REVIEW: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Quick summary: A whodunnit murder mystery on steroids

Rating: ★★★★☆

Full synopsis
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I got recommended this book in a book spa experience at Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights (review of this experience coming up soon!), and I’ve been excited to read it ever since – I was very much not disappointed!

A brief summary of the synopsis is that you follow the main character Aiden Bishop through 8 bodies over 8 days as he tries to uncover who murdered a woman called Evelyn Hardcastle at a party in her family home. Every day he wakes up and at the end of every day the same thing happens: Evelyn Hardcastle dies. The only way to end this fatal cycle is for Aiden to figure out who killed her.

Reading this book is like reading a highly complex, body-hopping game of Cluedo. Stuart Turton’s writing is full to the brim of imagery, and the character’s emotions become really tangible to you as you read. I found I genuinely didn’t know who had committed the murder (though that could just be my lack of skill in murder solving!) and the twists and turns continued to be interesting and surprising through the whole novel.

The structure, undeniably, is confusing at first, but as the book continued I understood it more, and part of the beauty of the book is being confused until the end when everything comes together in a wonderful ‘lightbulb’ moment.

Turton keeps the book rich, and his characters are not simply 2 dimensional. With every new revelation about the characters you are questioning their motives and their consciences. The story is located in an old mansion, and the mansion and its surrounding scenery almost become a character in themselves, with their menace.

I would definitely recommend this book for any Agatha Christie fans, or murder mystery fans – not only is it good for these people, but any crime or urban-fantasy lovers, this one might be for you!

Rosie x

Have you read The Seven Death’s of Evelyn Hardcastle? Leave your thoughts in the comments or on The Rosie Word Instagram page!