My Murder presents a chilling premise: What if the murder you had to solve was your own? Lou, a happily married mother of an adorable toddler, becomes the victim of a local serial killer. However, she is recently brought back to life and returned to her grieving family through a government project. Grateful for this second chance, Lou re-adapts to her old routines, bonds with other female victims, and cares for her child. Yet disturbing questions linger about what preceded her death and how much she can trust those around her.

The novel engages with thought-provoking themes related to cloning, resurrection, and trust. Lou’s struggle to reconcile her past and present adds depth to the narrative. Lou’s identity and memories become central to the mystery. The plot explores how technology infiltrates our lives, often without our awareness. Lou’s quest for answers becomes a mirror for our own relationship with the digital world.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this one. I found myself completely hooked and unsuccessful at trying to predict where this would go.

I was instantly hooked by this one. It’s one of those books that pulls you in instantly and becomes completely unputdownable.

II’ve literally devoured this in just one sitting with no regrets. This is an absolute must read.

Ooh this was an interesting read!

Lou is a victim of a serial killer. She was murdered. But she has been brought back via cloning and is settling back into life as a wife and mother.

I thought My Murder had a really unique storyline and whilst it was quite slow to get to the mysterious bit, it was interesting enough to keep me reading.

I enjoyed the support group scenes, the bonding between women who had all been murdered and brought back. I also liked reading about VR technology and different ways it was used such as holding therapy.

I thought it raised some interesting conversations around cloning, how the government would use it and how it might feel to be a cloned person, you but not really you.

I thought it was a very clever read that had a few good surprises. I would describe this book as slow burning dystopian fiction with a side of mystery so if this sounds like your type of thing, or you're looking for something a bit different then definitely grab it!

I thought this was a fascinating and terrifying premise, dead women being cloned after being murdered by the same serial killer. The dead women meet in a support group, building relationships with one another and spending time with their living family too. It took me a while to warm up to the writing style, but I thought the concept was unique and terrifying.
3.5 stars rounded up

https://lynns-books.com/2023/09/04/my-murder-by-katie-williams/
3.5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR : A Book About Second Chances

My Murder was intriguing and unique. It maybe took me a little while to really find my feet but then I was quite compelled by what was going on.

Think of a setting not too far removed from our own time. One in which technology and scientific developments have really moved forward. A world in which people use virtual chat rooms to undertake therapy and cloning is a very real possibility.

Our main character, Lou, was the victim of a serial killer. A killer now in custody who’s terrible crimes captured the sympathy of the people for the women he murdered. As a result, the murder victims were cloned. A second chance not just for the victims but for their families. However, each of the women involved, not only share a hideous death but also a gap in their memories. On top of that for each of these women, although they no longer recall what actually happened they’re still dealing with it. In Lou’s case, she has a devoted husband and a baby girl, she struggles to connect with either, it feels almost like she’s a fish in a bowl, everyone watching for her reactions. And, then, Lou, has an overall feeling that something isn’t quite as it seems. Which sets her off on an investigation of her own – one that could ultimately prove dangerous.

I enjoyed this, it was very easy to read and although it’s not a murder mystery in the typical sense of the word it really does pull you in. And, yes, as the story progresses there is a mystery to be solved, one where you start to jump a little at potential suspects from Lou’s former life.

I liked the writing and the pacing was good. It did take me a little spell, as I mentioned above, to really figure out where this was going, after all, we have the cloned women, we know their stories and terrible endings and indeed we already have the killer behind bars. So, you’ll just have to hold your horses a little, the author takes a little time to set the scene, to give us the emotional trauma that Lou is going through, she worries if she’s a good mum or a good wife and underlying this are these little ‘niggling’ concerns. Which is when things take a different turn.

Speculative murder mystery, this one had no trouble stirring my imagination. From the Victim’s Survivor Group to the friendship that Lou strikes up with another of the victims. Not to mention a particular virtual reality game that was a shocker.

It kept me guessing and I didn’t second guess the ending at all.

Overall, this was a compelling read set in a near future that is very believable.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I devoured this book and i was utterly enthralled, I didn't eat or sleep just so I could carry on reading this book

A unique blend of speculative sci-fi, domestic suspense, murder mystery, the author took on an ambitious combination here and I think it paid off. Williams has created a bizarre near-future world complete with flying cars and VR worlds. In this world, select people can be cloned when they die. The protagonist, Lou, has undergone this treatment after being a victim of a serial killer. She’s come back to her husband and child but she’s not content; she wants to solve the mystery of her death. It’s an interesting read sprinkled with dark humour throughout, but I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I’d hoped and the shift of pace and mix of genres didn’t quite work for me at times. 3.5/5.

I really reqlly enjoyed this book! I thought the synopsis sounded interesting but when I started reading it I thought hmmm I'm not sure if I'm going to like this but within a few pages it had captured my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed the story!

'My Murder' was mind-bendingly good!

Set in a not-too-distant dystopian future, where technology (especially VR) has advanced, five women are cloned & brought back to life after being murdered by a serial killer. But one victim is different & her world gets turned upside down when she finds out all the details she knows about her murder are not quite what they seem.

It's a book that will have you hooked from the get-go right until the last page. & as well as being dark & creepy, it was also very clever & the futuristic setting was so well written that it could have been real.

