Moody, blood-soaked, and seductively unhinged, Nocturne is a noir-drenched fever dream that blends true crime, horror, and erotic obsession in the most deliciously twisted way. Set in 1947 Los Angeles, this Black Dahlia-inspired vampire romance sinks its teeth into grief, desire, and the kind of darkness that doesn’t ask permission. Lena is all grit and grief, Victor is danger incarnate—and their chemistry? Absolutely feral. Think L.A. Confidential meets Interview with the Vampire, with a splash of blood and a whole lot of bite. Not for the faint of heart—and that’s exactly why I loved it.

I’m so disappointed that I didn’t love this!

I’ve read another of this author’s books and I absolutely devoured it but I just didn’t get the same vibe and excitement from this one.

A lot of my issues stem from the FMC. I get that the author was trying to do something different here and needed a sort of damsel vibe to go along with the plot, but I just found her weak. She’s a supernatural, but she’s always so afraid of getting hurt and dying, won’t stand up for herself even though she’s strong… I just don’t feel as though this type of FMC is for me.

I think if you want something spicy, easy to read, a hint of dark underworld and noir vibes with a murder mystery, then this one is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy of this book

Karina has done it again! Looking for something that is dark romance, vampires, set in 1940’s, with a bit of mystery??

This is going to check off all those boxes and more! She’s a singer, he’s a private investigator who is falling her. This will be having you at the edge of your seat the entire time.

Check those trigger warnings and please know that this is an open door romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the eARC opportunity.

This book had me thinking about it at the most random moments. It took me a few days to get through, but not for lack of entertainment. Just me being lazy lol. If you love true crime, vampires, suspense, then this is definitely for you! The characters weren’t boring and led interesting lives. The twist was predictable but still something you don’t see often. I really enjoyed this one!!

Nocturne by Karina Halle totally pulled me in. I loved the whole moody, old Hollywood vibe mixed with this dark, intense romance. It gave off major noir energy, and the tension between Lena and Victor? So addicting. The writing felt super atmospheric—even if a bit heavy at times—but honestly, I was hooked. If you’re into slow burn, mystery, and a little bit of danger, this one hits the spot!!

If you said vampires I'm going to think of Anne Rice and then Karina Halle. After finish this mistery gotic beauty I have decide that I need to reread all of her vampire-related books, and if you haven't, you should. They're so sooo good.

They have that mix of mystery with that almost tangible tension that come out of the pages, and the level of steam sometimes leaves me rethinking so many things
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In this particular book, the mystery wasn't difficult to understand, but several times I had to go back to check if I wasn't imagining things. And Yep ...It left me with the mouth open 
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And when I got to the end and recognized some names, I knew I had to reread all of her vampire books. It's like finding the puzzle piece you didn't know was missing, but it sheds a different light on the whole series
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Word by word, the story draws you in, and in every dark corner, there's a mystery to be solved.

Lena Reid has just discovered that her best friend died and with a tragic and gruesome death that's the news everyone can't stop talking about. As she begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, private detective Victor Callahan appears, and not only does he seem intent on unraveling the mystery of her best friend's death, and although she knows she has to be careful not to reveal her secrets she can't also resist being near him.
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It's a book about vampires and murder, and a mysterious invisible thread that connects everyone in the story. A perfect book to pull you out of a reading slump and stay up all night.
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Thanks to Karina Halle and her team for give me a copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

Darkly romantic and beautifully written, with a haunting atmosphere. The pacing dragged slightly in the middle, but the payoff was worth it. Perfect for gothic romance lovers.

NOCTURNE

3.5⭐️
4🌶️

✔️Vampires
✔️Romantasy
✔️Rituals
✔️Detective

A vampire romance so dark it’ll bite.

He’s not just dangerous—he’s designed to destroy you. Blood. Obsession. Murder.And a love story twisted enough to hurt so good.

True crime fans are going to love this book!! 📕
•───⋅☾☽⋅───•──•───⋅☾☽⋅───•
I struggled with this book at first as I found it slow pacing - however, once over the hurdle I found the story quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the whole 1940’s setting it made the book unique.

The Black Dahlia references and character development was amazing! I was over the moon 🌑. As a true crime fan this hit the spot for me and I love Karina Halle’s take on the crime that rocked the world!

