I adored the magic/fantasy elements of this but damn was it hard to get into. The beginning is so aggressively magical that it's hard to keep straight, let alone introducing changing characters before the character themself makes it really difficult to keep straight, making it hard to enjoy.

This mystery was not what I expected. I did not know that there would be supernatural elements in this story. I also did not like that the heroine was a murderer. Thus, I could not sympathize with her no matter how much the author tried to make sympathetic. I do t see how she was any different from the bad guys. Therefore, this story was not my cup of tea.

Murder for the Modern Girl

This novel was such a fun read! I adored the mix of historical fiction, Gatsy-esque glamour, murderers (hunted and hunting), and magic. If that feels like too many things for one book, all I can say is that Kendall Kulper manages to create a cohesive, immersive adventure that I absolutely adored.

Read this book if you like:

-Avenging angels/dark heros
-Magical realism
-Gatsy-like parties, society galas, gangsters, police corruption
-MCs with powers they don’t understand, existing in the “real world”
-Dual POVs
-A lovable, broken MMC who is wicked smart, but also just kind of needs a hug

I definitely recommend this one, y’all. It’s a very good time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much! I loved the setting and the characters so much! Ruby was such a great character and I was rooting for her the entire time!

If you love The Diviners, read this book!!!!
i fell in love with the dark, glamorous, glitzy city and its captivating characters. it was the type of book that had me giggling, crying, screaming, shocked, terrified, and swooning all in the span of a minutes.

the plot was really interesting and was fairly fast-paced. it left my heart POUNDING at times, thats for sure.
the murder mystery aspect was so fun to read about because of... well, you'll see.
there was a bit of forensics, which i loved and as well as a fair amount of politics, but it wasn't too bad. politics always fly over my head so whatever !

Here’s the thing with me, if I don’t like the writing in a book, there is a 90% chance that I will end up disliking everything about it. It’s just how I’m wired, I need good, gripping, interesting writing and this book just didn’t have that and I was confused most of the time. So yeah, it fell flat for me.

I did not finish the book. I tried to continue the book multiple times yet, I didn't understand and it was too slow-paced for me.
I apologize for taking this long to write feedback however, I wanted to ensure it.

This was a very fun and easy read. The characters were interesting and the story was engaging. It was easy to get into, and I enjoyed it very much. If you're looking for a not so serious, and super fun book of murder and glamour, this one is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested to review this book becuase of a) the cover (look how goregeous), and b) the 1920s setting and murder mystery elements. So of course I really enjoyed this.

I loved the lighthearted tone throughout the book and I found myself to be very entertained. There were even moments where I ended up chuckling to myself.

As for the mystery in the beginning, I had a hard time trying to wrap my head around it, but once I understood what was happening, I was hooked. But besides that, the best part of the book was Guy's storyline and character arc. His character was so incredibly sweet (such a cinnamon roll). I loved his character growth from beginning to end. Plus his ability is something I don't believe I've read before; it was pretty unique to me. And Ruby and Guy's romance was also pretty cute.

However, Ruby's character and storyline was not all that interesting to me. She very much reminded me of Evie O'Neill from The Diviners series, who isn't my favourite character from that series. I just wasn't as connected to her as I was with Guy.

Overall, this was a really great read and I woud recommend it if you like The Diviners series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. Set in the 192o's and with characters Ruby and Guy, who shall we say have special abilities, this story changes viewpoints and shares each of their stories, which eventually collide. There is mystery, murder and a whole lot of 20's vibe and lingo. Where Ruby is outgoing and headstrong, Guy is quiet and tries to blend in. A good read if you like a mystery set in a specific time period.

Very fun read! I would recommend for fans of historical series like Miss Fisher or Frankie Drake.


Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Chicago 1928.
Ruby, 18 years old, has the power to read minds and because of this she comes to “hear” of people, mostly women, being mistreated by men; and she can’t avoid doing nothing so she just… kill the bad ones trying not to leave clues. When she tries to ensure it, the no clues thing, she meets Guy.
Guy, a brilliant mind, works at the morgue as a cleaner trying to have contact with the doctor in charge who made studies on tricolorforms, the power of some human beings to transform their whole body into someone else's. He is the one noticing that some people at the morgue were killed, with poison.
One evening Ruby’s father manages not to get killed when someone put a bomb in his car, but since he protected Ruby he is seriously injured. Ruby tries to find who did that to her papa.
The book skips chapters from Ruby to Guy, back to Ruby then to Guys etc.
I enjoyed the author's writing, it made me really think about Chicago in the ‘20s because of settings, dressings, verbal expressions etc., and of course I also enjoyed the story.
This book is also a book that talks about women’s beauty and strength.
I leave a quote, this is Ruby talking to Vivian, the reporter
““From one career gal to another. Any advice?”
“Really?” She looked surprised. “All right. Keep your head down. Work ten times harder. Be better than them every chance you get, and don’t expect anyone to notice. You’ll have to be smart and charming and humble and confident and everything all the time, all at one. Remember the other gals aren’t your competition, they’re your allies. Stick to them like glue, support them - you’re stronger together. And don’t pay any attention to the bastards dragging you down. Believe me, there will be plenty. None of them are smarter than you, even the smart ones.””

