The Undetectables is a fantasy mystery novel set in an Occult small town where witches, faeries, vampires, trolls, and ghosts live among each other. The main characters are three witches and a ghost who run a detective agency and are trying to investigate a serial murder case.

As you can probably tell by the setting alone, it's a pretty unique story and I loved the witty tone of it. The characters had rather funny banter which nicely balanced the darker parts of the book. I also loved the magical methods the characters used to solve the case, by mixing science with magic.

Although I guessed the ending of the mystery pretty soon, I kept second-guessing myself and the story kept the intrigue going. The ending had a bit too much explaining for my taste, but it fits the tone of the rest of the story.

Finally, I really appreciated the chronic illness rep the main character Mallory provides - the illness was never pushed aside or forgotten, and the book shows how it influences her relationships with her friends and herself.

I recommend this to anyone who would enjoy quirky and magical mystery stories with colourful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A fantasy murder mystery novel which takes you into the world of three young witches and a ghost, who decide to run a private detective agency. This novel was decidedly fun. Mallory, Cornelia ,Diana and the wonderful Theodore are employed to undercover a serial killer called ‘The Whistler’ ,but the case quickly becomes bigger than expected and perilously close to home. A world of fairies, ghosts, witches, vampires and trolls amongst others this book dragged me in, and I hope it is possibly the start of a series as I would love to read more about these characters, Many thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

I'd like to thank NetGalley & the publisher for this eARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
The Undetectables is a cozy supernatural mystery that follows Mallory, a 20-something year old witch, and her three (also supernatural) best friends while they investigate a string of ritualistic murders in their hometown. It has LGBTQ+ rep and chronic illness rep, and on top of all it’s written beautifully.
Had a lot of fun with this one, and would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone seeking an engaging, diverse, and well-crafted supernatural mystery.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was a solid fantasy mystery with a likable cast and good representation!

Of course, Theo was my favourite. How could a sarcastic bloke permanently dressed as a cat not be?

I think that the major part of this review will be a rant or full of complaints, because I am pretty mad at the book or, to be more precise, at the way they sell it to you. The book per se is not bad, not bad at all. We have a lot of good things going for it. The writing especially is pretty good. It is not that is poetic or beautiful (well, it’s not ugly, but that’s not my point) but it is smooth, and once you are reading is really hard to put it down, because it flows so well, and the story is captivating, and we have interesting characters, so the finished product is enjoyable, and I am not regretting reading it.

But this book is not what I was expecting. And, for once, this is completely not my fault. I am not new to having unrealistic expectations for books, and it happened that in my mind I decided that a certain book was in some ways, and then it wasn’t, and I have no problem taking the blame when the problem is me. It happened, and it will happen again. But this time it’s not because I didn’t read the plot, or because I decided with no reason that this book would have been something it was not.

1)Let’s start with the catchphrase, the thing that will catch your attention and would make you add this book to your TBR without a second thought: “Be Gay. Solve Crimes. Take Naps.”
Sounds great, right? And it is sassy. Or witty. And it led you to expect a certain tone from the book, if I can say so. But… Nope. We have one character that is sassy, or witty and that has great remark and gift us with some good dialogues and comic relief but… she is not the one up front center so… this doesn’t really work. And then we have the “solve crimes” part. Again, that’s not strictly true (and more on that part in the next point). And the take naps part? Whatever you are imagining, that’s not it. Again, more about this later on, but it is because the MC suffers from chronic illness. So the thing that would make you want to read this book is leading you around, and it won’t deliver.

2)Now, let’s talk a bit about the “solving crimes” part. It’s a lie. There is no detective agency. At all. When the first murder occurs, the three girls are teens and they have just started this so-called agency, but they are teens and they can’t solve Theodore’s murder (because they are little girls without a clue), and so they let it go (even if Theodore is now one of their friends, because he became a ghost, and Mallory, the MC is dead set on solving it, sooner or later), until today when they receive a job.
And let’s stop here a second. Between Theodore’s assassination and today, years passed. Our girls are no more teens but adults. Young, sure, but they are not teens. And this so-called detective agency is no more. It was a pet project of theirs when they were younger, but now the three of them have go on with their lives and all that. And still, they received a mysterious job. Some new murders happened, they seem linked to the one that happened some years ago, and they are hired to solve them.
And this does not make sense! We are not talking about solving something minor, we are talking about a detective agency that does not exist, if not in the mind of three young girls, hired to solve some gruesome murders. What the heck???
And the three girls, who obviously are happy to be involved and to resuscitate their pet project, have no clue at all about what they are doing. Sure, they are resourceful and brilliant (and it was fascinating seeing them doing magical things that are linked with science, that part was really brilliant from the author) but they are no detectives. Not at all. They discover the culprit because he grew tired of leaving them clues (and one of those is so clear that is like the assassin is screaming at them “It’s me! It’s me that you are searching for!!!) and kidnap one of them.
So… please, do not start this book expecting a detective story. It would be totally reasonable on your part since it is what the synopsis says, but you would be disappointed.

