The Other People by C.B. Everett was touted as a grown up Westing Game, which is my favorite book ever. I immediately grabbed it but was somewhat let down. I felt the pacing was off and I was confused by the beginning. It took a bit too long for me to get invested.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

C.B. Everett’s “The Other People” is a locked-room mystery with a dark twist, blending elements of suspense, psychological tension, and meta-analysis. The story begins with a gripping premise: a group of strangers wakes up in a locked house, unable to remember how they got there. The eclectic cast—a stripper, a mother, an ex-cop, a pedophile, a student, and others—quickly learns that they must locate a missing girl within 12 hours or face certain death. As tensions rise and bodies begin to fall, the group is forced to question one another’s motives while unraveling the mystery of their captivity.

Everett weaves a clever meta-narrative throughout, with an omnipotent voice breaking the fourth wall to provide commentary and hints, a choice that will either entertain or frustrate readers. For fans of meta-analysis (à la Cabin in the Woods), this self-aware element adds a layer of humor and intrigue.

The pacing, though, is a bit uneven. The setup takes its time, with characters wandering through the house in confusion, often distracted by long-winded conversations that feel like filler. While this slow-burn approach builds atmosphere, it also creates a sense of frustration, especially when the stakes feel artificially delayed. The real action doesn’t begin until later in the book, and the final twist—revealed in the last 10%—might be polarizing.

The cast of characters, though varied, leans heavily on stereotypes. Each is defined by their most obvious traits, which makes them easy to differentiate but sometimes difficult to empathize with. However, “The Other People” shines in its ability to toy with expectations. Everett anticipates the instincts of mystery readers, calling out tropes and subverting them just enough to keep things interesting.

Overall, “The Other People” is fast-paced (for the most part), and it’s a thought-provoking read for those who enjoy meta-narratives and dark, twisty mysteries. It’s not a perfect locked-room mystery, but for those willing to embrace its quirks, it offers an intriguing and unconventional journey.

2.5 rounded to 3, but….

Ten strangers in a country house.

Yay! I love these sorts of books, knowing, of course, that there will never be another AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, and all others are pretenders to the throne, I’m still willing to see what authors do with the trope.

Here, naturally, a killer if offing them one by one. In order to escape they have to find a missing young woman. Why were they chosen and who is killing them?

There is also an interesting third person omniscient narrator throughout.

So, this takes a turn I did not expect. Not sure how much I loved it, but it was definitely different. I can’t really give any more away than that. A 2.5, rounded to a three, I guess. But I really want to go with that 2.5.

Sinister, twisty, atmospheric. Comparisons to 'Shutter Island' are spot on. My biggest issue with this story, however, is the pace. In order for the mystery and twists to have full impact it needs a quicker pace. Fast pacing = suspense and tension.

Hmm, okay. Well, positive things first, I suppose. I did like the ending a lot. Not exactly the way it was written here and with these characters, but the twist was excellent. If the rest of the book had been more enjoyable, the twist probably would have blown me away. It reminds me a lot of the ending of an outstanding novel (and movie) that I won't mention the name of here because it'd almost certainly spoil things, but it was awesome and I never saw it coming. (Edit: it has been pointed out to me by another review that the publisher's blurb mentions the novel/film by name, but whatever. I'm still not going to say it just because it feels wrong.)

And, yeah, I'm pretty sure I've now exhausted my list of positives. Which I feel kind of bad about, really, because the ending kind of explains away almost everything I disliked about this book. Unfortunately, it can't go back and make the first 95% of the story more enjoyable after the fact, so I'm not exactly sure what to do about that. Oh, well.

So where to start? I hated the characters. Every. Last. One. They're all two-dimensional and awful people, and they all have the same “voice” and sound exactly alike. And sweet baby kittens on a cracker, WTF was going on with that relationship between Ramona and ol' What's-Her-Name with the baby? These people went from strangers to “I'm in love with you so let me throw my baby down unsupervised on the floor of a murder house so we can bang instead of looking for the woman who's about to die” in about twelve seconds flat.

Speaking of the missing woman, did anyone even care that she was going to die?!? Everyone was bickering and banging and having food and tea and wandering around aimlessly, and the fact that someone's life was at stake was but a distant concern. I mean, I get it, they didn't exactly ask for the responsibility of finding her, but still.

And oh my gosh, the melodrama. I checked the blurb for this book, like, five times to make sure I didn't miss the word “satirical” somewhere because it was so over the top. Everyone in this book needed some Xanax and serious therapy … and jail time, in some cases.

Again, I get that the twist kind of makes all of the above … irrelevant? More understandable? Explainable? (view spoiler) It certainly made me look at events in a new light, but it doesn't change how much I disliked reading it up until that point.

So, yeah. If you like books with excellent twists, uh, I guess you could read this one? But maybe just go read the book-that-must-not-be-named from the blurb instead because it's much, much better.

2.15 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 25, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

There should’ve been a TW for child loss, as a parent that scene was quite disturbing and lost a star from me for that.

This book was an absolute rollercoaster. The ending threw me for a loop.

This was just not for me. I enjoyed the “beast” parts, that felt unique and intriguing. However, the rest of the story felt like I was amongst the characters just wandering around.

