Cute, cozy mystery book with lots of self reflection and growth. Giving this a 4 out of 5 stars.

Autism is a spectrum, and the portrayal of our MC Oliver is very similar to my own experiences that it was a joy to read. I especially enjoyed seeing a successful young professional who is ok with his own neurodivergence and makes sure to advocate for himself. And he continues to get better at expressing his needs, which is something more of us need to do.

The ending did feel a bit rushed to me. I was 90% done and I could've easily had the book last another 50-90 pages instead of another 20. There are enough hints and indications throughout to potentially solve the mystery yourself.

Overall really fun read and I hope to read more adventures of Oliver Popp!

I really enjoyed this book. The author does have a tendency to get bogged down in explaining mundane details, but that sort of narration is also pretty true to the autistic condition, so I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing here, since the MC is autistic. I did find the fact that seemingly every man the MC encountered was into him a little annoying, and vice versa for the LI's exes, but for a lighthearted romance, this isn't a big deal. Overall, I had a good time and I thought the characters were fun, and the storyline enjoyable. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

Sam Lumley’s debut mystery is a delightful blend of travelogue, quirky humour, emotional insight, and unexpected danger — all wrapped up in the voice of one of the most memorable protagonists I’ve read in a while. How To Have A Killer Time In DC surprised me in the best way.

Oliver Popp, our 24-year-old autistic narrator and travel writer for Offbeat Traveler magazine, is the beating heart of this story — shy, sweet, highly structured, and brimming with honest vulnerability. I really liked him. There’s a quiet confidence to his voice that grows as the mystery unfolds, and I found myself rooting for him on every page — not just to crack the case, but to step into his own power (and maybe let a certain charming photographer get a little closer).

As someone with an autistic nephew — he has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and, at 21, still requires daily support and guidance — I found Oliver’s portrayal refreshing and sensitively handled. It’s clear Lumley didn’t write Oliver to be an archetype or a teaching moment. Instead, he’s just... Oliver. Quirky. Observant. Loving a structured itinerary. Prone to overload. Learning how to make room for change, even if it throws off his plans. I felt a lot of affection reading him, and couldn’t help but wonder what the world might look like for my nephew in a few more years.

The writing is wonderfully immersive, balancing playful tension with emotional depth. Lumley has a gift for vivid scenes and distinct character voices — and DC shines with detail and atmosphere. There’s something effortlessly charming about the whole experience, from the flirtatious chaos Ricky brings, to the sly humour tucked between lines of suspense.

This is a murder mystery with a beating heart, a celebration of neurodiversity without turning it into a spectacle, and a quirky queer romance that’ll charm your socks off. A solid and satisfying read that left me eager to see what Sam Lumley does next.

A good cozy mystery with a compelling lead.

Oliver is a journalist for Offbeat Traveler magazine and is going to D.C. to write his first big article. His trip starts out with running into an old friend Elise, who is going to D.C. to defend the self driving cars she works on in a congressional hearing. When Oliver meets up with Ricky, the adventurous photographer he is paired with for the article, the two decide to dig deeper into the story behind the self driving cars rather than just write a tourism article.

The premise of this book seemed to be a bit of a stretch to me, but it led to an entertaining story. The mystery was fun and took some good twists and turns. I really liked Oliver as a character and enjoyed going on the journey with him.

3.5 stars

I really, really enjoyed Oliver’s tale. From my own perspective, I like learning about people’s lives and experience - putting myself in their shoes. But most especially learning about differing perspectives that disabled people and people from other cultures than mine have (with Ricky). All of which means this book had a lot of things for me to uncover as I enjoyed the story.
The author, Sam Lumley, has done a brilliant job of weaving new people experiences into an intriguing narrative and keeping everything fresh and interesting.
I look forward to reading more of their work in the future.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. immediately caught my eye when I spotted it in Netgalley and when I discovered the main character was gay and autistic, I was even more excited as those aren't things you see very often in cozies. And I am autistic myself and like reading about autistic characters. I have to say I started this book with quite high expectations and sadly this book just wasn't fully for me and it made me sad as I really wanted to enjoy this book.

Something about the writing style didn't quite work for me, add in some wrong expectations and parts that didn't quite work for me and I was almost ready to DNF it and am not quite sure that wouldn't have been better. There were parts I enjoyed and others I struggled with, so I ended up having very mixed feelings about this book.

I think I went into this book with the wrong expectations. I was thinking there would be a lot of traveling around the city for the article Oliver is writing, I wanted to see the city come to live and experience it that way. And I was looking forward to reading about an autistic main character and how that would impact things.

The travel aspect is mostly the backdrop and set up for the story, but the book focuses more on the mystery and romance. Which is fine, but not what I expected, the travel bits seemed to flew by and the city and places they visited didn't really come alive for me. Even Oliver and Ricky didn't really seem to have much motivation for the travel bits when they could be solving a murder.

Then there is Oliver being autistic and I think the representation is decently done, it just felt like less part of the story than I had expected. There are some scenes were Oliver being autistic really was obvious, but other parts less so. He seemed to handle things better than I expected with all the stress of what's going on and only some autistic traits really come through, again that's fine, I just expected that to be a bigger part of the book. I also thought Oliver was quite easily pulled away from his original plans to solve the mystery by Ricky and I just would've liked a bit more about him taking care of himself and standing up for what he wanted. Then again he didn't seem to mind the change in plans too much and liked going along with Ricky.