3)The naps part. We have an MC who suffers from a chronic illness. On the one hand, I appreciated this a lot. I loved the idea, and I think that we should get more books with this kind of rep. But I also think that you should advertise it, or say it somewhere in the synopsis. Because we choose which book to read even based on what we are in the mood for, right? And if I am feeling like reading something funny, or witty, something that would cheer me up, that would make me smile (and this is what I, but seeing what people wrote around it is also what other people too, surmised from the catch-phrase), and I find myself with a person that is constantly complaining because she is tired and she is suffering, well… things are not going to go well. Mind me, Mallory has every reason to complain about her suffering, because she is hurting and she is feeling tired all the time, and she feels like her friends are going on leaving her behind, and she has the right to say what she is feeling, but in the first part of the book especially, we get to hear her complain all the time. The first chapters are almost all about her feelings and… and if you go there expecting a sassy girl and you find a whiny one, well, even knowing that she has the right to it, you can be disappointed and annoyed all the same.
And the point here is all about expectations: if I know what to expect, I would be prepared, and I would choose the right moment to read it. If I want a pick me up, and you give me a tear me down I won’t be happy.

So, as you can see, I am mad at this book because it lies to you. And this hindered my reading experience a lot. I think that if you go in there knowing a bit better what this is all about, there are a lot of things to enjoy, because as I was saying, it is interesting to have an MC suffering from a chronic illness, and we have ghosts, gruesome murders, and more that make it the right book to pick up for the spooky season. And the plot is interesting, once the story starts going for good, the pace picks up and it becomes intriguing as hell! But the marketing here is a big problem. I think that the book as a whole should deserve 3.5 stars but I am not feeling so generous toward it, for all the reasons this book made me mad.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this very strange book

if your into ghosts goblins fairies and vampires this could be the book for you

3 young girls start the undetectables, so that they could investigate all manner of things. but life is cruel for one of them as they are struck down with fibromyalgia and her dreams of going to university are left behind and the other two go off into the world to do their own things...

but life has a way of bringing everyone back together and when a body turns up they are asked to investigate quietly

but are things as they seem....

spooky read for hallooween.... wasnt to bad a read

With a mantra of "Be gay, solve crimes, take naps" what is there not to love. The story itself tackles serial killer with a paranormal twist. The plot isn't overly complicated and it's likely that many may predict the ending but honestly the serial killer mystery is only one element of this book, and it's not necessarily the most important one. For me, the fact that Smyth manages to beautifully capture the complexity of the relationships that we carry through from our teens into our adulthood is a rare thing. It is no easy feat to put words to the deep rawness of those bonds alongside the frustration that they can bring. The author shines a light on and captures that element exceptionally well.
I deeply enjoyed that the characters had varied backgrounds (and all had their own flaws) and the justice that Smyth did with regards to life with a chronic illness and how it can affect the relationships in a persons life. It resonates in a very real way with readers who are familiar with the impact. It is something that I wish I saw done this well more frequently.
The rep is solid, with a cast of characters as diverse as they come. The prose is solid, capturing the banter between friends as much as the hardness of losing the people we love. I personally found a lot of joy in the gentle dark humour of the book, the small touches, like Theodore's permanent cat ears always brought the quirk of a smile to my face.
For me, overall, bearing in mind that it is for YA, I found it to be a very solid and enjoyable read.

This was a fun read, the prose did skew a little more YA than I was anticipating, but was still witty and engaging. I thought the worldbuilding was great, and the characters were felt fleshed out and fun, with well developed relationships. I did find the central mystery a little obvious, and the ending was a touch anticlimactic, but overall I enjoyed the ride and the quirkiness of the premise.

eARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

‘You’re a badass, a badass that happens to be sick, but mostly just a badass’

With Be Gay, Solve Crime and Take Naps as a slogan, The Undetectables promises a witty and quirky fantasy murder mystery. Initially drawn in by the Chronic illness and queer representation, the premise added to the intrigue.

