A review by etoiline
The Unholy by Heather Graham

4.0

When I first picked up this book I wasn't sure if I'd placed it on the right shelf (urban fantasy) here on Goodreads--it took a while for the fantasy element to show up. And for quite some time you're not sure if the killer is a fantastical element or if it really is a locked-room mystery with a very real murderer. (Side rant: anyone else out there hate it when a locked-room mystery--or deserted island, natch--turns out to be just a dream? Tell me how they got out of the room, darn it) This is my first book by this author, but it sounds like she's known for writing that way, and I enjoyed it. The premise is fun--a murder at a special effects company with an owner who loves film noir--and the characters are people I think I'd get along with. The story reads very fast, and it's tremendously fun to have the characters interact with Humphrey Bogart as a ghost. Even though this is part of a series, the book stands fine on its own, which is a relief. There are plenty of hints about things that have happened before, but they didn't intrude on the narrative nor did they loom so large it seemed like something vital was missing. The characters could use a little more development (especially in the supernatural department) and I was sort of disappointed in the reveal of the whodunit, but the rest of the story is entertaining and well constructed. I'm curious now about the other stories in this series, so I'll check this author out if I come across other works.

I received this as a digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.