Fascinating plot idea and great denouement. The narrative moves a little slowly at times, but how carefully this has been constructed. Would make a great film! This is a book I will definitely remember.

This is a murder mystery story with a difference. Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered tonight unless it can be prevented by Aiden. The problem is Aiden is in the body of another guest and must try to solve the mystery or the day will start over again with him inside another host.
He does not remember everything he has discovered on the previous day nor does he know who he can trust. The mysterious Plague Doctor appears to be helping him as does Anna but can he believe what they say? A footman appears to want to prevent him discovering the murderer and to kill him in the process. Aiden is determined to win and escape his predicament. I enjoyed the book but confess I was at times a little confused by a complicated storyline.

Fun fact: Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was the first ARC that Netgalley ever granted me permission to read. So thank you to Netgalley for starting me off on my book-reviewing journey and frankly making my life. Over the past seven or so months it has been so difficult to see this book on my Kindle and on my Netgalley shelf and having to force myself to wait until it closer approached its publishing date to finally have the chance to read it.
But I have to say, unlike so many books before it, Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was well worth all that time and anticipation I forced myself to suffer through. I mean, oh, my god, this book was sheer perfection. It was everything that I wanted it to be and more - part-Cluedo, part-Groundhog Day with the glittering atmosphere of The Great Gatsby, this book combined everything that I have wanted into a single piece of literature.
The premise is what sold me - Aiden having only a set amount of days to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder, each of them being the same day, replayed over and over with the only difference being that Aiden switches from body to body, allowing him the opportunity to gather information by seeing different perspectives of the same events.
Wow, just wow.
I loved the amazingly-bad film, Happy Death Day, that was released early last year that followed a similar structure, only that was set in modern-day in university, and I think that I may have found my perfect genre.
I mean, it’s a very specific subset of a genre, but one all the same.
It’s not a book that the reader can drift away off into their heads whilst consuming, but if you’re reading a book and that happens, surely it’s not very good? Pay attention, my loves, because the smallest clues may hold the biggest answers. And isn’t that the most fabulous thing about this genre? The way that the author weaves every single minute detail in a way that you do not realise that you have all of the answers until the very last moment. It takes a huge amount of subtly, skill and precision for this to be done well and holy shit, Stuart Turton absolutely nails it.
Have I found a new Ride or Die? You bet I have.

Full review published at Booklover Book Reviews website: http://bookloverbookreviews.com/2018/02/the-seven-deaths-of-evelyn-hardcastle-by-stuart-turton-book-review.html

This was one heck of a puzzle - a fine fine read. How on earth the author thought of this and managed to write it up so it made sense is beyond me. It’s the literary equivalent of a sudoku puzzle that you just can’t work out but this is a whole lot more fun trying to!

I have a headache now but it was totally worth it. It’s a genre unto its own. Mystery, sci fi, groundhog day, various POVs but in the mind of one person inhabiting several bodies....
Oh and then there’s the mystery of Evelyn herself who’s been murdered with her story from Paris...

There is something particularly chilling and mysterious about an old mansion house in the middle of nowhere and so remote you need an organised bus to take you there. You also need a notebook organiser of some sorts to keep track of things but read slowly take it in as the reward is worth it. The signposts are there if you spot them. The mystery turns out to provide more puzzles than answers too as I was left wondering and pondering over a lot of what I’d just read.

I’ve never read anything like this. Going to read it again now to prove to myself I understood what I was supposed to. A very immersive read to read slowly and savour.

The first thing that struck me was the very clever writing. Typically, when you are telling a story its either first or third person narrative, and usually the story focuses on one character or from that character's point of view. In this instance, we not only the first person narrative of one character, we have the additional narratives of multiple characters - yet all are, at various time, one and the same! And that is where this book is cleverly written.

Narrator Aiden Bishop awakens to find himself in the body of one of the guests at a private party. Sounds a bit like an episode of "Quantum Leap" - however, in this story, the scene is played over and over until the mystery of the death of Evelyn Hardcastle is solved (a bit like "Groundhog Day"), with Aiden waking each day in the body of yet another party guest.

