
YOU VS The Poison Plot
Murder Mystery Choose Your Path Puzzle for fans of interactive adventures like Cluedle, Murdle Junior and gamers age 9-12
Josh Hicks(Author)
Walker Books Ltd (Publisher)
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-5295-2719-3 (ISBN)
Description
YOU VS The Poison Plot is an interactive murder mystery experience. It's not a story to be read, but a case to be solved ... by you!
The story so far:
It's the eve of the school talent show, and the drama teacher has suddenly collapsed! There were four witnesses at his side, but no one seems to know what happened. As editor of the school newspaper and a seasoned journalist, you investigate - and smell foul play.
What next:
You've got 'til tomorrow's show to unravel the mystery and solve the case of the poison plot. Choose your suspect, choose your next move - choose the story!
YOU VS is a series of interactive adventure stories where you, the reader, get to choose what happens next. Full of maps, diagrams and illustrations, YOU VS gives readers the chance to star in their own stories: big genre adventures with huge stakes, real heart and a sense of humour. Oh, and lots and lots of endings.
Perfect for fans of Cluedle and Murdle Junior as well video games that put you at the heart of the action, this first book in the series is an attempted-murder mystery where YOU get to solve the case.
Watch out for the next in the series: YOU VS The Galactic Pirates - coming soon!
From the creator of the Minecraft graphic novels.
The story so far:
It's the eve of the school talent show, and the drama teacher has suddenly collapsed! There were four witnesses at his side, but no one seems to know what happened. As editor of the school newspaper and a seasoned journalist, you investigate - and smell foul play.
What next:
You've got 'til tomorrow's show to unravel the mystery and solve the case of the poison plot. Choose your suspect, choose your next move - choose the story!
YOU VS is a series of interactive adventure stories where you, the reader, get to choose what happens next. Full of maps, diagrams and illustrations, YOU VS gives readers the chance to star in their own stories: big genre adventures with huge stakes, real heart and a sense of humour. Oh, and lots and lots of endings.
Perfect for fans of Cluedle and Murdle Junior as well video games that put you at the heart of the action, this first book in the series is an attempted-murder mystery where YOU get to solve the case.
Watch out for the next in the series: YOU VS The Galactic Pirates - coming soon!
From the creator of the Minecraft graphic novels.
Reviews / Votes
In this gloriously interactive mystery book, you find yourself embroiled in an intricate case involving a poisoned teacher in the build up to the biggest event of the year, the school talent show... This book is seriously gripping thanks to its interactive elements... The story itself is well-written and includes lots of humour amongst the intrigue, giving it a light feel. Readers will also enjoy the cartoon-like illustrations which appear throughout the story, often themselves serving as clues or puzzles which contribute to the plot. * BookTrust * Highly illustrated with clear print. A fun book which children will like, cleverly written with some fun options. -- Nina Bryan * Read for Good * A book of heartfelt fun. -- Louise Ellis-Barrett * Armadillo * In class, where perhaps most children encounter books these days, this is far more likely to be picked up and read during those opportunities that are given for solo reading than those books where the chapters seem to be never ending, giving less confident readers a real sense of achievement that will go a long way towards convincing them that reading can be pleasurable. This is also exactly the sort of book that kids like to share with their friends during those times, making it cool and again far more likely to be read.Unlike some of the books that fall under the choose-your-path umbrella, reading this is simplicity itself. While some of those I've read in the last year or two require inventory or record sheets and suchlike to be downloaded and printed out, all that is needed to engage with this is a way of marking your page so that you don't lose your place. With several different endings, this is also a story that can be enjoyed many times by those picking it up, which is again something that can make all the difference to those who are yet to discover reading for pleasure. * World's Smallest Library * With so many options over what to do next, this is a mystery where children will actually feel like a detective. With thorough inspections of each suspect, You vs The Poison Plot is fresh, fun and intriguing so it's difficult to put it down! * Check 'Em Out Books *
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 9 to 12 years
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
238 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5295-2719-3 (9781529527193)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Josh Hicks is a writer and illustrator based in Cardiff. He has published two graphic novels, Glorious Wrestling Alliance: Ultimate Championship Edition and Hotelitor, both with Lerner and distributed in the UK by Bounce. He is in the process of writing and illustrating a trilogy of MG graphic novels for Dark Horse Comics based on the video game Minecraft, with the first instalment due for release in summer 2025. Josh has also co-directed music videos for Foo Fighters, directed Bill Nighy and Craig Roberts in the animated film Spectre of the Bear, and served as the co-designer and illustrator of the card game Glorious Wrestling Alliance: Ultrabrawl, published by Tinkerbot Games.