This may honestly be in the ten worst books I’ve ever read. It’s a giant trope fest with a plot literally lifted from a crappy B movie (not Shutter Island, which is actually good). The writing is juvenile - are we supposed to enjoy reading what’s essentially like reading a 13 year old boy rambling nonsensically?

This was terrible. Sorry but that’s the honest truth. I can’t think of many books I’ve disliked this much. Also please stop with the bullshit portrayals of mental health. It’s extremely damaging.

Locked room mysteries are my jam and this one definitely hit the mark. I was hooked from the start and could not and did not want to stop until the end. Between the short chapters, multiple POVs, and cliff hangers I flew through this book. Yes there are a handful of characters in the book but you gradually get introduced to them and their POV, which I enjoyed. I was guessing the whole time on who the killer was and that final twist at the end had me surprised. I really enjoyed how it ended and found it creative and I honestly haven’t read something like it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this locked room thriller and would recommend it to anyone who likes And Then There Were None vibes!

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book, but the multiple POVs made it hard to keep up with, and the character development and plot were underwhelming.

The other people is an intense, gripping, and psychological mystery thriller that will keep you on your toes. There are many characters and many twists to keep you guessing and running through this book to get to the end. Addictive and pulse racing book I recommend to all!

I liked it but didn’t love it. I did find myself a bit bored at times because a locked room mystery is really hard to pull off these days (IMO) and done quite a bit.
The premise was good, the execution was ok but lock room mystery fabs will probably love this.

Really good concept but I'm not sure it fully nailed the execution. Parts we really good but overall I think this bit off a little more than it could chew.

This was not really what I was expecting. First, it was very difficult to keep track of who was who. It also felt like there was a lot unnecessary stuff in there. It was really difficult to finish and stay engaged with this.

Book: The Other People
Author: C.B. Everett
Pub Date: March 25, 2025

This book fell flat for me. There were several characters with several POV's and nothing for me was tied together. Events in the house were confusing and I never really cared about any of the characters. I could just never get into the storyline. Thank you to NetGalley for this sneak peek!

In The Other People, C.B. Everett delivers a gripping thriller that masterfully blends classic mystery elements with modern psychological tension. The narrative begins with ten strangers awakening in a locked, antiquated house, each with no memory of how they arrived. Their predicament intensifies as they discover that to escape, they must solve the disappearance of a young woman, all while a killer lurks among them, systematically reducing their numbers.

Drawing inspiration from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Everett crafts a story that pays homage to traditional "locked-room" mysteries while introducing fresh twists that keep readers on edge. The confined setting of the old house amplifies the suspense, creating an atmosphere thick with paranoia and distrust.

Each character is meticulously developed, their backstories and motivations gradually unveiled, adding depth to the unfolding drama. As alliances form and fracture, the tension escalates, leading to a series of revelations that challenge both the characters' and readers' perceptions.

Everett's prose is both sharp and evocative, painting vivid scenes that immerse readers in the eerie ambiance of the house. The pacing is expertly managed, with each chapter peeling back another layer of the intricate plot, culminating in a climax that is both unexpected and satisfying.

The Other People is a testament to Everett's skill in revitalizing classic mystery tropes, offering a narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is thrilling. This novel is a must-read for enthusiasts of psychological thrillers and fans of intricately plotted mysteries that challenge the mind and quicken the pulse.

Agatha Christie meets the House of Usher in C.B. Everett’s The Other People. This book reads so fast, I hated to put it down.
A British college student wakes up in a tight space with a thunderstorm going on. He’ s in a strange house with nine other people, ripped from their private lives. An ex-cop, an exotic dancer, a bitchy businesswoman, a whiny older woman, an Army captain, a mom and her baby, a thief and a pedophile are at the dinner table with deadly instructions. Find a missing girl within twelve hours or die trying.
Everett visits the minds of the ten victims as they try to outthink their way past bloody consequences. Who’s the mysterious owner of the house? Why do the paintings keep changing? And where is the kidnapped girl?
The finale will shock and surprise. The Other People breaks the boundaries of the closed house mystery with psychological symbolisms and bloodied ids. Enter if you dare for a short, deadly and very satisfying whodunnit in an out of bounds house populated by fools.

I was really looking forward to Evertt's book The Other People because it was a locked room mystery like Agatha Christie's. I did not initially connect to any of the characters and the events in the house were plain confusing at times. However, in the end, it did tie the book up. But overall, I don't think this one was for me.

This is one of those books that is hard to review without spoilers, a lot of spoilers. It is a riff on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (the third title for this book as the first two were racist), but if Christie had written The Other People her coauthor would have been Stephen King. Well into the book I really didn’t like it. Either liked or hated the characters. Didn’t get why the author didn’t use the narrative device of time running out to motivate more strongly. I found the Beast in the Cellar to be at turns insipid and condescending to the reader. Hated when the Black lesbian pole dancer was offed. But I stuck it out and literally the whole thing comes together in the last few pages of the book, brilliantly.

