| Title | : | The 22 Murders of Madison May |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593085205 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593085202 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published July 6, 2021 |
| Awards | : | Aurealis Award Best Science Fiction Novel (2021) |
I love you. In every world.
Young real estate agent Madison May is shocked when a client at an open house says these words to her. The man, a stranger, seems to know far too much about her, and professes his love--shortly before he murders her.
Felicity Staples hates reporting on murders. As a journalist for a midsize New York City paper, she knows she must take on the assignment to research Madison May's shocking murder, but the crime seems random and the suspect is in the wind. That is, until Felicity spots the killer on the subway, right before he vanishes.
Soon, Felicity senses her entire universe has shifted. No one remembers Madison May, or Felicity's encounter with the mysterious man. And her cat is missing. Felicity realizes that in her pursuit of Madison's killer, she followed him into a different dimension--one where everything about her existence is slightly altered. At first, she is determined to return to the reality she knows, but when Madison May--in this world, a struggling actress--is murdered again, Felicity decides she must find the killer--and learns that she is not the only one hunting him.
Traveling through different realities, Felicity uncovers the opportunity--and danger--of living more than one life.
The 22 Murders of Madison May Reviews
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Poor Madison May! She keeps getting murdered and she never sees it coming.
Each time, there is Maddie, going about her life as an actress or a student or a real estate agent when bam!, this obsessive guy shows up, professes his multi-world love for her and kills her. The police are rightfully puzzled, but what could they do against a world-hopping traveler? Enter Felicity Staples, a journalist trying to figure out what happened to Maddie, who soon realizes there might be more to this than just a seemingly random murder.
Whenever I come across a book that's set in a multiverse, I'm always excited to read it and curious to see where it goes with that concept. And this ends up being a fascinating take on parallel universes. It touches upon all the ideas I'm interested in, including how one goes about picking the next world to travel to and what happens to the version of the person already there.
But if you're not a science buff like me, don't let the science fiction part deter you. This is sci-fi at its lightest. There are no extraneous technical details to get bogged down in and no prior knowledge needed to understand. Once you accept the concept of parallel universes and being able to travel between them, all that's left is a thriller. And what a riveting one it is.
The pacing is fast, the action nonstop, and it all builds into a satisfying conclusion. One of the most interesting byproducts of setting a story in a multiverse is that you get to play around with the concept of slightly different versions of the same person. And it's clear the author had a lot of fun crafting all the versions of Madison May.
This has everything I enjoy in a thriller, albeit with more locations and slightly different versions of the same people. It took an interesting premise and made it into a unique story, one that both entertained and surprised me. This is my first time reading Max Barry, but it won't be the last.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review. -
Woohoo! Insanely mind blowing, grey cell destroyer, shocker, futuristic , intriguing sci-fi thriller makes you question your own reality including your own name!
Hollywood producers, please check out this delicious storyline fresh baked from oven!
A delirious, obsessive young man is seeking the best version of the woman he stalked and till he finds that version he’s adamant to kill him as he visits around parallel universes! Keep your jaws tight so they don’t drop!
The story opens at open house at Jamaica Avenue: a 22 real estate agent Madison May is shocked how her client Clay knows about her. Did they meet before? What is he hiding at his car trunk? A machine! And why is acting strange? Should she call the cops! OMG! He is going to stab her to death and actually this is not his first waltz. He did it better. He only kills her and he does it over and over again!
33 years old, ambitions political reporter Felicity Stapler who detests reporting crimes forced to assist her colleague Levi’s and finds herself at the crime scene of Madison but the brutal murder of young woman shakes her more she expected and the crime scene photos intrigued her as she finds a man wearing cap with interesting logo which may be related the written message on the wall of the crime scene tells “ Stop”.
The police already knows the killer’s identity : Clayton Hors: some college drop out from Pennsylvania from his records of real estate agency. But he already vanished into thin air. Maybe finding the other guy will help her to get more clues about Clay’s whereabouts.
As she digs deeper she finds the identity of the man wearing cap in the photos: Hugo Garrelly who is a prisoner escaped from Sing Sing - very famous Jersey prison- sentenced to butcher his wife.
