TW: mentions of rape; some gore

I ended up enjoying this way more than I thought I would!

First off, this is not a vampire book. I had heard that before reading, and definitely would have been disappointed if that’s what I was expecting. This is an atmospheric, gothic mystery set in New Orleans. The descriptions are lush, and the writing is a bit overdone at times, but overall I felt it was really immersive and I rushed through it. There is a “drawn together but kept apart by circumstances” angsty relationship, but also a hint at a potential love triangle?? But I don’t hate it. The story also touches on race and history, as both main characters are mixed race. Bonus: a pantaloon wearing lesbian friend. There are some vague supernatural elements mostly in hints throughout and we don’t get any concrete supernatural content until the very end. The rest of the series will feature more supernatural elements. If you are into classic supernatural tales (vampires, werewolves, etc) and are okay with a slower but lush story, I’d recommend this.