As promised, this book is unapologetically queer and really shows the turmoil of being newly diagnosed with a chronic illness. Often overwritten, the book has the air of middle grade with some swearing sprinkled in. Most plot lines are conveniently resolved quickly, with even the big finale ending up being anticlimactic. Spending most of the book waiting for the group of friends to catch up and find the villain as it is obvious to the reader quite early on. It hurts to say the issues I had with the story as the representation is so well done and I absolutely adore Theodore. Excellent premise, but the execution needed some extra work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Courtney Smyth, and Titan Books for my electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mallory, Cornelia, and Diana are witches. Witches with a passion for criminology. And when an Occult murder, breaking an ancient treat of Do No Harm shocks their town, together with Theodore, the ghost of the victim in their first, only, and unsolved case, the Undetectables band together to solve a mystery that threatens all of Occulture, and the fabric of existence.

Queer, spooky, murder mystery? Count me the flip in! A fantastic portrayal of a queer, disabled protagonist, magic and lore, grusome murder and unbreakable bonds of love and friendship abound in this absolute delight of a book. It's a fantastic read for spooky season, and I sincerely hope we see more from The Undetectables in more books!

This is going to be my next Student Book Club read - it is right up their street! Action, drama, and plenty of laugh out loud moments, this author is going to be one to watch!

— 4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Be gay. Solve crimes. Take naps."

📖 | 416 pages
👤 | author Courtney Smyth
🏢 | publisher Titan Books
📅 | release date 26 September 2023

The Undetectables is a delightfully magical and queer paranormal murder mystery surrounding three witches and a ghost as they scramble to uncover the magical serial killer that is plaguing their occult town of Wrackton. I had a lot of fun reading this book as it balanced the laugh-out-loud moments with the serious topics on hand with ease. The main character Mallory has recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and is battling the day-to-day struggles of her condition whilst aiding her friends in the hunt for the Whistler. Whilst I had pretty much guessed the mystery surrounding the answer to who the Whislter is, it by no means took away my enjoyment for the rest of the novel. I, as a reader, really embraced the content surrounding fibromyalgia and I really appreciated the insight into such a debilitating condition. Found family is one of my absolute favourite tropes of all time, and the relationships in The Undetectables does not disappoint. Each character has their own distinctive personality which sets them aside from the rest and results in a really funny dynamic. Theodore was my absolute favourite character throughout the entire book, and I particularly loved the close-knit bond that Theodore and Mallory forged. The ending definitely took a heavy and emotional-turn that has me hoping for future books in the series.

I definitely recommend this book if you're in search of an overall cosy and fun murder mystery with Fantasy elements, an almost entirely Queer cast and disabled rep.

Please still check your trigger warnings with this book before reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and interesting detective story with magic and supernatural creatures a plenty. There was a cool mix between magic and science/technology that I really liked.

Only thing that threw me off a little bit was that the trio of main characters felt like teenagers and not women in their early 20s. Kinda Nancy Drew-esc, which isn't really a bad thing, but a bit confusing at times.

But there were a lot of good characters and representation in the book, the mystery was a bit predictable, but it was an enjoyable and light story all together.

I'm a sucker for a good sleuthing story, and one set in Victorian London with witch private investigators, ritualistic mass murder, and chronic illness rep is right up my alley! Right from the beginning with Mallory hustling for business at her party, I was sold. It's funny and sweet but rough in places that gives it a good edge (especially where the murders are concerned) and sets it apart. The prose is beautiful, and the characterisation leapt off the page. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to a friend!

this one was fun! thank you so much to titan and netgalley for the advance copy.

in 'the undetectables' we follow mallory and her friends, pioneering a pseudo-detective agency who are trying to solve a magical murder mystery before the killer strikes again. the premise of this is fun and the book is no different.

what i liked:
- chronic illness rep: i thought it was really affecting, and the book didn't shy away from mallory's constant pain and discomfort in the way lots of books do., as well as showing how these mentally made her feel and affected her every day life and relationships.
- queer rep: lots of it and lots of angsty sapphic pining, which is always a bonus!
- funny and engaging: i really enjoyed the writing, i thought the characters were a riot and i especially loved theo & his cat ears. it was very quirky and i enjoyed the female friendship group dynamics

what didn't work so well:
- the mystery: whilst it was engaging, i did work out who the whistler was about 50% through and felt like the characters had been dumbed down a bit to make them more oblivious. i'm normally not very good at solving mysteries in books so if i had it figured out you can probably say that it was quite obvious
the length: felt like it was just a bit too long for what it actually was. 50 or so pages less would have been the perfect length, there were definitely conversations that went on for pages that could have been edited down.

