Murder mystery set in CROWHURST, East Sussex

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies by L M Chilton, murder mystery set in Crowhurst, East Sussex.

Welcome to the flat share  at no. 4 Stewart Heights. It’s grubby and grim but it’s home to four young people, who call themselves the Deadbeats. There’s banter and quipping, and humour and community.

The flat is in Crowhurst, East Sussex which is known for only a few things: significantly the UK’s 7^th worst serial killer, Peter Doyle, who in 1996 murdered 5 teenagers and then threw himself off a cliff.

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Esme arrives at the door and announces that she is moving in to the box room; this sublet is rather a surprise, it seems, to everyone already living there. She is here to delve a little into Doyle’s case, using her channel on ShowMe (Tiktok is so last year). She joins the ‘Deadbeats’ – the flat’s group chat. This all happened 12 months ago.

In present day, flatmate Kirby (aka Clare) is surprised to see a new post in the group chat and it’s from Esme; but everyone believes she is dead. A chilling message “everyone in the group chat dies” pops up and now it really is time for the remaining flat mates to get together and work out what is going on.

Similar in construct to Don’t Swipe Right, the author clearly has developed a successful formula that involves a lone female protagonist challenging the world (and herself), as multiple people in her circle come to a sticky end. Perhaps, though, there is a tendency to feel overly similar to other novels written by the author. This, though, for some this may feel like a comfort, as you know what you are getting.

A fun romp written with wit and bounce, with a rather desultory portrait of Crowhurst as a backdrop.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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