Reviews with content warning for Murder - Certain Dark Things

Fast paced and such a fun ride. Some of the main characters are a bit cringey at the beginning and the main villain is a true prick. But it makes us hate him even more, so it’s a plus.

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andemilytoo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jlaz_13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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ecn's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Not gonna lie I’m pretty disappointed by this book and I really wanted to love it :/ To start, the MC is extremely annoying and the reader doesn’t learn ANYTHING about her as a person. The same can be said for the other MC. We learn almost nothing about him and I just feel bad for him whole time. Also, their AGE GAP romance is absolutely disgusting and NOT AT ALL NECESSARY!? He literally could have been 18 (and she 23(?)) but he had to be 17?
Also, the pacing felt so choppy and like I was missing something and this became especially apparent whenever new characters were introduced.
Lastly, the ending was the most anticlimactic thing I’ve ever read? I kept seeing how little was left of the story and thought SURELY things must start getting crazy soon? But they never did and the story didn’t end on… any note. It just kind of ended.

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ashlightgrayson's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I picked up this book right during the spooky season and Hispanic Heritage Month, so perfect timing. The world building was fascinating. You are in an alternate universe Mexico city with different kinds of vampires. There are different vampire subspecies that function similarly to different ethnic groups, if you will. In their case, it also manifests in each subspecies having a different set of abilities unique to their subspecies. There is even a glossary at the end of the book with a description of all of the vampire subspecies.

Atl and Domingo have an awkward dynamic when they first meet. It never really felt like they were equals in the relationship. By the end, I feel like Atl always knew this and that definitely affects some of the decisions she makes at the end of the story. Atl leaving Domingo behind to live a normal life felt adequate. I agree with Atl's assesment that they were going to get each other killed if they stayed together. Obviously I don't think Domingo sees that initially, but I think he will understand this decision eventually. I would say the ending isn't happy, but it is hopeful and those are usually my favorite kind of endings.

I absolutely loved this Latinx iteration of urban fantasy. The world building was interesting and you could see the aspects that were inspired by our real world Mexico City. I'm looking forward to my next Moreno-Garcia novel.

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annemaries_shelves's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars

I had a very fun time with this story. It's an earlier novel of Moren0-Garcia's so some of her character and pacing work is less strong, but that creativity and sense of place is still there.

The vampire lore she's created for this world, with the various sub-species of vampire and their clan clashes and clashes with humans, is fascinating and I want to learn more. It's absolutely the best part of the novel.

The overall plot is fairly predictable and it's slower to start, but the chapters are short and the story is engaging enough that you just keep turning the page. I'd recommend especially for the Halloween/spooky vibes.

I think some of the themes hinted at in the novel become much more prevalent in her later works.

Finally as it's a noir, the novel does get bloody and violent towards the end and I think some may be unsatisfied with the ending (true to genre).

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Atl is a vampire hiding out in Mexico City after her family was murdered. Domingo is a former street kid, now working as a scrap picker for a rag and bone man. When he has a chance encounter with Atl on the subway, she invites him to her home to drink from him. What Atl intended as a single meal turns out to be the beginning of a partnership as they work on fleeing Mexico City together. They're pursued by Nick, a Necros who is obsessed with Atl, and Ana Aguirre, a detective who thought her transfer to Mexico City would mean dealing with fewer vampires than she used to.

The rapport between Domingo and Atl is excellently-written, driven by Domingo's adoration of Atl, and Atl's need for Domingo's help but distaste for feeling weak. Atl is using up every one of her mother's contacts along the way, relying on wisps of goodwill and loyalty from humans and vampires who assumed their obligations died long before Atl's mother did. This results in a tangle of one-off and repeating characters as Atl and Domingo navigate this loose network of contacts, just trying to get out of the city alive.

The worldbuilding is immersive, built through stories, buildings, and how the characters move through this alternate version of Mexico City where not only are vampires real but there are several kinds of them. Some (like Atl) are Tlahuihpochtli descended from Aztec blood drinker temple priestesses, but human colonization and the encroachment of other vampires, like Necros and Revenants, have made things more complicated for recent generations. Several decades ago humans found out vampires are real, and many places promptly tried to legislate them out of existence. Mexico City is one such "vampire free" zone, a situation which causes problems for Atl.

The plot is a web of pursuers and pursued, beginning in earnest when one of Atl's pursuers gets sloppy and the police find a dead human. It's a dance of obsession, violence, and death, as Atl tries to use Domingo without him spooking, while Domingo finds himself falling in love with her and not minding being used.

I loved every minute, and am extremely happy with the ending. Don't miss this one.

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