"Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds" offers a blend of classic and contemporary elements, creating a compelling and suspenseful narrative. Fans of Giallo and mystery thrillers will find this novel to be a captivating read.

An effective and enjoyable giallo novel that uses the genre to good effect. It follows a young American woman at a music school in Europe which is being plagued the brutal murder of its female students. The plot unfolds in typical giallo fashion with the mystery interspersed with the deaths. Most of those are fairly tame, but one is (I thought) excessively nasty and sexual.
Aside from that it's an entertaining read though, silly and melodramatic like a giallo should be, but definitely a page turner

There are two books I've read that felt properly like Italian giallo films: Dead Girl Blues by David Sodergren and Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds by John Everson. Unfortunately, they're more like the lesser giallo than, say, Profondo Rosso. I say that in the best and worst ways. Predictable, salacious, and corny, but very fun to engage with. 5Df7S knows what it is and it accomplishes well what (I imagine) it set out to do—entertain.

Everson swings and hits another homer with this ode to Giallo films. Dark and gripping FIVE DEATHS FOR SEVEN SONGBIRDS is pulpy horror novel fun!

Slightly slow moving for my taste but an excellent title that calls back to one of my favorites film genres and the cheap paperbacks that influenced them.

The night before Eve arrives in Belguim to study music under the guidance of world renown Professor Von Klein, the songbirds are killed. With promise of education and success, Eve is left with the label of suspect. Who would commit this crime? Who is targeting The Songbirds?
This thriller was enjoyably paced, with excellent descriptions of macabre characters. With notes of serial killer level slashing, and Italian Opera characterization, this was an entertaining tale!

A classic mystery written by an author who makes entertainment with ease ... My full review will be coming to Amazon, Goodreads, and my website soon.

Ghent, Giallo and Gals who Play Jazz

Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds
Author: John Everson
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Page count: 330pp
Release date: 22nd March 2022

Eve Springer, recently arrived in Belgium from New York, has a highly-desired student place at the Royal Conservatory, with the illustrious Professor Von Klein.
She literally ends up in the rafters on the fifth floor of the tall building with a roommate Kristina and quickly finds out that the previous night, one of the piano students - same instrument as her - was murdered with piano wire in the North Tower.
Part giallo, part modern Hitchcockian noir, this novel immediately feels tone-wise, a little like Suspiria or Phenomenon, with hints of Tenebrae. You can almost feel the lurid colours and scratchiness of the screen within its pages.
It's also a love song to quality music, an ode to Blondie, Nine Inch Nails, bars like Ronnie Scott's and symphony orchestras. And of course, The Cure.
There's a murderer hunting down the Songbirds, a group which Eve is now a member of, and there are plenty of suspects, possible motives, secrets and sins.
Predominantly written from Eve's POV, we get the occasional sense of her as unreliable narrator; how much can we trust her view of what's happening and her guesses about who the killer might be?
At the same time, we are Eve; the intrusive foreigner, a would-be Jessica Fletcher sticking her nose everywhere yet somehow blindly ignoring some obvious clues.
About 80% in, it clicked. The whodunnit was clear, yet I was literally screaming at Eve to figure it out and not to go down into the metaphorical basement.
Eve's narrative is interspersed by other people at the musical school. During a chapter from Anita's POV, the killer is portrayed as an almost dehumanised figure, like Mike Myers in Halloween, like a supernatural force or entity.
The tension runs high amidst the searing beauty of the music and the Belgian setting , whilst beneath the polite veneer of society, we get glimpses of darkness.
This is a wonderful thriller, with great characters, flawed and human like us all.
An absolutely addictive read and a spectacular ride.

The instant I saw this cover I knew I needed to read it. I'm a huge giallo fan, so this book falls directly into my field of interest.

You can tell that Everson is a fan of the genre as there are lots of little easter eggs for any fan of the genre. The deaths are super gory and creative.

For me there were a few issues with the characterization. While this book takes place in a modern timeline, the characters felt like they were in the wrong era. I don't think it's unfair to say that giallo is very particular with aesthetic and the description of fashion in here was distractingly bad.

I also struggled with the dialogue. I didn't want to spend time with the characters in here which meant it took me a very long time to finish this novel.

While the idea behind the novel was great, I just found it fell very short of my expecatations.
2.5 Stars rounded up.

Thank you so much to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

There is something about Giallo movies. Every horror fan, whether they like them or not, has seen at least one or two Giallo movies. I am not the biggest fan of them myself, but I know the tropes, 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.

The novel starts with Eve arriving at a prestigious music school in Belgium. As soon as she arrives, people start to die. The people who are murdered are killed with musical instruments. Every single kill is bizarre and disturbing. While Eve is trying to navigate this new school, she becomes part of the Songbirds, a jazz group that plays in a coffee shop in town. The killer seems to be specifically killing members of the group, and this puts them all in danger. Between rehearsals, meeting new friends, and trying to figure out who is killing all of her friends, Eve feels like she can be the next victim at any given time. This tension caused by Eve’s fear is strong and believable. Even though she is in the heroine role, she could very easily be a victim instead. John Everson is a great writer and a great plotter. He is able to lead us through this dark maze of a story without losing us while making us fear what might be around the next corner.

