Where has Karina Halle been my whole life? This book was amazing! I loved everything—the story, the mystery, the conflict, the writing, the spice, the characters and (especially) the time period it as set in (1940s) This book was unique, addictive and amazing! I can not wait to devour this author’s backlist!!! I received this book from Metal Blonde books and Netgalley. All opinions are my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Karina Halle for the ARC!

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲, 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐀 𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞.

I loved this book. It's a spin off from Karina Halle's previous Dracula Duet but you don't need to have read that to enjoy this one.

I really loved the premise of a Black Dahlia inspired vampire story. The time frame in the 40's was so sexy and it really set the stage. You can really visualize the time, the place, the characters.

Victor Callahan is a PI on the hunt to find the Black Dahlia's killer, and Lena is a singer at a club and is also looking for the killer of her best friend. The two join forces in a way and Victor's obsession with Lena grows...

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞, 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭⁠—

This book is dark and sexy and super spicy. It's a vampire who-done-it, with a lot of interesting twists and turns. Highly recommend!

2.5 stars rounded up. Thank you, NetGalley and Karina Halle, for the e-copy of Nocturne! I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy this book in its entirety.

DNF @ 65%. I was actually enjoying this book for the most part until around the 50% mark. It just seemed to go downhill from there.

It felt like a slow burn romance at the beginning and then BAM! Extremely rough spiciness. I felt like a dick smacked my own face through the pages. Okay, I can get past that. I recovered. The plot was alright to me. Until I got to the part where the sister vampires are basically sexually assaulting the FMC and the MMC via vampire mind control. It would have been alright with me if they used their vampire mind control to make the FMC and MMC have sex. Weird but okay, sure. But to make the sister vampire villains subdue them with their mind control powers so they can go down on them, make them have sex, and then eat the MMC’s ass without question? Hello? Every single part of the sex scenes in this book gave me whiplash. I wish I would have known about the nonconsensual sex acts via vampire mind control and borderline incest before requesting this book.

It’s so disappointing because I was actually loving the storyline, but it just started to feel lazy in the end so the gaps were filled with bizarre sexual acts that I’d rather not read about again. I also felt a little icky towards the fact that this is based around The Black Dahlia Murder. Listen, I love true crime as much as the next housewife, but it feels a little distasteful to write SUCH a smutty book surrounding it. Elizabeth Short was a real, breathing human being who was used, abused, and left on display. Imagine you get brutally murdered(and that’s an understatement of what happened to her) and someone writes a book based off of said murder but the book is mostly just about horny vampires who smoke cigarettes and lack self control.

2.5 stars because the plot was interesting enough, and the book was written well, but I’m pretty disappointed overall and left with an icky feeling after reading only 65% and decided I couldn’t stomach that feeling anymore.

**disclaimer: I received this e-copy through NetGalley from Karina Halle and am leaving this review of my own accord. All thoughts are my own.**

This was such an interesting take on an infamous case, mix it with vampires and the supernatural and its a solid plot. For whatever reason, I struggled through this. I'm not sure if it was just bad timing or I just didn't connect with the plot or the characters but it seemed to drag for a long time. By the time things got really interesting, I was pretty checked out of the story and just couldn't find myself caring about it. I know so many people loved this book and this very well could be a me issue.

Set in 1947 Los Angeles, Lena Reid’s best friend, Elizabeth Short, has just become known as the Black Dahlia after her grisly murder is uncovered. Working with Victor Callahan, a private investigator hired to work the case, Lena gets more than she bargained for when she discovers Elizabeth’s secret dealings the weeks leading up to her murder, and that Victor may be more monster than man. The more he works with Lena, the longer his mysterious blackouts last and with him waking up covered in blood with no memory of the nights’ events.

Listen, I was intrigued by the synopsis, but the read was such a letdown. The author starts the story with a foreword giving some background information on the Black Dahlia murder, they inspiration for the story. I am not sure how I thought this was going to be written with a fictional narrative, but I was not prepared for the mockery of Elizabeth Short’s life. Besides being a gateway into the main plot of the novel, the Black Dahlia murder becomes little more than a gimmick to lure readers. The use of the victim’s name and allusions to her murder were in poor taste.

