A British murder mystery with a Downton Abbey feel – though with a decrepit manor with too many skeletons in the closet – it was worth the read. I never guessed the premise or the killer or the intention, and needed the book to reveal it to me.

READ IF YOU…

• Are in the mood for an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery
• Want a a book that keeps you guessing to the end
• Love multiple POVs

Title: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle | Author: Stuart Turton  | Rating: 3/5

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed–again. She’s been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden’s only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle’s murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend–but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Sebastian Bell wakes up in the middle of the woods, screaming out “Anna.” He has no memory of anything – not his name, why he’s in the woods, or how he got there. He then witnesses a murder – a man kills a woman – and then the murderer finds Sebastian and gives him a compass. Sebastian makes his way to Blackheath House, and there the real plot begins. Every day, he wakes up as a different person, a different host, and Sebastian Bell is one of them. Now Aiden – the real “soul” being shunted between different hosts’ bodies – has to figure out who’s murdered Evelyn Hardcastle, and only then can he escape the host loop.

A pleasant surprise, though a long read, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a complex, interwoven story, where every character has a starring role at one point or another.

The plot is meandering and will keep you guessing as to who the real killer is. One thing is that because there were so many hosts, it’s initially difficult to keep track of all the details and try to piece together everything. However, as soon as you settle into the book, the names and personalities become familiar.

A strong mystery that reads like an Agatha Christie. Intricate plot and characters, with each character having their own will and desires. It was hard to know who to trust, and to what extent.

I did find the book to drag on a bit, and I grew impatient wanting to know who the killer was and, more importantly, the why behind the murder. I did find the back-backstory premise a bit dull – I was expecting far more, and [SPOILER ALERT –>] for anyone who’s watched The I-Land on Netflix, it won’t feel as surprising or original.

A British murder mystery with a Downton Abbey feel – though with a decrepit manor with too many skeletons in the closet – it was worth the read. I never guessed the premise or the killer or the intention, and needed the book to reveal it to me.

Now I’m off to the other Evelyn book – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (unrelated book and by a different author).