I'm often intrigued when I find a book with a unique concept or perspective at its core and from reading the synopsis, this book definitely held that initial appeal for me.

Jasper is a 13 year old boy with synaesthesia (his type meaning he can see colours associated with sounds) living with his widowed father who retired from the Royal Marines to care for his son following his wife's death from cancer. Life with Jasper is not easy - he also suffers from face-blindness, meaning he can't recognise faces at all, even that of his father and this has led to him developing his own personal techniques to help him identify people – usually to do with what they are wearing, the tone (and colour) of their voices and use of certain words. He remembers his Mum as colbalt blue, and this is obviously a comforting colour for him.

He adores art and tries uses colour to tell stories, the stories of what happens to him in his day to day life, but they just look like a mess of colour to most people.

One day, Bee Larkham moves into the street after inheriting her mother's house. She's sky blue to Jasper, which isn't quite the same as his Mum, but close enough that that he becomes quite obsessed with her. Much to the chagrin of her grumpy neighbours, Bee starts to feed and encourage the wild parakeets that have taken up residence in her garden and tree. Jasper is delighted by this as birds, especially colourful birds, are his other big obsession.

After a series of unfortunate events, Bee has gone missing and Jasper becomes convinced that she's been murdered – and also that he and his Dad might have been somehow involved. This leads to all kinds of struggles on Jasper's part to deal with everyday life and the world that's going on in his head, including his inability to be a reliable witness to the police due to his conditions (it's implied that he's autistic from a book that his Dad is reading). Throughout all of this, he's constantly trying to figure out how to save and protect the parakeets.

This book is very unusual, it's a difficult read at times because Jasper's descriptions becomes quite repetitive and frustrating, but that's surely a reflection of what's going on inside his head? One of my biggest gripes was that as we started to understand what kind a of person Bee really is, there was a big reveal, the nature of which I'd guessed a long time earlier.

I did finish this book, and I really enjoyed the first half, but I'll be honest, from just after the half way point I should probably have just flipped to the final chapter to find out what happened at the end! Beautifully written, and a very clever idea, but unfortunately not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the review copy. This is an unbiased review of the author's work and style. If you want plot lines and spoilers please see the publishers blurb and other reviewers' reports.

I did not know what to expect from this volume in fact its selection as 'Richard & Judy book club pick of 2019' nearly put me off. But, the title made me curious, which shows that snobbishness can cost you experience if you let it.

Sarah Harris's writing enthralled me from the first sentence -"Bee Larkham's murder was ice blue crystals with glittery edges and jagged, silver icicles. " It drew me in and before I knew it I was half way through and sagging as the night had nearly past.
Some have criticised it as being 'Trendy' but to my way of thinking it is innovative and if at the start it is a little difficult to read and comprehend, it is worth the effort and rewards the reader.
My suggestion is give it a try it is really worth it.
Five stars all the way.

Thirteen year old Jasper has autism, sees sounds as colours, and can't remember faces. He might describe someone therefore by the colour of their voice and the pattern on their socks. Neighbour Bee Larkham is missing. Jasper believes she has been murdered. An intriguing, very quirky, whodunit.

I bailed out a quarter of the way in because I found the sole narration by Jasper wearing however. I may try again....

Jasper is 13 and suffers with synesthesia and can’t recognise faces. The premise of the story is good and I had been looking forward to reading this book, however I really couldn’t get into and found it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an original novel with an appealing narrator, 13 year old Jasper. His life isn’t easy and I became more and more fond of him as the story progressed until I was desperate to know that life was going to turn out okay for him and his ex-marine father. Bee Larkham is their neighbour and Jasper is attracted to the parakeets in her garden. At the beginning, I wondered if I would get into the book because there are lots of references to colour and these slowed down my reading but I needn’t have worried, soon I was gripped by the story and the writing style. I didn’t want the book to end. It made a nice change to read it as it’s very different from the fiction I usually choose. Jasper’s honesty is refreshing and there are many amusing moments although there are some serious themes too. Definitely worth reading!

