I really enjoyed the multiverse aspects of this book combined with the murder mystery elements - where someone is trying to murder the same person in every universe. Madison is different version of herself in each universe and this was really interesting to read,
A great mix of sci fi and thriller.

I did not get around to reading this book prior to it’s publication date and it has since been archived therefore I cannot leave a review at this time.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

I honestly loved the the story! It was different to anything I've read before, the stalker crossing all over the different universes to kill his obsession!

This was a super interesting scifi, with a bit of a thriller/murder mystery aspect. We follow Felicity who is a reporter. She is reporting on a crime story and all of a sudden finds herself in the middle of the mystery. After a weird encounter though small things seem changed when she gets home. One of her cats doesn’t seem to exist and the murder she was reporting on didn’t happen. What is going on?

I really liked the concept. It was a bit confusing at first, but that also fits the story. Slowly you learn more about this universe and how some things work. You find this out along side Felicity and it was nice being in the dark together. However, not everything becomes clear or is explained.

This isn’t a super technical or sci-fi-y book so it’s definitely good for sci-fi newbies. A bit like Becky Chambers’ books, if you normally enjoy contemporary stories those are the sci-fi books you should go for first. And if you normally enjoy mysteries or thrillers, this is a sci-fi I would recommend to you.

We mostly follow the story through Felicity but every now and then we get a chapter from Maddie. Those chapters were really interesting, every time we get a slightly different Maddie but she’s still recognisable as her. I really liked that change in POV’s.

There wasn’t a lot of character development but that was okay, it’s not that kind of story anyone. Felicity was well developed. She had her flaws but was overall an enjoyable character. The other characters were less well rounded but it didn’t bother me too much.

I liked how the story was wrapped up. There wasn’t another ending I could’ve imagined so I was definitely happy. I would pick up another book by this author in the future. Hopefully we get some more interesting sci-fi’s! I ended up giving this one 4 stars.

Multiverses and parallel dimensions are some of my favourite sci-fi tropes so the premise of this book immediately caught my eye. Felicity inadvertently falls into an alternate universe when she is caught up in a chase across space and time. To her horror, she wakes up in a world where everything is almost the same, except for a few differences. The people in her life have the same name but different personalities. Meanwhile, a woman named Madison May keeps getting killed in every world. To solve her problem, Felicity will have to figure out the mystery of Madison May.

I was engrossed at the beginning with the puzzle that Felicity finds herself in. Her situation is actually pretty sad though to say why would be spoiling it. It's best to discover on your own. I also thought Madison is a great character, and every version of her is compelling and heartbreaking, knowing her fate. Her storylines are framed like different movie genres which I thought was interesting. The ending is poetic and gives her the agency that has been missing throughout the book. That is one of the issues I had because it wasn't really fun watching her die many times especially since we don't see the aftermath. The alternate universe concept wasn't explained satisfactorily and was left open. I was hoping for more emotional depth because Felicity went through pretty awful situations but they're brushed aside at the end. I would have loved this book more if it has a darker psychological take and a more compelling villain instead of a generic serial killer with a flimsy motive. But I still enjoyed the story and it's a nice addition to the alternate universe sub-genre.

The 22 Murders of Madison May is an excellent speculative psychological thriller involving time travel, parallel universes, and a serial killer. The story is incredibly clever and entertaining. Readers will find themselves hooked. A killer is obsessed with Madison May, an actress or aspiring actress depending on the reality. He is so obsessed that any time she doesn't live up to his ideal, he kills her and moves on to the next reality searching for the perfect Madison May. Journalist Felicity finds herself on the investigation track. The story is highly entertaining with well-developed characters. I truly cannot recommend this novel enough if you like the idea of a serial killer novel blended with speculative fiction.

My first Max Barry book was Jennifer Government, purely because of its title and cover. I don't really remember a lot about that book, but I do remember that I liked it and that it left me with a melted brain, which is always fun. So why not repeat that experience with Barry's latest novel?

