7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Tuton Review

Hello All,

We have a book from NetGallery to review today and I can't wait to see what other thoughts that you all might have had on it. I was surprised. I hope that this will help you make up your mind to read or not.

7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

A brilliantly original high concept murder mystery from a fantastic new talent: Gosford Park meets Inception, by way of Agatha Christie and Black Mirror

One of Stylist Magazine's 20 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Harper's Bazaar's 10 Must-Read Books of 2018
One of Marie Claire, Australia's 10 Books You Absolutely Have to Read in 2018

'Somebody's going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won't appear to be a murder and so the murderer won't be caught. Rectify that injustice and I'll show you the way out.'

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden - one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party - can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...

4/5 stars

What I Was Expecting: A great murder mystery that would stand out from the rest of the crime, thriller and suspense market. I was thinking it was a time travel kind of story when I read the sample. 

What I Got: A "who done it" unlike any other and one that I recommend to all those who like a good "who" did it. 

My Thoughts: A fast-paced novel with so many minds, history and characters that I had to keep notes because I couldn't get my head around what was happening all the time. That is the warning I think should be in the book before people buy it. 

Review: We start with an introduction to Sebastian Bell, there is an instant mystery about a girl called Anna. Why he witnessed the death of a woman. Being ill an questioning himself a great deal. He explores the grounds he wakes up in. A nervous yet compassionate character is where we start as I said there is a lot of characters we are going to meet. 

Sebastian goes on a walk with Evelyn Hardcastle, where he discovers he's a drug dealer. Eve and Seb discover a crime scene where a dead rabbit ends up to being a present from someone known as the Footman. 

We jump into Roger Collin's whos known as the butler for the rest of the book. The person in the butler isn't Roger rather someone else. He's attacked and who believes that he's not the butler. The butler is attacked by the character called Gregory Gold. 

We jump characters again when he meets the Plague doctor. He works out the Plague doctor is at the heart of all of this. He's told he must solve a murder in order to be set free of a recurring day. 

The next character we meet is Donald Davies who attempts to escape Blackheath refusing to take part in this game. He's introduced to two rivals to this contest to be released. In a blink of an eye, he finds himself shift into another character. 

Waking up in Ravencourt. A character he instantly hates due to the size of his body and Aiden who the man inside him is ashamed of. He learns the strange rules to this mystery. He has to spend a full day in the different people's bodies. 

He learns about Evelyn's desire to die. Despite the hard time I had to keep up with this book I did think the point of view jumping was interesting. He finds Lord Hardcastle's chat with Daniel interesting and he thinks it gives him a lead. He tries to warn Evelyn but discovers that she already knows. He's threatened and feels utterly useless. He feels no closer to the answer. 

Desperate he blackmails Cunningham to help discover more. He meets Anna the girl he's been searching for. She gives him his whole name "Aiden Bishop". Derby gives up no leads what so ever. The book that held a lot of answers is destroyed. 

Cunningham reveals a scandal that surrounds this family that Ravencourts marrying into. Note of warning Evelyn of Derby. Evelyn dies at the pool and he's forced to watch. Ravencourt witnesses the whole thing. 

Anna and Aiden have a plan to get out together. Aiden experience as Johnathan Derby. Derby slaps the cook and meets with Doctor Dickie who is crooked. He learns more about his plan to leave this place with Anna, feels close to her. They build trust in each other. 

Aiden's host Derby is summoned by Mr Stanwin, while waiting he hears Evelyn screaming. Mr Stanwin prevents Derby from checking on her. Thre's a letter that Eve needs. Derby goes to extreme lengths to heart there conversation. Aiden fears his own chat with Stanwin. 

He learns to command each host and what each one offers him. 

A) Derby is flightly

B) Bell is a coward

C) Ravencourt is ruthless. 

D) Dance is logical

E) Rochester is a detectives mind. 

Derby just escapes a beating and Stanwin threatens his mother. Aiden learns that Anna will betray him after another visit from the Plague doctor. Anna is supposed to remember more than she is letting on. He discovers that Dickie has the murder weapon. 

He searches Evelyn's room only it's fruitless. Derby desires are shocking to Aiden. Derby learns about his mother's death and it crushes him. He isn't allowed to grieve. Instead, a short conversation follows with Evelyn. He watches Evelyn die all over again. 

