A big thank you to NetGalley for choosing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing book! But how to describe this original concept for a book. I can only use the author's own words when describing the idea behind the book: "I love time travel, Agatha Christie, and the eighties classic 'Quantum Leap', and over time a book emerged from that beautiful quagmire."

"Here the rules of Blackheath:

Evelyn Hardcastele will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.

There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin."

Thus starts this amazing story of murder, betrayal, deceit, and possible redemption. I really can't describe it anymore, except that it is a amazing, twisty, gnarled weaving, taking over 30 years to unravel.

I recommend, no insist, that you read it!

I really thought the premise of the book sounded promising. However, though it was a cleverly conceived idea I found it too confusing and made myself finish it as I was intrigued as to how it could end.It was quite surprising but I didn't think the effort it took finishing it was worth it.

I really was into the description and plotline but when it came to reading this book well im sorry to say I gave it a good try but I couldn't make it past 5 chapters it just wasn't for me I didn't care for the execution of the book and I felt like there was just to much going on at once.

Excerpt from Book:
THE RULES OF BLACKHEATH
Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.
We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.
Understood? Then let's begin...

Aiden Bishop must determine who kills Evelyn Hardcastle at 11:oo p.m. Her death is not meant to appear as a murder in order to throw off suspicion. Any one of the guests or staff members could be the killer. Aiden is given one full day (until Midnight) in each of his eight host bodies to solve the murder and escape Blackheath.

This book is fantastic!!! I cannot recommend this one highly enough. This novel is a historical murder mystery in which the protagonist is forced to continuously repeat a day using different host bodies to solve a murder. He cannot escape the loop unless he solves the crime and someone appears to be meddling in his attempts. I was completely fascinated by this novel and how the author was able to alter the points of view of each host to replay the events of the day and gather clues. Nobody is who they appear to be and so many events tie in together making the storyline really interesting and complex. This novel was absolutely wonderful and I had a really hard time putting this one down...my new favorite mystery novel.

Brilliant, could not put it down. So many twists and turns and little mysteries. Would highly recommend it

Que se passerait-il si Agatha Christie avait écrit le scénario d’Un jour sans fin ? Certainement une histoire très similaire à celle contée par Stuart Turton dans The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Tout commence au petit matin dans une forêt automnale. Un homme amnésique se réveille avec un nom en tête, Anna, et la sensation d’avoir assisté à un meurtre. Il aura une journée et huit corps pour résoudre cette énigme et retrouver sa vie d’avant.
Plongé au cœur d’un manoir isolé en pleine campagne anglaise, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle nous plonge au cœur du gratin de l’aristocratie et de la haute bourgeoise anglaise avec tous ses vices et de ses bataillons de serviteurs. Le roman vole de rebondissement en rebondissement, non seulement en raison des changements d’hôtes réguliers du narrateur, mais également parce que les fils de l’intrigue à dénouer ont leur origine dans un lointain passé familial.
Premier roman particulièrement touffu, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle réussit l’exploit de ne pas perdre le lecteur en chemin malgré sa densité, alors que le narrateur lui-même nage souvent en pleine mélasse. Avec un style volontairement désuet, le livre balance entre la science-fiction, la fresque historique et le roman policier à tiroir. Pour autant, il arrive aà trouver un équilibre et un ton qui n'appartient qu'à lui tout en plaisant aux amateurs des différents genres. Rassurez-vous ! À la fin, tous les secrets seront dévoilés et vous n’aurez plus qu’une envie. En lire plus du même auteur.

I thought I was going to enjoy this book from the blurb, but WOW little did I know what a treat I was in for! The writing is so exquisite and the plot is so intricate that I needed to take a day before I could write this review as I was mentally drained - like a great orgasm. How the author was able to keep all the plot lines going with such clarity has left me breathless. Just as I thought I’d worked it all out, the story moves in a different direction. I loved the different characters, who were so diverse but each had their own distinctive voice that I never found myself thinking ‘who is that?’ A triumph and a masterpiece.

