What an interesting, innovative and confusing book. It was so different, a complete 180 from the normal books I tend to read. It has a mystery and a crazy cast of characters. I also think it would benefit from a second reading to try and pick up things that were missed early on.

I am not sure I agree with the ending, I dont think it was the choice I would have made. And I also think it may have ended a bit too quickly and cleanly. The last chapters do tend to just race by.

I am looking forward to future books by this author.

This book was absolutely brilliantly written. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to WRITE this. How complicated, how many threads there were that had to be connected and tied. It was truly a masterful writing accomplishment. The book could be difficult to follow at times because there are so many characters and so much going on, and i have to admit I wasn’t totally crazy about the ending...but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this book was really fascinating in both its idea and how it was carried out and written. Brilliant piece of work.

Evelyn Hardcastle will die tonight. Tomorrow night and the night after that. Aiden Bishop will be trapped inside of 8 different host bodies. To solve the crime of who murders Evelyn in order to go free.
I was given this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book was a total mind fu**. Wow what did I just read. With more plot twist than 4 novels combined. This book takes readers down a twisted path of murder, confusion, too many character and twist to keep up with. I enjoyed the ending, but not much else.

As much as I wanted to like this book, I struggled to get into it and couldn't continue it. Maybe I'm in the wrong frame of mind right now for it, but I found it slow and hard to get into

Aiden must inhabit eight of the other guests at the party to solve the mystery or be forced to repeat history over and over again. His mind jumps from person to person trying to solve the mystery of who kills Evelyn Hardcastle in her old home by the lake where her brother died 19 years before with dark and dangerous consequences. Her parents have arranged a wedding that ensures their families financial future, but Evelyn has other plans.
The Footman will kill you if you do not answer the riddle of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle by eleven pm each night while you are trust into eight different guests. Loved how they were able to piece all the clues together all the while having to watch over your shoulder at all time, so the Footman does not kill you with his sharp knife. It was an exciting challenge for Aiden when he woke up in different bodies since they ranged in age, with health issues, so was limited to what he could accomplish in the allotted time. My first impression was that it was like the movie Ground Hog day with a dark, murderous mystery theme. Hope to see more from Stuart Turton I thought his descriptions of the scenes were enlightening I could almost smell the decay or the forest.

I really wanted to like this book--I love mystery books with atmospheric darkness and time travel and Agatha Christie.. But, my brain actually hurts from reading this.. So convoluted that the rules stated by the official rule maker in the book are changed at whim-new characters and names popping up at the weirdest times for seemingly no reason. Someone--the main character, is trying to figure out who killed Evelyn Hardcastle or he will be stuck in some kind of weird universe for ever destined to replay the day Evelyn was killed. I wished I had not spent the last week trying to get through this. The writing was not bad but the plot and the story line just threw me for a "loop".
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this book and give an honest review. I am sorry it just was not for me.

Wow! This was one fascinating book! It had such a unique, gripping storyline, I was captivated from the very first page. It has some crazy twists and turns that will leave your mind boggled! I would definitely recommend!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're the kind of person who's blood begins pumping at the mere utterance of the words "murder mystery party," you are going to love this book. The reader is invited to a lavish party hosted by the Hardcastle's on the very grim anniversary of the death of their son (ooh. Titillating). On the strike of eleven (let's not be too predictable here), Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered. You are Aiden Bishop playing the role of eight other key characters trying desperately to solve the murder, stay one step ahead of the deadly Footman, and get a clear answer out of the Plague Doctor who haunts every one of your iterations through this "Groundhog Day"-esque tale (poor Bishop has to wake up to the same day every morning but as a different person. Fun, eh?!).

Filled with twists and suspense that keep the readers (and the characters themselves) on their toes, this is a work that mystery enthusiasts will enjoy reading and analyzing again and again. Readers will love getting to know each character and the overall message of "forgiveness" is truly heart-warming. There are, however, a few moments when the writing disappoints. For example, the Plaque Doctor, quite early on in the tale, reveals that Bishop has been trapped in the same time loop for many, many years and that this is not his first time trying to solve the murder. Now, I'll be honest: I had kind of guessed that this was the case when I first started reading the work but it's still a pretty big revelation; especially for Bishop! However, in the book, Bishop barely reacts to the news. In fact, it's glossed over almost immediately without so much as a "Wait a minute. Did you say years?" Furthermore, one of the last lines in the work which went along the lines of "just gotta put one foot in front of the other," really fell flat. For such a strong work of fiction, ending on such a simplistic line really cheapened the work for me.

