(This is scheduled to appear May 2 at 5:00pm at https://theviewfromthephlipside.com)

Aiden Church wakes up in a forest. He has no idea who he is, where he is or what’s going on. There’s a scream, a gunshot, and somewhere a girl named Anna. Before his ordeal is over he will possess eight people’s bodies, be beaten, and die as he searches for the answer to a single question. Who killed Evelyn Hardcastle?

I’ll just say it upfront – this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. Part murder mystery, part science, and part horror story, Stuart Turton weaves a twisted tale. Church leaps back and forth in time, re-living moments from different points of view. If he finds the answers, he will be free. Or Anna will. Or both of them. Very little is clear to him or the reader until Aiden can untangle the web that surrounds all the people with him at the English country manor called Blackheath.

Telling this kind of story is incredibly difficult. Turton does an amazing job of holding the reader’s attention even as we (and Aiden) are buried in a thousand seemingly unrelated details. That he pulls off such a writing trick with this kind of finesse is impressive.

I was also impressed by his ability to walk the borders between genres. Mixing the three together as smoothly and subtlyas it is done here is literary “cooking” of the highest order. This book keeps popping back into my mind, weeks after I've finished it. So many great things to say about it, but I'll boil it down to this - read this book.

FYI, you may come across this book with a cover that reads "The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle". It's not a typo. For whatever arcane publishing reason, the book is "7 Deaths" in the U.K. and "71/2 Deaths" in the U.S. Same book, different titles.

"The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" is due for release September 18, 2018.

This review was based on an Advance Reader Copy provided by the publisher and is consistent with our Review Policy.

Why You Will Like It – A story that will challenge, confound and compel you.

Rating - **** Recommended

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital galley of this novel.

While the construction of this novel is clever in the end that wasn't enough to make me like the book much. At about the 25% mark I began to want the story to move along faster but experienced a sinking feeling of knowing there would be no chance of that since the *death of Evelyn Hardcastle* was going to be relived completely by each character. Add to that the fact that many of the characters who became host bodies to allow the crime to be investigated from their viewpoint were people I really didn't like. In fact I never warmed to any character in the book. When the ending finally comes it feels rushed and the resolution was what I had thought it would be. Not very satisfactory.

This book was wild from start to finish!
So follow your main character Aidan who wakes up in a strangers body in a town called blackheath. Where he discovers he has 8 days to find a murderer who kills Evelyn Hardcastle if he ever wants to leave the town. Only every new day Aidan will wake up in a new body.

What I liked about this was that every character had their own personality, even when Aidan was inhabiting another persons body you could tell his personality conflicted with the inhabitants personality

Each new person Aidan woke up in was unique in their own way and completely different to the rest, and even though you’re still only follow Aidan reliving the same day, because he inhabited another body the story was told different each time.

The only problem I had with this book is that it was incredibly long and took me ages to continue, because I really had to focus and think with this book. And every time I put the book down and then picked it back up again I would forget certain details which often left me confused at some parts.

But overall I really enjoyed this book and so well thought out, and I give all my thanks to netgalley, the publishers and the author for providing me a copy of this book because I don’t think I would have picked this up without them!

I don't know how to attempt reviewing such a brilliantly complex and delicately thought out book. One of my favourite characteristics of books are well thought out plots, solid plots, plots that cannot be questioned, air tight plots with no loop holes. The brilliance of the book exceeds expectations in the most fantastic way! To weave together eight different character's points of view of one day, to perfectly match up each step, is a feat I can't imagine attempting. Akin to Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes, this story relies on subtle clues and complete reason that baffles the reader with understanding. In laymen terms, it makes you feel stupid for not having realised the end.

The main character, Aiden Bishop, wakes up in these eight different hosts having retained the memories from the previous host. We follow a linear path as he passes from one body to another but simultaneously he is confronted by and confronts his previous and future selves. The encounters are puzzle pieces perfectly matched together, whilst one host searches for who broke in, another host is the one that does the break in. These comical brushes of hosts past each other is the foundation for the book's ingenuity.

The sprinkles of facts and theories make a delicious topping on the fluffy mix of characterisation. We read the point of view of one mind in eight different bodies and each one is singularly unique. Despite one resonating voice echoing throughout the book, I really felt like I was introduced to eight (and more) different characters. Some I hated, some I loved, my opinions moulded and bent by the author's will. Not to spoil the book, but Turton captures the voice and mends the experience of each character in a very nuanced way. The subtle differences between the characters are found in the way they view the morning sky, their reflexes drawing out the bodies' personalities. It's almost an allegory of who we are as people and a testament to our reflexes uncovering the secret of who we really are. Can a rapist's urges be controlled by will? Can a coward be forced into brevity? Can love trump survival?

The book was an adventure ride with many unexpected turns and loops. It was an incredible journey to embark on with Aiden Bishop and the rest of the cast. The plot is wholly unique, the writing in a harmonious flow with the events, and the characters masterfully created. I've described the book as Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery meets The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I will wholeheartedly recommend this book to friends and family, I can't wait for everyone to put their hands on this marvellous story!

