Twelve months ago, Kirby Cornell had… well, a dead-end job in the rather dull town of Crowhurst, three flatmates – one of who she had a crush on – and not an awful lot else. And then Esme arrived, investigating a serial killer from twenty years ago and everything changed.

Now, Kirby finds herself returning to Crowhurst, because there has been some activity on the flatmates’ long dormant group chat. The slight problem is that it is a message from Esme. And Esme died twelve months ago. And the message – “Everyone In The Group Chat Will Die”…

Something a little lighter – I saw this on NetGalley and it caught my eye. It’s another time-split narrative, like The Dark Hours, as the truth of what happened twelve years ago plays out alongside what is happening in the present, namely everyone in the group chat dying.

I should make it clear first of all that I really enjoyed this book. It’s the first for a while that I’ve been carrying around with me on my Kindle to catch a chapter whenever I had a moment or two. Short chapters along with a plot that keeps moving, it was a gripping read.

It’s told in a light manner, but the biggest problem – in hindsight, I should say – is the tone. Amazon calls it “laugh out loud” but I think that’s pushing it. And I don’t think the author was trying for that, just writing it in a light tone with some funny bits. But that carries over into the motivations of the ne’er-do-wells of the piece and that didn’t quite work for me. Yes, this is a serial killer that runs around in a giant crow costume, but there’s a reason for that and it presents a sinister image, so it did undermine the finale a tad.

Having said that, it’s the most fun read that I’ve had for a good while. It’s escapism and definitely worth your time.

Everyone In The Group Chat Dies is out on Thursday 13^th March. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.