I'm going to try to write a review worthy of this amazing début novel by Stuart Turton. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mind-twisting story with characters that leap off the page. This multi-perspective mystery has murder, manipulation, and a feeling of desperation, but in the end delivers a message of kindness, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the BEST BOOKS I have EVER read. I'll try to keep this post at a reasonable length because I could ramble for pages about the writing quality, descriptions, and symbolism.

I have NEVER read a book with so many moving parts. Turton must have lost his mind trying to keep track of who was doing what, and when. Mentioned a few times in the novel, chess is a symbol of the theme of dark and light throughout the story with Aiden moving each host towards checkmate. Trying to figure out who killed Evelyn is like putting together the most complicated puzzle you've ever seen.

As Aiden embodies the eight hosts he initially complains about their limitations, but learns to focus on their unique talents. The plot is very twisty, at times confusing, and I loved every second. The ending clearly explained all the confusing parts and I felt extremely satisfied.

The characters are FANTASTIC. I could picture each unique person clearly in my mind. The mansion, Blackheath, is one of my favourite characters. "Blackheath shrinks around me, shriveling like a spider touched to the flame." The Plague Doctor is a mysterious character who keeps you wondering if he's good or bad. Anna is "fierce and fearless". I love to see authors write about strong, smart, women.

Hooked from beginning to end, I recommend The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle to fans of mystery/thriller who like a dash of magical realism (time travel).

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a fine and head-muddling twist on your good old murder mystery. It has an outstanding plot. It has hints and clues dropped by the author that you still can’t make heads or tails of. For example, I was so sure the title “7 ½ Deaths” is a dead giveaway (pun intended), but I was wrong. What, Evelyn dies 7.5 times? Or is it our hero Aidan fails 7 times and almost succeeds on the 8th time? I still couldn’t figure it out even when I was 70% through. The author carefully crafted twists and turns that are sure to keep readers guessing.

Reading Stuart Turton’s writing, I get the feeling that every sentence is precise, in the sense that it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Not a word was wasted, every word serves a purpose. There is no wishy-washy sentences or clichès that fills up the paragraphs. Stuart Turton utilises personification techniques liberally in his work. The effect it has is astonishing – readers get a precise and immersive setting where they can lose themselves.

One thing that’s highlighted in every review ever for this book is the absence of emotional engagement with readers. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t notice it until after I’ve finished the book and read reviews because I was wholly engrossed in the convoluted mystery. However, I think emotional engagement with readers is a very important thing to establish but this book is an exception. It’s such a complex, time-restrained conundrum that the readers are just holding their breaths for that final reveal.

And oh boy, that finale? Worth holding your breath for.

Right. So. I'm giving this book five stars.

This is a surprise.

To me.

Because I'm not entirely sure what I just read but... apparently I loved it? *shrugs*

My experience reading this... gotta be honest, I'm not even sure how how to classify this book so let's say... this book by Stuart Turton went something like this...

*while reading*

me: ooh, historical fiction murder mystery, I like
me: huh?
me: oh that makes...
me: no, that doesn't make sense at all
me: now it's starting to make sense
me: no, it's really not... is this dude (is he Sebastian or Aiden?!?! like, originally) inhabiting other people's bodies?! wtf?!
me: this is such a... weird way to tell this story
me: these people take a lot of naps
me: huh?
me: and also, huh???
me: why I am emotionally invested in Evelyn Hardcastle and who murdered (or didn't... and also keeps murdering) her?
me: I accept my emotional investment in these people, how many ever of them are in one body at the same damn time
me: still a little bit huh?
me: omg, I did not expect that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
me: that was a ridiculous and perfect ending! it should not be the same ending with those two words
me: I've gotta read this again
me: also, Stuart Turton, sir? are you writing a prequel? a sequel? a series? more to explain the twist? I'd totally read them! I have no idea why, but I will!

(Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC copy of this book, which I reviewed in happy confusion, or tried to, with all honesty.)

This book turned out to be a pleasant surprise! When my children were younger, we watched several of those television shows with a plot about every day being Christmas or a birthday. When I saw this book, I didn’t honestly think I’d like it, but when I noticed all the great reviews it has received, I decided to give it a whirl.

