Wow, let me catch my breath, what a wild ride this book was. I started reading it one evening thinking I’ll read a few chapters then sleep but nope. I devoured around 65% of the book in the evening and I had to wake up early so I could finish it. Kerry you achieved an impossible task, I was awake at 6am on my day off just so I can finish the book! It was bloody worth it though!

Eleanor Parker, or Ellie, wakes up early one morning in the river in the village she lives in. What the hell happened to her? She remembers someone holding her under the water and she has bruises on her neck – did she die last night? Ellie returns home but finds she can’t sleep, eat, smell, feel so she comes to the conclusion she did die in that river. Ellie can’t tell anyone, who’d believe her anyway?! So she tries to figure out who murdered her. To make things even stranger, her brothers girlfriend died in the river one year ago in the same place Ellie died.

The blurb intrigued me but I knew I would love it because it’s written by the talented Kerry Wilkinson. Hell, he could write a shopping list and I’d still love it! Kerry is extremely talented, he has taken an unique plot, twisted it on it’s head about ten times, sprinkled it with mystery and the paranormal and left an absolutely brilliant book behind.

I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did though – we have a YA, coming-of-age book that has mystery, paranormal and suspense, I didn’t think it would work. How Kerry has pulled it off I don’t know. The characters are brilliantly written, Ellie is a fabulous character and her voice is just superb. I loved her descriptions of the village, she made me chuckle several times with her inner voice and I was really hoping she’d be able to solve her mystery.

I thought I’d figured out the mystery, I thought “finally, yes, Kerry hasn’t been able to blindside me” but nope, when all was revealed I was wrong! The reveal was very well-done and I was cursing Kerry for yet another time he has fooled me.

I think I could gush about this book for a long time, I will even say that as it stands at the moment it would make it on my top reads of 2018 list. It was that good! I loved everything about the book – the characters, the setting, the writing, the plot, there was absolutely nothing I didn’t like or would have changed. Tape Deck sounds like a brilliant place to go, I wish it was real!

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is a gripping, captivating read that will have you hooked from the start. It’s extremely well-written and will appeal to fans of Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars. If you’re a bit of a YA snob and turn your nose up at YA, don’t with this one, it’s so much more than a YA read. It was just brilliant.

I received a free copy of The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson from NetGalley for my honest review.

This book was a different read for me. Although it was a thriller it was more paranormal. Eleanor wakes up in a river and has to drag herself out. She doesn't remember how she got there but she does remember that someone held her under the water, trying to drowning her, and has bruises to prove it.

Eleanor doesn't sleep, eat or feel any pain. She knows she is alive because she can communicate with other people. She wants answers and wants to find out how she ended up in the river.

Even stranger, is Eleanor has a brother, Ollie. Ollie's girlfriend, Sarah, was found in the same river a year ago. Ollie struggled with the loss of his girlfriend and the accusations from other people that came with her loss.

Then another girl goes missing, and Ollie is under suspicion. Is Ollie responsible for the girls or is there something more out there?

I would consider this book a young adult supernatural thriller. I think it was just a bit far fetched for my liking.

It has a very interesting story. A woman wakes up and after a while, comes to the conclusion that she is dead.
What is even more "interesting" is that she "died/woke up" in the exact some spot that her brother's girlfriend died an exact year earlier.
That is pretty much all I can give away at this point. I don't want to ruin it for anyone! Once the book is released and more read it, I will be giving a much more in depth review!
For now, add it to your "Must Read" lists!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

Kerry Wilkinson can write anything and it will still be amazing! I have read his psychological thrillers, issue-based YA and then this! The Life and Death of Eleanor Parker is a title that I can’t even correctly categorize. What I am certain of is that it’s a brilliant read.

Eleanor wakes up in the middle of the night and finds herself in a river. It turns out that someone drowned her. However, she doesn’t remember the incident so she starts to investigate her murder. One thing you need to know though is that Eleanor isn’t really a ghost. So if you don’t like spooky reads about floating, transparent ghosts, you have nothing to worry about this one. Her portrayal is realistic and it actually is easy to forget that she is dead.

