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.

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.

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.