"Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody's true nature."
Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed. But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden Bishop—one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party—can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again.
But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath...
As far as any book goes, the concept is actually brilliant, especially for a debut. The book is smart, (mostly) well-executed, and clever.
Here's where my glowing review ends. I was confused throughout and had to keep going back to reread parts which given the size of the book, was not ideal. It was unclear at times as to which body Aidan was in and at what times. There were also a lot of characters and it was challenging to keep them straight. Having a character change their identity eight times is a gamble for Turton and he almost pulls it off. Where he fails is that the reader questions how well they know and understand the characters—they are suspect because of all of the different identities inhabited.
The premise, as mentioned, is fantastic. When you read the synopsis, there is definite intrigue, but actually reading it was a whole other matter. I was left disinterested around day six. There was some unnecessary bulk at this point in the storyline and hopefully this will be resolved in the published product. My final thought is that given the level of detail, the number of players, and the intricate plot, this should have been a series.
STUART TURTON is the author of a high-concept crime novel and lives in London with his amazing wife, and drinks lots of tea.
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