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 [1][2][3] and number five on The Sunday Times Bestseller list.

UK 2018 cover
US 2018 cover

It was published in the UK by Raven Books on 8 February 2018 (ISBN 978-1408889565) and in the US by Sourcebooks Landmark on 28 September 2018 (ISBN 978-1492657965) It has been translated into 28 languages, sold over 200,000 copies in the UK, and television rights have been optioned.[4] In December 2020, Netflix announced that a seven-episode series was in production in the UK.[5]

The Guardian's review said "With time loops, body swaps and a psychopathic footman, this is a dazzling take on the murder mystery",[2] 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".[3]

Awards

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle won the Best First Novel prize in the 2018 Costa Book Awards[6] and Best Novel in the 2018 Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards,[7] as voted for by booksellers. In the same year, it was shortlisted for a New Writers' Award at the Specsavers National Book Awards,[8] Debut of the Year at The British Book Awards,[9] and longlisted for a New Blood Dagger and Gold Dagger at the CWA Awards.[10] 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.[11] In 2019, it was shortlisted for Best Debut Novel at the Strand Magazine Critics Awards[12] and longlisted for The Glass Bell Award.[13]

Characters

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

Major characters:

  • Sebastian Bell: medical doctor
  • Anna: who has been presumably murdered
  • Roger Collins: butler at Blackheath house, with a burnt face
  • Daniel Coleridge: the 'Samaritan', a professional gambler
  • Dr. Richard "Dickie" Acker: medical doctor
  • Ted Stanwin: blackmailer in his fifties
  • Michael Hardcastle: brother to Evelyn and Thomas Hardcastle, friend of Sebastian
  • The Plague Doctor
  • Evelyn Hardcastle: sister to Thomas and Michael Hardcastle
  • Lord Cecil Ravencourt: fat banker
  • Gregory Gold: artist in residence
  • Donald Davies: brother to Grace Davies
  • Charles Cunningham: valet to Lord Ravencourt
  • Jonathan Derby: son to Millicent Derby
  • Edward Dance: lawyer
  • Jim Rashton: police officer (referred to as constable)

Minor characters:

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

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[14] 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

Title

According to Turton, the novel's title was changed in America since it was similar to the previously published The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.[15]

Adaptation

In December 2020 it was announced that Netflix had bought the rights to a seven-part series adaptation of the novel produced by House Productions, who had acquired the television rights in 2018, to be created and written by Sophie Petzal.[16]

References
  1. "Costa Book Awards". Costa Book Awards. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  2. O'Grady, Carrie (3 March 2018). "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton review – Quantum Leap meets Agatha Christie". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  3. Berlins, Marcel (17 February 2018). "Review: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton — Groundhog Day gets grisly". The Times. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  4. Onwuemezi, Natasha (30 August 2017). "TV rights optioned for Turton's high concept murder mystery". Bookseller. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  5. Ravindran, Manori (13 December 2020). "Netflix Unveils New U.K. Projects With Sam Mendes, Rowan Atkinson, Andy Serkis". Variety. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  6. "Costa Book Awards | Behind the beans | Costa Coffee". www.costa.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  7. "Win £100/€120 of National Book Tokens by voting in the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2018". National Book Tokens. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  8. "Shortlists". National Book Awards. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  9. "2019 Fiction Debut Book of the Year | British Book Awards | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  10. "The Crime Writers' Association". thecwa.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  11. "New Blood". Harrogate International Festivals. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  12. "And the Nominees Are... The Nominees for the 2019 Strand Critics Awards | Strand Magazine". Strand Mag. 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  13. Books, Goldsboro (2019-07-23). "The Home of Signed First Editions". Goldsboro Books. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  14. Bloomsbury.com. "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle". Bloomsbury Publishing. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
  15. "Always been curious since I love both... — The Seven... Q&A". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  16. Hackett, Tasmin (16 December 2020). "Netflix UK picks up Turton's Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle". The Bookseller. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
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