The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle By Stuart Turton

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
📚 Mystery / Fiction / Thriller | Page: 458 | Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5)

“It’s one of those rare stories that confuses you completely — yet somehow makes perfect sense.”

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a mind-bending mystery where one man must solve a murder that keeps happening again and again. Each day, Aiden Bishop wakes up in a different guest’s body at Blackheath Manor, forced to relive the same day until he uncovers the killer. Twisting through time, memory, and identity, this novel delivers a brilliantly clever puzzle that keeps readers guessing until the very last page.

I’ll admit it — the title caught me first. How can someone die seven times… and a half? Even after finishing, I’m not sure I fully know — but that’s part of what makes The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle so brilliantly maddening.

I went in with low expectations after hearing mixed reviews from my school book club, but it surprised me. This isn’t a casual read; it’s a thinking book — full of twists, hidden clues, and small details that seem meaningless until everything clicks into place.

The story starts slow, but once it finds its rhythm, it’s hard to stop reading. I loved how the author slips answers into the story before you even know the question. Every revelation makes you rethink what you thought you knew.

Edward Dance quickly became my favorite character — sharp, calculating, and the first to make you realize how carefully everything was built. The writing itself feels elegant and immersive, like stepping into an old mansion during a thunderstorm. Even the leaves on the ground seem alive.

This isn’t a romance or fantasy — it’s a puzzle, a mystery you live inside. And if you’re patient, it rewards you with that perfect aha! moment at the end.

Quick Snapshot

📖 Best for readers who: Love complex, layered mysteries that make your brain work overtime
☕ Perfect setting: A rainy day with a blanket and tea while thunder rolls outside
💭 One-sentence takeaway: A beautifully confusing mystery that’s equal parts frustrating and genius — worth every twist.

Ratings
⭐ Overall: 4.2/5
📖 Story: 4.5/5
🧍 Characters: 5/5
✍️ Writing: 5/5
💫 Enjoyment: 4.7/5

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Amazon Book Description

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he 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 at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.