Ivy Gamble is a PI. Her twin sister is a mage -- able to use magic unlike her sister -- and teaches in an academy for the few other magic-gifted. When a murder takes place at the magic academy (think Hogwarts mixed with 91210) Ivy is called in to investigate. Had the book comprised entirely of this plot I think I might have been more interested but instead this plot is intertwined with Ivy's attempts to address her long-standing jealousy of and bitterness for her equally unpleasant sister. I was looking for a fun mystery, not a dark and unhappy character sketch. The book was very competently written, but it just wasn't for me.

I'm giving this full stars because I love Sarah Gailey and it's not her fault that I hate murder mysteries and I was stupid enough to click Request before I read the description :P Just not my cup of tea.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This book was a fun, interesting read, and a book that managed to successfully combine multiple interests of mine into a coherent narrative!

Ivy Gamble is a messy protagonist, which might put some readers off but made me like and understand her. She has a lot of problems she hasn't dealt with, her life never went according to plan, and now she's being asked to investigate a murder at a magical academy--the same academy where her gifted twin Tabitha teaches. And it only gets more interesting from there.

Definitely pick this up if you love magic, murder mysteries, and complex heroines.