I get so happy when I come across a book that is different from anything else I have ever read. Different in a great way though. I loved this book! I must confess I read some of the reviews before I read it and there were several awful reviews. I went into this book not really knowing what to expect or what I would think about it. It seems a lot of the bad reviews were from people who had trouble following along. I never felt that way at all! This book is about a man (Aiden) who wakes up every day for eight days in a different persons body (he has their characteristics and attitudes but mostly his own thoughts). He is trying to solve a murder he knows is destined to happen, by spending the eight days as these different people, each of whom has a piece of the puzzle he needs. He must put all the pieces together and solve the murder by the end of the eighth day or end up repeating the loop again with no memory of the previous loop. I loved each of the eight people that he inhabits, even though some were pretty bad people! He has help, at least he thinks, by a few other people who seem to also be caught up in the mystery. How this all unravels, piece by piece, will keep you guessing until the end! If you are not someone who can keep up with 8 characters, that’s too bad. Then I guess give this book a pass. Otherwise dig in and enjoy the loop, you won’t regret it! I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review, and here it is! Get it, read it, look forward to each new persona, love it!

This unusual book is pretty well outside my normal wheelhouse, and definitely required me to focus intently on what I was reading to make sure I was catching all the details. At a touch over 500 pages, it's an investment, but this quirky mystery story is worthy of the reading time. I found that it was really intriguing at the beginning as Aiden is learning what has happened to him and what he has been tasked with. The process of solving this mystery, and how he gathers clues through his various "hosts" using their particular knowledge, skills, and strengths (and in some cases, lack thereof) makes for quite an original story. There were parts through the middle that lagged a bit (some of the hosts were more interesting than others), but the ending, when the details of what's been happening to Aiden, as well as the murder mystery he's been working to solve, is revealed, really picks up.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mystery that crosses over a bit into the fantasy genre. The best way to describe it would be Quantum Leap meets Groundhog Day, set in an Agatha Christie like novel. I don't think I've ever read a mystery quite like this.

After what I thought was a bit of a slow start (it seemed to take a while to find out who Evelyn Hardcastle was and how she fit into the story) I found it impossible to put down, and it kept me guessing the whole time. Every time I thought I knew what was going on something else got thrown in there that I didn't see coming.

The story is set in a place called Blackheath and it really isn't what it seems. I really can't say much more in my review without spoiling things, but I thought this was a well written book. I really couldn't tell that this was a debut author. The story is well constructed with lots of bits and pieces that all come together very nicely in the end, and that can be hard to do in a time loop kind of story. I definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

DNF

I feel like this book is an ice cream cone, and the scoop just fell on the ground and started melting. Gosh, I was so disappointed, and the ratings for this book are SO HIGH???

It wasn't easy for me to lose myself in the prose, the dialogue is stiff, and overall I didn't feel entertained or emotionally affected.

And I made a new promise that I wouldn't force myself to finish books if they aren't very good. Because my TBR will probably take 12 average lifespans to read through. So.

Title: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Genre: Mystery, murder mystery
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When he wakes up in the forest, he has no idea where he is, how he got there, or what he’s doing there. He doesn’t even know who he is. Minutes later, he sees a woman murdered, and her killer hands him a compass and a cryptic direction. How desperate do you have to be to listen to a murderer? About that desperate. But soon he has a name: Aiden Bishop.

The Hardcastles are hosting a house party to mark the anniversary of their son’s death. All the guests are there, but no one has seen the hosts, only their remaining son and daughter. Aiden discovers that nothing is as it seems—and no one.

When he wakes up the second day in the body of a different guest, he realizes he must re-live the same day over and over until he solves the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, who kills herself at the ball that night. He doesn’t know what’s going on. He doesn’t know who to trust. He only knows that someone is trying to stop him from solving the crime—and that person will kill all his bodies to stop him.

This book has one of the most unique premises I’ve ever read. The opening chapter has Aiden with no idea what is going on—and I felt like that the rest of the book. The writing is solid, and the author does a great job of contrasting Aiden’s personality with his host’s. I was intrigued from the very beginning, and I never did figure out what was going on!

