The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I’d heard wonderful things about this book so of course I snatched it up when I saw it in the charity shop. As expected it sat on my tbr for a ridiculous length of time until I finally got around to reading it!

I’ve seen this described as Agatha Christie meets groundhog day and… it’s just the perfect explanation. Take a Christie style mystery, and lock them into one location using some time loops and trickery, and see what comes of it!

I adored how bits of the mystery were slowly revealed to us, as well as adding in more mystery along the way! There was so much character development, and given the nature of the book (I ain’t giving ANY spoilers!) this was done incredibly well and I love how different characters were interwoven.

The one thing that I felt let this book down was the ending. Of course given that it’s a Christie-esque novel you do expect the details to be wrapped up in a nice little bow. But it felt a little bit unbelievable, and a bit too far with how the conclusion lay. A few small tweaks here would’ve made the book perfect for me.

On CAWPILE I gave the book:

Characters: 8

Atmosphere: 8

Writing: 8

Plot: 7

Intrigue: 7

Logic: 7

Enjoyment: 8

Which gave me an overall score of 7.57 which is a lovely 4 star read!

Highlight here for trigger warnings: fatphobia, murder, gun violence, child death, suicide, death of parent, drug use, ableism, animal death, infidelity, rape, mental illness, torture

So despite the ending not quite being up to snuff for me, I did still love this book! And I will say that this does really pull off the Agatha Christie vibes incredibly well! I rate most of her books 4 stars too so that even matches up! I’m excited to read more from this author! (and I already have The Devil and the Dark Water on my shelves!) Let me know whether you’ve read this book and what you thought of it!

First Lines Friday! #25

It’s time for another First Lines Friday! Hosted by Wandering Words!!

What if, instead of judging a book by its cover or its author, we judged the book by its opening lines?

Here is how it works:

– Pick a book and open to the first page.

– Copy the first few lines without revealing which book it is.

– Reveal the book!

So… do these first lines entice you?

Arent Hayes howled in pain as a rock slammed into his massive back.

Another whistled by his ear, a third striking his knee, causing him to stumble, bringing jeers from the pitiless mob, who were already searching the ground for more missiles to throw. Hundreds of them were being held back by the city watch, their spittle-flecked lips shouting insults, their eyes black with malice.

Scroll down to reveal the book!

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

I am so excited to read this book. I read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Turton and really enjoyed it, giving the book 4 stars, and I’m really hoping for more of the same from book #2! This time our characters are stuck on board a ship in 1634, where devilry stops the smooth sailing and there’s a mystery to be solved. I’m hoping to add this one onto my September tbr and fingers crossed I’ll love it!

First Lines Friday #3!

This is quickly becoming a new weekly feature here and I love it! As always Wandering Words hosts this tag.

What if, instead of judging a book by its cover or its author, we judged the book by its opening lines?

Here is how it works:

– Pick a book and open to the first page.

– Copy the first few lines without revealing which book it is.

– Reveal the book!

So… do these first lines entice you?

I forget everything between footsteps.

‘Anna!’ I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise.

My mind has gone blank. I don’t know who Anna is or why I’m calling her name. I don’t even know how I got here. I’m standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart’s thumping, I reek of sweat and my legs are shaking. I must have been running but I can’t remember why.

‘How did –‘ I’m cut short by the sight of my own hands. They’re bony, ugly. A stranger’s hands. I don’t recognise them at all.

Scroll down to reveal the book!

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

This book sounds like it’s going to be right up my alley but it’s also so big that I’ve been putting it off! I’ll be surprised if I read this before 2021. Have you read it? Let me know what you thought of it!