Lou

I thoughroughly enjoyed this book, though the main romance had less turmoil, and therefore less payoff than some of KJ Charles' other works. I especially liked the portrayal of Clem's autism (though it's not explicitly called that in the book, it's pretty obviously autism) and how it affects his romantic relationship. It's rare to see an autistic romance novel protagonist, far less a gay one, and Clem felt very true to life to me. The mystery was also compelling and the focus on Victotian taxidermy was interesting.

I liked it even more than the first book in this series. The way it continues the same mystery while centring a different couple was executed so well, and makes me excited to read book three. It's an enemies to lovers story, which is excellent for building tension.

This book felt a lot like The Secret History, but I enjoyed it much, much more. It involves murder, wealthy Oxford students, and gay pining. It's primarily a mystery, not a romance, but there is a romance subplot. Definitely read it!

This was my first Agatha Christie book, and I found it okay. The mystery was interesting and I liked that it was a classic "murder in a house" plot. The female characters were all bafflingly useless and don't feel like full human beings, which is the main reason I didn't love it. Poirot was a bit unlikable, but I'm willing to believe he's better in other books.

Absolutely peak KJ Charles. I devoured this book and my only complaint is that it ended. It'll make more sense if you've read the Charm of Magpies series (which I highly recommend), but can be read as a standalone too.