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A review by katykelly
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
4.0
Leap. Die. Repeat: Murder mystery with a bit of body swapping
4.5 stars
Source Code, Quantum Leap, Edge of Tomorrow, David Levithan's Every Day... And Then There Were None! All of these are channeled in this genre-bending debut, which mystifies from the get-go.
We've all read or know the formula of a murder mystery, and this novel includes many of them: a big house, a woman dead with no obvious motive, multiple suspects, red herrings and of course the sleuth brought in to solve the conundrum.
But where this differs is in the sleuth... he awakens on the day of the murder in a body and with an identity he does not know. The murder occurs and the following day.... it is the day of the murder again. And he finds himself in another identity.
Aidan will eventually register his own self, and learns that (much like a certain Bill Murray film) the day will repeat itself ad infinitum until the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle is solved. He must find the killer by using the identities he can inhabit.
I must stop there for fear of giving details I myself wouldn't want to know. While the mystery itself conforms to the genre outline through much of it, Aidan himself and the whole reason why the repeating day is happening is a meta-mystery that needs a solution as much as Evelyn's killing.
A totally fresh feel to what could have been very much a by-the-numbers murder story, it is fantastic to see new spins put on long-standing genres, bringing them a contemporary feel that will appeal to a wider, younger audience than the typical Christie.
I accessed this as an audiobook, and found the narrator clear and entertaining though there were so many character names and facts to keep up with that I did find myself straining to keep them straight in my mind.
The author has designed a conundrum that is a challenge to solve and offers such a cathartic relief once the solutions are known. It is like reading a detective novel and a dystopic fiction at the same time.
I look forward to seeing Turton's next big idea, definitely one to look out for. This will make an excellent TV series or film.
An Audible copy was provided by Nudge-Books.com for my honest thoughts of the book.
4.5 stars
Source Code, Quantum Leap, Edge of Tomorrow, David Levithan's Every Day... And Then There Were None! All of these are channeled in this genre-bending debut, which mystifies from the get-go.
We've all read or know the formula of a murder mystery, and this novel includes many of them: a big house, a woman dead with no obvious motive, multiple suspects, red herrings and of course the sleuth brought in to solve the conundrum.
But where this differs is in the sleuth... he awakens on the day of the murder in a body and with an identity he does not know. The murder occurs and the following day.... it is the day of the murder again. And he finds himself in another identity.
Aidan will eventually register his own self, and learns that (much like a certain Bill Murray film) the day will repeat itself ad infinitum until the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle is solved. He must find the killer by using the identities he can inhabit.
I must stop there for fear of giving details I myself wouldn't want to know. While the mystery itself conforms to the genre outline through much of it, Aidan himself and the whole reason why the repeating day is happening is a meta-mystery that needs a solution as much as Evelyn's killing.
A totally fresh feel to what could have been very much a by-the-numbers murder story, it is fantastic to see new spins put on long-standing genres, bringing them a contemporary feel that will appeal to a wider, younger audience than the typical Christie.
I accessed this as an audiobook, and found the narrator clear and entertaining though there were so many character names and facts to keep up with that I did find myself straining to keep them straight in my mind.
The author has designed a conundrum that is a challenge to solve and offers such a cathartic relief once the solutions are known. It is like reading a detective novel and a dystopic fiction at the same time.
I look forward to seeing Turton's next big idea, definitely one to look out for. This will make an excellent TV series or film.
An Audible copy was provided by Nudge-Books.com for my honest thoughts of the book.