Even Though I Knew the End was an atmospheric and fantastical take on crime noir. I had just finished Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen and was dying for some more mid-century, queer mystery, and this book really hit the spot. It's short, which can sometimes be a hurdle as far as pacing and characterization goes, but Polk handled it wonderfully.

Thank you so much to Tor and Netgalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for a fair review.

This beautiful historical fantasy is set in the 1930s(??) Chicago. Helen, a magical private investigator, sold her soul 10 years ago to a demon to save a family member and now can win it back if she finds a serial killer. There’s a beautiful romance between Helen and Edith and, of course, a bittersweet ending. I wanted more, but it was perfect. The mystery, the murders, and the romance..Loved it all!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom for allowing me to read this book! I really liked this one! It is differnt and dark and I loved the romance and mystery that was intertwined in such an interesting supernatural plot. I wasn’t sure what to expect here but I was pleasantly surprised and impressed! 4.5 ⭐️

I’m always a little wary of novellas because they tend to feel like just snippets of a story or worse, an incomplete piece. I am pleased to say Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk does not suffer this fate.

I did not have much expectations for this book nor was I really sure what it was even about. I do, however, trust C. L. Polk as an author to write something worthwhile so I read this book on a whim during a long flight and it proved to be the perfect choice. I could hardly put it down and I managed to finish it in one sitting. The story and pacing were well done, especially considering the short length. The novella throws you into the story headfirst but holds off on long info dumps and expositions, instead peppering the story with little bits of info here and there. This works well to drive the story along and only presents the reader with information that is relevant in that moment.

*Side note: I am a big fan of books that use their title within the actual book and this was perhaps the most delightfully heart wrenching use of it. It was so satisfying but with the context made me want to burst into to tears in the middle of my flight. 10/10

I do feel like most of novellas are best read knowing as little as possible. I also don’t feel like confident in my ability to accurately describe the plot in a way that would not be a disservice to the novella, so I highly recommend you just read it; I promise you won’t regret it.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Tor for granting me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the most beautiful novellas I have ever read. The supernatural noir vibe in 1930s Chicago is my ideal setting. The sapphic relationship was heartbreakingly beautiful. When I got to the line that the title is from, I started sobbing. I'm immediately picking up Polk's back list.

If you like historical fiction, supernatural elements, sapphics, and mystery, this book is for you (and even if you don't like those things, read it anyway!)

Amazing and intriguing read with heart. I loved the urban fantasy aspects of the story and how the world unfolded.

8 Compelling Sci-Fi and Fantasy Murder Mysteries to Curl Up With

Murder mysteries carry a unique yet familiar set of tropes and archetypes; cracking the spine on one is like opening a board game of Clue. There are locked rooms stalked by inspectors and suspects, unexpected murder weapons and devious red herrings, missing memories, and sympathetic motives. But while that genre has its beloved classics rooted in contemporary realism, more and more sci-fi and fantasy authors have turned to this formula and framework—to continue the metaphor, like a special-edition Clue with fun new speculative trappings.

In the past five years especially, there has been a rise in SFF murder mysteries, stories set in secondary fantasy worlds or near-future cities or in the cold infinity of space (where, yes, someone can hear you scream and can try to solve what made you scream). Some of these SFF sleuths are detectives and inspectors by trade, conjuring up futuristic versions of Columbo and Sherlock Holmes. Others are amateur investigators (paging Jessica Fletcher and Phryne Fisher) thanks to their lucky proximity to an unreasonable, nearly comical amount of foul play and seemingly random deaths.

These eight engrossing mysteries entangle angels and demons, clones and hyper-insomniacs with some good old-fashioned murder. Whether you want to dip into a brisk whodunnit novella, or curl up for hours unraveling every clue and motive in a thicker volume, we have all the pieces for you to play.

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

C.L. Polk launches readers into magical noir novella Even Though I Knew the End practically mid-sentence, as exiled-augur-turned-detective Helen Brandt is photographing the latest murder scene from Chicago’s grisly serial killer the White City Vampire. Helen isn’t too worried about her own well-being, as she sold her soul to the devil ten years ago and her card is about to be punched; she’s made her peace with her fate, even as she pre-grieves her beloved Edith and her estranged brother Ted.

But when her employer offers her the chance to earn her soul back, Helen throws herself into this case and discovers just how personal it gets. Polk smartly uses the last three days of Helen’s life before she’s dragged down to Hell to keep this murder mystery snappy, with layers of divine worldbuilding and heartache that stays stamped on the story like a photo negative long after the final page (which both is and isn’t the end that Helen already anticipated).

Book Summary:

Helen is an exiled augur – she traded her soul and her career to save her little brother and has spent the last ten years paying that price. Yet she's made a decent life for herself. She runs a little magical detective gig and has found the love of her life, even if society would never approve.

So when a case dropped on her lap, Helen had full intentions of turning it down. She knows danger when she sees it. Yet there are other forces at play, which means it is officially her problem, forcing her to find the killer in her city before her time runs out.

“I never told her how she had saved me. I never told her how she became the dearest friend I’d ever had. I told her I loved her, but never enough. My Edith of the sparrows. My heart. My world.”

