Devi Nair
š±š Read on Kindle š 337 pages ā± Approx. 5 hours š·ļø Publisher: Cosmic Tea Press š Published: January 13, 2026
Although this novel isn't marketed as noir, it radiates that deliciously gloomy, smoke-and-shadow energy that noir fans crave. Rodrick Gray, PI, fascinated me. A man who can literally see feelings. The premise alone is magnetic. Imagine walking through town and knowing exactly whoās simmering with rage or drowning in regret because their āsoul gardenā gives it away. Itās haunting and visual in a way that lingers.
But hereās the thing: despite the inventive premise, the story takes its sweet time getting anywhere. The emotional world-building is rich, sometimes too rich, and it often stalls the momentum of the mystery itself. The snowy Minnesota setting and emotional world-building were immersive, but I wanted sharper tension, more grit in the middle chapters.
Rod himself is a mixed bag. Interesting? Absolutely. Easy to root for? Not quite. His emotional sensitivity is thematically strong, but it also adds to the drag, especially when paired with a case that never fully crackles to life. Still, Maslakovicās prose carries an eerie, moody charm, like fog rolling off a frozen lake. I admired what this book was trying to do more than I enjoyed actually reading it.
Would I recommend it? If you love your mysteries with a surreal, emotional twist, That Murder Feeling might catch your fancy.
Can You Feel That Murder Vibe? Would you read a noir mystery with a fantasy twist, or do you like your detectives strictly grounded in reality?
Originally posted at www.viewsshewrites.com.
š±š Read on Kindle š 337 pages ā± Approx. 5 hours š·ļø Publisher: Cosmic Tea Press š Published: January 13, 2026
Although this novel isn't marketed as noir, it radiates that deliciously gloomy, smoke-and-shadow energy that noir fans crave. Rodrick Gray, PI, fascinated me. A man who can literally see feelings. The premise alone is magnetic. Imagine walking through town and knowing exactly whoās simmering with rage or drowning in regret because their āsoul gardenā gives it away. Itās haunting and visual in a way that lingers.
But hereās the thing: despite the inventive premise, the story takes its sweet time getting anywhere. The emotional world-building is rich, sometimes too rich, and it often stalls the momentum of the mystery itself. The snowy Minnesota setting and emotional world-building were immersive, but I wanted sharper tension, more grit in the middle chapters.
Rod himself is a mixed bag. Interesting? Absolutely. Easy to root for? Not quite. His emotional sensitivity is thematically strong, but it also adds to the drag, especially when paired with a case that never fully crackles to life. Still, Maslakovicās prose carries an eerie, moody charm, like fog rolling off a frozen lake. I admired what this book was trying to do more than I enjoyed actually reading it.
Would I recommend it? If you love your mysteries with a surreal, emotional twist, That Murder Feeling might catch your fancy.
Can You Feel That Murder Vibe? Would you read a noir mystery with a fantasy twist, or do you like your detectives strictly grounded in reality?
Originally posted at www.viewsshewrites.com.