Reviews

Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds by John Everson

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aflogive's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

John Everson's new book, FIVE DEATHS FOR SEVEN SONGBIRDS, offers an homage to the gruesome, violent, and immensely beloved giallo genre. Reminiscent of films like Argento's SUSPIRIA (1977) and OPERA (1987), the story follows Eve Springer, a talented young pianist from New York who begins her first semester at the prestigious Royal Conservatory in Belgium. Unfortunately, Eve's dream of starting her musical career stops short when she stumbles into a string of murders. As she continues to meet her new peers and professors, everyone soon becomes a suspect.

Everson clearly admires the history and traditional features of giallo. As with many of the classic books and films, the killer hides behind black leather gloves, dark sunglasses, and a mask. In FIVE DEATHS, we also get creative, tense, and often psychosexual kill-scenes with students dying by the same instruments they practiced in life. The story succeeded in keeping me on my toes and setting up a puzzling mystery where I did not guess the killer's identity until the very end. I had my suspicions, of course, but that is the purpose of a giallo — for the audience to solve a puzzle alongside the book or film's characters.

FIVE DEATHS lives up to the expected fast pace and page-turning plot of any thriller. Each time the point of view changed to the murder victim, I knew to anticipate some kind of chase scene that would leave me anxious to see what happens next. Overall, the action-focused writing and short chapters made this a quick, casual read.

Unfortunately, the focus on action left, for me, a huge gap in character development. For most of the book, I struggled to pinpoint the characters' motivations. The first part that raised an eyebrow was the school's reaction to the murders. Everyone responded so casually, as if they just heard that the cafeteria wouldn't be serving their favorite meal anymore. There was no sense of urgency, danger, or extreme loss, which didn't seem like a believable response to murder.

I also felt disappointed with the portrayal of female and LGBTQ characters in this book. Although most of the characters felt sort of one-dimensional, I couldn't help but feel the women were the least thought-out. Most of the women seem totally self-absorbed and focused primarily on sex and romance. For example, Eve (as well as most of the other women) seemed to quickly succumb to intense jealousy whenever she felt her new romantic relationship was threatened. This happened so often that jealousy seemed to override every other emotion for the first half of the book, including fear or sadness caused by the murders.

I understand that slashers in general don't have the best reputation when it comes to representing women, but I really hoped that a "modern giallo" would fight to empower its characters rather than fall into outdated stereotypes.

For readers drawn more to complex characters in their books, maybe grab something else off your TBR shelf for now. But if you frequently return to Argento, Fulci, Bava, Martino, or any of the greats for your weekly movie night, FIVE DEATHS FOR SEVEN SONGBIRDS offers a treasure trove of hidden-giallo-gems any superfan would appreciate.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for an advanced review copy! FIVE DEATHS FOR SEVEN SONGBIRDS is scheduled for release on February 22, 2022.

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