The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
How to mix a mystery and a time loop!
Introduction:
From the blurb on Goodreads (I felt that I couldn’t have explained it better myself):
Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then let's begin . . .
Evelyn Hardcastle will die [at Manor Blackheath]. Every day until Aiden Bishop 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. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . .
The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.
This book is so exciting and has the feel of a classic Victorian mystery while adding the Sci-Fi twist of it being a time loop. I had my worries about how they’d handle certain pitfalls that accompany time loops but they overcame those beautifully. I think that this is a really good mystery book!
Seven and a Half Deaths - Poster: by EveryFortressFalls
What’s Inspirational About The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle:
What a crazy ride!! Getting into this story with the Characters having their memory erased is insane but hella satisfying since you learn with Aiden Bishop how the jumping from body to body works and unravel the many many twists this house party contains. Also... There's soooo much murder and death in this book. Like, this single day they keep on repeating is described as hell and can't help but agree. Half of the 50 something guests at this party are violent criminals so it seems like no matter what happens Evelyn is going to die. Really upping the stakes. I loved how this book used mystery tropes and subverted them. It was really cleverly done. Especially with the hosts different abilities Adien Gains on each day. I liked this book a lot and what it has to say about being human and who we choose to be.
Spoilers
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Turn Back Now
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Spoilers - Turn Back Now -
I really appreciate how they solved the problem of Evelyn Hardcastle being endearing and likeable while still being a part of a past they cannot change. They're here to solve a murder, not rewrite history. But that doesn't mean we leave our morals in the dust! It was a hurdle I didn't think that they could clear but they handled it beautifully!
Making real Evelyn the true villain the whole time and the catalyst for everyone's worst impulses was absolutely astounding. So, yes, they can’t change the past. However they were able to show that by solving the mystery not only did they get to see justice done but also that they had grown as people. People who could care, people who could forgive, people who could move on. Just incredible thematic work done by Stuart Turton. I tip my hat to you sir.
One thing that reinforces this message is the idea of the different hosts that Adien jumps between in Manor Blackheath. He inhabits the bodies of 8 different people in this book reliving the same day over and over again. Each of the 8 people he inhabits has different impulses, habits, and thoughts that he has to contend with. This story goes out of its way to show us that it doesn't really matter what impulses, habits, or history you have. You can always choose to do the right thing and overcome the darker parts of yourself. What a fantastic use of a time loop, and body hoping to reinforce that message.
Final Thoughts:
I think that the message in this book about how we are shaped by our circumstances, and habits, but also our choices is really powerful. This book also plays with how living in someone else's shoes can help you gain empathy and compassion even for the worst of the worst people.
“I’m what Blackheath made me!”
“Blackheath is what we make it!”
This exchange between the primary antagonist and Adien really encapsulates the moral of this story. We chose who we are. We may not choose our circumstances, We may not choose our habits or vices, but we do choose what we care about and what we do. That being said I do appreciate how this story leaves room for mistakes and redemption. They manage to have this hopeful message while at the same time allowing for nuance. I loved it! This is a really dark story about hope and finding redemption in a broken world. Absolutely fantastic!
Go read this book!
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My book review on "The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle”. I love how this book mixes classic murder mysteries with timeloop sci-fi. It is a fantastic book I cannot recommend enough!