I like how the author sets the scene with a home that is in disrepair and a cast of characters who for the most part, are not all that nice. Even the name of the property, Blackheath, adds an element of darkness to the the book. When the main character ends up trapped in a cycle of taking over the body and personality of a different person in the household everyday until he can figure out who the murderer is, it definitely made for some interesting scenes especially when a Plague Doctor and mysterious Footman are added to the mix.

The ending was a surprise and not at all what I expected.

Aiden Bishop, a man unknown to himself, has one day to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The twist? He will live the same day as 8 different party guests whose personalities will either help, or hinder, his investigation. 

Blackheath is a Victorian manner populated by rapists, drug peddlers, and blackmailers who have arrived in celebration; all the same guests who attended the party years earlier that was the scene of a horrific event that changed the lives of the Hardcastle family. 

So what do the guests, the past, and Evelyn's murder have to do with each other? That's for Aiden Bishop to find out. That is, if he can fight his way through his host's predilections and his own lack of memory. 

This was my first Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) that I've ever received and I can't tell you how excited I was to be in on the "ground floor". Especially as this is author, Stuart Turton's, debut novel. 

I'm an avid reader of suspense thrillers, who-dun-its, and high fantasy (weird, I know). I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I jumped into The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. After finishing the novel, I can picture this book as an episode of Black Mirror. That's the best way to describe it. 

This book kept me swiping pages the whole time. It would be easy to consider this book "un-put-downable". 

Don't go into this book expecting a suspenseful build up like your average suspense novel. This book read more Sherlock Holmes-y. I never had a real "I think this is what happened" moment because the information was fed to me as it was discovered by Aiden. 

I think this was a great debut novel by Stuart Turton and I look forward to reading what he comes up with next. 

Lastly, I would like to say that Aiden Bishop is a better person than I am.

I am so impressed by this debut author and this book. It felt like: Clue meets Groundhog Day meets Downton Abby meets Sherlock Holmes.

I kept thinking thoughts such as "Lady Hardcastle in the ballroom with the revolver."

Evelyn Hardcastle's murder must be solved in order to stop the day from repeating itself. There are so many characters and it was occasionally hard to keep track. I should have kept a few notes. Stuart Turton is an expert writer and I could easily picture the Blackheath estate. I will probably re-read this book again someday to pick up on some of the details that I missed.

I've had this book on my 'to read' shelf for MONTHS and it was well worth the wait.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mystery that is beyond anything I've ever read. Our main character wakes up and doesn't know who he is, where he is or why the name "Anna" is on the tip of his tongue.

What follows is a mystery that includes body switching for 8 days, a death that needs to be solved and a footman who is out to kill him. Oh, did I forget to mention that there are two other people who are ALSO switching bodies and looking for the murderer? This is not a book to read in one sitting because Stuart Turton has created a tightly written and creative world where one man is in 8 bodies, trying to solve one murder and save his own life. It's SO MUCh.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book .

This is not a fast-paced book, but it is certainly an intriguing, captivating mystery. This Agatha Christie-esque book is actually two mysteries: Who killed Evelyn Hardcastle, and what on earth is actually going on?
I found it a bit difficult to keep the characters straight at times, I was so thankful for the party invitation in the front that listed all of the key characters and I referred back to this regularly. One pet peeve that keeps popping up in my reading: why is it that authors insist on naming characters starting with the same letter? It is SO difficult to remember who's who: Dickie, Derby, Donald, Daniel, Dance (some are referred to by their last names all the time!) It really affected my reading enjoyment because I got quite confused.
The core story here is beyond excellent and creative. Although the middle got a bit bogged down, the ending more than makes up for it with its unique conclusion. This is one of the most original books I've read in quite a while, both in its premise and construction. It bears re-reading now that I know how things turn out so I can keep a better eye out for clues.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was a really interesting novel. I think it's safe to say I've never read anything quite like this. It captured my attention almost instantly, and was hard to put down. I thought the story was very creative - giving the reader bits of information as the main character lives out the same day from different perspectives works so well, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I found it exciting and fun, and it turned out to be a fairly quick read for such a large book.

The writing is incredibly impressive for a debut novel. Turton has a lot of talent. My favorite kind of writing to read is the kind that's beautiful and well-crafted, but unobtrusive and not distracting. Turton mastered that here, and it made reading this book a very enjoyable experience. Based on the writing alone, I would definitely read more of his work.

As for the characters, I truly loved how dimensional every single one of them is. Turton does a brilliant job of revealing bits about each of them slowly, and showing how all of them grow, even over just the course of one day. It was a lot of fun getting to know all of them, and I think all of them added to the story.

