Blood and Moonlight is a a mix of mystery, love and murder. Catrin is the person who can spot flaws in the foundation of the church. But while she is working at night, she witnesses a murder and the mystery begins. The mystery is tricky and will have the reader t the edge of their seats. The romance adds some spice but does not deter from the overall plot.

I’ve never read a fantasy mystery before. I really enjoyed it. Trigger warning for mental illness.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I really wanted to enjoy this but no matter how hard I tried it just wasn't happening. The premise of this was very intriguing -- you can't go wrong with a fantasy with a mystery vibe right? unfortunately it just didn't work for me. It felt like I was waiting for *something* to completely grasp my attention which didn't happen so here we are.

- thank you to the publisher for the early copy !!

I tried so many times to get into this book. I felt so guilty not getting to it in a timely fashion, but I think it’s time to admit defeat.

I think the ideas of magic in the book are good but the characters are stale.

A string of unsolved murders, clever young woman and her friends off to investigate, and unexplained things happening under the moonlight. This description sounded like it was right up my alley. Unfortunately for me, this book fell a bit short of what I was hoping for.

Cat is a likable enough protagonist, but definitely not the most memorable. While she is likable and kind, she is also sort of a Molly Sue. She’s sort of the chosen one and all of the boys want to date her. She does go a bit deeper than that, but I wish the author had even pushed farther.

The whodunnit part of the story was interesting enough that I kept reading. There were some decent twists/red herrings, but I could’ve probably done without the romance subplot. I suppose that’s a big ask for a YA book though.

I will give kudos for the treatment of mental illness within this story. Cat, Simon, and friends express a relatively modern view of mental illness.

All in all, this book was okay for me. Maybe as a teenager, I would’ve enjoyed this book a bit more.

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

444Pages
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Farrar Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: June 28, 2022

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Teens, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Mental Illness

Catrin is an orphan raised in a convent by the Sisters of Light. She works with the chief architect as a foundation inspector at night so work can continue during the day. Catrin realizes she is different from others when she can see things in the shadows. She keeps this knowledge to herself because she does not want anyone to know she is different. One evening she hears screaming and following her senses to find a dead woman, someone she knows.

Simon is a newcomer to the city and is asked to investigate the crime. He brings Lady Juliane, Comte de Montcuir’s daughter. Juliane has impeccable memory and assists Simon while he investigates. Unfortunately, Juliana suffers from mental illness and breaks down if not tended to by Simon.

I was immediately drawn to the cover. The image is beautiful and grabbed my interest. I knoew I had to read this book. The story has a fast pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. Catrin and Juliane have a special relationship and it was nice to see the characters grow. Although this is listed as a young adult book, the topics addressed would benefit anyone age group. The mystery was well written and kept me captivated. Learning about Catrin and her origin was a twist to the story as was Juliane’s history. If you like sci fi mysteries with a couple of twists, you will enjoy this book.

I was super surprised when I found out this was a murder mystery. I went into the story completely blind, I just knew I loved the cover and I am a total cover snob. Well, this was a super interesting murder mystery that just so happened to have a big dollop of magic and a smidge of romance. Overall, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by this book. The main mystery in the story is resolved completely so there are no loose ends to keep you up at night, but this is the first in a series so there are questions about the main character and her friends that are still left open for the next book.

On a side note, this book deals a lot with mental illness, specifically schizophrenia, and all the difficulties involved with living with it as well as caring for someone suffering with it. In my non-experience opinion, the author seemed to approach the topic with care and sensitivity and overall well done, but at times very hard to read.

I saw this book and read the summary and knew immediately I wanted to read it and I wasn't wrong.

Catrin is our main character and she has a special ability to spot flaws in the construction of the holy sanctum before anything bad can happen. When she is out one night looking over the building, she witnesses a murder and is pulled into the investigation to help try to stop the murderer before they strike again.

Assigned to officially investigate the crime is Simon, a distant relative of the town leader. He has insights into the mind of the killer that prove to be strangely accurate and as he and Catrin work together to stop the murderer, they find themselves drawn to each other and as their relationship changes, they disclose secrets that could put them both in danger.

I really enjoyed this book and if you're looking for a new standalone YA with a bit of mystery and magic, definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really did enjoy this novel, it kept me engaged throughout the entirety of it and I found myself wanting to know more and I connected to so many of the characters. I would highly recommend this read!

Great story. Interesting world and a twisty mystery. The only part that was confusing was the architecture of the building. It was hard to imagine the scenes with all the architectural jargon.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

A fantasy-set Paris/French town, cathedrals, a murder mystery, and special powers? Sounds absolutely intriguing.

Catrin has a special power that has awoken the first night of the murder. She witnesses the murderer standing in moonlight. A handsome inspector, the lord of the manor's two sons are interested in her, and everyone is a murder suspect. Meanwhile, Catrin is determined to find out her true heritage which might solve the mystery before it happens again.

Soo good. Doubt there will be a sequel, but if there is I'll be excited!

It’s rare to find a murder mystery fantasy novel and even rarer to find one that’s written well. This book had all that and more. The romance in this book tied this story nicely together. Definitely feel like the fantasy elements could’ve been explored a little but more but none the less it doesn’t take away from the story. A must read for mystery and fantasy lovers!

Currently taking a break from this book but might try it again later. It just didn’t catch and maintain my interest.

This one wasn't really for me, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It had a very distinct feel the whole way through that I think many readers will enjoy, and look for when reading one of Erin Beaty's books, but it just didn't work for me.

I was so excited for this book for this book and then winning a copy I was over the moon. But once I really started reading this one sadly that is where the enjoyment ending. I found that this book was super slow and very confusing. There was ton of info dumping that felt very out of place and I really just didn't care about the character.

3.5/5 Stars

Catrin, a young orphan girl becomes caught up in a serial killer's murder investigation while trying to hide secrets of her own.

First off, can we take in this GORGEOUS cover. I enjoyed this, but did feel as though it dragged a bit in the middle. I liked Catrin (Cat) as a main character, and learning more about her moon magic and where she came from. I definitely was more intrigued by Simon and Juliane though. I also wouldn't say I was fully on board with the romance between Simon and Catrin in the end. I love a good serial killer, so I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who this one was. There were so many possible suspects, I was glad it wasn't completely obvious right from the beginning. I loved the profiling that Simon, Juliane, and Cat attempted as they chased the killer. I also enjoyed the discussions on mental illnesses, and the care with which they were handled in this book.

This book was beautiful and elegant. It's definitely something outside my normal comfort zone in books, but Blood and Moonlight has made me want to read more fo Erin Beaty's work. The writing was so beautiful and the story was spook & gripping.

One of my most anticipated books of the year. It was so good and 100% worth the wait. I read it all in one day and it was amazing. Definitely reccomend picking it up immediately