Stuart Turton lives in London with his wife. The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is his debut novel.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)

Aiden Bishop wakes up alone in the forest with no memories except one name - Anna. He has no idea who he is, where he is, or how he ended up there. A compass pressed upon him by a mysterious stranger guides him to the Blackheath estate, where people seem to know him as Sebastian Bell. The mystery deepens when a man dressed as a plague doctor informs him that he has eight days and eight "hosts" to solve a murder that won't seem like a murder. If he can't convince the plague doctor of the answer in eights days' time, he will lose his memories and the whole cycle will start again.
Groundhog Day meets Agatha Christie in this complex, character-driven whodunnit in which nothing is what it seems. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a bit hard to follow at times due to overlapping timelines and a complicated web of a plot, but the action keeps the story moving. In true Agatha Christie fashion, it keeps you guessing until the very end!

I don't usually gush about every book I read, but this one is divine. I could eat it. Evelyn Hardcastle is in danger of dying...every day.. Aiden Bishop must find out the identity of her killer in order to end the vicious cycle. However, Aiden is not completely himself...in fact, each day he wakes in the body of a new host and must discover clues without knowing what to believe about his own reality.

Beautifully written and wonderfully suspenseful. I imagined an Agatha Christie-like mysterious mansion with each guest a suspect. Very highly recommended!!

If you liked the movie Groundhog Day I believe you will love this book. Unfortunately I didn’t and I am now at the halfway point of the book and am finally giving up. It is very hard to keep track of the characters and I just can’t stomach reading it any longer. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. I will not be recommending this book.

So, think Groundhog Day or Life After Life amidst the English aristocracy. It takes awhile to latch on to what’s happening here. Still, while the conceit has been done before, it’s done well here.

This isn’t an easy read. It demands your full attention to keep track of which body Aiden is in, what day it is, what knowledge has been gained along the way and who’s alive and who’s dead. It does, however, keep you engaged. As Aiden thinks at one point “if this isn’t hell, the devil is surely taking notes.” It’s got to be the most convoluted book I’ve ever read. I can’t begin to imagine what kind of organizational skills it took to write this and keep all the moving parts straight.

I particularly liked the fact that Aiden doesn’t completely take over the host body. The permanent resident, if you will, still has some power, which grows with each new host. It adds to the whole shape shifting atmosphere that’s so important to the story.

What isn't done well is a sense of time. If not for the mention of a telephone and later an automobile, this could have taken place anytime from 1880 on… written notes, laudanum, carriages, stable hands, butlers and ladies maids had me feeling like it was of Downton Abbey time period, but some better descriptions would have helped. I wanted to be able to picture outfits, if nothing else. I’m really curious to know if this was done on purpose...

The other issue that left me somewhat unsatisfied is the why this is happening. The whole reason Aiden and Anna are in this situation, if you will.

Well done and I recommend this. But know what you’re getting into when you pick up the book.

My thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of this book.

“Can’t you see, these masks we wear betray us. They reveal us.”

2.2 stars

If you want to have the best experience possible with this book, I would advise you to go into this with as little information as possible. Anything anyone would say can be considered as a spoiler, even the synopsis. Therefore, if you intend to read this book, do it before reading any review.

This book had so much potential. The synopsis gave me vibes of a Clue/Cluedo murder mystery game (one of my favourite game when I was younger) narrated Agatha Christie style. And it honestly kind of was, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. The story is taking place in the late 1920s, and in the opening scene, our narrator is running through a forest with no memory at all. He doesn’t know who he is, why he is here, however, the only thing he knows for sure is that he just witnessed a murder. He doesn’t recognize the name he was given nor his physical appearance, making him very confused until a masked stranger explained it all.



His name is Aiden Bishop, he is blocked on Blackheath until he solves Evelyn Hardcastle’s death. Indeed, the daughter of the hosts is going to be murdered tonight at 11 PM and Aiden is going to relive the day of her death 8 times, through different guests eyes, until he can come with the name of her murderer as well as a proof. If he doesn’t solve it before the end of the 8th day, his memory will be wiped one more time and he will have to start all over again and live through a new loop. If he succeeds, he’ll be released, but he is not the only one in this contest, there are two more candidates that, contrary to him, are not here by choice, and only the first one to find the murderer and the proof will have the chance to get free.
“Every man is in a cage of his own making.”

