Review: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Good Morning All!

It’s Saturday, my other half is out for the day, I have no plans, which means one thing…I will be cuddling up on the sofa with the puppy and reading! Stuff dreams are made of. I’ve started the morning by finishing off The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and thought I’d write my review now before my day of relaxation starts.

Evelyn Hardcastle is to be murdered at Blackheath. Not just once, but over and over again. Aiden Bishop is tasked with solving the mystery and identifying Evelyn’s murderer which means he is stuck in an ongoing loop of living the same day until he can escape the horrors of Blackheath. In a vicious cycle where everything isn’t as it seems and everyone has their own agenda, will Aiden ever be free?

I’ve had this book for nearly a year now and this is my second attempt at reading it. First time around, I walked into a Waterstones and asked the assistant for a “really good whodunnit” and this is what she recommended. I started reading and found it so hard to follow, I ended up giving in and moving on to something else. Fast forward some months and I see so many raving reviews of this book around, I thought I needed to give it a second try. I’m pleased to say, I stuck with it this time around and I’m really glad I picked it up again.

Although I still think this book is difficult to follow, I managed to keep focus and figure out what was going on and who was who but it did require me to be solely concentrated on reading and nothing else. There is so much going on in this story, you have no hope of guessing every single outcome and conclusion; which is perfect! I got to the end and felt joyous when everything finally came together in my head and that is exactly how I want a whodunnit to make me feel.

Normally in my reviews, this is where I go into how I liked/disliked the characters but I really don’t know where to start with everyone in this book. Even upon finishing the book, I still don’t feel like I truly know every character (and there are a lot of them!). When I thought I understood a character and their motives, it was torn apart in a couple of chapters time. I’m not saying that this was negative, I actually really enjoyed it. I had little to no trust in any of the characters which means I was always on my toes, looking for the next scandal to be revealed!

Overall, I’m super glad I decided to pick this book back up and start it again from the beginning. Obviously I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind previously. As much as I wanted to rip through the pages, I had to take my time to make sure I didn’t miss anything. The story line is so original and nothing like I’ve read before, I can see why this book has been so successful!

As a side note; I know that this book is also known as The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. If anyone knows why this book has two different titles….please do let me know!!

😍😍😍😍😫