While I did enjoy this book immensely, I did have a few minor issues with it. First, I think it starts off a bit too slow. The pace does a decent job of illustrating the main character's confusion at the beginning of the book, but it's hard to get a good feel for the story. It took me quite a few chapters to adjust to the pacing and everything that was going on, and I think it hampered my enjoyment of the book in the beginning. There were also a few twists and plot points that either seemed unbelievable, or just weren't explained well enough. I didn't fully grasp how the repeating days worked when it was first explained, and it's a fairly complicated system, which made the events a bit confusing until it's explained a bit more later in the story. Little things like that were a bit distracting, but not huge problems that kept me from liking this book at all. It may not have been perfect, but it is definitely a really good book.

I very interesting take on a typical mystery. I liked how when you first begin the book you are at a lost to what is going on. You are in the same position as the narrator and trying to figure out what is going on. I liked the feeling of being disoriented and trying to piece together everything. I will say that while the beginning started off with a bang, it was not able to keep that same momentum through the entire book. While I still enjoyed the book, it didn't fully grab my interest and it was easy to put down.

I did like the groundhog day aspect to the story and that we got different perspectives for different days, so we were living the same day over and over again. I liked getting inside the head of different characters and to see the narrator struggle to main a sense of self and not get lost into this different personalities.

I like how they explored themes of punishment, justice, redemption and forgiveness and not in you usual way. I can't get really get into with out spoiling the book. I only wish this was explored more in this story. I feel that part was rushed and that was the most interesting aspect of the read.

Who killed Miss Hardcastle by the reflecting pool with the revolver? In this genre bending murder mystery, the protagonist has eight days to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The catch? Each day is the same day, and each morning the narrator wakes up in a different body. If they do not unmask her killer by 11:00 p.m. on the eighth day, their memories will be erased and the loop reset. Super inventive — albeit a little slow at times — The 7 1/12 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is Groundhog Day meets Every Day meets Black Mirror meets Agatha Christie.

This book is phenomenal! It is a debut novel by Stuart Turton, and it is brilliant. This is a book you don't read casually, so when you sit down to read it, there are a few things you need to know first before even attempting to understand what is going on.

Aidan Bishop has landed in Blackheath and straight into the body of one of 8 people he will reside in every day for 8 days. These people are witnesses to Evelyn Hardcastle's death. There is nothing he can do but go along with this- willingly or not! If he wants to get out of Blackheath he needs to live this day over and over until he figures out who the killer is, and only then will he be set free.

This book has no many twists and turns in the plot and the chapters go back and forth also between the days, so you need to pay attention, or you won't understand what is going on. There is so much mental angst Aidan has to go through, but not only his, but also everyone he inhabits.

There are 25 different characters in this book and it was fascinating to see who they were, who they knew, what they knew and what happens to them in the course of this book.

On top of this, there are many chapters where Aidan goes back and forth between days and as different people!

I just want to leave it at this, to give away any of this book would not be right. You will have to put on your detective self and read on to see what happens, and believe me, you will be surprised, and at the end it is unbelievable as well.

I would like to thank Stuart Turton for writing such a brilliant book and I just know I am going to reread this book! I gave this book 5 Stars, but it deserves 10 stars, and I will be thinking about this book for days o come!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody's true nature."

Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed. But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden Bishop—one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party—can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again.

But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...

As far as any book goes, the concept is actually brilliant, especially for a debut. The book is smart, (mostly) well-executed, and clever.

Here's where my glowing review ends. I was confused throughout and had to keep going back to reread parts which given the size of the book, was not ideal. It was unclear at times as to which body Aidan was in and at what times. There were also a lot of characters and it was challenging to keep them straight. Having a character change their identity eight times is a gamble for Turton and he almost pulls it off. Where he fails is that the reader questions how well they know and understand the characters—they are suspect because of all of the different identities inhabited.

The premise, as mentioned, is fantastic. When you read the synopsis, there is definite intrigue, but actually reading it was a whole other matter. I was left disinterested around day six. There was some unnecessary bulk at this point in the storyline and hopefully this will be resolved in the published product. My final thought is that given the level of detail, the number of players, and the intricate plot, this should have been a series.

