Considering Stories wrote, “Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds is a wonderfully perverse and gloriously gruesome mystery/thriller. In other words, it’s a solid entry in the giallo genre to which it is also a love letter. Aside from all those movie references and homages, John Everson has crafted an entertaining read with plenty of mystery and mood to spare.” » read the full review
A Reviewer Darkly wrote “The heart of Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds is a whodunit that Eve needs to solve in order to save herself and her friends. It is a puzzle with a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. And it is done very well… Everson creates an interesting and suspenseful world in the novel and keeps the action flowing smoothly… I would definitely recommend the novel to anyone looking for a good read.” » read the full review
Scintilla.Info wrote “John Everson has put together a twisty plot where the horror rises to a boil and then is turned up some more…This book is at times chilling, at times exciting, and suspenseful from beginning to end. Eve may be a target, but she is no femme fatale. Like any New Yorker, she may get knocked down but she will come back swinging.” » read the full review
Beyond The Books called Five Deaths “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 ’80s and ’90s slasher films should enjoy this.” » read the full review
Quaint and Curious Volumes wrote“Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds blends dark academia, old-school mystery, and modern thriller into a tale of murder set at an elite music school in Belgium…This book was a fun read. Evenly paced throughout with the last fifty pages being a speed-run as Eve faces off against the murderer and fights for her life. I found the murders creative, the setting interesting, and the mystery thrilling. Another great, bloody story from John Everson.” » read the full review
Rachel Read It said “Steeped deeply in traditional story telling but with added gore, unique and memorable death scenes and a sinister, gothic undertone, I really, really, enjoyed the deaths, the air of suspicion which drenched every page, and Eve as a determined and fearless young heroine/detective. Reading the book felt like being taken to another world where everything was just a little off kilter and everyone was suspect. Highly recommended for fans of thrillers and horror alike!” » read the full review
Books by Bindu wrote“Five Deaths For Seven Songbirds is a dark thriller, with an atmospheric setting, a foreboding style of writing and hooked me right from the start! I thoroughly enjoyed all the jazz references and went on a Spotify journey whilst reading this novel. Like a good piece of musical composition it had its main theme throughout but came with up and down tempos and built to a high octane crescendo at its fulfillment. It was thoroughly entertaining….there were red herrings galore and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and to grip the reader! I flew through this in a day and loved it!” » read the full review
Seneca’s Reviews wrote“Kudos to John Everson for crafting this amazingly well done homage to Giallo. Everything about this book evokes what I love about these films. You’ve got your obligatory black gloved killer, over the top deaths-in this case via musical instruments, red herrings galore, and that cover chef’s kiss. I felt instantly transported to the technicolor nightmare of these beloved films and could hear the Italian prog rock soundtrack playing in my head during the kill scenes. Overall, this was insanely good and I highly recommend especially to fans of the genre.” » read the full review
Scott Neumann’s Reviews wrote “With Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds, John Everson has created the ultimate love letter to the genre. As if you couldn’t tell, I loved this book, everything about it was perfect, the characters, the pacing, and the setting… Filled with well drawn characters and suspense, John Everson throws enough red herrings into the mix to keep you guessing until the end. This reads like classic Giallo, something that Argento would have done in the 70’s. If you’re a fan of Giallo, I think you will love this as much as I did.” » read the full review
GhostVilleHero wrote “I know the things that make a Giallo film a Giallo film, and John Everson has written a pitch perfect tribute to the genre. With the black gloved killer, the wild kills, the red herrings, and a title and cover that tells me it is a Giallo without even reading the first page, I cannot think of a better of a modern take on this subgenre than Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds.“ » read the full review
Bloody Flicks UK wrote “Like all of the great Giallo, Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds keeps you guessing about the identity of the killer. Everson has clearly read the tropes of the Giallo with his killer donning those black gloves and the rest of the classic attire, as they carry out their killing spree at the campus. The deaths are creative and gruesome too, there is no holding back here. Death by musical instrument? You got it! A real page turner and highly recommended for any Giallo fan.” » read the full review
Read more about Five Deaths For Seven Songbirds
Order from Amazon.com
Order from Barnes & Noble