Stuart Turton's first book did what some's 15th couldn't. Its complexity, its structure, its knack of keeping you genuinely on the edge of your seat unable to get up until you finish the chapter (which turns into 50 which turns into the whole book) is what I've been waiting for since Harry Potter.
Ah, but the plot is a whole separate beast in its entirety.
Aiden Bishop has eight days and eight bodies to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, a murder that will take place promptly at 11 in the Hardcastle family's mansion, Blackheath. Every. single. day. The day repeats, and each morning Bishop wakes up in a different guest's body.
Bishop must use both the laudable qualities and those less praise-worthy of each host to his advantage each day in his quest to solve the murder in its entire, complex form in 8 days. And each day, one more character is added under his belt. Each minuscule detail from each character's experience is transferred into all the other characters' experiences masterfully when they cross paths.
Bishop is competing against two other characters who have their memories reset each morning and are unable to switch bodies.
And the winner gets to escape Blackheath.
The book in its entirety is so eloquently written, so connected, so captivating that I've taken a day's worth of mind calming, if that's a thing. My mind and eyes raced through this book in two days, gulping everything in and trying to make sense of it all while continuously shaking my head in astonishment at what was unfolding on the page in front of me. Turton captured every moment with the perfect words, the perfect analogy, the perfect mind-teaser.
If you are looking for a whodunit style mystery with the most unique take I've ever seen in my days of reading thrillers and mysteries, then this book is your next read. It's a mind warp and a time warp all at the same time, and I can't even wrap my head around how difficult this must have been to write.
But don't waste mental energy thinking about that. You'll need it for the fantastic rollercoaster that is this book.