“Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day . . . quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, and altogether triumphant.”—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at … Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.
For fans of Claire North, and Kate Atkinson, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man’s race against time to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.
This inventive debut twists together a thriller of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page.
Costa First Novel Award 2018 Winner
One of Stylist Magazine’s 20 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Harper’s Bazaar’s 10 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Guardian’s Best Books of 2018
One of Buzzfeed’s 17 Mystery Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down
One of BookRiot’s 10 Mystery and Thriller Authors like Agatha Christie
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I was enjoying this book, but then it began to grow tiresome so I put it down. I love the concept, but after a while it seemed to drag on. Maybe it should have been The 5 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Over the course of a couple of weeks it kept entering my thoughts, so I picked it back up and continued on. I’m happy I decided to carry on. I did enjoy it, but I guess I just needed a break for everything to soak in; there’s a lot going on.
This book was so much fun. Really easy to read and fast. Loved it. Brilliant for a holiday read but with exceptional writing. (And I love the cover!)
It’s been quite some time since I read a book that kept me enthralled and on the edge of my seat. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was a phenomenal read filled with intrigue and suspense I won’t easily forget. If you’re into mysteries that pack a major twist—this book is for you. I’ve already passed this book along to a friend and plan on recommending it until another book can snare my appreciation and attention as much as this one did.
If you have a craving for a bit of Downton Abbey and Groundhog’s Day with just a dash of Agatha Christy-like mystery this will certainly satisfy. A fun, unpredictable story that is as intriguing as it is original.
What a unique and twist-filled book! Every day, our main character wakes up in the body of a different person – and will continue to do so until he solves the mystery of who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle. We jump in and out of bodies and back and forth in time. It’s all twisted and intricate and OMG I can’t imagine plotting it, but WOW. What an amazing ride.
This is one of the most complex story lines I’ve read in a while and in a (very) good way. The events of the story are told from multiple perspectives over a shifting timeline and it all holds together beautifully. After a wild ride, the ending is brilliantly brought together and left me thinking about the characters and the outcome long after I was done. A definite read if you like murder mysteries taken to a whole new level.
A unique and interesting proposition. It works quite well on many levels, intrigue and cross plots to keep it going.
There are many characters so it’s sometimes confusing to keep straight but the story is original and the mystery keeps you wanting to read on. The ending is definitely unpredictable.
I can’t wait for it to be over.
I enjoyed this debut novel. I like the way it was written and how the story progressed.
Very entertaining and unpredictable.
Reminded me of Downton abbey! Just when you think you figured it out the story does a 180 on you!
I was undecided between 3 and 4 stars for this book. It’s certainly one of the most perplexing books I’ve read in a long time, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
I found it very confusing in the beginning, there were so many characters to keep up with, but I enjoyed the writing style and liked the idea of someone reliving the same day in a different person’s body. Even towards the end, I was still confused as to who some people were!
It’s complex, and confusing at times, but it takes skill to write a story like this, slowly gathering all the threads to bring it all together at the end, and it kept me turning the pages. There are some uncomfortable scenes (already mentioned in other reviews) that could have been written more sensitively, but overall it’s a book I’d recommend.
A perfect mystery! Loved the book and its twists and turns. It’s a great read. Highly recommended.
Groundhog Day meets the English countryside. An original telling of how different characters can affect an event. Totally captivating.
WOW. I usually like to let mystery stories just take me along and not try to figure out the ending, and I really had to employ that habit for this book – unless I wanted to do like the author and put up a story board to keep track. A man must relive the same day 8 times, spending 24 hours inside the body of each main character whose experiences provide clues to solve the mystery of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. Sort of like Quantum Leap meets Sherlock Holmes. If he can’t solve the mystery, he’s doomed to repeat another 8-day cycle until he does. It’s an intriguing premise that kept me reading. I don’t know how the author will top himself, but this book was well worth the experience!
Although quite confusing, it kept me interested till the end to find out what the heck was going on! A VERY different story and wonderfully told.
Words can not describe how much I loved this book. I wish I’d written it myself. It’s incredibly brilliant. A must read for any mystery lover.
I love the review by Good Housekeeping: Agatha Christie meets Groundhog’s Day. Couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s like your own personal Clue game… was it the Colonel in the library with the candlestick? Hmmm… A great entertaining read.
This book is my book of the year (even though I think it came out last year, so whatever year it came out). What a blast from the first sentence. For someone who finds adult fiction sometimes boring and loathsome this was such a breath of fresh air. Fun from the beginning to the shocking end. Highly recommend. Buckle up and have fun