I really liked the small town setting. There is always something enchanting about these kinds of towns. I thought it was funny that the town had only one cop though. Is that possible? It really was a tiny town. Eleanor’s commentary about her town has me laughing out loud a couple of times.

I enjoyed this story and loved trying to guess who the murderer was. One of my guesses was right (Score 1 for detective Diana). Nevertheless, I liked how the author managed to make me doubt my guess a couple of times (Kerry - 1, Diana -1). In the end, the reveal was perfectly done and the motives behind the villain’s actions did surprise me.

Interestingly, this story made me think about how short life is. A couple of times, I got frustrated with Eleanor because I felt like she was wasting her time on earth. I mean, why fight with friends and lovers when you don’t have much time, right? Wouldn’t it be better to just hug everyone instead? I know, she is a teen in a strange situation. I still liked her even though I might have judged her just a little bit.

If you are looking for an entertaining, addictive, different kind of story then you should definitely read The Life and Death of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson. As matter of fact, just buy all books by this author. You will be impressed by his writing just as I am.

I did not know what to expect with this book but I ended up being very pleasently surprised.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker opens up with Eleanor waking up by the river with no memory of how she got there and what happened to her. She manages to make it home but when she gets there and takes a good look at herself something is off. She is pale, almost grey, there are bruises on her chest andnear her neck and she can't seem to get warm. After trying to eat and not being able to she begins to notices that she also feels nothing and really can't seem to smell anything. The only answer that Ellie can come up with is that she was drowned in the river and she must be dead but not dead. Her "death" took lace almost a year to the day of the death of her brother's girlfriend Sarah who happened to be drowned in almost the exact spot that Ellie awoke.

WIth a great cast of characters, a small little English village where everyone knows everyone and a good mystery this book has everything I am looking for. Eleanore is a good character who is smart, resourceful and has a wicked sense of humour this is a must read. I just loved it!

This is a very intriguing book and one which had me desparate to know what was really going on....
Elle wakes up by the river feeling strange and unsure how she got there.
She makes her way home but can’t remember anything about the night before. She tries to sleep but as soon as she closes her eyes she feels like she’s drowning.
Elle can’t understand what is happening, but tells us she ‘feels like she’s died.’
She tries to carry on as normal but deep down she knows something is wrong.
The village around her want to mark the Anniversary of the death of Sarah, a girl who was drowned a year ago in the river and Elle joins in.
Soon another girl is missing and Elle and her boyfriend try and find her.
This is a gripping read, but a bit of a strange one!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Well this was a refreshing change - a mixture of genres that worked very well for me!

This is essentially a YA novel about Ellie, who finds herself in a river and realises that she is actually dead, although to everyone else she looks alive. Yes, you have to suspend belief, and once you do, then you're in for a wonderful read. The book is a whodunnit, with plenty of mystery and a smattering of the supernatural, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I loved Ellie's character and her voice, I think, is perfect for the YA market, with plenty of wit and sassiness in the mix. The story flows along at a great pace, as we are led down all the blind alleys until we come to a gripping finale - and a twist that I did not see coming.

This is my first Kerry Wilkinson book and I'll definitely be reading more.

While I think that my high school students would love this book, it really just didn’t work for me. The supernatural element ruined the book for me. I would have preferred to have this book labeled as “supernatural fiction” because I would have never read it.

"Never trust a person who eats a gingerbread man arm-first."

This was a great mystery book. The main character Ellie, Eleanor Parker, dies and comes back to life. How did she die? Someone drowned her in a river. But who was it? She can't remember. She has to go through the next couple days trying to spark memories so she can figure out who killed her...or at least tried to? As the story progresses a lot of things rise and things are pinned on people who didn't do anything. You know how small villages are. Rumors spread quick even if they aren't real.