I really enjoyed this book - narrated by teenager Jasper, who has autism and also synaesthesia, meaning he sees sounds as colours, and also prosopagnosia, so he can't recognise faces. Something happens to a neighbour and Jasper feels it is up to him to deal with it - along with his father, neighbours, and police officers, all of whom he identifies through the sounds of their voices and clothes. A very interesting concept and a good mystery.

Jasper has a condition called synaesthesia - this in itself is unusual and intriguing but when this rare and compelling condition indicates a murder has taken place, intriguing goes to a whole new level.
I couldn't put this book down. An absolute delight and quite unique.

Synaesthesia, face blindness and autism. You would think this an arduous combo, but Jasper has learnt to navigate the world as best he can. Synaesthesia being the gift that sets characterizes Jasper and creates his vivid world of colour and vibrancy. And although synaesthesia is something that Jasper can’t simply turn off and on when convenient, the reader really gets a feel of how amazing this affliction can be, and how Jasper relishes this realm that sets him apart from others.

A large part of the story is relayed through the redrawing of memories and the comparison of the outcomes. These drawings aren’t of people or objects, but of the colours of sounds that make up Jasper’s interpretation of the world. The before and after pictures form the two main timelines we are taken through as the mystery of what happened to Bee Larkham is unravelled.

“Bee Larkham was my friend, 95.7 per cent of the time. She was good and bad and thousands of shades in between”.

I enjoyed getting engrossed in how Jasper views the world, and his related trials and tribulations.
Mixed in with a bout of mystery, family dynamics, rich characters and an enjoyable plot you have yourself a great read. The amount of research and attention to details Sarah J. Harris must have carried out makes one appreciate the book even more.

Thanks you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Beautifully written but I found parts of it hard going, I did persevere but at times found it quite an effort to engage with
Fascinating subject and very well researched and one of the most unusual books I have read

The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder
Sarah J Harris
Publisher HarperCollins

Narrated by Jasper, a young boy unable to recognise faces but gifted with seeing sounds as colour, this quirky, original debut gives a stunning insight into the life of someone who sees things differently.
A well written murder mystery which will keep you guessing right until the end. I really enjoyed it.

I wasn't keen on this book. I liked the idea of the protaganist having kinaethesia but then became really fed up with how often it was used and it started to get into the way of the narrative. The mystery of Bee Larkham and her relationship with boys who came to her house for tutoring and whether the protagonist was involved in her "murder" didin't really grip me.

Not a book for me.

This is a truly a great read. It holds your interest throughout. As you get into it you are unable to predict the end.
It’s a well thought out and well written book, strong characters.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Harper Collins uk for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

A weird, amazing and entertaining book, I like the creativity of the author. and originality of the concept.
It's not easy to get used to the POV of Jason as you have to relate to someone who sees the world in a totally different way.
After a bit you are moved and entertained by the style of writing and you cannot put the book down.
I loved how well the characters were developed and how engaging the mystery was.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

'The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder' stands out from a sea of books in all its shimmering glory. The writing is as vivid and colourful as the plot. Reading this book is like a feast for all the senses and one I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end.

I love books with unreliable narrators and Harris has done a beautiful job here. The style is a real delight and it was wonderful to feel my way through Jasper's story and try to see the full story through his unusual lens. As unusual as it is brilliant.

This book is amazing. A whodunnit involving a boy who sees colour in the spoken word and is unable to recognise faces. His love of painting involves the reader from the start. Without giving away the plot, if you enjoyed the Incident of the Dog in the Nightime then you are likely to love this book even more.

This is a hard book to get into. Jasper's difficulties, plus the hand life has dealt him, makes his day to day existence one of isolation and misunderstanding. Although it is mentioned in only one conversation it is clear he is autistic, add to that his face blindness (prosopagnosia) and synaesthesia, which means he sees sounds as colours, and it is clear Jasper faces a struggle every day. This last condition means the book is full of Jasper's view of the world which is a description of the colours he sees.

