Pete
⭐ 4.25 Stars – Murder on Hunter’s Eve by Morgan Stang
Morgan Stang is an extremely talented writer. This series is clever, atmospheric, and consistently fair in its mysteries. Murder on Hunter’s Eve continues that trend. The callbacks reward longtime readers. The pacing works. The setting is vivid without being bloated.
Isabeau’s character development continues to deepen in satisfying ways. Mr. Homes is a joy. And Penny is just friggin awesome. She changes the entire dynamic of every scene she’s in. For a living doll, she carries more heart than many fully human characters in other books. The found-family element is where this series absolutely shines.
Now here’s the part that keeps this from being five stars for me. The increasing emphasis on woman-on-woman romantic tension and yearning simply isn’t something I enjoy reading. I was picking up this series for a fun murder mystery set in a distant fictional land — something atmospheric, clever, and character-driven. Romantic subtext of that nature was not something I was looking for. As the series has progressed, that element has grown more prominent. And while I understand this is the author’s world and she can write whatever she wants, it does feel like the focus is shifting away from the mystery and toward romantic signaling. For me, that detracts from what made the first installment so strong. You can put it in there, just make it a passing comment. I don’t need every female relationship to turn romantic. Strong friendship. Sisterhood. Found family. That was already powerful and more than enough. The mystery and the character dynamics stand on their own without adding romantic tension that feels, to me, unnecessary. It just feels like author is adding sapphic romantic sub context to check a box on Goodreads to sell more books when vast majority the other 92% of the book easily can stand on its own as a potential five star to some people. Taking that element out, this is easily a five-star book. The mystery is sharp. The characters are memorable. The world is immersive.
But because that romantic trajectory continues to increase, I’m settling at 4.25 stars. I genuinely hope the final installment leans back into what this series does best: clever mystery, atmospheric tension, and the found-family dynamic that made me care in the first place.
⭐ 4.25 Stars – Murder on Hunter’s Eve by Morgan Stang
Morgan Stang is an extremely talented writer. This series is clever, atmospheric, and consistently fair in its mysteries. Murder on Hunter’s Eve continues that trend. The callbacks reward longtime readers. The pacing works. The setting is vivid without being bloated.
Isabeau’s character development continues to deepen in satisfying ways. Mr. Homes is a joy. And Penny is just friggin awesome. She changes the entire dynamic of every scene she’s in. For a living doll, she carries more heart than many fully human characters in other books. The found-family element is where this series absolutely shines.
Now here’s the part that keeps this from being five stars for me. The increasing emphasis on woman-on-woman romantic tension and yearning simply isn’t something I enjoy reading. I was picking up this series for a fun murder mystery set in a distant fictional land — something atmospheric, clever, and character-driven. Romantic subtext of that nature was not something I was looking for. As the series has progressed, that element has grown more prominent. And while I understand this is the author’s world and she can write whatever she wants, it does feel like the focus is shifting away from the mystery and toward romantic signaling. For me, that detracts from what made the first installment so strong. You can put it in there, just make it a passing comment. I don’t need every female relationship to turn romantic. Strong friendship. Sisterhood. Found family. That was already powerful and more than enough. The mystery and the character dynamics stand on their own without adding romantic tension that feels, to me, unnecessary. It just feels like author is adding sapphic romantic sub context to check a box on Goodreads to sell more books when vast majority the other 92% of the book easily can stand on its own as a potential five star to some people. Taking that element out, this is easily a five-star book. The mystery is sharp. The characters are memorable. The world is immersive.
But because that romantic trajectory continues to increase, I’m settling at 4.25 stars. I genuinely hope the final installment leans back into what this series does best: clever mystery, atmospheric tension, and the found-family dynamic that made me care in the first place.