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A Devil of a Crime
Not yet published
Expected 25 May 27From New York Times bestselling author, T. Kingfisher, comes a charming murder mystery about a retired devil & retired angel who must team up to catch a killer stalking their small town ― before all hell breaks loose.
When the murder of a priest rocks a quiet small town in North Carolina, the prime suspect is who else but the local retired agent of hell, Nicholas Fallen.
But Fallen long ago traded his pitchfork for gardening shears and smites only the beetles who try to feast on his carefully cultivated tomato plants.
If the reformed devil is to clear his (relatively) good name, he’ll have to pick up the mantle of detective, and partner with the least likely of allies: retired angel Serafina Fuller.
As more bodies turn up and their dream of a retirement in small-town paradise looks to go up in flames, the two will stop this killer. Come hell or high water.
When the murder of a priest rocks a quiet small town in North Carolina, the prime suspect is who else but the local retired agent of hell, Nicholas Fallen.
But Fallen long ago traded his pitchfork for gardening shears and smites only the beetles who try to feast on his carefully cultivated tomato plants.
If the reformed devil is to clear his (relatively) good name, he’ll have to pick up the mantle of detective, and partner with the least likely of allies: retired angel Serafina Fuller.
As more bodies turn up and their dream of a retirement in small-town paradise looks to go up in flames, the two will stop this killer. Come hell or high water.
208 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 25, 2027
About the author
T. Kingfisher
70 books30.6k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Want to Read
April 13, 2026I definitely need to stay alive until I can get my hands on the retired devil x retired angel murder mystery by T. Kingfisher.
Want to Read
September 28, 2026ok so when Ash wrote 'Good Omens but murder mystery', it didn't actually click for me but retired angel x retired demon??? I'm sold.
Want to Read
April 24, 2026no but why is it april 2026 and i'm already making a 2027 tbr tag???
unreleased
April 13, 2026Exhibit A: We know T. Kingfisher has probably written fanfic (it's mentioned in a book in way that makes it quite clear she knows that world).
Exhibit B: There's a gardening demon and an angel.
Did this start life as Good Omens fanfic?
Exhibit B: There's a gardening demon and an angel.
Did this start life as Good Omens fanfic?
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I don't always read acknowledgements as they can be pretty dry, but I always read T Kingfisher acknowledgements and this one was a hoot:
"When I was a teenager, I dated a guy whose taste in books was just as geeky as mine. He loaned me his copy of Good Omens, the story of an angel and a devil on earth, and I loved it.
Decades passed. On Twitter, before it turned awful, a thread went around among authors—“If you could write anything in the Star Wars universe, what would it be?” I said I wanted to write a book where a retired Sith and a retired Jedi solved crimes in a small village.
Lucasfilm was never going to go for that, but the idea of supreme good and supreme evil coming together because someone had drowned the vicar in the fishpond stuck with me. What about a retired angel and a retired devil? It was a fun idea so I started writing it.
Then the first TV season of Good Omens came out, and I went “Goddammit,” and shoved the story into a drawer.
But a little more time passed and I read the story on the JoCo Cruise, to an audience who laughed at all the right bits and told me it was nothing like Good Omens, so I pulled it out and wrote more. At the time, Nicholas Fallen was named Nicholas Fell.
Then the second season of Good Omens came out, and I went “Goddammit,” and had to go through and change his name.
Then Gaiman turned out to be a shitheel, and I went “Goddammit,” and had to head-canon that Pratchett wrote all the bits in the original book I liked.
Obviously this was the book of going “Goddammit!” a lot, which is funny, because the book itself flowed."
"When I was a teenager, I dated a guy whose taste in books was just as geeky as mine. He loaned me his copy of Good Omens, the story of an angel and a devil on earth, and I loved it.
Decades passed. On Twitter, before it turned awful, a thread went around among authors—“If you could write anything in the Star Wars universe, what would it be?” I said I wanted to write a book where a retired Sith and a retired Jedi solved crimes in a small village.
Lucasfilm was never going to go for that, but the idea of supreme good and supreme evil coming together because someone had drowned the vicar in the fishpond stuck with me. What about a retired angel and a retired devil? It was a fun idea so I started writing it.
Then the first TV season of Good Omens came out, and I went “Goddammit,” and shoved the story into a drawer.