Loved the ending

I started off liking this unabashedly Agatha Christie-like closed room mystery. Strangers from several countries find themselves waking up in an old mansion, with some of their possessions and being served (but there are no staff people seen to serve them) their favorite foods. Then they are killed, one by one. And portraits of each murdered guest are quickly replaced with portraits of them after being killed.

It moved right along and kept my attention. Then, toward the end, the fact that everyone was getting killed in grusome ways but there was so little to be discovered as to why or how started to bug me. I was close to finishing and wanted to reach the conclusion before I fell asleep. but just could't read the last bit. I woke up and finished it and, wow. It all made sense.

I thought it was imaginative and really like the way it came together.

I wanted to love this one more than I did. I was expecting a locked door murder mystery, and although that's basically what it is, it was mostly just people behaving badly. It was hard to differentiate between the characters and the then the decisions that they made while murders were happening just didn't make it feel plausible. I definitely wouldn't act that way in a situation like this. There is a twist at the end that I wasn't expecting and yeah, it was good and made things a bit more believable but overall, for most of it, it just fell flat for me!!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

The Other People is a gripping, high-concept thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The novel begins with a chilling premise: Ten strangers awake in an old, locked house with no recollection of how they arrived. With no way out and no idea who they can trust, they soon realize they are caught in a deadly race against time to solve the disappearance of a young woman—before a mysterious killer picks them off one by one. The tension mounts as the strangers must not only figure out the girl’s fate but also grapple with their own secrets, guilt, and suspicions.

Everett excels at creating an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere, turning the house itself into a character with its dark rooms, winding hallways, and a foreboding cellar. Each room feels like a trap, each twist of the plot like another nail in the coffin, and as bodies start to pile up, the group’s desperation grows. The pacing is relentless, with short, sharp chapters that ratchet up the urgency, while the suspenseful narrative is constantly laced with doubt—who is the killer? What is the true purpose of this mysterious gathering?

The characters are intriguing and complex, each harboring secrets and motives that slowly surface, keeping the reader engaged in the mystery of who they really are. As the story progresses, the line between ally and enemy blurs, and trust becomes a deadly game. What’s particularly striking is the way Everett explores the characters' shifting relationships and alliances, constantly testing their morality and survival instincts under immense pressure.

Overall, The Other People is an electrifying and unpredictable thriller. With its ingenious plot, layered characters, and a tense atmosphere that never lets up, it’s a perfect read for those who enjoy psychological thrillers where the stakes are life and death—and trust is the most dangerous weapon of all. If you love a good locked-room mystery or a psychological puzzle, this book will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

1/5 stars: This is Everett's stand-alone which is a Mystery Thriller that follows a group of strangers gathered at a mysterious country house as they race against time to solve the disappearance of a young woman and stop a serial killer. Everett's writing and character work are well done. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 10%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

3 stars.

Felt very disconnected from the story and the characters. Also had a hard time staying engaged but I do know this book is meant for someone.

Ten strangers who wake up in a big mansion where they are killed off one by one? Yes, please, that is my favorite trope. There is also a mysterious character known only as “the beast in the basement” and who gives a meta-analysis of what’s happening compared to such mysteries? OMG, more, more… and then… to say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. The characters behave in ways that are inconsistent, going from one extreme to the other with barely an explanation. The dialogues and the things that they fixate on make little sense considering their circumstances. This is somewhat explained in the end, but the main reveal was silly and overdone. There is a movie and a superior book with exactly the same idea. I can imagine how hard it must be to write a novel, so I hate giving it a bad review and I also know that there is a limited number of twists one can think of, but the rest of the book wasn’t that interesting to begin with. I really wanted to like this, but it wasn’t for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Atria Books.

Listen. I love And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It is the perfect "picking them off one by one" story. So, I have an issue with authors trying to come back and recreate it. Unfortunately, they'll always be compared to AC. As such, The Other People fell flat.

OMG. I have so many thoughts about this book!

The level of detail about the house and the murders? Chef’s kiss. It was creepy, immersive, and had me feeling like I was right there, trapped with the characters. And The Beast in the Cellar? A total scene-stealer. That sassy, insightful commentary popping up every few chapters? Loved it. Actually meeting the Beast? Yeah… not as fun.

I genuinely had no clue how this whole kidnapping-murder-mystery-rescue mission was even possible, let alone how it would end. Every time I thought I had a grip on things—bam! Another twist. My brain is still recovering.

If you love locked-room mysteries with a touch of chaos, sharp humor, and a plot that refuses to play fair, you need to read this. Fantastic job, C.B. Everett!