About the Book
Title: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Series: none
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 432
Edition Read: Paperback
Dates Read: January 18 - 21, 2023
Blurb: 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 . . .
Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop 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. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .
The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.
Review
Whew! This book was a roller coaster from start to finish and I am here for it! The review on the back of the book describes it as Downton Abbey meets Groundhog Day meets Quantum Leap and that is the most perfect description ever. I honestly don't know how Stuart Turton was able to write this.
I might still be in shock a little.
As the blurb suggests, we are following a murder mystery, but the point of view character keeps waking up in different bodies, reliving the same day over and over until he can finally solve the murder. Once he does, the repetitions stop and he can go home. Or, at least, that's what the mysterious man in the plague mask says, and I'm sure he's trustworthy. Oh, and the protagonist, Aiden, doesn't really remember his life from before waking up in this nightmare.
It's basically a form of purgatory, and Aiden isn't the only one who is attempting to break free from it. There is another figure who is trying very much to keep the secret hidden. It feels like a suspenseful race against the clock, as Aiden's choices are limited each time he wakes up as a different person. It was so hard to put this book down.
Some criticisms I've seen are that this book is hard to follow and I can see how that could be the case. This is definitely not something you can read while distracted! There is so much going on, and so many different points of view, all converging and weaving together to create this tapestry of a mystery. There were a couple of times that I got momentarily confused, but then things would get clearer again. It's definitely not an easy book to read, but if you buckle in and hold on for dear life, it's an absolutely wild ride.
GoodReads rating: 5 stars
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