The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is a murder mystery with a twist. Our main character, Aiden, must relive the same day over and over, as he tries to figure out who murders/murdered Evelyn Hardcastle.

I started this on Audible, and I have to say, I was so confused. I often don’t read the summaries or descriptions of books before reading, and this one I purchased months ago. Regardless, I missed the bit where he wakes up everyday in the body of a different guest, and felt that the story doesn’t make that clear nearly soon enough.

Also, I didn’t care for the narrator or the style of the novel. I eventually switched to a library copy so I could read, rather than listen to, the ending. Otherwise, I felt like I might never finish.

With Aiden jumping from host to host, the events are repeated over and over, from each point of view. Often, it’s hard to follow what time of day it is, or what’s already happened.

As Aiden pieces together the mysterious series of events leading to Evelyn’s murder, I didn’t feel, as the reader, that I was brought along on his journey. In the end, there is the big reveal of the murderer as well as the reveal explaining how Aiden (and Anna) came to be stuck at Blackheath Manor, trying to solve the murder. Both of these were disappointing and convoluted.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this very much.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

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