This was absolutely crazy! Mindf*cking genius!

I will not try to retell the story. I don’t know if I really understood everything. I experienced a revelation a few minutes ago about one thing I was wondering about and it made me gasp in adoration about the cleverness of the story. This unusual book is a mix of a good old crime story à la Agatha Christie, time travel, Groundhog Day and something else which I have no word for. Neither in English nor in my mother tongue German.

Imaging yourself waking up every morning to the same day but inside a different person. You have to live through the same day again and again. You remember what happened the last time you relived it and what the person you were did. I began to ask myself very soon why this is happening and how this can be possible. To my great pleasure the riddle was solved at the end. And in a way I did not expect.

I will not even try to summarize the complex story. It is full of details and surprising moments. There were many situations in which I asked myself how this could work and how the main character Aidan had figured this all out. I was totally lost with the time table. I just trusted Aidan and the author of getting it all right. But at the end I –almost- understood everything and it left me back in awe of the talent of the author. What a great story and a great concept. What an amazing piece of work.

The book takes its time and it is a very long book. But it needs all this pages to unfold its story with every detail. You can be sure that your patience and confusion will be rewarded at the end. I was so pleased how everything turned out and was explained. This is the kind of story where a struggling ending could have ruined everything. But here happened quite the contrary. The end and the moment I really got the book finally made it for me all the better and it turned into a 5 star while I considered it temporarily as a 4 star.

This book may not be for everyone. It is beautifully written but also a bit slow and confusing. The story is so far away from everything I have read in the last years and that was so refreshing. It was worth my time and the little struggle with keeping up with all what’s happening. I really had to focus while reading. But it was fun and amazing. I really enjoyed it. If you are up to something unusual and want a challenge then this may be the right book for you.

Are you an avid reader of murder mysteries and think you’ve probably read it all? Well, it’s fairly certain you haven’t read it all until you’ve read Stuart Turton’s The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which is one of the most innovative and fascinating murder mysteries out there. Protagonist Aiden Bishop has eight days to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, and each day serves as “host” in another guest’s body seeing the murder through other eyes. Aiden’s only way to be released from the hell of seeing the murder through all of the different bodies is to solve the mystery. It’s kind of like Groundhog Day in a murder mystery, laced with Agatha Christie, and others to make for an extremely unique take on murder.

Although the book is captivating, the details can get a bit repetitive. However, new issues pop up as the novel progresses, making the reader (and Aiden) more aware of important details that may lead to solving the mystery. Each host has something new to offer, and the story unfolds in what would be atypical for a regular murder mystery. There is plenty of building suspense, as well as twists and turns, even though it is the same story told over and over.

The mystery is compelling, and so different, that suspense/thriller readers will be blown away. It is as far from the same-old same-old as it can be, and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a must-read for any thriller aficionado who is seeking something new. It will change the way readers look at the suspense/thriller genre.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Wow! This novel is the perfect blend of mystery, thriller, and science fiction! I was hooked from the beginning and loved all of the twists and turns this puzzle of a novel presents to the reader. I felt like I was unraveling the truth while also piecing together the possible explanations for the situations Aiden Bishop is presented with in each of the eight characters he embodies throughout the course of this fateful day. Yes, the entire novel takes place in one day on a loop. I kept hearing that mind blowing Inception music on repeat while I dug deeper into the mystery. I highly recommend this one!

This is a whodunit like no other. It has all my most favourite things. Murder mystery? Check. Set in a dilapidated mansion? Check. Long list of suspects? Check. Twists and turns galore? Check. A sprinkle of sci-fi? Check.

Aiden Bishop is the main character, although you won't find that out until later in the book. When we first meet him, he's occupying the body of Sebastian Bell who is wandering through a forest, believing himself to have witnessed the murder of a woman named Anna. He can't remember who he is, or where he is, but a mysterious voice whispers in his ear, hands him a compass and tells him to travel east. Bell finds a rundown old mansion - Blackheath - filled with people gathering for the birthday party of Evelyn Hardcastle. But tonight, Evelyn will be murdered.

Each day for eight days, Aiden awakens in the body of a different party guest. A man wearing a plague doctor costume explains Aiden must solve Evelyn's murder in order to escape Blackheath forever, and he must do so before his rivals beat him to the solution, and before his hosts are picked off one by one by a creepy footman. It's like a Cluedo version of Jumanji - Aidan has been sucked into a game where he doesn't know the rules and with real life consequences. He's trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle without having the picture on the front of the box, but he soon comes to the conclusion that whatever's going on is linked to the death of Evelyn's brother, Thomas Hardcastle, nineteen years earlier.

Stuart Turton is to be applauded for brilliantly pulling off such an intricate narrative, tying up all the loose ends and providing satisfying answers to all of the questions. The meticulous plotting and planning is truly admirable as Aiden switches back and forward between the hosts he inhabits each time one of them falls asleep (or is knocked out) and the story has more surprise reveals than any other book I can think of. But Seven Deaths is best read without too many spoilers so the reader can peel away the layers, page by page, without knowing what's to come.