Felicity Staples usually reports on local politics, but her boss makes her cover for a colleague and so she gets sent out to the scene of the gruesome murder of Madison May, a realtor. Something feels off about the scene, so Felicity decides to find out for herself what happened. After a confrontation with Madison's killer that ends with Felicity on the subway tracks, narrowly avoiding being run over by a train, little strange things start to happen. Nobody remembers Felicity's confrontation with the killer. Her cat is missing. And her colleagues have never heard of Madison May. It doesn't take long for Felicity to realise that she has somehow traveled to a different dimension. At first she just wants to return to her dimension, but then another Madison May is murdered. And Felicity might be the only person who wants to stop that from happening to every Madison May out there.

This was such a clever story. The story science behind dimensional travel isn't unnecessarily complicated, it was easy to understand with my pea-sized brain. But you will be left with a headache from contemplating the philosophical questions around the existence of this kind of multiverse. However, this story is so freaking good that you won't care about that headache.

High-concept novels like this often neglect character development or treat characters as an afterthought, but this definitely didn't happen here. Everyone you meet in this story feels real, which contributes to the emotional turmoil you feel as Felicity leaves behind yet another set of coworkers and yet another boyfriend. And the Madisons were just perfection, with all the differences between dimensions never really changing the essence of who she is.

Part fast-paced thriller, part speculative multiverse fiction, this story has something for everyone. Do you want to contemplate life within a system of infinite universes? Have at it. Do you want to sit back and shut off your brain for a bit? Perfect. Max Barry is one of the few authors I have found who can manage to satisfy both of those extremes and everyone in between. And I will definitely be going back for more from him.

I love you. In every world.

Young real estate agent Madison May is shocked when a client at an open house says these words to her. The man, a stranger, seems to know far too much about her, and professes his love–shortly before he murders her.

Felicity Staples hates reporting on murders. As a journalist for a midsize New York City paper, she knows she must take on the assignment to research Madison May’s shocking murder, but the crime seems random and the suspect is in the wind. That is, until Felicity spots the killer on the subway, right before he vanishes.

Soon, Felicity senses her entire universe has shifted. No one remembers Madison May, or Felicity’s encounter with the mysterious man. And her cat is missing. Felicity realizes that in her pursuit of Madison’s killer, she followed him into a different dimension–one where everything about her existence is slightly altered. At first, she is determined to return to the reality she knows, but when Madison May–in this world, a struggling actress–is murdered again, Felicity decides she must find the killer–and learns that she is not the only one hunting him.

Travelling through different realities, Felicity uncovers the opportunity–and danger–of living more than one life.

Let’s imagine for a moment there are parallel multiple universes*. They exist just beside one another but we are all blissfully unaware. Every decision we make creates a new branch of reality, spinning off into infinity. Now imagine a stalker discovers it is possible to travel between these universes. He has killed the object of his desire in our world so what to do? Easy, move on to the next universe. From his perspective, it’s the ideal solution, an almost identical version of his infatuation is alive and well. He can begin his obsessive relationship once more. If he fails to be with her, he kills, and the cycle begins again. The 22 Deaths of Madison May by Max Barry follows this delightfully twisted premise.

The good news is there are some who have become aware of the killer’s existence and are determined to stop him. The protagonist, a reporter called Felicity, stumbles into this cosmic game of cat and mouse accidentally. She quickly realises she is one of the few who can stop this crime from happening again and again. I loved that moment. The sense of resignation that if Felicity doesn’t do anything, then it is likely no one else will. She has uncovered something inherently wrong and sets out to do something about it. The further she travels from her own universe the more committed she has to become. Those around her become less and less familiar. She has no choice, she can’t go back, she can only travel forward.

