The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: A Twisty, Clue-Like Murder Mystery Novel

Today The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is published in America (it’s UK version, The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, was published forever ago), and if you haven’t heard of this book yet, it’s high-time you had. This novel has generated SO MUCH BUZZ the past year for its uniquely crafted murder mystery. Read on to see why you should consider reading it!

How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

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.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a murder mystery that reminds me a lot of the game Clue. Who killed Evelyn Hardcastle?

Now, part of the charm of this novel is how confusing it is as you begin, so I don’t want to say much and potentially spoil anything. I will say your narrator embodies 8 different characters (Not Colonel Mustard or Professor Plum, but they might as well have been!) to hopefully help solve the mystery of the the murder. The setting has that wealthy, gothic vibe that feels almost haunted-house-ish. It really is the perfect backdrop for the mysterious death of Evelyn Hardcastle.

This is definitely one of those books that you shouldn’t worry about figuring out as you’re reading it. You just need to sit back and accept that you’re going to be in for a very interesting (and at times confusing) adventure. 

Now, I’m not a mystery novel person. In fact, I HATE most of them because they require me remembering minute details of events in order to get the full satisfaction of the ending. A lot of the details were lost on me in this novel (because I’m just not good at remembering them!). When the end finally arrived, I didn’t get the full effect of the piecing together of events as someone else might have. That being said- I still enjoyed this novel! In fact, it’s saying a lot about it that I did enjoy its winding, convoluted tale. And worth mentioning: the ending is quite satisfying, and certainly not something that I would have been able to predict.

For not being a a mystery person, 3.5 stars is a really good rating. I would highly recommend this novel to any lover of murder mysteries!

Since I mentioned the board game, Clue, what’s your favorite board game?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.