Description

‘An addictive read that will remain with you long after you emerge from the rabbit hole’ – THE TIMES

‘A marvellously twisty whodunnit [with] the brutal, clockwork ingenuity of an Agatha Christie mystery’ – FT

‘A pacy, exciting and most unusual crime story’ – GUARDIAN
________________________________________

SHARING A BODY CAN BE MURDER

The Earth’s spiralling population has finally been controlled. Lifespans are limited to eighty years, except for those who make an extreme choice: to become a commune. Five minds sharing one body, each living for four hours at a time. But with a combined lifespan of nearly 150 years.

Alex, Kate, Mike, Sierra and Ben have already spent twenty-five years together in what was once Mike’s body, their frequent personality clashes leading to endless bickering, countless arguments, and getting themselves stranded on a Russian Arctic freighter. Wanting to buy upgrades for their next host body, they decide to travel to a Death Park where time can be gambled like money. But things go very wrong when Kate accepts a dangerous offer, and one of them disappears.

Someone is trying to kill off members of the commune. But why? Is one of them responsible? Or is an outsider playing a deadly game? It’s hard enough to catch a murderer. It’s almost impossible when you might be sharing a body with them…

This brilliant murder mystery blends classic crime with speculative fiction in a stunning debut.
______________________________________

‘This clever, twisty debut really delivers. Gripping, well-written and intriguing on every level’ – SARAH PEARSE

‘Brilliantly inventive. If you liked The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, you’ll love this’ – EVE SMITH

‘Morpuss is set to become a powerhouse in speculative crime. A feast of a book’ – HELEN FIELDS

‘A whip-smart, searing debut, which grinds into the mind like cursed clockwork’ – MATT WESOLOWSKI

‘A mind-stretching and irresistible premise deftly spun into a twisty, page-turning action-thriller’ – PHILIPPA EAST

‘Consider my single mind blown! An astonishing and original concept, deftly executed’ – DAVID JACKSON

‘A mind-bendingly original debut. Nothing short of a cross-genre masterpiece’ – ADAM CHRISTOPHER

‘The world-building of Gibson with the pace of The Running Man. A fantastic ride’ – TIM GLISTER

Publisher Review

This thriller is science fiction wrapped in a murder mystery that scrambles and blows your mind… It is an addictive read that will remain with you long after you emerge blinking from the rabbit hole * The Times * A pacy, exciting and most unusual crime story * Guardian * My mind is officially blown! This clever, twisty debut really delivers. Gripping, well-written and intriguing on every level — Sarah Pearse, bestselling author of The Sanatorium Guy Morpuss is set to become a powerhouse in speculative crime. Tense, dark, gritty and high-concept, it’s a feast of a book — Helen Fields, author of A Perfect Crime Five Minds spearheads an exciting new trend in speculative fiction, with a mind-stretching and irresistible premise deftly spun into a twisty, page-turning action-thriller. Clever, cool and thoroughly entertaining — Philippa East, author of Little White Lies Consider my single mind blown! An astonishing and original concept, deftly executed. This novel cries out for a screen adaptation — David Jackson, bestselling author of Cry Baby A whip-smart, searing debut with a story which grinds into the mind like cursed clockwork. I really loved it — Matt Wesolowski, author of Six Stories A brilliantly inventive, pacy debut with a great premise. A Maze Runner type world of complex death games and riddles that keep you guessing to the very end. If you liked The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, you’ll love this — Eve Smith, author of The Waiting Rooms A dazzling, thrilling rollercoaster ride: five strangers forced to share a body in a resource-depleted future find themselves caught up in a murder mystery. Full of ideas and excitement, it’s a gripping fast-paced read — Alex Pavesi, author of Eight Detectives Fascinating and inventive. A brilliantly original concept, thrilling and surprising but also thoughtful and heartbreaking — Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet Part Bladerunner part Agatha Christie, this mind-bending pacy debut gives a whole new meaning to the locked-room mystery. Five Minds deserves to be huge — Imran Mahmood, author of You Don’t Know Me Thrilling dystopian sci-fi meets twisty murder mystery in this mind-bendingly original debut. Five Minds is nothing short of a cross-genre masterpiece — Adam Christopher, author of Empire State Amazingly addictive. A wicked, twisty blend of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Blade Runner and even a pinch of Rollerball — Kate Griffin, author of Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders I loved Five Minds – the worldbuilding of Gibson with the pace of The Running Man. A fantastic ride and a brilliant debut! — Tim Glister, author of Red Corona The ultimate whodunit conundrum, this amazing concept blew my mind from the start. A thrilling, intelligent read — Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal Five Minds literally blew my mind, with a stunning concept that takes you on a terrifying trip with five souls crammed into one body, every one of them a suspect. Devoured in 24 hours, and will take some dislodging from the top of my ‘best reads of 2021’ pile — Robert Scragg, author of What Falls Between the Cracks Extraordinary. Mindblowing, original and fiendishly clever. I’ll be thinking about this book for a very long time — Victoria Selman, author of Snakes and Ladders Gripping, fast-paced and incredibly original. Five Minds is out of this world in the best possible way — Allie Reynolds, author of Shiver A gripping, clever and innovative story: this book sucked me into its dark, futuristic world where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. The ending left me reeling! A fantastic debut — Louise Mumford, author of Sleepless After a few pages I was hooked into a new world, manned by workers, andis, hedonists and communes. Imagine an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, The Hunger Games, Sophie’s Choice and a whodunit under one cover. I loved it and wouldn’t be surprised if it gets optioned for a movie — Jenny O’Brien, author of Fallen Angel I loved the brilliant, brain-grabbing Five Minds. An extraordinary concept with a spanking crime mystery at its heart — Chris Lloyd, author of The Unwanted Dead Think The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle meets Running Man. So intelligent and yet so easy to read. Totally recommend — S.E. Moorhead, author of Witness X Inventive, innovative and imaginative. Five Minds was a trip that had me thrilled and terrified in equal measure. Utterly mind-bending — J.M. Hewitt, author of The Night Caller Smart world-building, fantastic near-future ideas, and an ingenious structure that kept the tension at a peak for chapter after chapter — Dan Malakin, author of The Regret High stakes and the dark corners of the human psyche: Five Minds is a fascinating extrapolation of society and a claustrophobic, deft whodunit — Patrick Edwards, author of Ruin’s Wake A real feat of the imagination: wildly original and a thrilling read — Louisa Scarr, author of Last Place You Look Fiendishly clever and dashed with humour. You’re pulled into a world that is fully immersive. One of the most original books I’ve ever read — Chris McDonald, author of A Wash of Black The perfect blend of speculative fiction and crime. I couldn’t stop turning the pages — Lia Middleton, author of When They Find Her Clever, twisty, insightful. It reminded me of a cross between Michael Marshall Smith and Iain M. Banks, and that at its best sci-fi raises themes that shine a light back on contemporary world through a great story. Brilliant — James Mylet, author of Lex Imaginative, twisty and brilliantly fun. I loved each of the expertly-drawn characters and their journey through a world where time is everything. Guy Morpuss has crafted a deliciously devourable tale that will have you on the edge of your seat — Lynsey James, author of Just The Way You Are