A gripping occult mystery full of humour, loveable characters, and a ghost in a cardigan.

I absolutely adored The Undetectables and was drawn in from the start. The mystery begins immediately with the death of Theodore (our cardigan wearing ghost) when our three main characters are 14, and quickly pulls us into their lives years later when much has changed but their desire for justice remains.

Mallory has fibromyalgia which causes her constant pain and exhaustion, and feels left behind by her best friends whose lives she perceives as ‘better’ than hers. However, when they return to town she learns that all is not as it seems, and the book does a good job of highlighting how easy it can be for us to get stuck in our own heads and imagine that things are perfect for other people - especially when we are facing our own challenges.

The mystery was full of twists and turns and I loved seeing the strategies the characters employed and the new methods they developed in their attempts to solve it. The ending felt left open for a potential sequel and I would be overjoyed if this became a series because these characters and the premise would lend themselves so well to solving a whole host of supernatural crimes!

If you love urban fantasy, humour, and a murder mystery The Undetectables is the book for you!

The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth is a fast paced fantasy mystery with plenty of wit and whimsy. With its attention grabbing tagline of "Be gay, solve crimes, take naps" it immediately called to me and I was not disappointed.
The Occult town of Wrackton has become the stalking ground of a serial killer who is using magic to force his victims to chew their own tongues off and conventional investigative measures are not getting anywhere so the Mayor resorts to calling in the Undetectables, an untested investigative team made up of three witches and the ghost who happens to be the victim of their first and only, and still unsolved case. Mallory, the forensic expert is still coming to terms with her diagnosis of fibromyalgia and is frustrated by the limitations it imposes on her. She is also struggling with her developing feelings for Cornelia, one of her fellow detectives , who is also dating a rather obnoxious vampire. Diana is hitting up several of her ex girlfriends for information on the case , and Theo is being his dramatic, ghostly self. Will the group be able to stick together and solve the crime before one of them becomes the next victim of the killer.
This was a fun and fast paced read with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged, There was a really strong thread of wry humour throughout the book which I personally liked , it added a nice contrast to some of the darker moments. The real heart of the book however lies in the characters, they are vividly brought to life and completely believable. I thought Mallory was created with great empathy and understanding of what life with a chronic condition like fibromyalgia is like and I think she will educate a lot of readers about the struggles and strengths of people living with these conditions. If I had to pick out a weakness, I think the reveal of the mystery felt a little unrealistic, it did not fit that the characters would not have worked it out sooner, but as I already said I enjoyed the characters so much that this was a pretty minor quibble.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own

Well The Untouchables is perfect for an October to be read but also for any time of the year if you love your fiction full of folklore, magic, crimes and a found family with so much snark and sass that it’s impossible to not like them!

So what is it about? A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. An hypnotic whistling is causing victims to chew their own tongues off, leading the killer to be dubbed the Whistler. Enter the Undetectable, a detective agency run by three witches and a ghost in a cat costume. They are hired to investigate the murder but with their only case so far left unsolved will they be up to the task, especially since the ghost is from their first case which is still unsolved. Mallory is the forensic science expert who struggles with pain and fatigue from her recently diagnosed fibromyalgia. There is also Cornelia who is stirring all sorts of feelings in Mallory and is an expert with bugs and Diana (my second favourite) who plans to helps solve the case by contacting all her ex-girlfriends for information. But not forgetting the ghostly, cat costume wearing Theodore, deceased, dramatic and the Undetectable first unsolved murder case. Together they make a perfectly imperfect group ready to solve crimes others might not.

