A good cast of characters that were interesting to read about, with engaging writing. This is not my typical read but I'm glad I gave it a go because I enjoyed it immensely. The narrator my favourite aspect of this book as she is amusing and interesting. I would highly recommend giving it a read.

I really enjoyed this book, it had a bit of everything and it kept you guessing. It flowed really well and I read it quite quickly. Definitely recommend.

Good things first, it wasn't boring and the setting was very strong.

The bad: I know who murdered Eleanor Parker. It was me. For someone who was murdered, she sure didn't act like this was a big deal. Or that she was worried that she was going to go back to be dead.

And there is the hugest cliche of high school life: The Heathers. The three girl cliche that is so tiring to read/see. There was one point when the main Heather is given a reason for being a bitch. And that reason is another huge cliche.

I have read and loved most of Kerry's books, especially the Jessica Daniel series and many of his standalone books.

I must admit I did struggle with this one, I found it hard to get into and the storyline just didn't grip me but this is just my opinion., I am sure many readers will love it.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I found that it had a brisk pace and an interesting cast of teenagers who were the right blend of endearing but obnoxious. Eleanor's personality shone throughout the novel, and I did want to know what happened to her.

I just have three hangups. First of all, when waking up and realizing she'd died, she never sought out help for her condition or pushed the boundaries. She didn't seem to know or care if she was full zombie and just went about her life coasting. That was weird. Second, there are way too many asides that feel like the author's own personal thoughts. (We really didn't need a tangent about how sadistic you are based on how you eat a gingerbread man!) Finally, I thought the ending was way too convenient and, to be frank, cheesy. I get that it's YA, but it felt cheap.

Because this is a young adult book, I read it with my students in mind, and that can make reviewing tough! As an adult reader, there were times in the very beginning when I really didn't like Ellie-- she is partly "mean girl," and if I don't like my main character, I have a hard time buying into the story. As an adult, I'm not sure the pieces in this mystery seemed "realistic" (the supernatural elements notwithstanding-- the adults in the story made decisions that didn't always feel "adult," maybe. . . ).

However, it's ALSO true that this novel will be extremely popular with my students. Wilkinson's ability to build suspense and keep the reader hanging on (without it feeling "cheap" or becoming TOO long) is exceptional. He blends supernatural, thriller, and mystery with real skill, and the story has very little "lag" time (I appreciate that the action starts at the very beginning, while still giving the reader some solid bearings regarding the characters and the situation). Some of the things that made me dislike Ellie (such as her ongoing hatred for the (very petty) "Ravens") may even make her more "real" to the young people who are the intended audience. Although some of my students may have trouble with the British-isms ("college" versus "university," for example), I like those because they are an easy introduction to a different culture (and a reminder that this story IS by a British author, who proves that we have the basics in common, no matter where we live. )

I enjoyed Ellie's exploration into the supernatural aspect of her predicament. Wilkinson spends a little time on several "explanations," which might be a really interesting way into further investigation (makes me think of the book Lily Dale by Christine Wicker)! I also appreciate that these parts were brief, and didn't bog down the pacing of the story.

The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker was truly an enjoyable read. I'll have a copy on my classroom shelves, and I look forward to recommending this one to my students!

This was exactly what I needed! I’ve been reading so many “psychological thrillers” with “the surprise twist you won’t see coming” that I’m burnt out. Mainly because these books have been neither thrilling or surprising.

This was something different, but good different. The narrator is amusing and interesting, despite being somewhat long winded in parts. But that didn’t detract from the story.

The solution was one I didn’t see coming. Was it realistic? I guess that depends on the person. I know people may laugh at this response or rationalization but I can roll with it. Some things can’t be explained so easily, or at all. I think even if you fall into the opposite camp you will still walk away happy. I hope you do.

I enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it. I will check out the author’s other works. Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author. I received this book in exchange for a review. The opinions are my own.

This book was everything a thriller should be and more!

Eleanor Parker wakes up in a river and can't remember how she got there - drenched clothes, bruised chest. She feels nothing, and senses little. Ellie as she is called by many, cannot feel physical pain, her skin is grey, and she can hardly smell anything. Everyone can see her and it's as if life is just moving forward normally. Is she or isn't she really dead? If she is dead, who would have killed her? Plenty of people around her sure have a motive to see Eleanor's life come to an end. Was it her best friend, her boyfriend, her own brother maybe? This psychological thriller entices you from the first page and keeps you drawn in the whole way through. This book is absolutely everything a psychological thriller should be. I could not put it down. Every secret slowly comes unraveled to leave you guessing until the very end when it all shockingly comes together.

Enjoyed the book and the main character Ellie. She remains so calm, even after she knows that she drowned and someone killed her. From the beginning I suspected who the killer was but I didn't know why.

