The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Admittedly, I had to re-read this novel a few times to comprehend the mystery, but it was well worth it. While the supernatural element was hard to grasp, the plot clicked right into place once I figured it out.

The main character’s confusion added to their story more than subtracted, which alone is a success to me as characters running around confused for half the book can be frustrating. But the scenario was essentially an isolated murder mystery done in a rather clever and unique way.

With a mystery that was so complex, I was worried the ending would be… show more.

When I was young, I quickly developed a taste for sci-fi. Thanks to my father, I also learned to love murder mysteries. I still remember us watching Columbo together.

My love for those genres makes it feel like The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was written for me. At first glance, the setting is normal, a country house in the 1920s. The twist is that there’s a time loop, and the only way to break it is for the protagonist to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Even better, for every loop, the protagonist has his consciousness awakening in a… show more.

At first a bit difficult to follow, this book is fun! A bit historical, a bit magical, and a bit suspenseful.

Aidan wakes up in someone else’s body, suffering memory loss and calling for someone named Anna. Soon he learns he has eight days and eight bodies to discover who murdered Evelyn Hardcastle, and that he is competing with two other people who do it.

Should they all fail after eight days, the time loops starts again, should one succeed, that person alone will be released from the strange time-loop they are in. Lots of facts and clues to… show more.

The main hero’s journey jumping between the bodies of other characters in the book made for a fun experience.

Everyone was in the same location for the whole book, much like the other books listed. However, the perspective shifting made the same place look and feel different to me almost every time as a reader.

The change in perspective also helped unlock clues and secrets that we as readers wouldn’t know before, so that added layers to the overall mystery. 

More of a murder mystery novel in the vein of Agatha Christie, as the time loop is only nebulously defined as science fiction, this book is by far the most complicated, in the best possible way, of the books recommended in this list.

The twist in this time loop is that the main character’s consciousness jumps into different bodies to relive the same day in an attempt to solve a murder, which made my head spin a little with each new day, but it made the nesting narrative feel all the more interconnected and satisfying when it all comes together… show more.

This is a modern take on golden age crime – a murder during a party at a manor house, with a protagonist who wakes up every day in a new body, and must repeat the day which ends with the killing.

He can only escape this cycle if he solves the murder. There is an Agatha Christie style to the book, with clues being dropped in each of the protagonist’s incarnations. I love the concept, and remember thinking when I read it: ‘I wish I’d come up with that!’

This book is essentially The Westing Game meets Black Mirror—and although The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle contains more blood than you might expect in a typical cozy, there’s enough math, mystery, and time-travel mechanics to keep even the most squeamish nerds reading.

Like most stories that mess around with time, you’re probably going to want to read this one twice—because the pieces that don’t fit during your first read will make a lot more sense during the second. There’s also a chess game, although the way the pieces move after the game (or is it before?) is… show more.

I love puzzles. And I love riddles. And I love books. So, what’s not to love about a puzzle box of a book?

This was a book I didn’t read until well after my book had been published, and I’m still not sure why it took me so long to find it. I feel like maybe Stuart Turton and I are kindred spirits. Like maybe he somehow gained access to my mind and plucked out the perplexing and completely tangential thoughts that live there. The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an amazing work of art. It’s complex—and perhaps… show more.

Quantum Leap is my favorite television show of all time. I loved the time travel premise in an otherwise not very sci-fi program, the anthology format allowing for completely different stories week to week, and the way it could teach different perspectives while (mostly) avoiding a heavy hand. Why do I bring this up while recommending The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle? Pretend Quantum Leap is back as a limited 6 episode miniseries where Sam Beckett has to solve a murder and that's pretty much this book. I don't know if that was the author's intent, but it… show more.