I always check out the cover of a book before starting to read. I liked what I saw on C.B.'s Everett's new book - The Other People.

Nine adults and a child in a big old house.....

"Ten strangers. An old dark house. A killer picking them off one by one. And a missing girl who’s running out of time…And then there was one."

I liked the Christie reference in the beginning of the book, but it didn't last long. The Other People has a darker feel - no cozy here!

The unknowing is frightening for the ten. Tempers flare as they go exploring the house. But, the house is never the same for any of them.

I disliked all of the characters - except for the child. The behavior of the nine doesn't make sense - they wander around eating, getting a good nap in and more. Not quite the reactions I would have expected. Oh, and don't go down to the basement.

The final revelation is certainly one I could one never have predicted. And it changed what I had thought. Very clever, but sadly it came too late for this reader.

This story pulled me in from the start and kept me hooked the entire time. The mystery and characters brought to life kept me turning the pages.
I raced through the story, reading it in one sitting because I just had to see how it would end.

Oof, this is a tough one to review. I’m a fan this trope but boy, oh, boy is there a lot going on here! Too many character POV’s and none of them very likeable or memorable for me to latch on to.

The twist was definitely twisty and I really enjoyed that. Aside from getting to that, though, it was a tad painful to get to. I found myself setting this down and then picking it back up again, time and again. This could be a me problem because my friend loved it. So, give this a try.

My thanks to Atria Books for this gifted copy!

5 stars and I'm still like WTF?!
Ok I loved this one!! This was so good! It's hard to describe how much I enjoyed this book. It's creepy, twisty, weird and the ending had my jaw on the floor. That twist I never saw coming! I loved the set up of the story and the multiple POVs. Although there are a lot of characters, it was easy to keep track of who was who. If I didn't have to do other things, I would've finished this in a day. There are some disturbing and triggering things in this book so take that into consideration. But l highly recommend this one if the synopsis sounds good to you!!

Ah, the locked-room mystery—one of my favorite tropes. There’s nothing quite like a group of unsuspecting people trapped in a creepy old house, getting bumped off one by one while paranoia runs high. Classic. So, naturally, I was excited for The Other People.

What I wasn’t prepared for? A cast of characters so mind-numbingly ridiculous that I started rooting for the murderer.

What Didn’t Work
-The Characters (AKA Cardboard Cutouts With Bad Decision-Making Skills)
The book bounces between different characters, but none of them feel remotely like real people. Instead, we get a lineup of walking clichés making choices so wildly illogical that I half-expected one of them to say, “Hey, let’s split up!” and then wander directly into the arms of the killer. I lost count of how many times I muttered, Really? That’s your move? under my breath.

- Pacing: Slower Than a Horror Movie Character Running From Danger
The beginning draaaags. It took me forever to get into the story, and not in an ooh, this is a slow-burn thriller kind of way—more in an I’m debating whether to start folding my laundry instead way.

What (Barely) Saved It
-The Ending (AKA The One Good Part)
Just when I was about to write this book off completely, the ending actually surprised me. The twist wasn’t brand-new—I’ve seen similar ones in other books and movies—but I didn’t see it coming, which counts for something. It took the story from tragic dumpster fire to mildly entertaining train wreck.

Would I recommend The Other People? Only if you enjoy reading about wildly unlikable people making baffling choices while you yell at them like it’s a bad horror movie. The twist was fun, but not enough to make up for the slog it took to get there.

10 people wake up in a locked house with no recollection on how they got there. If they want to be released, they need to solve the disappearance of a missing girl within 12 hours. As the hour counts down, they start to get picked off one by one.

I was initially excited about this book because it gave the same premise as And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. It was a slow start and finally picked up about halfway through. I still feel like it fell short.

Honestly, the characters were rememberable (which makes sense since the other characters couldn't remember each other either) so it was hard to stay focused with the multiple POVS.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC of The Other People by C.B. Everett.