I was excited about the concept of this book and that title totally drew me in! However, I was left wanting and totally lost by the close of the book. I hate when books end, and I am still trying to figure out exactly what I read! This book was totally off kilter and I could follow along close enough o figure out the extreme changes. The character kept changing names and identities, so I never knew exactly who or what I was reading about.
Crimes novels are not in my normal repertoire, so I took of leap of faith and I guess I just missed the point of this one. Even the ending was less than exciting. I am sorry this book was not for me and I am not sure that I would ever recommend this title. These issues plus the title of the book was apparently changed from the time they added it to Goodreads and it was annoying trying to find it.
Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOK Publishing for allowing me access to this title.

A great speculative fiction novel that read like a cross between a 1920s detective fantasy noir and an episode of Black Mirror. I loved the slow plot reveal, the fact that the narrator knew as much as the reader, and the tense twists.

This was unexpected. The blurb was so interesting I picked this story up.

It starts off slow... a man wakes up with no memory of what happened to him, only that he has to save someone... and keeps waking each day as a new person. Who needs to solve the puzzle of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle before the 8th host ends his days.

It is historical fiction, set in the estate of Blackhealth in England, in that laudanum is the drug of choice, entertainment is done without TV, and there are balls and servants.

I enjoyed the story, slow though it seems. Each host was a different person altogether, distinct and unique. And you feel like you're stumbling alongside the hero. The plot does thickens and things are not what they seem to be.

Such a unique story!

I received a copy of the book for my honest opinon. Thank you NetGalley and publisher!

The 7 death of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Wow, keeping track of this story is hard, but so intriguing. Ostensibly a country house murder mystery with a twist. The same woman will be murdered over and over again until someone can solve the murder, the narrator of the story wakes up each day inhabiting another body, and he has to try to solve the murder by solving the clues he gets from each ‘host’. This plot is fantastic and an amazing feat of imagination. I must say I didn’t solve it but was gripped by the story. It’s like a really hard puzzle, but wonderfully entertaining.
I recommend it highly, well worth reading

3.75 stars Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books for a chance to read and review this digital. Published Sept 4, 2018

Eight days - eight different bodies. As each new day dawns Aiden Bishop is transported into a new identity. His only way out is to learn the identity of the person who kills Evelyn Hardcastle. His 'hosts', as he calls them, vary immensely. From the lost Dr Sebastian Bell, too timid to speak out, to the fat Lord Ravencroft, who expects to marry Evelyn, to the obnoxious painter Gregory Gold, it is days before Aiden actually realizes who he really is. During these periods Aiden not only keeps his own presence of mind, but also inherits the mind of his captive identity. His only ally is Anna - a chamber maid, or is she?

To make matter worse, this story plays out at Blackheath. A once elegant estate, now in crumbling disarray, this is the same place that Thomas Hardcastle, a child, was killed 19 years ago. The party being thrown by his parents has invited back all the people present that long ago day from 19 years before. Blamed in that death is Evelyn, Thomas' sister.

The chamber maid, Anna, plays a big part of this story and you are never sure if she is helpful or harming. You learn that if the killer is not identified that time will just start over - like it has time and time again. But this time things have changed.

I finally gave up trying to keep this story straight. Each identity was given 24 hrs and if they slept during that time the time was increased by that amount. So Aiden was able to bounce back and forth between identities. Each identity learned a bit more, but it was up to Aiden to put it all together and find the killer. To further complicate matters there was Dr Plague who had the power to release the one person that brought the name of Evelyn's killer to him, but he also left clues with Aiden that were confusing. Each day was lived again and again - so Aiden had to keep track of time, remember all his prior identities prior moves and anticipate who his next identity would be, then try to anticipate what their perspective was. I was confused. I finally gave it all up to the story and just read in hopes that it would all wash out in the end.

It did wash out in the end. But once the end was clear, another twist was added. A book that you just do not want to put down. A complicated story - to complicated for my simple mind - other than wanting to find out if Aiden was ever freed or if he would stay imprisoned in that 8 day cycle again and again.

See links to goodreads review

Aiden Bishop wakes up in the body of somebody else and the only thing he knows is the name of a woman, Anna, but he has no idea who she is. He finds himself in Blackheath, where everyone seems to know him and slowly he discovers that that day will be repeated eight times and every time Aiden will wake up in someone else’s body until he figures out who kills Evelyn Hardcastle at the ball that night, but it won’t be easy because there are other hosts like him who are trying to find out the killer.

I think that the concept of the book is brilliant and I loved the many surprises and complications in which Aiden occurred every few pages, but for some reason I couldn’t really get into the story. I often found myself confused both by the story and the characters, so I can’t say I fully appreciated it. All in all, it's a good book and I really loved the ending.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of those books which will probably leave you mind blown. The many plot twists and turns make it an EXTREMELY enjoyable but intense read.
This is not a light fluffy novel, it is dark, suspenseful and filled with gritty murders. Through a combination of rich atmosphere, well developed characters and a complex plot Turton constructs a murder mystery that will leave you enthralled. He ensures your avid attention by placing great importance over every single detail, not a single word in this beautifully written novel is wasted.
The main character himself is written in such a way that one cannot help but feel sympathy for his constant inner turmoil and become emotionally invested in his story. Additionally the side characters were all very well written and none were perfect; through all their miserable qualities most were redeemable.
Overall a fabulous novel, cannot wait to see what else Turton releases.
P.S If you didn't get the drift.....THIS WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT!! GO READ IT!!!

