Thank you NetGalley and Ize Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Conceptually, I think Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner is very good, but in practice I’m still not 100% sold. It’s slow-paced, which is fine for me, and I liked both Lewellyn and Shavonne, but I think perhaps it was a touch too slow for me, at least in terms of how fast the plot is moving. I do generally struggle with genre romance, so my little quibbles aren’t too surprising in the grand scheme of things, and while I am unsure just how soon I will want to reach for the next volume, my interest is still a little bit piqued.

As a huge fan of graphic novels, I was completely captivated by this one, even though I don’t usually read LGBT stories. Right from the start, it had me in its clutches—a perfect blend of suspense, passion, and emotion. The emotional depth of the narrative was unexpectedly powerful, leaving a lasting impact. The artwork was stunning, bringing every scene to life with vivid detail and style. What truly stood out was Lewellyn’s character—charming, complex, and impossible not to fall in love with. This book was not just entertaining but also deeply moving. A truly unforgettable graphic novel experience.

I read the first volume of Murderous Lewellyn's Candlelit Dinner.
The main character, Shavonne, is an orphan and ghostwriter. She lives in an area of town where strange events and suspicious deaths start happening. To make matters worse, she realizes that she has a somewhat pushy admirer—read: stalker. One day, she meets Lewellyn, a neighbor who looks rather creepy while peeling onions on the stairs. From then on, their lives begin to intertwine.
The problem is that, at least in this first volume, the story does not take off. The interactions between Shavonne and Lewellyn aren't engaging, and the mystery and danger surrounding Lewellyn didn't resonate with me. It all feels forced.
Visually, the manga is not impressive either: the style is simple and sparse with a limited color palette.
Important note: Queer relationships are discussed in the manga, so keep that in mind if it's a sensitive topic for you.
In summary, it's a somewhat sluggish start, but maybe later volumes will flesh out the story and characters more. For now, I'm not convinced.

Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner by Sumnagi and MUK_BU is both a humorous and unsettling start for a series that promises to delve into some rather dark twists and corners involving human emotion, obsession, and the desire to simultaneously escape while wanting to feel companionship. The main characters are both obsessively likeable, and I immediately clicked with both of them for their unique and silly portrayals. Both are examples of extremes in personality, and alongside that, they have clashing personality types and values. The main character, Shavonne, struggles to pay rent, struggles to eat, and overall simply struggles with his life as it is. His neighbor, good but weird guy Lewellyn, is a very odd, very strange guy, with an even odder and stranger interest in Shavonne, while also being mysteriously rich.

What starts off as simply strange interactions with a neighbor morphs into a backwards, messed up moment of reliance on Shavonne's part, and a lot of cat-and-mouse back and forth for Lewellyn. While I wouldn't really say the art itself is unsettling, I do think that together, Sumnagi and MUK_BU have created an incredibly tense and atmospheric story that is both a story that cannot be put down, and is easy to submerge yourself into and become equally obsessed with, and it holds a lot of promise for future unsettling and outright dangerous plotlines.

Thank you to Sumnagi and MUK_BU, Yen Press and Ize Press, and Netgalley for this early copy to review!

Shavonne is a struggling ghostwriter living in a rough neighborhood who is in need of a new job. Lewellyn is his mysterious neighbor. He appeared one day and inserted himself into Shavonne's life. To complicate matters further, Shavonne has a stalker. On top of that, Lewellyn could be the murderer who has been terrorizing the town for some time. I can't wait to read their story!

This was a fun first volume of the story. It focuses entirely on the 2 protagonists. It's mysterious, ridiculous and funny. The art is not intricate but pleasant to look at and the plotline keeps you wondering. Definitely a strong start.

This was terrible. I did like the fact that it was all color where most manga that is purchased is black and white.

I thought that this was a Yaoi going into it so I was expecting some spice. So was a little let down when it wasn't.

Given it wasn't a Yaoi the story was still pretty good.

I think the MC in this feels a bit uninteresting but I like how this first volume establishes enough of a threat that story is subtly weird and unsettling at every moment. Like to immediately establish the ML as a serial killer in the first volume pretty solidly establishes this as a horror series, even though it's also being marketed as a romance. I would read the next installment, if only to get more of a sense of motive behind everything that happened in this first one.

