I was a little worried when requesting this book that it would be a bit too ridiculous but thankfully, The Boyband Murder Mystery hit that sweet spot between fun and good storytelling. This is the story of Harri, a megafan of the the fictional boyband Half Light. When one of the members of the boyband is arrested on suspicion of murdering his best friend, Harri and her friends take it upon themselves to try and clear him of the crime by using their fandom expertise and skills.
There was a lot I really liked about this book. I'd say it leans more on the contemporary side than mystery, and the tone remains light and fun throughout. I wish a little more emphasis had been placed on the friendships of the girls within the fandom (only Harri and her best friend Jasmine really get much focus) but the characters are decent and you do get some nice friendship moments. One aspect I really liked was that Harri was at university. I feel a lot of these stories feature high school protagonists so it was nice to both see the uni environment on the page and also have a protagonist who could be a bit more independent without plot issues.
My only real issue with it is that it sometimes goes a bit overboard on the worship of fan culture, which wasn't unexpected and fit with the general tone and plot of the story. I will say there is a surprisingly poignant and heartfelt part about letting fandoms go and how that feels, and that was an incredibly strong bit of writing. I felt genuinely quite moved and I think it's something a lot of people can identify with. It adds a deeper sense of emotion to the book and it was very welcome.
Overall, this is a fun YA romp with a lot to like. It's perfect for not only fans of boybands, but fans of all kinds. If you want a deep or super detailed mystery, then this isn't the book for you but if you're looking for a decent and enjoyable contemporary with some fun heist elements, then give this a go for sure.
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