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From the school library

This is a cozy murder mystery & ghost story. It does recap book 1 in the series (with spoilers), so it could be read as a standalone. We’re frequently reminded that Cordelia has passed and has certain limitations. It’s cute.

I’ve been sooooo slow getting into this one, but I keep coming back because some friends have really loved it. I think it’s picking up for me.

I really enjoy this author! This story is about a family that moved to a secret magical community after their daughter was turned into a werewolf.

Apparently I started reading this in 2022 and got 1/3 of the way through it, but I remember absolutely none of it.

For absolutely no reason, I thought going into this that the premise was Evvie was an elderly widow letting this young former baseball player live in her apartment. Nope, they’re about the same age. Much more romcom than cozy, A Man Called Ove kind of story.

Set in the same world as A Darker Shade of Magic (a banned series)

Marion Lane is a trainee at a secret nongovernmental agency that fronts as a bookstore in the 1950s. It has led me to learn about the invention of closed circuit & infrared cameras.

I don’t understand the dynamic with her grandmother or why she seems to have no friends but Bill.

Side characters are called by their first names or their last, seemingly never introducing the whole name. They are also quite similar.

I think this is more in line with what I wanted Sign Here (2022) to be. It’s got some vibes along the lines of following a demon in the Bad Place in the show The Good Place, but also some of the secrecy like Severance (without the brain surgery/double life plots).

Im enjoying this more than Zomromcom. There’s more backstory and world building.

An apocalyptic zombie romcom. Our MC Casey’s dad is a prepper, which was embarrassing as a kid but might be beneficial now.

Fast-paced cozy murder mystery.

There are parts that could be confusing if read around the same time as another 2025 released cozy mystery, Death of a Wild Swimmer.

I’m still really struggling with the pacing. I think I’m failing to connect with the characters too. I like the grandmother.

“The trouble with Jim was he looked at the world and could not look away. And when you never look away all your life, by the time you are thirteen you have done twenty years taking in the laundry of the world.”
——
“…boredom was worse than fear”

I chose this one for Hispanic Heritage Month.

I picked this up today on day 3 of the Cincinnati Bookstore Crawl from The Bookshelf in Madeira. Bonus: It’s a signed copy!

Something about this feels a little like The School for Good Mothers + The Marriage Act + maybe some Chain Gang All Stars (maybe just the prison like setting?). Right now there are before and after timelines.

This narration is by Paul Giamatti!

The author worked in international development + the owner of The Bookery recommended it + dystopian political thriller + Eunice Wong narrates the audio.
I would’ve been sold with 2 of those attributes.