The only thing predictable about Simon Kernick's books is that they're unpredictable, with more twists than the Isle of Man TT Circuit and ,on the same theme, a race against the clock.
You All Die Tonight is Kernick's unique take on the classic locked room mystery genre , one of the characters ,when describing the case at the centre of the story, even says at one point, "It's like something out of an Agatha Christie book".

The book begins with 7 people who wake up and find themselves in a remote mansion,how they got there and why the windows are all locked are just the first of many questions they're confronted with over the next few hours. And those are precious hours as a mysterious voice tells them that they've all been poisoned and will die within 12 hours if the person,or person's, behind a brutal robbery,that left a family dead, years earlier confesses. No confession,no antidote......for any of them.

With all of the 7 having some kind of connection to the deadly home invasion, from business associates and relatives of the deceased, a former policeman haunted by his failure to solve the case to a Russian Gangster who had been the prime suspect.
If you like twists this book has them almost at the turn of every page,all of the 7 have secrets and potential motives ,all are liars and there are some very complex relationships behind the scenes and there are more Red Herrings than you'd find in a Russian Fishmongers.

The book is great fun as Kernick leads the reader towards a likely solution to the mystery time after time only for yet another twist to come in from the leftfield and turn the whole thing on its head yet again. As time starts to run out and they're no closer to finding the culprit the sense of panic is palpable and the tension builds to breaking point with people taking drastic action.

An excellent read,clever,tense exciting and the action never stops.

Dual time story telling always intrigues me and this one flies between the current day and a massacre investigation from 4 years earlier.
2 mysteries to solve, who was responsible for initial massacre and who has gathered together all the key players in the initial investigation and delivered lethal doses of a slow release poison to them all?

A little more gruesome than I'd usually go for, so not one for the squeamish, but I enjoyed it and was really keen to find out what was going on and if my guesses were right (yes to the original murderer, no to the accomplice and the person responsible for current day predicament!)
The story was cleverly woven with an interesting cast of characters. Back stories, motives and relationships all interesting and kept the story moving at pace.

A dark, gripping thriller with all the necessary ingredients.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

This is a very good, thrilling and enjoyable read from Simon Kernick. I've always liked this authors writing style, here the story flows well and is very engaging, the plot is well thought out and the story moves from past to present times flawlessly. Seven people find themselves locked in a mansion, all are connected to murders 4 years before but are they all who they seem? What follows is a fast paced, exciting and atmospheric read in a race against time to reveal the real murderer. I thought I'd worked out who was behind this and was very wrong. If you enjoy thrillers you'll enjoy this and I'd recommend it.

4 stars

This story is told in dual timelines and takes the reader on a breathlessly suspenseful journey.

When seven people mysteriously awaken to find themselves trapped in a locked building they are initially confused as to how they got there, or at whose behest they find themselves in this position.

All too soon, the dreadful truth is revealed. Each of them is in some way linked to a terrible crime which took place some years prior to this. Each of them could have, in theory, committed that very crime.

And unless the guilty person confesses, each of them will die as a result of the poison that has been administered to them. Only a confession by one will yield the antidote for the others.

So when the chips are down, will the relevant individual admit to their crime? And what will happen if they don't...?

This is a roller coaster ride of a novel set in London, sure to be enjoyed by avid thriller readers. It gets 3.5 stars.

Who committed the gruesome crime, and will they live long enough to find out? and just how far will they go to cover their tracks, and when some secrets are bigger than others, the need to survive really kicks in.
With a really strong storyline and as always with Simon Kernick a gritty London based thriller this one takes us on a journey at breakneck speed with a sprinkle of surprises along the way you think you know the outcome but think again.
With an ending that has one of the best last chapters and definitely the last line I've read so far this year.
A standout read that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC.

Wow. What a ride that was!

There are just some authors/stories which grab you even just from the blurb:

Seven people wake up in a remote mansion. The doors are all locked.
They have no idea where they are. Who brought them there. Or how to escape.
Each knew the victims of a dreadful crime committed four years earlier but that's all that links them.

Then a voice echoes through the house with a terrifying message.
They've been poisoned - and have less than 12 hours to live.
There's an antidote on hand: but only if someone admits to being a killer.
And they all claim to be innocent.

The time for confession is rapidly running out.
How many - if any - of them will survive the night?

I mean, come on, tell me you have just read that and you don't want to know more about this book....and you definitely should.

In terms of the story, there isn't much to add which won't give away too much. The story is told expertly, moving between dual timelines - the present day and also four years ago during the investigation. Each person has means, motive and opportunity... but read on to find the true story of what happened four years ago....you'll never guess (well, I didn't....but you might!)

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.