I have been trying to write this review ever since I finished buddy reading The 7 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle with Nicki @ Secret Library last weekend... But somehow I can't seem to get a word on paper without either sounding like a raving fangirl or a blubbering mess. But I can't NOT scream my love for this absolute masterpiece from the rooftops, so here is my attempt at writing a somewhat coherent review. Let's start with another metaphor: even days after reaching the final page of a new all-time-favorite, I'm still picking up the pieces of my mindblown brain. The 7 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle is unlike anything I've ever read before, and I have read my share of mystery/thrillers during my time on this planet. The plot is highly intricate and extremely well constructed with plot twists within plot twists not unlike a Russian doll. Each time you think you start figuring out the truth a new layer is discovered, leaving you both flabbergasted and wondering how this new information fits in the general story. I think The 7 Death Of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the few books where the repetition of the same day over and over again actually enhances the plot considerably. Repetition you say? Isn't that only supposed to slow don't the pace and make you less invested in the plot? Think again. It seems like complicated and powerful magic and I bow to the writing skills of Stuart Turton, but there is no doubt this book is hands down one of the best debuts I've read to this date. Never has the phrase 'had me guessing until the very last page' been more true! I won't be tiring of recommending this book to everyone I know. Brilliant. Mindblowing. Flabbergasting. Extremely well executed. And overall 200% worth your time.

This is one of those books that keeps growing and getting better as you read, some people mistakenly compared the storyline with Groundhog Day, yes the day repeats itself for Aiden Bishop but is the only similarity you’ll find.

Every day that repeats has a new perspective of the story, a new discovery. It's wonderful to see how the same scene can be experienced and viewed differently depending on where you where and what you stand for, and that’s how life works! Not two people live the same experience, even if both are present at the same time and moment. Every host is different, different lives, professions, bodies, intelligence and vices. Therefore, Aiden has to fight harder to not let himself lose on his host. He has one goal and that is to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle and left Blackheath.

In this book you’ll find redemption and new beginnings, loyalty and betrayal. At the end the book surprises us with a more futuristic twist and I wonder if that’s where we are going? I wholeheartedly believe someone can change but only if his nature is not corrupted. Anyone can make a terrible mistake and repent, but only if the person understand that there is another option, a less evil option a different choice to be made. Unfortunately there are individuals whose nature is corrupted beyond redemption and this book brilliantly pose that question.

If you love a good mystery that is unpredictable and keeps you reading and wondering until the very end, don’t hesitate to read this book.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Stuart Turton and Netgalley for the opportunity.

Title: The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Pages: 512

Released: February 8 2018 in UK / 18 September 2018 in US
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Format: Hardcover

Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Goodreads Rating: 4.14 (of 5,136 reviews)

Two things threw me off about this book right off the bat. First of all, Seven Deaths is over five hundred pages long, and I stared at that page number, thinking, “Does Stuart Turton really think he can sustain an interesting and well-plotted mystery for 512 pages?” I’ve read mysteries with three hundred pages and hit boring patches. Second of all, I opened the book to the first chapter and was thrown RIGHT into the action, where the main character didn’t even know what was happening. I was so confused, I put the book down and didn’t return for several days.

Then I picked the book back up. And didn’t. Put it. Down.

The Seven-and-a-Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is the most intricately plotted mystery/thrilled I have ever laid eyes on. The parts of me that weren’t hooked on the plot were hooked on the fascinating and diverse characters. As a reader, I was practically sobbing in thanks to Turton for putting out such a fascinating read — it worked on SO. MANY. LEVELS. Now be warned: only read on if you’re ready for some serious Seven Deaths love (and have a desire to fall in love yourself!).

As I said, the beginning of the novel literally throws the reader into the action. A man (our main character) is running in the woods. He’s yelling a name, he’s terrified of something bad happening … but he doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know where he is, he doesn’t know his very name. You don’t have a second to contemplate what is going on before the next scene happens, and then the next, and the next. At first, this made me put the book down because I was not in the mood to be confused. When I picked the book up again, I let Turton take me on his journey, and realized bit by bit everything made sense.

Don’t let the page count fool you (as I did, at first). Unlike many mystery novels, Seven Deaths drops big reveals throughout the book. You don’t have to wait until the before last page to find out everything at once! I loved this, because my excitement only mounted as the book went on. Also, I don’t think it’s far-fetched to compare this book to a giant game of Clue: because Aidan is repeating the same day over and over, as a reader you’re gathering clues with him — seeing who is where and when, and what they are doing. (It’s the maid with the knife in the kitchen!) Turton gives the reader a chance to collect clues as the book progresses, so you can guess at the many mysteries … because you should not be followed by the summary, there is more than just Evelyn Hardcastle’s death to solve!

