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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Kirby Cornell needs a break from everything:
- Her crumbling flat in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its award-winning sausage rolls and a second-rate serial killer from the 90s)
- Her dead-end job
- Her sleazy landlord
- Her slobbish housemates
- And, most of all, the terrible thing they all did.
Luckily, that hasn’t caught up with her just yet, until a new message on their old group chat pops up: Everyone in the group chat will die. It’s the first text her ex-flatmate and social-media sleuth Esme has sent for ages, but that’s not the really weird thing. The really weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago…
This was a fast-paced, fun, humorous read with some great one-liners and nostalgic references with some really comical characters thrown in the mix.
The story switches between the present day and the events of 12 months ago, cleverly giving the reader snippets & clues at the relevant interlinking sections, keeping the pace steady throughout, I for one couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out how everything came to a conclusion.
The comedy is mixed in with some true horror story, slasher thriller gore elements, but overall remains an easygoing murder mystery providing some light reading relief. It’s a palate cleanser of a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and whilst it may lack the suspenseful tension of a thriller, it is an entertaining, enjoyable read.
- Her crumbling flat in the sleepy town of Crowhurst (famous for its award-winning sausage rolls and a second-rate serial killer from the 90s)
- Her dead-end job
- Her sleazy landlord
- Her slobbish housemates
- And, most of all, the terrible thing they all did.
Luckily, that hasn’t caught up with her just yet, until a new message on their old group chat pops up: Everyone in the group chat will die. It’s the first text her ex-flatmate and social-media sleuth Esme has sent for ages, but that’s not the really weird thing. The really weird thing is, Esme died twelve months ago…
This was a fast-paced, fun, humorous read with some great one-liners and nostalgic references with some really comical characters thrown in the mix.
The story switches between the present day and the events of 12 months ago, cleverly giving the reader snippets & clues at the relevant interlinking sections, keeping the pace steady throughout, I for one couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out how everything came to a conclusion.
The comedy is mixed in with some true horror story, slasher thriller gore elements, but overall remains an easygoing murder mystery providing some light reading relief. It’s a palate cleanser of a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and whilst it may lack the suspenseful tension of a thriller, it is an entertaining, enjoyable read.
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a bunch of fantastic characters, I loved ‘The Deadbeats’, the dual timelines ensures that readers get to know the characters well and Kirby’s narrative fully explains what happened in the past and present
Show Me was such an interesting app, although I do think the world has enough social media. I completely missed out who the killer was, being way of track, but had so much fun trying to figure it all out!
I don’t want to risk spoilers but I highly recommend this book to mystery and dark humour fans.
Show Me was such an interesting app, although I do think the world has enough social media. I completely missed out who the killer was, being way of track, but had so much fun trying to figure it all out!
I don’t want to risk spoilers but I highly recommend this book to mystery and dark humour fans.
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"They say there are three sides to every story: mine, yours and the truth.
So, which one do you want?"
I love a thriller that is injected with dark humour, so I had high hopes for this book. And I was not disappointed. L. M. Chilton has crafted a suspenseful, funny and inventive murder mystery that had me glued to its pages. The plot is delightfully absurd: Kirby gets an alert from her old housemate group chat. It’s a text from her former housemate Esme that reads, ‘Everyone in the group chat will die.’ But it isn’t the chilling message that unnerves Kirby. What really sends a chill down her spine is that Esme died twelve months ago. So who is the message from? Could they know the secrets that Kirby and her other housemates vowed to keep the night Esme died? Moving between the present and events that happened a year earlier, Chilton builds the tension as Kirby relentlessly tries to solve mysteries in both timelines but keeps things lighthearted thanks to the humour that is woven in. I was on the edge of my seat, the many twists and turns giving me book whiplash as I tried to follow the clues and solve the puzzles myself.
The compelling characters are equal parts likeable and unlikeable. There were great dynamics between them, lots of witty banter and petty squabbles that added a layer of realism and relatability. We know from the start that they are all keeping secrets about the night Esme died, meaning we never know who is friend or foe and I was searching every word and action for clues. Esme herself is an enigma, turning up out of the blue one night saying she’s been sublet the spare bedroom and revealing little about herself other than she’s there investigating the murders that happened in the small town thirty years ago. But she also feels very relatable and like Kirby I was desperate to find out the truth about her in both timelines.
A darkly funny, clever and surprising murder mystery that will keep you on your toes, I highly recommend this book.
So, which one do you want?"
I love a thriller that is injected with dark humour, so I had high hopes for this book. And I was not disappointed. L. M. Chilton has crafted a suspenseful, funny and inventive murder mystery that had me glued to its pages. The plot is delightfully absurd: Kirby gets an alert from her old housemate group chat. It’s a text from her former housemate Esme that reads, ‘Everyone in the group chat will die.’ But it isn’t the chilling message that unnerves Kirby. What really sends a chill down her spine is that Esme died twelve months ago. So who is the message from? Could they know the secrets that Kirby and her other housemates vowed to keep the night Esme died? Moving between the present and events that happened a year earlier, Chilton builds the tension as Kirby relentlessly tries to solve mysteries in both timelines but keeps things lighthearted thanks to the humour that is woven in. I was on the edge of my seat, the many twists and turns giving me book whiplash as I tried to follow the clues and solve the puzzles myself.
The compelling characters are equal parts likeable and unlikeable. There were great dynamics between them, lots of witty banter and petty squabbles that added a layer of realism and relatability. We know from the start that they are all keeping secrets about the night Esme died, meaning we never know who is friend or foe and I was searching every word and action for clues. Esme herself is an enigma, turning up out of the blue one night saying she’s been sublet the spare bedroom and revealing little about herself other than she’s there investigating the murders that happened in the small town thirty years ago. But she also feels very relatable and like Kirby I was desperate to find out the truth about her in both timelines.
A darkly funny, clever and surprising murder mystery that will keep you on your toes, I highly recommend this book.
An easy read with lots of twists and turns along the way.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wordy, very very wordy - didn't have it be as long as it was.
SO MUCH DIALOGUE
Great story just felt like the ending was over a couple of chapters (too quick). so it took ages to get there and then it was over.
SO MUCH DIALOGUE
Great story just felt like the ending was over a couple of chapters (too quick). so it took ages to get there and then it was over.