The story isn't exactly fast-paced, but it does deliver & with a punch. Also, Lou is not exactly the most likeable character but again, the concept itself is intriguing enough to make it too interesting to put down.

'My Murder' is an addictive, interesting & generally fab book that will have keep you gripped throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wildfire Books (Headline Books) & Katie Williams for the ARC of 'My Murder'; all views are honest & my own.

I found this book slow to get into and a bit confusing, however I enjoyed the ending and it really made me think! An interesting concept for a science fiction novel

This book!!!!!!!
I wasn’t expecting to love this book so much, but I really did.
In a near future, Louise has been cloned after she was brutally murdered and she is navigating through group therapy and her family and work life after what happened.
Until she gets closer to one of the other girls that was murdered…
I don’t want to spoil anymore of this book, but it definitely perfect for those who love Black Mirror and stories about a not-so-distant future. I could not recommend this enough – the writing was immaculate and the twists… definitely did not expect those and my jaw definitely dropped towards the end!

I didn’t know what to expect with this novel - only that the premise appealed to me - but I ended up loving it and inhaled it in two sittings.

Lou is the fifth female victim of a serial killer but has been brought back to life - through a government submission - by a team of doctors. Essentially, Lou has been cloned and “reborn”.

She bonds with the other victims of the same serial killer through a support group, and as she starts to explore the story of her death through theirs, she realises things aren’t quite as they seem.

This is a really smart and unique novel that not only subverts the typical serial killer plot, but also the domestic thriller genre. My Murder adds a sci-fi, speculative twist, basing the story in a recognisable but adapted near-future, where VR and cloning are common place.

Making Lou a new mother added heart to the story and I really enjoyed the flashbacks to her life before she was murdered. Williams’s writing is thoughtful and lyrical with just enough bite, making this novel a gripping, darkly comic and entertaining read. And I loved the true crime feel. 4.5 stars, and a new 2023 favourite for me.

This book is more contemplative than a thriller; which was what I was expecting. I loved the concept of the book. If you like sci fi or speculative fiction give this a try. Definitely a unique book.

An interesting speculative thriller. The narrative was a little slow and I did not engage with the characters. I enjoyed the story but wanted more zest in the writing. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Lou is happily married with a daughter she loves, but Lou is also the victim of a serial killer. She was brought back to life as a clone, part of a government scheme to reunite people with their families. As part of her recovery she meets with the other victims, all cloned like she was. But the more she befriends these other women, the more niggling doubts form in her mind. Who is she really and how did she end up the fifth victim?

Lou is struggling with her identity, and before her murder she was struggling with post-partum depression. The person she is now loves her child and husband without a doubt. So why is there a bag in the cupboard, packed and ready to go?

Her support group is full of the other clones, though they don’t really see themselves in that way. They died and then they were alive again. They have differing opinions on how to deal with their trauma. One recreates the crimes in a VR world which becomes the next big thing, echoing how people have a morbid fascination with true crime.

Others would just like to move on with their lives and the group’s friendships are awkward but they are bonded together by a unique experience. The cloning technology isn’t widespread and the project would have been expensive. But how could they let a tragedy of a young mother from a “good” background go unaddressed?

Despite the tagline for this book, she’s not really investigating her own murder until past halfway through the story, and this left me feeling like I was waiting for the story to get going for far too long. Which is a shame because there is a disjointed feeling in the book for a reason that becomes clear and I’d rather have spent my time trying to work things out earlier than wondering when she would realise something wasn’t right with what she had been told.

If you’re not particularly sensitive to spoilers, this is a great speculative mystery, set in a near-future where the world around them seems believable even if the cloning of the human mind is a far-off science fiction concept.

Very interesting idea, certainly original. However I found it on the slow side, and it didn't really hit the spot for me.I hope others enjoy it more.

Interesting premise but for me it didn’t really deliver and felt a little slow paced for my liking.

Thanks to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book but it not much different from others in the same genre. I read it through and it kept my interest but I would have preferred a few more twists etc

I was really excited for this one given the premise however it just didn't really deliver for me. It was enjoyable but just lacked that punch to really make it hit the reader

Lou is married to Silas and they have an adorable baby daughter called Nova. Life is good until she becomes the fifth victim of a local serial killer. However, she is returned to her bereft family as part of the Replication Commission, a scheme to bring people back. She’s a clone of the original as are the four other victims. However, as Lou settles back into her life it becomes apparent that things are not as straightforward as they seem. She needs to figure out the circumstances of her death and work out who she can trust.

It takes me a few chapters to settle into this as initially it seems confusing. Then there’s a shift in understanding and I become fascinated by the original concept of the novel. I really like the dystopian feel and some aspects of this imagined future are so creative. In places it’s amusing, witty and smart especially some of the dialogue between the victims. What is particularly gripping is Lou’s realisation that things have not been great for her before her murder and that plays out really well with several jolting surprises. Parts of her story are very poignant and there is genuine love in one direction which is heartwarming.

The crimes sections of the novel are probably the best in my opinion and there are several twists that are very unexpected and that which shock. The ending is very clever so kudos to Katie Williams.

My only reservation is that the pacing is somewhat irregular as we shift between the past and the present. However, it’s a very different book from the norm and I really like the combination of sci-fi and mystery thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline, Wildfire for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.