paperback, 480 pages
Published May 7, 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark.
Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m.
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.
We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.
Understood? Then let's begin . . .
Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .
The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.
I really enjoyed this book until about 2/3 the way in. I felt it dragged on way too long and I didn't care anymore.
If this isn't hell, the devil is surely taking notes.
My impressions after reading this book are pretty mixed. On one hand, I greatly enjoyed the intricacy, inventiveness, and complexity of the plot. There are so many twists and layers here! On the other hand, it left me completely detached emotionally. The characters felt more like puzzle pieces than people. Then again, this is something I often struggle with when I read plot-focused books, especially mysteries and thrillers.
I would have still given it 5 stars for the plotting along (seriously, how did the author even keep track of this all? wow!), but alas, I'm rounding down. The reason is, quite frankly, blatant fatphobia. It was just... through the roof, and it constantly took me out of the otherwise compelling story to rage and fume.
If this isn't hell, the devil is surely taking notes.
Unique and wild
I had to give it five stars, because it sets out to do something unique and new and difficult, and it succeeds, as well as being a pleasure (if a confusing one) to read.
I can imagine it being done better, in theory, but I doubt that will happen in my lifetime, so I won't reserve a star for that.
It isn't a murder mystery, or a SF time-travel or body-hopping story, but describing it as not those things is as close to describing what it is, as we can get without ruining it. Also, it takes place in and around a big old nearly-ruined English estate, and who doesn't love that?
Read this, if only so that in the future when someone says "sort of like in that seven and a half deaths book", you'll know what they mean.
This is a most clever sci-fi mystery, absolutely unpredictable. This tale kept me turning pages, and there is much to think about. The reader will see the same day as several different people, from various perspectives. That is really all I should say, but for anyone in the mood for a mysterious page turner, I highly recommend it. There is much to discuss.
Wonderful book! I have never read a murder mystery before, let alone one with such a modern twist to it. This hit all of the marks of your typical murder mystery, but managed to keep the story fresh and interesting. I listened to the audiobook, which was fairly well acted, but I did find it a bit long, despite it being under 500 pages (it's over 17 hours). I'm curious if I'd have enjoyed it more or less reading a physical copy. Definitely recommend!
With a familiar premise mashed with a familiar genre, what results is a debut novel that is a breath of fresh air for both and will leave even the most seasoned mystery readers bewildered.
