i wish i could rate this higher as i could see the potential, but as a huge mystery buff, i place a lot of emphasis on the mystery & investigation itself, and that’s where the story fell short for me.

as the first book of a new series, this served as more of an intro to the setting and cast of characters. the beginning was a prolonged stay in Exposition City, introducing side characters left and right and their dynamics, but it was also a bit on the repetitive side—police friend Emil slightly jealous of our main character Mason’s investigational prowess, egotistical decorator Walter acting like the world revolved around him and its inhabitants were his pawns, prudent and careful Mason as the object of many crushes, etc.

while i appreciated the time taken to meticulously build the world and characters, i think a mix of the main mystery amongst these conversations would’ve made for a more engaging narrative as >2/3 of the story was spent building up to the events described in the blurb. only at the ~70% mark (keep in mind the book ended at 91% on my Kindle) do we finally reach the big climax event of Mason celebrating his 50th birthday as the main suspect of a murder, but the subsequent scenes tying up the case in a neat bow felt rushed and low-stakes given the prompt shutdown of any sense of urgency.

i could understand that the crime occurred on a smaller scale, so investigations were brief and the number of clues weren’t exactly extravagant, but i had hoped for some face-to-face showdowns/interrogations with the list of suspects and other investigative shenanigans. by the time the case was solved in a light-bulb moment, i found myself unable to bask in that sense of satisfaction that usually springs from the unraveling of the why and how of a crime when it seemed to come so easily.

it didn’t help that i wasn’t a fan of his not-really-friend-but-more-a-habit companion Walter. he’s that toxic “friend” who is constantly pointing out your flaws, thinks he knows what’s best for everyone, and is wildly self-centered—i honestly wanted to skip the scenes with him in it, but of course, he somehow managed to insert himself into practically every single one 🤣 not even a murder in his own home could stop his narcissistic streak, and i think that alone speaks volumes. i just hope if he remains a main pillar of Mason’s friend group, the author finds a purposeful way to allow readers to sympathize with him beyond a list of his adolescent woes.

Lydia was by far my favorite side character, and i found myself partly hoping she would become Mason’s partner in solving crime. it didn’t come true this time around, but who knows, maybe one day? 😆

that all being said, i can at least partially attribute this to a case of misplaced expectations and would still recommend others to give this a go for themselves!

*note: this features a gay protagonist/side characters, but there is no romance (at least at this juncture).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review :)