This book is like a special edition Clue board game of Quantum Leap meets Groundhog Day then turned into an Agatha Christie style mystery.
Aiden Bishop wakes up in a forest surrounding the crumbling Blackheath Estate with zero memories. He soon pieces together that he's at the estate to celebrate the return from Paris of Evelyn Hardcastle. Coincidentally, her return coincides with the 19th anniversary of the murder of her brother Thomas Hardcastle and the same guests who were there on that fateful day have returned for this celebration.
A man dressed for the costume ball as a Plague Doctor informs Aiden he has 8 days to solve a crime and the day will be relived in 8 different "hosts" (guests at Blackheath) in order to solve the puzzle.
Each day, Bishop wakes up in a new body, piecing together clues from different perspectives in order to determine who kills Evelyn Hardcastle at 11p.m. and why. Bishop has been warned that there are two other rivals attempting to solve this mystery but only the first to solve it will be allowed to leave this endless loop and return to their real life.
Filled with deceit, carefully constructed secrets, and the feeling of always being one step behind, Aiden Bishop struggles to hold on to reasoning and the clues he's gathered as he jumps from one host to another, suspecting everyone and trusting few. He soon realizes the Hardcastle's secrets cannot stay buried forever and solving Evelyn's murder may depend on finding out the truth of her brother's death first.
An epic "whodunit" with a collection of well developed characters, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an entertaining mystery that will keep you guessing until the end!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very unusual tale. Aidan Bishop is trapped in a crumbling house and awakens every day as a different houseguest. It was a very clever setup and I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately found it a bit long winded. It didn't really keep my interest and I found it a bit of a struggle to get to the end.

Aiden Bishop is trapped at Blackheath. He also wants to save Anna but is this an impossible task.

Aiden’s only escape will be if he can solve the puzzle of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle.

This futuristic mystery will keep you in anticipation as you become involved with each character and the revelation of their individual secrets.

There will be no putting down this compelling novel.

the bones of this book were so good! i loved the concept and was super excited about. but it was so. freaking. confusing. and because it was so confusing it was frustrating for me to read. towards the end I was so lost. idk, it just fell flat for me sadly.

‘For once, it would be refreshing to find somebody in this place who was exactly what they appeared to be’. Solving a murder is hard enough but Aiden is given an almost impossible task – to solve a murder in 8 days whilst waking up in the body of a different witness every day. Can he break the loop?

I always say the mark of a good book is how fast it takes me to finish it, I have a tendency to get completely drawn into gripping stories that are told in exciting and unique ways and devour them, whereas a book I am not enjoying of the same length will take me weeks as I struggle to want to pick up my Kindle. The Seven (and a half?) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle took me 2 days - I struggled to put it down.

I can’t say much because of spoilers but wow, what a thrill-ride. The mix of time-travel and groundhog day like obstacles to an enthralling murder-mystery plot was so well done and original. The idea of reliving the entire day again from a different perspective leant a great pace to the story and each host was explored so deeply and given such in depth personalities that it was a joy to read. The plot itself is extremely complex with many interlacing threads that come together slowly and cleverly to a final conclusion. I must really congratulate the author for creating such a labyrinth for his readers to get lost in. There are a lot of characters which, especially at the beginning are hard to keep in your head – I think the invitation at the front, which serves as a dramatis personae, would have helped with this more if I had been reading the printed version rather than on kindle.

Overall it’s a fantastic, well thought out book which fully gripped me from beginning to end and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read and review the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What comes first, body or soul? Where is the threshold beyond which we become what we think we are or what other tells us we are? What is punishment? And where are its limits?

This book is weird and amazing, it is soul-searching and hair-rising, tantalizing and revolting at the same time, or shall I say 'in the same day'.

Blackheath is the place not to be. It is the place never to be found, located, mapped or visited. It is in no country, in no time and in no reference setting what so ever. It could have been in England or in the United States. The events could have happened after the World War 1 or North South War... It does not matter. The time and place does not matter.

What matters are the essence of the people and the lengths they are prepared to go to achieve their goals. Their goals matter too. Are they selfish or selfless? Are they for the benefit of others or for greed?

The book started very slow, but then it took me (the same way the main character was overtaken by events around him). I read and read. I could not wait to finish it to find out what, where, who and how.

The story made me think so many thoughts. It made me question our own essences. Yes, there is body and there is soul. But what if we really can travel from body to body? Do we become the body we are in?

The deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle as well as many other deaths in this story are important and intersting. The mystery and revelations are mysterious and revealing. But what I found most interesting is the story of the story itself. How it was all planned out, by whom, why and to what end...

Brrrr. What a story. Read. Gape. Enjoy

This book is a thriller that I'm not quite sure how to review! I alternately loved it and didn't like it much. There's a Groundhog Day element to the book that kept me on my toes as I read it, and the setting is very atmospheric. The ending was a letdown after all the nail-biting of the previous chapters. I recommend it because it's one of the most unusual books I've ever read.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Somebody’s going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won’t appear to be a murder so the murderer won’t be caught. Rectify that injustice and I’ll show you the way out.

