frustration. You’ll appreciate that the mystery is an an integral part of the story, and that it makes the revelations at the end all the sweeter. Fans of mystery will fall head over heels for The Game as it certainly ticks all the boxes and then some; but I highly recommend it to all readers of any genre- the freshness and uniqueness is a treasure in itself.

This is the first installment in a series. Unfortunately for me, the author’s website is in German and I couldn’t find any information in English on when we can expect more from Julia and co. If the cliffhanger at the end is any indication, however, it will be another nail-biting ride.

The Game-The Valley — Krystyna Kuhn

Published May 10, 2011, by Atom

Paperback, 320 pages

ISBN: 9781907410567