If we set aside the issue of using the victim, the novel is simply a dark vampire romance. What becomes a series of murders being investigated is deemed ritualistic in nature with strong ties to the mafia. The more Lena and Victor investigate each new murder, the more Lena suspects Victor may be more like her than she first anticipated – perhaps he isn’t as human as he believes. I will say, there is some intrigue in how the author sets up the vampire system and community, but the explanation becomes repetitive. As the story goes on, Lena seems more interested in Victor than catching her best friend’s killer which I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at.

Overall, all aspects of the story and plot felt repetitive and surface level. The only reason I gave this two stars is for the mildly interesting plot twists and spice. I unfortunately would not recommend Nocturne, nor do I condone the use of the very real Black Dahlia murder, the use of the Victim’s name, or the way it was used to set up the story. I do however want to thank the author, Karina Halle, Metal Blonde Books, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Dark and spicy, check your triggers and have fun!

I liked this- I requested it from NetGalley purely from the description and I had no idea it was connected to Blood Orange and Black Rose also by Karina Halle so that was a nice surprise!

The book felt very film noir style book with vampires. It was entertaining and kept me on my toes. I kept picturing like, Dick Tracy but with fangs! I know it’s not the same but I like the vibes.

This does get pretty dark, but maybe not quite as dark as her previous vampire books. The interconnection was neat and I liked the MMC was sort of the interesting character. It was surprising to me though that the MMC didn't know he was a vampire, same as Valtu in previous books, yet Valtu doesn't really have a whole lot of sympathy or advice for MMC- at least that was what it felt like.

I also likened the FMC to Jessica Rabbit in my head, I don't know if that's what Karina Halle was going for but that is what happened! I liked her character but I feel like the second half of the book mostly focused on Callahan (MMC) so there felt like sort of a character drop off in importance.

And I just learned that there is more vampire books in this series that I am going to have to go back to read!

I read the description.
A book by Karina Hale with vampires, noir-mystery, Black Dahlia-based, Jekyll/Hyde elements, smut.
I was sold!
We follow Victor and Lena, a private investigator and a singer, as they follow leads in an attempt to find the killer of Elizabeth Short, or as the newspaper baptized her, the Black Dahlia.

The third book I'm reading that's written by her, and I'm ready for more!
Her characters, her descriptions, from scenery, to action sequence, to smut!

Thank you, Karina! Thank you!
I will be reading every book she has written so far and everything she will write from now on!

Yes, Mrs Halle's books are amazing, but.. My dudes.. check the trigger warnings first.

I’m convinced Karina Halle cannot write a bad book. Every single one I’ve read by her has been an A+, and this one was no exception. She did an incredible job hooking the reader right from the start—I read it in one sitting!

The old noir detective vibes were such a fun twist and totally different from anything I’ve read before. I loved the darker, grittier atmosphere, with that underground crime feel pulsing through the story. If you’re into thrillers and murder mysteries, and want a dash of romance with a paranormal twist, this book is absolutely for you.

While I’m usually not a fan of insta-love or insta-lust, Karina made the connection between the characters feel believable and genuine. That’s no easy feat.

Overall, this book was so good—easily one of my favorite reads from her. It had everything I didn’t know I needed but definitely wanted. Karina Halle is officially and forever an insta-buy author for me.

DNF at 50% felt like to book was finished at this point. They got together. They’re aware of what they are. Wasn’t interested in the murder mystery.

This was an interesting twist on the Black Dahlia true crime case.

In this story we find out who the killer is but it is anti-climactic and a little disappointing how quickly the revelation is thrown aside in favour of the vampire side of the story.

For a lot of the romance part of the story I kept shouting the phrase 'SHOW DON'T TELL' at the author because the 'bond' didn't feel believable.

I would have liked to have seen the characters explore more of 40's LA and interacted with more gangsters.

2.5⭐️ rounded up to 3⭐️

Sadly DNFing at 77%😔

1.5⭐️ I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me. In the beginning I was interested by the premise and thought it was entertaining. The writing was pretty good for a romance and the characters had potential to be a good couple. I can see the inspiration from other vampire stories (specifically The Vampire Diaries) reflected in the world itself. By 50%, I was overstimulated and we strayed so far from the original plot I was ready to be done.

To start off, using Elizabeth's real name in the book really rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't know that this was the victim's real name going into the book, I just thought it was inspired by the case. If I would've known this, I wouldn't have reached for this book at all. This is my fault in not doing my research before reading and won't be reflected in the overall rating of this book. And yes, I understand movies and shows do the same thing all the time, it's still distasteful to me. Changing Elizabeth's name definitely could've been done and it still could've been marketed as a 'Black Dahlia inspired'.

