The Mahjong Maramas is an excellent debut literary venture from Jamie J Laine. Set in atmospheric Yorkshire, it follows five enthusiastic sleuths keen to solve a local ‘mystery’ that has been placed in the too-hard-basket. I loved the way it mixed genres: whodunit with the usual plot twists and turns combined with an Austen village ‘tale’ woven around diverse and interesting characters. Plus, the fact it gave the ‘mysterious moors’ setting an oriental twist with mahjong playing a central character. If you love Miss Marple, Midsomer Murders and the evergreen Famous Five, get turning those pages of Mahjong Maramas! You won’t put it down like a good Sling on a balmy night in Singapore .....

Bold, provocative and mind-boggling, The Mahjong Maramas captures your imagination with a master piece of storytelling, and brilliantly entertaining, which demands to be read. The Mahjong Maramas: A date with death by Jamie J. Laine is a gripping, intriguing and absorbing murder mystery novel set in Yorkshire, England. The mystery surrounding this murder becomes an obsession with the Mahjong Maramas and the intense desire of ladies to investigate the actual murderer of Gemma Davies is indeed enthralling and riveting. The lively and buoyant conversation during the meeting of ladies and men regarding the mystery murder captures the reader’s anxiety, curiosity and suspense in guessing who the murderer of Gemma Davies is. The intelligence, logic and talents with which the ladies choose people they will interview reveal the insight, perspicacity and astuteness of the ladies. The exuberance, enthusiasm and fervor of the ladies in the interviews are indeed mind-blowing and mind-boggling. This novel has the ingredients and potential to be made into a movie. Jamie J. Laine has crafted this murder mystery novel in terms of characters and events so dexterously and in a language that keeps the suspense, intrigue and interest alive throughout the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel as the flow of events, interactions of characters, appropriate setting and suspense kept me buoyant, riveted and immersed.

The Mahjong Maramas: A Date with Death offers a plot line that keeps you engaged throughout. Laine weaves a diverse cast of characters into a suspenseful tale that keeps you guessing all the way to the end. It makes us realize that even when we think a piece of information is harmless, it can really bring so much to light. The truth can be messy for everyone but can also clear things up. I’m so glad that there is the hint of another book to come.

The Mahjong Maramas introduces the reader to a group of ladies who have formed a bond of friendship during their weekly meetings to play the board game Mahjong. In conversation at one of these gatherings they decide to attempt to investigate the local murder of a young woman still unsolved after twenty years. Organising themselves to collect as much information as possible these tenacious ladies find the passage of time has rendered possible witnesses more willing to talk. Intrepid they may be, but will they find the answers lead them too close to home for comfort? Once the lead characters have been introduced the story moves along at a fair pace until the exciting conclusion. I am sure this will not be the last mystery to feature these crime solving friends!

What a brilliant story! The cleverly developed characters are so true to life. I love how the mahjong marama ladies form a reliable and solid support system for each member throughout their struggles and challenges. The story keeps the reader engaged and continually pulled into the developing crime solving skills of the characters. A satisfyingly clever ending leaves the reader eager for the next adventure of the mahjong maramas!

The Mahjong Maramas: A Date with Death offers a plot line that keeps you engaged throughout. Laine weaves a diverse cast of characters into a suspenseful tale that keeps you guessing all the way to the end. It makes us realize that even when we think a piece of information is harmless, it can really bring so much to light. The truth can be messy for everyone but can also clear things up. I’m so glad that there is the hint of another book to come.

This was an easy to read book in the British tradition of mysteries, with unpredictable plot twists and surprises that all come together near the end. The chatty conversations and characters seem to reflect that the main characters involved here could very well be one's neighbors and friends. The mini-dramas are nicely folded in, and I am confident that there are a number of readers who can relate to some of them. All-in-all, it was an enjoyable read.