The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a twisting, turning mystery set in a large, decaying mansion full of secretive guests in an unnamed location that sounds like 1920s Britain. We follow our narrator as he inhabits the bodies of 8 inhabitants of the house and tries to solve the murder of wealthy Evelyn Hardcastle, daughter of the hosts. Reliving the same day 8 times, our narrator must use what he has already learned and his hosts' special skills and relationships with others to unweave the mystery. There are red herrings, unreliable witnesses, dark secrets, and lots of backstabbing, figuratively and literally. As someone who often figures out mysteries early, The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle had me guessing right to the end, which I loved. Though there are many twists and turns, none of them seem to contradict the facts we learn or feel as if they were added to the plot just for dramatic effect. If you love a good mystery, enjoy the vibe of the movie <i>Clue</i>, and don't mind if your amateur detectives are touched by a bit of the supernatural, you'll probably love this book.

This book is actually a pretty good debut. It's original and the different characters all have a strong personality. I was eager to find out how the book would end, so I was sure to finish the book, but sadly I wasn't that involved and felt more like a bystander. I always love to get sucked in a book, but I wasn't caring that much for the characters.

Pros
Footman: THIS PERSON IS SO SCARY. I was scared every time I figured out the footman would come into the scene. It was liking watching the movie Scream where you know someone is coming after you, but you can't do anything about it. It actually contained some very vivid killing scenes. This footman is not somebody to mess around with.
The plot: I did not figure it out. I was coming along with the different characters to find out what happened and to solve this big mystery, but I had no idea how. I have been doubting a lot of things and a lot of characters as well. I had no idea how the story would end and I always love to go for a ride and see where it ends.
Original: The book is original. It's like nothing I have ever read. It was hard to understand at some point, but I could still appreciate how orignal this book is. I can't explain to much without spoiling! You should go on a ride yourself, to figure out what is going on in this book...

Cons
Confusing: At some point the book got a bit confusing and I couldn't stay focussed for too long. I kept drifting off and not understanding what was going on. Some things didn't make sense, especially towards the ending when more characters are introduced.
Wasn't involved: I couldn't compare myself to any of the characters and I didn't care for them that much either. I didn't mind it that much if people died. I felt like I was taking a ride as a passenger, and looking out of the window and just seeing what was happening, instead of me wanting to get out of the car and get involved.
Hard to get into: Because of the POV switches it is pretty hard to get into. When I was used to a certain character, the book would switch to another character and I had to get used to the new character all over again.

Overall
I do believe this is a great book for lovers of Mystery and you should pick it up if you want to read something original. Make sure you don't rush through this book, it can be hard to understand what is going on and you have to get used to the characters every time you switch POV's. This is not a bad debut at all and I am curious what this author can come up with as a second book. I expect an original second book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The twists. The turns. It kept me on my toes the whole time. I’ve already been suggesting it to my customers looking for a great mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine you wake up one morning in the middle of a forest, with no recollection of what happened the night before, or even who you are… and when you find your way back to safety in an immense country house called Blackheath, everyone there seems to know you but you have no idea who they are. Imagine that shortly after that, you encounter a mysterious messenger who explains to you that someone is going to die tonight, and that the only way you can escape this place is by solving their murder… what would you do? Run away or start investigating?
Aiden Bishop is trapped in Blackheath where, inevitably, Evelyn Hardcastle will meet her death each night at 11pm, unless he can solve her murder and break the cycle. To do so, Aiden is given eight days and eight “hosts” (guests to inhabit for one day). If he cannot solve the murder in the time given, his memories will be wiped and the cycle will begin again. But Aiden isn’t the only person trapped in Blackheath. Among the guests are two other persons, just like him, investigating to save their lives. But only one of them can escape…
Blimey, this book was insane! If I had to define it I would say it’s a crossover between Groundhog Day and Agatha Christie or even a mix between Pride and Prejudice and Criminal Minds. Blackheath is a huge estate owned by the Hardcastle family and on the 19th anniversary of their son’s death, the lady of the house decided to throw a party, inviting the very same people that were present 19 years ago when her son died. It reminded me of Agatha Christie in the way that the action is set in one place and all the characters are the same throughout the book. It’s also set in a time where maids and servants were still a thing hence the Pride and Prejudice vibes. It also reminded me of Groundhog Day because Aiden repeats the same day again and again until solving the murder, and of Criminal Minds because the story gets dark really quickly and Aiden will have to observe the guests’ personalities and habits to help in his investigation.
The story is incredibly complex, there are endless characters, each with their own quirks and background stories and we go through so many clues trying to solve Evelyn’s murder that it is impossible to keep track of them all (but in a good way, like where they stay somewhere in your brain and start to make more sense as the story advances). This is a book that made me guess, page after page, what was going on as it took me through Aiden’s investigation and I tried to decipher the clues. I had a few different theories at some point, but the book outsmarted me every time and this is my favourite kind of book, where it makes me think really hard until I eventually have to give up and admit that the only way I’ll make sense of it is to just read on.
It’s a pretty long book (over 500 pages) and reading it in a week was a challenge but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The story is so complex that it needs the pages to unfold itself, and every single chapter is a cliffhanger. Once again, I am very surprised that this is a debut novel, as it is astonishingly brilliant. So much work (and post-it notes!) must have gone into it!
The only criticism I have about this is that I could have done with a floorplan of the country house since it is huge and it’s sometimes hard to picture it all in your own mind, but after snooping around on Amazon I realised that the book actually does have a floorplan, it’s only my advanced copy that didn’t, so I guess I can’t even fault it on a single thing.
If you’re into your murder mysteries, do get your hand on it, you won’t be disappointed!

