Review: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very strange, very Gothic, very twisty, complex book. It seems to be set in about 1925 on an isolated estate somewhere in England. Over the course of the book, the narrator--who exists inside different people for one day each for 8 days--has been tasked with solving the murder of the titular Evelyn Hardcastle. Just when the reader things she's got it nailed, the story twists away in a completely unexpected direction. There's really no one in the story very trustworthy or likable, but over the course of the book, we come to appreciate the different skills of various people, and the ability to listen and learn and change opinions.

I'm not excited about the explanation of the Big Picture part of this, but the ending of the mystery is absolutely wonderful. This book begs for a sequel, or at least a short "what actually happened next!?" story.

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