The detective element to the book was astounding!!! I loved, loved, loved it! 🥰 it gave such a dark and mysterious vibe to it especially the Era of the book.

Vampires - I love them! I honestly can’t get enough of vampires I enjoyed watching Victor during his becoming - Lena was a great FMC to help guide Victor throughout the book.

Also, I really loved the Dracula and Van Helsing characters/ input 🥰🥰

1940s PI Vampire?! I can picture this so well it's insane. I loved that this was dark romance but also had some elements that felt straight out of a movie. This is very dark but I just could not stop reading. I need more from Karina Hall like yesterday!

I am not a new Karina Halle fan (Grave Matters was definitely a highlight for me), so I knew going into this that I would love it instantly. True crime, vampires, thriller, smut, what more could a girl want?

What made this book even more enrapturing for me was that some characters were based on real people, and it really brought to life the Black Dahlia murder in a different light.

I really enjoyed the Hollywood 40s vibe, which isn't usually something I'd be interested in. It meshed together so well with the vampiric theme.

Definitely one for you to enjoy if you're looking for a smutty thriller vampire book, or a returning Halle fan.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved this, it was such a good romance in its specific genre. SO good.

The Black Dahlia, Dracula, and Charlie Manson oh my. Elizabeth Short has just been found dead and the police are scrambling to find the killer. Her sister hires a PI to help out and he’s drawn to Elizabeth’s best friend Lena. However Lena has her own secret (and it’s a pretty big one) and a mafia boyfriend who won’t leave her alone. Can she stay away from her private investigator Callahan? Callahan might have some secrets of his own that’ll throw a wrench in everything.

Based after a few real life people (and a few literary ones) in the 1940s, Callahan and Lena are thrust together in the investigation and will need the help of some trusted friends to help them with their secrets, the mob, and some really hot attraction.

I loved that this had real characters that I already knew about. It’s a alternate story from what actually happened (or I mean we never know because the Black Dahlia’s murder is still unsolved to this day 🤔) The spice level is about 🌶️🌶️🌶️ which worked for the story and made for some pretty interesting scenes. It did read a little slowish in a few parts but other wise flowed well and is a fun reimagining on some notorious characters from history. This dark stalker romance is one you’ll want to read. Nocturne is now available.

Thank you to @netgalley and @authorhalle for this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this one! There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming. The chemistry that Victor and Lena had was right from the start. The mob boss era in the 50s vibes felt super realistic it made me feel like I was watching the Godfather😂 When I was trying to imagine what Lena looked like singing I imagined the singer in The Greatest Showman who sang Never Enough.

I really enjoyed this one; the mystery and the thriller aspect were great. I really liked how it was based on a real crime, it made it that much “creepier.” Hopefully, there are more books in the series, maybe following the other vampires in the clan 👀

Read if you like:
🩸Vampires
🩸Mob era, 1950s LA
🩸Dark Romance
🩸Thriller/mystery
🩸Spice with a plot

Please read the TWs! I don’t want to give any spoilers, but as an acid attack victim, there was a scene in here that was shocking and made me take a step back but I loved how the author portrayed it in this book. More awareness on this is so so important.

okay this was just… not it for me no matter how hard i tried to convince myself it was.

the premise was interesting but the execution was very surface level and felt almost like a caricature of other vampire stories and i just couldn’t take it seriously.

the repetition of some irrelevant plot points was wild like can we PLEASE talk about how many damn times lena made this woman sandwiches? literally every. single. day. at a certain point it became comical to me. ☠️ NOT JUST THAT but she kept talking about how big his dick was, like damn girl we know.

i am a big true crime girly but for some reason this story actually using a victims name rubbed me the wrong way? it’s one thing to do a story heavily based on something but it’s a different thing entirely when you’re using victims names from me. it just felt very ick to me.

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is it still technically an arc if i got approved after the release date? who knows but shoutout to netgalley, karina hallee and metal blonde books for access to this book in exchange for an honest review. 🥰

I was hooked from the beginning!

