Chapters in the book are a little inconsistent. Some of his hosts are young and fit. These chapters rush past with fights and sneaking around. Other of his hosts are feeble older men. These chapters are much slower with planning and conversation.

Overall the story has some great layers — the time travel element allowing clues to be altered. It also enables some hints to change in meaning due to finding out a new perspective.

As a mystery, there was a good list of possible suspects. Some easy to rule out. Other suspects never entirely presumed innocent till the final reveal. A book that once you are done you know, you will want to re-read later to see if you can pick up on all the clues.

I don’t think I will be able to come up with enough adjectives for this one…

What a fiendishly clever plot!

Aiden Bishop awakens one morning with virtually no memory of who he is, where he is, or what he needs to accomplish. He soon learns that he is at Blackheath Manor along with dozens of guests of the Hardcastle family, all there due to the death of their son 19 years before.

I was reminded of Robert Ludlum’s “The Bourne Identity” except, perhaps that this would be a murder mystery rather than a thriller novel. This wouldn’t be the only time I thought I might know where this novel was taking me only to be proven completely wrong.

Seems Aiden must solve a murder. The murder of Evelyn Hardcastle which will occur at 11:00 this evening. For eight days, Aiden will relive each day, inhabiting a different host each time. These eight people are all witnesses in one form another and it will be up to Aiden to utilize their bodies and minds to uncover clues as to what actually happens during that day, ultimately (and hopefully) piecing everything together to solve the murder. If, at the end, he is unsuccessful, he will have to repeat the entire cycle again, with no memories of what happened the last time.

That is the basic setup and I do emphasize the word “basic”. Lest you start to think this is a Groundhog Day scenario, well maybe, but that is really just the bare structure of this complex story. There is far more to the intricacies of the plot than I can possibly outline here and, frankly, discovering the nuances of the “game” is almost as much fun as trying to solve the murder. The Blackheath Manor holds many secrets, not the least of which involves the hosts that Aiden must inhabit.

Despite the numerous complexities of the plot, I never felt like I was struggling to keep track of the characters or the time frames. Interestingly, the novel is told in the present tense which is normally a jarring sort of way to tell a story. But here, I never really noticed it and it certainly gave a sense of immediacy to the events. Revelations happen frequently; just when I thought I knew where it was headed, everything turned upside down. The ending was satisfying and I came away with a feeling that I needed to go off by myself on a mountaintop for a few hours and just think about the whole thing.

The author, Stuart Turton, is clearly a gifted writer who is not content to produce anything that has been done before. I can’t imagine the walls full of sticky notes and spreadsheets he must have maintained in order to keep the threads of this plot together. I will be anxiously awaiting whatever he publishes next. Meanwhile, I am greatly tempted to go back and start this one again from the beginning…

Aiden Bishop awakens in an unknown forest with only one name resonating in his mind-Anna. He does not know where he is, when it is, and he does not even know his own name. The only thing he knows is that he has to get out of here. Fast.

As he later discovers, he cannot get out of Blackheath until he solves the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle repeating the same day in a different body. The clues will be given to each character and the events cannot and should not be changed. Meanwhile, danger lurks in the shadows, in every corner, and not everything is what it seems.

Although the main character, Aiden Bishop, has to inhabit 8 individual bodies, the storyline remained the same and details from previous perspectives bring clarity to the mystery. Not only does Aiden have to figure out who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle to save his own life, he also has to figure out how to save the life of both Evelyn and Anna. This is made more difficult as there are others who are also trying to escape and manipulate him to advance their chances. There is also the issue that the more bodies that Aiden resides in, the more voices and characters compound his psyche. As if that was not complicated enough, he also has to do all of this while protecting his hosts from being prematurely murdered by The Footman who is stalking him and ready to pounce at any moment to shorten his day and thus reducing his chances of solving the murder and escaping.

All of these factors intertwine into a fantastic plot with surprises, mystery, and an epic finale. I would recommend this book for all adult mystery readers. It is very fast-paced and I felt myself rooting for Aiden and Anna through their many obstacles. I loved the small details that became big clues later on in the story. The fact that this is Stuart Turton’s debut novel is incredible!

Conversely, I would not recommend this book for readers who may be triggered or offended by the following: arranged marriage, murder, revenge, death, graphic violence, and suggestions of rape.

