4.5 stars.

Stuart Turton can write a really good and twisty murder mystery. This is my second read from him and I am utterly impressed by his writing talent. The plot for this novel is so intricate, with so many characters to balance and so many little twists and turns. To have been able to construct such a tale is just amazing. I was totally mesmerized.

The plot can be a little convoluted and complicated to follow due to the constant changing of protagonist "hosts", but it is intense and difficult to walk away from. I think a second reading will be just as, if not more, enjoyable as the multiple characters become even more cemented.

The atmosphere was nice and gothic, with a creepy estate, some ominous weather, and a cast of characters who all seem to be at odds. The premise itself is quite gothic...bringing back a cast of characters for a party on the anniversary of a murder that occurred on the grounds...all of the invitations given to those who were there at the time of the original event. Creeeeepy and weird.

I enjoyed the read and was gripped by the tale. The writing style is more to the literary side and there is definitely a large cast of characters, so it's important to know that going in. Some of the characters are rather flat and blend into one another, but others are very vibrant, so it's not a bad balance. There were some problematic moments with blatant body shaming, so there was a 0.25 star deduction from my rating for that. The character could have remained the same, with the same points made without the derogatory language used on a few occasions.

The writing style itself is a bit dry, but it worked for me. There was a bit of a Sherlock feel to the whole thing though it was written in a way that totally made it unique. Long, intense, and convoluted Evelyn Hardcastle is a great gothic mystery and I very much appreciated the inventiveness.