Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. The Rules of Blackheath Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then let's begin . . . Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . . The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.
User reviews
LibraryThing member BeyondEdenRock
The concept – the whole book – is extraordinary,
A man wakes up in an unfamiliar body, with no idea who he is, where he is, what he has done or what he should be doing. He will learn that he has been sent to a house party to solve the mystery of the murder of a young woman – Evelyn Hardcastle
He has eight days, he will experience eight different lives; and if he fails to solve the murder by the eighth day he will be sent back to the first day to will start all over again, remembering nothing of those eight days. That cycle will continue, time and time again, until he presents the correct solution.
I was drawn from the start by the voice and the confusion of the narrator. He woke in a forest early in the morning, he heard a shot and believed that there had been a murder that he might have prevented, and he really had no idea who he was, where he was, or how he might find his way out of the forest.
All he knows is a name – Anna.
A sinister figure – who he suspects is a murderer – directs him to the stately home set in the middle of the forest. He learns that he is a house guest there, that no one has any idea who Anna is, and his urgent request to investigate a murder in the woods are not taken seriously at all. All he can do is use his wits to work out who he is and what is going on; because even when he taken up to his room, even when he looks in the mirror, he has no idea who he is, what he has done or what he should be doing.
He begins to find out a little about who he is, he learns a certain amount by listening to what is going on around him; but when he wakes up the next morning he finds that he is someone else entirely.
Later that day he begins to learn about his position and his mission from the strange and mysterious figure who will be his guide – The Plague Doctor.
As the days pass by he will try to complete that mission, but he doesn’t know who he can trust, who might be involved in the crime, and which other lives he might come to occupy; and he has no idea at all why he has fallen into such a nightmarish situation.
He does knows that he must find Anna, and understand what connects the two of them.
I thought that this book might sink under the weight of its complexity but it didn’t; and I had a wonderful time caught in the moment with the narrator and his many hosts.
I loved the different perspectives, and though I didn’t make a significant effort to see if all of the pieces of this gloriously complex puzzle fitted together I can say the things that I spotted did; and that said puzzle and its the myriad overlapping and intertwining story-lines can only have been the work of a brilliantly inventive mind.
They wouldn’t have worked if the characterisation hadn’t been so very well done. All of the hosts were complex, nuanced characters; and to make them live and breathe while maintaining the character and the story of the man who was occupying their bodies and their lives was a magnificent balancing act.
The central story had the familiarity of a Golden Age mystery, but the puzzles were shiny and new. Why was the Hardcastle family throwing a party to commemorate the anniversary of the murder of their child ten years earlier, having invited all the people who were present that day back to the decrepit home they had abandoned years ago? What was the connection between the events that were playing out in the present and the events that had played out ten years earlier?
That could have made a very good book on its own. It would have worked, because although the story is strange and fantastical, the human drama and emotions feel utterly real and its world is so utterly real that it is easy to step into it and be caught up in the story.
The book is so full of unexpected twists and turns, and I had a wonderful time wandering through its pages, knowing that I had some idea of what was going on and waiting for revelations. Those revelations came tumbling out in the final chapters, some of them sticking and some of them being blown away by the wind that bought more answers.
Does the ending live up to what came before? Not quite – but nearly – and I think it was the right ending.
It left me with a head full of thought and ideas, it left we wondering if this strangely real and fantastical world was still spinning, and it made me want to go back to the beginning and make my way though its intricate paths, examining the evidence and admiring the structure and the decoration, all over again.
A man wakes up in an unfamiliar body, with no idea who he is, where he is, what he has done or what he should be doing. He will learn that he has been sent to a house party to solve the mystery of the murder of a young woman – Evelyn Hardcastle
Show More
– at exactly eleven o’clock that night.He has eight days, he will experience eight different lives; and if he fails to solve the murder by the eighth day he will be sent back to the first day to will start all over again, remembering nothing of those eight days. That cycle will continue, time and time again, until he presents the correct solution.
I was drawn from the start by the voice and the confusion of the narrator. He woke in a forest early in the morning, he heard a shot and believed that there had been a murder that he might have prevented, and he really had no idea who he was, where he was, or how he might find his way out of the forest.
All he knows is a name – Anna.
A sinister figure – who he suspects is a murderer – directs him to the stately home set in the middle of the forest. He learns that he is a house guest there, that no one has any idea who Anna is, and his urgent request to investigate a murder in the woods are not taken seriously at all. All he can do is use his wits to work out who he is and what is going on; because even when he taken up to his room, even when he looks in the mirror, he has no idea who he is, what he has done or what he should be doing.
He begins to find out a little about who he is, he learns a certain amount by listening to what is going on around him; but when he wakes up the next morning he finds that he is someone else entirely.
Later that day he begins to learn about his position and his mission from the strange and mysterious figure who will be his guide – The Plague Doctor.
As the days pass by he will try to complete that mission, but he doesn’t know who he can trust, who might be involved in the crime, and which other lives he might come to occupy; and he has no idea at all why he has fallen into such a nightmarish situation.
He does knows that he must find Anna, and understand what connects the two of them.
I thought that this book might sink under the weight of its complexity but it didn’t; and I had a wonderful time caught in the moment with the narrator and his many hosts.
I loved the different perspectives, and though I didn’t make a significant effort to see if all of the pieces of this gloriously complex puzzle fitted together I can say the things that I spotted did; and that said puzzle and its the myriad overlapping and intertwining story-lines can only have been the work of a brilliantly inventive mind.
They wouldn’t have worked if the characterisation hadn’t been so very well done. All of the hosts were complex, nuanced characters; and to make them live and breathe while maintaining the character and the story of the man who was occupying their bodies and their lives was a magnificent balancing act.
