Title: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (originally published as The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle)

Author: Stuart Turton

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Date of Publication: September 18, 2018 (first published February 2018)

Page Count: 432 (e-book)

“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…”

I’m going to try to write a review worthy of this amazing début novel by Stuart Turton. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mind-twisting story with characters that leap off the page. This multi-perspective mystery has murder, manipulation, and a feeling of desperation, but in the end delivers a message of kindness, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of the BEST BOOKS I have EVER read.  I’ll try to keep this post at a reasonable length because I could ramble for pages about the writing quality, descriptions, and symbolism.

I have NEVER read a book with so many moving parts. Turton must have lost his mind trying to keep track of who was doing what, and when. Mentioned a few times in the novel, chess is a symbol of the theme of dark and light throughout the story with Aiden moving each host towards checkmate. Trying to figure out who killed Evelyn is like putting together the most complicated puzzle you’ve ever seen.

As Aiden embodies the eight hosts he initially complains about their limitations, but learns to focus on their unique talents. The plot is very twisty, at times confusing, and I loved every second. The ending clearly explained all the confusing parts and I felt extremely satisfied.

The characters are FANTASTIC. I could picture each unique person clearly in my mind. The mansion, Blackheath, is one of my favourite characters. “Blackheath shrinks around me, shriveling like a spider touched to the flame.” The Plague Doctor is a mysterious character who keeps you wondering if he’s good or bad. Anna is “fierce and fearless”. I love to see authors write about strong, smart, women.

Hooked from beginning to end, I recommend The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle to fans of mystery/thriller who like a dash of magical realism (time travel).

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.