With the novel trying to feel like a Giallo story, the pacing is spot on, the mystery is strong and unpredictable, and all of the tropes are there. The only thing that might be missing is that some of the Giallo films I see have moments and scenes that do not make much sense to the film. Everson does not do any of this. He has written a Giallo novel that does not stray away from the story, and for this, Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds, is not only a good Giallo novel but one of the first things I will point to if someone asks me for recommendations about this genre.

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the design of the cover to the title of the novel,everything about “5 Deaths…” is a tribute to the giallo style of Italian detective novels.

Opening with a brutal murder which creates the space which Eve, our principle character, can step into,this book pulls no punches in showing exactly what it is about.

There is an international feel at this exclusive school with the elite musicians being whittled down, again,through auditions to join to the most elite group of all, the Songbirds.

After successfully auditioning to join and stepping into her predecessor’s shoes, Eve is overwhelmed by the sights, relationships and sounds at the Eyrie.

Resembling a gothic monolith, run by the peculiar Professor Von Klein and aligned to nearby cafe,Heavy Beans, which is run by an enigmatic musician, Claude, in a state of mourning for his lost sister Vanessa, you are clearly knee deep in a mystery which is tumbling inexorably towards a satisfying conclusion.

The only thing left dangling in mid air, suspended on a piano wire-as did one of the victims-is how many songbirds will make it to the final curtain call.

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!

Mastering the giallo sub-genre can be a tricky affair, especially over 40 years out from its heyday.

This is the challenge laid down for author John Everson in his latest novel Five Deaths for Seven 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 fulfilment of a lifelong dream. But that dream is soon to become a nightmare.

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.

Before I was allowed to read Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds, I had never read anything by John Everson, and after reading Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds, I feel that is going to change definitely. I had never really known what Giallo was/is until I read this story, and I must say I am a fan. Everson's writing is very fluid, and the story moves at a good pace. The deaths and mystery of Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds really kept me hooked on the story, and I had to know what would happen next! The deaths were over-the-top in a tasteful (as a horror lover) way, and I immensely enjoyed our main protagonist Eve, who was well written and likable while there was chaos around her. There were many characters in Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds, and although it seems tedious at times, at the beginning of the book, everyone mentioned does play a part in the overall story. The only negative remark I would like to say is that I feel like the story was dragged out a bit. I know I mentioned that the pacing was good, but the story in and of itself is a little too long. Not every little detail needed to be included, and I felt it could've been done without some sections of the book. Overall very enjoyable, and I would reread the author! Happy Reading! x

I grew up reading "gialli" which how mysteries&thrillers are called in Italian as the first one were printed with a yellow cover, like the one of this book.
This could have be one the book i read long ago as there's something of those thriller.
It's complex and well written thriller set in In Belgium. The plot is well developed and kept me on the edge and guessing.
The characters are well developed and the setting is interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

First read of a book by this author so was not sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by a thriller that was slightly different from the normal. I wasn’t overly keen on the cover but having consulted Dr. Google about Giallo, as mentioned in the blurb, it all makes total sense. To save you doing it “Giallo is Italian for yellow and the term derives from a series of 1960’s cheap paperback mystery and crime thriller novels with yellow covers that were popular in Italy.”

Briefly, Eve Springer is a talented pianist who arrives from New York to study at The Eyrie in Ghent under Professor Ernest Von Klein. In her first week she is drugged on a night out and when she comes to she finds that a fellow student has been gruesomely murdered. Following the killing Eve replaces the murdered student in a Jazz group called the Songbirds. When more members of the group are murdered ( warning some of the scenes are quite descriptive!) Eve feels threatened. As certain activities of the professor comes to light her suspicions fall on her fellow musicians.

Well written thriller with a surprising conclusion and a book that kept me turning the pages. Ok so it’s a bit over the top but I think that’s intentional and it all kept the plot rolling along happily with enough red herrings to fool most people. Gruesome, thrilling, fun read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.


The night before Eve Springer, a pianist (American) arrived in Belgium to study music at one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the world another extremely gifted pianist was brutally murdered. Eve is an insecure and vulnerable young woman and is very nervous about being accepted by her peers. To Eve the majority of the female students look like fashion models and seem very aloof towards her. Belgium is predominantly English speaking so language barriers aren't really a problem although many of the students are from other countries as well who aren't as proficient in English language.

