The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

★★★★★

If this isn’t hell, the devil is surely taking notes.

Lord and Lady Hardcastle are throwing a “party” at Blackheath, their crumbling British mansion.

This so-called-party takes place on the anniversary of their son’s murder (19 years ago), includes the exact same guests as it did so many years ago.

And, during the night, trusts will be violated, truths will be exposed and above all, their daughter, Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered.

Aidan Bishop, along with two others, are in competition to be the first to discover Evelyn Hardcastle’s murderer.

Too little information and you’re blind, too much and you’re blinded.

Bishop relives the night of Evelyn’s murder for eight days, and each day he is in a different body and has a new chance to find the murderer.

Life doesn’t always leave you a choice in how you live it.

The first day, Bishop wakes up in Dr. Sebastian Bell’s body, without a clue as to where he is and what he is supposed to do.

The second day, Bishop wakes up in the butler’s body…but “past-Bishop” is also inhabiting Bell’s body. Which leads to a lot of confusion and surprise.

The third day, there’s current-Bishop, past-Bishop and past-past-Bishop….well you get the point.

Each day Bishop adds another “character” under his belt. He gets eight bodies, and eight days, to piece together the mystery.

The two others who are in competition with Bishop are unknown to him and are also inhabiting bodies (though, unlike him, they cannot swap and every “day” their memories reset).

They are all racing to find out the murderer, because whoever can figure out this mystery is the winner.

And the winner? The winner gets to escape.

How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?

This book was confusing in the best way possible.

I could barely write my summary – there’s just so many layers of complexity and betrayals and everything.

So effing impressed. 

I was wholly ensnared by the mystery – I hardly knew what to think or where to look – but it was such a fun and wild ride that I didn’t care.

Aiden Bishop was a wonderfully fleshed-out character and Turton did a particularly excellent job with the various bodies that Bishop possessed.

In particular, I loved how each body Bishop possessed would begin to influence him. When he was Dr. Sebastian Bell, Bishop was meek, under the butler’s influence Bishop became moralistic and so on.

It was fascinating to watch how that played out.

The only thing that threw me slightly was the end. The build to the climax and the ending were superb…but the actual grand reveal was a bit of a letdown.

I honestly don’t know what I as expecting, just something a bit “more” – if that makes any sense…

All I know is that this is an author to watch. I cannot wait to see what Turton writes next!!

We are never more ourselves than when we think people aren’t watching.

Interested in this one from Stuart Turton? Buy it here:  Amazon