Each one of his hosts has a very different personality and influence over Aiden’s choices and reactions to one situation; he impersonates among others a drug dealer, a butler, a coward, a glutton, a rapist and a constable, some being more helpful than others in his quest to find the truth. Actually, in my opinion, there were too many characters, and the story focused more on the hosts than on Aiden, which made it very hard for me to feel connected and concerned about his storyline. Most of his actions and decisions didn’t make any sense for me, and in the end, I couldn’t understand his choices nor care about his actual desires and life-threatening decisions.



More generally, none of the characters felt enough developed for me to care about one of them. And yet this book was so long. It felt like it dragged for ages, and that so many useless parts were added to make us feel lost in the investigation itself. I'm under the impression that the footman was added for drama purpose, yet death lost all its meaning because all the characters kept reviving again and again. I didn’t feel scared by him as I should have been, but more annoyed that he made the story drag one more time. Some of the plot twists were so incongruous I couldn’t even feel shocked, I was just waiting for the “just kidding” moment, and it made the whole thing underwhelming. The only part that actually satisfied me was the fact that Blackheath was (view spoiler), that was well thought, but once again, the author failed to explain how is that possible in a strictly realistic way.
“Anger’s solid, it has weight. You can beat your fists against it. Pity’s a fog to become lost within.”

I'm overall very disappointed in this book but you definitely shoud try and see for yourself as it has amazing reviews all over goodreads.

* This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. *

The synopsis:
At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed—again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend—but nothing and no one is quite what they seem.

When I started this book I initially thought it was going to be a thriller type book but it was so much more than that. I loved collecting all the clues and guessing at the culprit. About halfway through I started getting nostalgia but I couldn't place my finger on what about the book was causing it. Until, I walked into my son's room and saw the board game Clue! This was just like Clue for me but in book form! It had all the feel of the game including characters, rooms and murder weapons! As soon as I got started with this book, I was immediately pulled into the mystery trying to solve this whodunit case. I think this book is THE perfect fall read. 4/5

This book is a great reading experience, the sort of novel that gives a lot of reading pleasure.
It's really well written, brilliant, and I loved the originality of the plot.
As it's not the usual mystery (murder->investigation->discovery of the culprit) it ask you to keep an open mind and be ready to enjoyed this great trip.
I'll surely read it again to see if I got all the clues and discover new aspects of the plot.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for this ARC

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a well written and fascinating novel. It is a wonderfully original and surprising story about a motley and mysterious cast of characters trying to work out what caused Evelyn Hardcastle’s death. To say more would give too much away! Read it - you won’t be disappointed! Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a very classic and old school mystery novel with an interesting twist.  The Hardcastles are throwing a gala at Blackheath and their daughter Evelyn is murdered. But Evelyn doesn't die just once, Aiden, a guest at the party, relives the day until he can solve the murder.  Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest and tries again and again to solve the crime and unravel all of the clues.  If he doesn't, he's doomed to stay at Blackheath until he can.
    Settle down in a cozy spot for this one, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle begs for a comfy binge read.  The different personalities of the guests that Aiden inhabits are all different and sometimes are unpleasant.  This book took me a little longer than some because it gets a little complicated in the middle.  Some parts of the day are the same but as each guest he inhabits does different things and has different connections, each person adds a layer and it gets a bit harder to pick through eventually.  I loved the ending though, for me it felt very much like a classic Agatha Christie style reveal.  
    Overall, I'd say that if you do not enjoy classic mystery novels, filled with galas, hunting parties, old rundown mansions in the country, and generations of secrets to unravel, you will not enjoy this one despite it's modern groundhog day type twist.  But, if you are like me and still love to settle into a locked room type old school mystery, put The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle on your to read list. Available September 18, 2018

"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."

Step into the world of Clue and modern day mystery dinner parties. That is exactly what The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is all about. Evelyn's parents throw her a gala and invite all of the guests who were present at her brother's death. 

Aiden Bishop is our protagonist who volunteered himself to finding the killer. But has he bitten off more than he can chew? Evelyn Hardcastle has been killed hundreds of times now while Bishop has been trying to solve the murder mystery. This time, he is closer than he ever was before. But someone is lurking trying to end Bishop's chances of finding the murderer by slowly killing out each of his eight host bodies. Will he figure out the murderer in time? 

This idea was so original that I absolutely loved it! While a little slow at first, things picked up quickly. Without the threat of being killed and doomed to repeat history until figured out, I would've loved to be in Bishop's place. I just love this idea and how it was incorporated because I've never seen anything like this before! Not only that, but it is a unique way for the typical murder mystery that constantly keeps you guessing, but has the characteristics of a murder mystery party with the aspect of everyone having their own secret that plays a part in the overall mystery. Definitely would recommend!