I have never read a book like this before, and I am so fascinated by the intricacies involved in the plotting and the writing of it! The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I wanted one more chapter. If you enjoy mysteries and thriller or puzzles I highly recommend this. Impressive debut!

really genius. it's hard to describe this book. take it as... mystery compounded by weird shit mixed in with deviltry blended with insanity and a host of some despicable characters and.... a couple good ones? ugh, maybe none. maybe no good guys. hard to say. you'll have to read it and decide for yourself. definitely a page turner and weird in a good way.

Now that was a mind-bender! I am pleasantly surprised at how the author created such a complex novel, weaving together the many details so smoothly and meticulously. I truly loved the mystery in this one, and the cast of characters were fantastic. I don't want to say too much lest I give something away, but I do find myself increasingly curious about Anna, and that is surely the sign of a great book, when I wonder about the characters after it is done.

Unputdownable! The perfect mix of Downton Abbey meets Black Mirror. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a suspenseful murder mystery.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was an exceptional novel that I thought sounded good from the beginning and did not disappoint. Now, if you start this novel make sure you keep reading, because I began it and was just confused! You truly feel a part of the novel as you are dropped in and you have no idea what is going on at all. Just keep reading! Thankfully, this author begins to clear the fog earlier then some and you really get into the novel from then on. I am often disappointed when the authors think it is coy to keep the story going and not really tell you anything, I often put those aside. Fear not though, this novel is not that way.

Now, how the novel wraps up is kind of crazy and mind blowing, however, the very ending I kind of was a bit confused. Regardless, it was a fine novel with a good surprising ending and very enjoyable!

In this novel you are welcomed into a world where you need to solve a crime, who killed Evelyn Hardcastle? Think of the song Hotel California and this novel very much seems that way. This novel feels like you are living out one of those murder mystery parties as you jump from one person to the next gaining clues as you go along the way. Intriguing, thrilling and just down right fun to read! I am excited to see what this author has to offer next go around!

A strange and twisting novel, where an unnamed narrator finds themselves repeating the same day over and over, each time in a different body, in the hopes of solving a murder. Turton's novel puts the reader on the same level as the narrator - as he finds clues and learns facts, so do we - including the fact that there is some sort of mysterious game being played in which he is only a pawn. Compelling and unputdownable.

I am not usually a mystery fan, but I loved this! An awesome "whodunnit" with a Quantum Leap twist. I never would have guessed the end, that end was very satisfying, and there was only one death that was disappointing. In my opinion that is a hit.

In the spirit of a traditional English manner mystery and...a horror board game we get the barley sci-fi 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Will appeal to literary fiction fans, mystery fans, and sci-fi fantasy fans! I feel bad it took me so long to pick this up because once I did I could not put it down.

A riveting thrill ride that promises no semblance of normalcy and a tale to bend your mind. Following Aiden Bishop on his miraculous misadventures is a trip best reserved for a goblet of scotch, some baroque music and the harsh unforgiving vastness of an unending storm. Perfectly balanced to suit the mood. I would even go as far as saying that it may be the most enjoyable neo-neonoir I have read this year. In other words, it left me shook. In the best way imaginable.

Thank you to Sourcebook Landmark and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this and provide an honest review.

4.75 Rounded up to 5!!!

This book is something I will be talking about for many, many years. Books like this (creative/outside the box/clever + excellent writing) do not come along often. In fact, this is the book I thought Marisha Pessl would write after Night Film. It's eerie how Neverworld Wake is similar to this in so many ways, but fell terribly flat where The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle succeeded.

If you like Agatha Christie/Downton Abbey with a twist of The Twilight Zone - this is the book for you. I won't spend any time summarizing the plot because it's more fun going in as blind as possible. Just know that the book always keeps you guessing and as soon as you think you have the pattern figured out - BAM.

It is sooo, sooo, good. You really have to take your time in reading it because you want to make sure you catch as much detail as possible. I found myself going back and re-reading a lot, but I didn't mind at all. My one *slight* criticism is that because of the complexity, it was hard to keep mental track of everything going on (there are a lot of characters and activities you are trying to keep track of), but I really think the author did the best job he could leaving cookie crumbs and helpful hints to remind you of important facts. That is the only reason I downgraded this book ever so slightly.

I am really looking forward to the next work from this author (whenever that may be). He has a huge fan in me and from all the other positive reviews I have seen - many others as well!

Stuart Turton takes the model of an Agatha Christie country house murder mystery and adds metaphysical, mind-bending elements.