Derby fights the Footman and is killed 

Aiden wakes up and walks in an old man's body's and Gold warns him to not get out of the carriage. Aiden is returned to the butler. Seconds later he's in the old man body called Dance. He has a plan to end the blackmail with his three best friends. He announces Evelyn's brother's murder was not the Lord's idea. Aiden sways the group to take Daniels offer of doing him one favour. 

Helene Hardcastle has made Ravencourt swear that he will never put his hands on Evelyn. Helene sees this as a punishment, her affair with Charlie Carver. Cunningham is Helene's child and Charlie the father. Helene's secret, reputation is why he's being blackmailed. This forces Aiden to confront Anna. 

Aiden and Anna make a new plan to save Evelyn. They all will get out. They set up a trap for the Footman using the notebook that Anna got, Aiden uses it to make the graveyard plan work, he confronts Dickie and fins himself in an uncomfortable situation as Dance. He learns Lady Hardcastle's acting strangely. Her behaviour started the year before, meeting with the Plague doctor Aiden hopes to learn more. He feels like he is losing himself. 

The Footman swears to murder all of Aiden's hosts. Stawin is killed by Daniel He's shocked when he learns about his future selves behaviour. Must stop his future self from leaving He searches for Stawin reveals a book of a decoder and the letters. 

They hope Aiden Bishop wakes up and it's just a bad dream with no consequences for what they have done. 

Anna betrays Aiden getting host and the butler killed. Aiden learns he murdered Anna in a different loop. He wants to trust her and is reluctant to follow her but does. Anna and Aid start to put the pieces of the future events in place. Grace derails Aiden's new host as he learns about Davies.  He pays Stanwin a visit as Rochester. He discovers who killed Thomas's killer.

He follows Daniel and uncovers the partnership between him, the Footman and another Plague doctor called Silver Tear. He visits the lake to understand Evelyn's own actions. He robs bell with Charlie and Grace. Rochester finds Anna and Peter Hardcastle. Peter's dead and he suspects Evelyn. 

Rochester discovers Evelyn's plans. The Footman attacks Rochester in Helen's room. Rochester joins Evelyn's plan. The original Plague doctor isn't happy about the other one. Rochester believes he's worked out it all out. He hopes his plan works. 

Michael reveals himself to the killer after trying to shoot Eve in the sunroom when he discovers that she is actually alive. Rochester ends the charade even gets an offer of a bribe of sorts. Michael wants to know how Rochester figure all this out. Rochester reveals the revolvers. Micheal drinks the remains of Evelyn's drink. Rochester watches Michael die after saving Evelyn. 

The Footman finds him and kills him, he wakes up again in Davies carriage. Davies retrieves a shotgun and runs into Daniel. He's confronted by Daniel and Silver Tear at the lake, the other Plague doctor is there. The real Plague doctor appears and confronts them. Silver Tear starts shooting. Aiden tackles Daniel and a fight breaks out. Silver Tear is shot by Lucy Harper,. He chases Daniel to the Lake's edge. Another fight ensues. Donald drowns and Anna tries to save him. He dies anyway. 

Wakes up next to Madeline Dupert, after a fashion he think's he's Gold. Aiden solves the murder, It's Michael. Only he's left fighting for Anna. He argues with the Plague doctor intensely. He's in a prison world to change the prisoners of their evil traits. Anna committed a crime to be there. He's come here for vengeance for his tortured sister who Anna killed and humiliated. He's been torturing Anna for 30 years. 

Plague doctor unmasks and looks like he's in his late 50s. Plague doctor is called Oliver. Anna committed many murders and destruction over many nations. He still argues for her. He is given his memories back of his sister. It almost crushes him. Implies there's a second killer and that's Anna's ticket out. He arranges to meet Oliver there to prove it. 11 pm at the boat shed. 

Plays out the day as it should happen. Aiden betrays Donald, Madeline draws a gun on Anna. Should have ended in my opinion at ninety per cent. Opening the chapter 59 does not make sense. They unmask Evelyn as a killer. Anna tells Aiden to never come back and tries to save him. Felicity kills Evelyn. Anna's set free so she can start afresh with Aiden. 

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Kristal