There's trouble where I'm going but I'm gonna go there anyway: THE NEXT TO DIE.

The Next to Die by Sophie Hannah

My rating: 3.5+ of 5 stars


Stand-up comedian Kim Tribbeck finds the interaction strange when she receives a little white book at a gig while on tour. But it only becomes truly significant when she realizes, much later, that the little white book is key to a murder investigation. Someone--dubbed Billy Dead Mates by the police--is killing pairs of best friends. Each has received a little white book right before they died. But Kim is still alive. For now. And, as she easily admits, she has no friends. Certainly not a best friend. Why is Billy targeting her? And is someone else going to wind up dead?

OK, I won't lie, this was a really strange book. But, I also found it oddly captivating. I didn't realize until I started it--my mistake--that this was book #10 in a series. I am not a fan of picking up mid-series, though Goodreads tells me I read books #1 and #3 a while back. And I do somewhat remember Simon Waterhouse. Still, I felt like an outsider looking in somewhat, and I bet I would have enjoyed this one more if I knew more of the backstory of Simon, his wife, Charlie, and their investigative team.

However, the mystery here stands alone, and while it's bizarre (I can guarantee the motive in this one will be one of the most strange and enjoyable you'll have seen in quite some time), it's compelling and even funny. The story unfolds from the point of view of Kim, who is telling things via a self-written true crime book that details her involvement in the Billy Dead Mates murder investigation. Then we get Simon and Charlie's view of the Billy investigation. And, finally, the writings of a rather crazed feminist reporter named Sondra Halliday who claims Billy is killing women due to misogynist reasons.

It all culminates in a detailed yet surprisingly suspenseful story--Kim is center stage, but also a suspect in some ways. She's a bitter, funny comedian, and I really liked her character. Hannah captures interactions well, and I enjoyed both Kim and grumpy yet brilliant Simon. The whole book was very different for a thriller, but oddly enjoyable too. There were definitely times when I wished things would hurry along; there's a side plot where Charlie obsesses about her sister, which just seems annoying, and some of Sondra's rants are just a bit too much. Still, it's easy to get caught up in the story, especially Kim's book and Charlie and Simon's investigation. The format is different but engaging.

Overall, while this one was a little strange and slow, I did enjoy it. Hannah is a great writer, and her characters are vivid, flawed, and humorous. The plot is definitely different, but it will draw you in. 3.5+ stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).

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