The central story had the familiarity of a Golden Age mystery, but the puzzles were shiny and new. Why was the Hardcastle family throwing a party to commemorate the anniversary of the murder of their child ten years earlier, having invited all the people who were present that day back to the decrepit home they had abandoned years ago? What was the connection between the events that were playing out in the present and the events that had played out ten years earlier?
That could have made a very good book on its own. It would have worked, because although the story is strange and fantastical, the human drama and emotions feel utterly real and its world is so utterly real that it is easy to step into it and be caught up in the story.
The book is so full of unexpected twists and turns, and I had a wonderful time wandering through its pages, knowing that I had some idea of what was going on and waiting for revelations. Those revelations came tumbling out in the final chapters, some of them sticking and some of them being blown away by the wind that bought more answers.
Does the ending live up to what came before? Not quite – but nearly – and I think it was the right ending.
It left me with a head full of thought and ideas, it left we wondering if this strangely real and fantastical world was still spinning, and it made me want to go back to the beginning and make my way though its intricate paths, examining the evidence and admiring the structure and the decoration, all over again.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DanielSTJ
While somewhat entertaining, and a novel concept, the story loses its steam at around the halfway mark and never picks up again. The writing, at times, was also clunky and awkward.
2 stars.
2 stars.
LibraryThing member JBD1
Loved this intricate and tricksy novel, but I discovered pretty quickly that it was impossible to read before bed (at least not without re-reading whole sections the next night) because if I lost even a moment of the thread, I had to retrace my steps. Brilliantly done, and I will eagerly await the
Show More
author's next tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member thenumeraltwo
The blurb asked me to imagine Gosford Park, Inception, Murder on Orient Express crossover-fic. Which both dates the reviewer and is a decent plot summary.
To humblebrag to myself, I guessed the killer quite early, fitting a _Homo narratus_ shaped hole into the story. But solving the murder still
To humblebrag to myself, I guessed the killer quite early, fitting a _Homo narratus_ shaped hole into the story. But solving the murder still
Show More
leaves a 100 pages of story to wrap up. There's an Ugly Rich Girl Who Can't Feel Love trope towards end that's a bit tacky, and some very glossed over rape plot, but otherwise thoroughly enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member patriciau
This has to be one of the cleverest stories I've read in years. The story is a little slow to start, but once it takes off, it's OFF! Imagine you wake up in someone else's body and discover you are trapped into living the same day over for 8 days and in 8 different bodies until you can solve the
It's scheduled for U.S. release in September 2018. Highly recommended.
Show More
murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. If you can't solve it in 8 days, you're doomed to live those 8 days over and over. The deft writing and imaginative, complicated plot make this a surefire hit with those who enjoy a little challenge with their mystery. Ultimately, the plot reminded me of Dante's Circles of Hell. Blackheath would be one of them.It's scheduled for U.S. release in September 2018. Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dinahmine
Easily one of the best mystery novels I’ve ever read. I loved every page but feared the whole story would fall apart before the end - it did not! Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member mandkrue86
This book os really hard to review because I actually liked both both premise and its execution. However, for some reason the story just dragged on and didn’t keep my attention for more than a dozen pages. I still wanna know who killed Evelyn Hardcastle and how they did it but I’ve been trying
Show More
to read this book for three weeks now and I just cannot bring myself to finish it. At least not now. But I’d still recommend it to any Sherlock Holmes fan and everyone who enjoys a classic mystery/crime story! Show Less
LibraryThing member alexrichman
A brilliant idea let down by its execution, this Black Mirror/Agatha Christie mash-up would make a great video game or TV show, or perhaps even a great book in someone else’s hands. Subplots and antagonists complicate things for no obvious reason, and the setting is more contrived than it needs
Show More
to be. But for all my problems with it, I have to applaud the genius of the set-up. Show Less
LibraryThing member Linyarai
I wasn't a fan, I found it hard to keep the characters straight and I didn't like the ending.
LibraryThing member dmturner
I did not like this book as much as many of the others who have reviewed it. It’s mock-Agatha Christie mixed with Groundhog Day, in which there are anonymous masses of background characters moving about in clumps as backdrop to a convoluted knot of main characters that is unknotting a nonsensical
Though a glancing reference near the end to destroying oil paintings with turpentine nearly tipped me over the edge. Once oil paint polymerizes, it’s not soluble in turpentine any more. Argh.
Show More
puzzle. The plot is elaborate clockwork. And the writing is littered with odd word choices, awkward motivations, and dead bodies. That said, it has an interesting premise and as a clockwork mechanism it’s entertaining, so it sustained my interest.Though a glancing reference near the end to destroying oil paintings with turpentine nearly tipped me over the edge. Once oil paint polymerizes, it’s not soluble in turpentine any more. Argh.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Dabble58
Wow. This is a mind spinner of a book. It is one of those novels where you’d really like to pull it all apart and figure out what and when and who- time travelling is challenging to read, but as an author it is amazing.
Evelyn Hardcastle dies seven times but honestly that is a small part of a
It is brilliant, difficult to read if you are doing ANYTHING else, and definitely worth the challenge!
Evelyn Hardcastle dies seven times but honestly that is a small part of a
Show More
cloud of intersecting stories, any of which could have been a novel on their own.It is brilliant, difficult to read if you are doing ANYTHING else, and definitely worth the challenge!
Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliovermis
The actual murder mystery of this was twisty, turny, and interesting, but the twist-ending explanation for the Groundhog's Day of it all was less so and left me a bit cold. I didn't think the two stories/concepts meshed all that well together.