If I had any criticism of the novel, it would be that I wanted more. It would have been interesting to have that same depth to our villain. It feels like we barely scratched the surface. We get flashes of just how driven he is by Madison, he is consumed by his idea of her. He has gone through this almost ritualistic process of locating Madison May many times. Each time, the meeting has left its mark. This is the creation of a psychopath in small increments. I would be keen to gain further insight. By the time Felicity is involved in events, the killer has already tried and failed to be with Madison over and over. There is a history there ripe for exploration.

Overall, I enjoyed the 22 Murders of Madison May. I just think with a bit more detail I would have enjoyed it more. It is certainly worth seeking it out and seeing what you think. After all, what do I know? As far as the multiverse is concerned, I reckon every iteration of me is likely just a cranky old curmudgeon.

The 22 Murders of Madison May is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available now.

My musical recommendation to accompany this novel is the soundtrack to Gone Girl by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The weird ambient, haunting electronica seems to capture the slightly off-kilter tone of the novel perfectly.

*I kinda hope there are.

I have to admit I am not usually one for sci-fi but I can honestly say I quite enjoyed this but mostly because of the thriller side.
It was such a well thought out plot and comes together so well.
I enjoyed the characters and the interaction between them.

The 22 Murders of Madison May is a thrilling book about a girl that is killed... more than 20 times. Madison May doesn't know it, but she has been murdered by the same man multiple times.
Definitely a page turner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DNF at 18%

I was intrigued by the premise and title of this book (usually time travel/parallel universes is an auto-buy genre for me). However, I really struggled with the writing from the beginning - I feel like it's lacking emotional connection to the characters, and there's unnecessary detail that doesn't add to the plot or mood - and wasn't invested in any of it so far. I know I've not made much progress, so I would still recommend this book to a friend if it was something I thought they would like (and I'm sure quite a lot of people will enjoy it), but I've found I'm putting off reading altogether just because I'm not interested in this book!

First of all, I want to start by saying I did like this book (at times), but I couldn’t connect with it. I can’t put my finger totally on why this was, but I think it had a lot to do with the weird pace.

The premise of this book had a lot of promise and I was eager to start, however it took me a while to finish. I didn’t have that “urge” I usually do when reading this genre.

This book is Sci-Fi which I think was the main reason that I didn’t have a big connection with it. It’s not my go-to genre and maybe I need to explore that genre more in the future as certain aspects I found very clever.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. These are only my personal opinions.

When we first meet Madison May, she is an estate agent with aspirations to become an actress. She shows a man around a dilapidated house and when she doesn’t recognise him he kills her in a rage.

Felicity is the journalist assigned to report on Madison’s murder. Due to her tenacious nature and investigation skills she is soon on the trail of the killer….that is until she is pushed on to subway tracks after being given a mysterious object. When she is pulled up on to the platform, nothing is the same- her cat is missing and no one has even heard of Madison, let alone remember she is dead. Unluckily for the killer, Felicity is tenacious and determined whatever life she is in and she is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to Maddison May.

There is a lot to enjoy about this book - it’s dry humoured narratives and it’s original concept for a plot to start with. From the title itself, it’s not big spoiler to tell you this is a book about multiple lives and multiverses. I mean what is worse than a psychotic stalker? A psychotic stalker who preys on you through multiverses of course! I enjoyed spotting the subtle differences and similarities in each of Felicity and Maddie’:s lives, as well as working out which guise Clay was in each life. It’s got all the creepiness and tension you sign up for with a suspense or thriller.

Having said all that, whilst I enjoyed the book and was eager to read on towards the end, something was lacking for me. I didn’t particularly connect with the characters in the way I need to to be blown away with a book. I have read a few multiple lives/multiverse themed books in the last year and I feel this book lacks the depth, cunning and inspiration that I experienced with other books in the genre.

It was a fun and speedy read, but I don’t think it will stay with me and sink under my skin like my favourite books have.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

#The22MurdersOfMadisonMay is a thriller following a serial killer as he travels through different worlds, trying to find the perfect version of a film star he has “fallen in love” with. When she doesn’t live up to his ideals, he kills her and moves on to the next world. Felicity, a journalist, becomes accidentally involved & tries to thwart the killer.