She tracks him to the subway station and she catches both of the men at the same place: Hugo and Clay in the same place at the same time. Before she reaches them, something unexpected happens and Felicity finds herself shoved off the train platform which results with she opens her eyes to a different universe.
Could Felicity act faster finding Maddie May than Clay this time to save her from her own death?
Don’t worry Felicity, there are at least 22 universes you may find right Maddie at the right time!
But how Clay move around parallel universes and why he’s so obsessed to kill the same woman over and over again!
Can you imagine Joe Goldberg kill Guinevere throughout 22 seasons of the series at each episode? I think you got the picture clearly!
What is the reason Hugo’s showing up at the crime scenes? What is his purpose?
Keep reading my friends! Especially the conclusion was so satisfying! Like the better ending to a box office sci-fi action movie!
I love the author’s extremely creative imagination! I enjoyed his previous incredible works : Jennifer the government and Lexicon. This one is also one of the riveting page turner I consumed in one sit that highly recommend!
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM / G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Wow. 🤯
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Madison May has this tiny little problem; she keeps getting murdered across different worlds by a man who claims to love her (pesky problem, right?). Except NY reporter Felicity has discovered the truth and is pulled into this world, errrrr WORLDS and decides she must do something to stop a murderer who is willing to go to every length to get his girl.
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: I am not a big Sci-Fi reader but I’m starting to vastly appreciate this genre of Sci-Fi Mystery. 𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 is inventive, intelligent, and ingenious – a fast ride that had me gripping the book handlebars from first page to last. Truly a mind-bender, blower, exploder.
The nimble pace had me flipping until my fingers hurt (ok that’s a lie, I have a Kindle). This was one of those books that so completely engrossed me I could FEEL and SEE the movie before my eyes. My mind was open, my heart racing, my palms sweaty. My favorite part was Felicity – because as she chases a murderer, she’s also changing HER world, and it was interesting to discover how the character handled that. I’m confident I’d be in an asylum.
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Science Fiction Mystery
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you’re looking to shake up your mystery reading with a little Sci-fi twist.
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: For more traditional mystery readers, the Sci-Fi aspect might not be appealing.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me wonder if I moved that table. Hmm… -
He leaned forward, as if taking her into a confidence. “I think it’s extremely ridiculous, even for Multiverse theories.”
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam Books for sending me an ARC of The 22 Murders of Madison May in exchange for an honest review. I’ve read a few of Max Barry’s early books—
“There’s no theory for that?”
“Of course there is.”
...
“Even now, some in our group consider him to be a lunatic who kills for no reason. To me, though, there’s nothing particularly difficult to understand about a man who murders what he loves, and blames her for it. That’s depressingly familiar.”
Jennifer Government,
Company, and
Machine Man—but none of his more recent works, so I was very excited to give this one a try.
Clayton Hors is obsessed with Madison May, an up-and-coming actress on his world. When he stumbles across a method to travel between worlds, he keeps searching for the Maddie of his fantasies ... and murdering the ones who disappoint him (read: all of them). Felicity Staples is a reporter who is investigating the murder of Madison May on her world when she gets unwittingly dragged into the multiverse. Soon, she’s working with another traveler, Hugo Garrelly, to try to stop Clay and save all of the Maddies.
So, The 22 Murders of Madison May is essentially a mashup of two different genres: a thriller about a serial killer combined with a science fiction novel about traveling between parallel worlds. I generally liked the multiverse ideas, particularly the idea of moorings, though some parts of how it all is supposed to work remain murky because Felicity learns about it in pieces. There are moments of humor here, but for the most part this book plays both sides straight. And there is a bit of satire—sending up certain slasher movie and sci-fi tropes—but this book is not nearly as satirical as Mr. Barry’s earlier works.