Nonetheless, these few points are minor compared to the power of the story and the work as a whole. The book will make a wonderful addition to any library and / or book club as there are numerous facets of the work that can be discussed and analyzed.

So come on in to Blackheath, dear reader. Meet our guests and see if you will be the first one to solve the murder. Happy hunting.

It's safe to say I've never read anything like this before - a trippy Agatha Christie, with some exceedingly sinister and twisted characters and a convoluted but gripping story. This book is so clever I can't believe Stuart Turton isn't some kind of evil genius to keep all the different plotlines and characters in order.

We start the story with a bang - a panicked and breathless man running around in the middle of nowhere, with a name on his lips but no memories whatsoever - and the story doesn't let up as it continues. Everyone becomes a suspect, but with a narrator as unreliable as Aiden Bishop it's hard to distinguish the truth from all the subterfuge happening elsewhere.

If you fancy a break from all the Scandi noir and "Girl" crime novels out there, I would highly recommend this book. While it fits within the traditional, classic crime genre, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is fresh, unique and action-packed.

With The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton continues the trend for splice crime fiction, seen with Sarah Pinsborough (supernatural) and Chris Brookmyre (sci-fi). Aiden Bishop must relive the same day, eight times, as eight different characters, in order to solve a murder. Though whether the mechanism creating this alternative world is divine and fantastical, or technological, is unclear. What we do get is a classic country house Golden Age crime novel, if it were scripted for Black Mirror.
In the grand, stately home of Blackheath, Aiden must occupy various host bodies, stationed at different locations and times throughout the day. The various hosts interact, miss, avoid and leave clues for each other, whilst each being hunted by the murderous Footman. Every host’s body infuses Aiden with there own personality traits, a healthy mix of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. Their physical limitations also burden him, too obese, too old, too weak.
Doomed to repeat the same eight days for eternity unless he can solve the murder of the eponymous heiress, Evelyn Hardcastle, he seeks out the elusive Anna for clues and looks to the enigmatic Plague Doctor for instructions. But are they friends or foes? The reader is left as much in the dark as Aiden.

The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle touches on themes of punishment, human frailty and redemption, but mostly it’s an addictive read for lovers of traditional crime fiction with a twist.

A fantastic debut that will grip you from the beginning...

Aiden wakes up in a different body everyday in order to solve a crime. This was the groundhog day like premise that grabbed my attention. Vivid descriptions make you feel like you are in a video game or film, and the thrills at every corner made me race through the book, wanting to know how it turned out.
Can't wait to read another from this author!

Holy shit, my head hurts. I haven't read a book that made my brain melt like this since Blake Crouch's Dark Matter. And just like in that book it is so satisfying to watch all the pieces come together. This book is like a wild mixture of Agatha Christie, Groundhog Day, and Black Mirror. I'm not going to say anything about the plot because I think it is better to go in blind and not read reviews or even the blurb, so you can discover every little piece as it comes. Most of the negative reviews I've seen say this book was too confusing and complicated--and it is certainly both of those things. It's not something you can read especially quickly, or skim at all, because there are so many pieces to put together--reading this is definitely work! But it's so deliciously clever, that it was worthwhile for me, and really paid off in the end. Highly recommended, but definitely not a beach read.

This was one heck of a puzzle – a fine fine read. How on earth the author thought of this and managed to write it up so it made sense is beyond me. It’s the literary equivalent of a sudoku puzzle that you just can’t work out but this is a whole lot more fun trying to!
I have a headache now but it was totally worth it. It’s a genre unto its own. Mystery, sci fi, groundhog day, various POVs but in the mind of one person inhabiting several bodies….

Oh and then there’s the mystery of Evelyn herself who’s been murdered with her story from Paris…
There is something particularly chilling and mysterious about an old mansion house in the middle of nowhere and so remote you need an organised bus to take you there. You also need a notebook organiser of some sorts to keep track of things but read slowly take it in as the reward is worth it. The signposts are there if you spot them. The mystery turns out to provide more puzzles than answers too as I was left wondering and pondering over a lot of what I’d just read.
I’ve never read anything like this. Going to read it again now to prove to myself I understood what I was supposed to. A very immersive read to read slowly and savour.