This whole book could've been wayyyy shorter. I thought I was almost done and then saw I was only 45% in. Between the gangs, vampire bloodlines, investigating murders, etc., there was just way too much plot for a dark romance and the romance itself got lost in all this. The romance was very surface level and the enjoyable part of it was the smut. The characters were both just flat to me. Callahan having a wife previously was pointless; He talks about it once and it shows no impact on his character. All the names between the vampires and gang members got a bit confusing because none of them really have a definitive personality or look, they just ended up blending together.

One thing that really annoyed me was how unrealistic it is. Your telling me you can just murder people in the middle of a bar and walk into work the next day? Lena can just walk into an ongoing murder investigation and they just let her see everything? Right... The magic system (specifically with the vampire transitioning) was unclear and never really explained. There was lots of missing words in sentences that took me out of the story. I understand that the SA and accidental incest was mentioned in the trigger warnings but both instances were just so unnecessary and added nothing to the story.

Honestly, this book wasn't horrible, it just wasn't for me. I can totally see how people would like this book, I just felt there was no structure and I was done by the middle. If this book was marketed more as a 'vampire romantasy' rather than a 'dark romance' it would be more accurate. Thank you to Netgalley and Metal Blonde Books for allowing me to read this book!

atmosphere ✔️
spice ✔️
vampires ✔️

really cool story here and another karina halle book i loved. Might not be my favorite of hers but I loved the mystery, the characters and the action packed ending. I also loved seeing some of my favorites make their appearance in this book

So unfortunately this was not for me. The first 35% of the book I was HOOKED - the premise of the book was so interesting but then it felt flat and it just got confusing, the whole beast/human separate story line and the merging of the two just wasn’t for me and I really struggled to read the rest of the book.

I really, really wanted to love this book. And there were parts of it that were intriguing, but I just didn't "vibe" with it. It wasn't poor writing or anything, truly just wasn't my personal favorite. 2.5/5 stars for me

ARC Book Review: Nocturne by Karina Halle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Nocturne by Karina Halle is a spicy vampire dark romance murder mystery that's perfect for readers new to darker themes or those looking to dip their toes into vampire romances.

Before diving in, it's worth noting that this is a dark romance—so readers should check the content and trigger warnings beforehand.

This dual POV story follows Lena and Callahan, who unexpectedly team up to investigate the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short. The narrative unfolds smoothly as we dive deeper into the mystery from both characters' perspectives, keeping the intrigue high and the pacing engaging.

Karina Halle’s writing style is easy to digest, effortlessly pulling readers through a steady and fast-paced plot. I especially loved the characters—Callahan quickly became a favorite, drawing me in as I discovered more layers to his complex persona. The characters felt believable and relatable, enhancing the depth of the narrative.

The book effectively blends thrilling suspense with steamy romance, punctuated by moments of humor and excitement. One standout moment for me was the pool party scene—😉🔥🌶️

My only minor critique is the ending and epilogue, which for me, like many books, felt a bit slow after the consistently quick pace of the rest of the story. Nonetheless, it didn't significantly detract from my overall enjoyment.

Overall, Nocturne was a thrilling ride filled with vampires, mystery, romance, and just the right amount of spice. I highly recommend it to fans of dark romance or anyone curious about venturing into this genre. It's an engaging read that's easy to devour!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC copy and allowing me the opportunity to review this fantastic read!

4 AB Negative Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5

You belong with me. All of you.”
Heart, body, and soul…

I am convinced that Karina Halle is obsessed with video games. The previous book I read from her had very strong elements of The Last of Us and Nocturne felt like a spinoff of L.A. Noire. So yeah, I think she’s a gamer at heart, and I absolutely love that. I’ve played both of the games and now my dream is that she writes something inspired by Uncharted or American McGee’s Alice, because I would love to see what her brain does with those vibes.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
In 1947, Elizabeth Short was found murdered in the Leimert Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles. She was completely drained of blood. The media dubbed her The Black Dahlia. Since the police seem unwilling or unable to find her killer, her family hires Victor Callahan, a private detective, to uncover what really happened. His pursuit leads him to Lena Reid, a femme fatale club singer who was best friends with Elizabeth and one of the last people to see her alive. She’s also the on-again, off-again girlfriend of a powerful mob enforcer. But Lena has a secret... she’s a vampire. And as Victor digs deeper into the case, he finds himself pulled not only into the dangerous world of Mafia men, but into the shadowy, seductive underworld of vampires...

