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The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Stuart Turton

Start date: March 16, 2018

Finish date: March 31, 2018

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What Members Thought

May 27, 2022 Kris Ruggiero rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: throwback-list, my-bookshelf, 2022-books

This book lingered on my TBR shelf for quite awhile. I now know why I didn't want to just dive into this one. It's not a book that you can put down for any length of time and expect to go back to it a few days/weeks later. It takes all the focus you can muster. There's so many characters and the entire plot takes a flow chart to understand everything.

I have to say that even though I loved the premise and this was one of the most unique books I've ever read, this one was just too long and convolu ...more

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May 25, 2019 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, united-kingdom, england, paranormal

At a dilapidated country house in England, the same day plays out over and over again. At the end of the evening, Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered. You have eight days, no that's not quite right. You will repeat the same day eight times - each in the body of a different character - to determine who killed her. If you don't come up with the answer, the whole process starts over. It is possible this has been going on for years, possibly decades.
It is pretty much impossible to explain this book At a dilapidated country house in England, the same day plays out over and over again. At the end of the evening, Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered. You have eight days, no that's not quite right. You will repeat the same day eight times - each in the body of a different character - to determine who killed her. If you don't come up with the answer, the whole process starts over. It is possible this has been going on for years, possibly decades.
It is pretty much impossible to explain this book without referring to other books and movies. Groundhog Day. Life After Life. Plus any great English drawing room mystery.
The book begins with a man coming to consciousness in a forest. He has no idea who he is. His brain only thinks the word "Anna" although he has no idea who (or what?) she is to him. This is our first "host" body. Through him we get to meet the other characters and form early opinions. The family suffered a terrible tragedy 19 years ago when the youngest son drowned. Now they've invited all the same people who were at the house on that tragic day back for a party. You will not be surprised to find there are many secrets to be uncovered. The Plague Doctor explains the rules of the "game" and warns us to be on the lookout for the murderous "Footman." Fall asleep (or die), and you're on to another body - new perspectives, new emotions, new clues, new threats.
The plotting is brilliant, and I may someday go back and read the book over to see where more clues came together. How Turton kept all the various strings in play is a mystery in itself. Although I will say that as the story became more complex, I thought there were a few sketchy shortcuts (things set up by other host characters "offstage"). But by that time, you just want to keep moving ahead with the story.
Each character was fascinating in his own way, and I enjoyed the way Turton mixed the emotions of the host character and the man inhabiting the character. And the ending was quite brilliantly slowly revealed. I liked it. A lot. ...more

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