Read this on a snow day and it did not disappoint. The perfect cosy book to snuggle up and devour. Can’t wait for the sequel and will definitely be recommending this to my friends!

Honestly, I struggled with this! Hence why it’s taken me so long to review it. I found the pacing abit clunky, and whilst I appreciate the chronic illness inclusion (as a disabled person with chronic illness myself), I found it too drawn out? Like it was a character trait. I did however, greatly enjoy Theodore. Not my favourite book, not awful, but didn’t love it.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this. A very good read that had me hooked, once started I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend

An absolutely brilliant premise here, if a little clunky at times in the execution.

I love the representation of chronic illness in general – and fibromyalgia in particular – in main character Mallory, and how it impacts her self-view and therefore her relationships with the rest of the world. As a fellow chronic illness sufferer, her frustration, isolation and dogged determination to keep going despite the limitations imposed upon her are very recognisable and relatable. And I love quirky ghost Theodore too: their almost-familial friendship is totally lovely and I am desperate to find out who killed him (unresolved at the end of this book).

Sadly poor Theodore’s murder has to take a backseat to the serial killings of Occult and Apparent (i.e. not-occult!) citizens that are spiralling ever closer to Mallory’s small inner circle. There is a mixture of magic (witches, ghosts, vampires, faeries, spells) and modern science, as Mallory and her friends apply fingerprinting and DNA-style analysis to identifying types of magic and specific spells. Some of the worldbuilding, however, was not as detailed as I would have liked, so I wasn’t quite clear on how the magic system works or how the wider society is structured and how the various occult races fit into that.

The main focus and heart of the story is Mallory: her inner struggles with her illness and self-doubt; her friendships; her desperation to solve the murders and thereby somehow prove her value. In comparison, I didn’t get as clear a picture of Cornelia and Diana – their wants, fears or motivations, but that could come in future stories, as this is the first book in a planned series.

While a few aspects didn’t quite work for me, I really loved the potential in this story, the world and the characters, and look forward to bringing you a review of Book 2, The Undead Complex, later this year!

The premise of this book is great; magic, mystery, great representation, strong young female leads. And while elements of these aspects were great, the pacing and over-analysis of some parts let this down for me. It didn't quite live up to what I was expecting, but still a solid 3 Star read.

I loved this book so much Warm and fuzzy feelings commence. This book is just a fantastic adventure and as someone who understands chronic pain, I loved seeing Mallory and her journey. It was empowering and fantastic. A top read of 2023 for me. Highly recommended, and I hope there is more in this world. I need to read the sequel ASAP, I am more than ready for new adventures.

Mallory and her 2 childhood friends came across a ghost, one who insists he was murdered and is also now stuck forever made up as a cat

The three friends had an agency in their younger days, promising to solve Theodores murder, but when Cornelia and Diana move on with their lives and go onto uni etc, Mallory is left with Theo, as her chronic illness gets worse.

After a shocking murder on a supernatural being, the old gang must get together again to solve it before more people die

The girls struggle with finding their place around each other now they are older and time has passed, but can they put all that aside and solve the current issues and avoid more deaths in the magical society...

I enjoyed this one, even though the girls seemed at each others throats a lot but I loved Mallory and Theodores dynamic

Out now, with a sequel also announced, was a fun wee murder mystery in a supernatural world

This book was so wonderfully funny! I had so much fun reading this and fell in love with the characters. All of the details were so well considered.

Courtney Smyth’s debut novel, “The Undetectables,” is a captivating, funny and enjoyable entry into the realm of supernatural fiction. Hopefully this will be the the first installment of The Undetectables series, and it introduces readers to a world where magic and mystery intertwine.

A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. Hypnotic whistling causes victims to chew their own tongues off, leading to the killer being dubbed the Whistler (original, right?). But outside the lack of taste buds and the strange magical carvings on the victims’ torsos, the murderer leaves no evidence. No obvious clues. No reason—or so it seems.

The writing style is engaging and readable and drew me into the story. The pacing felt spot-on, with just the right balance of laughs, suspense, and character development that drove the story forward.

The diverse backgrounds and imperfections of the characters add depth and authenticity to the story and marks it out as differemt to many similar books. Smyth’s sensitive exploration of life with a chronic illness and its impact on relationships resonates deeply with those who have experienced similar struggles and feels authentic – though I am lucky enough not to be afflicted. This portrayal is a refreshing departure from typical narratives, shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of human experience with honesty and empathy.

It builds an interesting world where ghosts and magic are commonplace, at least for some, but the mantra of “Be gay, solve crimes, take naps” was always going to attract

“The Undetectables” is a great fun debut that heralds Courtney Smyth as a talented new voice in the realm of fantasy fiction. It feels like a comfortable world but in its own way feels very uniqure and I am looking forward to reading more!

An interesting concept with a well-written MC that was held back by its somewhat confusing world building and lacklustre supporting characters.

The main highlight of this book was the MC, Mallory, who felt like a realistic portrayal of a young woman learning to live with a chronic illness and readjust to the lose of the future she envisioned for herself.

I also enjoyed the concept of the world-building in the book, but did find some of it a little confusing on-page, which stopped me from being fully immersed in the story.

I had similar issues with most of the supporting characters, who often felt a little wooden. I did at times find myself drawn into the characters' various dynamic and relationships, but would also then find the next scenes felt forced or the dialogue sounded unnatural.

Overall, if the tagline of 'Be gay, solve crimes, take naps' appeals to you then you might enjoy this, but it wasn't quite what I hoped it would be.