The person who ends up being the killer was someone I didn't expect but after I found out who it is I was wondering how I didn't think of that person.

This ended up being a quick read because I couldn't put it down once I picked it up. I usually don't read mystery books but I really liked this one. If you are a fan of mystery books then this is definitely a book for you. I highly recommend this book.

This was such a different atmosphere to any other books that I have read by Kerry Wilkinson. It was a splendid change of pace that had me pushing to get to the next chapter so I could see what happened

A refreshing twist on a who done it mystery. Elli wakes up in a river with no recolection of how she got there. She is only sure of one thing. She is dead. Through talking with friends and reading her journal she tries to piece together her last night alive. There is only one blank spot. Who actually killed her.

This book was a twisting, turning murder mystery. I have never read one from the perspective of the victim before. It was a pretty neat concpet and done very well. The depth of the characters and how she created Elli as a dead person was amazing. I loved it!

This is another brilliant book by Kerry Wilkinson. The main character is definitely different which adds to the story. Eleanor is trying to find a murderer. The story is well told and engaging. This is an enjoyable read. I am a big fan of Kerrys books and I hope he will write a lot more.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was very excited for the chance to read this and I was not disappointed. From the first page to the last, this was an excellent read. I'm sitting here at 3:40 in the morning writing my review, because I couldn't stop reading!

First, I'd like to thank Netgalley, Bookouture, and Kerry Wilkinson (the author) for allowing me to have this ARC of The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker.

**spoilers**

Eleanor wakes up in the river, freezing cold and not having any recollection of how she got there. She tries breathing only to cough up muck and water. She somehow manages to get herself up onto the bank and eventually home. She sneaks inside and makes her way to her room. She notices dark bruises on her chest and realizes they are fingerprints. She is also freezing cold and can't seem to get warm. As she tries to sleep, she feels hands, on her head and chest, pushing her deep into the river. She can't sleep. The only thing she can think of is that she died in the river that night.

From that moment on, Eleanor stops at nothing to try and figure out what happened. She knows there has to be a tie between herself and Sarah (her brother's girlfriend who was killed in the river just the year before). Everyone looks like a suspect. It isn't until another girl winds up missing, that the pieces of this suspenseful puzzle are put together into a very climactic ending.

Definitely a great read and one that will have you thinking until the very end!

I have only recently started reading and enjoying author Kerry Wilkinson's books so was keen to try this stand alone. I loved this book and found it different to many books I have read recently, in a good way.
Eleanor Parker died approximately a year after another girl had died in a small town in England where everyone knows each other's business. Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Parker wakes up cold in the river that runs through the village. Her memory is vague and has no idea how she got there but she does know that another girl was held under the water and drowned by an unknown killer. So who killed them? Eleanor is suspicious of everyone and attempts to find the answers. While Eleanor is dead, she appears to be still alive and nobody is aware of her death.
This novel is different and intriguing, twists and turns and full of suspense. An excellent book for anyone who is looking for a novel with a difference.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an hones review.

So color me surprised, but this book was pretty damn fantastic. The writing was great. It was well paced. The plot was super engaging and had me hooked from the start. The characters were intriguing. Throw in a twist that I DID NOT see coming, and you have a cracking good way to spend a few hours. I will definitely be checking out more books by this author.

I honestly can’t believe how much I liked this book—completely took me by surprise. Which really shouldn’t surprise me as I enjoy Kerry’s books as a general rule.

From the beginning we know that Eleanor has died, almost exactly a year ago that another girl had died. It’s a very small town in England, where everyone knows each other and what’s going on. So who killed Eleanor? This begins a week of her trying to solve her own death. Even suspicious of her closest friends and brother.