The writing is solid, though there’s something a bit off in the pacing, as the story races in some places and is quite relaxed in others. And there’s a thread of sadness that runs through this novel, from the all-too-true-but-still-pathetic motivations of the killer, to the idea that a person able to travel between worlds might very well lose a sense of the value of a single human life. But despite the imperfections, I quite enjoyed The 22 Murders of Madison May. It’s a fast, action-filled, entertaining read. Recommended 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
7/6/2021 update: reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day! -
I love a good multiverse book plot! Sure, I have perhaps read better ones (
Dark Matter and
The Space Between Worlds come to mind) but this one was still really good.
If you're wondering what I mean by multiverse - basically it's the idea that there are innumerable parallel universes that are the same as our own, only we made different choices. So in one you might be married to your highschool sweetheart, and in another you might have dropped out of highschool and became a famous singer, etc.
This book is a take on that multiverse idea - only with murder involved. What if someone is trying to murder the same person in every universe? If you also could travel between these universes, how would you stop the killer if the person being murdered is a complete stranger to you and they don't know anything about the multiverse? I thought this concept and execution was great. The only thing I would change would perhaps be to make the ending a little stronger and to make Felicity's personal life a little more interesting on it's own rights. But I still recommend this one.
And if anyone has a multiverse-esque book to recommend, please do so in the comments! -
Loved the idea behind having a stalker crossing the multiverse to kill his obsession over and over again. And I really enjoyed being in Felicity's head while she tried to piece everything together and decide how she wanted to make the best out of the entirely batshit realizations about reality that she'd had thrust upon her.
However, I found the conclusion to be weak.
The group that travels the multiverse is just weird.
Felicity's choices made the most sense but
And Hugo? What a strange choice he made.
So no. That didn't leave me with a warm fuzzy feeling.
What I really did enjoy was Madison. Especially the last Madison.
So, while I think there were things that could have been done better, this wasn't a wash. This was an interesting way to take something as crazy as the multiverse, blend it was something frighteningly ordinary as a psychotic stalker, and turn it into something brand new.
It's different enough that I'm still thinking about the book days later, and that says something. -
Dark Matter meets The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in this sci-fi thriller. Madison May will be murdered, in this universe and every other parallel one, unless someone can figure out why this is happening, and how to stop it. That someone may just turn out to be reporter Felicity Staples who finds herself not just in the middle of a story, but soon also in the middle of a high stakes chase through alternate universes.
I LOVED the first ⅔ or so of this book. The concept is fantastic and sucks you in right from the start. Felicity’s chapters do the bulk of the heavy lifting story-wise, including explaining the multi-verse concept, and providing some food for thought about what happens to the people in alternate universes after you’ve visited them, but Madison’s chapters were the most fun for me.
Each time we meet Madison, she’s a different version of herself, and I loved finding out what she was up to in each universe. Her chapters are also full of tension and dramatic irony. You know what’s coming: after all, it’s in the title, but you can’t help but hope this is the universe where someone finally breaks the cycle.
There is also a lot of fun, somewhat meta commentary on the movie and entertainment industry. Madison often imagines herself as if she’s in a scene, and she and a friend make their days more interesting by using improv acting class lessons to create elaborate backstories about customers they serve. At one point, a character remarks they love movies, but hate it when the writers screw up a good story. Was Barry being tongue-in-cheek here in case readers, unfortunately myself included in this group, ended up feeling the same about his book?
I just couldn’t get on board with parts of the exposition and resolution and came away feeling like some of the bigger “whys” weren’t answered, or didn’t really make much sense. Basically, this was a great idea that couldn’t quite deliver when it came down to really making that concept *work*. But it was really gripping and I did not want to stop reading. While this may not have knocked it out of the park for me, I did enjoy the ride (until I thought too much about it after), and will be on the lookout for other books from this author. 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced reader copy of this book for review. -
When 22y old, real estate agent Madison May shows a house to a stranger who seems to know a lot about her, she doesn’t expect to be murdered. After all, he has given her his name, shown his driver’s license and allowed her to take a photo of him to send back to her office, so she should be perfectly safe even if he is the last viewer today. The stranger is Clayton (Clay) Hors and he’s spent a long time searching for the version of Maddie that fits his dream vision of her. This won’t be the first or the last time he murders a version of Maddie who doesn’t fit his fantasy.