It is through Aiden's eyes, when inhabiting the body of his hosts, that the story and clues to this mystery (a murder that is not a murder) are eventually put before us as each "host" sees the scenes being played out differently. But its not that simple afterall, "... how lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home ...". And Aiden is led on a merry chase, and unseen hands manipulate the guests like a puppeteer but to what end and purpose.

What was intriguing is that we never really get a sense of time (ie: when is this story set), or how long the protagonists have dwelt in this time loop. What we do know is that an answer will release them, and as the tale progresses, " ... it is no longer simply about finding the right answer, its about holding onto it long enough to deliver it ..."

What we have here is a fantastically twisted and incredibly complex murder mystery, kind of Agatha Christie meets Groundhog day with a touch of Cluedo. To say the story line is a work of genius is not an exaggeration.

A get-together at a rundown mansion for a celebration and to remember a terrible crime that took place 19 years earlier becomes a game of cat and mouse and a race against time to solve and maybe prevent a murder. It is difficult to write anything new in this review that hasn't been said before or that won't spoil the story.
My only criticism is that I felt the atmosphere suffered a little at times because of the extremely intricate plot and sometimes dense dialogue. That's just my opinion though and I still really enjoyed the book.

Overall this is a wonderful, mind bending book. Read it and be amazed.

This was such a weird book! Brilliant, sure, but weeeeeird.

Aiden Bishop wakes up in a body that is not his, with no memories at all, with the exception of a name. He will wake up on the same day every day, Groundhog Day-style, but in 8 different hosts – and he has to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle if he wants to escape that day and that place. But there are rules, and more than that, he is not the only one trying to solve the murder! He has to figure out what to do, how to do it and who can he trust. Also, each host has one day, and he can’t get himself killed or he can’t get back to that host. Basically, in this book, nothing is what it seems!

This was a really thrilling book, and what I loved most about it were the characters – hosts. They were so different from each other and that changed our main character too. It was really interesting to see him see the same day through, literally, different eyes. The hosts are really interesting persons, each with their own cons and pros. But I didn’t necessarily like some of the descriptions of them.

It’s quite dark, clever, and written in a very interesting and gripping way. I can’t get the idea of this book out of my head, I think it’s incredible and scary. And I can’t wait to read more from the author. This had so many characters, so many personalities, so many clues, mysteries, time lapses, body jumps, secrets, riddles, and questions. It’s incredible.

Overall the book was a really big surprise, full of mystery and murders and out of all the mysteries in the book, I could only discover one! Which is really awesome. Although it was quite a big one… And when it was finally unraveled, I kinda wanted to kill the main character for how dumb he was sometimes. But other than that, this was an extremely surprising and complex mystery that completely gripped until the very last pages.

It’s confusing at times because there’s a lot to piece together and everything comes in a weird order, so it’s a book that needs quite a lot of attention – as in the same attention you would need to read an Agatha Christie book, or is it just me? -, but it wraps up nicely and everything makes sense in the end, and I loved the end!

It’s a really interesting and unique concept and although it may not be for everyone, I would definitely recommend it if you like complex mysteries that really make you think!

Okay, so how do I even review this book? The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was probably my most anticipated read this year. The moment I came across that blurb, I knew I needed to read this book. I'm a big fan of the whole Groundhog Day premise and I already talked about my love for Before I Fall on the blog. Happy Death Day was also one of my favorite films last year, so Seven Deaths was high on my list. And it was a murder mystery! What more could I ask for?

I admit it, as much as I ended up loving this book, my relationship with Seven Deaths didn't start off that well. I don't know if anyone else had the same issue with the Netgalley format, but my ebook file was a mess. Random 0s and 1s all over the pages, no capital letters, paragraph breaks that made no sense... it was hard to follow. And if you take into account that the actual plot isn't the easiest to understand, you can imagine my confusion. I almost gave up before I even reached 10%. But. The idea was awesome and it seemed like such a cool story, so didn't it deserve a bit of an effort? Yes. So I kept on reading...