One of the most unique books I've read in the longest time—I mean this in the best possible way. The entire time I felt like I was in a game of "Clue." Thank you for the opportunity to read, I truly enjoyed.

4 / 5

What is it about?

Aiden Bishop is trapped at Blackheath, where every night Evelyn Hardcastle dies at precisely 11:00. Only when he figures out the "Who, what, and why's" will he be free to escape.

He only has 8 days to solve the mystery and each day is spent trapped in a different guest at Blackheath.

Was it good?

It was okay. At times it was really interesting, and other times the story seemed to drag a bit. It also felt unnecessarily confusing at times because the narrator was keeping his plans secret until they unfolded on their own.

Some of the twists were surprising, but others seemed anti-climactic, and still others were over-the-top.

To summarize my opinion: the story was very interesting, and some parts were better than others.

*I initially rated this book 4 stars upon finishing it but, 12 hours and a good night's sleep later, I'm upping it to between 4.5 and 5 stars. One of the few times my rating has changed overnight after thinking about a book, and after reading the author's Q&A at the back of the book. Turton is getting at least another 1/2 star for originality and for the amazing achievement of keeping all these plot lines and characters straight!

From the opening line, the reader is forewarned that we will be confused: "I forget everything between footsteps." Uh-oh! Poor Sebastian Bell wakes up in a forest with the cry of "Anna!" on his lips, a bump on his head and no recollection of who he is or where he's at. He hears a scream and believes a woman is being murdered but has no strength to go to her aid. He finds his way to the manor house and tries to raise the alarm but is frustrated by the chaos he finds there.

At this point the reader is wondering what the devil is going on here?? We soon learn that the protagonist of the story is inhabiting the body and mind of Dr. Bell as a host and has been assigned a problem to solve by a masked man he calls The Plague Doctor: who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle? He has eight days, eight hosts to inhabit, and from them, he must learn enough to solve the mystery before he will be allowed to leave the party at Blackheath House.

Hotel California is playing on the radio, quite coincidentally: "We are all just prisoners here of our own device." Shivers anyone? That line is apropos because there are others here playing the same desperate game and only ONE can win. Our hero will be lied to, betrayed, hunted, possibly murdered himself before the book reaches its exciting conclusion.

What does it feel like to inhabit another person's body and who controls the mind? Talk about the old saying: Walk a mile in my shoes!" So many challenges to be faced, both mentally and physically. Each character and their abilities are so unique! The scene and action look different from each of their perspectives and our hero picks up nuggets of information and clues but also more confusion. Who to believe and how to piece all this together? Can the future be manipulated, changed, prevented?

The murder at the manor house--sounds very Agatha Christie-ish, doesn't it? Loved the atmospheric feel of the story: the stylish old house going to mold and ruin, the darkness of the rooms from poor lighting, the hints of hidden passage ways, people masked and in costume, the constant storms, creepy woods, marshy lake and, most importantly, the dreadful family secrets. Evil lurks in every dark corner, behind every tree in the woods.

Prepare to be confused, yes, but also engaged and entertained in spades! Very unique and inventive plot!

Many thanks to the publisher who provided me with an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.