Reviews with content warning for Torture - Die sieben Tode der Evelyn Hardcastle

I am knocking a point off of my score for this book because of how extreme the fatphobia in it is. I would have a difficult time recommending this book to others because of that particular aspect of the story. That major caveat aside, the plot was very interesting, the structure of the mystery complex enough to be compelling without being so hard as to be incomprehensible. I was able to predict a couple of the reveals which was exciting but I didn't predict the whole plot. And there was a reveal near the end that I genuinely did not at all expect. I'm actually considering engaging with the discussion questions at the end of the book in order to spend a little bit more time in the headspace and unpack some of the themes.

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maryconney's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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jstilts's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

An intriguing and complex tale that starts gently with an amnesiac discovering themselves at a 1920s British mansion day-long party, but quickly progresses into a rollercoaster "groundhog day" murder mystery where our sleuth wakes in a new host body as the day begins anew to try and solve or stop the murder that ends the day, all while avoiding unknown antagonists out to kill him in any and all of his host bodies.

It's an intriguing tale that does a great job of putting you in the head of the main character - no mean feat as each time they switch hosts the original personality influences their own.

That, to put it mildly, is the simple summary - the book is much more twisty and complex - but an absolute page-turner.

While it's hardly unusual for a murder mystery to have unexpected layers revealed late in the piece by the detective, this time it pretty much derailed the book for me. It's unusual flow of time and character is a lot of enjoyable work to keep up with, without the plot taking a sudden left turn as well. Ordinarily I might consider immediately re-reading the book with this new information in mind, but my brain needs a rest from juggling so very many elements of time, character and place!

One minor niggle on top: the backstory to the whole setup comes across poorly. It's a bit sci-fi when the book is very entrenched in the 1920s, and adds another layer of complexity in an already complex tale. If I was the editor for this book I would have suggested they reframe it as a ghostly supernatural cause, which would fit with the 1920s period better, and was already present in a red-herring manner to obscure that it was going to be a sci-fi explanation.

Still, that's minor, and my issue with the late-in-the-piece complication is my only real complaint, hence giving this gripping book 4 stars.

Surprisingly (mild spoiler) our main character never ends up in the body of someone of a different gender, which seems like a missed opportunity.

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