My Review:

Wow. I knew that C.L. Polk could write a fantastic novella, but Even Though I Knew the End blew me away. I could read this novella a million times and never risk getting sick. It's so complex and beautiful. I'm certain I would find new details with each reading. (Now I want to go back and do exactly that).

It's easy to root for Helen, even though she tries so hard to come off as stoic and abrasive. Her personality lent to the noir detective vibes, and I'm here for it. It didn't take long for her whole story to unfold, making me want to bundle Helen up and protect her with all of my heart.

Unfortunately, protecting her is easier said than done with a killer on the loose. On that note, so many little surprises spring up over the course of her investigation. Each twist fits in perfectly with what we know of the world while further fleshing out other details. It's masterfully done.

All things said and done, Even Though I Knew the End is a brilliant novella. I would love nothing more than to see a dozen more stories from this world. Please?

Highlights:
Sapphic
LGBT
Romance
Historical Fiction
Angels & Demons
Noir Detective + magical murders

Trigger Warnings:
Family Death
Homophobia

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

ten years ago, helen brandt made a faustian bargain to save her brother’s life. now, with three days left before she is cast into hell, she is offered one last job: track down the serial killer known as the white city vampire and win back her soul—and a chance at a lifetime with the woman she loves.

even though i knew the end is part hardboiled detective fiction, part tender sapphic romance, set in an alternate 1940s chicago where an exiled augur-turned-PI finds herself caught up in a battle between angels, demons, and the magical order she was cast out of a decade ago. i loved the grittiness of the world polk created contrasted with a bittersweetly lovely story about what we’re willing to do for those we love the most.

DNF @40%. It’s been a while since I stopped reading this but I remember not really being invested in the plot.

Worthy of a full length novel! This is a great spectral , queer, magical whodunit. I can't wait to read more from this world.

What a fantastic read!! Polk crafts an incredibly intricate world that centers a queer woman who traded her soul to save a loved one and is now on a mission to catch a serial killer as a last-ditch effort to win it back. I can't think of a cooler plotline to make me pick something up with a quickness. The magic system feels very unique to this story and was fascinating to explore. And the energy is absolute perfection- all the cool noir vibes of the best classic mysteries, but framed for a modern audience. And the writing?? Stunning. The romance? Hurts so good.

I don't even have the words for how cool and fresh this book felt. My only complaint was that I wanted more time with it. Such a short read speeds by, but I feel like I wanted more time to explore this world and its characters and all the many special little details Polk had to offer. I've heard other people saying a story "needed more room to breathe" and that phrase captures what I feel here. I also have some unanswered questions that may have found themselves better resolved in a longer format as well. (I'll update that hypothesis after a future reread) My kingdom for a sequel, a prequel, anything else in this world. Will definitely be checking out other works by this author in the meantime.

Highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.

Clear stakes, small cast, hard-and-fast rules - but with enough ambiguity to keep you curious (and wishing for a bit more of the greater world and how magic works) - makes EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END a marvelous, self-contained story with a little dash of history and quite a bit of magic. There are nods to queer history and the harsh limits society put on women’s rights, despite things like “progress”.

I have to say I wanted a little more magic and a little less angels and demons - especially with our MC being magically inclined enough to be making her own spells. But I did appreciate things like the scene in the asylum and how Polk conveys so much in so few words and sentences and paragraphs.

While this was about a three star read for me, I'd give it a four overall and would still recommend it to patrons. I enjoyed a lot of the supernatural elements. I did see a major part of the ending coming which did temper my enjoyment of the book because that moment was quite trope heavy.

This was a fun little supernatural detective story set in the 1920's. The main character is a lesbian and the difficulties of being a lesbian in the 1920's are portrayed. I enjoyed the plot. There were some fun twists. I did have a hard time getting through this though. Not sure if it was just my mood, but I didn't have that urge to turn the page and find out what's going to happen.

good story and quick read. i thoroughly enjoyed both the characters and the storyline. my only wish for this would be that it were a bit longer i feel like parts of the story were rushed in order to keep it shorter and novella length

This was a great novella that felt the perfect length. The mystery was compelling and I loved the strong sapphic relationship. The angels and demons trope was a pleasant surprise.

3.5 stars but rounding up!

Think of a black-and-white detective movie mixed with Supernatural, and you have this but without queerbaiting!
We have magic, a warlock brotherhood order, demons, angels and a 10-year deal about tobe up, and our main characters' life about to end... until they have a chance to win their souls back and stay with the girl they love.

Very fast-paced, detailed and creative!

This is the perfect example for me of a novella that should have been expanded into a full length novel. I really liked the characters and the world was fascinating, but it felt like there was too much plot to fit into the length and so everything was pretty rushed. It meant that we didn't get good character development in the relationship between Helen and her brother, Ted, which was a real shame because as I say, I liked both characters. I thought there was definitely more to explore in this world and the battle between angels and demons, with human hosts and the brotherhood of the compass, but again, there wasn't enough time. This is all to say that had this been expanded to a full length novel and given the space to breathe, I would be throwing it at people in the street begging them to read it. Unfortunately as a novella, it leaves too much out.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.