The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a twisty murder mystery premised on the cyclical time concept.

A man wakes up in the forest with no memory of himself or his surroundings, except for one name on his lip, Anna. With a foreboding sense that Anna and himself may be in danger, he tries to find his way out of the forest. When he stumbles upon Blackheath Manor and knocks for help, he finds people there who seem to know him. His ‘friends’ tell him that his name is Sebastian Bell, a doctor who came to attend a party thrown by the Hardcastle family. Struggling to remember anything, Bell falls asleep in his designated room in the manor. When he wakes up the next day, however, he finds himself in a different body. To add to his shock, the day is the same as yesterday.

While Bell is grappling with his new reality, he understands that Evelyn Hardcastle is killed on the night of the party. But not just once. This murder happens every day and Bell wakes up every day as a new person, repeatedly. The only way for him to break this cycle and escape Blackheath is to solve the murder. But there are forces trying to prevent him from escaping, by any means possible.

How did it make me feel?

The Narrative

What an amazingly unique story! It captured me from the very first sentence and it had my undivided attention until the last one. Author Turton has brilliantly composed this perplexing world, where the readers need some time to understand what’s unfolding in front of them, but they are able to do so with utmost interest and excitement. And once they know, they’re in for a ride that’s even more exhilarating.

Audiobook Narration

Narrator: James Cameron Stewart

The narrator has knocked it out of the park with this one. I would have loved it if there were multiple narrators, but having said that I believe James alone carried it amazingly, giving it a movie-like experience.

The Characters

I loved the gradual unfolding of the characters and the way they’ve been strategically placed in this narrative. As readers, we know nothing more of a character than what needs to be known at that very moment. It makes for such a captivating story-telling. However, I did feel that a little more background on some of the characters would have made the story even more compelling. Like the Plague doctor, Footman, and SilverTear; all of them had a significant role to play in setting this world up. I’d have loved to know a little more about how everything came to be.

Would I recommend it?

Yes! The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle provides one of a kind experience for the readers. If you are looking for something unique and enthralling, go for this one.

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