Perfect for A Niche Audience: Murder for the Modern Girl

Murder for the Modern girl is an interesting and captivating read. But, for the right audience. Appreciation for this book comes with a pinch of salt and suspending your disbelief. With a heavy focus on plot and character development, it is a rare gem with a heroine you can’t hate and her male counterpart who has the most golden retriever energy ever.

Plot, Prose and Pacing: Weird Writing, Killer Plot

Told from the dual perspectives of Ruby and Guy, Murder for the Modern Girl is perhaps one of the toughest and most interesting books I’ve read recently. It took me forever to actually get into the story and very early on, I wanted to DNF it. Yet, something about it captured my attention to the point where I was fighting sleep to find out what happened next.

Ruby is a girl with secrets. Firstly, she has a superpower: she’s able to read the minds of the people around her. And second, she’s a murderer, an avenging angel of sorts. You see, Ruby only ends the lives of men who have committed crimes yet escaped the justice system. However, her actions don’t go unnoticed. As she catches the notice of the police, her paths cross with a brilliant but socially awkward janitor who works in the morgue. Guy possesses an uncanny knack for forensic work and science, stemming from his desire to understand his own supernatural abilities. Guy is a shapeshifter; he’s able to transform into anyone. But the seedy underbelly of 1920s Chicago never sleeps and there is a more sinister plot at hand, one that involves Ruby’s own family.

The hardest part about getting into Murder for the Modern Girl is the writing. It’s not Ruby’s penchant for made up terms such as “ab-so-tively” and “pos-i-lutely-ly” which I can overlook as a possible trend of the era nor is it the more common 1920s slang and way of speech. No, it is the fact that the story seemed to be written in a stream of consciousness style, especially in the beginning. It was tough to grasp and I feel that the writing itself would land it in a category for fans of the era only and can be a major turn off for a lot of readers. On the other hand, I found that after getting used to the writing style, it was a major contributor to story immersion. I can’t imagine it being written in a more modern or simple style of writing. It would be a totally different reading experience. I still can’t quite put my finger on why the writing is so convoluted but don’t knock it before you try it.

Murder for the Modern Girl is actually fairly well-paced. It lagged quite a bit in the beginning as readers attempt to grasp at the story and acquaint themselves with our main characters. But other than that, it was really great. I loved how the major mystery built and escalated and I loved how everything seemed to tie in and work together wonderfully. I loved that there was a world beyond our two main characters.

Characters: Well-Written Personalities and Insta-love

I actually really liked Ruby. Some people may find Ruby annoying and a little air-headed and also dripping with white, rich yet oblivious privilege but I admired her tenacity. In some ways, you could consider her a feminist, particularly in an era where women were embracing their sexuality and testing societal boundaries. I loved that Ruby wanted to become a lawyer despite society’s expectations for her as the frivolous and privileged daughter of the state’s attorney. I also love how quick-witted she is and how well she navigates the intricacies of high society as a flapper. I liked as the book progresses, Ruby seems to shed a bit of her frivolity and embraces a seriousness that belies her true nature. There isn’t much for me to dislike about Ruby except that she can come off sometimes as a tad privileged. But, we’re talking about a high society flapper. In the 1920s, some things can be forgiven.

Guy, on the other hand, is much less exciting than Ruby. While her perspective is the high stakes murder and politics angle, Guy’s point of view is a lot slower and dare I say, a little more bland. It’s more introspective as Guy struggles with his identity and due to his ability to shapeshift, struggles with accepting his true face. Guy also blames himself for his father’s death due to his supernatural powers. He’s a little more morose but deep down, he’s very sweet. I think he provided a nice, neutral contrast to Ruby especially as she’s incredibly flirtatious and he’s not.

I really loved that while we get the story from Ruby and Guy’s perspectives, Murder for the Modern Girl also weaves in quite a number of other players like Ruby’s fiercely loyal best friend, Maggie. And Maggie didn’t feel like just a random throwaway piece of the plot; she mattered. The only thing that I dislike about Ruby and Guy is that their relationship was an insta-love one. I loved both characters separately and I liked their relationship as it built but they fell in love with each other way too fast. Plus, to be honest, there isn’t much basis for why they would be in love either. I could rationalise it but on paper, it doesn’t make sense as their stories are highly focused on their individual plots.

