THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE
STUART TURTON
*****
‘For once, it would be refreshing to find somebody in this place who was exactly what they appeared to be’. Solving a murder is hard enough but Aiden is given an almost impossible task – to solve a murder in 8 days whilst waking up in the body of a different witness every day. Can he break the loop?
I always say the mark of a good book is how fast it takes me to finish it, I have a tendency to get completely drawn into gripping stories that are told in exciting and unique ways and devour them, whereas a book I am not enjoying of the same length will take me weeks as I struggle to want to pick up my Kindle. The Seven (and a half?) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle took me 2 days - I struggled to put it down.
I can’t say much because of spoilers but wow, what a thrill-ride. The mix of time-travel and groundhog day like obstacles to an enthralling murder-mystery plot was so well done and original. The idea of reliving the entire day again from a different perspective leant a great pace to the story and each host was explored so deeply and given such in depth personalities that it was a joy to read. The plot itself is extremely complex with many interlacing threads that come together slowly and cleverly to a final conclusion. I must really congratulate the author for creating such a labyrinth for his readers to get lost in. There are a lot of characters which, especially at the beginning are hard to keep in your head – I think the invitation at the front, which serves as a dramatis personae, would have helped with this more if I had been reading the printed version rather than on kindle.
Overall it’s a fantastic, well thought out book which fully gripped me from beginning to end and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the chance to read and review the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Deaths-Evelyn-Hardcastle-ebook/dp/B075RTC2LW/