A scientist is found dead in the deep tunnels of the CERN large hadron collider, killed from being irradiated even though the collider was supposedly shut down for maintenance. It sounds like an exciting premise for a mystery book with a lot of physics thrown in. However, I found the book difficult to get through. It moved very slowly and the characters didn’t grab my interest. I found the characters all to be hiding truths about themselves constantly and never being honest with the investigator brought in. The later part of the book got a little more interesting when we saw more truths come out about what was really going on, but by that point I had lost interest I’m sorry to say. The book tries to throw a lot at us, physics, international espionage, space-time travel, etc. I think it was all a bit too much. I give the book 2 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It can’t be easy to write a book about CERN scientists. Dumb them down for the normal reader and no one will believe that these are geniuses. Portray their inner monologues about quantum physics and no one but actual CERN scientists will understand. Nova Jacobs toes this line constantly and, at least from the point of view of this layperson, she aces it. I kept being amazed at the dialogues and concepts, but I still understood. Most of the characters are literal geniuses and I still related to them because, in the end, we are all preoccupied about the same issues. The “consulting detective” investigating an accident that could have been either suicide or murder is the one normal person in the group; but she still has a background in physics. As a mystery it is superb but, for once, I wasn’t trying to figure out whodunit. I was more invested in the other mystery, life, the cosmos, the possibility of multiple universes, dark matter and quantum physics. The characters discuss all this, plus philosophy, art and the soul. If this makes it sound like it’s boring, it’s not. The plot moves along at 99.9% the speed of light (a little physics humor) with a suspenseful, heartbreaking and transcendent story.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Atria Books.

This was fantastic. I read in one day because I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Loved the concept but it felt slower paced than I’d like and didn’t hold my attention consistently.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

I found this book hard to get into. The scientific explanations went a bit over my head, and sometimes it felt like they went on forever.
The story however was thrilling and mysterious. I just felt distracted by the science from those good qualities in the book. I thought the plot was smart and different, but I don’t think this book was for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was intriguing enough to keep my interest, but not having a scientific background, it was kind of hard to follow the physics aspect. I’d say it was reminiscent of a Grisham or Creighton novel from a detailed aspect. It’s not my typical genre but I liked the characters and I thought the writing was well done, For those who are a little more cerebral and can follow science, I think it would be a good read.

This mystery is for anyone who appreciates mysteries bigger than those in novels: the mysteries of our existence and our interconnectedness to the universe and other people.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Loved the mystery of a good “who done it” mixed in with a little bit of a love story and a good bit of science. The thrill of finding out what happened kept me going to see what was going on.

This was a fun, suspenseful book set at CERN, featuring a cast of very interesting scientist-type characters. As the setting is a science lab, yes, there is a certain level of scientific understanding necessary to enjoy the book. I'm definitely just your average layperson, and I didn't find any of the science-y stuff to be confusing or overwhelming. In fact, I found myself googling some of the theories mentioned in passing, just to read a little more about them. I enjoyed the writing and the characters, but I didn't always love the plot. Some of the metaphyiscal stuff at the end felt a bit too whimsical and convenient for me. Overall a 4-star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs is a clever mystery set in a captivating location: CERN, the lab near Geneva.

As a scientist, I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell flat for me. It starts very slow and lacks the suspense you’d expect from a murder mystery. There is A LOT of physics information and explanations that I found fascinating but could see many others not enjoying. The books relationships are very one dimensional and hard to connect to.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this eARC!

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

The cover and the title intrigued me, and the description also seemed like an interesting read. I started reading, and realized it wasn't grabbing my attention like I thought it would. I can see people liking this and getting invested with the story, so if I can find a reasonably priced physical copy when it releases, I may try and get a hold of it for my library.

This is a fun story with some realistic science and tech, along with some interesting characters. I look forward to Jacob's next book.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Much like its predecessor, this is a very clever book. Only wherein The Last Equation went in for math, The Stars is all about quantum physics. It’s as fascinating as it is dizzying, but ultimately rather exciting.
Much like its predecessor, this is essentially a murder mystery, albeit one of the highest literary order and one wrapped in science.
One might argue that it is rather wrapped in science, but for me it was a plus. I’m tired of formulaic mystery thrillers that populate the market these days, and it’s a pleasure to see someone deviate from formula. Especially when that someone has the chops to do it, as Nova Jacobs clearly does.
The setting is the character here in a huge way. It was definitely what attracted me to the story. Switzerland, Geneva, CERN laboratory. And a writer of Jacobs’s skill brings it all to life with transporting vividness.
Much like its predecessor,. the story took a while to get going. It’s dense, heavily scientific. You have to appreciate those thing,. or you won’t care about it. If you do, though, it’s an excellent puzzle of a tale that’ll surprise you until the very end.
Beautifully written, character driven, and (yes, I’ll say it again because not enough books are these days) so clever, this was an enjoyable read. Not the lightest or the easiest and somewhat slow, but ultimately rewarding, this novel takes you to a different place and makes you reconsider everyday things through a different lens. What more can you ask for? Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

3.5 stars. It was an extremely slow start with a bunch of physics talk and i worried we’d never get to the plot. I had no issue with the authors knowledge of physics, which in fact made the book seem more real. I just felt that too much time was built up on the physics aspects of the book and sometimes the murder plot got lost in all of it.

About halfway through the book, it starts getting juicy. Howard mysteriously dies and Sabine is brought in from the outside to figure it out before word spreads that the CERN lab has a murderer inside of it. What comes from this is the physics version of Multiverse of Madness, only better written. Eve holds the secret to Howard’s escapades in the tunnels but guards them for his memory.

I felt like this book spent a lot of time on the physics part (which I understand why) but it took a very long time getting to the suspense and murder mystery of it. When we finally got there, I couldn’t stop flipping through the pages wanting to know how it ends.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs is a clever and exciting mystery set in a captivating location: CERN, the lab near Geneva.

The premise of the story is that eeep beneath the ground outside of Geneva, where CERN’s Large Hadron Collider smashes subatomic particles at breathtaking speeds, a startling discovery is made when the tunnel is down for maintenance: the body of Howard Anderby, a brilliant and recently arrived young physicist, who appears to have been irradiated by the collider. But security shows no evidence of him entering the tunnel, and for all of the lab’s funding, its video surveillance is sorely lacking.

Eager to keep the death under wraps until more is known, CERN brings in private investigator Sabine Leroux, who has her own ties to the lab’s administration—and more than a passing interest in particle physics.

The story reminded me of what a dramatic episode of The Big Bang Theory would be like.

I enjoyed the overall story; it had a solid mystery, and I learned a lot about physics. I felt there were good twists and red herrings to hold my interest and keep me invested in the story. The author had a nice writing style and made the information easy to understand.

I would recommend reading this book.

#TheStarsTurnedInsideOut #NetGalley @AtriaBooks

I'm caving on this one – it's just not hitting for me, despite picking it up three or four different times now. The characters don't feel engaging, so even though I'm curious about what's going on at CERN and how the man in the tunnel died, I can't hang in there long enough to find out. The writing isn't bad, but I didn't feel the initial hook that would lead me to continue reading along.

This is a murder mystery that takes place at the CERN Hadron collider,sort of a Knives Out for physicists. I enjoyed the story, it was just a little too long.