From the Bookshelf of Drop Everything And Read…

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Stuart Turton

Start date: January 1, 2019

Finish date: January 31, 2019

Discussion: Read

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 182 topics — 2,008 comments total

Read

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* Books Read
By Hallie , I'm all about the books · 63 posts · 754 views

last updated Mar 11, 2019 11:49PM

* Bookshelf
By Hallie , I'm all about the books · 28 posts · 39 views

last updated Dec 02, 2018 07:29AM

showing 3 of 3 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Apr 24, 2019 Paul Perry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: murder-mystery, mystery, male-author, murder, fiction, read-in-2019, body-swap, justice, punishment, redemption

I've decided to right a generally spoiler-free review, with individual redactions, rather than mark the whole piece as a spoiler. I hope I've got that balance right and I have piqued the interest of anyone yet to read it without giving much away.

I can definitely see why this won the award for Best First Novel. It is gripping, clever and, on the whole, well written and accomplished. The opening engages us immediately and the interest and tension ramp up from the fist twist of the plot. (view spoi I've decided to right a generally spoiler-free review, with individual redactions, rather than mark the whole piece as a spoiler. I hope I've got that balance right and I have piqued the interest of anyone yet to read it without giving much away.

I can definitely see why this won the award for Best First Novel. It is gripping, clever and, on the whole, well written and accomplished. The opening engages us immediately and the interest and tension ramp up from the fist twist of the plot. (view spoiler)

Turton generally writes the character viewpoint well (view spoiler) as well as the main supporting cast, although with such a large ensemble some are flatter than others. I'm probably giving nothing away if I say it is, to quote Blackadder, as twisty and turny as a twisty-turny thing, and the plotting is excellent; I have to assume the author had a large cork board with multi-hued push pins and threads crisscrossing like an obsessed detective, charting how the plot continues to blossom and tessellate back on itself, with timelines and relationships, clues and misconceptions and trust and betrayal.

I did find my interest flagging a little around the two-third point - and this may have been me, as I'd not been able to do much more than dip in, while it is clearly a book that rewards focus - although may also be a contrast to the Agatha Christie novels that Turton cites as an influence, both in that this is considerable longer than those books, and that ( perfectly reasonably for the story presented ) the tension is it such a high level throughout it does get a little wearing at this point. There's no room for a relaxing aside, or even a false denouement, that might give pause for breath. Again, if I'd been reading in steady hour-plus long sittings, I may have blown past this without it being an issue.

While Christie is the only influence specifically called out by the author in his afterword (or blamed, perhaps), I can see many others. Not just the influences within the British mystery genre - Ngaio Marsh and Conan Doyle and Wilkie Collins - but a very specific, non-literary influence. There is a feel of the kind of creepy, imaginative and often disturbing TV I grew up with - partly Twilight Zone repeats, but more the very British versions we had in the seventies and eighties: Doctor Who, of course, but also Tales of the Unexpected and even, for true aficionados, Sapphire and Steel. A feature of these shows - and much other British TV, and speculative fiction, was fairly down-beat, high-tension, realist-but-not-quite drama shot through with a sense of inevitability or predestination. I may be wide of the mark - I quick google shows that Stuart Turton is almost a decade younger than I am - but I definitely got that as a not unwelcome element.

Highly recommended, especially if you like well-plotted mysteries that aren't what they seem. ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2018 Jacqueline rated it liked it

Wow! I can see how the idea of this book would be appealing to some but for me it was just on giant mind f***. LOL! I had a hard time keeping up with the characters and the timeline. I feel like I should have been taking notes just to understand what was happening. Then the whole premise surrounding Blackheath, it was all just too much. If you enjoy a good twisty mystery then this book might be perfect for you.

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2019 Anatl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, mystery, sci-fi

A sort of Cluedo groundhog day, this book had just the right amount of action, mystery and intrigue. The plot was very convoluted and I don't want to give anything away, so I will just conclude this review by stating how much I enjoyed the ride. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2021 E.S. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Aiden has no memory of his past; all he knows is he woke up in the forest, screaming the name “Anna.” But the players are in place, the game is set. And Aiden Bishop has to recall the rules and play the game over eight days as he occupies different hosts, to determine who in fact killed Evelyn Hardcastle. But, with a man in a plague doctor mask, a mysterious footman out to kill him, and a woman named Anna stuck in a similar loop, Aiden has to solve this murder while also saving his own life. Oth Aiden has no memory of his past; all he knows is he woke up in the forest, screaming the name “Anna.” But the players are in place, the game is set. And Aiden Bishop has to recall the rules and play the game over eight days as he occupies different hosts, to determine who in fact killed Evelyn Hardcastle. But, with a man in a plague doctor mask, a mysterious footman out to kill him, and a woman named Anna stuck in a similar loop, Aiden has to solve this murder while also saving his own life. Otherwise, the loop will start again in perpetuity.

In a fascinating “who-done-it” mystery, with a twist of “Quantum Leap”, we are thrown into a unique story about a man trying to right a crime…without any recollection as to why. Each host Aiden occupies has it’s own characteristics, funneling there way into his personality, so sometimes even the reader cannot tell each person apart. It’s done masterfully and with purpose, and part of me wishes I took notes while reading this book, because each clue was laid out with precision.

To be fair, when I love a book like this, it is so hard to write a review. The message is clear: everyone is given a chance to rewrite their destiny. That is the message of Blackheath, lying beneath the floorboards and waiting. This is not just a story about a murder; it’s not just a story about rehabilitation; it’s a story about change, for everyone. Good, bad, or in between.

There’s an ambiguity that remains as well. We are left with questions about one of Aiden’s “competitors”, about the foundation of Blackheath, and whether this is a sci-fi or fantasy tale. Do the answers to these questions matter? No at all. It is left in the air so we can decide. And that ambiguity is a clear message: sometimes things aren’t exactly as they seem, as is obvious with the overall outcome.

I’m definitely going to consider going back to read this book again, possibly taking notes in the process. Stuart Turton wrote everything with such care, I can’t imagine the time it took to plot this novel out!

Please, if you enjoy a good mystery, definitely pick up this book! It’s utterly fascinating, unique, and compelling! 100% recommend. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2019 Brenda H rated it really liked it

4 stars. Review to come

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2020 Connie Anne Kikta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to-audio-book

I enjoyed the book and it kept my interest. The only problem was there was too many characters to keep track of. The main character was interesting and likable.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2019 Summer rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, kindle, 2019

This idea for this novel is quite intriguing, but the world building just couldn't provide the necessary foundation. For the twists and turns to have their full impact the reader has to understand more about what's at stake and why. Spending less time on minute details and more time on providing context would have done a world of good.

I'd also recommend you either read this quickly or take notes. I lost the energy to track characters carefully about halfway through and the book would have been ...more

Like · see review