Journalist Felicity Staples doesn’t normally report on crime for her NY paper but is asked to fill in and sent to the scene of Madison’s murder at the house she was showing. Following up a lead on a man she spotted hanging around outside the house, she finds herself accidently dragged into a different world.
Felicity meets Hugo Garrelly, a member of a shadowy group that can travel across space and time. Together they will chase Clay, as he follows his obsession to find his perfect Maddison May, determined to stop him from murdering again.
The novel is a perfect mix of serial killer thriller and scifi, however you don’t need to be a fan of scifi to enjoy this. The novel in very inventive in the different but overlapping versions of Madison that are found, which keeps the novel fresh and stops it from becoming repetitive as introduces unexpected twists into each scene. Felicity also finds herself in different versions of her life, something she doesn’t always cope with well, especially the changes in her boyfriend Gavin and their relationship.
The action is fast and engaging right from the start. Felicity changes over the course of the novel as she comes to see what is most important to her for the life she wants to lead. I would have liked to have got to know Hugo better and to find out more about the purpose of the group that he works with (and would welcome a sequel exploring this further). Apart from that it was a very enjoyable thriller with a very satisfying ending.
With many thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for a copy to read. Original review first published in Mystery & Suspense magazine
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th... -
this book was so good! this felt like a black mirror episode and it reminded me the fun parts of multiverse of madness. great commentary on parasocial relationships. though i felt at times maddie was so nice that she came off dumb i get it was to move the plot. other than that i think this author writes woman well, if i hadn’t already looked into his backlist i wouldn’t have known he was not a woman. also pretty cool the author is a game developer. this read really fast, like a movie, almost like a video game at times. cant wait to check out more by this author!
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Max Barry books are always mind-bending, but you don't even end up caring that you're doing mental gymnastics because they're so much FUN.
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3.5
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Multiverse theory, incel psychology, fan / star relationship dynamics... The 22 Murders of Madison May is a seriously interesting techno thriller.
Modern
Max Barry novels are such a joy to read. I grew up adoring
Jennifer Government and
Syrup, so nice to see a writer I loved as a teenager evolve and grow with me. He's like the anti-Chuck Palahniuk in that regard. Instead of grinding one gimmick into the ground over and over again with diminishing returns, each book he writes breaks new ground. He just gets better and better.
Lexicon is my wife's favorite novel, so when I told her I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this one, "we" decided to read it together. It's killer. Just unbelievably good.
The standout in this one for me is how well he wrote his female characters and the female experience. My wife was seriously impressed. Also, the structure is such a cool idea and really helps the story unwrap itself in a unique way. -
This one hooked me from the beginning. I went in knowing very little about how or why there were multiple murders. So, am going to be quite vague in my review to keep from spoiling another reader's experience. If you love the mulitverse concept and the camaraderie of a shared goal, you will also connect to this story. Makes me wonder about Darla in other universes? The different versions of Maddie May and other characters show various gifts and interests taking a front seat in that life. The books this reminded me of include
Maybe in Another Life,
Dark Matter, and
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. For those who prefer to consume a video series, try "Fringe." -
This took me FOREVER to finish. Pretty wild since the plot was compelling - a sci-fi thriller about a guy who moves between universes, looking for the version of Madison May he fell in love with. Because each universe is slightly different, he kills the versions he doesn't like and jumps to the next. For some reason unknown to me, reporter Felicity Staples hunts the killer and tries to save Madison in each universe.
This started off with a bang but then flatlined. The stakes never felt high and no character's motivations made logical sense. Nothing really happened in the middle 80%, killing the pace. Zero character development. Elements of the sci-fi weren't fully fleshed out either and seemed inconsistent.
A lot of unfulfilled potential here. -
3.5 stars, rounded down because it took me way too long to get through the book
The premise of this book may sound intimidating--a bit of time travel/multiverse theory, but when you couple it with a great cast of characters and some serious action, it becomes more approachable. I enjoyed Felicity and her interplay with the various versions of everyone else, some interesting twists in what I was expecting to happen kept me engaged with the storyline for the most part.
