Sourcebooks Landmark, 512 pp.
Published September 18, 2018
DISCLAIMER: I received a free physical ARC of this title from the publisher for review consideration. This did not inform or influence my opinion in any way.
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 is quite what they seem.
Before starting The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, prepare yourself: this is a book that requires at least two read-throughs. Stuart Turton writes carefully; events at Blackheath are not so much confusing as they are complex, a subtle but important distinction. In your first reading it's difficult enough to keep pace with the rapidly expanding cast of characters and the delicate layers of Aiden Bishop's repeating day. Unless you keep notes as meticulous as the author's surely were, by the novel's conclusion there are simply too many threads to keep a firm grip on all of them simultaneously.
Certain recurring details will surprise you: not because you missed them the first time, but simply because of the sheer number of developments that followed in their wake. Aiden's revelations about the murder are a pleasant blend of the expected and the shocking. Turton, after all, plays fair. Unlike the supernaturally gifted Holmes or Poirot, whose solutions sometimes come with the benefit of facts undisclosed to the reader, every clue and sign that Aiden uses to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder are laid out fairly before the reader too.
As the main character and only POV, Aiden is quite singular. His individual personality hovers beneath that of his host for the day, so that we come to know him not just through certain actions, but also how he registers and passes judgement on the natural reactions and resistance of whomever he's occupying. It's a unique trick: Aiden developing and becoming more familiar, even as his ability to override the inclinations of his hosts diminishes with each passing day. Impressively, Turton sticks the landing, molding Aiden into a distinct and sympathetic protagonist without allowing the various house guests he possesses to fade into an indistinguishable blur as a result.
The supernatural elements at play in his imprisonment remain subtle and suitably unexplained. Though we're provided enough information regarding the rules and boundaries of Blackheath, the tedious technicalities are kept vague, giving readers just enough of a foundation to fully immerse themselves in the mystery at hand.
And what a mystery it is! Rarely does a solution come completely out of left field; even more rarely does that unexpected revelation fit in perfectly with the events that preceded it, rather than feeling tacked on and cheap. Turton's plotting is intricate and precise, laying the groundwork for an excellent reveal while burying some of the most important clues in passing moments or mundane actions. This is where the second reading becomes necessary: after discovering how events carefully lay atop one another to finally culminate in a criminal's unmasking, returning to the beginning and retracing one's steps should prove most satisfactory.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle should gratify both long-time mystery fans and newcomers to the genre. Turton never tries too hard to impress or obfuscate: he's clearly laid out a puzzle meant to be solved. But he is also a master of the genre—and this is his debut! Casual mystery readers won't feel frustrated that they're playing against loaded dice, while more jaded connoisseurs can expect plenty of welcome twists and surprises regrettably absent from the cookie cutter marquee releases. Don't expect to speed through such a deliberately plotted tale, though. A methodical approach is necessary if you hope to solve the murder. But don't fret if you can't manage it the first time through—you have seven more chances to get it right!
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