A group of wealthy aristocrats arrive at a family estate to celebrate the birthday of Evelyn Hardcastle. As is common in these stories, Evelyn is expected to marry a boorish but rich baronet to save the family from financial ruin. The only trouble is, at the end of the night someone is going to kill Evelyn. With multiple suspects on a large estate, it is setting up to be a closed circle mystery.

The story becomes unnerving when the reader learns that the narrator isn’t quite himself. His consciousness has been placed in a body not his own and he had been dropped in the midst of the birthday weekend. A figure wearing a plague mask explains that his task is to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle using each host body to get closer to the truth. Yep, at the end of each day, he will wake up in another guest and relive the day again — from another perspective.

The invitation is addressed to Doctor Sebastian Bell, a name it takes me a few moments to recognize as my own. My Samaritan mentioned it earlier, but seeing it written down, along with my professions, is an altogether unsettling affair. I don’t feel like a Sebastian, let alone a doctor. ~Loc. 273

The novel is strange but engaging. I read it over an extended period of time, which I don’t recommend. There are so many details (like the chess piece-inspired character names) and moving parts it would be best to clear your reading schedule and focus on this one to fully grasp it. It is complicated, but it follows its own rules and has a satisfying ending.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

You have to sit through a lot of Great House novel tropes before you get to any suspense, which to be fair is probably a selling point for people looking for some Downton Abbey mixed in with their mystery, but doesn’t create any veristic psychological terror. Fox hunt fans only. L

The first 70 percent of this book were tough. I was really annoyed by the main character, starting with his fat phobia earlier on in the book which is really tough and gross to read. This book is definitely high concept, and the ending pays off kind of, but I wouldn't consider it worth it to slog through most of it and I wouldn't say I'm glad I read this. I am glad it only took a few days because even if I did hate it, I was interested to find out what happened. I also wasn't a huge fan of how much he used the word queer to mean odd. I get Agatha Christie does it and he's trying to make it like that, but this is 2018. No one uses the word queer to mean odd or strange and he used it so frequently.

I received a copy of this novel via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

When a man wakes up in the middle of the woods with only one memory, a name that does not belong to him, he soon realises that he trapped. Trapped in the same day, destined to watch the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle from a different body each day. His only chance of escape? To find the killer before they find him.

Woooow, I cannot believe it took me so long to read this. Given the serious Agatha Christie vibes and the intricate mystery, I was absolutely hooked and unable to put this one down. It's the sort of mind-blowing book that I'll be thinking about for weeks to come.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

This was a wild ride that's for sure.

Once you get into the story it becomes an all-consuming read. It's very much a read it in one sitting kind of book and definitely one that you want to go into blind.

My complaints would be that sometimes it became a bit too much - all the twists and turns that made this a page-turner also were kind of overwhelming at some points. There are also some characters that blend together after a while. My biggest problem was the trace amounts of sexism peppered throughout the book. I understand that it can sometimes be used as a part of the story but in my opinion in this book it did nothing for the story/character development and was largely unnecessary.

It was a very entertaining read and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a kick to get out of a reading slump

Never have been so excited about being so confused whilst reading a book! Turton is a Master. This was completely original and completely out there and completely compelling. I was so absorbed in every moment and....well, CONFUSED.

There is really not much I can say about the plot of this novel without getting all spoilery and stuff; something I am not looking to do. Go into this knowing nothing besides the fact that it is okay to be reading it and not understanding anything that is going on. The longer it goes, the more info you have and the more confusing it can become. It's exceptional in its detail. I had so many theories, some panned out, others didn't but I never stopped guessing, right up until the very end.

If you are looking for a completely unique mystery to get you through the holiday season, look no further! Stop right here! This is the book you need to read. I cannot wait to read more from Stuart Turton. I am already fangirling over him after one book. I love his ingenuity and style. Yes, I do! Thank you so much to the publisher, and NetGalley, for providing me a copy of this to read and review. As always, I truly appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback. To sum it up nicely - I am blown away!!!

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton left my head spinning! I've never read a book like this one. It's a combination of the old movie Groundhog Day and an Agatha Christie whodunit murder mystery. Aiden Bishop wakes up not quite knowing who he is. As his day stretches out he becomes more and more confused. He knows someone has been killed but can't say how he knows the victim and what he was doing in the woods during the murder. His confusion only deepens throughout the book. I'm amazed at the author's skill in writing this book, especially in regards to keeping all of the characters straight. What a writing process he must have gone through. Read and enjoy!