"Murder In Sicily" by JD Millar

My Rating: 4/5 stars 🍋🍋🍋🍋☕

Spiciness: 0/5 🌶️ (Spice-free!)

First off, I want to say thank you so much to JD Millar for an advanced copy of Murder in Sicily!

A small town with ancient roots - a fragrant tea steeped in the waters of rich history. Marisa Leone is an American trying to start over in Sicily, a town that seems as desperate to accuse her of murder as it is vibrant in its rustic Italian aesthetics. A cast of colorful characters - including LGBTQ+ representation (though I won’t say who!) - makes this cozy mystery all the more intriguing.

My mystery background music married with the thunderstorms outside created the perfect backdrop to cloak myself up in a blanket, armed with a latte and freshly baked shortbread cookies, and transport to the sunny town of Sicily.

I found myself quickly connecting to Marisa, becoming invested in her growth as a character and easily imagining myself in her place. I have a feeling some might complain about her struggles with self-esteem - but I think JD Millar did a fantastic job of capturing the reality of living with anxiety and chronic people-pleasing behavior (and did I detect a hint of Moral OCD? Ah, she just reminds me so much of myself.)

Speaking of relatability, the developing tension between Marisa and the MMC Angelo scratches all those little slow burn itches for me. Lingering gazes, fresh banter, and frankly adorable moments made me invested throughout the entire book. As tensions mounted - and not just between the FMC and MMC - the story had me putting off work just to find out… who killed Carla di Monterosso?

And JD Millar doesn’t make it easy to find out! So many little clues throughout the book that you’ll have lots of fun trying to piece together. Now, while I greatly enjoyed the ride, the ending of the book wasn’t everything that I had expected. It hasn’t deterred me from wanting to read the next books, though!

The entire book felt like a trip to Italy, complete with bite-sized lessons on the Italian language and history. I was reminded of the old Nancy Drew PC games, particularly A Phantom in Venice - so the cozy factor was ever-present for me!

Overall, this book receives a solid 4 stars (or in this case, lemons!) for me! I would highly recommend it if you are a fan of cozy mystery and slow burn romance.

Ciao!

About the Author

JD Millar

JD Millar writes character-driven mysteries with a splash of danger, a dash of humor, and settings you’ll wish to visit.

Originally from Europe and often on the move, she draws inspiration from historic towns, sunlit coastlines, and the interesting people who live there. When she’s not writing, she’s usually traveling, reading, or plotting the next mystery over a cup of tea.

Where to find JD Millar:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jdmillar

Insta: @jdmillarauthor

FB: www.facebook.com/jdmillarauthor

TikTok: @jdmillarauthor

"Even Though I Knew The End"

3.8 out of 5 Stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

1 out of 5 spiciness

🌶️

TW: Mentions of homophobia.

Light spoilers ahead.

A Chicago detective in the early 1940's. Sapphic romance. Supernatural entities that reign chaos, destruction, and give our sapphic Spade a second chance to be with the woman she loves. What's not to love in C.L. Polk's noir novella?

This was my first time reading a noir detective novel. Walking through Barnes & Noble, this book made me an offer I couldn't refuse - a $5 special. Naturally, as any broke reader would do, I snatched it up! Also, as I'm sure my wonderful readers can relate to, this novella promptly began collecting dust on my TBR pile.

Then a few days ago, I was hungry for a sapphic romance.

Overall, this is a beautiful little story that may pull a little tear out your eye by the final pages. If you love the noir genre, I would recommend this book if you need a little time to kill (such as an airplane trip). The sapphic characters were enchanting and tantalizing, leaving a bisexual woman stunned at their visual imagery. With that being said - while sexy, this book is not spicy. While I do prefer tongue-scorching spice in novels, for a novella, a small sizzle is enough.

Potential spoiler coming through in this paragraph. If you do not prefer established-relationship stories, this is not the novella for you. Personally, I'm not a fan of them either. If the story relies on the bond between two characters, I want to see that bond develop!

In addition, sometimes the writing was a bit difficult for me to read. It's not that it was complex, it's just that sometimes the structures of the sentences were confusing. Overall, this did not make the story significantly unreadable or any less enjoyable.

"Even Though I Knew The End" belongs nestled in a warm wool cardigan - the perfect article to wear when teleporting to the windy city itself.