I had mixed emotions the whole way through this book. Sometimes I loved it, couldn't put it down and just wanted to get to the end to solve the mystery. Sometimes, mainly in the middle of the novel, I found myself having to force myself to keep reading. I think I struggled to always keep up with Aiden's various different hosts and found the middle section slightly monotonous. However the final 10-15 chapters were full of suspense. I couldn't put it down and I love this book purely because I never managed to guess the ending. It really is a novel that keeps you thinking and guessing and is a real page turner.

Maybe there's a special magic attached to the words “seven” and “Evelyn” when put together, because “The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” has officially joined “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” as one of my favorite reads in 2017 (though readers will have to wait until 2018 to meet Evelyn Hardcastle).

This book is Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie, peppered with The Time Traveler’s Wife and Black Mirror.
Which is to say that it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

The mystery begins from the very first sentence, dropping us immediately into the fray as our narrator assumingly witnesses a murder and tries to understand both who and where he is. We’re meant to be as limited in knowledge of what exactly is happening as our narrator is, and it serves as an excellent way to become invested in figuring out the peculiarities of the situation.

It’s a thrill to see Aiden look at the events of the day through the eyes of different hosts as each one brings their own set of skills and have their own way of observing things. How a coward assess a conversation won’t be the same as how a more predatory mind sees it.
The story really starts cooking when Aiden has the opportunity to spend a day in the body of a police officer, and access to that host’s abilities to pay attention to details and ask the right questions.

There is thread after thread after thread of whys, hows, and whens woven through this book. So much so that I was tempted to try and write them all down as they were presented, trying to create my own chronological order of the day with everyone’s locations and possible motivations for murder. But in the end, I found that I wanted to be swept away, to not try and get ahead of the mystery, but let it unfurl as the author intended.

This is the kind of story that at one point when I finally put the book down I was actually surprised to find that I was in my pajamas, on my couch with a cat blinking at me. I had become so invested in the story I was tempted to ask my cat if she was one of Aiden’s hosts.

The story of Aiden’s time at Blackheath is a wonderfully twisty whodunit that delivers surprised until the very end, and a morality tale as well. It’s occasionally funny, often charming, and full of vivid characters.

The real trouble now will be waiting until summer of 2018 to press this book into people’s hands.

Definitely one of my top 5 books I’ve read this year! What a mind bender. Seriously twisty and highly entertaining. Good luck putting this down, I recommend blocking off a day to finish it. I can see this being a popular book club book - all the mysterious are bound to make for great talks. Ooh. What about reenactments? Hello, murder mystery dinners! I know what my next theme party is going to be.

Big shout out to Net-Galley for the ARC!

Wow.

This might not be my favourite book of 2017 but it could become my favourite book of 2018 with a re-read, easily. I want to tell everyone about this book. I am indebted to you for the ARC

At 400 pages this isn't the longest book ever, but it's the heaviest. The blurb is spot on. Evelyn Hardcastle must die over & over as you relive her last day of life over & over until you solve her murder. You have 8 chances, as 8 different characters. Which sort of makes the title a spoiler, awkward.

This is an Escape Room in novel form. Cluedo even, if you want to be retro. The reader is solving all the clues at the same pace as the host of this noir Murder Mystery Party.

This has all my favourite elements. Intricacy, character depth (for days!), a real mystery with twists & surprises. It is rare that I find these things and enjoy them and I've been wrapped up in this story for what feels like weeks.

At some points hard going, as the many layers can give it an Inception-like mind bendy quality with some antitrust thrown in. Worth the hard work though

Will take a breather before my 2nd read. Already pre-ordered my hardback copy so I can pass it on to the next willing participant (or host!).

