I enjoyed this read on the "lives" of Evelyn Hardcastle and her several marriages. SOme worked out and some did not. I have read another book by this author and anjoyed that one too

This is an unputdownable book, a book that draws you in and keeps you reading, a book that is full of twists and turns. I love the concept, the way it is written, how the murder looks from different peoples view points. It is pretty brilliant.

It is a complex book but not in a bad way, it is somewhat mind-blowing and crazy and very intriguing, enthralling and thrilling.

I really don't know what else to say but read it and see!

I’ll start by saying I was spoiler free before I started reading this book. To be honest, I hadn’t even read the blurb so I wasn’t really ready for The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle to be a work of science fiction/fantasy. Once I grasped the fact that it wasn’t the historical murder mystery I’d signed up for and that the book basically falls into the time travel sub genre instead, I probably settled more easily into reading it.

In a Groundhog Day type scenario, Aiden Bishop relives the same day over and over. The day is the one where Evelyn Hardcastle dies. Obviously, Aiden will witness this 7 times at least. The half being, I assumed, where Aiden might solve the mystery and discover the who/how/why of Evelyn’s death and somehow change the outcome of her fate.

The twist is that each day when he wakes, Aiden inhabits a different host (body of someone else). I didn’t mind this idea as it stopped the storyline being repetitive as Aiden witnesses Evelyn’s death and the scenarios leading up to it from a different viewpoint each time.

The story is set at an English country estate, around the early 1900s, complete with Lord and Lady Hardcastle and their children, a multitude of guests, and the staff of both the family and guests. In other words, lots of likely suspects, victims and red herrings.

I love historical mysteries and I love science fiction/time travel type stories, so this book should have been a firm 5 star read for me. But…

There were a few inconsistencies which annoyed me. Just small things. For example, one of Aiden’s hosts was so fat he couldn’t write and then a few scenes later he writes a long letter.

As usual these days, I thought the book was too long. I lost focus now and then, bored. My enjoyment for the book especially waned towards the end. For about the last 100 pages, when I should have been eager to learn all the book’s secrets, I was a little bored. Maybe 3 ½ deaths would have sufficed? (I can only imagine Turton’s spreadsheet to keep all the plot straight!)

I also found some of the characters very cliched. I’m undecided on whether or not this was deliberate. There were a few twists to the mystery, some I guessed, some I didn’t.

So… Is it really worth the hype? Well… I guess I’ll always cheer when a scifi book crosses over to find mainstream popularity. But are there better books fantasy/scifi books out there? And are there better historical mystery books out there? The answer is surely yes.

I still liked the book. Just no love/instant favourtism. 4 out of 5

I absolutely loved this book! It surprised, gripped, and thrilled me at every turn. I recommend it highly and often, and am excited to read more of Turton's work.

I'm late to the party, but wow, what a book! The twists and turns come at breakneck speed, propelling you forward through even the most confusing plot points. It's pretty incredible to realize that this is Turton's first novel!

I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it since I was hooked on finding out who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. It's a fast paced book.

This is a beautifully executed novel, with so many twists and turns that you may think you're on a roller coaster. If you enjoy mysteries that go beyond the cliched, this book is for you. It's hard to write a review without spoiling it for the reader, but go into it with curiosity and patience. As Evelyn repeats her last day over and over again, you will continue to stay intrigued and baffled.

One of the most original and gripping thrillers I have read for many years. First there's the challenge of what's happening followed by the mystery of how on Earth it's going to end. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this wild ride. It did take me a while to grasp on to everything that was happening but once I got it I was hooked. While it was a difficult read that required my full attention, I read it fairly quickly as I was eager to find out what would happen next. Turton's writing and execution was fantastic and I loved the ending.and finding out who Anna was. I would definitely recommend this to mystery and Agatha Christie lovers.

