STORY
There has been a tragedy in the Blackwin household.  Roderick, beloved hamster of Lady Blackwin, was cruelly murdered.  But who could have done such a terrible thing?  Poor Roderick was a only a defenceless hamster after all.  Who could possibly want him dead?  And what's more - how?  Roderick was found dead in a locked room, so how did the murderer get to him?  It really is a mystery.  Lord Blackwin has asked his trusted friend, Lionel Ulmer, to investigate things.  This is where you come in.  You are Lionel Ulmer, and it is up to you to solve the mystery.  You must look for clues and question possible witnesses.  Will you be able to solve the case of Murder In A Wheel, and find poor Roderick's killer? 

GAMEPLAY
This game is quite short, but it will give you plenty of laughs along the way.  The game uses a simple point-and-click interface.  There are some words at bottom of screen (Give, Open, Talk to, Pick Up, etc), which Lionel can use to interact with the game world.  Inventory items are at bottom right of the screen, and are shown as icons.  Press F5 at any time to Save, Load, or Quit the game.  Puzzles are well thought out, and are not too difficult to solve.    Lionel comes out with some very funny comments sometimes, all the while keeping a straight face.  For example, he tells Lord Blackwin that he can control who hears what is being said, and he says it in such a serious tone! 

GRAPHICS
Murder In A Wheel has a similar feel to the old Lucas Arts games, which makes it a lot of fun to play.  Strong, vibrant colours have been used, and backgrounds have a slightly 'crooked' look to them.  Patterns on the wallpaper and carpets, as well as light coming in from the window show good attention to detail.  Even the kitchen floor looks like wood. 

MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS
There are some good sound effects in this game.  Roderick’s bell was amusing, as it annoyed Lord Blackwin so much.  Footsteps as Lionel walked around were very effective, and doors opening \\ closing was also a nice touch.  But I have to say that the violin playing was my favourite.  It was just so awful!!!  Music has been borrowed from other Lucas Arts games (Day Of The Tentacle, Sam & Max, Monkey Island etc), and so it is not original.  On the other hand, the music that was used seems just right for this game, and adds a lot of comical appeal. 

SUMMARY
Murder In A Wheel is an excellent game that any adventure fan will love.  The story is well written, and some of the dialogue will really make you laugh.  I like the point-and-click interface that was used to control the game, as it reminded me of the old Lucas Arts games.  Graphics had a cartoony feel to them which made the game fun to play.  I thought the sound effects were excellent.  It's a shame that the music is not original, but you can't have everything.