LibraryThing member alanteder
High Concept but Ultimately Frustrating
Review of the HarperCollins paperback (2018)
I am sure that many like myself will be attracted as if to catnip by the promo blurbs of "Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day" and "Gosford Park meets Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express". Mash-ups like
While The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is enormously inventive and clever, it was more of a frustrating experience for me. I spent a very long time getting used to the multiple characters but there are so many of them that after a few hundred pages I forgot what roles many of them were playing along the way. The house map frontispiece could remind you of most of the character names, but not necessarily their roles. It also excluded the servants which often had key roles to play as well. If I was to read this again I'd likely want to draw my own Table of Characters to keep track of things along the way. As it was, I never had the sense that I was gaining on any solution or understanding of the mystery, which for me is the main enjoyment of this genre. That also seemed to eliminate most of the "fun" of the exercise as well.
All that being said, once the explanation for the overall setup became somewhat clear I couldn't stop reading to finish the book in order to discover the solution for the crime itself. That turning point didn't come until about 3/4's of the way through the book though, and I suspect quite a few will give up before that point. The cleverness and ambition of the entire concept though was admirable and I wouldn't be surprised to see Seven Deaths... on future Top 100 Mysteries of All Time lists.
I guess I just wish it had been more user-solvable and fun.
Review of the HarperCollins paperback (2018)
I am sure that many like myself will be attracted as if to catnip by the promo blurbs of "Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day" and "Gosford Park meets Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express". Mash-ups like
Show More
that seem to promise the fun of cozy mysteries with multiple characters to serve as red herrings and suspects. While The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is enormously inventive and clever, it was more of a frustrating experience for me. I spent a very long time getting used to the multiple characters but there are so many of them that after a few hundred pages I forgot what roles many of them were playing along the way. The house map frontispiece could remind you of most of the character names, but not necessarily their roles. It also excluded the servants which often had key roles to play as well. If I was to read this again I'd likely want to draw my own Table of Characters to keep track of things along the way. As it was, I never had the sense that I was gaining on any solution or understanding of the mystery, which for me is the main enjoyment of this genre. That also seemed to eliminate most of the "fun" of the exercise as well.
All that being said, once the explanation for the overall setup became somewhat clear I couldn't stop reading to finish the book in order to discover the solution for the crime itself. That turning point didn't come until about 3/4's of the way through the book though, and I suspect quite a few will give up before that point. The cleverness and ambition of the entire concept though was admirable and I wouldn't be surprised to see Seven Deaths... on future Top 100 Mysteries of All Time lists.
I guess I just wish it had been more user-solvable and fun.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DrApple
This is a bit like Groundhog Day (the movie) mated with a classic English estate mystery. The narrator awakes every morning in the body of a different guest. His goal is to solve, and prevent, the murder of a dear friend. It becomes tiresome before too long.
LibraryThing member ecataldi
This was one of those books that I kinda liked the concept for, but felt I wasn't smart enough to keep up with. There were so many moving parts and so many characters that I felt at a loss for most of the novel. Aiden wakes up in a different body every day and he has 8 "hosts" or days to solve
Show More
Evelyn Hardcastle's murder. He keeps reliving the same day through different eyes and trying to figure out who killed Evelyn before the footman catches him and kills him. There is also a creepy plague doctor that is keeping tab on Aiden - if Aiden is able to retain his memory and solve this impossible murder he has to tell the plague doctor at 11pm by the lake. Filled with red herrings, unlikable people, and too many side characters to count - this is an intense murder mystery that ends up being very hard to follow and stay on top of. Show Less
LibraryThing member porte01
I didn’t finish, only got halfway through. The concept was interesting, but it was unbelievably boring reading hundreds of pages that made no sense at all. I didn’t have the patience to plough through the incredibly intricate plot waiting for the great reveal at the end. Kind of like watching
Show More
Lost, only a million times more annoying. Show Less
LibraryThing member ParadisePorch
More sci-fi than mystery. Too confusing, and I cry foul at the ending.
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Stuart Turton is a very talented man. He states that in his debut novel, he set out to create an Agatha Christie-style novel crossed with the television show Quantum Leap to produce a unique and entertaining whodunit. In my opinion, he more than succeeds in his quest.
I am sure some readers were
The story itself is insanely good. We live vicariously through Aiden Bishop as he struggles to understand what is happening. We experience his frustrations, his disbelief, and his growing concerns as his day unfolds because we are experiencing the same emotions. As each day resets and we glimpse larger pictures of the goings-on at Blackheath, our fears grow on behalf of Aiden as we instinctively understand that the situation in which Aiden finds himself is downright dangerous. There is plenty of violence to emphasize this point throughout the eight days, but there are highlights too. Aiden’s situation allows us into the minds of eight very different characters, and it forces us, and him, to reevaluate our snap judgments made as observers. No one is a saint, and there are plenty of villains, but at least we get to see some of the reasons behind their deplorable actions, which provides a nice layer to the story as it reinforces the idea that we never know what is going on inside another person’s head. In this case, we do, and it changes our opinion of each character once we do.
Mystery lovers will love The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle because Mr. Turton does establish an Agatha Christie-style novel, and what mystery lover does not enjoy a good Christie story? One should not fear the elements of fantasy in the fluid time structure of the story and jumping between characters because it enhances the mystery. Instead of a master detective or incredibly observant old woman, Mr. Turton gives us Aiden Bishop and eight different guests. No one character has all the answers, so character jumping is necessary to obtain all the clues. The answers to all of the mysteries explain everything, and you will marvel at the complexity of the story, which is so much more than it appears to be. With a debut novel as astonishing as this one, I for one eagerly anticipate anything Mr. Turton next writes. He seems to have an intelligent and somewhat devious mind, an attention to detail that borders on the fanatic, and a writing ability to pull it all together into an unforgettable story.
