
'The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle' by Stuart Turton is a complex murder mystery novel set in a country estate where the protagonist, Aiden Bishop, wakes up in a different body each day to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The plot unfolds in a Groundhog Day-like scenario where Aiden must navigate through various perspectives and characters to unravel the mystery. The writing style is described as intricate, original, and engaging, offering a unique blend of genres like murder mystery, time travel, and psychological thriller.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of murder, violence, mental health issues, suicidal ideation, and fatphobia.
Has Romance?
There is a subtle element of romance as Aiden navigates his feelings for Anna, but the primary focus remains on solving the mystery.
From The Publisher:
Can you solve the mystery of Evelyn Hardcastle?
WINNER OF THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD
WINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG NOVEL AWARD
A WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SPECSAVERS NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS DEBUT OF THE YEAR
LONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
Gosford Park meets Groundhog Day by way of Agatha Christie and Black Mirror - the most inventive story you'll read
Tonight, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed ... Again
It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.
But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.
The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...
SELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, I PAPER, FINANCIAL TIMES AND DAILY TELEGRAPH AND CURRENTLY BEING ADAPTED BY NETFLIX INTO A SEVEN PART SERIES
The mind-blowing new murder mystery from Stuart Turton, The Devil and the Dark Water, is OUT NOW.
Ratings (276)
Incredible (51) | |
Loved It (76) | |
Liked It (65) | |
It Was OK (36) | |
Did Not Like (43) | |
Hated It (5) |
Reader Stats (770):
Read It (280) | |
Currently Reading (7) | |
Want To Read (368) | |
Did Not Finish (24) | |
Not Interested (91) |
7 comment(s)
3.5 start. It was a good book, however I think I hyped it up in my head to much for me to enjoy it properly when I finely read it.
Found it a bit confusing but like I said it was a good book, just not a five stars book I had hoped
An amazing adventure that constantly left me trying to figure out the mystery. The story will keep you captivated until the very end
“Clue” meets “The Time Traveler’s Wife”. Very complex with lots of moving parts…def not a beach read.
Such a fun way to figure out the killer and get all the perspectives.
Loved the writing. I really did enjoy this one, but it was held up by 2 things: it was too long and by the time I got to the last 20%, I was so confused by all the details that I was just waiting to get to the end. A strong ending overall, though.
This book is a murder mystery.
It also has:
- Time loops
- Time loops within those time loops
- Amnesiac narrator
- Multiple competing body snatchers
AMAZINGLY, it isn't confusing. This book has body snatchers who forget their pasts going through time loops on top of time loops (and plot twists) all blended together, and IT MAKES SENSE. It's a masterpiece of expositional clarity.
If you're looking for a great, complex story where all the little details matter and at some point they start to come together into one coherent piece, this is the story.
One of the themes that I particularly like is when different people tell about the same events, and each version is a little different from the previous one. Gradually we learn more and more and wonder what is true. This is a theme that rarely appears in books, you can find it more often in movies. That's why this story was perfect for me. And it certainly did not disappoint me.
This is a really complicated story, and we discover all its nuances with each new embodiment of the main character. It's also a story that you really need to focus on. I tried reading this book while traveling by train, but too many things distracted me, and that was not a good idea. There are many characters here, Aiden, the main character himself, appears as eight different people. Jumps between his successive incarnations happen quite often. So many little things matter, so if you want to really enjoy this story, you need to focus on it. It's also better not to put this book aside for too long.
I love the idea that Aiden is limited by the characters his body is in. He must, to some extent, behave as their nature allows him. He is also limited by their mental abilities. If the person can easily make up facts, Aiden can take advantage of this as well. But if a person is not very bright, Aiden will be limited in this. This is a really great idea.
And all the twists and turns! I loved it! I very rarely re-read thrillers, but this is one of those stories that would probably even benefit from rereading. I could discover so many more little details. I will definitely read other books by this author.
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