What on earth did I just read! WOW! My mind is BLOWN!

I can't be the only avid reader who craves something completely different and unexpected in my psychological thriller reads? If that's you, here's your next read! A locked room mystery but with one hell of a jaw dropping twist - and even better, you don't get it until the very end, so You. Just. Can't. Stop. Reading!

I was gripped by the writing and so immersed in this weird situation, with absolutely NO CLUE about what or why, I was totally mesmerised.

10 strangers wake in a huge mansion with no idea how they got there. They are given 12 hours to find a missing girl, but as they start searching for clues, they are gradually being picked off and murdered. They can't trust each other because one of them is a killer. Who's next and who will be the one left standing? And what about the missing girl?

The 10 characters were a real mix; Kyle, a uni student, glamorous businesswoman Diana Landor, aggressive ex-cop Len, single mum Cerys and the rest of them, who you will get to know when you read the book. Some likeable, some absolutely vile and lots of in-betweens.

A really brilliant read!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley C.B. Everett and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really did not enjoy this. I found it very confusing and depressing. The characters are very mixed and not at all likeable. It is also claustrophobic in the extreme, so anyone who suffers from that please be aware.
It was not for me, sorry.

I couldn’t put this book down! This is an Agatha Christie fan’s dream. I will admit it does take time to get into but I think that’s because there are so many characters to remember. I would say it’s a fast pace book which makes it hard to put down because you just want to know what’s happened. It is dark, twisty and slightly gruesome book was such a great read

***advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
This is a murder mystery unlike any you’ve read before.
When I started reading this, I wasn’t taken by the first few pages - something about the style, or the way I wasn’t sure of the genre of the book - but I’m so glad I persevered anyway because this is an excellent book and a fantastic read that I’ll be thinking about for a good while.
A definite recommend to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery but is looking for something to turn the genre on its head.

The Other People was a quick read, and was intriguing I liked the whole premise but could not get behind the way it was narrated, it wasn't for me.
I did enjoy all the chaos and the ending and twist too was great.

This was a ride! I really liked the setting and Everett's descriptions were very cinematic. The twist was very unexpected!

There is much to enjoy and appreciate about "The Other People". The multi-POV works well and Everett offers some distinctive storytelling ploys to set the apart from the majority of similar genre pieces. The best ploy Everett uses is the fourth-wall breaking narrator who appears frequently to both explain and develop the story.

Unfortunately, some of Everett's attempts don't always come together to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. The murders, and mystery and engaging but the ending is likely to divide opinion. For me, it was too similar to a film from the early 2000's and felt obvious, some will find the twist compelling and mind-blowing.

So, "The Other People" is an enjoyable read but one that is likely to lead to mixed opinions.

Prepare for a grisly, psychological countdown in this locked house thriller with a twist you won’t see coming. In true ‘And Then There Were None’ fashion, it follows ten strangers being picked off one by one. Can you solve the mystery before the characters do?

When the central group wakes up in an old gothic mansion with no idea how they came to be there, they are tasked with locating a missing girl, trapped somewhere on the premises. But when bodies start to pile up and time begins to tick down, the guests begin to suspect each other. The killer could be any of them.

I’m a sucker for a plot like this. It’s told in short chapters and multiple POVs, with pauses for regular interludes from the ‘Beast in the Cellar’ (the most interesting POV, in my opinion). The story centres on the characters, keeps you guessing and nods to all its tropes and genres, bending expectations in lots of clever ways. It’s also full of creepy ideas, like portraits that turn grim when their subjects die and a terrifying child who plays with an eyeball. I did guess the killer, but not the twist, which was an interesting experience as a reader!

That being said, it’s incredibly gloomy. This is the opposite of a cosy murder mystery. It’s dark, depressing, often abrasive and full of harsh and violent opinions (please check the triggers - there are MANY). You step inside the minds of a wide variety of people, but not one of the characters feels hopeful, likeable or good, and there’s a lot of discussion of meaninglessness. At times, I found the pacing slow and the exclamations, prejudices and dialogue repetitive, but I did keep reading until the end and I appreciate the skill of the overall concept.

Moreover, if you have an interest in psychology and gothic literature, and don’t mind exploring the darkest sides of the human mind, you‘ll likely enjoy this.

This is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish
The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, making it impossible to predict what will happen next.
The writing is both engaging and suspenseful, with well-developed characters that add depth to the narrative.
The pacing of the novel is perfect, with just the right amount of tension to keep readers hooked without feeling overwhelmed.
Highly recommended!