I am sure some readers were
Show More
able to decipher all the clues and puzzle pieces within The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, but I was not one of them. Every page offered up new elements of the puzzle, unveiling the depth and intricacy of the plot. Mr. Turton built the story in such a way that should one aspect of it to change, the entire structure of it would disintegrate. Instead, each carefully constructed piece fortifies the other to increase the coherency and fluidity of the story. For any author, it is a feat of writing to build such an involved world in which every character and every scene relies on everything else. For a debut novelist, it is a little intimidating and a whole lot awe-inspiring.The story itself is insanely good. We live vicariously through Aiden Bishop as he struggles to understand what is happening. We experience his frustrations, his disbelief, and his growing concerns as his day unfolds because we are experiencing the same emotions. As each day resets and we glimpse larger pictures of the goings-on at Blackheath, our fears grow on behalf of Aiden as we instinctively understand that the situation in which Aiden finds himself is downright dangerous. There is plenty of violence to emphasize this point throughout the eight days, but there are highlights too. Aiden’s situation allows us into the minds of eight very different characters, and it forces us, and him, to reevaluate our snap judgments made as observers. No one is a saint, and there are plenty of villains, but at least we get to see some of the reasons behind their deplorable actions, which provides a nice layer to the story as it reinforces the idea that we never know what is going on inside another person’s head. In this case, we do, and it changes our opinion of each character once we do.
Mystery lovers will love The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle because Mr. Turton does establish an Agatha Christie-style novel, and what mystery lover does not enjoy a good Christie story? One should not fear the elements of fantasy in the fluid time structure of the story and jumping between characters because it enhances the mystery. Instead of a master detective or incredibly observant old woman, Mr. Turton gives us Aiden Bishop and eight different guests. No one character has all the answers, so character jumping is necessary to obtain all the clues. The answers to all of the mysteries explain everything, and you will marvel at the complexity of the story, which is so much more than it appears to be. With a debut novel as astonishing as this one, I for one eagerly anticipate anything Mr. Turton next writes. He seems to have an intelligent and somewhat devious mind, an attention to detail that borders on the fanatic, and a writing ability to pull it all together into an unforgettable story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ktreads22
PROS:
The Mystery!
The twist I didn't see coming (doesn't happen to me often)
The concept of these prisons of living a day over and over again until you're rehabilitated or spend the rest of forever trapped there
CONS:
The narrator
Slight fat-phobia
I liked this book. But I definitely didn't LOVE it,
The narrator hated everyone he was in, unless they were young and strong. His strong disgust about being Ravencourt was so difficult for me to read because he was so consumed with the thoughts of how disgusting his fat body was instead of the plot. Instead of just casually commenting that moving up and down stairs was tiring or just being slow to move, there was this awful bath scene where he described "how disgustingly obese and how badly his fat body smelled." Then it was brought up multiple times! I understand going from a skinny, fit body to a not-so-skinny body is a huge difference, but to repeatedly call it disgusting and to be almost cripplingly EMBARASSED by it was unnecessary. Ravencourt ended up being his most successful host as well, like that was supposed to make everything better.
This book was strange because it wanted to teach you that some people can change and others can't...But then commented that people can only change if they lose their memories and sense of self entirely, wiping the slate clean so to speak. The idea of this prison that holds truly awful people in Sisyphus-type situations in hopes of rehabilitation was VERY interesting to me. But I wanted more information on the prison itself. I wanted more of these "Plague Doctors" involved when they noticed that the rules were being bent. But because it wasn't explained, and because everything was rushed just when things were getting good, this cool concept was lost in the story. It felt like the book was trying to comment on something deeper but it's meaning was lost. Like, was this book commentary on nature vs nurture? Commenting that some people are just born to be evil but there's still the hope that some people can change? I don't know. But an attempt was made...but not executed well.
What I DID like, was that each "host" affected the narrator differently. He WAS that person, their physical aches and all. And each host was vastly different than the last and there was a new set of challenges (ex: old age vs young) as well as benefits (powerful socially vs highly intelligent) from each one. The time loop of meeting his future selves though was very confusing, but that's to be expected of a time-travel concept, so I'm willing to let that one go.
The mystery itself was GREAT. It was so winding and convoluted that it's no wonder the case had never been solved when it actually happened. Every time you would solve one part of the mystery, a new part was discovered. The whole time, I was distracted by the narrators commentary and I didn't know that Evelyn wasn't...Evelyn. I figured out the fake her death part but not the rest, and that was a refreshing change for me. The mystery was well executed and honestly the highlight of the entire book. It was enough for me to be able to ignore the rest of the cons and finish the book.
The Mystery!
The twist I didn't see coming (doesn't happen to me often)
The concept of these prisons of living a day over and over again until you're rehabilitated or spend the rest of forever trapped there
CONS:
The narrator
Slight fat-phobia
I liked this book. But I definitely didn't LOVE it,
Show More
despite wanting to. This book is the embodiment of "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes" except the judging part still happened and was there the entire time, repeated to you endlessly. The narrator throughout the entire book was very...exhausting. Of course, the ordeal of a groundhog day situation and the fear of constantly being killed is an exhausting experience, but it was his personality that was exhausting to read on top of all of that stress. The narrator hated everyone he was in, unless they were young and strong. His strong disgust about being Ravencourt was so difficult for me to read because he was so consumed with the thoughts of how disgusting his fat body was instead of the plot. Instead of just casually commenting that moving up and down stairs was tiring or just being slow to move, there was this awful bath scene where he described "how disgustingly obese and how badly his fat body smelled." Then it was brought up multiple times! I understand going from a skinny, fit body to a not-so-skinny body is a huge difference, but to repeatedly call it disgusting and to be almost cripplingly EMBARASSED by it was unnecessary. Ravencourt ended up being his most successful host as well, like that was supposed to make everything better.