Well, I finished it. I have struggled with where to begin this review because I wanted to try and find some redeeming qualities, but must admit that although I had hoped to like it, I found myself thoroughly disappointed. The synopsis of the book really plays up the Agatha Christie classic locked-room mystery trope, which is definitely something that almost always hooks me in. That being said, Agatha Christie this is not. Classic locked-room mystery this is not. And not even in an original or inventive way considering the "surprise twist" is one that has been used before and far more effectively.

The characters felt flat and didn't inspire me to root for any of them as I just waited for the next one to die. Meanwhile, the omniscient voice/narrator waxes philosophical, psychological and borderline political in an attempt to intermittently sort of guide and explain to the mystified readers what's happening in the house. Just in case the readers happen to be missing any of the giant elephants roaming around the rooms, or just forgot what they read in the last 20 pages. All of this is in conjunction with the characters seeming to just bypass or forget important aspects of the story for long periods of time just makes for a tale that is not particularly coherent and quite tedious.

DNF @ 30%

I can't fathom how the author thought this many characters without any distinguishable traits could have possibly been a good idea. If your characters can't remember each others names, then why should I?

It was also unbearably slow.

Big thanks to the publisher for the early copy!

The Other People by C.B. Everett is a locked room mystery thriller with Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None vibes.

Ten strangers wake up in an old mansion with no idea of how they got there or where they are. All the windows are shut and the doors are locked. At dinner they are informed that they must find a missing woman and they only have twelve hours to do so. But when the strangers start dying one by one, they realize that there is much more to this house and these people than what they think.

So I admit that it took me a little bit to get into this book. So many POVs in a novel are sometimes hard to keep track of everybody, but definitely stick with it! The creepy, atmospheric setting really set the stage for some very sinister and brutal acts. The plotting of this book is clever and once I got used to the style of writing I was engaged throughout. I do like that one of the characters broke the fourth wall in their chapters. I have seen this done numerous times and it is really hit or miss if it works or if it just comes off as cheesy. It definitely worked here! And the ending! Sheesh, don't get me started! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, C.B Everett, and Atria Books for this ARC. Release day is March 25th 2025.

10 people wake in an old house with no recollection of how they got there. In order to be released, they need to solve the disappearance of a missing woman within 12 hours. But within those hours, people are picked off one by one and strange things begin happening.

This book was unfortunately not the most original or exciting story. Every character was developed, but wretched and no one seemed to care about saving the missing woman. The big "twist" has been overdone, but I did enjoy the ending.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Other People was just okay for me. In the beginning I was intrigued. Then it felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of, some matter way more than others. The twist definitely caught me off guard and wasn’t at all what I was expecting, but also it felt like a letdown and like all the pieces didn’t really make sense. Some story line were more interesting than others and I didn’t consider not finishing, but it was just okay overall.

I sadly DNFed this one around 20%. I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried! I liked the premise of all these strangers waking up in a mansion to solve a mystery murder, but I couldn't keep the characters straight no matter how hard I tried. They also didn't seem that interested in actually solving the murder? The book felt over the top and silly, which is usually my thing but for some reason it just didn't work for me here. The premise was excellent and something I really thought I would love, but the story just dragged a bit and I couldn't get into it. I was really sad to have to DNF this one.

First thank you to atira and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis: this is a locked room mystery set in an ornate house where 10 strangers are locked up and find out they have 12 hours to find a killer.

What I liked: this book very much pays homage to Agatha Christie and then there were none which is one of my favorite mysteries. The premise is interesting take and it is dark and twisty. However sometimes I felt like you had to suspend too much disbelief for the plot. Overall interesting but not up to the standard it was going for.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the ALC and and Atria for the ARC!

I am a big fan of locked room thrillers, but I had a little bit of a hard time keeping up with this one. I think I would have had an easier time reading instead of doing audio. But it still was a good story, holding my attention trying to figure out how these people were connected and why someone wanted the there.