Ellie wakes up in the river and doesn't remember how she got there. When she gets home she realizes she's dead and remembers someone holding her underwater. She can't sleep or eat and pretty much everyone says she looks awful. Ellie decides to investigate her death. She puts the usual suspects on her list- boyfriend, best friend, best friend's boyfriend, brother and weird guy who works a the diner. Her drowning coincides with one year anniversary of the death of her brother's girlfriend, Sarah. Sarah was also found drowned in the river. Before Ellie is able to solve the mystery another girl goes missing.

I definitely recommend the book. It was a quick read and I didn't want to stop until everything was revealed. I enjoyed the story, characters and writing style. I have enjoyed the previous Kerry Wilkinson books that I read and look forward to reading more. There's always a mystery to solve and twists and turns that you didn't expect.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author, Kerry Wilkinson, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.

First off the premise of effectively investigating your own murder is not one I have commonly come across, although thrillers/mystery are not my usual go to genre. The subplots involving self-discovery and dealing with familial relationships also drew me into the narrative.

The characters (both Eleanor and secondary characters) seemed well thought out although I did find certain characters such as Rebecca and her posse to not only be forgettable but also unnecessary to the plot. Special mention however goes to Melek - I always love a character just frankly could not care less what others think of their behaviour (i think i'd pinch those apples too)

Plot-wise, I found it to be enjoyable in the most part. At various points throughout I felt I had it worked out however the final 10% completely turned what I thought I knew on its head. The twist was not necessarily shocking, more unpredictable. I did feel however that the ending was slightly rushed - ideally I would have preferred greater pagespace be given to the finale rather than the references to supernatural involvement which felt as though they had been added in simply to appease a subgroup of readers.

Overall I found the narrative to be effectively and enjoyable. While it derailed at times, the author seemed to quickly overcome the hurdle and steer the story back on track for the most part. Upon its release, I would definitely recommend it to friends who regularly read the genre.

Thank you to Bookouture for the Arc of this book, it was a thrilling read, a refreshing idea for a thriller/mystery book, didn’t see that ending coming!!

What a thrilling and fantastic read!
I have read Kerry Wilkinson's books before and they are always a great read.

Each one of his novels is filled with tension and mystery. In the Death and Life of Eleanor Parker, our hero Eleanor wakes up in a river in the middle of the night.
With no memory of what happened to her, she goes home where she discovers she is not technically really alive anymore? Her skin is gray and she has no appetite for food or anything.

Eleanor tries to discover what has happened to her, mostly because the year before, her boyfriends girlfriend Sarah was also found drowned in the river.
As Eleanor tries to piece together what has happened to her that night, things greatly escalate.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a novel full of tension and great characters.

3. 5 stars I'm a fan of Kerry Wilkinson's Jessica Daniel series and have enjoyed several of his standalone novels. The Death and Life of Eleanor Parker is the latest standalone to be released, merging mystery, YA, and paranormal. It feels different from the other standalone novels by Wilkinson, but the premise hooked me from the beginning.

Eleanor wakes up and drags herself from a river. Her memory of how she got there is a blank, but she is aware that someone held her under the water, drowning her. She has bruises on her neck and chest marking the efforts of her killer.

Eleanor can interact with people who see her and talk to her, but she doesn't eat, doesn't sleep, and doesn't feel pain. She attempts to find out what happened at the party she attended before waking up in the river, trying to discover who was responsible for drowning her.

A year previously, her brother's girlfriend Sarah was found in the same river. Her brother Ollie went through a difficult time with the loss of the girl he loved and with the accusations, whispers, and rumors blaming him for Sarah's murder. Even as Eleanor searches for her own killer, another young girl goes missing, and once again Ollie is under suspicion.

You have to be willing to accept the implausible and just let yourself be entertained. The "suspension of disbelief" is required for a great deal of fiction, and although I questioned, I continued to enjoy this novel.

Blog review scheduled for July 10

NetGalley/Bookoutre

Mystery/YA/Paranormal. June 26, 2018.

A gripping thriller that got me from the very start. The cover pulled me in and so did the interesting story. I would recommend this one to any fans of thrillers.

I couldn't get into the writing style for this one. The novel started interesting where the girl wakes up in an unknown environment and can't remember how she ended up there, but her thought process was tiresome and she didn't seem too concerned either. Thanks for the ARC though.

I can almost see chris pratt in the lead for this....honestly kerry has done it again, I'm a huge jessica daniels fan but this one off is just fab. Quirky, enthralling, dare I say it has a twist?

Eleanor Parker wakes up ice-cold in the river with no memory of how she got there. She’s sure she’s actually dead, and sets out to find out who killed not only her, but another girl who was killed the year before. It turns out there are plenty of suspects, and the seventeen year old girl won’t stop looking until she found out who killed her. Part of the fun of this story is trying to figure out if Eleanor is indeed dead, or not.