At first, I remember thinking: what is this even about? For the first 20%, I had no idea where the story was going. I didn't understand anything, there were too many characters and the Agatha Christie character guide would've been useful if I had been reading the hardback or paperback version (no, of course my format didn't allow me to go back to the beginning!). And who the hell was Anna? Wasn't this book about Evelyn? Who are these creepy evil characters? But you know that moment when you realize you're actually enjoying a weird book? I knew I was beginning to like this novel... And for sure I wanted to know what was going on!

And the more I read, the more I loved it. I couldn't stop. No, I didn't understand half of what was going on, but I no longer cared. I loved how this book messed with my mind. It's my favorite feeling in the world. And I had to continue reading. It wasn't only about the high-concept plot and the promise of a mind-blowing puzzle. I also really liked the main character, Aiden Bishop, and I was rooting for him. I wanted him to escape Blackheath. But he was so stubborn! Oh, how he made me suffer...

I deeply admire Stuart Turton's work here. He has created such a complex and unique novel, I don't think I've ever read anything like Seven Deaths. I'm sure no book has ever made me feel like this one. It's not an easy read and it's definitely not for everyone, but I've never been happier that I decided to keep on reading. This was very different from all the other Groundhog Day stories I've read or watched. Stuart Turton took it one step further. And I'm glad.

By the time I reached the conclusion, I felt like I was watching an episode of Black Mirror. I had read that some people were disappointed with the ending, but I enjoyed the case resolution (so Agatha Christie!!!) and I really loved the world created by the author and the way he answered all the questions about Blackheath. 

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a truly original and mind-blowing novel that could easily become a cult classic.

Well. I hardly know where to start or how to review this novel. It's complex, exciting and a little bit mind-blowing.

I also don't want to give anything away as to do so would spoil this book completely so I'm going to have to be quite careful here.

We first meet Aiden Bishop at Blackheath, a faded country house. I don't remember if the year is mentioned at all but I would say late 1920s/early 1930s. There's a ball going on with a number of guests who have been there before. The cast of characters is quite large and each one is unlikeable in various degrees and utterly crucial to the story. In fact, more than one of them may be hosting Aiden as he hops from body to body, living the same day over and over, in an attempt to work out who kills Evelyn Hardcastle, daughter of the house, at the ball.

I confess now, this is one of those books that I find absolutely fascinating, but that I don't wholly understand. The author must have spent ages plotting the whole thing and what I loved most of all about reading it were those moments of dawning realisation, those bits where Aiden set something up which made little sense, only for it to become clear why he did it when he's living the day again in another host. Just brilliant!

The setting is perfect and wouldn't really work as well in any other time period. These were the heady days of big country house parties, faded grandeur, the spectre of war still hanging over it all. This is a traditional crime novel in many ways, but then totally turned on its head, put in a bag and shaken up!

My one regret is that I read an e-copy of the book which made it a lot harder to skip back and try and put the clues together. But, despite this being a pretty big book at 528 pages, I raced through it. Just when I thought I was getting close to knowing who killed Evelyn, a curveball was thrown at me and there was another piece of the puzzle to slot into place.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is such a clever and cunning book. I can't imagine how the author ever managed to make it work but he certainly did. This is going to be a popular book (and possibly a Marmite one too). This reader was certainly thrilled by it.

I can’t even begin to imagine how much time and effort must have gone into the writing of this novel! I’ve never read anything like it before and I hardly know how to begin to describe it. It has all the elements of a classic murder mystery – but there’s a clue in the title: the same murder happens not just once but seven times.

The novel opens with a man waking up in a forest with no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. He has the name ‘Anna’ in his mind, although he has no idea who Anna might be. Hearing a woman scream, he rushes to help but is stopped by a stranger who pushes a compass into his pocket and whispers ‘East’. Following these instructions, he finds his way out of the woods and into the grounds of nearby Blackheath House, where the situation becomes even more bizarre. He discovers that he is a doctor called Sebastian Bell and that he is a guest at Blackheath where the Hardcastle family are throwing a party to mark the nineteenth anniversary of their son’s death.