Fascinating plot well executed! Great read. Looking forward to more from this author.

Unfortunately this book just didn't work for me. The premise had great potential, but the execution fell quite flat. I was invested enough to finish the whole thing, just to find out the resolution, but the payoff wasn't enough to redeem the reading experience.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher, and the author, for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I tried. I honestly, really tried to get into this book but I. Just. Cannot. Do. It.
What am I reading? What is this writing? Which character am I now? HELP ME!
I am no stranger to this style of writing; however, I don't think I've ever been more confused. I find myself having to reread several sentences and I'm sorry but ain't nobody got time for that!

(4.5 stars) I really wanted to give this novel five stars. It's unique, imaginative and I can only imagine the writer had one hell of a diagram on his wall whilst he wrote it because I'm not ashamed to say there were several times that I was hopelessly lost. Not only did I not know what day it was I also had no idea who was who or what time it was, but that really doesn't matter. I loved the first third, got bogged down in the middle (hence the lost half star) and then raced to the end sliding in sideways sending a shower of omgs all over the back cover. Read it because everyone else is going to and you will want to be part of the discussion.

I can not get over how much I loved this book, every single moment from beginning to end was filled with twists and turns that keeps you guessing all the way to the final reveal and it’s a wild ride.

“7 Deaths” is unlike anything I have ever read before where each day a man wakes up in the body of a different guest at a masquerade celebration trying to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle in order to escape his loop only to discover that the case isn’t as simple as it appears. With an ever growing suspect list, a timeline that jumps around as often as his consciousness and a family secret that carries more weight than originally thought, this book manages to grab you’re attention and not let go until the final line.

The entire concept of this novel is a bit like a Groundhogs Day but bloodier where each new day helps to solve part of the riddle or reveal a new enemy as Mr. Bishop struggles to solve the murder all the while being hunted by an unknown villain hellbent on destroying his chances of escape.

I can’t get over how amazing this book is and as much as I hate to admit it, it’s one of the only times I’ve ever guessed wrong and for that alone it’s worthy of my recommendation. It’s definitely one to read if you enjoy a good thriller and the overall message at the end is surprisingly uplifting given the context and all the steps it took to get there making this one of my favorite books in the genre.

**thank you to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I received a copy of The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued initially by the summary and am happy to report that the book did not disappoint!

The good: a plot that moves along and was not a dime a dozen snoozefest (i.e. original!). This book had a well-woven story and plenty of intrigue and mystery to keep the reader engaged, without creating endless/fruitless plot threads or rehashing the same old (boring...tired) thing.

The not-so-good: there is a lot going on and if you don't pay attention, you'll miss subtleties. I admit, I did have to re-read a little to catch things I had overlooked the first time.

All in all, reading The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was an enjoyable way to spend a winter evening, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to do so.

How many times can one person die? And how many days it will take to solve the murder? I don’t know if you will love this book, or not but I can promise you one thing: you’ve never read anything like this before! The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is a superbly original crime story lingering into fantasy genre and it’s a must-read.

This was a mind-blowing, unstoppable read for me. Imagine Agatha Christie decided to write fantasy... I devoured some-500 pages in a day!

The story is set in a stately home – although once grand, the house is neglected after a tragedy the owners suffered in the past. Everyone -friends & family are summoned to Blackheath to celebrate the return of Evelyn Hardcastle, the daughter of the family, from Paris.

Evelyn will be murdered. But how? and more importantly, by who?

Our protagonist, is set to solve that. But we also don’t know who our protagonist is. The only thing we discover shortly after starting the story is that he’s set to live the same day in different bodies; again and again, until he finds out who kills Evelyn.

There are so many characters in this book and there are excellently portrayed. I was amazed actually, as this is a debut and admired Stuart Turton for writing such a complex, layered story. It is also beautifully written.

This was so close to being one of my all times favourites, 5 star read. Unfortunately, parts of the ending didn't work for me and I wish somethings were laid out differently. Still by far the most enjoyable read of this year, and would be looking more to read from the same author.