I liked the first 40-50% and was very invested in the story, but then it really started dragging for me until about 80% and then I was intrigued until the end. It almost got to the point where it was too many jumps into other timelines and too many alternate versions of the characters. I felt like I did when I was reading
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, because after a while the jumping feels like filler rather than propelling the plot forward.
Overall, this was a refreshing change from some of the thrillers I've been reading lately and it's definitely worth reading, especially if you like your thrillers with a bit of a sci-fi bent.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. -
Felicity Staples is a newspaper reporter in New York when she discovers that multiverses actually exist and that Madison May is a murder target in every one of them. Felicity and the mysterious stranger Hugo skip from universe to universe in pursuit of the murderer. There are only small differences between the universes and the characters maintain their identities. Felicity has to try to adjust to a slightly different boyfriend and job in each universe.
I found this science fiction plot fast paced and entertaining, although the whole multiverse concept wasn’t very well explained. My favorite part was when one of the Madison’s was in Hollywood and being plied with starlet perks. The conclusion of the book was satisfying. I enjoyed this book considerably more than “Providence”, the only other book I’ve read by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. -
It was very plot heavy and while there were a few characters that were touched on, I didn’t feel a connection to any of them. It felt a tad boring and while the dialogue made it a very quick read, it’s ultimately something I’m pretty “meh” about and the ending surprised me but I didn’t really... love the story. It felt a bit convenient and out of character at some points, too.
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QUICK TAKE: let's be clear: I am biased with this review, because I freakin' adore Max Barry. LEXICON is still one of the coolest books I've ever read (don't ask me to explain it to you!). His latest plays with multiverses while telling a compelling murder mystery centered around the title character. To give much more away would spoil the fun, but I loved how Barry played with genres and tropes (satanic rituals, cabin in the woods horror) against the backdrop of a tried and true sci-fi story. If I had any issues, there is a lot of violence against women, and I think even Barry realizes at some point that there are only so many times he can kill Madison May before losing his audience. The ending is ultimately satisfying and I think genre fans will enjoy this one.
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A loss isn't a loss until you sell. That was one of his. It meant you shouldn't give up just because things were going badly. But another way to interpret it was: You could avoid dealing with a situation by ignoring it.
Max Barry's
Jennifer Government was the first scifi I chose for myself, instead of liberating from my parents' bookshelf. It made the kind of lasting impression that I can honestly say has altered my world view. So let me assure you, I had only the most reasonable of expectations going into The 22 Murders of Madison May.
Now that everyone's stopped laughing, let's get to this absolutely fantastic book!
Madison May, depending on which world you're in, is an actress, a real estate agent, a weather girl - you get the idea. And in more and more of these worlds, she's dead; someone has a grudge, and the kind of technology that'll let them pursue it again, and again. Felicity Staples, meanwhile, (reporter everywhere) has found her way into one of her own stories, and it'll lead her further from home than she knew she could be.
It's such an interesting idea - it reminded me of
The Shining Girls but is absolutely it's own thing. Max Barry balances the thriller with some pretty fancy science; he gets into it enough to make it plausible, but without getting too bogged down and interrupting the flow. It's all go from the start, and it only ratchets from there; the stakes are high and they feel high.
My favourite part of this, though, has to be the little moments that you just don't see that often. Things like Felicity's relief over Joey, the moment of realising she should try the unknown Oreo flavours, those flavours ultimately proving pretty meh - they're small touches but they're what make a book stick in my brain, and love it in years to come. -
Read this book! As soon as possible!! It's weird and sharp and empathetic and it all just works so well. It's a perfect marriage of brilliant genremashing concept and beautifully humanistic execution.
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I liked it idk
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“There’s no time travel. You’re in a physically different place. It shares an ancestor with where you’re from, but at some point it split. Since then, it evolved independently.”
The 22 Murders of Madison May is a serial killer novel with a splash of Sci-fi. I had hoped for more science elements, but that part was of the handwavy kind.
