This was such a great read! It was gritty, suspenseful, dark and mysterious. The film noir vibes were excellent and the twists were unexpected!! And there are vampires!!

I loved how it felt like a classic PI movie with a Hollywood starlet. It was such a cool setting and the tension and mystery was so well done. It actually has a lot of historical basis in the Black Dahlia murder and the scene in California at that time.

Lena Reid is a glamorous, independent FMC, singing at a nightclub when her best friend is murdered in a horrific and ritualistic way. Vincent Callahan is hired by the family as a private investigator to find out what really happened and he meets Lena. They uncover a lot of secrets together as they work towards identifying the killer. It's dark, dangerous and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

As I said, the twists were so well done and the ending was incredibly satisfying. Thank you Karina Halle and Metal Blonde books for the review copy.

A gloriously brutal story with the background of the Black Dahlia murder with all the sensuality and blood your little vampire-loving heart could wish for.

Lena Reid's close friend, Elizabeth Short, has just been murdered, found drained of blood. The press are focusing on the scandalous side of the case, on Elizabeth's search for stardom and what dangerous company she might have kept, but Lena, a nightclub singer with her own ties to danger, rightly believes her friend deserves better.

Victor Callahan is investigating the murder, but soon finds himself enthralled by Lena. His constant blackouts and lost time make him desperate, but with the supernatural and the underworld mixing to put him and Lena in danger, he must rely on every one of his senses to make it out of this mess.

I loved the writing, the compelling characters, and the denouement of the story, hinting at future terror.

An entertaining and quick read. True crime meets the 1940s with a noir vibe - and vampires! I had a nice time with this one - finished it in a single sitting - but I still can’t bring myself to rate it higher, as it didn’t quite amaze me the way other books in the genre have. Overall a solid 3 stars.

This was my first book by Karina Halle, and I found her writing style quite nice - very easy to read, with a good flow and pace. Clear and straightforward. The plot kept me engaged throughout and the chemistry between both MCs was definitely palpable. That said, the relationship did feel a bit flat at times for my personal taste. It was spicy, sure, but it still lacked something I can’t quite pinpoint.

Last but definitely not least, thank you SO much to Karina Halle and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have read many Karina Halle books and I have always absolutely loved her fantasy/paranormal books. When I heard about her newest book, featuring vampires and mobsters, I was beyond excited to read it.

Nocturne delivers on everything that it promises, including a sensational romance and a thrilling mystery set on an atmospheric backdrop.

Karina Halle has the most beautiful writing style and every word drew me further into the enticing tale. The chemistry between our main characters was super intense and as per usual, Karina Halle has written the most delicious steamy scenes.

Once again, Karina Halle has smashed it out of the park and I am super excited to read whatever she writes next.

Okay, so this was my very first Karina book, and it will definitely not be my last. I love her writing style. I will definitely be picking up more of her books. But I digress. This was a wild ride and I loved it. I loved the fact that this was a Black Delilah retelling,( I haven’t read one before) or a fictional story of what actually happened. And then she added vampires. That is just want I needed.

The plot was great, and the spice was spicy.

I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley, Karina Halle and Metal Blonde Books for this ARC

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Nocturne
💫💫💫💫💫

I literally just finished Nocturne, and it was so good!

We start the book with a forward about a case known as the Black Dahlia, a mystery that is still unsolved to this day and how the rumours of vampires are linked. I have never read a book that has incorporated a true crime with romantasy, but I am so glad I did!

This book has mobsters, vampires, paranormal entities, and a mystery that had me on the edge of my seat to figure out.

The chemistry between our FMC and MMC was so genuine and steamy that the relationship developed so easily.