Imagine you wake up in an unfamiliar room with no idea where you are or how you got there. Venturing through the door you discover that you’re locked inside an old country house with nine strangers, none of whom know what’s going on either. Once you’re all gathered in one room, a woman enters and introduces herself as Amanda. She explains that a girl has been abducted and is imprisoned somewhere within the house. Twelve hours from now her oxygen will run out and she’ll die; if you can find her, you’ll save her life and will also find the way out of the house. Amanda has barely finished speaking when she is shot dead. Unless you want to be next, it seems you have no choice but to find the missing girl as soon as possible.

This is what happens to student Kyle Tanner, executive Diana Landor, retired policeman Len Melville, mother and baby Cerys and Monica Herbert, military man Captain Saint, warehouse clerk Sylvia Moult, thief Iain Wardle-Roberts, stripper Ramona O’Rourke and child molester Desmond Blaine. As these ten people begin to search the house for the hidden prisoner, they start to get killed off one by one. Is the murderer one of the ten – or are there other people in the house as well?

This book is being compared to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None – and there are some obvious similarities – but it reminded me more of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. Like the Turton novel, this one requires the reader to accept an unlikely scenario that feels contrived and implausible, which is something some readers will be happy to do and some won’t. In this case, it does all make perfect sense by the end of the book, but in the meantime you have to be prepared to be patient and just go along with the plot.

The novel is narrated by all ten characters (well, nine – baby Monica only gets a few sentences), with the perspective switching rapidly between them throughout the book. We hardly get to know some of them before they are killed, but the ones who survive further into the book become more developed as characters. None of them are very pleasant people, though, and I can’t say that I really enjoyed being inside any of their minds – particularly not Desmond’s! There’s also another narrator, one who’s known only as The Beast in the Cellar, who interrupts the story now and then to speak directly to the reader, make observations and, I suppose, provide some humour. I found these chapters fun at first, but they quickly started to irritate me.

I was expecting a stronger murder mystery element to the book, so I was surprised to find that the characters don’t actually seem to have much interest in looking for the abducted girl and just wander around the house arguing with each other and wasting time. It’s not really the sort of book that has clues and red herrings and where you can try to work out who the murderer is. The real mystery is the one surrounding the house itself, why the characters have been brought there and why those ten in particular have been chosen. I came up with lots of theories while I was reading, but didn’t come close to the correct answer.

This is definitely a book that needs to be read right to the end to be fully appreciated, then. It was only when the truth was revealed that I understood some of the things that had confused or annoyed me earlier on. It would be interesting to read it again from the beginning, with the knowledge of how it ends, but I’m not going to do that as I have far too many other books waiting to be read! It’s a fascinating book, though, even if it didn’t entirely work for me.

this one was SO fun!! inspired by agatha christie’s novels, lots of different people - of all ages, races, backgrounds etc wake up to find themselves in a house with no way out. After a mysterious woman arrives, and is then immediately killed, they are against the clock to try and solve a murder mystery case before they all follow suit and get murdered…. ⠀
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the plot was very clever, and whilst i guessed the ending it was still fun to see it all play out, especially with added twisty details that i didn’t see coming. ⠀
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would recommend for all my other fellow thriller fanatics out there! 🍂

I love a locked room mystery so had high hopes for this and oft, it didn't disappoint. Its told from multiple povs and there are multiple sub plots cleverly woven through the main plot. Nothing is what you think and everything is likely to be turned upside down at any given moment. It does take a bit of focusing to get who each character is and what's going on with then so not the kind of book to skim whilst you're multitasking but once you get into it, it's such an amazing book! Definitely not just another locked room thriller and as for the final twists..... genius!!

Book Review: The Other People

The Other People is a gripping and fiendishly clever take on the classic locked-room mystery, delivering thrills, chills, and a generous dose of dark humor. Blending the atmospheric tension of And Then There Were None with the mind-bending complexity of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, this novel is an unrelenting puzzle that keeps readers guessing until its shocking conclusion.

The story begins with ten strangers waking up in a decrepit, locked house, each with no memory of how they got there. The rules are simple: solve the mystery of a missing girl to escape. But as the group begins unraveling the secrets of the house—and each other—a killer emerges, picking them off one by one. Adding to the tension is the presence of "the Beast in the Cellar," an ominous and mysterious entity lurking in the shadows.