Read if you enjoy:
Escape Rooms
Cluedo
Noir mysteries
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Source Code starring Jake Gyllenhaal, or similar

This book blew my mind. It’s original, brilliant and so tightly plotted that it really warrants a second read in order to fully appreciate how all the different plots slot together, and grasp all the nuances that you find out about by the end. In short, it’s excellent.
The premise is as unique and inventive as anything I’ve come across. Our protagonist, Aiden Bishop, finds himself wandering the woods outside stately home Blackheath, without any memories at all except for a need to find a mysterious ‘Anna’. He soon discovers that something more is afoot, though: that night, at a gala thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be brutally murdered...and Aiden will be condemned to repeat the same day, again and again, flitting between his eight different ‘host’ bodies, until he finds out who did it.
One of the things I loved about the book is that it doesn’t take any prisoners. It sweeps you along with the character, revealing nothing more than what he knows- the revelation, after his first host ‘body’, that he is trapped in the same day in Blackheath- was a complete surprise to me, and the continual changing of bodies as the day repeated itself again and again kept the same events fresh, as well as dropping tidbits about who Aiden Bishop really is. Though we don’t know much about Aiden himself- to be honest, he’s a bit of a blank slate- watching him switch between host bodies is very entertaining, and- in a stroke of genius- watching him take on the characteristics of his hosts, and interact with the same people in different ways, is absolutely fascinating.
Indeed, the plotting (as I’ve mentioned) is a stroke of real genius. From missing chess pieces to the shady motivations of the people around Aiden- whose real motivations are revealed to us as the story goes on- we see the events at Blackheath happen a hundred different ways, and get as excited as Aiden when he manages to change the events of the day in any significant way. Turton has a deft hand when it comes to sketching memorable, well-rounded characters, and the world that he builds is rich and something you feel almost immersed in when you’re reading.
Part of the fun, though, is also guessing whom Aiden’s next hosts will be, and seeing how that impacts the way you see the murder mystery as a result.
Because at the end of the day, this is also an excellent murder mystery, heavily infused with overtones Agatha Christie (check out the Art-Deco cover) as well as its own unique spin on things, making for a very atmospheric plot and a big reveal at the end that is really satisfying- although after so many red herrings, it could also have come a bit sooner. The plot thickens at every turn, especially with the introduction of the mysterious Plague Doctor, Aiden’s overseer, and Anna, the woman who seems to hold all the answers: in a world where nothing is as it seems, watching the role of these two characters evolve along with Aiden is just as fascinating as watching the plot unfold.
In all, this is an engaging, interesting, tightly plotted murder mystery that is unlike anything you’ll read this year. Though this is Stuart Turton’s debut, he writes like a seasoned pro: he’s going places.
Read it.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was so magical. By far the best book I’ve read this year. This book was unlike most murder/mystery/thrillers that I read. I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on and even enjoyed being confused.

The start of the book a man wakes up confused in the woods, hears a gunshot and knows that this women Anna must be dead. He has no memory of who he is though. He arrives at the house he is staying at and finds out his name is Dr. Sebastian Bell but the twist is that is not who he really is His real name being Aiden Bishop and he has 8 days to solve the mystery of the death of Evelyn Hardcastle or else have his memories erased and go back through the same loop of days until he solves it. Oh did I mention he wakes up each day in different bodies??…. How friggen original and fun is that to read!
I must say that Stuart Turton is a genius. I enjoyed reading a book that that has a different plot than normal. This book kept me intrigued the whole way through.

Déjà vu is a weird experience, made even stranger when you experience the same event from a few different perspectives. Stuart Turton’s The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle seeks to solve a mysterious murder by having its investigator relive the same momentous day in eight different hosts.

At an English countryside estate, the parents of Evelyn Hardcastle are throwing a party to reintroduce her to society after years of living in Paris. But the party isn’t a happy occasion as there are plans afoot by party or parties unknown to kill Evelyn during the party her parents are hosting. Trying to save the life of Evelyn by solving her murder, Aiden Bishop repeats the same day over and over within the bodies of different people at the party, each of whom has different benefits and drawbacks to aid or hinder in his effort to escape this never-ending loop.

