This collection of two novellas set between Foul Lady Fortune and Foul Heart Huntsman made me so happy. I loved reconnecting with the main chaaracters from the first duology, and seeing how they've changed and moved on and what their lives are now, and also seeing how they're going to come back during Rosalind's book.

Also, I absolutely love the stories. The mysteries were gripping and I thought they wove the two storylines together masterfully.

Last Violent Call by Chloe Gong is a firecracker of a book and it bursts with tension, drama, and a touch of domestic bliss too.

As a disclaimer, while this works as a separate follow up to These Violent Delights, I personally think this is best read having read the original duology and Foul Lady Fortune. This reading order allows you to fully appreciate the character development, intricate details alluded to in other books, and of course, Gong’s trademark emotional anguish.

It is no surprise to anyone that I absolutely loved this book. Gong transports us back to some of our favourite characters with excellent surprises and twists in store. I hoped and dreamed that Roma and Juliette had escaped the cruel fate of their literary predecessors, but also loved how ambiguous Gong left their ending. We suffered through breadcrumbs and hints in the epilogue of Our Violent Ends and that note in Foul Lady Fortune. Finally, we are awarded with a return to our favourite spitfire gangsters. As always, their chemistry is second to none. In their own spin on domestic bliss, that chemistry has only blossomed more. The familiarity and joy evoked from this novella honestly almost let me forgive Gong for all the heartbreak so far. The keyword there being almost. There is still plenty of emotional turmoil to go through in this spying, serial killer thriller. The layers of mystery to unpick are fascinating and allow for the kickass moments we have come to expect from this dynamic duo.

Benedikt and Marshall are also back in their own thrilling adventure. This was an interesting way to look at their dynamics within their relationship and how political factions are shifting in the larger picture. The locked-in setting of the train heightens the tension and claustrophobia, especially when you add in spying, disguises and death. It felt very Agatha Christie meets the Ineffable Husbands, with a playful, bantering dynamic that also got serious and dark as needed. The way these two characters interact is always incredibly enjoyable and seeing how they’ve progressed as husbands is fantastic. Also, the way Gong ties the two stories together is nothing short of perfection. It is so impressive to me how this vast, layered and complex narrative is slowly being spun together in time for Foul Heart Huntsman later this year. It is the culmination of so much work, with Gong cleverly bringing back some of our favourites just in time. You feel everything hurtling towards its explosive conclusion and it honestly built up so much more hype, even though I thought I could not be any more hyped.

Last Violent Call is the pit stop in the series that brings all the strands together and combines romance, humour, political thrillers, and a murder mystery into one maelstrom of a book. The powder keg is set; now we wait for Gong to light the fuse once more.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 stars

This is a novella ft. two short stories from the Secret Shanghai universe (These Violent Delights + Foul Lady Fortune duologies) and I highly suggest to read it once you are done reading Chloe Gong's TVD, OVE, and FLF.

A FOUL THING
This is for the RomaJuliette girlies. The ones who are living for the angsty encounter between star-crossed lovers of Shanghai but this time, we have them as a couple hiding in clandestine Zhuozhang.

War is definitely over for the Scarlet Gang and White Flower but Roma and Juliette are faced with a force that is somehow tied to their bloody past.

What went well with this short story is the satisfaction of seeing Roma and Juliette having the time of their life (even if they're still hiding) and their swoonworthy banter.

I love how the story ended wrapping up the events that was left hanging after the conclusion of Foul Lady Fortune. (5stars)


THIS FOUL MURDER
BenMars stans will surely have a field day with this short story as we finally get a closure with our favorite friends-to-lovers duo. In This Foul Murder, Benedikt and Marshall are set to find the elusive scientist, Lourens, to aid Roma and Juliette in finding answer for their problem in Zhuozhang.

Set in a seven-day train ride with a murder mystery, Benedikt and Marshall will find themselves trapped in a moving express while investigating a killing of an important person.

Well, Chloe definitely did not hold back in giving us the BenMars moments that fans truly deserve. Benedikt and Marshall were given the spotlight as they solve a murder in a train and as they finally realize how things in Russia are deeply tied with the issue Roma and Juliette are having in China. Definitely a wild ride. (4stars)


These short stories are fan service in my honest opinion but are must-read while we are waiting for FLF2. Between an enemies to lovers (RomaJuliette) and a friends to lovers (BenMars), I'd say that I prefer the one that is more angsty but I love both of these novellas.

Thank you SimonTeen for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.