This book was so original and had so much going on that it was hard to put down! The story had an incredible depth and complexity that it is amazing the author kept it organized. I truly enjoyed this book! I think part of what helps this book be so amazing, suspenseful, and original is not knowing much about it other than the genre and the little information about Aiden Bishop trying to save a girl at a party. The way the story unfolded was elegant and hopeful. This book made my list of all-time favorites!

HOLY. SMOKES. YOU GUYS.

Holy effing smokes. This is the most suspenseful, captivating, genuinely surprising, confusing (in a good way!) mystery novel I've read in a long time.

I originally thought I'd either gotten a mislabeled ARC or the book had undergone serious edits before everything sort of clicked into place. The blurb is a little misleading and the weird re-titling (probably because it's nearly identical to <i>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</i>, a far inferior book, IMO) are to blame for my confusion.

This is a tightly wound, fast-paced, Black Mirror-esque, deeply engrossing novel.

Wow! What a mesmerizing, puzzling read! The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton has a classic mystery feel, and this is a mystery that will live on for ages.
Aiden Bishop is tasked with solving the impending death of Evelyn Hardcastle, but the catch is that he keeps reliving the same day over and over again, and he spends each day in a different body. He’s got eight days and eight people to inhabit before everything resets and he’s doomed to repeat the puzzle again and again. Sounds a bit complicated, and it is, but it’s also absolutely riveting. I typically can’t stand books with repeating timelines, but there was something different about this read. Each day starts to change, and as Aiden inhabits different bodies, with different strengths and weaknesses, each day was different enough to keep me interested. It also helps that any kind of manor house mystery is one I usually love, and I could not put this book down. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, as how it unfolds is part of the magic of this read. Every time I’d think that I had it figured out, something would twist, or another body would appear, and I was never able to figure out whodunit (or in this case, whowilldoit) until the very end.
Now, with that being said, this is a title that some readers will tear to shreds. It is confusing and complicated, and some parts towards the end just didn’t sit well with me and I did not agree with certain actions Aiden took at the end. Because this is a book that is bound to generate strong opinions (either love or dislike), I think this would be a great discussion book. There are many love to hate and hate to love characters, plenty of moral implications, and it’s a book that many will want to discuss after reading it.
I won’t say anything else about the plot or characters, as it’s best if you don’t know much about the book going into it. But, if you love mysteries, this is a book for you! I couldn’t put this down, and was glued to the page. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and to anyone who enjoys a twisty, challenging read.

Bottom Line: Twisty and puzzling, but I couldn’t put it down! Loved it!

Świetnie mi się tę książkę czytało! Akcja wciągnęła mnie od samego początku i trzymała w napięciu aż do ostatniej strony.

Opowiesc o Evelyn Hardcastle i jej siedmiu śmierciach rozpoczyna się jako jeden wielki mętlik, zarówno dla nas jak i dla głównego bohatera (a właściwie pierwszego z ośmiu głównych bohaterów). Podobnie jak Sebastian Bell, śledzimy wypadki rozgrywające się na naszych oczach i zupełnie nie mamy pojęcia co się dzieje, ani dlaczego. Wokół nas panuje złowroga atmosfera, pojawiają się tajemnicze postacie, ma miejsce brutalne morderstwo a my wraz z bohaterem cierpimy na całkowity zanik pamięci i nie potrafimy się w tej plątaninie odnaleźć.

Stopniowo, strona po stronie, bohater po bohaterze, wydarzenie po wydarzeniu, gromadzimy okruchy informacji i powoli staramy się poskładać ten chaos w jedną, spójną całość. Zupełnie nam to oczywiście nie wychodzi. W nowym rozdziale następuje kolejny dzień, kolejny bohater, ma miejsce kolejne niezrozumiale wydarzenie i wszystko nagle zmienia się jak w kalejdoskopie a cala nasza misterna układanka sypie się jak przysłowiowy domek z kart. Przyznam wam, że niezwykle wciągnęło mnie to składanie drobinek faktów w logiczny kształt i nie mogłam wprost odłożyć tej książki nawet na chwile, obawiając się, że stracę z oczu jakiś istotny szczegół z kolejnego dnia.