A crafty mystery told by several perspectives about a murder occurring at a grand ball at Blackheath House manner. This sounds straightforwards until you realize that the main character Aiden Bishop will wake up in a different body for eight days in the Blackheath house until he solves the murder.

A stellar concept for a story told seamlessly and yet confounding. This plot will demand your every attention to detail.

This is a must read novel and you will find it difficult to put down.

Loved this book. Didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend.

Love love love. Incredible book. Fabulous book club pick too

"These masks we wear betray us. They reveal us.
We are never more ourselves than when we think people aren't watching."

Ok, that was awesome! Not sure if I'm a fan of the ending but I couldn't put the book down and that's actually all I wanted so there you go.
Loved it.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book (entitled The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle pre-publication) without really knowing what it was about. I have a tendency to skim synopses or skip them altogether so I am in for a surprise. I call this literary roulette and it works out all sorts of ways.

But I digress. The moment I started reading, I was hooked. I found the character to be endearing, and the mystery involved and delightful. THEN, it got even better as it was revealed that this is a most original, unusual story. It has a dark, gothic feeling which is also somehow infused with charm and wit. It's like Clue with time travel. It will leave you guessing at every turn, and the prose is lyrical and engaging. You'll have a hard time putting this one down, and probably won't be disappointed with the ending. I wasn't. And I said aloud when I was finished, "WOW". Definitely give this one a read!

The book itself has a lovely art nouveau design which lends itself very well to the style of crime writing inside. Initially, the book reads like an early 20th century crime novel, full of suspense building up to the expected plot twists at the end. (no spoilers though - there's some real out there brilliant twists here!) thoroughly enjoyed it, unlike anything else I've read recently for sure and is already a favoured recommendation to customers. I like to think of it as a cross between Agatha Christie and Cluedo with a healthy dash of The Twilight Zone for good measure!

Warning: this book may cause anti-social behaviour! This trippy blend of classic mystery and time-travel left my head reeling, and is one of the few novels I’ve read recently which is truly worthy of the label ‘unputdownable’.

The unusual combination of Golden Age mystery, reminiscent of Agatha Christie at her best, and new age, Groundhog Day-esque time travel which reminded me of a couple of my favourite movies, Momento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, makes this book something really special. There’s layers within layers and a complex cast of characters which are difficult to keep up with at times, but persevere and the author will give you a satisfying ending which makes all the layers of mystery and the twists and turns worthwhile.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn HardcastleWe first meet our protagonist as Doctor Sebatian Bell. He’s attending a party at a grand manor in the heart of the old English countryside, but he has no idea how he got there or who he is. All he can remember when he wakes is a name; Anna. Pieces of the puzzle are gradually revealed to Bell, until we get to the real twist. He’s actually Aiden Bishop, doomed to wake as eight different visitors to the ball until he solves the mystery of the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, for whom the ball is being thrown for. He gets to live the day leading up to her death through the eyes of eight different guest, and on the eighth day he must have the answer to the mystery, otherwise he is doomed to start all over again.

Already confused? This is just the basic premise to a trippy, bizarre story which kept me guessing until the last few pages. The feat this author has undertaken is truly staggering, creating an entire cast of characters and their intermingling lives, and the meticulous detail into which he must have constructed this day and the clues and red herrings scattered along the way is eye-watering to think about. This book was completely different to anything else I’ve read this year, and I loved it.

This is a very tantalizing book, the answer seems just at the corner of our vision. It eludes us the same way it eludes the protagonist(s) of the tale. I have seen a lot of reviews comparing it to groundhog day but it is more complicated than that. I felt like I was trapped in a game of clue with no way out.

We are not given the entire picture of what it is to happen in the story and I think I will try to avoid it as well to provide maximum effect(in case you intend to read it, which I think you should).There is to be a death (or more) and the past is valid too. To be as vague as possible, there is one hero but he may not be the person we think he is. He has a task and to see it through he needs to draw on all parts of himself. The entire setup is a loop, and it will take all possible smarts to outsmart the game itself. It is a study of human characters and without the lurking mystery in the background, the whole ensemble is fascinating to dissect. Despite feeling like a big book it was a reasonably easy read. I just got a bit restless towards the end, and that is about the only negative (for me) in this big jigsaw puzzle.

This book was the most original book I have read in a long time (maybe ever!). I enjoyed it thoroughly and the story kept me engrossed the entire time. This book felt like it could be set in the time of an Agatha Christie novel AND the future at the same time, which was a very original concept. The conceit of this book is too spectacular to even give an inkling of plot away! If you are looking for an intriguing, mind bending, original mystery, this is the one for you!

British murder mystery, amnesia, and a mysterious woman that no one knows. What could be better? For a fun, exciting, and mysterious dream like read check out the 71/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

intriguing and interesting book. I was quite frustrated with it at times, on the verge of giving up half way through, but the last 25% of the book was much more captivating.

