The power of titles is such that, although I knew perfectly well that it was a mere accident, an incidental alignment of the stars, that this book's title so closely resembled The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, I was nevertheless expecting some similarity. Some trace of the weird, some trace of the macabre, some trace of mystery or the fantastic. Some trace of murder. Some trace of the imaginative inventiveness that made Evelyn Hardcastle so much fun.

Nope: Hollywood star has Feelings about her career and sex and womanhood, and journalist whose utterly tiresome connection to her is revealed as a revelation!twist in Act III has Feelings about writing her life story. Yawn. I mean, I finished it. It wasn't offensive. Just very disappointing. I even shelled out for the fancy binding as a gift to myself. The binding is the only reason I'm considering keeping the book. It's a very nice binding.