Seven Deaths is beautifully written, rich with vivid metaphors that bring the characters and the setting to life, including an early scene where a man verbally abuses a maid in a crowded drawing room and everyone is shocked into such silence that "even the piano bites its tongue", but a "heroic clock" still "drums up its courage and ticks." All of the hosts Aiden inhabits are distinct, well-rounded characters with specific strengths and weaknesses and even the more deplorable ones are given redeeming qualities. His relationship with "rival" Anna is the strongest of the story as it grows from uncertain beginnings into a solid bond of trust and kindness, and yet we still wonder whether she is his ally or his enemy.

I could wax lyrical about this book for hours, writing thousands of words about how much I enjoyed reading it. It's spooky and sinister and it'll give you a few chills, but it also reflects upon the futility of retribution, the notion of whether someone can transform themselves, and the importance of being kind and giving second chances, making for absorbing and spellbinding reading. It's only March, but I think it will be difficult to find a book I love more than this for my 'best of 2018' list.

This was a highly original read. Evelyn Hardcastle is going to be murdered, and it’sup to Aiden to prevent this from happening-the only catch is that Aidan wakes up on the same day over and over again, but in the body of a different person. Aidan is a guest at a country house party to celebrate the return of Evelyn Hardcastle from overseas, hosted by her family. Unfortunately for Evelyn somebody wants her dead. Every time Aiden wakes he has a new chance to change the day and stop the murder from taking place, but someone is trying to prevent him from stopping the murder, and time is running out.
This was an interesting book full of twists and turns with an unusual ending that you do not see coming, this was a highly original read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stuart Turton, and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for allowing me to read and review The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

I enjoyed this book and plan to buy it once it's in stores. 5/5 stars.

This is a good idea, spoilt by the number of characters which make the whole story nearly impossible to follow.

This confused me. This is the type of book where you have to pay attention the whole time but with my mood at the time of reading it I just couldnt. I will give it another try at a later date.

I thought the writing style and characterisation were very good, but in all honesty l did not like the story line (l thought l would, but instead l found it jumpy and confusing).
I DNF this book at 43%. I tried and tried to go back to it, but it felt like hard work to me. I cannot rate the whole book, but l am giving the bit l did read three stars (for writing style, not for story). I think there are people out there who will really enjoy this, and l have seen quite a few 5 star reviews, but this book just wasn't for me.
I am certainly interested in checking out the authors next book, maybe it will be a better fit for me.
Thanks to Stuart Turton and Raven books.

Engrossing story that shows what it would be like to try to change the course of history without knowing the answer of how to make the change.

The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the most complicated and intriguing thriller books I’ve read in a long time, and it had me on the edge of my seat, constantly turning the pages.

The synopsis gives a great overall summary of the story in general terms, but it’s so much more than that, and to say any more is to spoil it. Aiden Bishop has been sent to the Hardcastle masquerade in an attempt to identify who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. Every time the day begins, Aiden wakes up in a different body, and each body he inhabits is a guest of the masquerade. The only way he can escape this loop is solve the murder, but if he can’t do it in 8 days, he has to start the loop over again, losing the memories of everything he’s learnt previously.

There’s a glorious Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day meets Black Mirror story within the pages of this book. It’s a thriller, but there’s definitely an element of speculative fiction woven through it, that becomes more pronounced the further into the story you get.

I loved how Turton switched between POVs of the different guests that Aiden inhabits - I thought it was really clever and well done, although I can understand how some people might become frustrated or confused by it. You definitely need to be paying attention. Each time Aiden switches body, his voice changes slightly, mirroring the guest body, and thus providing different perspectives on the events that take place during the day of the Hardcastle masquerade. I was thoroughly immersed in the characters and the world and the mystery.

I didn’t see the ending coming, and I loved the moral and ethical dilemmas that are evident as a result. (I wish I could say more on them, but then that would really spoil the book.)

This was a book I couldn’t put down and I highly recommend.

The man woke up thinking that he had lost his memory on finding himself on the ground. He saw a running woman and had no idea why he called her Anna. Later, he found out his name, Dr Sebastian Bell.

The next morning, the man woke up in his bedroom, seeing the Plague Doctor. He found that he had a different body of another man, who was the butler. His name was not Sebastian, but Aiden Bishop.

Aiden learned that a murder took place at Blackheath nineteen years previously and Evelyn was to be murdered at 11 pm. How to prevent her death? The Plague Doctor gave Aiden the rules of having different hosts over the different days.

There were many riddles that led to the truths behind the murders and opened the secrets inside the house in this mind-blowing, sinister story.