All through the long and bewildering day which follows, Bell tries to make sense of what is happening, only to end up more confused than ever. Eventually, he is approached by a man wearing the costume of a Plague Doctor, who appears to have some of the answers. It seems that the Hardcastles’ daughter, Evelyn, is going to be murdered later that night and Bell’s task is to solve the murder. Should he fail, he will have the chance to live through the day again…but this time he will be someone else. Eight days and eight different ‘host bodies’; if at the end of that time he can provide a solution, he will be allowed to leave Blackheath. If not, he will go back to day one and the whole sequence will begin again…as it already has, many times before.

Everything I’ve said so far is explained to our narrator early in the novel. Once he begins waking up as the other hosts, however, things quickly become very complicated, with new clues and pieces of information coming to light on almost every page. I won’t say any more about the story itself, then, other than in general terms. I won’t even tell you who the other hosts are, as part of the fun is in wondering who the narrator is going to be next. Each host, though, has different strengths and weaknesses and is connected to the murder in a different way. It’s fascinating to see how each of them alone sees only a small part of the picture, and the truth only begins to emerge when all of their collective experiences and observations are taken into account.

This is an incredibly clever novel and so intricately plotted I have no idea how Stuart Turton managed to keep track of it all. Although it’s a long book, my recommendation is to read it in as few sittings as possible so you can try to hold on to all the threads of the story in your head. If your experience is anything like mine you’ll quickly become so engrossed that you won’t want to stop anyway. And experience is the right word for it. This doesn’t feel like a normal novel at all. It reminded me in some ways of one of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books I loved as a child where you could make choices that led to different routes through the story. That’s how I felt as the narrator lived through the same events again and again, trying to decide what he did wrong last time.

The novel is written in the first person present tense – a style I usually dislike but which is used very effectively here. It gives the reader a sense of being dropped directly into the middle of the action and sharing the narrator’s panic and disorientation. I don’t think it would have worked had it been written any other way. The writing is not completely flawless, though; maybe I’m just being too pedantic again but it irritates me to see phrases like ‘I am sat’ and ‘he is stood’ in print. This is only a small criticism, however – I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual and wonderfully imaginative novel.

THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton is a masterpiece of subterfuge, mystery, and originality as we try to weave our way through the lies and deception that are taking place on an old country estate where nothing is what it seems.

Waking up on the forest floor screaming 'Anna' isn't usually the way Aiden Bishop wakes up but as he struggles to remember who he is and what on earth he is doing at this private party held by the Hardcastle family, it is only the beginning of this nightmare. For Aiden is bound here by some unstoppable force and he will wake up every day in the body of another guest until he can uncover who is responsible for the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. But he is not alone in his quest, and if Aiden is ever to win his freedom he must figure out what is truly going on and who, if anyone, he can trust ...

With so many twists and turns, exquisite descriptions, and a plot that is so refreshing and unique that it will capture your attention from the very first line, THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton is everything I never knew I wanted in a gripping story and I could not put it down. Imagine a mixture of Sherlock Holmes meets a run-down Downtown Abbey, and it might give you an idea of the atmosphere and setting, but harder to describe are the distinctive characters that carefully show you what is happening but can we, the readers, trust what they are showing us?
The drama is flawless and there are so many times that you will think you have it figured out only to find you're mistaken again. This MUST be made into a tv drama or movie as I could picture every page as I was reading it and would make a wonderful viewing experience, and as for that ending ...WOW!

THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton is a superb debut and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author.

I finished this book having realised fairly early on that I had approached what I was about to read from totally the wrong angle. This is one fiendish puzzle with complexities that are beyond devilish.

