3.5 stars

Before we begin, I have to say don’t read the blurb if you haven’t already. It mentions something that does not happen until 48% of the way through the story. Essentially, the book is spoiling itself but I don’t want to talk about that at the moment or I’ll start ranting about the problem with synopses these days…

Anyway, The May Queen Murders was an unexpected read for me! I enjoyed it far more than I expected to, although I did have a few problems with it.

The characters were the main source of my mixed emotions. Our protagonist, Ivy (which I think it my newest name crush), is one of those types of MCs that you like - and there is honestly nothing wrong with - but for some unknown reason, you just cannot connect with them. I have no idea what made Ivy feel so distanced from me but I could not get in her head! I did find some elements of her personality to contrast in a way that I couldn’t wrap my head around. For one, she was incredibly superstitious and seemed to be rather conservative - shying away from exposure to drugs and sex - yet she and her friends used to smoke illegal drugs “for fun” and she gets angry when people slut-shame? I don’t know. It was hard to get a read on her at times when she had these two warring sides to her.

I did also struggle with Heather as a character. This story very much focuses on the breakdown of her and Ivy’s relationship but at the very beginning of the story they had a massive fight and she was quickly out of the picture. It found it hard to mourn the loss of their friendship when we didn’t really get to see what they were like together. We then had to rely on Ivy telling us about their past. And well, you know how well telling instead of showing goes… It doesn’t.

I did really adore Rook, though. I thought he sweet and caring without being domineering. I liked that he had obvious character flaws even if those traits annoyed me at times. I was not pleased that he let his father boss him around so much, especially when it came to his future and career options, but I guess that is a very common thing for sheltered teenagers. The romance between him and Ivy was also done very well. Romance in mysteries is usually touch-and-go because they often take over the plotline. I thought that this book managed to balance the two elements effortlessly, and it actually added another layer of suspense to the story towards the end!

The plotline was a great blend of contemporary and mystery. It was surprisingly fast-paced, especially the second half, and had my heart racing in my chest multiple times. The atmospheric writing style really did wonders to bring the chill factor and suspense levels right up. I was definitely concerned for the character’s well-being and I loved that it was able to make me feel a little panicked for their sake! I also thought I knew which direction the story was going to take but just when I thought it was about to go down, I realised I was so far off. I never saw the ending coming and any book that can surprise me is just downright impressive in my books.

However, what made this story really stand out from the crowd was the setting. Ivy lives in Glen’s Rowan. It is this remote farming community in Missouri where everyone is very close-knit, almost in a cult-like way, and leads a simple and old-fashioned lifestyle. I had no idea that these sorts of communities still existed in America! I found the portrayal of their culture absolutely fascinating - it kind of reminded me of a mix between the Amish and the Romani, for those who are also unfamiliar - and it definitely has made me want to investigate the topic further. I’ve been obsessed with cults this past year and while this wasn’t a cult exactly, I found their culture just so interesting and unique. Definitely provided an insightful into a way of life I had no idea existed before this book!

This story does have diverse elements. However, I’m not sure how I feel about Heather’s sexuality being used almost like a shocking reveal/plot twist. I loved that everyone - for the most part - was accepting of it but I guess it reinforced the idea that straight = the default. I’m not sure if it did it in a positive or negative way still so I’m kind of torn on how to respond to it. Also, while I personally thought that Ivy’s ethnicity was handled pretty well - her mother is Mexican and her father Scottish-American - I have heard a lot of people criticise it and since I’m not Mexican, I feel that those reviewers who are have more of a right to judge than I do. It’s worth noting their opinion, at least.

Overall?

I thought this was a fast-paced and exciting suspense story. I was on board with the plotline and the romance so I found it easy to fly through and enjoyed the ride as a whole. I didn’t quite connect to the characters, especially our protagonist, Ivy, however, and this really brought the story down for me. But in the end, I adored the setting and the author’s writing style so much that I definitely will be seeking out more of this author’s books in the future. This has a great chill factor so I’d definitely recommend it as a spooky October/Halloween read if you’re a seasonal reader.

Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.