I will say this was unique. Eleanor is “dead” but is still living and nobody knows. She doesn’t even know why or how this is possible. Kerry did a great job with everything. It’s part coming of age, part mystery. One reviewer had likened this to a Twin Peaks type story. I would say I agree. It just had that supernatural-otherworldly feel to it. I loved it.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by both the cover and blurb as soon as I first heard about The Death And Life Of Eleanor Parker, and I just couldn't resist temptation. And WOW, this story is definitely something else! I've enjoyed reading Kerry Wilkinson's books in the past, and while going down a different road with this story, the writing is just as solid as ever. It's really easy to fully emerge yourself in the story when the writing simply flows and grabs you straight away. The plot itself is both fascinating, surprising and quite original. Ever seen the movie Deaeth Becomes Her with Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep? The main character of this story would sort of be a teenage version of Goldie or Meryl, then add a murder mystery and a healthy dose of teenage drama: an improvised recipe for The Death And Life Of Eleanor Parker. Could I have done without the love triangle? Yes please. Did certain aspects of the behavior of the main characters annoy me? Without doubt. But I was so intrigued by Ellie's situation I was able to forgive the story for it. Mystery with a hint of paranormal and a LOT of plot twists; oh yes, you will be in for one entertaining and intriguing ride. Although there are many suspects, I'm sure you won't be able to guess the final outcome early on! I really enjoyed this original twist to what could have been just another murder mystery mixed with YA elements. Different in this case is definitely a good thing!

If you are looking for something different, fascinating and entertaining to read, definitely give The Death And Life Of Eleanor Parker a go. I love my murder mysteries, but personally I really liked the added paranormal touches as it was a nice counterweight for the more cliche teenage drama and love triangle. The plot is well developed with some mayor plot twists that will make you doubt everything until the final twists are revealed. Definitely one of the more original stories I've read this year!

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker by Kerry Wilkinson satisfied my need for a gripping thriller. This mystery novel is unlike anything I’ve read before as the main character tries to solve her own murder. Eleanor is likeable and perseverant, and the writing is very suspenseful. I definitely enjoyed this one, and I would recommend it to mystery fans.This book tells the story of a girl who wakes up to remember being drowned in a river. A girl had previously been killed in the same river she was attacked in, so she believes there is a link between the two of them. I enjoyed how Eleanor works to investigate her own murder and how fast-paced the novel is. The ending was something that I could figure out fairly early on. However the shocking twist really makes up for it.

I really enjoyed Eleanor’s character. It is so interesting how she investigates her own murder, and I loved how she never gives up. Eleanor never complains about her symptoms, and she focuses instead on taking action to find the culprit. A main character I can root for is exactly what I look for in mystery novels, and I’m glad that Eleanor met my expectations.

One of my favourite aspects of the book was the suspenseful writing. The book begins with a bang as Eleanor realizes that she was dead, and it continues to build from there. Wilkinson distorts reality and creates an eerie atmosphere to complement the plot, and this kept me hooked. I have seen many other books by this author around Goodreads, and after reading this one, I should definitely give them a try.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is a suspenseful novel about a girl who investigates her own murder. I enjoyed the main character and the gripping writing style. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery novel to keep them hooked.

Even though this is aimed at young adults - it is Kerry Wilkinson so you know it is a must read which will have unusual surprises.
This is completely different from his other reads, and I found this a refreshing change.
I liked the characters and the part they played slowly unfolding the story, which kept me guessing and no I didn't figure out the ending.

Thank you netgalley, Bookouture and Kerry Wilkinson for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was the weirdest book I've ever read, but it was pretty good. I wouldn't say it was anything particularly special to me really, but I enjoyed the story and the mystery of who killed Eleanor (and whether she was actually dead).

The death stuff was a bit weird though. It was what drew me to the book to begin with, but it was mostly just weird with her not being able to eat or sleep so just wandering around trying to work things out.

In general, though it was a fairly good story. The mystery was pretty good though. There weren't really enough suspects for my liking, but it was a really satisfying conclusion.

In general, I liked it enough, but it wasn't really anything special.