The Mahjong Maramas is a wonderful story of five Mahjong buddies from an affluent and quiet countryside community who wanted to help families of a murdered victim and those implicated in the case to find justice and closure to a twenty year old cold case which occurred near their neighbourhood. The story unfolds with the simple routine of the ladies' weekly social gathering for a game of Mahjong but the it quickly picks up pace as these ladies started to pick up leads where the trail went cold. It was indeed an entertaining read. Mind stimulating too as to how the story unfolds and gives a surprising end. Once started, one just can't put it down until the last page is read! Looking forward to more from Jamie J. Laine.

This short novel is a cold case murder mystery solved by a group of friends who meet to play the Chinese game Mahjong every week. Full of details about the game, and the minutiae of social life of the central group of ladies (or “maramas”) within their English village surrounds, the style is lively and chatty. The first five or six chapters establish the web of interrelationships existing around the main characters, who then progress to become amateur sleuths in an unsolved murder case which had been shelved by the British police. After a few red herrings and dead ends, the murderer is found, the case solved and the trial satisfactorily concluded in the last two chapters, leaving the impression that the Mahjong Maramas may be seeking new challenges in the non-too-distant future.

This is a traditional English murder mystery, set in a cosy Yorkshire village. What immediately sets it apart from other books of this genre is not just the unravelling of the gripping and unusual mystery, but also learning about the fascinating table-top tile game of Mahjong. The main characters are ladies from the village, initially drawn together to while away a few hours each week playing Mahjong and enjoying each other’s company, so as well as a captivating murder story, the game of Mahjong is also carefully wound into the storyline. If you are not already familiar with Mahjong, by the end of the book I can guarantee that you will certainly want to try your hand at this fast-paced, fun game of strategy! Over the course of a few Mahjong sessions the ladies soon find out that deep down they are all ‘would-be’ detectives, and when they hear about a 20-year-old unsolved murder in their village, they know they need to get involved. The Mahjong Maramas are born! As the story unfolds, we begin to learn about the fascinating lives of each of the five central characters. The weekly Mahjong get-togethers have developed deep and strong friendships between the ladies, and as well as sharing heart-warming moments of true care, compassion and thoughtfulness, some colourful histories are also revealed. Be warned, once you pick up this novel, you won’t want to put it down until it’s finished. The twists and turns in the storyline will keep you guessing, and those pages will just keep turning! As the series progresses, I can’t wait to find out more about the characters as well as the unsolved crimes they seek to find answers to. Roll on the next Mahjong Maramas mystery!

“Mahjong Maramas: a Date with Death” is a great read that is packed with colourful characters and suspense. The sense of community is very strong and the support that the mahjong maramas provides for each other feels very warm! The maramas' enthusiasm for fighting crime is infectious. The events in the characters' lives add colour and flavour to the story and the mahjong hands that they play and discuss are interesting and realistic. In terms of storytelling, the stakes steadily get higher for some of the characters and the cliff-hangers at the end work well, building momentum and creating something to look forward to in each chapter. The story grows steadily more suspenseful as the maramas uncover more of the case. The pace of the book is natural and the story moves along at a good speed. The prose runs very smoothly and the story itself is very exciting and saddening towards the climax – an emotional rollercoaster. The ending is both credible and satisfying. The facts of the crime are rolled out naturally and in a way that makes sense. A great book for armchair sleuths and those who are interested in learning a thing or two about mahjong!

I enjoyed Mahjong Maramas. It was well-paced, had an engaging plot and was filled with interesting characters. The plot moved along nicely and kept my interest. It was well thought out and had some little twists that were fun to figure out. The ending was satisfying and didn’t leave any loose ends. During the build-up to the climax, I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were sympathetic and came to life. Some of them had small quirks that made them even more interesting. I would enjoy reading more novels with this same set of characters; they feel like family. It was hinted that the next books might take place overseas which would provide a variety of settings and a chance for the characters to develop even more. I am looking forward to more books in the series.