The Undead Complex

Description

A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. Mallory, Diana, Cornelia and Theodore are hired to solve a murder on a TV shoot by the victim herself. Perfect for fans of supernatural mysteries and cosy crime by authors such as Ben Aaronovitch, Josiah Bancroft and Tammie Painter.

Five months after the events of The Undetectables, business is booming – but finding cases that call for magical forensic investigators is not. So when Diana’s ex, Taylor, asks them to solve a murder – her own – Diana, Mallory and Cornelia can’t say no.

Called to investigate the set of Undead Complex, Diana re-enters the world of TV-show prop making – even in death, the show must go on. Even the appearance of a genuine-article Francine Leon dollhouse can’t make up for the fact she’s being pulled down a path of crime-solving she maybe doesn’t want to walk forever.

Meanwhile, Theodore’s coming apart at the seams – literally – in the aftermath of their last case, and Mallory is running out of ways to help him. Especially as he seems to be keeping secrets from her.

As the clues – and the bodies – keep piling up, each one making less and less sense, The Undetectables find themselves in a new race against the clock to find out what, exactly, the killer is up to – before they strike again…Praise for The Undetectables

“a compulsively readable race against the clock to stop a supernatural killer – downright delightful and unapologetically queer.”
Polygon.com

“Unputdownable. Grim and caring, twisted and witty, The Undetectables is gripping and charming in equal measure. You won’t want to leave Wrackton, while also being really glad you don’t live there.” – Deirdre Sullivan, author of Savage Her Reply

“If you’re looking for a mystery that makes you think, mixed with a healthy dose of supernatural, diverse representation and some of the best dialogue I’ve seen in a long time then […] The Undetectables is the book for you.” Geeking By

“I got so invested in these characters and by the last page I simply did not want to leave them behind. I’ll take a hundred more cases that need to be solved by the Wrackton gang, even if I need to commit them myself.” Read By Ross

“It feels like if Halloweentown, Charmed and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder had a baby as a group of 20 year olds reunite to find [a] magical serial killer [who] starts targeting their small town.” Ace Reader

“An urban fantasy that feels light but has a lot of heart, with a fantabulous cast and oddly adorable glowing beetles, The Undetectables is my new favourite friendship-fantasy. I strongly advise you not to miss out on it!” Every Book a Doorway

“This book was addictive and I found myself unable to put it down! It was impossible for me not to love this group of friends who each bring their own to The Undetectables. Not only do we get a lot of representation in this book but each character is unique and incredibly realistic and relatable.” Once More With Reading

“An entertaining, light-hearted mystery novel with an engaging group of characters and a solid sense of worldbuilding … this could be the auspicious start of a new fan-favourite series.”
Set The Tape

“Unapologetically queer and diverse with the perfect vibes for spooky season!” Quinty Narings (NetGalley)Courtney Smyth (they/them) is a chronically ill writer of stories, both long and short, from Dublin, currently living in the West of Ireland. They have had a number of short stories published in Paper Lanterns Literary Journal, and appeared in The Last Five Minutes of a Storm anthology from Sans Press. They have been writing about ghosts, demons and murders since they were ten and have no plans to stop. They can be found yelling about books on Twitter and Instagram @cswritesbooks.CN

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