Unputdownable.

Tried to read this in one sitting and was deeply annoyed when I had to put it down.

You loved Gosford Park? And Groundhog Day? What if the two stories had had a love child?

I really enjoyed this book.

Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed. Again. The only way to save her is to find out who murdered her before time is up. Who to trust in this original and daring whodunit where no one is what they seem, not even the narrator.

Minor spoilers ahead.

I absolutely loved this book! This book has #groundhogsday vibes, but more akin to #allyouneediskill meets #sense8 in book form. Even more so, I found this book to be reminiscent of the #zeroescape video game series, particularly #zerotimedillemma. Put all of those together, and you get this crazy and pleasantly confusing story that will have you writing notes and making maps to make sense of what's going on in Blackheath. Every new chapter brought about a new twist that I didn't see coming, and for most of the story it was literally unputdownable.

The character building is multilayered, and just when you think you've learned all about one person, more details come to life to make you rethink their motivations. However, depth may not be the strong suit of the character building, but that's something I'm happy to overlook since the story itself is so rich and deep with complexity. There's also a lot to say on the book's themes, but bringing it up would spoil some major plot points. Suffice to say, this wouldake for an excellent book club pick, although people may want to start discussing what they just read sooner rather than later.

Even though I received a digital copy of this book, I would totally buy this book next time I see it on store shelves.

From my Goodreads page ..

Without question this is one of the cleverest concepts for a book that I've every encountered; kind of like Agatha Christie tone with a groundhog day setting. Same day over and over again, lived within the bodies and minds of 8 different people all while the hero tries to solve a murder destined to repeat every day.

What worked; fast paced and intriguing story ... what didn't; a plot that you really need a scorecard to trace - jumping from day to day, person to person is freaking confusing. But I can live with a complicated plot ... what I had a hard time grasping was "why the heck this was happening. Face it, even if I suspend disbelief, this situation would never occur. The whole concept ultimately made no sense.

The plot wraps up in a very creative way but the ending did not blow me away... it felt more like "that's it? really?" The author gets kudos for the effort and I'll give him credit for packaging the story well ... and while the book succeeds because of the ending, the return on investment wasn't a fair return for the constant headache I had from the complicated and confusing (and extremely unrealistic) plot

I would love to watch this as a TV series because as a book it seems rather all over the place. Following Aiden Bishop, who seems to be appear in a new host body every day in order to solve a Gosford Park-style murder, he's also stacked against competitors desperate to flee this entrapment.

The premise is fantastic - it's Inception mixed with Agatha Christie- but I feel the author Stuart Turton may have overstretched himself because by the end it's a tangle of a mess, and finishes rather abruptly, trying to tackle loose ends. I may be in the minority, but I found myself drifting away quite a bit, actually forgetting characters. There's far too many murders and body swapping, and I don't think it reached its potential.

Absolutely superb, I actually don't think I can praise this book highly enough.

Happy to admit I didn't get the book until the second day, after that could not put the book down. Beautifully crafted, stories interwoven, never lost itself and although it must have been so complex to write, to read, it just flowed.

The story is like nothing I have ever read before, or probably will again, think it can only really be done once, but would be more than happy to be proved wrong on this point.

I am not going to give any hints as to what the book is about, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, suffice to say I would just recommend to everyone who wants to read probably the best book that has been out for a while.

Just brilliant

The rumors are true... This book is unputdownable and it screams Agatha Christie all over it.
Is a mystery thriller novel so there is not much I can say without spoiling it, I was constantly making theories and connections and every time I though I knew, I knew nothing!
During my reading I couldn't take the idea that the future is the reaction of the present actions, so how can you change the future? How can death of a person be avoided when it takes more that one person to get to that direction?
There was such a big importance seeing through different eyes, there was no way the mystery could be solve if the main character wasn't moving from one host to another but at the same time that was hard to conceive since each host had its disadvantages, each of them was so unlikable and full of lies and masks.
The looping putted my ansiety high and my level of retaining information is low so this is not a good mix... I had to constantly be rereading the previous chapters because that little thing that I put no interest was actually very important during this other perspective, so it took me a while to finish because I needed to retain as much information as possible, I was trying (along the characters) to resolve the mystery and to understand both the host and the multiple points of view the other characters were giving depending of whom was asking the questions.
Overall is a well writing novel, I cannot imaging the time it was needed to unravel, to twist this story, I think the author made a really good job. I didn't like the ending so much but that is just personal opinion.
This is a mystery thriller novel by no means this is historical fiction, there are not even dates,there is nothing historical about it, I honestly don't understand why people catalog with such genre this novel. I wanted to put my opinion about this just in case that is why you are intended to read this book.