Intrigued by story, but for me it did seem to drag on a bit. I wanted to really enjoy it. I would probably still recommend it to friends as they might enjoy.

An amazing, unique portrayal of a gloomy, duplicitous and murderous country house weekend. I so enjoyed the mystery and interrelated action from hour-to-hour that I was almost disappointed by the conclusion; I wanted the suspense and ratcheting tension to keep going.!

Either this book is stupid and illogical or I am just not smart enough for this. I still can’t wrap my head around it, it was very entertaining and I kept reading even during working hours and then, it was so boring and repetitive that I had to put it down so many times! I kept questioning my observation skills throughout reading, I figured, only after ⅓ of the book, that I should’ve been much more careful with the clues that were spread all over the place. It was too late then, so I had to pick up the pieces and come to some conclusions using my imagination only. That was fun, I don’t think a book ever made me feel this way in a long time - confused, excited and puzzled.

I will now do my best to explain what this book is about and I am struggling even to do that, let alone give some comprehensive conclusion.

There is a party in a secluded mansion.
There are many, many people invited.
Evelyn is murdered.
Who killed her? We don’t know.
How do we find the killer? Our protagonist spends one day in eight different bodies and he collects information from each and every one.

I suppose that even this skeleton of the story required great intelligence and effort, I know I had hard time following the characters and the same events through different eyes. What I didn’t like about this is the ending, because I hate it when the villain reveals himself at the end and tells the exact truth for what feels like hours. If I take away the way this story was told, because that originality was definitely the best part, what is left is just a mediocre crime story without any surprising twists and motives.

A really good idea with some billiant phrases, descriptions and characterisation is let down by a sluggish middle to the storyline and by being overly complicated. Pity.

Thank you publisher for the ARC copy from Netgalley

HOLY MOLLY!! What a thrilling debut novel for Stuart Turton!

This is the mystery/thriller novel you don't want to missed!

Remembering all the mystery/thriller novels I've read and available in the bookstores, these was so unique and captivating. I am so tired with mystery/thriller novels about a drunk/mentally-ill/abused/adultery protagonist and characters. This book will give you a new vibe to mystery/thriller novels.

THE STORY:
Aiden Bishop wakes up everyday with same scenario, same place, same event, same people but different body. He is in the Blackheath House masquerade event organized by the Hardcastle family. and he has a one mission to solve, who killed Evelyn Hardcastle? (Okay at first, I thought this would be a cliche Agatha Christie vibe novel) Aiden was aide by a mysterious character who wears a plague masks and always reminding him to his mission to solve the case.

Secrets and betrayal surrounds Aiden and makes his mission complicated by waking up to the different bodies of the notable guest invited to the Hardcastle event. What hit him so hard is that he is not the only one who tries to solve Evelyn's murder.

This is a perfect mystery/thriller novel about family, lies, betrayal and especially forgiveness. Kudos to Stuart Turton!

But one theme of the story hit me so hard is all about FORGIVENESS. I don't want to spoil things but it is so good and uplifting.

To the author, looking forward to your following novels and please make a prequel novella about Aiden.

*for full review, see the goodreads link below

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2295194914

Wow, that was a heck of a book. Intriguing characters, complicated but well-written and fast-moving plot, this was a murder mystery with supernatural elements in the vein of Life After Life. I had a hard time putting this one down. Highly recommend.

This would be a perfect triple - episode of Doctor Who. That’s not a criticism. It would be a superior episode, possibly the best ever, one of those that really makes you think, makes you feel stunned when it finishes and makes you want to watch it all over again. David Tennant (as the doctor) would be the voice of Aiden, with Alex Kingston as Anna and David Suchet as the Plague Doctor.
Turton is an amazing writer. He keeps the story rattling along with all the threads aligned. (I imagine him planning his plot on walls full of post-it notes.) Yes, some major suspension of disbelief is needed but that’s okay by me. It did get confusing at times and there were some things that I just didn’t quite ‘get’. But that could be because, for several nights, I stayed awake so late reading that I kept falling asleep mid-paragraph! Yes, it’s that good.
Another mystery – what’s the title? The review-copy I read was called ‘7 and a half deaths…’, but I’ve also seen it as ‘7 deaths’. I’m guessing that it’s a different title for US and UK? I can think of several other examples of this sort of thing but I think it’s unnecessarily confusing in a world that’s been shrunk by technology.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the review copy.

This is a murder mystery for fans of classics and true originals in the genre. I had a bit trouble getting drawn in at first, but it was an enjoyable read. There were some very good twists and turns.