The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (published in United States as The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) is a novel by Stuart Turton which won the Best First Novel prize in the 2018 Costa Book Awards and reached number one on The Saturday Times Bestseller list  and number five on The Sunday Times Bestseller list.

It was published in the UK by Raven Books on 8 February 2018 () and in the US by Sourcebooks Landmark on 28 September 2018 () It has been translated into 28 languages, sold over 200,000 copies in the UK, and television rights have been optioned.

The Guardian'''s review said "With time loops, body swaps and a psychopathic footman, this is a dazzling take on the murder mystery", while The Times said "The plot of this complex, fascinating and bewildering murder-mystery is impossible to summarise" and called it "an astonishingly polished debut".

 Awards The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle won the Best First Novel prize in the 2018 Costa Book Awards and Best Novel in the 2018 Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards, as voted for by booksellers. In the same year, it was shortlisted for a New Writers' Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards, Debut of the Year at The British Book Awards,  and longlisted for a New Blood Dagger and Gold Dagger at the CWA Awards. Val McDermid selected Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, to appear on her prestigious New Blood panel at the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival. In 2019, it was shortlisted for Best Debut Novel at the Strand Magazine Critics Awards and longlisted for The Glass Bell Award.

 Characters 
The following characters are referenced in the book, in order of appearance, without spoilers.

Major characters:
 Sebastian Bell: medical doctor
 Roger Collins: butler at Blackheath house
 Daniel Coleridge: professional gambler
 Ted Stanwin: blackmailer
 Evelyn Hardcastle: sister to Thomas and Michael Hardcastle 
 Dr. Richard "Dickie" Acker: medical doctor
 Donald Davies: brother to Grace Davies
 Lord Cecil Ravencourt: banker
 Charles Cunningham: valet to Lord Ravencourt
 Michael Hardcastle: brother to Evelyn and Thomas Hardcastle
 Jonathan Derby: son to Millicent Derby
 Edward Dance: lawyer
 Jim Rashton: police officer (referred to as constable)
 Gregory Gold: artist in residence

Minor characters:
 Lucy Harper: first maid
 Millicent Derby: mother of Jonathan Derby
 Peter Hardcastle: Helena's husband
 Christopher Pettigrew: lawyer
 Phillip Sutcliffe: lawyer
 Clifford Herrington: naval officer (retired)
 Alf Miller: long-time stable master
 Madeline Aubert: Evelyn Hardcastle's French maid
 Mrs. Drudge: long-time cook at Blackheath house
 Grace Davies: sister to Donald Davies
 Thomas Hardcastle: brother to Evelyn and Michael Hardcastle 
 Helena Hardcastle: Peter's Hardcastle wife and mother of Evelyn, Thomas, and Michael Hardcastle 
 Charlie Carver

 Reception The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle reached number one on The Saturday Times Bestseller list and number five on The Sunday Times Bestseller list, earning extensive critical acclaim from reviewers.

"Complex, fascinating and bewildering.... An astonishingly polished debut" –  Marcel Berlins, The Times''

"This book blew my mind It is utterly original and unique. I couldn't get it out of my head for days afterwards" –  Sophie Hannah

References

Category:2018 British novels