What I enjoyed most out of this book was that it was completely original from any other suspense books that I've read. I found it easy to follow and kept my interest. The conclusion wasn't my favorite, but it was still a great read.

Most books have a twist at the end, with this book you're lucky to find a straight bit.
The story manages to weave different timeframes and different first person characters without being complicated or confusing.
You are immersed into the house, grounds, and other characters without having any long drawn out passages of description.
Thoroughly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Aiden Bishop is attending a party at Blackheath Estate, when the young daughter of the house, Evelyn Hardcastle, commits suicide. Aiden is soon visited by a mysterious figure in a costume, and learns quickly that Evelyn’s fate will continue to play out in just this way until Aiden can figure out (with the help of some other party guests) if Evelyn really did kill herself and why. Each day, Aiden wakes up in a different body, but to the same events, and he is given a limited time to solve the murder, or he will end up trapped in Blackheath forever. Aiden must determine why he is at Blackheath and whom he can trust amongst the other party goers, before he is trapped indefinitely within its dark and dingy halls.
“The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton is a murder mystery “whodunit”, with a little bit of historical fiction thrown in. The idea of the story is creative and unique (it is not often I can say I have never read a book with this type of storyline before, but in this case it is true) and Turton is very poetic and descriptive in his language, revealing a truly serious writing talent.
However, “The Seven Deaths” had many (many, many, many) characters who were all too similar to keep track of. I found it especially difficult to differentiate between Davies and Daniel (oh, and there’s a Dickie too!), however most of the characters were extremely similar, and this made it difficult to not only follow the storyline, but to form a kind of bond with any of them. Add the “groundhog day” plot into the mix, where our protagonist relives the same day in the body of a different person (yet they all coexist at the same time), and I was all but scrambling to keep up.
The “whodunit” part of the ending was not surprising, but I did enjoy the little twist that Turton added about what Blackheath really is. Anna’s part in Aiden’s storyline was completely unbelievable however; to be forgiven after such a grievous act committed against one of your own is not something that sat well with me (even though the reasons were explained). This part of the storyline was completely glossed over, and perhaps providing more detail would have helped me to align more with Anna, and support her outcome with Aiden.
I am intrigued by Turton’s writing and imagination, and will likely read his next novel to see if his writing chops, when paired with less characters, will intrigue me more than “Seven Deaths” did.

bloody, bloody, BLOODY hell.

this was the most stunningly unique and outrageously clever novel i've read in a long time, and if i had to sum it up with one sentence, it would probably be "agatha christie on LSD."

even the premise in itself was incredible - a man who has eight days to solve a murder, each day repeating over and over except he is in different bodies of the guests at the party, and only after he solves them can he leave - otherwise the eight-day cycle will begin again. and all the while he isn't the only one trying to solve the murder, and only the person who solves it first will be able to leave... and the others will be stuck there forever.

in addition to this amazing premise, nothing about the story itself was simple, and i know practically every single mystery thriller be like "this will keep you guessing until the very end!!!" but this one actually does. like, it was fuckin 97% or some shit and there were still bombshells dropped fucKING everywhere and i was Shook. there's absolutely no way you can guess what's going on unless you're psychic. i doubt even agatha christie or arthur conan doyle would figure this shit out.

and just when you think everything's solved... SURPRISE it's not!

one other excellent thing: ZERO romance. fucking none. not ANYWHERE. and that's so goddamn refreshing because i feel like even in non-romance books, romantic relationships have to play a part somewhere as if they are the be-all and end-all of human interactions and motives, so i'm really glad turton didn't go down that route.

anyway this is one of my fave books of 2018 and i urge everyone to read it. it's not just an epic sci-fi murder mystery; it's also a meditation on guilt, human nature, and redemption. i need it to blow the HELL up like gone girl and the girl on the train did, and get a bigass movie that grosses like 8173193813 billion pounds. it's what this book deserves.

Wow. I think this book could be one of my favorite reads of the year and for the author's debut novel is a seriously impressive feat of ingenuity.

The overriding feeling is of a classic Agatha Christie style murder mystery and has all of the best elements of this, a number of guests invited to a party on the anniversary of a tragedy, an isolated location, an absent host, old grudges and long held secrets and a general feel that nothing is truly as it seems. Added to this however is a Groundhog Day, or possibly more Quantum Leap type element with main protagonist Aiden Bishop tasked with solving a murder before it happens by repeating the day over and over again in a series of different roles (hosts) each of which has some kind of link to the mystery.