The premise of the book is seemingly one of a Golden Age mystery where our chief protagonist has to solve the puzzle of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. He has eight days to do so. So far so simple the clock is ticking and the clues are presented and you put them together and try to get there before he does. Oh, you are sadly mistaken if you think that is all there is to it!

The problem is far more complex in that our man inhabits different characters for each of these eight days and the same day keeps repeating. So he starts of as a doctor and he sees some stuff going on from that character's perspective but when he wakes up again he is someone totally different and finds some new clues but also sees different aspects to the stuff he learnt the day before. All the while he is trying to keep hold of his true self whilst inhabiting what are mostly a disagreeable bunch of people.

Thrown into the mix is a nineteen year old mystery, linked to the return of Evelyn Hardcastle from her stay in Paris. There are also plenty of other dastardly goings on from blackmail to murder all to be kept on top of. Allies are formed but whether they are wise ones or not remain to be seen.

So it’s complex and ideally, to have any hope of keeping track of what’s going on, I would have needed an entire wall of notes to keep track of various characters and their actions because sometimes the chief protagonist jumps back in time. This means that character is for example unhappily at midday on day four or rather in his fourth host, anticipating where they need to go next to find a missing piece of the puzzle and then it’s back to the second host to pick up where he last left off. To be fair the author gives the reader pointers and reminders but it is a book to throw yourself into and hope that you can keep manage to hold enough information in your head to keep pace.

Now I’ve reached the end I’d ideally go back and savour just how clever the whole book is, but if I’m honest my brain hurts from the effort. Which has left me with a problem on how to rate the book. I really admired both the premise and the execution (of the book not Evelyn Hardcastle) and I did nearly work out one strand of the mystery proving that I wasn’t completely confused by it all, but I’m not used to a book being such hard work. Ideally this would have been better as a holiday read, it’s not a book to escape a hard day’s work with, it is a fiendish puzzle that won’t let you go! If all that isn’t enough this tale told in the first person present tense, which is entirely fitting, also poses philosophical questions which soon become apparent. Now I have the answer to the mystery I can ponder those at my leisure.

I take my hat off to Stuart Turton for the most original read I have read for a long time.

I'd like to thank Bloomsbury Publishing plc for the chance to read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle prior to publication on 8 February 2018. This review is my unbiased thanks to them.

“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?”

WOW!! I have just finished this book and…wow, again!

Imagine that Agatha Christie had had a child with Quantum Leap and Groundhog Day, who then grew up watching Black Mirror, Back to the Future and even Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and you might just start to get a handle on the uniquely complex mystery that is The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

First of all, MAJOR #coverlove: the black, red and gold look is gorgeous – very art deco – and with references to some of the key elements in the corners. (There is an interesting article about putting this beautiful cover together here.) Second of all: LOVE the floor plan and map inside the cover. So much so that it’s inspired a second blog post to follow on Friday (spoilers: I have always adored a good floor plan!)

OK, onto the book. It opens with an invitation to The Masquerade Ball at Blackheath House and a list of notable attendees. (There are a LOT of characters to keep a hold on, and some very similar names – Daniel, Dickie, Donald Davies, Derby, Dance – so this epigraph is very helpful!) It is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Detection-style country house murder mysteries, but there is nothing remotely jolly about this country house, nor cosy about its murder mystery.

“Darkness presses up against my bedroom window, its cold breath leaving frost on the glass. The fire hisses in response, the swaying flames my only light”

The first scene throws you straight into the story and from then on you have to hold on tight to keep a grip of the intricate and cleverly constructed plot! Even with the information given in the blurb, it did take me a while to get my head round the internal logic of the book’s concept, but I did get there. 🙂 The gripping pace barely lets up and there are lots of clues and “Aha!” moments spread throughout.

The book is absolutely beautifully written, with some amazingly creative descriptions of the house, the grounds, the weather and people’s emotions. It also describes well the freaky and sometimes amusing (and sometimes hideous) practicalities of ‘being’ someone else.