I loved all the twists and turns. Karina Halle is an amazing writer and captivates the time and era of Hollywood/LA in the late 40’s incredibly well. Lena and Callahan both were interesting characters, I was on the edge wanting to know more especially Callahan. Seeing the struggle that Callahan goes through trying to come to terms with what he is and the chaos he did when he was not himself was adding that extra element of what version of himself he was going to accept. Having Lena there to help him and show him how to be both parts of himself, because she herself is strong and independent and there is this vulnerability that she has even with being a vampire.

Vampires, Hollywood Lore of that age and the history of LA playing so well together. I think a perfect mesh of what happened with the Black Dahlia and rumors surrounding it gave way to a great unique (fictional) story.

Highly recommend.

Cool book title ✅
Old Hollywood/ Noir vibes ✅
Dark romance ✅
Vampires ✅
Mystery / thriller ✅

Literally what more can you ask for? This book perfectly blends all the BEST elements a girl could ask for.. this is my third Karina Halle book and understandably this is my favourite so far, the vampire component may have given this one an extra boost for me because I’ve always had a thing for vampires 😂😂😂

Enter a smoky Hollywood lounge, an alluring singer who also happens to be a vampire, a broody ex boxer turned private eye and a hunt for an murderer…I honestly can’t make this up, it’s SO good why has no one thought of this before 😆

I don’t think I have to say anything else to convince you on this one.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

Woah, just woaah.
Sizzling and steamy dark romance between a PI and a singer. Perfectly paced.
Oh and most importantly VAMPIRES😍

The nicknames he gave herrrrrrr👀

Hooked me from page 1 and remained that way till the end. The mystery and case being investigated was nuts. I was soo invested I couldn’t put it down, was trying to solve it with them.
Plot twist after plot twist after PLOT TWIST.

I heard there were characters cameos from Karina’s previous books so I’m gna need to read those asap. I LOVE this world and I kinda want more from it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️

My first Karina Halle Book and I didn’t know if I was going to like it, as I’m usually not a 1940s time piece reader.

Old‑Hollywood noir with real teeth—literally. Set in smoky 1947 Los Angeles, Nocturne follows lounge singer Lena Reid (femme fatale, secret vampire) and war‑vet‑turned‑private‑eye Victor Callahan (ex‑boxer, new fangs) as they hunt the killer behind the Black Dahlia murder.

Karina Halle nails the period detail: neon marquees, mob‑run nightclubs, cigarette haze you can almost smell. The mystery’s main twist is visible a block away, but the ride is so atmospheric I didn’t mind. Steam sits at a solid three‑pepper, the dialogue crackles, and cameo nods to Dracula‑lore are pure catnip for vampire fans. A compelled, drug‑fogged encounter may unsettle some readers—worth noting for consent sensitivity—but the overall package is lush, moody, and utterly bingeable.

🖤 1947 Hollywood‑noir setting
🥀 Lounge‑singer vampire FMC (femme fatale)
🖤 Broody PI / ex‑boxer MMC
🥀 Slow‑burn, fangs‑out romance
🖤 Black Dahlia true‑crime
🥀 Mobsters & smoky nightclubs
🖤 Reluctant vamp‑transformation arc
🥀 “Touch her and 💀” possessive hero
🖤 Mystery‑thriller plot

ARC courtesy of NetGalley & Metal Blonde Books

Dark and moody! This romance was fun! A little mystery mixed in with vampire tension. I loved the darkness and the sizzling romance. This book has a rich atmosphere and it was difficult to put down once I started. Good read for the spooky season!

A dark vampire romance mystery set in the 1940s? Sign me up! 🔥

Nocturne is a dark, seductive story set in 1940s Los Angeles, where danger lurks in every shadow and vampires walk among us. The atmosphere is rich and moody, and the whole book feels like a classic film noir with a paranormal twist.

Lena Reid is a true femme fatale 🌹 — confident, clever, and impossible to ignore. I loved her character. Her chemistry with Victor Callahan is intense, full of tension and dark romance that really pulls you in.

While the mystery was interesting and the vibe was great, some of the plot twists were easy to guess, and the story didn’t feel super original. Still, it was fun to read — especially if you like vampire stories with a mix of romance, mystery, and a touch of danger. It gave off strong Dracula (he’s literally in it) meets Buffy energy.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book!!