Told in alternating viewpoints by Madison and Felicity. Maddie gets killed – a lot. We know that from the premise (and title). Every version of Madison is slightly different (job, hair) yet still the same. She runs on the melodramatic side. Felicity, a reporter, remains the same in each place (with differences in her personal life). She is in position to make a connection between a picture and Madison’s murder. Being in the wrong place at the right time is what causes Felicity to shift realities the first time. Once she understands what is happening, she wants the killer stopped no matter what. She seemed to charge ahead without a plan in place.
This is a fast-paced book with hardly a breather between scenes. By a third into the book, it wasn’t going anywhere. Madison was murdered; Felicity tried to save her.
I started losing interest long before the finish for several reasons. I never cared about Madison’s chapters. Her character was shallow, and her deaths mimicked cheesy horror flicks (probably meant to). So, horror fans should be delighted to spot the tropes. Since I knew she would die at the end of her chapter, it felt pointless to read it. That is a lot of pointless chapters. This may have been more engaging if I was a fan of serial killers. I don’t care for graphic descriptions and one of Madison’s chapters I could have done without.
Felicity’s chapters held my interest for longer. I was curious of how things worked (shifting realities) and what was going on (with the group of people and their agenda). Once a minimal handwavy explanation was given (and I realized no more was coming), my reading slumped again. So, if you’re not a tech fan, it doesn’t get much deeper than the quote at the top.
I limped along in this manner until near the end. Still riding the fast train, the ending cranked up to breakneck speed. I kept thinking that Felicity was running off half-cocked (pun intended). And I wondered how it was a reporter with one day of training could manage to outpace the seasoned group that had been at it for months. I suppose none of these people imagined that end for the killer. The ending was the best part of the book for me. However, it left me with unanswered questions (still trying to squeeze more Sci-fi out of this story).
This will be an enjoyable book for the right reader. Recommended for fans of horror flicks and serial killers who want a refreshing setting (Ha! Pun intended). -
Maybe 4.5 stars
This was such an original, mind twisting thriller! A serial killer tracks Madison May across alternate realms of the universe where he keeps repeatedly killing her. When a news reporter stumbles onto the most recent murder she becomes part of this crazy alternate reality cat and mouse to stop the killer. Along the way there's intriguing subplots occurring with secondary characters that I really enjoyed too. I really liked Felicity and rooted for her to catch him while also worrying about what it meant for her to keep going through the realms. My advice is to jump in with this one, don't try to over analyze the plot, just enjoy the ride!! -
Perhaps the chasing down of a serial killer through time is not novel, but Max Barry manages to inject a layer of freshness into this story. The point here, as Felicity abs eventually Maddie eventually discover, is that the chase isn’t through time where one steps gently to avoid the butterfly effect and condemn the human race to non-existence. Instead, it’s a chase through a multiplicity of universes, each almost identical to the other except for a few odd details. In one universe, Felicity has two cats and in another she always ever had one and her boyfriend suddenly knows how to cook.
What Barry does so cleverly is that he doesn’t necessarily hit you on the head with the hard quantum mechanics of how it all works, but takes you gently on the same strange ride as Felicity as she realizes she’s moving between worlds in a blink of an eye and they are not so different.
The other thing Barry does that is quite interesting is that the villain of the piece is an ordinary guy who is obsessively in love and keeps jumping between worlds because he will eventually find one where Maddie falls for him too. There’s just got to be one where it all works out – whether it’s one where she’s an actress or a real estate agent or a house painter. The problem is our villain gets frustrated with the unrequited love and strikes out a bit, killing Maddie over and over again, but only once in each universe.
Al in all, it’s a fascinating spellbinding tale as Felicity and Maddie come to grips with multiple realities and their awkward place in them. Recommended for anyone who feels like their unroofed and out of place. -
I'm not quite sure what genre this really fits into. It's sort of a murder mystery where you already know who the culprit is, what is unknown is which parallel dimension he currently inhabits. However hidden under the surface is a story of self-reflection, personal growth and character development. What I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that I very much enjoyed it. There are layers to this book that are easy to miss if you aren't paying attention to the small details and little one-liners.