Filled with misdirection and intrigue, the narrative uses a basic mystery format to explore a more creative science fiction element to the premise with time manipulation. The story, while interesting in its delivery, was frustrating at times with how much overlapping information was presented as if it were new – though it was a way to establish a scene or situation, it could have been a bit more concise. While there was a lot of characterization and build up to the ending, the ending rushed through its explanation of why, and as a result it short-changed a satisfying resolution as the why was incredibly intriguing. With the intricacies of the story, this could easily lend itself to the screen, reminiscent as it was of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with its vibe relating to time travel loops and the effect certain actions have on the future.

Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

An ingeniously plotted and fast-paced mystery unlike anything I've ever read before. It was like Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap is playing Clue with a dungeon master from Dungeons & Dragons pulling all the strings. This book is a puzzle in prose form, and I think it would only benefit from repeated reads. The author went to great pains to ensure the book holds up and everything makes sense. The end fills in the blanks beautifully. Some books, like Dennis Lehane's "Shutter Island" are just so well crafted that you have to wonder what kind of beautiful mind was able to put it together. I'm definitely going to re-read this one just to pick up on all the clues I missed the first time around.

This was a really original murder mystery novel with some interesting twists. I really enjoyed the plot and how there were enough hints to figure out at least part of the mystery without the protagonist spoon feeding it to me.

The protagonist was one of the main strength of the novel because he was shown to inhabit different characters and taking on their traits in a variety of situations. This allowed the novel to develop its protagonist in a very unique way.

The only thing I did not like was the ending, it just seemed a little to neat to me but that's the only critique I have.

Overall, this is a great mystery novel with a unique plot and interesting twists.

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a couple of chapters to get engrossed in it but once I figured out the gist of it I got swept away.

While, initially, this may just seem like a complicated and cleverly executed “Clue” like story it’s really a study of humanity, and our ability to choose a path of good or evil. There were so many colorful and corrupt characters at times I had a hard time keeping up with everybody; however, I think that’s to be expected when you wake up 8 days in a row as a different person!

Aiden is such an endearing character. He is constantly waking up as different people and has been for quite some time, but you see how he’s been growing as a person all that time. I loved that a value is placed on forgiveness and trustworthiness.

It was fun to get caught up in the scandal and then suddenly find a moment of light as Aiden’s humanity fights its way to the surface. The web of mystery, the big question of who did it, is so well executed and complete with an unexpected twist. Really wonderful writing! So happy to have read this!

Whew, this book was quite a ride. 4.5 stars.

Even disregarding the actual structure of the book - our main character experiencing the same day over and over, in eight different bodies, all in hopes of solving a murder that happens that night - there is a LOT of story going on here. So many characters, so many relationships, SO MANY secrets. I LOVED it. My ARC included a short Q&A with the author, who mentioned a wall of post-it notes and a very involved spreadsheet, and I almost felt like *I* wanted to create one of those for myself to keep track of everything. While in some places I thought the writing could be a little tighter, this story was exquisitely plotted.

I did find it a bit slow to get into - the "first day" takes its time, introducing our players and setting the scene. And then I hit chapter 9, and the pace went pedal-to-the-floor the entire rest of the way. I liked that we knew just about every fact our main character knew, so we could attempt to solve the case along with him. Every revelation made sense (even if it was surprising!) and I found the ending to have a very satisfying wrap up.

I'm thrilled to have gotten this ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review. I highly recommend this mind-bending murder mystery when it's released next year.

3.5 stars A suspenseful and timeless murder mystery with a modern day twist. I enjoyed being taken to Blackheath and meeting the dysfunctional yet eclectic cast of characters. Superbly written with an intricate murder mystery that was beyond my ability to predict. Also had some sci fi components that included non linear time leaps and the same day being lived over and over again like Groundhog Day. Was a tad long and could have used some editing to cut out the unnecessary bits to keep the plot moving along. Overall an enjoyable read.

Writing style was quite good, although it is written in present tense narrative which I don't care for much. I couldn't finish the story as it was quite convoluted and I simply didn't have the concentration after about half-way through to continue. Maybe someone else will have better luck with it. In the end notes, the author mentions it was a difficult book to write and keep track of all the various threads. That definitely is how it feels to read as well.