It kept my attention & I enjoyed the plot and character development, but I wish there had been a bit more history about time travel & the group that moves through parallel worlds. The fast pace meant that things weren’t explained or explored in as much detail as needed, in my opinion.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

Really clever premise, fast paced with interesting characters. Author kept the pace going, held the quite complicated storyline together, with plenty of potential to explore follow on books. Enjoyable and recommend.

I think the world building is fascinating and the idea is great. Somehow it didn't work for me as I couldn't be involved by the story and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Obsession can be a powerful emotion and lead you down a dark path. Being stalked causes the victim so much fear, not only because they are having to deal with the reality, but also what might happen. In the case of Madison May, she does not know she is being stalked until it is too late. A strange man enters her life and after only a brief conversation he stabs her to death. Why? This is no ordinary stalker; a mysterious man is jumping across parallel universes looking for the perfect Madison. If she fails in his eyes, then that Madison dies, and he moves on. Can anyone stop this killer from murdering any more Madison Mays?

Max Barry has proven in the likes of Lexicon that they are an expert in speculative fiction. This is an author who can develop an interesting idea and weave a wonderful tale around it. The 22 Murders of Madison May is no exception. The concept of alternative realities and parallel universes is not new, to science or science fiction, but it is how Barry’s mind works that breathes new life into the concept. Why would someone cross from one reality to the next? The answer in this case is to murder someone repeatedly.

Suddenly, this science fiction book has elements of a thriller and crime novel. You get a sense from the structure of the book that Barry developed the ideas from the central core of Madison May’s various murders and expanded from here and it works well. The novel is almost split into parts as we meet each new Madison. In just a few pages we learn about her life, her loves and in many cases, her death. The tales are almost short stories within themselves; thrillers and in one case a classic horror.

The book does not stop here as although Madison may be the titular character, she is a peripheral character within her own book. The real protagonist is Felicity Staples, a journalist who finds herself getting embroiled in the action. Although a political journalist she finds herself investigating the brutal murder of a young woman (can you guess who?) Here she encounters not only the potential murderer, but another man who is chasing him. Knocked onto a train track, she gets back onto the station only to find the world she is in, is not as she remembers.

Barry uses the character of Felicity to explain and explore this new world of parallel universes for the reader. She is as much in the dark as we are. When a twist is revealed to her, it is also revealed to us. Felicity’s naturally inquisitive mind makes the book feel like an investigative crime thriller as she hunts for clues. A deeper conspiracy is revealed about the killer and his pursuer.

Madison May is speculative fiction rather than hard science fiction as we learn about many of the concepts but are not fully told about how they work. The science is not the point, it is the thrills. Towards the conclusion the book becomes a classic feeling crime thriller with sci fi twist. All the protagonists are drawn together for a set piece that will see some of them never moving on again. This book is a page turner. Barry has taken a classic science fiction concept and written something true to the author’s own style; thrills, spills, and kills.

This is a serial killer thriller hung on a science fiction framework. It feels a lot like a script treatment or a film adaptation. Maybe that’s been put in my mind because so much of the book deals with Hollywood and the acting profession, but it’s also because the story is all about hustling you along from scene to scene without stopping to dig into anything lest it falls apart. Barry’s previous novel Lexicon had a really interesting idea at its core, one that was considered and worked through logically in the story, but this one is much more handwavey, and a lot of the character motivations and mechanics of the macguffin don’t stack up when you look at them too closely. Barry raises some interesting questions about the ethics of the multiverse hopping, but then doesn’t even really try to answer them.

For all that, it’s a snappy and entertaining read, and if you take it on its own terms it’s pacy and fun, but I wish it had tried to be a little more

Try as I might ,I just did not connect with this book. I love off the wall books, and admire the clever thinking behind them. Unfortunately this one just wasn't my cup of tea.