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When you’re hitting the beach or hanging out by the pool, there’s just nothing like the easygoing entertainment of a cozy mystery or a fun contemporary romance to pass the time. But if you’re looking for something deeper and much more demanding, there’s the twisting mystery of author Stuart Turton’s debut, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
The story begins as a man wakes with no memory of who he is or how he ended up in the woods. After finding his way to Blackheath, the rundown estate where he’s apparently staying, he finds himself stuck in a mystery. When he looks in the mirror, he sees Dr. Sebastian Bell—but he is not Dr. Bell; he is Aiden Bishop, and he’s destined to relive the same day in the bodies of eight different men until he’s able to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. Only then can he escape.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is anything but a fluffy beach read. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It’s the kind of book that makes you think…and wrestle…and read a whole lot slower as you try to put the pieces together.
There’s certainly a lot going on here—and a lot of details to keep organized. Each day, Aiden wakes to start the same day over again—only in a different body. He could be a family friend, a business associate, or a member of the staff. And, since the same day plays out over and over again, he regularly comes into contact with himself in a different host. It’s all perplexing stuff—which is why it will take you much longer to read than the average mystery—but it’s well worth the time and effort.
Blackheath is filled with interesting characters whose lives are somehow connected to another murder that took place 19 years ago. And as Aiden interacts with these characters, he finds himself taking on a variety of tasks: not just solving Evelyn’s murder but also preventing it, while also attempting to solve the decades-old murder and figure out a way to help his friend, Anna, escape Blackheath with him. Each discovery adds a new layer to the story, and each one of Aiden’s hosts brings another new personality. And, woven together, all of these characters and clues and stories make for a fascinating—albeit head-spinning—whodunit.
If you’re looking for a laid-back mystery to pack on your next vacation, this definitely isn’t it. But The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mesmerizing and entirely engrossing novel—perfect for quiet nights curled up by the fire.
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