It's an absolutely brilliant and unique premise that adds an extra layer of complexity and intrigue to the story I wasn't expecting. It's a very intricately plotted mystery and one I would say requires all of your concentration (and probably a notepad to keep track of multiple characters and timelines) but it's worth it. I read this over the course of a weekend while trapped indoors by snow (and a bit of a cold) and it worked so well as it allowed me to completely immerse myself in the very vivid and atmospheric world the author creates.

The setting feels a little Downton Abbey, with the country estate, Lord of the manor and servants dotted about but from the very beginning it is clear that all is not as it seems. There's a feeling that there's more going on than meets the eye and something dark and sinister lurking just below the surface. Something that also seems to apply to most of the characters who are never quite what they appear to be.

This is particularly true for Aiden who spends the story in the guise of someone else, making him a very intriguing character. Who he is and how he's ended up in the position he's in is just as much of a mystery as who the murderer is. He has no memories of who he was before and no knowledge of his hosts either. This is where it most reminded me of Quantum Leap (a show I was obsessed with as a teen), as Aiden has to look in a mirror to discover what he looks like and slowly unravels who each of his hosts are, and they are a decidedly mixed bunch. Most would definitely not be considered your typical hero, they are downright horrid, and even those who seem initially good often have some terrible secret or vice.

These themes of disguise, secrets and the impact of having no memories or experiences to draw on are used to their full effect by the author. If you're playing the part of someone else and your actions have no consequences, does this give you the freedom to do whatever you want or is there a line you should never cross?

There is certainly a lot to think about in this story and it's really worth taking your time over. I very much liked the authors writing style and found myself highlighting sections here, there and everywhere partly in hope of solving one of the many mysteries but mainly because I just really loved it.

In terms of actually solving it, I did get bits here and there but I think that was mostly due to guessing just about everything and suspecting everyone rather than any kind of skill on my part. There are so many twists, turns and red herrings that I think even the most experienced sleuth would struggle. Although I should say that once the truth was revealed I could see the hints the author had scattered throughout and I have been very tempted to read it a second time to really appreciate it.

This book is certainly one of a kind and I even a few days later there are elements of it still buzzing around my head in the best possible way. If you like complicated mysteries and don't mind a little bit of genre bending I can't recommend this highly enough.

What an amazingly clever book!

I had no bloody idea of what was going on as I was reading this and feeling as though I was being twisted all over the place.

On top of all of this, i can’t even begin to review it properly. I was trying to explain it to my husband last week and just ended up confusing both of us.

Please don’t compare this to Groundhog Day. It’s so much more.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (why have they changed the title??) is a solid mystery that reminded me a lot of Agatha Christie's books. The first chapters are really strong, and you're immediately sucked into a world of secrets, revenge and truly despicable people. The writing was very good, it definitely transmitted all the feelings of confusion, urgency and devastation the MC experiments while going through his hosts.

SPOILERS AHEAD


So why am I giving it 3 stars only? Firstly because although solid and intriguing, the story was also super confusing. The MC jumps from one host to another with no warning at all and it's difficult to keep up with the things happening when you have 8 different perspectives on the day. I suppose this was done on purpose so the reader experiences the same anxiety as the MC as he's running out of time, but for me it just broke my brain at times.
The other reason is because the explanation for the murder felt a lot like 'because reasons' - I was ok with Evelyn being the evil one in the end but the explanation for his brother's murder was a let down. In the end there were too many things at play and the explanation was too weak for me.
The final reason why I decided to go with 3 stars is the relationship between the MC and Anna. I get that they have lived the loop many times and already have a connection before we meet them, but I still can't understand his obsession with rescuing her, specially after we learn what she did to his sister.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good old mystery, but maybe don't read this before bed when you're very tired because you'll need all your neurons to keep up!

This clever, high concept thriller is perfect for thriller fans looking for something new and exciting. I get bored reading thrillers that follow the same pattern and this book breaks that up. A crazy read that every thriller fan is bound to enjoy!

This was like Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day and I loved every second of it.

Blackheath is a large country estate in what, we assume is the 1920s/30s, and on this particular day the family invites a large number of guests to a party. All the guests are multi-layered and hiding one, or more secrets, and many of them are not very nice people. Then at exactly 11pm Evelyn Hardcastle appears to commit suicide.
Our narrator is Aiden who wakes up every day reliving this same day, and reliving Evelyn's death, but in a new body each day. And by the end of the 8th day he has to solve the mystery of who murdered Evelyn in order to escape Blackheath.

And so this story is party mystery, part how/why is Aiden here, part "oh my gosh these people are awful", part "AHHH I need to finish this and know the answer!!". And isn't that just the best kind of book?