This book was strange because it wanted to teach you that some people can change and others can't...But then commented that people can only change if they lose their memories and sense of self entirely, wiping the slate clean so to speak. The idea of this prison that holds truly awful people in Sisyphus-type situations in hopes of rehabilitation was VERY interesting to me. But I wanted more information on the prison itself. I wanted more of these "Plague Doctors" involved when they noticed that the rules were being bent. But because it wasn't explained, and because everything was rushed just when things were getting good, this cool concept was lost in the story. It felt like the book was trying to comment on something deeper but it's meaning was lost. Like, was this book commentary on nature vs nurture? Commenting that some people are just born to be evil but there's still the hope that some people can change? I don't know. But an attempt was made...but not executed well.
What I DID like, was that each "host" affected the narrator differently. He WAS that person, their physical aches and all. And each host was vastly different than the last and there was a new set of challenges (ex: old age vs young) as well as benefits (powerful socially vs highly intelligent) from each one. The time loop of meeting his future selves though was very confusing, but that's to be expected of a time-travel concept, so I'm willing to let that one go.
The mystery itself was GREAT. It was so winding and convoluted that it's no wonder the case had never been solved when it actually happened. Every time you would solve one part of the mystery, a new part was discovered. The whole time, I was distracted by the narrators commentary and I didn't know that Evelyn wasn't...Evelyn. I figured out the fake her death part but not the rest, and that was a refreshing change for me. The mystery was well executed and honestly the highlight of the entire book. It was enough for me to be able to ignore the rest of the cons and finish the book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member theWallflower
So imagine if you combined Agatha Christie with The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (or “Groundhog’s Day” if you’re not a video game connoisseur). An unusual combination I know, but that’s definitely the best comparison I can make. The problem is that I don’t like Agatha Christie and
There’s a big high society party in a mansion (imagine The Great Gatsby) where there’re lots of colorful characters and they all have their reasons to kill one another. Our main character, who has amnesia, inhabits one of these bodies throughout the day. But he gets to do it eight times. So at any given instance, there’s eight of him but they all have different levels of knowledge about the goings-on. When he dies or falls asleep, he goes into another body and repeats the day, needing to use what he’s learned from before. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to figure out who killed the daughter of the mansion’s owner.
It’s long and I got very confused throughout. I am not a guy who can figure out a book mystery. Between all the red herrings, false leads, and characters, I can barely hang on to the plot. Now add time travel into the mix. Maybe I’m an unsophisticated idiot, but it’s too challenging to keep track of who’s in what body where at what time and what that person knows. I’m sure the author spent a long time figuring out the exact timeline of all events and an even harder time making a book out of all that. Kudos for that, but a reader needs a spreadsheet to keep track of everything and get everything out of it the author intended. It’s like a very intricate clock or 80-hour video game. The other problem is all the characters are pretty despicable. If you like character-driven pieces, this is not for you. This is more like a puzzle box.
But I did finish it, so it was entertaining enough, but I could not tell you what was happening. This is a hard read, not for the beach. It’s on the level of The Magicians by Lev Grossman or Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
Show More
Majora’s Mask was an overrated game. This came across my radar after a recommendation by Justin McElroy (of My Brother My Brother and Me podcasting fame)There’s a big high society party in a mansion (imagine The Great Gatsby) where there’re lots of colorful characters and they all have their reasons to kill one another. Our main character, who has amnesia, inhabits one of these bodies throughout the day. But he gets to do it eight times. So at any given instance, there’s eight of him but they all have different levels of knowledge about the goings-on. When he dies or falls asleep, he goes into another body and repeats the day, needing to use what he’s learned from before. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to figure out who killed the daughter of the mansion’s owner.
It’s long and I got very confused throughout. I am not a guy who can figure out a book mystery. Between all the red herrings, false leads, and characters, I can barely hang on to the plot. Now add time travel into the mix. Maybe I’m an unsophisticated idiot, but it’s too challenging to keep track of who’s in what body where at what time and what that person knows. I’m sure the author spent a long time figuring out the exact timeline of all events and an even harder time making a book out of all that. Kudos for that, but a reader needs a spreadsheet to keep track of everything and get everything out of it the author intended. It’s like a very intricate clock or 80-hour video game. The other problem is all the characters are pretty despicable. If you like character-driven pieces, this is not for you. This is more like a puzzle box.
But I did finish it, so it was entertaining enough, but I could not tell you what was happening. This is a hard read, not for the beach. It’s on the level of The Magicians by Lev Grossman or Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CatherineHsu
Wow. This was absolutely AMAZING. I needed a whole day just to wrap my mind around it all, and I'm still SHOOK.
I really don't want to give too much away with the summary, but here we go:
Aiden Bishop wakes up with no memory, but a name on his lips: Anna. He is doomed to repeat the same day over and
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was absolutely mind-blowing. Although the plot may sound similar to some other time loop days, this one was definitely very unique in one thing (mind the mild spoilers): [Aiden is forced to live the same day over and over again, but in a different host. And he has eight days to solve the mystery. The way time worked in this book was therefore so different from any other book I had ever read.] This entire story was absolutely mind-boggling from beginning to end, and I absolutely could not put the book down.
There were definitely lots of characters within this story, but surprisingly I found that I was able to get a clear picture of what kind of person every character was. It made the setting much more realistic, and as a sort of mystery book, this set my brain into overdrive as I tried to figure out the story for myself. Which I did not, by the way. There was absolutely NO WAY to predict what was coming.
