Andrew Smith's Reviews > The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

I’ll start by saying that this is unlike any other book I’ve read. I’m not even sure I can categorise it, as the normal genres just won’t do it justice. If I said crime fiction then it would really only touch the surface. There’s certainly a strong element of whodunnit about this novel, but it’s delivered with a very large helping of something else – something I’m not willing to delve into here for fear of ruining the experience for future readers.

The crime fiction element is broken down and then stitched together in a fiendishly clever way. There’s an Agatha Christie style cast and, at heart, you could certainly say that it is an old fashioned murder mystery. The setting too – that of a country estate, now in a significant state of disrepair – could certainly fit one of Christie’s novels. But that’s pretty much where the similarities end. This tale is a deconstruction of a crime fiction novel, it’s mind bending and it’s amazing and it’s delivered with terrific aplomb.

After spending less than an hour with this book I was spellbound. The only thing that stopped me devouring the whole thing in one sitting was the fact that a good deal of detail is laid down in a short space of time and I needed a little time to assimilate it all (note: I tend to struggle to keep up with any book that has more than five main characters). But soon I’d gotten my head around how this story was to play out – but certainly not where it was eventually going to take me. And by then the cast of characters had become old friends.

It’s a fully satisfying twist on a murder mystery and I absolutely loved it. I’m full of admiration for the level of imagination needed to put this book together and to keep track of the many twists and turns. In some ways it reminds me of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler's Wife in that it’s a one-off way of telling a story that just nails it. I believe both books would benefit from a second reading, if for no other reason than to admire, again, the skill of the author and to spot all the little tricks, links and clues missed the first time around.

A wonderful first novel from this stunningly gifted writer. My sincere thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.