Worldbuilding: Needs More Work

Building and crafting a believable and rich 1928 Chicago requires a great amount of detail and worldbuilding. Unfortunately, Murder for the Modern Girl suffers quite a bit here. The world is described just enough for us to be able to get our bearings as the story progresses but not enough that the world is clearly lit up before our eyes. I can’t exactly tell if this is a matter of lack of research or just that it didn’t seem right to include more detail than necessary because it’s heavily plot and character driven. After all, as I mentioned above, the tone of the storytelling was good enough to give me a sense of 1928 Chicago.
However, it is frustrating that we never really learnt about Ruby and Guy’s powers and their origins; it was just another fact of the story.

Did I Enjoy It?: Conclusion

To sum it up, I massively enjoyed reading Murder for the Modern Girl. It was definitely slow going to begin and you may feel like giving it up. But if you love the vibes and atmosphere of the 1920s and fun-loving, independent and tenacious female characters, you’ll add this to your reading repertoire. I could never forgive myself if I didn’t push through and finished reading it, missing out on a fantastic piece of written work. Does it need some polishing? Definitely. But does it have good bones? Also definitely.

I love the roaring 20's era so I was really excited to read this one. The characters are captivating and not just the main character Ruby but her love interest Guy and bestie Maggie. They definitely made this book what it is. This was a nice fast paced read for me. If you liked Stalking Jack the Ripper pick this one up!

What more could one want in a book than corruption, murder, and life-altering secrets dripping with the glamour of the 1920s? Ruby, a mind reading murderer, finds herself swept up in more than her usual targets when an incident involving her father rears its ugly head. When she crosses paths with a boy with secrets of his own, a partnership of sorts is born, and a race against the clock begins as Ruby desperately tries to find the evidence she needs to protect the ones she loves.

This book was so fun to read! The twenties slang took a little bit of time to get used to, but it fits the characters well. Ruby, the protagonist, is at turns charming and forceful, but she never wavers in her pursuit of justice for those she believes are in need of it. I loved how quickly she was able to pull plans together and flip things on their head. I wish that Guy, another character, had grown a little more confident on his own throughout the story, but the moments where readers were treated to his perspective were always delightful. The standout character for me was Maggie, a side character who really comes into her own in the final act.

Overall, I really enjoyed this piece! Ruby reminded me a lot of Flavia de Luce, a character by Alan Bradley (if Flavia had lived about 30 years earlier and was 7 years older), in that she’s unapologetic in who she is and relentless in her goals. I’d recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mysteries, the underbelly of the Jazz age, and a touch of the supernatural.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

murder and mystery, wrapped in a veil of feminist magical realism. ruby was such a wonderful character and the 20’s slang made the whole book a wonderful joyride. i felt slightly confused by the romance between ruby and guy but it was still an enjoyable read.

It took me a while to finish this one. The setting's great, the plot is fluid enough and has certain interesting elements but it ended up feeling too artificial in general for me. I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters but a few things about their personalities bothered me. And some aspects of the book, like motivations and unique abilities, were not very well explained. I had a good time, but expected more.

My thanks to Holiday House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I quite enjoyed this. Yes it was undeveloped in parts and lacking in others but it was still a very fun read with loveable characters and an interesting plot. I would've liked to know where their abilities came from as it seemed as though no one else could do what these two characters could. Because of Ruby's mind-reading, a lot of information was conveniently available to her and she just needed to find the physical proof. Guy wasn't very complex, he was quite a simple character. I loved Ruby's determination and Maggies loyalty. But regardless, I really did enjoy reading this and I do recommend if you're looking for something easy and, I suppose, mind-numbing (but not in a bad way).

I really wanted to love this, but unfortunately it was just middle-of-the-road. I enjoy the 20s as a setting and the storyline had such potential, but the characters didn't hook me, they weren't as well-developed as I prefer, and the plot felt scattered.

It was decently-written except for dialogue that tried a bit too hard to be 20s slang and too often felt forced. Ruby herself also felt forced as a character with her feminism and career goals. Not that a woman in the 20s couldn't be a feminist and have career goals, but those things felt more like they were slapped onto Ruby rather than being an integral part of who she was.

Overall, a quick read that was mildly entertaining, but I doubt I will be recommending this one to anyone.

I received an ebook through Netgalley for review and this is my honest opinion.

Murder for the Modern Girl is a fun book. I don't really know what to classify it as. YA, contemporary, mystery...it could be any of those. If "Action" were a book genre, I think this could be a mild action book...?

I truly enjoyed getting to know Ruby, one of our main characters. Her ability is interesting, and one I do NOT envy. I would hate to know what people are thinking all the time.

Peter was cute. His ability is also interesting. I wouldn't mind having his.

I do wish the book had explained why they had the abilities. The origin of them. Anything to get a little deeper into that would have been great. That fell flat for sure.

I also feel like we jumped from plot point to plot point. It escalates quickly and I just sat there and went, "Woah."

The book was entertaining, which is the goal of fiction reads.

# stars for me!