Review: The Seven and a half deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Title: The Seven and a half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Author: Stuart Turton

Pages: 512

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication Date: February 8, 2018

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4/5

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

Stuart Turton has woven together an incredibly complex and well thought out mystery that I am in awe of. I can’t even imagine how long it took him to put all the pieces of this puzzle together. I am excited to re read this knowing the ending going in. I really think it will add a whole other layer to the story.

One of my only criticisms of this book is that there are just too many characters. I kept having to refer back to the invitation at the beginning to see who was who and what their profession was. I think there were too many side characters and it made getting to know the main characters more difficult. However, I think that the story is so big that taking away from it might make it fall flat.

The reveals were perfectly paced out and I love how twisty this story is. Even the broader reveals about the world this book is set in were well done. The science fiction aspect of this mystery is one of the reasons that this book is so compelling. I was so intrigued how time is used as a plot device to help solve the murder. The ending of this book was fantastic and I loved how everything came together. I gave this book four stars but I can see myself rating this higher upon a reread.

I think that this book is a perfect bridge between science fiction and mystery. I would also strongly encourage anyone who finds the synopsis compelling to pick this book up. You will not be let down.

~Cassie