The writing style was superb. It was delicate and elegant, but also intense and cryptic. The writing style reminded me a bit of books like Caraval or The Night Circus, and it made the book immersive and absolutely magical. (Not gonna lie - I had to force myself to pause reading halfway through because it was nighttime and I was slightly afraid and creeped out. But in a good way.)
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. Seriously. Everyone. Stuart Turton has written a spectacular page-turner that will absolutely blow your mind.
I really don't want to give too much away with the summary, but here we go:
Aiden Bishop wakes up with no memory, but a name on his lips: Anna. He is doomed to repeat the same day over and
Show More
over again, and Evelyn Hardcastle will die over and over again. Aiden is trapped in this endless loop, and the only way to escape is to find out who murdered Evelyn. But how can you solve a murder that doesn't even look like one? And to make things worse, there's an enemy hidden in the shadows that is much more ruthless and incomprehensible. The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was absolutely mind-blowing. Although the plot may sound similar to some other time loop days, this one was definitely very unique in one thing (mind the mild spoilers): [Aiden is forced to live the same day over and over again, but in a different host. And he has eight days to solve the mystery. The way time worked in this book was therefore so different from any other book I had ever read.] This entire story was absolutely mind-boggling from beginning to end, and I absolutely could not put the book down.
There were definitely lots of characters within this story, but surprisingly I found that I was able to get a clear picture of what kind of person every character was. It made the setting much more realistic, and as a sort of mystery book, this set my brain into overdrive as I tried to figure out the story for myself. Which I did not, by the way. There was absolutely NO WAY to predict what was coming.
The writing style was superb. It was delicate and elegant, but also intense and cryptic. The writing style reminded me a bit of books like Caraval or The Night Circus, and it made the book immersive and absolutely magical. (Not gonna lie - I had to force myself to pause reading halfway through because it was nighttime and I was slightly afraid and creeped out. But in a good way.)
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this to everyone. Seriously. Everyone. Stuart Turton has written a spectacular page-turner that will absolutely blow your mind.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RowingRabbit
“If this isn’t hell, the devil is surely taking notes.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. If, after reading the first few chapters, you find yourself feeling a bit discombobulated don’t worry. You’re in good company. Even the MC doesn’t know what the hell is going on.
Imagine
Now take this scenario & transfer it to Blackheath, home of the Hardcastles who’ve invited a throng of bickering, scheming guests for a special occasion. The plot & structure of the story is too complex to be reduced to a few sentences here. In this mash-up of Agatha Christie & Groundhog Day, the story centres around daughter Evelyn. And yes, she does die…a lot.
Our narrator & MC is Aiden Bishop although it takes a while before he (and we) know his true identity. There is a deliberate lack of the kind of information that gives a story context such as date & location that leaves you feeling uneasy & slightly uncomfortable. This bonds the reader with Aiden as we both struggle to make sense of his predicament. But eventually the reality of his situation is revealed & it’s a doozy. HIs first task each day is to figure out who he is & then continue his investigation. Luckily, he retains his memories as he jumps from one character to the next. This enables him to slowly put together the pieces as he sees the same events through different eyes. But it’s complicated by a wealth of suspects. With few exceptions, these are despicable people who have cornered the market on lying, cheating, stealing & blackmail. They don’t even seem to like each other & it’s not ’til the end that we understand why they ended up here.
This is not a lazy beach read. It’s a book that requires patience & attention to detail if you want to nail the killer. Hang in there, the payoff comes at the end when all is revealed & the true scope of the story takes shape.
It’s a clever, ambitious mind bender of a story that will test your memory skills. Hats off to the author, I truly don’t know how he managed to keep it all straight & avoid errors in continuity (I can’t help but picture him writing this in a room wallpapered with spreadsheets connected by strings). Ingenious, tense, mystical & haunting…this is a book you’ll think about long after you’ve finished.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. If, after reading the first few chapters, you find yourself feeling a bit discombobulated don’t worry. You’re in good company. Even the MC doesn’t know what the hell is going on.
Imagine
Show More
you’re playing a real life game of Clue. You wake up one day as Col. Mustard & find yourself sequestered in a decaying old manor full of strangers. All you’ve been told is tonight someone will murder Miss Scarlet & your job is to identify the killer. Oh, and you have 24 hours. Because if you fail, tomorrow the whole day will play out again in exactly the same sequence. Except this time you’ll be Prof. Plum. Fail again & you’ll relive the same day as Mr. Green. Now take this scenario & transfer it to Blackheath, home of the Hardcastles who’ve invited a throng of bickering, scheming guests for a special occasion. The plot & structure of the story is too complex to be reduced to a few sentences here. In this mash-up of Agatha Christie & Groundhog Day, the story centres around daughter Evelyn. And yes, she does die…a lot.
Our narrator & MC is Aiden Bishop although it takes a while before he (and we) know his true identity. There is a deliberate lack of the kind of information that gives a story context such as date & location that leaves you feeling uneasy & slightly uncomfortable. This bonds the reader with Aiden as we both struggle to make sense of his predicament. But eventually the reality of his situation is revealed & it’s a doozy. HIs first task each day is to figure out who he is & then continue his investigation. Luckily, he retains his memories as he jumps from one character to the next. This enables him to slowly put together the pieces as he sees the same events through different eyes. But it’s complicated by a wealth of suspects. With few exceptions, these are despicable people who have cornered the market on lying, cheating, stealing & blackmail. They don’t even seem to like each other & it’s not ’til the end that we understand why they ended up here.