But a little more time passed and I read the story on the JoCo Cruise, to an audience who laughed at all the right bits and told me it was nothing like Good Omens, so I pulled it out and wrote more. At the time, Nicholas Fallen was named Nicholas Fell.
Then the second season of Good Omens came out, and I went “Goddammit,” and had to go through and change his name.
Then Gaiman turned out to be a shitheel, and I went “Goddammit,” and had to head-canon that Pratchett wrote all the bits in the original book I liked.
Obviously this was the book of going “Goddammit!” a lot, which is funny, because the book itself flowed."
unreleased
September 27, 2026so... good omens but murder mystery?
Want to Read
September 26, 2026you cannot convince me this isn't good omens alternate timeline & i'm gonna be reading the hell out of this book
Want to Read
April 26, 2026Literally just launch this at me at high speed, I NEED IT FOR THE GOOD OMENS HANGOVER
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
**ARC provided by publisher for review consideration. All thoughts are my own**
A whimsical delight, with the platonic grumpy/sunshine pairing being a literal devil and angel forced to work together to solve a crime so their human lives aren't disrupted, and finding a begrudging friendship along the way. 10/10 would watch this TV series.
A whimsical delight, with the platonic grumpy/sunshine pairing being a literal devil and angel forced to work together to solve a crime so their human lives aren't disrupted, and finding a begrudging friendship along the way. 10/10 would watch this TV series.
Read
August 4, 2026** THE VERSION OF THIS BOOK THAT I READ WAS AN ARC **
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Delicious. I say this as a long-time Pratchett fan, and Good Omens would be in my top 5 Desert Island books. Now, it's not as perfect as GO, there's not as much going on, merely a cosy murder, but Serafina and Fallen have a very similar dynamic to Crowley and Aziraphale, without being the same at all. I've seen Kingfisher/Vernon do this before with fairytales that have you doubtful, but she always manages to put a new, and precious, spin on something you think can never be equalled.
I would give this 5 stars, but it's not "high literature" (I know, such a snob); however, it is beautifully written, with delightful characters, and well worth re-reading every year till you die.
My thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC, and to Vernon for being so brilliant, all opinions are my own.
I would give this 5 stars, but it's not "high literature" (I know, such a snob); however, it is beautifully written, with delightful characters, and well worth re-reading every year till you die.
My thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC, and to Vernon for being so brilliant, all opinions are my own.
to-read-fantasy
September 29, 2026Everyone says Brandon Sanderson never sleeps but T.Kingfisher????
Read
August 16, 2026(Dates slightly approximated)
Strong Good Omens vibes without actually being very like it at all, absolutely delightful.
Strong Good Omens vibes without actually being very like it at all, absolutely delightful.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ⭐️
This is definitely my favorite T. Kingfisher book I’ve read so far! It's like if you took Good Omens (sans Neil Gaiman) and Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man and added a sprinkle of The Thursday Murder Club. It was amazing.
Characters: Nicholas Fallen is a retired demon who loves gardening and, honestly, not much else. Serafina Fuller is a retired angel who attends Bible study with her human friends at the local Catholic Church. When Serafina discovers that the priest has been murdered, she enlists Fallen to help investigate.
Fallen only really cares about plants, not humans, so he's understandably reluctant to get involved. He eventually agrees though because he doesn't want the police looking too closely into Serafina's (and more importantly, his) past, since discovering their real identities would raise quite a few questions and piss off their superiors.
I loved the banter between these two characters, and it made me warm up to them very quickly. They are both so eccentric in completely different ways, and their personalities made the investigation even more entertaining.
Plot: I’m always a sucker for a murder mystery fantasy, so this was right up my alley. The mystery kept me hooked all the way to the end. The book was also just hilariously funny. Kingfisher does a great job balancing a murder mystery with the absurdity of having an angel and a demon investigating a murder together.
Pacing: This wasn't a particularly fast-paced book, but I was never bored. I actually liked how much Kingfisher managed to pack into such a short book without making it feel rushed. I also really enjoyed the little twist toward the end.