To begin with these colours took over the story in much the same way I imagine they do for anyone who lives with this in a similar way to Jasper. Gradually though his interpretation of what he hears became vital to the story and to me as a reader. His almost throwaway descriptions in some instances and total focus in others show that in an everyday world the colours add another level to his being he is quite at peace with.

In a fictional world however, there has to be conflict and angst and the story Jasper and his dad get mixed up in is confusing, multi-faceted and traumatic. It is also beautifully written and Jasper's autism means he not only understands things differently but responds and reports them differently too.

I found this book slow to start with because of the necessary overload of description but once past this it was a very good story with both hope and terrible sadness woven through it. I also felt there was a message of never accepting there is only one proper way to be, to see, or to be seen which came across strongly and I am really glad I persevered and got into the heart of Jasper's story.

I was able to read a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a slightly different slant on the murder/mystery genre coupled with good storytelling.

Jasper sees colour in every noise he hears. And suffers from face blindness.
When his "friend" goes missing he thinks he may have killed her and tries to find out what happened.
A crime story told from an unusual and very interesting angle.

An unusual and engaging mystery told via the main narrative and the insertion of flashbacks; there is a strong emphasis of the reader's judgement of the voice and narration of Jacob. It is Jacob who becomes drawn to Bee Larkham via his love of birds; he is autistic, has synaesthesia and he sees the world in colours and doesn't see a person's face, but rather their colour. As the title of the novel starts, Bee is murdered and Jacob struggles to grasp what his perceptions are telling him.
The narrative feels quite choppy to begin with, but it is certainly worth following it though as it's an intriguing plot, however, I think the pace does drag and is a little repetitive, however there are many moments that make it a really worthwhile read.
Overall, an intriguing book and mystery told through the eyes of a very different person's perspective.

I did not manage to read the whole book as I found it too slow and very repetitive, although I scrolled to the end to find how it concluded, so it had provoked some interest.
The idea of a murder mystery narrated by a boy with a autism, face-blindness and synaesthesia, was promising, but sadly did not keep me engaged enough to want to finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc, in return for an honest review.

Jasper Wishart is a thirteen year old boy with more than his fair share of problems. He is autistic, can't recognise faces and perceives sounds as colours. and shapes. His mother is dead, the only person who understood his perception of sounds. And as if that isn't enough, he believes he has murdered his neighbour, Bee Larkham. Written entirely from Jasper's perspective this can be a difficult read at times. It takes patience to become used to the endless descriptions of the sounds he hears. Also,, like many people with autism he has an obsession. Jasper is obsessed with parakeets and specifically with his belief that one of his neighbours has killed several of the birds who are nesting in Bee Larkham's garden. It is worth sticking with Jasper though as he tries to make sense of what is happening around him as it gives a real insight into what it must be like to autistic. Harris is spot on in her depiction of autism. Having worked with children and young people with autism, the character of Jasper rang true to me. She has clearly researched her subject and things like speech patterns and his literal understanding of much that is said are all very convincing. But Jasper also is unable to recognise faces. Imagine what that must be like and then add to that the difficulties with communication that people with autism have. Harris shows these difficulties very well especially in the scenes where Jasper is at school.

This is a very skilfully written book. The characters are well drawn especially Bee, Jasper and Jasper's dad, Ed. Bee is infuriating, manipulative and damaged. You rage at her for taking advantage of such a vulnerable young person and also for her insensitivity towards her neighbours yet as the story develops so does our understanding of her. Ed struggles to cope with his son and the relationship between them is fraught at times. But love and tenderness are always there. Again, the development of this is excellent.

This story is also a mystery and the unfolding of this is superb. As we see things only through Jasper's eyes then many of the clues that are around in a typical mystery or crime story are missing. About a quarter of the way in to the book I was uncertain whether I loved or hated this books. As I said earlier there is a lot of repetition. But once I accepted this as part of Jasper's character I found I loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.