This is a creepy but fun story with spooky vibes and romance. The art is pretty, and the main characters have a weird, intense connection that keeps things interesting. It’s a short read, but it pulls you in.

This had a lot of potential - it's basically a story where a guy finds out that the neighbor who keeps trying to be his friend and is marginally creepy may actually be a Jack the Ripper. But there's something awkward about the way it unfolds and is presented. It may improve in another volume, but I'm not sure I want to find out.

At first, I thought I was reading a Jack the Ripper retelling, but as time went on, I actually… had no clue. I’m not really sure where this is going or why.

I am really enjoying the banter between Shavonne and Llewelyn, but I just want to know what the motivation is. Why is he being stalked? Is it the ex boyfriend? What is actually happening.

Murderous Lewellyn's Candlelit Dinner seemed like a dark romance story with a lot of potential. BL is always a fun read, but I just didn't warm to the protagonists. The entire storyline just seemed odd to me. Maybe I just had completely different expectations for the story. That's also my fault, though, because I don't normally like dark romance, so it's not that the story is bad; it just doesn't suit my taste at all.

What do you do if you suspect your over friendly next door neighbour is possibly murdering people? You go to supper with them and perhaps become their good friend because they are always there outside your apartment, peeling onions.

Shavonne is a penniless author who lives next to Lewellyn, a weird young and engaging man who spends his days peeling onions on the stairs right outside Shavonne’s apartment. The only problem is that Lewellyn might be a murderer. Of course Shavonne doesn’t yet have proof but when he gets the proof will he be a target or a potential boyfriend? This is dark and houmorous and also very quirky with great artwork.

Imagine living next door to your cute neighbor, but then suspecting them for the recent string of murders that have been going on. Then your neighbor simply refuses to leave you alone and it feels like while you can’t trust him, you have a well of feelings building up. However, the longer things go on the more control the man seems to have on your life and you can only think to yourself the only ending this could possibly have is your death.

I adored the premise of this comic. It was such a fun read. I loved thinking about what was actually going on and the mystery of if the two would become boyfriends or Murderer/victim. It’s well writing and the art is fantastic. I had a great time with this one!

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

I really loved this story, the darkness, how unsettling it felt, the idea of everyone being inherently bad. This definitely felt like a great start to a series, and really roped me into the characters a plot. The cat-and-mouse of it all was so funny, that was when I really found myself getting into the story.

This was a great read, and I look forward to the rest of the series!

Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner, Vol. 1 is a moody, atmospheric manhwa that blends psychological mystery with slow-burn romance, set against the backdrop of a gritty, noir-inspired cityscape. The story follows Shavonne, a struggling ghostwriter living in a rundown apartment on Ira Street, who becomes entangled with his enigmatic neighbor, Lewellyn—a charming man with peculiar habits and possible ties to a string of local murders.

The narrative excels in building tension and intrigue, with Lewellyn's eccentric behavior—like peeling onions on the stairs—and the eerie ambiance of their shared dinners creating a sense of unease that keeps readers hooked. The art by MUK_BU complements the story's tone, using a palette of browns and blacks to enhance the dark, romantic atmosphere.

While the pacing is deliberately slow, focusing on character interactions and subtle foreshadowing, it may test the patience of readers seeking immediate thrills. Some may find Shavonne's passivity and the repetitive nature of his suspicions about Lewellyn a bit tedious. However, the story rewards those who appreciate a gradual build-up, with hints of deeper mysteries and character development that promise to unfold in subsequent volumes.

Overall, Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner offers a unique blend of dark humor, romance, and mystery. It's a compelling read for fans of slow-burn narratives and morally ambiguous characters, setting the stage for an intriguing series ahead

This is a thrilling story about a young man who just can’t seem to catch a break. On top of his everyday struggles, he now has a stalker and a bizarre neighbor who insists on peeling onions on the stairs outside his door. All he wants is to write his own stories and find someone to share his life with. Packed with unexpected twists and turns, this story keeps you hooked from start to finish. The art perfectly complements the mood, capturing both the tension and the quieter, emotional moments.

While the concept and the characters did work for me, the pacing of this was just a little too slow. I am still interested in the story but I found myself trying to rush through it---not for it to be over sooner, but just because I was impatient with the pacing. I will be checking out the next volume, because I am still curious about the story. I think I'm just an impatient human.

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.