Now I loved the premise of this book but it really fell flat. The POV's sometimes seemed it was talking directly to you and sometimes it didn't even in the same chapter. I love fourth wall breaks and such but this just wasn't executed well. All the twists were predictable and a let down. I'm also really over the whole "omg the protagonist/villain has DID and all of this was in their head". Like its been so overdone and has been done way better too. I love an unreliable narrator but this was just cliche and boring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

This book is a compelling mix of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and Clue, plus a little bit of a variation of The Picture of Dorian Gray thrown in. It is also quite riveting and really holds the reader's attention throughout. However, it is hard to keep track of the characters with the constantly changing point of view that only lets you get little glimpses into a character's mind before switching to another character.

The resolution, a complete shocker, is exciting, but doesn't completely make sense. While this takes away a little from the overall enjoyment of the book, it is still quite a unique and proactive story.

I don’t like to put caveats on my reviews, but I feel like I have to with this one. The closer we get to release date, the lower the Goodreads rating has gone. Typically this doesn’t happen until after release, when more people have access to the book. So, when I saw the rating, I didn’t have high hopes. And honestly? I think that made a better experience for me. I had such low expectations, that it exceeded them. Take that for what it’s worth, but expectations do ultimately set the tone.

I really enjoyed the author’s humor written into the characters’ dialogue, especially The Beast’s. And I have to say, I honestly didn’t see the twist coming.

I really couldn’t stand any character, but that’s okay. I also wish each person had a more unique voice, given it’s written via multiple POVs. There was also one side plot that came out of nowhere and didn’t serve much purpose?? But if you can look past all that and just enjoy the ride, it was a good read.

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

I was really looking forward to diving into this ARC from NetGalley! While it won’t make my top reads of 2025, I can definitely see it being a hit for others—especially fans of locked-room mysteries.

The setup gives serious And Then There Were None vibes: ten strangers, a mysterious mansion, no memory of how they got there. The doors are locked, the windows are sealed, and they’re all racing against time to save an abducted girl. Oh, and each of them has a countdown timer strapped to their wrist. No pressure, right?

This book is often compared to Shutter Island, but to me, it felt more like the movie Identity. The eerie, psychological twists were engaging, and I found myself most drawn to the “Beast” chapters—the writing in those sections was especially strong, showcasing the author’s distinct voice and style.

That said, the story as a whole didn’t fully click for me. The characters weren’t particularly likable, and something about their decision-making made it tough to stay invested. I usually love multiple POVs in thrillers, but here, they didn’t quite work for me. I struggled to stay engaged and ended up taking longer to finish than I expected.

Overall, while this one wasn’t a personal favorite, I think readers who love mind-bending mysteries with a dark, psychological edge might really enjoy it!

“𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 - 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐬.”

C.B. Everett's The Other People is a WILD ride and a clever homage to And Then There Were none - with a shrewd cover to match.

I knew that I was into this book from the cover alone, and the overall premise: a group of strangers gathered at a mysterious country house who are being picked off one by one, while trying to stop a serial killer. Everett takes the bones of Agatha Christie's infamous mystery and gives it a Saw-like edge, with a massive sense of claustrophobia that is used super effectively and some pretty grusome deaths. Sometimes homages to Christie's work can feel reductive, but I thought Everett's tribute worked well with smart twists. For example, the paintings on the wall that changed after each person's death, was both a clever play on the Ten Little Soldiers disappearing figurines and a smart addition to the sense of dread and paranoia that the characters experience. I loved fourth-wall breaking Beast in the Cellar; I not only questioned who he was, but loved his interactions with the reader. There are a ton of characters, but Everett makes them all distinct (and equally flawed and horrible in their own ways). The short chapters from these different points of view, alongside the many cliffhangers and red herrings, keep the pages turning until its breathless ending, reframing all the questions I had.

The Other People is an unputdownable thriller (I read it in two sittings) that would make a fantastic movie. If you love the idea of a high-concept take on And Then There Were None, I highly recommend. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

The plot line bears the hallmark of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WAS ONE with a few added twist to bring it to this era. Ten people wake up in a locked house with no idea how they got there. Can you hear the spooky music, yet? They are here to play a game and find a missing girl, but the rules keep slipping and sliding around. As the number of players goes down one by one, the stakes go up. If you've read any Christie, you know that there's more to the story and the ending will be a HUGE surprise. CB Everett has done a great job of trying to fill Christie's shoes!!!