I want to say from the first page I loved Theodore. I have never met a character who is so dramatic and fun. Then the others were introduced and I was hooked. I want to talk first about the representation in this book because it’s spot on. I loved it. As someone who is a carer for their mother who suffers from chronic pain and fibromyalgia it was so refreshing to see a character portrayed with this and more so showing how much they have to go through every day. If anyone has a problem with Mallory often alluding to or ‘complaining’ about her pain really needs to consider just how it would be living with it every single day. But before I go off on a tangent… I also loved that different genders and sexualities etc are highlighted and more so done genuinely. It isn’t there just to tick a box and it isn’t in your face. It’s just people be they human, witches, fae, vampire or something else entirely existing and living their best lives – assuming they don’t get murdered.

Tied to this though are the characters, even the secondary characters are memorable but all of the Undetectables are so believable and come right of the page. It makes it easier to get engrossed in the novel and want to find out what is happening even more. But it’s not just the characters it’s the world they inhabit. I loved the way that Smyth makes a magical world tied to the mundane one. For me there was enough about the world to let me in and experience it but not too much that it ever became an information dump of how certain things work.


The main focus of course is the murder case the Undetectables are hired to solve but there is a lot more going on to keep you engaged such as the friendships and all the ups and downs they quartet face. I have to say this was one aspect I loved, it made them, as mentioned above, seem real and flawed. I felt like I became the fifth member of the team as the story goes on and became attached to each character. Although, slight spoiler, it took me a little time to forgive Mallory for Selene. The plot itself is well paced. We learn with the group and see the different methods they use to try and solve the crimes, I personally loved this style and that we didn’t get to know anything before the group like some omni sentient being.

I am in two minds about the reveal, on the one hand I loved how quickly it happened, the tension that was created on the lead up and everything about it. On the other I would have liked it to see it last a bit longer but I think it worked perfectly the way it went. The final thing I loved was the writing. It is full of sass and snark but more importantly heart and a little bit of horror with a lot of magic to boot. I really hope we get a second novel in with The Undetectables in the future because I am not ready to leave the world Smyth has created behind. If you love your crime fiction a little bit magical, a little funny and snarky and with a fantastic spectrum of characters this is one you will not want to miss!


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If this had lived up to its tagline, it would have been a great urban fantasy (seriously, it's such a great tagline!). Sadly, it's just mediocre, hence three stars.
On a positive note, Courtney Smith managed to capture the complicated dynamics of 20-something friends group. Mallory, Cornelia and Diana may be adults and fresh out of college, but peers' validation is still important for them. Especially Mallory, who feels (rightly so!) left out because of her chronic illness. There is this awful feeling of not being invited to social gatherings simply because people are fed up with your constant adult-life-caused refusals (young mothers would relate). It was interesting to read low-key fight scenes between female friends (they stage an intervention for one of them, because her boyfriend is a walking red flag), who grew up in internet discussion culture, where empathy is promoted as key component of an argument. Their fights are still heated, but they actually strive for a reconciliation, not ripping each others' throats. That was nice.
On the other note, despite quite good representation of a chronic illness (I'm not an expert here, so it's hard to determine actually how good it was), I have a feeling that it diminishes Mallory's character only to her condition. Her constant resting reflects badly on the plot dynamics and unnecessarily slows it down. Some scenes, especially never-ending conversations about feelings, also could have been edited for pacing sake.
But what really brought it down to three stars for me was the mystery. I don't have a problem with who the murderer was, but with the fact that I guessed it around 50% and the main characters are deliberately made less intelligent than before in order to be oblivious until very end, as the author apparently wanted to gain more space for other plot lines. Especially Mallory, who's big dream is to run a detective agency, is not as bright and skilled in connecting dots, as a detective should be. And I prefer my sleuths to be sharp.

*4.5 stars*

The Undetectables is a quirky magical mystery with the best chronic illness rep I’ve read in a long time (it resonated SO MUCH), and it also captures with excruciating precision the fraught emotions and agonies of early-20s friends groups. I adored all 3 of the women in the central group and also Theodore, the ghost who attached to them in their very first joint case, back when they were teenagers. I absolutely tore through this book, caring desperately about what would happen to all of them. The only reason this lost half a star from me was that, personally, I thought that the way the central heroine, Mallory, lashed out at a particularly emotional moment went too far for me to keep empathy for her, and the story structure would have worked just as effectively without such an extreme action. However, that’s just a matter of personal opinion, and other readers may completely disagree. Overall, it was genuinely wonderful and I definitely recommend it!