I’m happy to say I am on the tour for Seven Songs For Five Songbirds by John Everson on behalf of Random Things Tours. Thanks to Anne Cater and Flame Tree Press for the copy of the book to take part today.
Somebody is murdering the Songbirds…
A modern Giallo, Everson’s homage to the stylish Italian mystery thrillers. When Eve Springer arrives in Belgium to study with the world-famous Prof. Ernest Von Klein at The Eyrie, an exclusive music conservatory, it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. But that dream is soon to become a nightmare.
When the star of the school’s piano program is strangled with a piano wire, the only clue to the killer is a grainy picture of the victim during her final moments, mouth wide and screaming, posted on the girl’s own Facebook account, alongside a classic music video. What does it mean? Eve soon finds herself taking the girl’s place as the enclave’s star pupil, in line for a coveted scholarship and a new member of the famed jazz combo, the Songbirds.
When Eve is drugged and another Songbird murdered at a campus party, she suddenly finds herself on the list of suspects. Another picture is posted online of the victim in her final moments, and this time, Eve is sure the hands around the girl’s throat… are hers! Could she have killed the girl while under the influence of whatever someone had slipped in her drink? The police and others at the Eyrie are suspicious; the murders began when she arrived. Her new boyfriend Richard insists that she could not be the killer. But who would want the Songbirds dead? One of the other Songbirds, like Gianna, the snarky sax player who seems to hate everyone? Or Philip, the creepy building caretaker and occasional night watchman? Or could it be Prof. Von Klein himself, who seems very handy with a camera and has a secret locked room behind his office where the light always seems to be on after dark?
Whoever it is, Eve knows she needs to figure it out. Because when a dead canary is left as a bloody message on the keys of her piano, she knows her own life may be in deadly danger.
John Everson brings a fun,enjoyable and over the top horror/mystery thriller. It was created as a homage to the giallo, the cover is styled the same and well, the drama is great. The over the top moments added to the atmosphere. I enjoyed my little jaunt back to years gone by.
John Everson even managed to bring a 1980s slasher feel to the book. This does require skills to blend the styles of a few decades together and still bring a plotline that brings suspense and on the edge of your seat moments. I had such fun, the killer, for instance… black gloved and black masked. The attitude that is a throwaway one towards the fact there is a killer around. I was reminded at times of Scream, a film I watched constantly back when it was new and all the others after.
His characters are well drawn so I didn’t get mixed up and remembered who was who. They do play their own unique parts in this thriller that feels like a cosy mystery that has multiple twists and plenty of options for who the killer was. I guessed a few times but had to wait until the conclusion and it was a surprising one at that.
A well-written mystery thriller that not only keeps you in its grip but it brings the gore too. There is something for everyone here,suspense,drama, fun, gore, twists and red herrings too. Anyone who loves the old horror films or the 80’s and 90’s slasher films should enjoy this.
About the Author
JOHN EVERSON is a staunch advocate for the culinary joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s European horror cinema. He’s also the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Covenant and eight other novels, including NightWhere and Siren.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 