Review: The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry

The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry

on July 2021
Genres: Adult Fiction, Thriller
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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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.

I was instantly curious about the new Max Berry release. Having really enjoyed Lexicon last year, I wanted a story that was gripping and interesting and got me out of my regular reading cycle.

Felicity, a reporter, stumbles upon a murder suspect and she inadvertently gets pulled into another dimension. A dimension that mirrors her own, except that Madison May, a local real estate agent, is still alive. And thus begins a Felicity’s own jumps through dimensions as she tracks down the Madison’s murderer. Because he is looking for HIS Madison May and he will go through all of the dimensions to find her, killing the wrong ones along the way.

The premise is interesting and the rules of the travel were easy to follow. I liked how each world, and many times, each person including Madison, was different and yet the same. How small choices lead to bigger character developments and career paths, but that the person, the essence of the person stayed the same.  The story is well paced, maybe not as exciting or as fast as I would have preferred but still easy to get lost in. 

Felicity is the real star of the story. Even though the title is Madison, and she even has chapters from her POV, Felicity is the true hero as we follow her trying to save Madison, trying to save herself and her relationship with her boyfriend as she jumps further and further away from her own world. Felicity is smart and strong and I wanted her to succeed and felt every frustration she felt as she figured it out. Madison was a different matter. Felicity was by far the stronger character and Madison didn’t seem as interesting next to her. She was a little less shiny, more the girl that everyone is trying to save. I thought Madison was fine, but she didn’t grab me the way Felicity did. I didn’t want Madison to die (again and again), but it was more about how I wanted Felicity to catch the murderer.

Overall, The 22 Murders of Madison May is an interesting thriller. I like the worlds and the rules and Felicity. It’s a good summer read for someone who wants a little sci-fi with this thriller.