A review by biesterba
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

A book that has difficulty deciding what it wants to be. With the whimsical   “invitation,” map, and title, one would think this was going to be a very PBS British murder mystery on a country estate. But, with a legitimately terrifying footman, some slashings, a rapist, a child murder, and someone’s head getting blown to bits by a shotgun, it wants to be a psychological thriller. But, then again, with time travel, alternate realities, and Plague Doctors running amok, it wants to be fantasy. What it ends up being is a mess. 

To be fair, there are moments of good writing and clever turns of phrase, but. It enough to help it past the baffling and relentless fat phobia, the shallow way women are portrayed, and the flimsiness of the premise that all these people are assembled in one place for…  a memorial? A public shaming? A costume party? 
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