Thank you to the publisher Yen Press for providing an e-ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I was given a digital copy to review.

I have previously read this entire series and I absolutely love it so I don't think I can give an unbiased review here.

This series follows Shavonne, a poor writer trying to make ends meet in a poor neighborhood recently plagued by murders. On top of all that, he has a stalker and a creepy new neighbor, Lewellyn. Lewellyn is young and attractive but quite weird. He spends all day peeling onions on the stairs, makes strange comments, and has ugly black fingernails. One day Shavonne reluctantly accepts a dinner invitation at Lewellyn's apartment and discovers quite the secret.

It's dark and mysterious and weird, but this is only the beginning. I was intrigued by Lewellyn from the start. He's a strange and interesting character. I really can't wait to have this entire series in print.

Shavonne is a struggling ghost writer who finds himself being targeted by a stalker. Unfortunately, no one believes his stalker is an issue! Things get weirder when his next door neighbor starts peeling onions right outside of his apartment on the regular. Once Shavonne goes on a date with the guy, it turns out that his obsession with onions isn’t the problem… it’s the fact that he’s a killer!

This is one of those books I’m going to keep thinking about just because it was so weird. We follow Shavonne in an odd mystery turned romance of sorts. His neighbor, Lewellyn, is a murderer who is obsessed with him, and he can’t even get away because the guy just paid for over a year of his rent in advance. I was more frustrated than anything with this story because the characters lack depth and the plot is all over the place. The artwork was nice, but that was about it.

While I’d like to know what’s up with Lewellyn’s obsession with onions, I can’t find it in me to continue the series. Shavonne is super passive and seems to discover, forget, and rediscover who his stalker is. We don’t know anything about Lewellyn other than he’s a rich stalker and possible serial killer who wants to get with the lead character for some reason. I think it could’ve been an interesting read if it knew what it wanted to be and didn’t go around in circles at an extremely slow pace. Ultimately, it’s just not a series for me.

Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner, Vol. 1 offers an intriguing mix of mystery, dark humor, and oddball characters. The story follows Shavonne, a penniless author too wrapped up in his own struggles to pay much attention to the strange events unfolding in his neighborhood, particularly the string of murders plaguing Ira Street. However, when his odd new neighbor, Lewellyn—a handsome but eccentric man with a peculiar habit of peeling onions on the stairs—invites him over for a dinner, Shavonne’s life takes a turn he wasn’t expecting. What starts as an awkward social evening quickly becomes a chilling discovery that links Lewellyn to the grisly murders.

The premise is original and quirky, with the tension between the mundane and the sinister making for an intriguing hook. Shavonne’s initial indifference to the murders provides a refreshing contrast to the usual crime fiction tropes where protagonists are often overly concerned with the mystery. His dry humor and reluctant involvement in the investigation add a layer of charm to his character, making him relatable and enjoyable to follow.

Visually, the manga’s art by MUK_BU is sharp and atmospheric, capturing both the eeriness of the murders and the oddball nature of the characters. The art complements the tone well, with expressive character designs and detailed backgrounds that set the mood for both the suspense and the darkly comic elements of the story. The depiction of Lewellyn’s strange behavior, especially during the dinner scene, is both unsettling and fascinating.

However, while the first volume sets up an intriguing premise, it sometimes feels a bit too slow in advancing the core mystery. The pacing is uneven, with some sections dragging on as Shavonne and Lewellyn’s strange interactions take center stage over the broader investigation. Additionally, the deeper motivations behind Lewellyn’s actions and the significance of the murders are left largely unexplored in this volume, which may leave readers wanting more.

Overall, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner is a quirky and atmospheric mystery with strong character development and intriguing potential. While it doesn’t fully dive into its central mysteries yet, the first volume does a solid job of setting the stage for what could be a much darker and more thrilling story to come. Fans of oddball mysteries and dark humor will find enough to enjoy, but those seeking a faster-paced narrative may find themselves frustrated with the slower buildup.

I really enjoyed this one! It is a slow start, but I love a good mystery and this is shaping up to be just that. A perfect rainy day read!