It is extremely tense in places and by the time the story was building to its climax, I was frantically racing through it and astounded by each twist and turn as the conclusion played out. I don’t think I managed to successfully work out any of the plot points – but that is more than fine by me; I had a great time guessing and I much prefer it when a book can make my jaw hit the floor.

“Sweat is trickling down my spine, the tension in the room thick enough to scoop up in handfuls”

This is such a good book: it has a unique plot, an intriguing mystery, a dash of humour, some beautiful writing and all the thrilling plot twists! I loved the way that something is observed on one day, then a day or two later you see how that situation or event came about.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is shamelessly complicated, incredibly clever and brilliantly plotted and if you can keep your wits about you, you will love it too. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Raven Books for the ARC.

In this novel the main character, Aiden Bishop finds himself in a time loop of the 'Groundhog Day' variety. He is at a country house party for Evelyn Hardcastle who has just returned from Paris after a long period away. Set in the period between the wars (1920/30s) the guests include a mixture of titled nobility and socialites along with a supporting cast of valets, maids and household staff. Evelyn will be murdered at the party and Aiden finds himself occupying the bodies of a series of different guests and staff, viewing the events from their very different perspectives. In order to escape the recurring time loop, and the recurring death of Evelyn, he needs to work out how she was murdered and also solve the murder of her younger brother 19 years earlier. The plot is further complicated by the presence of other characters also hoping to escape the time loop and trying to hinder his investigations. And then there is "the footman" a shadowy, sinister character Aiden has been told to watch out for.

This is a complex plot with a difference and one that I very much enjoyed. There are lots of clever twists and mysteries that take a while to resolve so it is a book best read when fully awake and concentrating, especially as the number of different characters at the party could be confusing, especially early in the book when events are unfolding rapidly. Fortunately, there is a character list at the front of the group that is useful until you get to know all the guests and house staff.

This very clever, well written debut novel perfectly captures the atmosphere of the weekend country house party from the era between the wars and would make a great movie. It was a really creative idea to switch the main character between different bodies and minds and watch him try to battle against their personalities to achieve his goal. The reason for the house party being stuck in a time loop was also very imaginative and inventive. Can't wait to see what Mr Turton comes up with next!

I requested The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle because I'd seen quite a few posts on Twitter about it over the last few months, mentioning the unusual and intriguing nature of the book. The description of Gosford Park meets Inception was the final hook.

I really, really got lost in the world of this book. In a nutshell, Aidan Bishop is compelled to live the same day over and over as different people until he solves the mystery of who murders Evelyn Hardcastle.

It's clever, it's fascinating and it's a seriously claustrophobic read. I dreamt several nights in a row that I was looking in the mirror and didn't recognise the face staring back at me - the story buried itself into my mind until I came to the end.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

When Aiden Bishop comes to his senses, he is standing in a wood, wearing a dinner jacket splattered with mud and wine, and he has absolutely no idea who he is or where he is. All he knows is that he must save Anna, a girl he can hear running in panic through the trees. But this is the story of Evelyn Hardcastle. Tonight she will die and the night after that she will die again, and the one after that. Until Aiden Bishop can break the cycle. But on each of those days Aidan will inhabit the body of a different person, each a guest at a weekend party being held at the isolated and unhappy house of Blackheath. But somebody is determined that Aiden will never be successful, that he shall never leave, and Evelyn will be doomed to die every night forever more.

And that, which is what you can also learn from the book’s cover and blurb, is all I will reveal about the astonishing plot of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. In fact, it barely does it justice because this is one of the most deliciously complex, multi-layered and clever plots that I have ever read. How the author Stuart Turton managed to knot this all together is a feat beyond all comprehension. Not an end – and there are countless ends – is left loose. The author’s powers of imagination, which are substantial, are equalled by his confident and self-assured handling of a plot and structure that must at times have felt like juggling cats. I am in awe of Stuart Turton’s genius.

