The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – A book review
If you have been reading my reviews for a while you might know that I love jumping into a book without even reading the synopsis of a book. And I solely depend on recommendations and reviews of other bloggers and my mood swings to pick a book.
When I assumed that it was a contemporary murder mystery, I could not have been more wrong about The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton when I picked it up, after three other bookworms suggested it to me. I can’t wait to rave talk about the book to you all. Shall we get on with the review now?
About The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Book Name: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Genre: Fiction – Thriller, Paranormal
Characters: Evelyn Hardcastle, Sebastian Bell, Dr Dickie, Aiden Bishop, Daniel Coleridge, Michael Hardcastle, Charles Cunningham
Setting: The UK
Plot summary of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Our protagonist wakes up with just a name in his mind and no other memory what so ever. He does not know his name or his history, except that he has to save Anna. He finds his name to be Sebastian Bell, a drug peddling doctor who is invited to a party at the Blackheath estate.
Soon he realizes Bell is just one of his hosts and has eight days and eight lives each in a different person’s body tasked to find the murderer of Evelyn Hardcastle, one of the heirs to the Blackheath.
He discovers that he is Aiden Bishop who is stuck in a time rut and until he finds the murderer he has to relive these eight days for eternity. What brings Aiden to Blackheath and does he solve the murder forms the rest of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Book review of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a perfect blend of mystery novel with time travel fantasy. It took me a few pages to get into the story especially since I was not sure what to expect. But once I did, I just couldn’t put the book down until the end.
I should start with I have not read a book as complicated as The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the recent while, or maybe in a long time.
And it reads like a puzzle than a typical mystery novel.
It offers more than unexpected twists and suspense that is maintained till the last page. There are quite a number of captivating plot lines and characters that make us question our trust and their perceptions.
Things that worked for me
- As a newbie to the time travel genre, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle blew my mind and I am sure it would be as good even if you are a regular.
- I loved the methodical approach in solving the mystery, which is becoming a rarity these days.
- And also, here is another unreliable narrator to love and rave about.
Things that didn’t work for me
- Being a vividly plotted novel, many may consider the pace to be slow, especially for a murder mystery.
- I felt The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was a little long winded during the last few chapters.
Bottom-line
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is one of those rare books that I would not mind rereading for the plot itself, just to make sure I had not missed out anything. And I am sure The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle will be worth reading twice. Just pick it up already.
Books similar to The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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Let us chat
Have you read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? Do you have any other recommendation in time travel as a genre? Let us talk.