The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart Turton
Amazon: hardcover
Audible: audiobook


Wow.  WOW!!   This book was absolutely incredible.  First, there's the plot, which is one of the most original I have read in a long time.  The narrator is attempting to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle.  To do so, he will relive the day of Evelyn Hardcastle's death over and over again.  Each day he will inhabit the body of a different guest at the Hardcastle's party.  Each body has his own skills - the lawyer is shrewd and cunning, the detective sees clues and connections that others miss, the affable friend makes connections and alliances.  The narrator can only escape the time loop if he solves the murder by the end of the eighth day.  If he doesn't, he starts back over at day 1 with all his memories of the previous loops erased.  The catch?  He's not the only one trying to solve the murder, and only one can escape.

I've read books and seen movies with time loop premises in the past (Groundhog Day, every incarnation of Star Trek, etc.), but this was by far the most original.  Instead of reliving the loop as himself, the narrator switches bodies every time the loop restarts, different bodies giving him different advantages.  Keeping his memories across loops, he is able to stitch together pieces of the puzzle in ways that no one else would be able to.  He needs those memories, without them he has no hope of solving the mystery.

Plus there are his opponents.  The author does an excellent job of keeping the reader on their toes regarding who the opponents are and what their strategies for solving the mystery might be.  Are they helping the narrator?  Are they leaving trails of false clues?  Are they actively trying to stop him from solving the puzzle?

There were so many twists and turns, where the context of a new body gives different meaning to old clues, allies and enemies switch places as the pages turn, and the ending was a complete surprise, though not as "out of the blue" as it might seem at first.  A second read after finishing is a must, as reliving the early loops with the context of the later loops brings a whole new perspective.

This is Stuart Turton's first novel, and I have to say, I am a HUGE fan now and cannot wait to see what he comes up with next.