This book is packed with deceitful characters, plot twists, big reveals and secrets. So many secrets! Turton packs it all up in the most eloquent writing, too. He evokes this sense of intrigue and mystery with his words, so that I’m plunged into Hardcastle the moment I start reading.

Five stars for this book. If I didn’t have such a long TBR at the moment, I would be re-reading this book on the spot. This is the kind of book you can re-read over and over, because there are so many hidden clues and easter eggs. Turton’s a genius. A literal genius. I don’t know how he did it, but please do it over and over again. And do not miss this book!

Review to be posted on blog on September 11 2018 (https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/)
Review to be posted on Goodreads on September 11 2018 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2487389859)

I really liked the premise of this novel and couldn’t help but get a nostalgic feel from it, it reminded me of playing a game of Cluedo whilst reading anything by Agatha Christie on a dark winter night and I loved it. This was a truly mid blowing and boggling read that I had to really pay attention to in order to keep all of the twists and turns straight in my head.

It is actually very hard to review this book without worrying about giving away any spoilers…. You would think that there would be a time when reading this that it starts to get a bit boring as the novel goes through the same day again and again but that is far from the reality, instead, I ended up on the edge of my seat for the entire ride!

The concept is so well thought out and planned that I can’t help but be amazed that anyone’s mind can put together such an elaborate story and pull it off. Just WOW – this writer is wonderful and I am so excited to see what he comes out with next.

I also loved the cover of this book, when I was reading through it I kept thinking back to it and it is strange that the cover actually managed to convey the feeling and setting of the novel and as a bonus it is beautiful. I will definitely be purchasing this in hard copy for my bookshelf because it is so pretty to look at.

This book is so original it's a little hard to describe - basically, the book starts with a character waking up with no memory - only to eventually discover that every day for 8 days he will wake up in the same crumbling English manor on the same day (the anniversary of a different murder from 19 years before) as a different person, trying to figure out who is going to murder Evelyn Hardcastle that night - and the only way to escape from this loop is to figure out who the murderer is. So, it's a little bit Agatha Christie, a little bit Groundhog Day, a little bit Quantum Leap, a little bit the movie "Clue," with a bunch of original elements as well. It definitely is confusing at times, both figuring out what is going on at the beginning of the book, and then keeping track of all the characters and elements as the book goes forward. But it's also a really enjoyable puzzle, both seeing how all the different actions of the various iterations of the main character come together, and the even more complex set of mysteries that surround the murders.

Review: THE 7 1/2 DEATH'S OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton. Ground hog day meets CLUE. A good storyline but somewhat confusing to keep up with all of the characters. ⭐⭐⭐Three stars.

I had high hopes for this book but was unable to finish. I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters and following the story. It does have a Groundhog’s day quality to it as the same day is being relived over and over again but being experienced from different perspectives each time.

I don’t know how the author managed to write such a maze-of-a-novel. I don’t believe I’ve ever read anything like this before!

I knew this novel was being hugely praised and it made me even more determined and ready to solve this whodunnit on my own. If you already read this novel you’ll know how ridiculous my assumption was because there is no way that you can anticipate and solve this on your own, as I figured out quite soon as well ;-). There’s so much cause and effect in this novel, so much detail that went into this grand scheme of things that it just wasn’t possible to get a clear picture of the whole puzzle. It didn’t spoil any of the fun though, there was so much to be discovered in this novel, there were new insights and revelations with every character change.

Although I loved the start of the novel I was a bit worried how the story was going to develop and if I’d be able to keep up. I felt quite confused with what was going at first… was it just me I wondered? Should I start making notes of timelines and characters? Bell seemed awfully focused on someone called Anna but I thought it was all about a woman called Evelyn Hardcastle.. and then there was quite a large cast of characters in the novel that were kept an eye on. As the story progressed everything became clear though so not to worry, if you keep going it’ll all make sense eventually, you just have to go with the flow and let the main character lead you on, it’ll all become clear as water.

I had a hunch that the present mystery and a past event were in some way connected but I didn’t know how. I also had no clue who was chasing him, trying to get him killed or who this masked man is called The Plague Doctor. He’s the one who doesn’t let him leave unless he solves the murder but also provides him with info. Is he to be trusted and who is he? Lots and lots of intriguing questions *big smiles*. The main character (Aiden) will have to use each character’s strong points to his advantage and learn as much as he can about the others in order to solve this one. I was satisfied with all the answers in the end though and it exceeded my expectations entirely.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is not an easy relaxed read, one where you’re able to have one eye on your cooking, child or husband, but you will want to keep with it when reading anyway, in the end it’s really insanely twisted!