Being accepted at the "Eyrie" has been a dream of Eve's for a long time and then the famous Professor Von Klein invites Eve to try out for the musical ensemble "The Songbirds" replacing the the pianist who was just murdered. Eve is thrilled when she won the audition until the first practice session someone left an unwanted gift on her piano keys and the next night she goes out with the group and someone drugs her drink. That same night while Eve.was passed out another member of the songbirds was even more viciously killed and Eve, herself becomes a suspect in this murder. As the days pass there will be more murders and many more suspects but why? Who is targeting "The Songbirds" and what could their motives be especially in the way the murders continue to become more violent and gruesome in the manner they are carried out. The police and the Eyrie aren't doing a very good job at protecting the students and now Eve wishes she never came to Belgium since she now has become the target of a very determined and demented serial killer!

This was a fun and very enjoyable horror/thriller by John Everson in bringing to life an over the top murder (slasher) mystery based on the Italian Gallo films "Susperia, Opera" (which I loved). I felt he did a great job with the characterization and especially the locale with the long list of very creepy characters where I had a hard time deciding who the master of murder could possibly be. The parts I had a problem with were why the school.didn't shut down immediately or cancel classes and the lack of emotion and empathy the remaining characters seem to have although it didn't change the entertainment value of the story. It really was a fun, slasher book. I am a fan of John Everson and have read his other horror books which I really loved and I can't wait to find out what his next book will be and I hope that it won't be a long wait.

I want to thank the publisher "Flame Tree Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this entertaining horror story a rating of 4 GRUESOME AND MURDEROUS 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press
AUTHOR: John Everson
PUBLICATION DATE: March 22, 2922

Readers expect the best from author John Everson and are not disappointed. FIVE DEATHS FOR SEVEN SONGBIRDS is an intricately plotted and most enjoyable novel rife with convoluted plot twists and unexpected developments. Set in what for some of us is an exotic and therefore desirable locale, Belgium, at a very upscale music school accepting only the best and brightest. But all is not sweetness and light; an extremely clever and cunning villain stalks not just the music conservatory, but the city's nearby environs, acting according to an elusive plan
Nobody is really safe.

The longer I think about this book, the more wrongs I can see in it. I mean, it was fun to read and quite entertaining at that, but I just can't get over some things that were there and are bothering me now that I’ve read it and have had some time to think about it. There are small things like Eve’s constant whining about how nobody likes her because she’s from the US and much bigger things like writing off an abuse of power which is getting students naked and taking photographs of them by the esteemed professor. Yep, you’ve read that one just right.

In between those two misgivings, there is much more. Sometimes I was asking myself whether it is my lack of understanding the language or there is some big mistake in the plot. Well, I’ve checked that just to be sure and unfortunately, it was a case of overlooking what the characters were saying a few pages ago. I can live with that however as it was entertaining me enough to not be boring or otherwise overly terrible. I think I just don’t have very high demands when it comes to this type of book.

I liked enough the plot when it came to murders, that it was getting more and more shown in the book and at the same time they have escalated in their nefariousness. On the other hand, how come the police never really investigated them? It might be the difference between countries but it’s just too convenient that the school was never closed, even for one day, so the police can run a thorough search. Very convenient indeed for the author so his murderer couldn’t be caught too early. Same convenience was applied when it comes to the time passing in this story. It was so confusing to keep track of what month it is or even time of the day that at some point I just gave up. It was impossible to tell how it had happened that she just woke up and went for the first classes in the day and in the next line all of a sudden it was already evening and they’re all sitting in some bar or other drinking beer. I could go on and on on this topic so let’s just park it here.

This book was entertaining enough upon reading it, but don’t make the same mistake as I did and don’t think too much about it.

A rousingly good murder mystery that had me guessing all the way to the climactic ending, John Everson has nailed this one to the wall.
As you might expect from the title, there are quite a few characters to keep up with in this novel, but Everson does a masterful job in introducing, describing, and giving just enough background for each that the reader has no problem in identifying who's who. Normally with a cast this large, either you forget which character is which OR the author tediously bogs you down with unnecessary information that pads the story so much you lose interest. Not here. You get a perfect sense of character and a great storyline that delineates each one without beating you over the head.
As for the story--great. I've read Everson before, so I was expecting something supernatural, but there wasn't a whisper of that in Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds. There didn't need to be. This was an old-school whodunit with wonderful atmosphere, believable (and intriguing) backstories, and simply an all-around good read.
My idea of who the killer was changed probably six times while reading the novel. And who was it? Nobody I suspected. The reconciliation of the tale was phenomenal and that ending... that ending. Wow.

Full disclosure, I got this as an ARC, and I am a John Everson fan. First and foremost, if you are not familiar with the Giallo films you may not get the full picture of what Mr. Everson is accomplishing here. If your only experience of Giallo films is Dario Argento's *Suspiria*, then you may be apt to yell "That guy is ripping off Suspiria". Going into reading this book, and thinking in the Giallo film mindset, I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can feel the darkness... and the over-the-top deaths, the only thing it was missing were the screams interrupted by the "pop" of the film jumping ahead a little. Come on, it's Giallo.
Do yourself a favor, read this book. Read some of John Everson's other books, if you read on the Kindle they are priced to move and you will not be disappointed.