The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?”

The answer? Pretty darn lost…. Wow – what a crazy ride.

I’ve heard this described as Groundhog’s Day & Inception meets Agatha Christie. Honestly, that seems like an oversimplification. This book was in one word: insane.

“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.”

—Goodreads

I don’t want to ruin too much of the story here. I think going into the book with only the basics helped me to appreciate what Turton was trying to accomplish. From the very first page, I had no idea what was going on. Just like the main character, Aiden Bishop, we are thrown right into it without a clue.

Word of warning: Do not begin this novel until you have the time set aside to finish it in a timely manner. This story is a plotting masterpiece. I cannot even imagine the time and lengths it took Turton to weave the story so beautifully. There is so much happening all at the same time, it takes a bit of dedication to keep up with it all. This is not a book to start and stop over a matter of weeks. You’ll need to start from the beginning just to remember what is going on. With that being said, I don’t think finishing quickly will be a problem. This is one of those books that sucks you in and won’t let you go until you figure out what the hell is going on.

7 1/2 Deaths is a creative treasure. I was blown away by the original concept, the deeply thought out characters, the haunting setting, and the twists and turns right up to the very last page.

4.5 Spades

Due out in US on September 18, 2018