This was unfortunately a hard book to read. A great concept but felt a bit lacking in delivery and didn't feel as gripping as expected

I will be perfectly, I chose to read this book based on a friend's recommendation. I've never read the author before and didn't really go into the story with any idea of what it was really going to be about. I tried reading it twice. I tried once via the ebook ARC that was so kindly offered up to me here. I then tried reading the audiobook. That was definitely not a good idea. That narrator was dull. I think my issue is really in the body swapping of character's. The whole concept of reliving the day to try to figure out the murder, I understand. The idea of doing it by body swapping through different characters to see their perspective, I just couldn't get on board with that. I mean eventually I guess you can find the murderer that way and ultimately, it probably does work out that way. But I could have easily seen the foil of the one character always trying to get it right and failing working just as easily. And I think it would have been a little bit more straightforward to follow. Maybe my brain has never been in a good place to read this when I've tried. I don't know. Someday I might grab a physical copy of the book and tackle it that way instead. I think maybe being able to make notes in sticky notes or something in the margins of a physical book might help? I know that very student like, but I just kept getting lost. So the multiple character perspective wasn't working. Thank you for the copy of the book all the same!

This was excellent. Very much a modern Agatha Christie type of mystery. It was well done and for all of the flashbacks the story was still clear and easy enough to follow. Will recommend!

I lost interest in this book after my taste changed. I haven't read it, but am thankful for the publisher to have given me the chance to read and review it.

I couldn’t finish this. I’ve seen reviews saying it was fast paced, but I found it slow and it wasn’t keeping my attention. The concept is interesting but I just couldn’t find it compelling enough to keep reading.

This book has become one of my favorites in the murder-mystery genre. I will admit it was a little hard to get into at first as it moves kind of slow for about the first 50 pages or so, but after it gets going it does not stop. It was a wild ride, but well worth it.
The only thing we know about the main character going in is that his name is Aiden Bishop and he must solve the mystery of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle, the lady of Blackheath Manor. He has, I believe, 8 days to figure it out, and the catch is Aiden will be waking up in the body of a different guest every single day.
This plot summary immediately grabbed my attention as I love a good time loop mystery, and this was no exception, I loved the blend of genres in this book, from mystery to fantasy to historical fiction, I honestly felt like I was playing a very clever game of clue. My reading experience overall with The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was highly entertaining and fun.

Very fun - I think my favorite part was Aiden's interaction with the guests of the party. Lots of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff which is very entertaining

What an absolutely stunning book - Stuart Turton has written something so special here.

Beginning, as the best mysteries do, in a dark and stormy woods, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle wastes no time, and drops the reader straight into the mind of a man who's lost his memory. He begins where we do, and it's through those eyes that we first see the inklings of the mystery; but when we move on to someone else's eyes, that's when the true magic of this story reveals itself.

You see, every day we - and our narrator - see the day's events unfold from a new perspective, and it's that slow bringing together of the various viewpoints that absolutely makes this book the stunner it is. We're able to pull some threads together ourselves, but others can only be seen when viewed from an alternate angle - it's the most satisfying feeling to read this book, and I'm incredibly excited to see what Mr Turton writes next.

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

Have you ever been confused but in the best way possible? Because wow, this book!! If there's anything that is so clever, gripping, and so original -- this is it! This completely blew my mind and at the same time, I'm so mesmerized at how clever and brilliant this book is. I can't believe it's a debut novel! There are so many puzzle pieces, characters, perspectives, and the events are intricately woven together all of which have great importance towards uncovering a murder.

In the course of eight days, Aiden Bishop is going to solve a murder, but each time he fails to solve it, the events will have to start all over again (think Groundhog Day) and he wakes up to a different host (or body).

I really enjoyed this read and I'm already planning to reread it. The atmospheric and immersive setting makes it for a unique read with so many witty characters.

I've heard so many good things about this book, but I can't seem to get into it. I've picked it up and put it down so many times that I've just given up and decided that this book is not for me. The initial premise is intriguing and the first few pages gripped me, but there was something about it as it went on that just didn't hold my interest. Disappointing.

I received a copy of this book for free from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I found the book a little hard to get into at first. I started reading it several times before it took. Afterwards I found it gripping and very well written. A very immersive story.