The 7 (1/2) Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

When I was probably nine years old I was invited to a mystery themed birthday party. Everyone who was going to the party got sent a description of a character they would be playing and the characteristics that made them who they were. Included were clues about other characters that they would have in hopes of finding who the criminal was in the end. So a bunch of us all showed up in costumes and slowly went from person to person learning new tidbits of information until we could figure out the crime and the villain before the night was over. It was a lot more tamed then what this book entails but we were also only nine. Trying to figure out who was a murderer between us seemed a bit heavy.

Aiden Bishop wakes up in a body that is not his own and with another person’s thoughts fighting his. He has no idea where he is or how he has gotten there. All he knows is that when we wakes up there is a name on his lips. “Anna”. He has no idea who she is or how he knows her but he must find her as she is the only one who may have some answers to what is going on. He learns that a girl named Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. and he only has 8 days to figure out who kills her. Each morning he will wake up in the same day but as a different person while trying to remember what happened the previous day and learning new things. He quickly learns that everyone has a secret to hide and may end up dying to keep the truth hidden. Possibly even himself.

This is a book that you can’t be multitasking while reading it. It requires your full attention or you will miss something and be even more confused then you probably already are. There are so many different characters to keep track of and all their stories start to overlap that it becomes difficult to follow some times. But despite my confusion at different points throughout the book I really enjoyed this book. The description calls it an Agatha Christy style book meets Groundhog Day and that is a perfect description. With an ending I did not see coming in the slightest, it is a must for anyone who enjoys a great mystery thriller.

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad

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