The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Stuart Turton

Sep 2018 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

"Pop your favorite Agatha Christie whodunnit into a blender with a scoop of Downton Abbey, a dash of Quantum Leap, and a liberal sprinkling of Groundhog Day and you'll get this unique murder mystery." —Harper's Bazaar

THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

The 71⁄2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

International bestselling author Stuart Turton delivers inventive twists in a thriller of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page.

ALSO BY STUART TURTON:

The Devil and the Dark Water

The Last Murder at the End of the World

Ratings and reviews

A very exciting, original read not like anything else. with so many clues and mysteries to uncover, it felt like every chapter was bringing a new revelation that felt exciting to discover. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the next book by Turton

Think Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day with the body hopping of Quantum Leap and you have the gist of this one. The story has a Gothic feel and for every question our protagonist finds an answer to, there's another question or predicament to deal with. We aren't given much information about the main character in the beginning, which is a bit of a double-edged sword. His confusion is conveyed quite well, but since we don't know any more than he does, it doesn't give the reader much in the way of a connection with Aiden. I was curious about why he was stuck bouncing around and becoming other people, but without anything personal, it's hard to find much empathy for him. The story is a little like being told about the events of one day from several points of view, but some characters were more distinctive than others so at times, the jumps from one person to another led to some confusion. For me, this one had its ups and downs, but it did keep me reading, trying to figure things out - sometimes trying to solve the puzzle and sometimes just trying to figure out what was going on. The author certainly has a way with words, and the book is loaded with some absolutely brilliant prose, so I would certainly read other works by him.

Our story follows our main character as he tries to solve a murder mystery. Only he doesn't remember who he is, how he got where he is and only that he remembers a girl named Anna and thinks she has been killed. This book is atmospheric and it is very easy to get sucked into the world he is in. I liked that the book kept up pace and there were a few twist and turns I didn't see coming! My only critique is that at first it was a little confusing to keep track of who was who and I am not 100% sure about the ending. I didn't hate it, I am just not sure how I feel about it. Other than that I really enjoyed playing along and trying to solve this. This is a really interesting book and certainly worth reading!

About the author

STUART TURTON is a freelance journalist who lives in West London with his wife. Stuart is not to be trusted—in the nicest possible way. The 71⁄2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is his first novel.