This is not a lazy beach read. It’s a book that requires patience & attention to detail if you want to nail the killer. Hang in there, the payoff comes at the end when all is revealed & the true scope of the story takes shape.
It’s a clever, ambitious mind bender of a story that will test your memory skills. Hats off to the author, I truly don’t know how he managed to keep it all straight & avoid errors in continuity (I can’t help but picture him writing this in a room wallpapered with spreadsheets connected by strings). Ingenious, tense, mystical & haunting…this is a book you’ll think about long after you’ve finished.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AmaliaGavea
‘’I’m a man in Purgatory, blind to the sins that chased me here.’’
What would it be like if one day we found ourselves in an another body? What if this happened on a daily basis? Us changing the vessel but retaining most of the traits that make us who we are? What if by changing identities
A man has the opportunity to stop the murder of a young woman, Evelyn Hardcastle. In full Groundhog Day mood, he is given eight days and eight identities in which he must find the one responsible for the crime, otherwise everything will become irreversible. So, during a gathering that commemorates a tragic incident in the Hardcastle estate, justice must prevail. However, the wrongs that must be made right reach beyond a single murder…
‘’Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody’s true nature.’’
The story is set in Britain, around the late 20s, early 30s from what I could gather and the thing that fascinated me most in this novel isn’t the mystery itself or the unusual background- although they are both brilliant- but the focus on human nature and its various and interminable implications. I can’t even imagine the Herculean task of creating eight different characters to become the vessels of one person, all with their own characteristics and mannerisms and resulting in such a successful and marvelously written story. I admit I was a little bit cautious prior to reading Turton’s book. I thought it would be too confusing or wordy but I couldn’t be more wrong. Obviously, I cannot write a single sentence about the plot but I swear a most solemn vow to you that you will find yourselves with your mouth open in shock for about 60% of the story. That’s how perfect this book is. So many twists, so many different, complicated, tiny pieces of an exciting puzzle. I promise you you won’t be bored or confused. And if you do get confused, it will be in the best way possible.
‘’Now you see them as I do,’’ says the Plague Doctor, in a low voice. ‘’Actors in a play, doing the same thing night after night’’.
There is seldom such a rich array of characters who are all interesting, secretive, twisted, kind, intelligent, manipulative. Think of any adjective in any language and it will apply perfectly to this perfect cast. As Aidan discovers clues -only to be left in the darkness soon after- so do we. As he meets the guests, as he gets the chance to live inside some of the characters, he gives us the opportunity to collect more evidence. We know nothing before he does and we obtain a much clearer picture of every person involved in the story. How many times can we claim this happens in a mystery? Not even in some of Christie’s finest creations, in my opinion. Personally speaking, the figure of the Plague Doctor was the king of the story. Such a creepy, intimidating, cryptic character that elevated the novel into a whole new level. He embodies the concept of the Mask perfectly since nothing is as it first appears. Everyone undergoes a major transformation and every expectation and belief is turned upside down right until the spectacular ending.
I would love to tell you so much more- good, old, blabby me- but I can’t. You absolutely, utterly (...again with the adverbs, I know…) NEED to read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It is a reading experience unlike anything we’ve seen and read before. I would like to end this text with a question taken from the Reading Group Guide, included in the book, which I feel captures the psychological weight and the very essence of the entire story.
‘’If you know someone you loved had a devastating secret, would you choose to find out what it was or love them for who they’ve become? If you knew you did something terrible, would you want to remember or live with that shadow for the rest of your life?’’
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
What would it be like if one day we found ourselves in an another body? What if this happened on a daily basis? Us changing the vessel but retaining most of the traits that make us who we are? What if by changing identities
Show More
we could turn back the time and prevent an injustice, a horrible crime? This is the wonderful premise of this exquisite novel by Stuart Turton, one of the most unique books of the year.A man has the opportunity to stop the murder of a young woman, Evelyn Hardcastle. In full Groundhog Day mood, he is given eight days and eight identities in which he must find the one responsible for the crime, otherwise everything will become irreversible. So, during a gathering that commemorates a tragic incident in the Hardcastle estate, justice must prevail. However, the wrongs that must be made right reach beyond a single murder…
‘’Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody’s true nature.’’
The story is set in Britain, around the late 20s, early 30s from what I could gather and the thing that fascinated me most in this novel isn’t the mystery itself or the unusual background- although they are both brilliant- but the focus on human nature and its various and interminable implications. I can’t even imagine the Herculean task of creating eight different characters to become the vessels of one person, all with their own characteristics and mannerisms and resulting in such a successful and marvelously written story. I admit I was a little bit cautious prior to reading Turton’s book. I thought it would be too confusing or wordy but I couldn’t be more wrong. Obviously, I cannot write a single sentence about the plot but I swear a most solemn vow to you that you will find yourselves with your mouth open in shock for about 60% of the story. That’s how perfect this book is. So many twists, so many different, complicated, tiny pieces of an exciting puzzle. I promise you you won’t be bored or confused. And if you do get confused, it will be in the best way possible.
‘’Now you see them as I do,’’ says the Plague Doctor, in a low voice. ‘’Actors in a play, doing the same thing night after night’’.
There is seldom such a rich array of characters who are all interesting, secretive, twisted, kind, intelligent, manipulative. Think of any adjective in any language and it will apply perfectly to this perfect cast. As Aidan discovers clues -only to be left in the darkness soon after- so do we. As he meets the guests, as he gets the chance to live inside some of the characters, he gives us the opportunity to collect more evidence. We know nothing before he does and we obtain a much clearer picture of every person involved in the story. How many times can we claim this happens in a mystery? Not even in some of Christie’s finest creations, in my opinion. Personally speaking, the figure of the Plague Doctor was the king of the story. Such a creepy, intimidating, cryptic character that elevated the novel into a whole new level. He embodies the concept of the Mask perfectly since nothing is as it first appears. Everyone undergoes a major transformation and every expectation and belief is turned upside down right until the spectacular ending.