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
First, I have to commend Karina Halle on the vibes of this book. They were immaculate. I felt like I was watching an old noir detective film. You can picture the sleazy diner, with Victor narrating his own inner monologue. It’s 3 a.m., and the only people in the diner are himself and an old couple drinking stale coffee, while he drowns his sorrows with a cigarette. Karina Halle nailed the noir atmosphere perfectly.

The tone, the mood, the nuance, and the way she intertwined a true crime case with a vampire plotline were absolutely seamless. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who usually leans toward thrillers or murder mysteries and wants to try something a little more paranormal. It blends both genres in a way that feels natural and effortless.

If you love the style of The Vampire Diaries but want something darker, grittier, and rooted in historical fiction, this is for you. It takes that paranormal edge and places it right in the middle of 1940s Los Angeles. The smokiness, the underground crime, the gangsters-rule-the-world vibe.

The romance was surprisingly sweet. Victor and Lena are drawn to each other quickly. There’s an instant connection, and as secrets unfold, their bond deepens, and you can see how these two are meant to be together.

Lena is careful, calculating, and guarded. She has to be as she’s caught up in the LA mafia and in an on-again-off-again situation with one of the mob’s enforcers. But she can handle herself. She’s got superhuman strength thanks to being a vampire, and she knows how to survive. She doesn’t need saving and is a real force to be reckoned with in a gorgeous red dress.

Victor Callahan is exactly what you’d expect from a detective in a noir story. He’s rough around the edges, relentless in his investigation, and won’t stop until he has answers. He’s clever, observant, and catches on to things others miss. He’s tenacious, but grounded, and you just want to follow him through every shady alley and smoky bar to see how his mind works!

I loved how the story was laid out. I loved how everything was woven together. And I adored being in this world. It felt like I was watching a movie but in book form. I couldn’t get enough of it.

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Vampire Romance
▶ Historical Dark Mafia Vibes
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Suspense and Mystery
▶ Hidden Identity
▶ Strangers to Lovers

and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Cages her with his arms
▷ Degradation and Praise
▷ Stalking
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Mirror/Reflection Sex
▷ "More"
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ Blood Play

Overall this book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Basically, whatever Karina Halle is doing in her books, it’s working. She’s so good at gothic thrillers. I want more. She is fantastic at building atmosphere, tension, mystery, and emotional weight, and this is 100% the lane she needs to keep driving in.

Thank you to Metal Blonde Books, Netgalley and Karina Halle for the gifted copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own

HOT AF! Karina- what do you watch for inspiration? because DAMN! I could not put this book down! I don't usually give with books set anywhere in the early 1900's.. but a dark romance book in the 1940's... perfection! This book is beautiful & the spice is top tier! I know this one is a stand alone but please write 10 more....

The author did a great job at merging fiction with reality by incorporating the real facts of the Black Dahlia. A great spin on a topic that has been used many times.

Dnf’ed at 77%

The book started really promising with the vibes it was giving, very old Hollywood film in a dark bar vibes which I thought I liked but I just couldn’t connect to the characters at all, the romance was quite fast and not built up enough for me personally. I held on as I wanted to see valtu if I’m honest as I’ve read his duology and I LOVE him sm but I just didn’t find this book interesting, it was quite dragged out for me. The reveals were good but it just didn’t keep me interested.

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This is the perfect road trip book. Or, it is the book to binge while doing a full house clean. Need to listen to a book while you go on a full-day hike? Look no further!

This book has just enough intrigue and steady pacing to make the time pass by quickly. Unfortunately, it didn't have enough for me to feel the need to pick it back up again once I put it down. The pacing was steady, almost detrimentally so. The big story twists and surprises felt diluted and treated with the same emphasis as the early world-building and character development.

All that said, Karina Halle does a fantastic job with the time and setting of the book. I felt the same way with Grave Matter - she sets the tone expertly. You feel the essence of the time and place, but yet you aren't hit over the head with it. Slang common to the times is used, but it is sporadic and as a reminder of where we are but it isn't used to a point of annoyance and eye rolls. The dark noir tone is layered throughout, and again, to a perfect balance where you don't even recognize it happening.

Thank you to Metal Blonde Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.