I would recommend this book to:
- Fans of murder mysteries like Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club
- Readers who enjoy eccentric characters like those in Good Omens
- Fans of Ana and Din from The Tainted Cup
- Anyone looking for a short, funny fantasy murder mystery with a very unusual detective duo
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely my favorite T. Kingfisher book I’ve read so far! It's like if you took Good Omens (sans Neil Gaiman) and Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man and added a sprinkle of The Thursday Murder Club. It was amazing.
Characters: Nicholas Fallen is a retired demon who loves gardening and, honestly, not much else. Serafina Fuller is a retired angel who attends Bible study with her human friends at the local Catholic Church. When Serafina discovers that the priest has been murdered, she enlists Fallen to help investigate.
Fallen only really cares about plants, not humans, so he's understandably reluctant to get involved. He eventually agrees though because he doesn't want the police looking too closely into Serafina's (and more importantly, his) past, since discovering their real identities would raise quite a few questions and piss off their superiors.
I loved the banter between these two characters, and it made me warm up to them very quickly. They are both so eccentric in completely different ways, and their personalities made the investigation even more entertaining.
Plot: I’m always a sucker for a murder mystery fantasy, so this was right up my alley. The mystery kept me hooked all the way to the end. The book was also just hilariously funny. Kingfisher does a great job balancing a murder mystery with the absurdity of having an angel and a demon investigating a murder together.
Pacing: This wasn't a particularly fast-paced book, but I was never bored. I actually liked how much Kingfisher managed to pack into such a short book without making it feel rushed. I also really enjoyed the little twist toward the end.
I would recommend this book to:
- Fans of murder mysteries like Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club
- Readers who enjoy eccentric characters like those in Good Omens
- Fans of Ana and Din from The Tainted Cup
- Anyone looking for a short, funny fantasy murder mystery with a very unusual detective duo
Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Perfectly Quirky and Fun.
Devil of a Crime is exactly the kind of cozy mystery that feels like a warm blanket with a mischievous twist. Serafina Fuller, a retired angel with a stubborn streak and a soft heart, finds herself reluctantly teaming up with Nicholas Fallen, a retired devil and botanist who would much rather be left alone with his plants. Their unlikely partnership becomes the highlight of the story as they investigate the murder of the local priest in their small town.
The charm of this book comes from its quirky tone and the delightful contrast between Serafina’s celestial patience and Nicholas’s grumpy infernal pragmatism. Their banter is sharp, funny, and full of personality, and the way they navigate their shared pasts and very different natures adds a wonderful layer of humor to the mystery. The investigation itself is light, clever, and filled with eccentric townsfolk who make the world feel lived in and endlessly entertaining.
The only reason this lands at four stars instead of five is simply because it is a cozy mystery at heart. It is fun, whimsical, and thoroughly enjoyable, but not the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Still, the joy of reading it comes from the characters, the humor, and the gentle pacing that makes it perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
A Devil of a Crime is a charming, witty, and wonderfully offbeat mystery that delivers exactly what it promises. Serafina and Nicholas make a fantastic duo, and the journey with them is an absolute blast. Strong Good Omen-ish vibes.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Tor Books and Macmillan for this ARC copy. This is my review.
Devil of a Crime is exactly the kind of cozy mystery that feels like a warm blanket with a mischievous twist. Serafina Fuller, a retired angel with a stubborn streak and a soft heart, finds herself reluctantly teaming up with Nicholas Fallen, a retired devil and botanist who would much rather be left alone with his plants. Their unlikely partnership becomes the highlight of the story as they investigate the murder of the local priest in their small town.
The charm of this book comes from its quirky tone and the delightful contrast between Serafina’s celestial patience and Nicholas’s grumpy infernal pragmatism. Their banter is sharp, funny, and full of personality, and the way they navigate their shared pasts and very different natures adds a wonderful layer of humor to the mystery. The investigation itself is light, clever, and filled with eccentric townsfolk who make the world feel lived in and endlessly entertaining.