As befitting one of the finest novels that I have ever read, there are so many elements to it. In some ways, it is science fiction – its premise is undoubtedly mindbending, its mood at times fantastical; but it is also historical fiction. We’re trapped in the English countryside of the elite in the years immediately following the First World War. As we move above and below stairs, there is most definitely a feel of Gosford Park about it. But it is also a murder mystery and its setting and elegance, as well as the confined setting and limited cast of suspects, immediately reminds the reader (at least this one) of Agatha Christie. And it is also accompanied by wit, deceit, ugliness, horror, blood.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a substantial novel and not a page of it is wasted. Every page moves on this stunning plot in some manner and, as the novel continues, everything cross references. We move around the story in ingenious ways, we meet characters from a multitude of perspectives. And hanging over it all is a mood of dread and intensity, as well as of hope and of dashed hopes.

I was glued to this incredible, beautifully-written book, reading it all over one glorious weekend. This is a novel that expects you to keep your wits about you. You might have to flick back through the pages on occasion. It makes demands. But all of them are rewarded. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a debut novel – how extraordinary is that?! Surely there can be few better. Stuart Turton is about to make a very big name for himself. What on earth will he write next? I cannot wait to find out. In the meantime, make sure you don’t miss The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Sebastian Bell wakes in a wood, yells “Anna!” and swears he saw a woman shot before his eyes. Waiting, chasing, he hears a stranger approach behind him, slip a compass in his pocket and say “east.” Bell, who can remember nothing of his life before this moment, finds himself in Blackheath, a house isolated in a forest away from the nearest village, where a house party is being held to welcome home Evelyn Hardcastle, prodigal daughter.

And so we begin. While I usually hate comparisons that mix up other books, this is kind of a mixture of The Time Traveller’s Wife and Agatha Christie, but with an added touch of violence and nastiness not found in either. It’s all plot and a twisty, turny, details based plot at that, where everything could have significance so after a while you have no idea what is important and what isn’t.

Bell, it turns out, is merely a handy body for someone called Aiden Bishop to inhabit for a while. Aiden has been placed in Blackheath to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle who will die later that evening. Aiden gets to inhabit eight different bodies of guests at the party and use them to try and work out what is going on. He has been given his mission by a mysterious Plague Doctor, who must be told by 11pm who the murderer is, otherwise Aiden will be condemned to repeat the day all over again, but remembering nothing, until he gets it right. But, there are further twists. Aiden is not the only one trying to find out the answer; he’s in competition with others to find it and make his escape, and he must do so before he runs out of bodies to inhabit for there is a terrifying footman chasing him down ready to kill his hosts.

Confused? You will be. And yet this is an addictive read. Trying to make sense of the day and the clues as Aiden travels back and forth through the same day in different bodies, trying to remember who he is, who the mysterious Anna is, who is a friend and who an enemy, and ultimately who does kill Evelyn is pretty difficult. It’s breathless stuff. Unless you have a notebook to hand, you may as well not bother trying to work it all out but sit back and enjoy the ride.

There’s not much in the way of character or insight, this is just a crazy story told in a way designed to confuddle and pique your interest. It’s a lot of fun, a breathless rollercoaster read that should do well.

I was hoping for a different read of this and I started it with hope, but alas, we did not sit well together,
There was nothing wrong with this book, it is inventive and different from what I have read recently, but it was not to my taste.
I did read this in a time where i was struggling to pick a book up and read, so that may have clouded my vision.
I always say that reading is subjective to the reader themselves, so if this sounds interesting to you, then for sure, give it a go!

An intriguing concept where the age old mystery format is adjusted so that it does not focus upon one single character in an attempt to stop a yet to happen murder. Instead a day is spent in the life of each of a number of 'hosts' which means that the same event can be relived countless times through their eyes and lives. As the story develops, it is realised that rather than merely gathering evidence about Evelyn's murder, tiny changes can be made using the knowledge gleaned which may turn the sequence of events.
I was captivated to begin with, then just as my interest was waning when reliving the same event in the 3rd or 4th host, things suddenly got more exciting and I found myself struggling to put the book down.