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.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this one - it felt more horror than mystery for my tastes and the narrator of the early chapters came across as a bit immature for me.

This book is amazing! I knew as I read I was going to give it a good rating, slowly creeping up from a 4 to a 4.5, but after the part three, jaw dropping twist, I couldn't not give it 5!

This is your typical locked room, in this case, house, murder mystery, with a very original spin on it. I loved it! I genuinely think it's going to be number one of the year. It is as of right now, and it will be very hard to surpass.

What to say that hasn't already been said...hmm...

While some parts of the novel left me captivated, there were moments where I felt lost or disconnected from the story. A few of the plot developments seemed forced or too abstract, which led to a sense of dissonance with the otherwise immersive world that had been established. The pacing, at times, felt uneven, and I struggled with some of the more philosophical musings, which, while intriguing, detracted from the emotional core of the story for me. It felt like there was a tug-of-war between the cerebral and the emotional aspects of the narrative that didn’t always find balance.

That said, The Other People certainly has its merits. For readers who appreciate introspective and unconventional narratives that challenge their perceptions of reality and identity, this book will likely leave a lasting impression. The parts that resonated with me made me think deeply about how we relate to others—both the ones we know and those we don’t—and the ways in which we construct our own truths.

In conclusion, while I found some sections of The Other People to be compelling and beautifully written, others didn't quite land as I hoped they would. It's a novel that asks readers to engage with it on multiple levels, and while not every aspect worked for me, I can certainly appreciate its ambition and the moments of brilliance that shine through.

What a really good thriller. I found it a very easy read and couldn't put it down. What a pleasure to read

Thanks for the opportunity to review

Deftly Done..
Ten strangers, a dark old house, a mysterious task and a killer on the loose. A genre bending locked room style mystery which is both wholly compelling and consistently and constantly surprising. With a multi person narrative, a pacy and cleverly woven plot with twists aplenty and an eclectic and deftly drawn cast of characters. Impossible to put down until the very last page. Prepare to be surprised!

Good golly Miss Molly what the hang did I just read! That was a rollercoaster of a read and I blooming loved it!!

Ten strangers wake up in a house with no recollection of how they got there. To escape the house they have to solve the disappearance of a young woman. But A killer is in the house stalking them and the body count starts to rise. Do these strangers know each other? Why have they been chosen and why would someone want to kill them? There is also a beast in the cellar but who or what is it.

This book was just such a good read. I was totally hooked right from the beginning. I was laughing, gasping, making faces, talking to myself and even had to put it down a couple of times to have a moment. Loved, loved, loved it. The beast was probably my favourite character. The character's were all very different and you could clearly tell whose point of view it was from.

This book was And Then There Was None meets the movie Saw or Hostel. I can't decide.

I will definitely be highly recommending this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for letting me read this fabulous book.

I lost half a night's sleep finishing this one off! It's a locked room mystery that I can only describe as being something Jigsaw would be proud of - you've seen the Saw movies, right?

The story is narrated from each of the guests who have been chosen to participate in 'the game' and by someone only known as 'The Beast' who resides in the cellar.

Whilst only a moderately paced read, it will have you unable to tear yourselves away from the pages as the story is so compelling and intriguing. The suspense is palpable from the beginning and the twists will have you chomping at the bit to reach the penultimate chapters and the big reveal.

Characters have depth making them feel real and it appears their pasts connect to their reasons for being in the house.

A thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.

This may be the first book by C.B. Everett but the author has a long history writing absolutely top notch series - I don't THINK that's giving much away given their openness about this new name/ new venture project, but just in case I'll go light on that for the time being.
What it does mean is you have one of the best crime fiction writers around trying out a quite different take on mystery fiction genre.
Elevator pitch (and yes, elevators do feature in this): think part Agatha Christie, part Saw, with a degree of meta commentary courtesy of one of the most interesting and mysterious characters in the story, and a twist ending that, depending on your milage will work for you or it won't: such is the nature of 'twist' endings - but I'm going to stay away from any spoilers.
So - we've got ten strangers waking up inside an old, inescapable country house with no memory of how they got there.
Their only way out? Apparently it's solving the disappearance of a young woman who may or may not be somewhere in the mansion with them
It could be an unholy mess with so many characters to juggle but the author gives us enough to keep them clear in our mind...for as long as they're with us.
It's always interesting to see an author you've read a lot of take a sharp turn in their writing and interested to see what comes next.

A psychological thriller with the emphasis on psychological, inspired by Christie's And Then There Were None I assume given the many nods to that narrative within this narrative.

A disparate group of characters trapped in a house with a killer on the loose and a mystery to solve. Really well plotted and lands an ending that whilst not unique, is managed well because you kind of go oh OF COURSE.

Overall very entertaining. The type of book to while away a rainy Sunday.

Mind blown.

What a heck of a locked room murder mystery! I couldn’t put it down and had to put my life on hold to finish it as I had no idea how it was going to end! I was not disappointed.

We have a ‘And Then There Were None’ Christie set up. 10 guests, all strangers, having dinner in an old mansion. None have any memory of how they got here. The doors are locked. The windows are shuttered. They must find an abducted girl before she dies and each have a countdown timer attached to their wrist.

10 very different personalities. With hidden secrets.

A ‘Beast in the Cellar’ who pops up now and again to discuss the progress and pose questions.

The book is narrated from the POV’s of each ‘guest’. Very very clever!

And the Hispaniola! Omg I remember that at Scarborough!

Fasten your seatbelts for a heck of a ride in April 2025!

This reminded me immediately of a certain Matt Ruff novel, which I won’t name so as not to give spoilers.
Told in a bouncy, tricksy and dark style, it is ideal for readers who like to be played with a little.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication, I will post the blurb and this short review on my blog.

This was an interesting read. At first it was very confusing but even so I felt compelled to read on. The plot was good but at times t was weird, until I got to the end and it all makes sense. I have never read a boom like tis before. I am not sure if would want to read another like his but still, very interesting.

This is much darker than the cosy crime feel the cover gives off! Try not to read reviews or marketing before reading as there's a lot given away by combining it to certain movies. The book does follow two movies and merges them so try not to read reviews that mention them! The house is really well written and described and it was a great adventure reading it! A very unusual and unique read if you go in blind!