This novel takes you on a mind-boggling trip with many many twists, secrets, and even a little sprinkle of futuristic sci-fi in it. The details of that last part were not developed but it’s not something I wished for either, the idea was enough to make it work. Even the sci-fi part was great for me, go figure!

I’m going to stop here because I could keep going on forever. I think you’ll have realised by now that this is a must-read! Don’t give up in the beginning, it’s totally worth it. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is the most complex novel I’ve probably ever read. It’s incredibly clever and utterly addictive. I don’t say this often but I most definitely would love to reread this in the future even when I know – and won’t forget any time soon – how it ends and who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. It’s that good!

This was such an interesting concept- murder mystery mixed with a time travel paradox! I really enjoyed the beginning but the plot was slow and obviously repetitive. I found that I didn't really feel like continuing the book so I ended up not finishing it.

I received an early copy of this book for my independent honest review.
Well I really don't know where to start, I cannot decide whether I loved it or hated it.
It is certainly very compelling and the writing style is easy to get into.There were times when I thought I couldn't continue, however it is just too compelling to do so even though I often felt frustrated with it!
The premise is that Aiden Bishop has arrived at a country manor for a party to honour the return of Evelyn Hardcastle from overseas. In order to escape, he 're lives the same day in the bodies of eight different hosts to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The premise is easy to understand and more clues are revealed as each day progresses. It has all the vibes of' And then there were None 'by Agatha Christie crossed with a Poirot episode featuring the great reveal at the end.
Most of the time I hadn't a clue what was really happening, however it became more enjoyable once I stopped trying to understand it and simply immersed myself into the characters and growing story. Often books that have elements of magical realism in are like this though.
At times the book felt a little too slow for me and perhaps a little long winded at times, however it was so compelling so annoying and so confusing that I have to give it 4* for evoking so many emotions in me good and bad whilst not allowing me to DNF it.
I think it is definitely a book you need to read for yourself and the more you 're read it, the more you get from it. Would I 're read it? To be honest I really don't know.

Sebastian awakes to find that he has no memory.of who he is or where he is. In fact he isn’t even Sebastian at all. As he comes round he finds himself shouting “Anna”. Who Anna is he has no idea but she is running through the woods and then there is the sound of a gunshot. The next day he awakes as the butler and sees “himself” arrive at the door exactly as he did the day before. Think period drama groundhog day. On day three, in yet another guise, he sees the plagues doctor whom he briefly saw beforehand. He tells him that a murder is to be committed and that the guises will keep happening a total of eight times. He will spend 24 hours in each however if they fall asleep or die he will then either move back to one he hasn’t completed or onto a new one. He has to find whom the murderer is to escape the scenario within the time frame. There are also two others whom this is happening to. Only one can escape from Blackheath. This is not as complicated as it sounds. Each chapter gives which day (and part in some cases). A very different way of telling a crime story and a very interesting one at that. Characters pick up various clues and Aiden (the person whose mind is in all of the bodies/guises) can remember these clues.In the questions and answers with the author at the back, Stuart mentions the TV programme Quantum Leap- if you are of the age to remember this- then this will all make sense. One of the most imaginative, and creative books I have read for a long time One to keep the grey matter active.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
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When I started this book I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into, but the further I read and as the story unfolded, I knew I had found a winner. The writing is nothing short of brilliant; it is hauntingly evocative of a dark, damp, brooding country manor inhabited by a cast of rather unsavory characters. No one is who they seem to be and the main character keeps changing the body he’s inhabiting. Add to that the fact he is part of a competition to solve the title mystery. Whoever solves the murder gets to leave the estate. Oh, one other little thing, he starts the book and week with no memories. Just plopped into a body and off we all go. Good times all around, especially for the reader!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I will say that this book is pretty original in its concept. However, I just could not get into it at all and found myself wondering what the heck was happening. Also, the writing is very much like an Agatha Christie novel and way too British for my taste. However, if you really like those type of mysteries or the movie Gosford Park you will probably really like this novel. I like the concept and maybe if it was done in a different setting with different characters it would have worked better for me.

Stuart Turton must have the mind of a literary genius to have written this book with all its characters, twists and turns, mystery and thought process.
I'm not sure I can do this book justice by giving a summary of its contents so all in going to say is Read It for yourself and be transported inside Blackheath for a week of mystery and excitement. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Even better than Agatha Christie in my opinion loved it.