Jednak to, co zachwyciło mnie najbardziej w książce Turtona, zaraz obok samej fabuły, to sposób w jaki wykreował swoich bohaterów nadając każdemu z nich złożoną i ciekawą osobowość, przypisując im zarówno talenty jak i ułomności. Każdego z nich spotykamy jedynie na krótko a pomimo to, zdołałam polubić i przywiązać się do kilku z nich. Lord Ravencourt, Thomas Cunningham oraz Evelyn Hardcastle to tylko kilka z tych postaci które zapadły mi w pamięć i które wciąż ciepło wspominam.

Fabuła książki jest również świetnie napisana. Kluczy i krąży, zmienia się i przekształca w naprawdę ciekawy i wciągający sposób. Jest to jedna z tych powieści -zagadek nad którymi głowisz się nawet wtedy, kiedy próbujesz zrobić sobie od niej przerwę. Bardzo podziwiam autorów, którzy potrafią pisać tak zagmatwane historie i się w tym nie gubią (choć czytałam wywiad z autorem w którym opowiadał, że przy pisaniu „The 7 ½ Deaths..” używał arkuszy obliczeniowych aby uporządkować wydarzenia i nie pogubić się w faktach). Jestem przekonana, że gdybym to ja próbowała stworzyć taka opowieść to końcowy rezultat byłby całkowicie pozbawiony sensu. Cale szczęście, że nie piszę książek, prawda?

Co do „The 7 ½ Deaths” to szczerze ja wam polecam. Ośmiu głównych bohaterów, upiorna starodawna posiadłość, głęboko skrywane rodzinne tajemnice i tylko jeden dzień aby rozwiązać mordercza zagadkę. Nie oderwiecie się od tej książki, obiecuję wam. Pochłonie was na cale godziny a zakończenie nie rozczaruje. Sięgnijcie po nią, bo warto!

I have received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Otrzymałam darmowa kopie książki, w zamian za umieszczenie szczerej recenzji.

ColorMeBookish.com

***This review contains spoilers.***

***4.75 stars***


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


This is a mind-blowing and jaw-dropping murder mystery that echoes the vibes of Agatha Christie and Groundhog Day! Yes, this mystery throws you a time loop curveball!

Aiden Bishop wakes up in Blackheath without remembering anything. He soon discovers that he is trapped in Blackheath and the only way for him to leave this place is to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. He relives the day 8 times, observing the day through the eyes of 8 different hosts where each host plays a pivotal role in solving the mystery. Time is of essence and solving the mystery proves to be more complicated when Aiden is also competing with three other rivals to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle.

What an exceptionally written plot! Original, refreshing and distinctive! I've never read anything like this before. The complexity of the plot with the numerous time loops were a little overwhelming in the beginning but it gets more interesting as the story progresses. As you begin to observe the day through the different hosts, the whole story begins to make sense and every little event that happened is vital to the mystery. The plot is definitely not lacking in the mystery and suspense departments! Just brilliant!!

Characters are somewhat well-developed albeit the rather overwhelming number of characters. I think Lord Ravencourt's character was given more weight (no pun intended!) compared to the rest. Each characters has their own backstories with distinct personalities. I find the concept of Aiden living in different host and slowly taking in their personalities are intriguing. The host begins to influence Aiden's mind and personality and Aiden is constantly in war with them while wearing their bodies especially in situations that demand tough decisions. However, I do wish that more depth were given to Anna's and Aiden's backstories. I do feel that their stories were just touching the tip of an iceberg. But overall, the characters are intriguing especially the character wearing a plague doctor's mask - creepy!

I enjoyed the atmospheric and Agatha Christie-ish kind of writing. The descriptions of forest, parties, ball and so forth were well done and I was totally transported into Blackheath. Storytelling is engaging, well-paced without any dull moment. It may be confusing in the beginning but just don't try to solve it. Instead, enjoy the journey and let Turton unmasks the murderer for you.

I can't say enough just how much I enjoyed this read! I have a soft spot for time travel/time loop concept and when it is strangely and uniquely blend into a murder mystery, I knew this is going to an astounding read! This is easily one of the best books I've read so far this year. I enjoyed and loved every second I spent reading The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle!



***I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All views expressed in this review are my own and was not influenced by the author, publisher or any third party.***