Thank you to @netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nocturne is the answer to Sin City, but with Vampires. This richly detailed, gritty noir thriller is told is dual point of view of our two main characters, Lena Reid and Victor 'Callahan'. Lena is a smoke show of a singer at the Emerald Palace, and Victor is a P.I. after being in the military. They find their lives intersecting after the murder of Elizabeth Short, more famously known as the Black Dahlia. Lena was friends with 'Betty', as she was known to those close to her, and she had suspected that Betty was getting involved in things over her head. Victor is hired by Elizabeth's sister to try to solve her murder. Lena and Victor have to decide if they can put aside their differences and work together to solve the murder of Elizabeth Short, before they're stopped by someone invested in keeping Elizabeth's killer a secret. Set in the gritty, atmospheric Los Angeles, California in 1947, Nocturne reimagines the Black Dahlia murder with a supernatural twist that gives readers answers to the questions: 'what happened to Elizabeth Short? Who could have done this?'

Nocturne is a well-written time capsule into 1940's LA. Historically known events and figures are woven into a story that is both a whodunnit and a romance wrapped up in a suspenseful fantasy covering. The atmosphere of this novel was its own character: dark city nights, fog and nightclubs, heat and grit and diners with black coffee. Mobsters are a prevalent theme. Speaking of themes, don't forget to check out the trigger warnings at the front of the novel before you start this one. Nocturne covers a few topics and is sexually explicit with what I would give as a 4/5 chili pepper rating for spice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Metal Blonde Books, and Karina Halle for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Nocturne di Karina Halle

Overall score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Drama: 💧💧
Sugar: 🧁.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Trope: vampire - murder mystery - romantic suspense - horror

First of all, I want to thank Karina Halle and NetGalley for this eARC
Here, my honest opinion.

What else can I ask for when I have film noir vibes in a 1940’s LA setting, with a redhread femme fatale jazz singer and a PI as main characters? Well, I can have vampires!

In Nocturne, murder mystery, horror romance and a little bit of true crime blend together to create another great novel by Karina Halle.

I’m a crime fiction reader, and I’ve always loved James Ellroy and the L.A. Quartert. It’s not all about the mystery, but also about the incomparable aestethic.
Let’s also say that I’m a sucker for vampire stories, and you can easily understand that I’m the perfect audience for this book.

I liked the setting, the characters and how the Black Dahlia murder fits into the story.
The spice is great and that’s exactly what you hope for in this kind of romance.

Unfortunately, there’s also something that did not truly satisfy me.
Nocturne can be seen as a spin off of The Dracula Duet, but the “guest stars” did not convince me, as well as the villains, too predictable in some aspects (the cruelty or their opinions on humans). Probably, what I didn’t like is that the resolution comes thought a conflict within the vampire community.

However, I’m very glad I could read this book and I’ve already ordered my physical copy.

I highly recommend it to those who like the setting, morally grey characters, protettive and possessive MMC, romantic suspense and a little bit of horror.

Nocturne is a seductive and smoky descent into Los Angeles in the 1940s.

Set at the time of the murder of Elizabeth Short (the Black Dahlia) Nocturne follows Lena ,a club singer and Callahan a private detective, as they work to uncover the truth behind the murder. Pulling homage from the classic film noir aesthetic, you can expect lots of mysterious figures and smoky lounges as well swoony detective and hypnotic singer. But that isn't even my favourite part of this book- that would have to be the vampire twist that Halle incorporated into the story.

I have been a longtime reader of Karina Halle now and her vampire novels are just so well thought out and her world building is immaculate. I have enjoyed every single one of them that I have picked up and Nocturne is no different. I also love to see the celebrity appearances of some of her other characters as well. I love that her characters and her vampire lore is all connected!

When I tell you that this book had something for everyone I am not kidding: murder mystery, cult themes, vampire lore & the seductive 1940s setting!! Not too mention this book was SPICY!!

Whenever I am in a reading slump, Karina Halle announces her next book coming out and SOMEHOW magically, it is exactly what I want to read, every single time. Let me tell you this book was everything. I tried to prolong the book as much as possible, because I truly did not want it to end. This was so much fun and easily a six star read for me!

I loved the Vampire / Black Dahlia story line. Some parts of the story fell a a little flat for me. I loved the setting, the mood, and the characters. The Black Dahlia story line really pulled me in from the beginning.