What you really need to know:

This beautiful book is essentially a larger scale Murder on the Orient Express* with a combination Every Day*/Groundhog Day* twist.

Other things to know:

I LOVED IT. This book is a masterpiece. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have any idea what this book was going to be, so I was immediately put off by the realization that there was a male narrator (who was clearly not Evelyn Hardcastle). I had somehow thought that Evelyn was narrating and I don’t even know what. But as soon as I figured out what was going on (well, as much as the author allows), I was completely sucked in.

Characters:

All of the characters in this book were fantastically developed and interesting. No one, I repeat no one, is innocent in this book. Everyone has some kind of dark secret or past, and it is really impossible to know who to trust. The main character doesn’t even know what to make of himself, let alone the people around him. He is in a different body (as a different person) every day, so as he progresses through the book (and his time limit), his “hosts” become stronger and stronger and it becomes more and more difficult for him to focus on his mission. It’s nearly impossible to stay true to yourself and your morals/personality without actually knowing who you are (or anything about yourself), so naturally, that’s what he’s tasked with.

Plot:

OH MY GOODNESS the plot is so good. The author clearly worked out the timeline of this book many, many times to make it perfect, and it shows. The timeline makes sense. Even though there’s a Miss Peregrine type of loop, I was able to follow what was happening, and he kept everything that was supposed to be understood quite simple. There is so much happening in this book that it’s hard to even talk about, but it’s extremely well woven, and all of the backstory/past that is uncovered later on in the book ties in perfectly with the current timeline, and is kept separate in the best way.

Okay! Can we mention! I am so ridiculously pleased with how he wrapped up this story. I enjoyed the adventure as it was happening, but I was concerned that there wouldn’t be a real/good explanation for why all of this was happening and whether this was real, what the outside world was like, etc. Thankfully (amazingly) this was not the case, and when the circumstances were explained, it seemed natural, and it didn’t lose any of its magic.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I just really enjoyed this, and I highly highly recommend that you pick it up in September (or if you live outside of the US, maybe even sooner!). I will say, some of the darker parts of the story were quite dark (just how I like them), so just be aware that this is definitely an adult book. Other than some gory descriptions/topics, there’s really nothing to worry about with this book. I adored everything about it, and I just really hope it gets picked up and adapted to a movie. It would be incredible to see this play out on the big screen, and I can’t wait to see where Stuart Turton’s writing goes from here.

Unputdownable, unforgettable, unbelievable. Those are just some words to describe this book. This was a stunning journey and I loved every minute of it. It was original and fun, not to mention (again) unputdownable.

I don't usually read mystery/thriller but I'm so glad I read this one. It was very complex but it was not confusing and I had to read it when I didn't have any distractions.

I will reread this again in the near future it was that good.

Think of a cross between the best Agatha Christie novel you could imagine and the movie Groundhog Day and you will arrive at the premise of this novel. Our protagonist is tasked with finding the murderer as he is thrown into the different guests invited to a party. The plot thickens and we are mired in a struggle for our main character to find the murderer and repot him back to the Plague Doctor. This book is exquisitely written, with twists and turns that are worthy of the best true mystery writer. Reminiscent of early 20th century mysteries and a dash of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, I guarantee once you open this book it will be a struggle to put it back down until the very end.

Mind boggling. Intense. I finished this book several days ago and I really had to take some time to process and decide how I felt. I won’t lie, it is a tedious book to read between the multitude of characters and narrative and timing of everything. This book is probably the most unique book I have ever read. The main character must attempt to solve the death of a woman by inhabiting eight different hosts who are all tied to her death in some small manner. Because each day is in a new host with new personality, I find it difficult to grasp the character’s development throughout. Regardless, this is unlike anything you e ever read. Far from your typical murder mystery!!

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley. This book had me from the very beginning. I love that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. Thank you for the chance to review this book!!!!

Wow - where to start??? Aiden Bishop wakes up reliving every day trying to figure out who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle.

Overall, I really liked this book - I found it completely different from anything else I have ever read - which I LOVED!!! Too many books lately feel like the same story I have already read.

I loved seeing the same day played out by different characters and really enjoyed how each of them influence the day. I enjoyed the setting (mansion party), it sort of reminded me of the movie/game Clue. While, I liked the bouncing between days/characters, I also found this to be extremely confusing at some points. There were definitely chapters that held my interest more than others. I think the book might have been drawn out and more lengthy than it needed to be - if it would have been a bit shorter, I think I would have enjoyed it more. There were times when it lagged and I really felt like abandoning it.

I really liked that the ending wasn't predictable at all for me.