Book: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
My Rating: 4 Confused Stars
Hey readers! I have a good one for you this week. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a wild ride! In case I haven’t mentioned it before, I’m a big fan of mysteries/thrillers/true crime. So, when I started hearing buzz about 7 1/2 Deaths, it was instantly on my radar. I ended up reading it with a friend, which I highly recommend if you are brave enough to dive into this one. You will need someone to discuss your theories with! (If you don’t have a friend, I volunteer!! My inbox is open.)
On the surface, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle looks to be reminiscent of an Agatha Christie whodunnit. But trust me, when you dive in, it will be nothing like what you expected. Evelyn Hardcastle will die at 11pm, over and over again until Aiden solves her murder. There’s also the added twist that Aiden wakes up in a different host’s body each day. Oh! And others are trying to solve the murder before Aiden, because only one will escape this time loop. As my friend and I discussed the book, we decided it was like Clue, mixed with Groundhog Day, mixed with Freaky Friday. And we spent the majority of our conversations going, “WAIT. WHAT?!”
Y’all we were consumed with solving Evie’s murder. We were a regular Holmes & Watson! We were taking pages of notes, jotting down clues, messaging new theories to each other at all hours, we each – separately – started working out timelines on whiteboards…like crazy people. I mean, at this point we could open our own private investigation firm, y’all! But fantastic take on a classic genre aside, Turton’s writing delivered more than I expected. Seeing a character have to operate through the minds and emotions of eight other characters was so interesting!
Now, I’m sad to admit, we did not solve the murder. And to be honest the reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is due solely to the last 10% of this book. However, I can’t explain it to you without spoiling it! So, I’ll say this: I highly recommend this book, it’s especially fun to read with a friend. However, don’t try too hard to solve the murder, because you won’t. And then you’ll have this disappointing feeling of wasted effort like we did.
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.
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