The only reason this lands at four stars instead of five is simply because it is a cozy mystery at heart. It is fun, whimsical, and thoroughly enjoyable, but not the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Still, the joy of reading it comes from the characters, the humor, and the gentle pacing that makes it perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
A Devil of a Crime is a charming, witty, and wonderfully offbeat mystery that delivers exactly what it promises. Serafina and Nicholas make a fantastic duo, and the journey with them is an absolute blast. Strong Good Omen-ish vibes.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Tor Books and Macmillan for this ARC copy. This is my review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
** I received an advance digital copy from the publisher, because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome **
A rare 3.5 star Kingfisher for me, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
This is Kingfisher's cozy homage to Good Omens, admitted as much in the author's note. Charming and full of interesting senior citizens, accurate gardening, and regret over the K-Pg extinction event. Love a platonic grumpy/sunshine devil/angel pairing. Delightful dialogue and keen observations aside, however, I would classify this more as "fluff." Neither the mystery nor the suspects were particularly deeply developed in the ~200 odd pages. Every bit was enjoyable, but I wasn't invested in the plot or the side characters or even whether the mystery was solved in the end. (It was, pretty much by accident!) I did, however, want to know more about Nicholas Fallen's opinions on hostas and sedum.
Based on Kingfisher character vibes alone, it's 5 stars. But compared to the (relatively few) other cozy mysteries I've read, it falls short. Still, it's likely to find its niche with readers who are drawn to smart writing who aren't likely to pick up the horror or fantasy where Kingfisher really excels.
A rare 3.5 star Kingfisher for me, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
This is Kingfisher's cozy homage to Good Omens, admitted as much in the author's note. Charming and full of interesting senior citizens, accurate gardening, and regret over the K-Pg extinction event. Love a platonic grumpy/sunshine devil/angel pairing. Delightful dialogue and keen observations aside, however, I would classify this more as "fluff." Neither the mystery nor the suspects were particularly deeply developed in the ~200 odd pages. Every bit was enjoyable, but I wasn't invested in the plot or the side characters or even whether the mystery was solved in the end. (It was, pretty much by accident!) I did, however, want to know more about Nicholas Fallen's opinions on hostas and sedum.
Based on Kingfisher character vibes alone, it's 5 stars. But compared to the (relatively few) other cozy mysteries I've read, it falls short. Still, it's likely to find its niche with readers who are drawn to smart writing who aren't likely to pick up the horror or fantasy where Kingfisher really excels.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
When Serafina Fuller, a retired angel, arrives at church only to find her priest dead from a gunshot wound, she immediately goes to confront her first suspect Nicholas Fallen, a retired devil. Nicholas, an avid gardener who is enjoying his retirement, did not kill the priest. He is incredibly annoyed that Serafina showed up on his doorstep after essentially fleeing a crime scene, as he predicts that the human police will be especially suspicious of two ancient beings with forged documents. But they aren’t. Instead of actually investigating, the police simply arrest an innocent unhoused man who was in the area. So Serafina (seeking justice) and Nicholas (seeking to keep Serafina and himself out of too much trouble) team up to try and find the true murderer.
A Devil of a Crime is an amusing and feel-good cozy mystery. The highlight of this story is the entirely platonic grumpy/sunshine relationship between the two lead characters. The story also includes a diverse set of side characters. Overall, it’s a cute paranormal mystery that may appeal to fans of Good Omens.
Thanks to Tor Books and Edelweiss+ for providing me with an eARC.
A Devil of a Crime is an amusing and feel-good cozy mystery. The highlight of this story is the entirely platonic grumpy/sunshine relationship between the two lead characters. The story also includes a diverse set of side characters. Overall, it’s a cute paranormal mystery that may appeal to fans of Good Omens.
Thanks to Tor Books and Edelweiss+ for providing me with an eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
*advance copy received from publisher*
I adore the way T Kingfisher writes - the humor just unassumingly walks alongside you until just the right moment to hit you in the face, before retreating and leaving you rolling the sentence over and over again in your mind, smiling to yourself.
This book not only crackles with wit, but it gives all the hallmarks of a classic whodunnit a cheeky spin. It's the perfect balance of supernatural mystery and a cosy village escape, and Kingfisher does something that I think more mystery novels need to do - ultimately saying something about people, and the interesting details and complex elements of life that make them who they are, through the eyes of two beings who have seen it all but are still struggling to understand. It's the perfect cocktail for a murder mystery, and I loved spending time with Seraphina and Fallen.
I adore the way T Kingfisher writes - the humor just unassumingly walks alongside you until just the right moment to hit you in the face, before retreating and leaving you rolling the sentence over and over again in your mind, smiling to yourself.