I thought this series was going to be right up my alley (historical murder mystery) but unfortunately I was just left slightly disappointed. I'm not sure if it was one element in particular that didn't resonate with me but overall the story just didn't hook me. It has an odd vibe to it (separate to the other creepy thriller vibe it was attempting to exude) that left me feeling disconnected to it. Perhaps I will read a few more chapters and then make the final decision if I want to continue but this volume didn't leave me feeling excited to read the next.

A string of murders has left the residents of Ira Street feeling uneasy….although that’s none of Shavonne’s business. The penniless author is too busy trying to secure his next paycheck to pay much attention to such matters—well, that and figuring out what the deal is with his strange new neighbor, Lewellyn, a young and handsome man who spends his days peeling onions on the stairs right outside Shavonne’s apartment. Shavonne tries not to concern himself, but when he makes a gruesome discovery during a candlelit dinner at Lewellyn’s place, both his neighbor’s eccentricities and the murders plaguing the community become harder to ignore…

The story is good even if the issue of the murders in the story seems to stop with no explanation. But perhaps the later volumes will address that.
The illustrations are, as usual, stunning. I'm quite amused by Shavonne being so caught up in himself he can't see the obvious attraction Lewellyn has for him.
Looking forward to the next chapter.

Expected publishing date May 20, 2025
Thanks to @netgalley and Yen Press for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed the first volume of this manga series. Shavonne is a destitute writer living in building full of people with questionable background. One evening, he encounters his neighbour, Lewellyn. At first their relationship appears to be of two people slowly getting to know each other. However, after Shavonne learns about Lewellyn's secret, their relationship takes on a darker tone.

This is good start to a series.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc and this is my honest opinion.

Shavonne is a ghostwriter that is hoping to make the jump to being an author that publishes under his own name. Broke and struggling he meets his neighbor Lewellyn who he strikes up an uneasy sort of friendship and Lewellyn invites him to dinner. Shavonne sees a dead body in Lewellyn's bedroom and this sets off a series of events. I don't know where this story is going it's a very interesting mystery and I can't figure Lewellyn out. Is he a murderer? He seems nice but there's absolutely something going on and neither Shavonne nor I can figure out what he really wants. I am absolutely looking forward to the next book.

I wasn’t expecting to get pulled in so fast. It’s a BL story, but it’s also got this creepy, mysterious vibe that makes it way more than just a romance.

The main character, Shavonne, is this tired ghostwriter living in a crummy apartment, and his neighbor Lewellyn is... weird in a fascinating way. Like, he’s the type who peels onions on the stairs and invites you to dinner out of nowhere. Things start off kind of charming in a strange, quirky way—but then it suddenly gets dark, and you realize something really off is going on. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say it took a sharp turn I wasn’t expecting.

The tension between Shavonne and Lewellyn is super well done—there’s chemistry, but also this constant feeling that you don’t totally know what Lewellyn’s deal is. The art style fits the mood perfectly too, with these eerie, beautiful details that stick with you.

If you’re into stories that are a little dark, a little romantic, and a lot intriguing, this one’s definitely worth checking out. I’m already excited for volume 2.

Fue una aventura total. Llewellyn es, sin duda, mi personaje favorito, aunque Shavonne también es un escritor que lucha por llegar a fin de mes. Me identifico profundamente con él, con sus inseguridades y sus miedos, pero Llewellyn es psicológicamente cautivador, un personaje muy prometedor, del que estoy deseando saber más en el próximo volumen.

This was a total adventure. Llewellyn is by far my favorite character, even though Shavonne is also a writer struggling to make ends meet. I can relate to him on a deep level, his insecurities, and his fears, but Llewellyn is psychologically captivating, a character that holds a lot of promise, who I can't wait to know more about in the next volume.

Full review in my blog tomorrow April 24: https://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/2025/04/murderous-lewellyns-candlelit-dinner.html

A darkly charming and visually stunning read! The art is absolutely gorgeous, and the mix of mystery, suspense, and unexpected humor kept me hooked. The characters are intriguing, and the atmosphere is rich with gothic flair. A unique and engaging start—excited for more!

2.5✨


The story is interesting, but at the same time, it bored me... I don't know how to explain it, haha. It's the first volume, so the story could probably be better, but for now, this volume didn't really convince me.
I saw the story is in Lezhin, so maybe I'll continue to find out how it ends, haha ​​(it's not very long).✨


Thanks izepress / netgalley for the arc✨