I would love to tell you so much more- good, old, blabby me- but I can’t. You absolutely, utterly (...again with the adverbs, I know…) NEED to read The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. It is a reading experience unlike anything we’ve seen and read before. I would like to end this text with a question taken from the Reading Group Guide, included in the book, which I feel captures the psychological weight and the very essence of the entire story.
‘’If you know someone you loved had a devastating secret, would you choose to find out what it was or love them for who they’ve become? If you knew you did something terrible, would you want to remember or live with that shadow for the rest of your life?’’
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member brokenangelkisses
This is, without doubt, my favourite book of 2018 so far.
Think Agatha Christie…with body hopping complications. Think locked room mystery…within which a murderer is seeking to kill all the incarnations of you. Think bloody good read, and you’ll be right.
What’s it about?
It’s not often that
Somebody’s going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won’t appear to be a murder so the murderer won’t be caught. Rectify that injustice and I’ll show you the way out.
It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.
But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.
The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…
What’s it like?
Stunning. Clever. Original. Just amazing really. And so beautifully written!
I think I loved this from the opening moments:
I forget everything between footsteps.
‘Anna!’ I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise.
My mind has gone blank. I don’t know who Anna is or why I’m calling her name. I don’t even know how I got here. I’m standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart’s thumping, I reek of sweat and my legs are shaking. I must have been running but I can’t remember why.’
Ooooh. I want to share the many, many joys I experienced reading this as different pieces of a very complex puzzle began to slot together, but I’m conscious that the joy of this story lies exactly there: in unravelling the mystery, piecing together all the little pieces and gradually discovering who all the players really are. I would hate to deprive anyone of that joy, so all I’m going to say is, if you’re a murder mystery fan, read this. It is sooooo good.
Final thoughts:
“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?” wonders Sebastien Bell, one of the party guests experiencing trauma at Blackheath. Witnessing Aiden gradually gather together not just the pieces of the puzzle but the pieces of himself ultimately leads to some reflections on the nature of evildoers. I really liked the way he found his ‘hosts’ increasingly over-powering his ‘true’ personality…which is also under immense pressure from his circumstances… The ending has found some critics, but I liked it, and it leaves plenty to discuss!
I have no idea how Stu Turton will ever top this astonishing debut, but I shall be eagerly anticipating his next book (while telling everyone I meet to read this).
Many thanks to the author, Stuart Turton, for providing me with a copy of this book as a prize for a competition on Twitter. This has not affected my honest opinion of what is, quite simply, an amazingly fabulous book.
Think Agatha Christie…with body hopping complications. Think locked room mystery…within which a murderer is seeking to kill all the incarnations of you. Think bloody good read, and you’ll be right.
What’s it about?
It’s not often that
Show More
I steal the blurb wholesale, but this is quite good, so:Somebody’s going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won’t appear to be a murder so the murderer won’t be caught. Rectify that injustice and I’ll show you the way out.
It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.
But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.
The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…
What’s it like?
Stunning. Clever. Original. Just amazing really. And so beautifully written!
I think I loved this from the opening moments:
I forget everything between footsteps.
‘Anna!’ I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise.
My mind has gone blank. I don’t know who Anna is or why I’m calling her name. I don’t even know how I got here. I’m standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart’s thumping, I reek of sweat and my legs are shaking. I must have been running but I can’t remember why.’
Ooooh. I want to share the many, many joys I experienced reading this as different pieces of a very complex puzzle began to slot together, but I’m conscious that the joy of this story lies exactly there: in unravelling the mystery, piecing together all the little pieces and gradually discovering who all the players really are. I would hate to deprive anyone of that joy, so all I’m going to say is, if you’re a murder mystery fan, read this. It is sooooo good.
Final thoughts:
“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?” wonders Sebastien Bell, one of the party guests experiencing trauma at Blackheath. Witnessing Aiden gradually gather together not just the pieces of the puzzle but the pieces of himself ultimately leads to some reflections on the nature of evildoers. I really liked the way he found his ‘hosts’ increasingly over-powering his ‘true’ personality…which is also under immense pressure from his circumstances… The ending has found some critics, but I liked it, and it leaves plenty to discuss!
I have no idea how Stu Turton will ever top this astonishing debut, but I shall be eagerly anticipating his next book (while telling everyone I meet to read this).
Many thanks to the author, Stuart Turton, for providing me with a copy of this book as a prize for a competition on Twitter. This has not affected my honest opinion of what is, quite simply, an amazingly fabulous book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member adam.currey
This book is a total mindbender. It takes some effort to keep your grip on the story, but it's worth it, and it's a fascinating, original concept. There's not a lot I can say without spoilers, unfortunately.
I find the idea fascinating - a 'locked room' scenario where a person gets to spend a day in
Show More
each of the bodies of other people in an attempt to solve a murder - seeing the whole thing from different perspectives and playing off the strengths of each one, while trying to keep the whole thing straight in their head. Show Less
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2020)
Costa Book Awards (Shortlist — First Novel — 2018)
Authors' Club First Novel Award (Longlist — 2019)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2019)
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — Fiction — 2018)
TCK Publishing Reader's Choice Award (Novel — 2018)
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2019)
Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award (Longlist — 2019)
HWA Crown Awards (Longlist — Debut — 2018)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#4 — 2020)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2018)
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2019)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2018)