A review by spootilious
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

 
Read: 11/3/2022 
Title: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 
Author: Stuart Turton 
Genre: Murder Mystery/Science Fiction/Thriller 
 
 
Rating: 3/5 
Review: 
I am a sucker for a good murder mystery, and I suppose this book has all the makings of one with a bit of the supernatural sprinkled on top. 
 
That being said, I found myself dissatisfied at the end of this novel but probably not for the same reasons many other readers have that have rated this book so low. 
 
I find myself stuck between 2.5 – 3 stars for this novel. It has some wonderful qualities! The characters are distinct and likable (or loathe worthy depending on their role) and Turton occasionally has such beautiful prose that it takes my breath away. His twists and turns can be surprising and leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. 
 
But I suppose the thing I love most about this book is that it forces the reader to question what makes an individual themselves? Is the accumulation of our memories and experiences? Or is it something else entirely? The very core of ourselves that when stripped away of all experiences still remains exactly as it should? Is that core inherently good? Bad? Or perhaps neither? 
 
Regardless, I found many aspects of this book lacking. Turton (like many writers) suffers with inconsistency in his writings. There are many places where he embellishes scenery and emotion that could elevate this book to 'classic’ status, while falling flat in other places keeping it from that title. It’s as if he is so focused on setting up the chess pieces (pun intended) ‘just so’ in order for them to all fall into place at the end of the novel that he forgets that background matters. It feels like he gets excited for certain scenes and thus embellishes them wall others are used to simply fill in the gaps. 
 
There are moments, in which the author also seems to spell out details, reiterating them repeatedly as if waving them in front of the reader to make sure they realize it is an important clue, rather than trusting the reader to either take note or overlook the clue (which would cause a larger surprise at the end in my opinion). 
 
**Incoming Spoilers** 
 
||These two issues are minor things and are quite common, so I can not fault the author too much. No, the two issues that stood out to me the most were in regards to Ravencourt and the number of murders (outside of Evelyn) that occurred. 
 
The first thing noted about Ravencourt is just how fat he is. This is quite understandable and the first chapter he’s in handles it fairly well without being over the top. However, ever chapter following the first borders on fatphobic. Which the struggles of the obese man could still be portrayed without beating the reader over the head with how ‘disgusting’ he is or how others see him, or the way that he eats and being quite offensive (especially as someone who has been classified as obese in the past). Not to mention that when paired with the ‘rumors of young men’ employed by Ravencourt that is mentioned later in the book it demonizes both the fat and LGBTQ+ communities. 
 
Now, That being said. I doubt that Turton ever intended to do such a thing and probably didn’t notice. To be honest, very rarely have a seen a good representation of a fat individual. And obesity at Ravencourt’s level should not be glorified but it also should not be demonized. Regardless it did make it obvious that Turton is neither obese or part of the LGBTQ community. 
 
Lastly, by the end of the book, I was shocked to see that anyone was left alive in the house. Every turn was another murder to the point that it became overwhelming. At some point I felt that if the murder just poisoned all the liquor in the house it would have been much easier for everyone, including our protagonist. I suppose it fit the character in question considering they were ‘murder happy’ to begin with but… I dunno, so many murder felt overdone. || 
 
I can definitely see the influence of Agatha Christie in this novel and enjoyed reading it. I would most certainly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a complex (this being the key word) murder mystery. 
 
 
Quotes: 
“Anger’s solid; it has weight. You can beat your fists against it. Pity’s a fog to become lost within.” 

“How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?” 

“… bars can’t build better men and misery con only break what goodness remains.” 

“We are never more ourselves than when we think people aren’t watching.”