Felicity is a very sympathetic character, one I not only liked but found it easy to empathise with. She is flawed, impulsive and, at times, down-right selfish but her strong moral compass, her compassion and ultimately that realisation of just what she had, also made her likeable. Over the course of the story we also get to know Madison May too. The supporting characters were well written, remaining consistent throughout the book and their interactions with Felicity often raised some very thought provoking moments.
Whilst the book wasn't perfect, it captivated my attention and soon became a story that I didn't want to put down. The reader was left to occasionally make their own links, to draw their own conclusions. Some may interpret this as a weakness in world-building or clarity of explanation, but personally I appreciate the author allowing me this autonomy. Finally I want to finish with what for me was quite a profound quote from the book. It summed up perfectly the truth behind this fascinating story."They're all the same, though," Felicity said. "That's what I figured, eventually."
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To be honest, I think I like the idea of this novel more than its execution. And that's saying a lot because I've read a goodly number of Max Barry's novels and I always thought he was fantastic at ideas AND execution.
But then, for a thriller with multiple reality-hopping and a serial killer, maybe I expected a bit more action over relationship stuff. It was interesting, mind you, but my mind kept wandering during all the personal detail-nitpicking and suspicions that weren't murder-y. It had a slow burn that didn't quite burn hot enough for me.
Otherwise, it was okay. I was mostly defeated by my higher expectations. -
The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry
Synopsis /
Young real estate agent Madison May is shocked when a client at an open house says these words to her. The man, a stranger, seems to know far too much about her, and professes his love--shortly before he murders her.
Felicity Staples hates reporting on murders. As a journalist for a midsize New York City paper, she knows she must take on the assignment to research Madison May's shocking murder, but the crime seems random and the suspect is in the wind. That is, until Felicity spots the killer on the subway, right before he vanishes.
Soon, Felicity senses her entire universe has shifted. No one remembers Madison May, or Felicity's encounter with the mysterious man. And her cat is missing. Felicity realizes that in her pursuit of Madison's killer, she followed him into a different dimension--one where everything about her existence is slightly altered. At first, she is determined to return to the reality she knows, but when Madison May--in this world, a struggling actress--is murdered again, Felicity decides she must find the killer--and learns that she is not the only one hunting him.
My Thoughts /
My favourite thing about reading ‘new-to-me’ Australian author, Max Barry, is the realisation that the story you are reading is uniquely different and fresh. I mean, sure, it's likely been done before by someone else, somewhere else, in something else, right? BUT, here’s the thing - with this author I found a brand new freshness to the story; which means I’m excited to read it, right from page one. Errrrr, slight side note though:- I must confess that I hadn’t read the book jacket synopsis before diving in and a chapter in, found myself wondering ‘what the heck is going on???’. So – here’s my biggest tip for reading this book – READ THE BOOK JACKET FIRST. Once I did that I had that moment of clarity, where everything made sense…..the penny dropped…….suddenly it all clicked…….the fog cleared and the lights came on upstairs.
In this story, the author wasn’t content to have Madison May murdered just the once – oh no – in this story poor young Madison May gets murdered over and over again – like, 22 times over and over again! My very first ‘parallel-universe’ thriller proved itself to be a very clever, unpredictable murder mystery. The story opens with ‘real estate agent’ Madison May showing a house to a potential buyer (Clayton Hors). You get the idea that Clayton is ummmm, a little unhinged, when he declares to Maddison, “You know, I love you, Madison. In every world. Even when you don’t love me back”, then promptly murders her. So – ‘real estate’ Madison dies in the first few pages, and then ‘college student’ Madison dies again a few chapters later, and then waitress Madi; TV weather girl Madi and – well, it doesn’t get any better for Madison after that!!