I usually pride myself with the ability to figure out most mysteries. This one killed me! Not at all like the three different possibilities I had in mind. Pretty creepy (especially the beast in the cellar)!!! I can easily see this as a movie.

The Other People combines the tension of a locked-room mystery with psychological intrigue, offering plenty of twists along the way. The eerie setting and complex characters create a chilling atmosphere, though the pacing may frustrate some readers. While comparisons to And Then There Were None and Shutter Island are inevitable, the book’s meta elements add a unique layer, even if they don’t fully compensate for familiar tropes. Fans of twist-heavy mysteries may appreciate the journey, though the ending could be divisive.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Other People.
This is very good and great surprise ending.
What happens when a group of people wake up with no memory of how they got in a strange room. They are all from different places but have been told they have something in common. A stripper, a mother with a child, a business woman, an older woman with a bad attitude, a pedophile, a ex cop, an army man, and a student.
They are brought together because they are going to find a woman in 12 hours and if they don’t. Not only will the woman die but they will too.
So the hunt is on and they have 12 hours and the headcount will start to dwindle quickly. And who will survive while only time will tell. Very good. 4 stars

Despite the similarities to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, I was really enjoying this book until Part 3. I liked the Beast the best as he provided comedic relief. However, once it became clear that the book strongly took from the two stores that inspired it, it suddenly became much less interesting. This book basically told the story that Shutter Island did. And because that book/movie was original, it made this book feel unoriginal by comparison.

3 stars not including the meta. 3.5 stars with the meta.

First of all thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing an advanced copy for an unbiased review.

The Other People has a lot of scenery chewing and lampshade hanging.
It knows where its inspriations come from and it knows the instincts of its intended audience (the typical mystery/thriller reader).
There will be many moments where you eyeroll at certain characters or begin to suspect the game the author is playing, and then shortly after the 'author's voice within the book' will call it out or say "Nope, you are wrong".

Is the meta-analysis callouts enough to make up for stereotypical characters and tropes? I would say not, which is why this is not a 4 or 5 for me.
This would be a treat for a mystery reader who has never had a meta read (think of a horror fan watching the film Cabin in the Woods for the first time - some horror, plenty of meta on the horror).

It also does not help that the structure/twist of the book is very very similar to a 2003 film (which I will not name here), so I had known exactly what was going on very early on, and was not able to be surprised by the twist.

All-in-all, I would say to give this a read if you intend to get it done in one or two sittings so it can have the greatest punch.

I'm not sure why this book has bad reviews. I absolutely loved it! It reminds me of the movie Saw. Which I also loved! I love the multiple POVs and all the details about the characters. It helps everything come together for the twist!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Oooooof this was a let down. The concept sounded right up my alley as I LOVE locked room mysteries and stories with that trope are usually a guaranteed good time for me. This one, however, was... different.

The plot and pacing felt off to me. After the inciting incident kicks off, the characters sort of move on and forget about it, wandering around through countless chapters that make you feel like you're losing a sense of time. I believe this was intentional, but it made for a strange and frustrating reading experience.

The story really hinges on the twist/reveal that you get in the final 10% of the story. That reveal will either make it or break it for you, and for me, I did not love the direction this story decided to take.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

Okay, I don't even know where to start with this. The writing itself wasn't all bad but it felt like the author would rather bombard us with information instead of letting the characters speak for themselves. I love, LOVE a good locked room mystery but this one fell flat. I so badly wanted to like this but it wasn't interesting enough to keep me wanting to read till the end. Even the dialogue fell flat, even when it was just in the characters thoughts. Dark with a body count, it should make a good thriller/horror but sadly this one wasn't a fit.

This was a pretty fun book! I loved the introduction of the characters at the beginning- it made it a lot easier to keep track of everyone. The demon character was really funny as well. The plot twist at the end caught me off guard.

The Other People is a gripping, suspenseful mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are complex and real, and the story delves deep into themes of grief and betrayal. The eerie atmosphere and unexpected twists had me on edge, though the pacing was a bit slow in parts. Overall, it’s a psychological drama that stays with you long after you finish. If you love a good twisty mystery, this one’s definitely worth reading.

after multiple attempts at reading- I have decided to DNF. I’m hoping to return to it in the future but right now i’m unable to connect with the author’s writing style.

Ever dive into a book and come out feeling all the things? That’s me right now. This story had me hooked from the start—a dark house, strangers, secrets, and the ultimate whodunit vibes. I mean, how could you not be intrigued? It’s giving Agatha Christie meets thriller-movie chaos, and honestly, I was here for it.

The twists? Pretty clever. The characters? A bit hit or miss. Some of them were like, “Yes, I love the drama you’re bringing!” while others felt kind of... meh. But hey, not everyone gets a leading role, right? Also, there were moments where the pace slowed a bit, but then, bam! Something wild would happen, and I’d be back in.

The ending? It’s one of those where you’re either clapping or side-eyeing the book. For me, it landed just enough to round this out as an enjoyable ride. Definitely one I’d recommend if you like your mysteries a little dark and a little messy.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

First of all, can we talk about how good this cover is? It feels both very current and very timeless, and immediately grabbed my attention. I was also very intrigued by the locked-door setup, but all of the POVs threw me for a loop. I rarely find multiple perspectives that work for me, and unfortunately, this wasn't one of them.