The novel excels in its masterful pacing and layered storytelling. The tension builds steadily as the characters—each with their own secrets and motives—attempt to work together while navigating distrust and fear. The dialogue is razor-sharp, often laced with biting wit that lightens the dark premise without detracting from the suspense.

What sets The Other People apart is its exploration of trust and identity. Each character is carefully crafted, their backstories unfolding in tantalizing pieces that make you question not only their intentions but also their reliability. The interplay between the missing girl’s narrative and the events in the house adds depth and urgency to the story, creating a dual-layered mystery that intertwines seamlessly.

The house itself is almost a character, with its oppressive atmosphere, eerie sounds, and cryptic messages adding to the sense of foreboding. The vivid descriptions transport readers into its labyrinthine halls, making every shadow and creak feel like a potential threat.

The novel’s final twist is both shocking and satisfying, tying together the various threads in a way that feels both inevitable and surprising. It’s a testament to the author’s skill that the conclusion manages to upend expectations while staying true to the story’s intricate logic.

Fans of traditional mysteries and psychological thrillers alike will find The Other People to be an unputdownable read. It’s a darkly entertaining exploration of human nature, trust, and survival that will leave readers questioning everything—even themselves.

Rating: 5/5
A must-read for anyone who loves a good mystery with a wickedly clever edge. Prepare to lose sleep over this one!

Well I was not expecting much from this. I started to feel like there were too many points of view, too many different situations going on inside an already big situation. But I have to say my mind was soon changed when I began to think this wasn't the usual murder mystery, that there was something alot deeper going on in this story. There was a completely different story to this book than the one I started off thinking there was. And the ending...chefs kiss! The writing was solid, it was actually really easy to follow as it told you when perspectives changed and you were reading from someone else view and the last sentence! That last sentence had me shouting from more!

All these people locked in the house! The various POVs and storyplot played very well in this novel, which made me guessing until the end. The twist and turn worked extraordinary well together.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: Apr 16, 2025

This was such an interesting read. We start with Ten strangers waking up in a house with no recollection of how they got there. They're told in order to escape they need to solve the disappearance of a woman, whilst a killer is loose in house.

Firstly, I loved the setting! A mysterious old country mansion, perfectly spooky and suspenseful. The whole thing gave me Cluedo vibes (best game in my opinion)

We have multiple POVs in this book, and whilst I enjoyed seeing things from each person's perspective I did find it hard to connect with most characters. I did really enjoy "The Beast in the Cellar" chapters and how it helped narrate/ move the plot along.

I didn't see the twist coming at the end, and thought it was done brilliantly. It brought everything together for me, and really changed my opinion on the whole book.

After 10 strangers wake up to find themselves locked in an old house, things swiftly go from bad to worse. It turns out that the key to their presence is somehow related to the need to find a missing girl.

But can they unravel the confounding mystery before they are picked off by the killer who is already in the house with them? And should they be more worried about the beast in the cellar?

This is a chilling story that will grip readers tightly and refuse to let them go before the resolution! An easy 3.5 stars for this one.

Edgy, dark and Gothic like.
A group of ten people wake up in a house with no recollection of how they got there. On the surface they seem to have no connections with each other. They are told that they have to work together to find a woman who is missing. They have 12 hours to save the missing woman’s life or she will die. On the surface the plot seemed like it had been done several times before (And Then There Were None) with several POVs and a large list of characters. One of the narrators was especially intriguing with lots of wit and breaking down the fourth wall. I almost gave this a DNF but I am glad I stuck with it. A locked room murder mystery with a difference. It was difficult to see where or how it would end, but it did.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

THE OTHER PEOPLE BY C.B. EVERETT.
Release date set for the 16th of January 2025.
Multiple POVs.
Locked door mystery with a who done it.
First time reading this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for this ARC.

Oh boy. What a ride that one was. I was so sure that I would end up loving it and I was right up to the 20%. But the twist at the ending? That didn't sit right with me.

Which is a shame because the setting, the different characters and the mystery itself were very intriguing. I loved the feeling when I discovered more and more things that were feeling weird and the suspicion that there was a deeper meaning behind all of it. It was also a lot darker than I expected but that only made me enjoy it more because it made the stakes higher. And The Beast in the Cellar is a great addition to the whole story.

But the ending almost destroyed every good feeling I had about this book. It's a cheap twist which is also a trope I wish authors would stop using.