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A review by booksthatburn
Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"A Foul Thing" follows Roma and Juliette after the events of OUR VIOLENT ENDS, taking place during the events of FOUL LADY FORTUNE. "This Foul Murder" takes place almost immediately afterwards, starring Benedikt and Marshall.
As a sequel, LAST VIOLENT CALL addresses several important things left uncertain after OUR VIOLENT ENDS, specifically the fates of Roma and Juliette. It contains a new storyline related to their lives away from Shanghai, when someone approaches them for help. Technically the storyline related to the people they help is both introduced and resolved here, but so much of it is related to the broader context of FOUL LADY FORTUNE that it wouldn’t make very much sense without having read the first three books of the series. In "This Foul Murder", Marshall and Benedikt are on a week-long train ride at Roma and Juliette's behest when one of the passengers is messily murdered.
LAST VIOLENT CALL is definitely not the last book in the series, The very premise of this book contains so many spoilers that it should absolutely not be read before the first three novels in the main series.
I like "A Foul Thing". Given the broader context supplied by the earlier books, it is in turn sweet and deadly, surpassing any expectations I might’ve had for what an additional glimpse of Roma and Juliette could be. "This Foul Murder" has many very sweet moments between Marshall and Benedikt, giving a much better sense of their dynamic once they're officially a couple and away from Marshall's family. The murder investigation is lively and interesting, and I like how well the two novellas work as a companion to the main series, both individually and as a set.
As a sequel, LAST VIOLENT CALL addresses several important things left uncertain after OUR VIOLENT ENDS, specifically the fates of Roma and Juliette. It contains a new storyline related to their lives away from Shanghai, when someone approaches them for help. Technically the storyline related to the people they help is both introduced and resolved here, but so much of it is related to the broader context of FOUL LADY FORTUNE that it wouldn’t make very much sense without having read the first three books of the series. In "This Foul Murder", Marshall and Benedikt are on a week-long train ride at Roma and Juliette's behest when one of the passengers is messily murdered.
LAST VIOLENT CALL is definitely not the last book in the series, The very premise of this book contains so many spoilers that it should absolutely not be read before the first three novels in the main series.
I like "A Foul Thing". Given the broader context supplied by the earlier books, it is in turn sweet and deadly, surpassing any expectations I might’ve had for what an additional glimpse of Roma and Juliette could be. "This Foul Murder" has many very sweet moments between Marshall and Benedikt, giving a much better sense of their dynamic once they're officially a couple and away from Marshall's family. The murder investigation is lively and interesting, and I like how well the two novellas work as a companion to the main series, both individually and as a set.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, and Medical trauma
A FOUL THING
Moderate CW for blood, violence, gun violence, injury detail, suicide, suicide attempt, death.
Minor CW for sexual content, panic attacks, medical content, medical trauma, trafficking, murder.
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THIS FOUL MURDER
Moderate CW for blood, violence, murder, death.
Minor CW for vomit, sexual content, homophobia, gun violence.