5 Stars

by Stuart Turton 

In Stuart Turton’s ingenious mystery, The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle, Aiden finds himself all alone in a dark, eerie forest residing on the grounds of Blackheath. He has no memories of his past or who he is. However, one thing remains ingrained in his mind, the name Anna. In order to find out about his past, he must solve the mystery of the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. This fairly straightforward task sends Aiden on a long, winding path that involves him unravelling the many secrets of Blackheath. Figuring out who the mysterious Anna is, and answering the question ‘who am I?’ all while avoiding the dangerous footman.  

I personally enjoyed this original, exciting page-turner. One of the things I enjoyed was the fact that unlike most mystery novels, there were many different layers hidden inside the one main mystery, which led to some interesting choices made by Aiden on which task to prioritize. On top of this, Stuart Turton added in an intriguing element to the storyline and character definition, with how Aiden became one of the different guests each day. With each guest came advantages and disadvantages, adding another layer of excitement and creativity. I also appreciated how the history of Blackheath was brought into the mystery. Furthermore, every time it seemed as though Aiden had found the killer, there would be a major revelation proving him wrong. Overall, I highly recommend The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle to anyone who is looking for an engaging novel. One that will keep them turning page after page as they attempt to piece the clues together.  

Ethan M.

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