It felt like there were significant inconsistencies throughout the story, but the explanation at the end justified most of these in hindsight.

The overall premise is certainly interesting and more than makes up for any faults.


Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Interestingly, my version says the 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, not 7. Not sure if the title was changed before final publication?

When I picked up this book, I thought this would be a simple "whodunnit" story, with the main question being: who killed Evelyn Hardcastle? At it's very core, this was the story, but there was also so much more to it that I didn't see coming.
The concept of this book was very clever. Aiden Bishop has the task to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder. He has to do so by reliving the same day over and over again until he gets it right. There are rules he has to keep in mind and he soon finds out there is something not quite right with the place he is staying at. I can't give away much more without spoiling it, but be prepared for a lot of plot twists and expect the unexpected.
There are a lot of characters that get introduced in this book, all of them with their own story and reason for being there. I thought this was great, but it also means the story can get a bit confusing at times because there are a lot of names to remember. I didn't mind, but it did mean that it took me a little while to get through this book.
I loved the story and the writing style. The final part of the book explains most of the things that happened throughout the book that led to the conclusion. It also gave me hope that there will be more similar stories coming after this. Before picking this book up it might help to know that yes, this is a mystery/thriller, but there are also some fantasy elements to it (reliving the same day over and over again isn't something you are normally able to do ;)) and for me, these fantasy elements are what made me give this book all of the 5 stars.

This book, despite what is in this review, I gave five stars simply because this is the first book in a while where I have been disappointed that it's over. There are many books where I enjoy the journey of the reading, where I finish the book and I'm sad it's over because it's an enjoyable book and I liked that enjoyment of it, but this was different. I remember listening to it (because I got it on audiobook before I received an ARC from NetGalley) and being so enthralled by the mystery unfolding in front of my eyes. As Aiden went through the day as a new host, you received more and more clues about what had happened previously in the book. It is one of those books where I wished it had been a physical book so I could flip back and forth. The problem is with these kinds of books is that you are never really able to relive that experience again. If I go back and reread this book, or maybe I should say when I reread it, I will always know how it ended and that will colour my perception of the book, though I think physically reading it would be different to listening to it.

The plot and the characters of this book, because you really felt the characters were driving the plot rather than the other way around, were so layered and detailed, I found myself a little in awe at how Turton had managed to plot it. I think it would have driven me mad as a writer but as a reader, I loved the little details.

Then we come to the ending and that is where I veer a little on my view of this book. The problem is with a book like this is I felt like there was no possible ending which would live up to the rest of the book. As I was listening to it, I was thinking the ending was going to have to be something amazing in order to live up to this intricate plot and the complex characters. And while the ending was complex, I don't think it quite suited the rest of the book to me. I'm fine with unanswered questions at the end of my books, not everything is going to get neatly wrapped up in the end but there were so many with this book.

If this book was a series book where I was going to find out more about the world in the next book, I would have been happier with that ending I think, but unfortunately, I am left with all these unanswered questions and no chance of any of them being given answers.

So I'm going to give this book five stars but with caveats. This isn't a completely five star read for me in terms of actual content but the way it made me feel is five stars.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is an amazing novel. I had the best time reading it.

This book takes place in the estate of the Hardcastle family. We follow a man, Aidan, who keeps waking up on the day of Evelyn Hardcastle's death. Every time he wakes up he has a different body and the only way to make this stop is to solve her murder. Each of the bodies he inhabits are party guests of the Hardcastles and he has to collect clues living the day from their prospectives. The plot is more complicated than what I just explained but I don't want to give anything else away. You have to let the story go and follow it step by step, day by day.

It's a murder mistery with a syfy twist that made it different from everything I've ever read.
There are so many questions that need answers. Who is Aiden? Why is he stuck in this loop? What brought him here in the first place?
I had to to read about a hundred pages before starting to understand what was going on, but after that I felt like I was part of the story and I could't stop reading.

It's a very long book but we really need all the five hundred pages to understand and solve the mistery. I wish it was shorter because it took me a while to finish it, but I was completely satisfied at the end.

There are so many informations to keep in mind but the author did a great job of reminding things at the right time.
I have to admit that my mind is still trying to understand the paradox in which Aiden is trapped and I will probably be thinking about it for a while. I felt like I was there with him and this is, in my opinion, the main reason that makes this book great. We feel involved, the writer gave us clues together with the protagonist and we experience what he actually experience, this allows us to understand the world more and more and to solve all the misteries with Aiden.
It's almost impossible to predict everything and it took me out of guard many times, leaving me on the edge of my seat revelation after revelation.
This book is unique and intricate. It contains things we all love about mistery books but, at the same time, it adds something that makes it so original and amazing.

The suspence was preserved until the very end and I felt like I was trapped in the novel without being able to escape unless I solved the murder.
I will for sure read more of what this author will write, I can't believe that this was his debut novel.