I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In The Undetectables, Mallory hasn’t been up to much for the past two years, due to her fibromyalgia. She hasn’t even been able to perform any magic, which, as a witch, is pretty frustrating. More than that, her friends and fellow witches Cornelia and Diana have been living wonderful lives without her, and her best friend Theodore (a ghost in a cat costume, don’t ask) constantly encourages her to put herself back out there on the social scene. So when their small magical town faces a murder—and then another, implying a serial killer—Mallory sees this as a chance to get the band back together to investigate. And so she brings her friends to town, but they soon find that they might have bitten off more than they can chew, and their first case might actually be their last.

It’s Halloween season, and my current reads really show this, don’t they?

This was a fun magical murder mystery! I liked Mallory; she’s bright and kind, but also grapples with relatable issues about missing out on more active friends’ lives as well as feeling that she isn’t as important as they are to each other. I also think her struggles with her chronic health issues are really well handled. The other three main characters are tons of fun together, with lots of banter but also genuine kindness and teamwork.

I think the mystery is pretty well done. There are a couple of decent twists, and I also found the scenes from the victims’ points of view to be really interesting. They added a cool layer to the story. I’m also proud to say that I figured out who did it, several chapters before the characters did. Not sure if that’s impressive or not, but I’m still pleased.

Speaking of whodunit, I do think that the killer did monologue a little too much toward the end of the story. The final confrontation was action-packed and exciting, and I really liked that part, but the killer spoke way too much. Don’t they know that’s the way bad guys get caught?

On a more positive note, I also think that the setting of this story was delightful. It’s a quintessential small town, with all its usual dark secrets, quirky citizens, and a weird mayor, but there’s the added fantastical element—almost all the citizens are magical beings of some kind. I enjoyed reading about the politics and interplay between people, and how their cultures, beliefs, and behaviors differed. The world building is quite solid, and the exposition never felt too forced.

In the end, The Undetectables is a charming read for autumn. It’s not quite a cozy mystery, not quite a high fantasy, but something totally enjoyable in the middle of those two. The crime-solving antics, layered character dynamics, and joyful queer representation makes this a great book. I’ll definitely look for more works from this author in the future!

The Undetectables is available now!