Friends solve a mystery with magic, monsters, and chronic pain representation! Whilst a little slow paced, this is a fun, enjoyable, and easy read - look forward to more in the series

The Undetectables' is the first in a series by Courtney Smyth, where they establish a magical world which co-exists with our own-that of us Apparents-which is being terrorised by a magical serial killer.

Being an election year for Mayor Van Doren, not only does he need it resolved, he needs t done quickly and with minimum publicity so enter the Undetectables, a detective agency who work in return for both a favour, and a financial award for this trio of witches (plus accompanying ghost).

Except...the 3 girls' relationship has stalled as 2 of them have gone on with their careers, and Mallory has been left behind. Her skills as a forensic expert are on pause, as is her professional progression to university due to a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, something that affects every aspect of her existence and makes her too exhausted to carry out magical rites. As she struggles to come to terms with what is her 'new normal' , putting pause after pause on uni entrance, she really needs something to keep her going . 

Supported by ghost Theodore, their first 'case' who is doomed to spend eternity in a cat outfit and as he died on Samhain, his ghostly nature will genuinely last forever, Mallory is at a crossroads in her life until this murder lands in her lap.Now she absolutely needs to reach out to her friends, here is her opportunity to make Undetectables work, but she cannot do this on her own....

Gruesome and darkly delicious, I loved the way these strong and fiercely independent young women handled themselves, their relationships and the ability they have to see the future as something which is there for the taking.

Having raised 5 daughters, I can say that their biggest complaint when reading YA books, is that so many authors write what they *think* a young woman would talk like. Courtney nails it, the disillusionment with growing older and all the accompanying responsibility, how to balance relationships as people grow up and away from each other, and how honesty plays such an important part in re-connecting.

They also write with sensitivity and understanding about invisible illness, which is very much appreciated. If you know one person with fibro, you literally know one person with fibro. Each person with it experiences it, and deals with it in a different way which creates a need for awareness of this ,and a need for listening to what you can do to support that person, rather than making assumptions.

As well as establishing an entire magical world with all its accompanying rules and regulations, they introduce this wonderful cast of flawed, learning people who you feel you are just getting to grips with as they navigate an engaging murder mystery, occult goings-on and political machinations.

This sounds like a lot to chuck into a debut novel, especially given that one of the members of the gang is their first, unsolved murder (Theodore), but its length (400 + pages)belies just how swiftly the plot moves, how quickly you get sucked into the world of Wrackton, and sadly, before you know it, the book is over. It is dark, spooky, funny in a dark and droll way that genuinely tickles your funny bone (god I thought I was dramatic but Theodore, my secret favourite, knocks spots off me!) and is perfect for fans of Edgar Cantero in  my humble opinion. Go buy it!

More, much more please Courtney!*

Disclaimer: e-Arc provided by Titan Books, via Net Galley for Review. All thoughts are my own. My thanks to Titan Books, for providing me with the arc for review.

DNF’d at 70%

Thoughts
I can’t do it anymore. I’ve been trying to read this book since August, and I every time I pick it up I want to cry. I struggle to get through a page let alone a chapter.

It’s just so boring, nothing is happening and the same thing happens in every chapter!! The main character has chronic illness - very much appreciate the rep! I feel like every chapter is her friends making her food, her being ill/sick, the ghost does something and something happens with the mystery.

This book was amazing! I loved the friendships between the main characters, and the supernatural aspects in everyday life were fascinating to read about. I found myself rooting for certain characters by the end and I was very surprised by the excellent plot twists throughout! I liked the chronic pain representation in this as I feel that there should be more chronic pain and disability representation in books these days. I can't wait to read more by this author, particularly with these characters, and would recommend this to any fans of witchy books, books with magic, or even just found family stories with a touch of the supernatural.

The concept of this book intrigued me but for some reason, I didn't wholly gel with the characters - with the slight exception of Theodore. Some aspects I found tedious - but that may just be me getting ahead of the characters! Intrigued enough to try out the sequel!

One of my favourite books of 2023, without a doubt! Great characters, inclusive, witty, pacy - what's not to love?! I'm a sucker for that particular type of fantasy where the magical and mundane exist side-by-side and the world created by Courtney Smyth ticks all those boxes. I love the author's matter of fact approach to world-building, the way we instantly understand that this is a society with a rich and complex culture and history but without having wade through pages and pages of exposition. With a twisty, page-turner plot and authentic, interesting characters, this is a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a cosy, supernatural mystery. And very much hope that the author revisits the world of Wrackton in many more books to come because I'm hooked!

Be gay. Sole crime. Could it get any better than that? It was so much fun, full of laughs, mystery, intrigue and emotions. I loved it so so much!

I was so so desperate to love this, but it wasn’t for me. I didn’t gel well with the main character and I found her really irritating and I just wanted her friends to have a break. I felt there could have been a bit more done with the plot and it was perhaps a little under developed where the premise is concerned, that said, I still love the idea and it wouldn’t put me off giving this authors works another try.

I won’t be posting to socials for this one as it’s my opinion and not necessarily a reflection of the book and writing itself.

I loved the tagine and the idea of this book, both something didn't quite work for me - not sure if it was the characters or the writing. I think, possibly, it needed more editing? Either for overall length or for tone? Something just failed to click.

Really good character representation in this book.

I honestly really enjoyed the nancy Drew esq vibes of this books.

It felt like the perfect levels of choas that any group of a mature sluths would get wrapped up in