Top tip. Make notes. There are lots of characters and it helps to make a few notes about who is who over the first part of the book. After that you'll be fine.

Last tip. Just read it. What a brilliant novel. And as a debut - wow! What else will Turton have in store for us? Can't wait to find out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This novel pulled me in from the beginning and didn't let me go. This book is Agatha Christie mixed with a fantasy world. YOur narrator hops from body to body trying to solve a murder that doesn't look like a murder. Imagine Poirot limited to only what each witness/suspect knows and that is the book you have. It's unique, suspenseful, twisty and even delves into the depth or right and wrong.I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good murder mystery and is open to a little magic!

While I love a good mystery, I have not dipped much into Agatha Christie due to her dryness. The almost surgical way she writes leaves me cold. This reminded me of Agatha Christie but had this sort of chaos thrown into it that made it even more baffling and distracting - as if Christie and Jodi Taylor had a love child, perhaps (*I love Jodi Taylor)?

Unfortunately I did not finish this, which is a rare thing for me. The premise was interesting (thus the second star), it just wasn't for me.

(4.5) If you’re looking for a book to keep you awake at night because you NEED to finish it then this is it!

"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."

I loved how unique the premise was, a murder-mystery where the main character gets to relive the same day 8 times to try and solve it but every day he's in a different body.
It was also interesting to see how the different bodies/personalities affected the story and there were twists I didn’t see coming.

I was feeling a reading slump creeping in and this book fixed it so I’m rounding it up to 5 stars.

Would recommend if you’re in the mood for a mystery with a sci-fi twist to it!

Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day, Cluedo meets Quantum Leap: the Hollywood-style taglines are easy to imagine for this genre-blending novel. But here’s the twist: as clever and beautifully delivered as its high-concept premise is, Stuart Turton’s debut outdoes all the taglines, outdoes all the hype.

It’s intricately plotted, exquisitely written, and richly delivers on so many levels.

Our narrator wakes in the woods, confused and scared. He thinks a women’s been shot, he may have been attacked himself. He stumbles to a dilapidated country manor, eventually learning he’s a doctor and guest for a party hosted by Lord and Lady Hardcastle, celebrating their daughter Evelyn’s return from Paris. The day ahead is surreal, but things get even odder when our narrator wakes the next morning, answering a banging on the manor door to the disheveled doctor he was yesterday.

Turton takes the classic country house murder mystery and flips it on its head. The narrator is tasked by a masked plague doctor with solving the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. Until he does, he’ll relive the same day over and over, but each time in the body of a different guest. How long has he been stuck in this purgatory? Months? Years? Decades? It’s a brilliant conceit, allowing readers a chance to not only witness the eclectic cast of such an Agatha Christie-style mystery from the sleuth’s point of view, but within. There’s a Rashomon-esque touch as we see the same events from different perspectives.

A finger-clenching, mind-bending, smile-inducing read. A contender for crime novel of the year.

4.5 stars for this unique, intricately-plotted debut.

Evelyn Hardcastle is going to be murdered tonight—and tomorrow night, and the night after that, and so on—and it's up to one man to beat the odds (and a particularly murderous rival) to solve the crime. This is no ordinary murder mystery, after all. In fact, this is unlike any other mystery I've ever read before: it integrates time-travel and body-hopping into the mechanics of the plot.

The author deserves kudos for the story; I can't imagine how much work went into keeping all the plot threads straight. Time-travel stories always run the risk of becoming nonsensical, doubly so once you add in the fact that the main character is forced to inhabit a different body every time he wakes up, but this novel miraculously steers clear of that flaw. However, I did have my issues with the book: the vague ending disappointed me, and the weak attempt at pushing forth a moral at the end did little to stir me emotionally. I will say I only really understood the mechanics of Blackheath from the author's interview at the end of the book. I'd been reading the entire novel under the assumption that the Plague Doctors were divine beings, and didn't piece together that Blackheath as a punishment was more of the technological variety. I would've liked to see that explanation in the actual novel itself, because there were moments when I had to suspend my disbelief, hoping that all the gimmicks would be explained soon, so the book ending on a vague note had me dissatisfied.

In terms of writing, I was very impressed. Turton's writing is dense yet elegant, and he paints the picture of Blackheath manor and all its darkness deftly. He did an excellent job bringing every character to life and filling them with flaws and virtues. Turton has a strong, confident voice, and an impressive way of filling in the details of the world. I'll certainly look forward to more of his books in the future.

Overall, an entertaining, long read. Would recommend for anyone looking for a unique novel that stretches the imagination in just the right way.