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A review by bickleyhouse
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was totally surprised by how good this book was! I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it exceeded all of my expectations. I had not read anything by this author before, but will certainly try more.
This story is set in the nineteen-forties, and has a definite noir feel to it. Helen is detective who has magical abilities. She's working for someone named Marlowe, who has asked her to investigate the murder of Kelly McIntyre, also known as Nightingale. What she finds is disturbing, to say the least. The crime scene is covered in the victim's blood, but magic symbols have been written in it, all over the place. And Helen doesn't recognize the language of the symbols.
The perpetrator of the crimes has come to be known as the White City Vampire. The city is Chicago, 1941.
This story has so much in it. There's murder, magic, demons and angels, even some romantic element between Helen and her girlfriend Edith. The way it flows is remarkable, and everything simply fits together so well. I was enthralled by the story, and by the author's writing. There was never a dull moment. There were quite a few surprising moments, though, some unexpected twists along the way. Things (and people) are not always what they appear to be.
In my opinion, this is a brilliant story, and I've been telling all of my librarian friends that they really need to read it. It's a short book, only 136 pages, and I finished it in one day, which is rare for me. Personally, I think this would make a fantastic movie! I would definitely watch it.
This story is set in the nineteen-forties, and has a definite noir feel to it. Helen is detective who has magical abilities. She's working for someone named Marlowe, who has asked her to investigate the murder of Kelly McIntyre, also known as Nightingale. What she finds is disturbing, to say the least. The crime scene is covered in the victim's blood, but magic symbols have been written in it, all over the place. And Helen doesn't recognize the language of the symbols.
The perpetrator of the crimes has come to be known as the White City Vampire. The city is Chicago, 1941.
This story has so much in it. There's murder, magic, demons and angels, even some romantic element between Helen and her girlfriend Edith. The way it flows is remarkable, and everything simply fits together so well. I was enthralled by the story, and by the author's writing. There was never a dull moment. There were quite a few surprising moments, though, some unexpected twists along the way. Things (and people) are not always what they appear to be.
In my opinion, this is a brilliant story, and I've been telling all of my librarian friends that they really need to read it. It's a short book, only 136 pages, and I finished it in one day, which is rare for me. Personally, I think this would make a fantastic movie! I would definitely watch it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Murder