Agatha Christie is reincarnated as Stuart Turton who is her answer for the great crime stories. He writes brilliant science-fiction which makes my jaw drop and my eyes pop out!

Caesar 13

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

For me, this book was too complex for the reward of reading it. I can see that many readers will enjoy this book, but this was not the time for me. Thanks for letting me try it.

This is a murder mystery the likes of you’ll never have seen before. It’s difficult to review without giving away any spoilers, so instead I will offer some descriptors to set the scene: mind-bending, strange, mysterious, thrilling, original, impossible and frustratingly wonderful. All I could think about when I wasn’t reading the book was what was going to happen next. In short, ‘The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ is insane and everybody should read it.

Absolutely my book of the year.

This is a very special book and one that I recommend to lovers of all genre of literature, as it covers several bases, is written exceptionally well and is completely encapsulating as a story.

You could almost label this book a murder mystery but that would seem too simple a tag. A classic piece of literature? A historical piece? A supernatural story? Please oh please pick up this novel and treat yourself to the greatest, most twisting and enjoyable escape- one which will stay with you long after setting it back on the bookshelf.

Fabulous, original, sumptuous in character, spooky and truly the best book I've read in a while.

Even finishing this book, I'm not entirely sure I understood what was going on, but I loved it! It was unlike any book I've read before. I went in without reading the summary to remind me what it was about, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I preferred it that way. I felt more invested in the mystery and the story was so interestingly told. This was an easy 5 stars for me to give.
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy to review.*

4.5 stars

This has got to be one of the best premises for a book I've ever read. When (there is no 'if') you read this book, go into it with as little knowledge as possible and finish it as quick as you can to get the full picture, and remember the clues.
The story is super convoluted (perhaps too much) and the answers, clues and how those things are found can be a tad easily acquired.
The description is so great, especially when he gives inanimate objects a personality.
The atmosphere is perfect for a mystery: dark, rainy, and covered in cobwebs.
The characters are well-defined and full of quirks and flaws. But since it is in first-person, I didn't like that toward the end--when he's figuring out the answer--we don't know what he's thinking, even though we've known everything up until that point. I know it's to keep the reveal more of a surprise, but it's a little lame.
So why not five stars? Three quarters of it is my fault. I didn't read it fast enough to remember the details and things got muddled for me at times and that hindered my experience. The other quarter is because this isn't the final cut and some points could've been sharper and a couple questions I had slipped through the cracks. And when you find out the final answer, it fell a little flat because that element *cough* person *cough* wasn't developed enough to pack the intended punch. And sue me, I wanted the ending to be different.
One other thing. This is set in the future? All I got was early 1900s.

Overall I can't wait for it to be released so I can read it again in its final form.

I enjoyed this book immensely - I've never read anything that comes close to the level of complexity and intrigue that this story holds - but the way that Lord Ravencourt was described left me feeling uncomfortable. His fatness was continuously used to demonstrate what an awful person he was - on the same level as the rapists and murderers in the books. Without giving anything away, I'll just say that there were multiple mentions of him being in very poor health and being unable to control his appetite and other characters felt incredible revulsion towards him based on his weight alone. Overall I felt that the writing of this character was extremely lazy, resorting to fatphobic tropes to move the story along. I loved this book otherwise and I've wanted to recommend it to so many people, but this part makes me very hesitant to do so.

2.5 very disjointed and disappointing stars.

When reading this book, I felt like I needed a road map or a gps system to navigate through the various occurrences happening. It was one of the most confusing books I have ever read and because of this confusion, the message which I think the author was trying to relate got lost.

Having someone or in this case someones change identity and become someone else on a daily basis made one feel as if they never really got to know exactly who the characters were as one tried to figure out what clues each one of them had to reveal what exactly happened to Evelyn Hardcastle.

As the novel continues, it poured more and more bewilderment onto the reader. For as many pages as this novel had with its twists and turns, it ended with a less than stellar conclusion. I kept hoping there would be an "ah ha" moment when all would be revealed and ultimately make sense of what was constantly muddled and meandering.

So, in essence I do not recommend this book. It had an interesting concept, but its delivery left much to be desired.

Thanks to the sisters who muddled their way through this one with me.
Thanks also to the author, the publisher and netgalley for providing an advanced copy for an unbiased review.

Aiden Bishop is caught in a time loop where he relives the same day over again, but as someone different each time. The only way he can escape is to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, but with so many suspects and a rapidly approaching deadline, Aiden doesn't know if he can trust anyone.....including himself.

Redolent of the whodunnit of Cluedo within a strategically plotted game of chess, with a time loop twist, it was an absolute joy to read. I'm always impressed with books that manage to keep me guessing until the end, and although I worked out some details, others eluded me until the end. Deftly plotted, with red herrings galore, its a whirlwind of suspects and you're never quite sure who is telling the truth. If you like Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle, then give this a try. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers, Sourcebooks Landmark, for the opportunity to review an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.