Straight after murder #1 of ‘real estate agent’ Madison, we are introduced to Felicity Staples, a political reporter for New York City’s Daily News. Felicity is a stark contrast to Madison, unlike Madison, Felicity has a live-in-boyfriend and, for the most part, job satisfaction. But the lives of these two women, who are total strangers at first, are about to become uniquely entwined. Felicity is understandably disoriented when she too starts experiencing these different dimensions (much like this reader before she read the dust jacket!!), in which her life is just a little bit different every time but she always remembers who and what she was in a past life. She knows there’s something strange going on with the murder of real estate agent Maddison May. And with only one, very obvious, suspect, Felicity gets caught up in the hunt across the multiverse to find the killer and stop him from murdering Madison time and time again.
The chapters written from Felicity’s perspective are intermixed with those from the perspective of Maddie in the lead-up to her murder. As the plot continues on, each time you know what’s going to happen, but as a reader, you find yourself hoping that maybe, this time, she’ll get away. The premise is not at all let down by the execution. Barry’s writing is cleverly compelling. The plot evolved seamlessly and the events unfolded with humour and heart. I would urge readers who might overlook this book because of its sci-fi and fantasy elements – DON’T. It’s all too easy to get caught up with genre stereotypes. At its heart, this is a great story that has been told in a different way than you might be used to reading. -
Quantum thrillers seem to be the new thing. That’s fun. I’m not sure if it all began with the success of Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, but here they are. I’ve just read another one, Infinite by Freeman and now this book. But then again I would have read this book no matter the genre, I’m a huge Max Barry fan. I’ve loved his work back when he did clever social satires and now that he’s genre hopping, the interest hasn’t waned, despite his somewhat underwhelming science fiction venture Providence.
And with this book he’s back to awesome. Just like that. One or twenty two spins around the multiverse later.
This is a story of a serial killer. Or a story of a misbegotten romantic obsession. Or a story about a world with entirely too many possible outcomes. You decide. Things can change subtly but unalterably in a blink, but then again some things remain constant. Like Maddie May, an aspiring actress and Felicity, a determined reporter with a potent altruistic streak, determined to save Maddie, and Clayton, a disturbed man so madly in love with Maddie, she’ll need protection from him in any world. And these three will tangle through different timelines, until arriving at a satisfactory resolution. And it’s tons of fun to behold.
The thing that Crouch got so right and Freeman did ok and this book nailed is the world building (or worlds, more accurately) for the multiverse. If you’re doing it all the way up, prepare to lay out some science. If you’re doing it on a more superficial level, cover the basics and stick to the uniform rules. Barry goes with the latter approach, forgoing oversciencing which can often go by the way of overspicing, and relying instead on the interesting, likable, compelling characters. And it works like a charm. Which is to say, I was completely charmed. I enjoyed the story, appreciated the pacing, loved the narrative and the original concept and was completely engaged with the characters. All in all, an excellent awesomely entertaining read from a clever, talented and versatile author. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at
https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/ -
I liked this. I enjoyed the exploration of multiverse and time traveling aspects of the story. The characters were okay, some better than others. However, I think the cyclical nature of the story was undeveloped for most of the book. And I wished it had ended with more a “BANG” rather than an “meh”. Overall mildly entertaining. I would recommend this for readers who want a sprinkle of hard science fiction and mystery.
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3.5 up to 4
It's important to accept that Barry is a very thematic writer. He likes bold sci fi concepts and smart ideas but sometimes struggles with pacing and action. 22 Murders is a very clever book, rich with a very specific scenario. A young woman, sometimes a struggling actress, sometimes a successful one, sometimes a student, occasionally a realtor; a beautiful but otherwise normal girl. But there's a guy, a single guy, stalking her across dimensions, looking for the right one and killing each one who doesn't pass the test.
It's a nuanced feminist novel about the uncertain situations women find themselves in. The focus is on language and how it's used to undermine women, gaslighting intentional and not. It's a thoughtful book about society, male entitlement and a woman's role in the modern workplace but also a sort of sci fi thriller. It's just a little too bad the pacing is weird, the action sparse and uneven, because there's a lot of nuance in the dialogue. It's an intelligent book but flawed. Should be pretty accessible though I think, and for the right audience the philosophical side could blindside a reader, sneaking up on them with some serious questions. I can't fault an author for good intentions. But, come on, throw in a car chase once in a while! A foot race! Something!