This book not only crackles with wit, but it gives all the hallmarks of a classic whodunnit a cheeky spin. It's the perfect balance of supernatural mystery and a cosy village escape, and Kingfisher does something that I think more mystery novels need to do - ultimately saying something about people, and the interesting details and complex elements of life that make them who they are, through the eyes of two beings who have seen it all but are still struggling to understand. It's the perfect cocktail for a murder mystery, and I loved spending time with Seraphina and Fallen.
June 18, 2026
I received an E ARC from Edelweiss Plus in exchange for my honest review!!!
This is a very fast, quick light hearted read. It was a good palette cleanser from all the heavy stuffy I’ve been reading! An angel and a devil solving a murder, except they are retired.. and basically just want to be old and do their own thing.
I loved the dynamic between Fallen and Seraphina, just their relationship and how it evolved slowly but fully, I also loved how it showed us that not everyone is fully bad or fully good, even a devil and an angel, we all have a mixture of both, a lot of grey area and I loved that!
I didn’t guess the mystery either lol I thought it was someone else the whole entire time which is weird cause it isn’t that deep of a mystery lol.
This is a very fast, quick light hearted read. It was a good palette cleanser from all the heavy stuffy I’ve been reading! An angel and a devil solving a murder, except they are retired.. and basically just want to be old and do their own thing.
I loved the dynamic between Fallen and Seraphina, just their relationship and how it evolved slowly but fully, I also loved how it showed us that not everyone is fully bad or fully good, even a devil and an angel, we all have a mixture of both, a lot of grey area and I loved that!
I didn’t guess the mystery either lol I thought it was someone else the whole entire time which is weird cause it isn’t that deep of a mystery lol.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I love it when T. Kingfisher writes genre fiction, because it's always so definitely and completely still her voice. This one is a hilarious mystery -- hilarious if you enjoy snark and a botany obsessed devil -- and I do, to the point where I started reading dialogue snippets out loud to whoever will listen. The characters are people I'd like to spend more time with, in a setting that feels real and recognizable, with all the off-the-wall interpretations of what Kingfisher thinks an angel and a devil and one of the fair folk might be. I am here for it and absolutely delighted.
Advanced Readers' Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Readers' Copy Provided by Edelweiss.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A retired devil and a retired angel happen to move to the same small town. They have cordially ignored each other for years, until the town priest is murdered and the angel seeks the devil's assitance in solving the crime. Fallen would rather be tending to his garden, but he's something of a softie and can be bribed with Boston creme donuts.
Works as a mystery and as cozy fantasy. Astonishingly for Kingfisher, there is nothing at all horrific here.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Works as a mystery and as cozy fantasy. Astonishingly for Kingfisher, there is nothing at all horrific here.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This book is fantastic. I love all things T. Kingfisher and it's amazing to me that with her impressive collection, she never disappoints. This is a wonderful cozy mystery (like, legitimately a mystery) and the two main characters, an angel and a devil are brilliant and wry and witty and altogether lovely. And no, this is nothing like Good Omens.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I was cackling with delight the entire time I read this. T. Kingfisher, per usual, has written something completely different than many of her books and yet it absolutely delivers on all the things I love about her writing--hilarious commentary, off-beat characters, pitch-perfect pairings of worlds you never thought would collide.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I have been known to love a T. Kingfisher. Her author's note for this one is particularly funny. Read if you enjoyed a certain tv show/book (take a wild guess) but are looking for more of a cozy mystery vibe
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Did someone say Good Omens without the nasty N*eil Gai*an?! Cause I knew it was Good Omens inspired and the author confirms it in their acknowledgments.
I loved every page, it was funny, the banter, the characters! Top tier
I loved every page, it was funny, the banter, the characters! Top tier
Want to Read
July 28, 2026not to be dramatic but this does sound like my dream book
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Loved it! Refreshing story, great characters What a ride ! I hope there are more books in this universe. Loved it loved it loved it!
Want to Read
August 31, 2026My favourite author writing a new book with almost the same premise as my childhood favourite series (Agent Angel/Angels Unlimited)? Hell (and heaven) yes!
Want to Read
September 8, 2026Who do I have to bribe to get this now? I'm so here for Good Omens fanfic with a murder mystery T. Kingfisher style.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews