Games are a thing for children; a pastime for those with nothing better to do…or are they?

At the most basic level, games are competitions that are conducted according to rules with participants working toward a goal. Sometimes those goals are mutual, but most of the time, not so much. Games are a part of every culture and go back further than human records. Take the simple marble which has been found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians, in the ashes in Pompeii, and in North American native archeology. Games are one of the oldest forms of social interaction and engagement. Games can be fun, challenging and exhilarating. They can also be intense, cutthroat, and lethal.

For your puzzle solving pleasure, Mysteries to Die For presents: Games People Play in a two-part anthology. Part one is Opening Gambit.

Faro. Cow Bingo. Cards Against Humanity. Scrabble. Indian Poker. Checkers. Dungeons & Dragons. Marbles. Hedbanz. Scavenger Hunt. Marco Polo. Tarot Cards.

Twelve stories fashioned with deadly games and unscrupulous villains. Twelve games where all of the cards definitely not on the table. It's a race between you and the detective to find the killer before the opening gambit claims another victim.