The mystery part of the story I actually quite enjoyed. I wasn't quite sure I would at first especially with the mystery being slow to start with the murder only happening around 20-25% I think it was. There also is this whole thing with self driving cars involved, which felt a bit off and like a weird jab at a current company at first, but I enjoyed the unique situation it added to the mystery later on. It certainly felt like a very modern murder mystery. There are some interesting twists and turns and I really liked the reveal at the end. I don't think that reveal would be easy to predict, but I like how despite that I think you could still guess who the murderer is. I didn't manage to predict the murderer, but I did think it made sense and there are some nice clues pointing in that direction when I looked back.

There were a few small things about the mystery and how it was handled that bothered me, but that was mostly related to how the characters got about investigating at times. There is a scene were Oliver uses someone's interest in him against that person and that whole scene made me feel very uncomfortable, both for Oliver and the other guy. It felt very icky for both of them and wished they had found another way to get what they needed. Then there is an ex of Ricky who they keep bothering multiple times, which also just didn't feel right to me with how those interactions were handled.

Despite my issues with some of the characters behaviors I did mostly like both Oliver and Ricky. I also thought their connection was clear, but the romance does follow a very pronounced back and forth pattern, which felt a bit much on top of the mystery. They would grow closer and have these nice sweet scenes and then decide to be friends again or something happened that put some friction between them. It just felt the whole book was like that. It has a bit of a happy for now ending with it not being fully clear what the future looks like romance wise. I assume in future books that will change.

To summarize: I really wanted to like this book, but struggled with it a bit. There is less about the traveling than I had expected and the travel scenes that are there weren't really interesting, the city didn't come alive for me. I would've liked more about Oliver being autistic as that was one of the reasons I picked up this book, but the parts that dealt with him being autistic did feel well written, there just wasn't as much of it as I had expected. I mostly liked the characters, except for some of their behaviors when investigating the murder and how they treated some side characters. The romance has a very pronounced back and forth swing with them getting closer and then something pulling them apart. I liked them together, but didn't care for the whole push and pull vibes. The mystery was quite good and I liked how that played out. There is an interesting reveal at the end and while I didn't guess the murderer, I could see some clues when looking back. I am sad I didn't enjoy this book more, but if you want a modern mystery featuring electric self-driving cars with a gay couple in it, you might enjoy this one.

God I love a good mystery novel with a non detective protagonist! This probably comes from my unabashed love for JB Fletcher and the whole Murder She Wrote Universe. There's just an extra layer of fun shenanigans that comes from a layperson sleuth. I also had a fun time with the mystery which felt like an excuse to dunk on Elon Musk in the best way. Initially I was unsure how I would feel about the romance element of the book since Oliver was kind of isolated and I find romances that have a strong supporting cast of friends most compelling. However, it worked really well for me in this case. I really hope that we get to see Ricky and Oliver reunited and they go on a bunch of silly mystery solving adventures. Also if you grew up in the D.C. area I think this book will be a fun read for you since it's a real love letter to the city.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

CW: on page panic attacks and autistic meltdowns

This was an action packed romcom mystery that was fun to read. The characters were full of personality and well thought out.

5/5 stars: This is the first entry in Lumley's Oliver Popp's Travel Guides to Murder series which is a 2SLGBTQIA+ Literary Travel Cozy Mystery that follows a California autistic, gay travel writer, on his first assignment in Washington, DC, and his local flirty freelance project photographer as they team up to turn sleuth after they're involved in hit-and-run death of an old acquaintance's while test “driving” a self-driving car. The woman had just given testimony at a congressional hearing about the safety and security of her company's AI software and it didn't go well. With plenty of suspects, the two men will have to work fast to not only meet his deadline but figure out who's behind the murder before they end up next. With plenty of twists and turns, Lumley has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Lumley's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Oliver, who's a gem, and Ricky, who's just as lovable, are great and I love getting to meet them. I very much look forward to reading more of this duo's sleuthing adventures! Also I loved being a tourist in and around DC with Oliver and Ricky. I very much appreciate how Lumley's written Oliver's Autistic representation, which he states as being largely based on his own experiences. With tact and sensitivity, Lumley touches on some tough topics; so take care and CWs. A great, fun read; Highly recommend!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

‘How to Have a Killer Time in DC’ felt like a Scooby-Doo mystery, and I mean that in the best of ways. I loved the fun romp through Washington with crazy shenanigans, a cast of surprisingly chilled politicians and law enforcement (considering the plot deals with sinister Big Business Wheeling’s and Dealing’s in the nation’s capital) and an appropriately cacking Villain. I found myself humming ‘Scooby-Dooby Doo, where are you?!!’ when Ollie and Ricky sneak in and out of cafes, convention centres, protest marches and hotel rooms.

A big part of the appeal of this book came from the Crime Busting Duo themselves. I fell in love with Oliver from the first page and Ricky is the perfect partner to gently coax him out of his safe routines into the fun, crazy times. I also really liked how their relationship grew over the course of the book, and where we left them at the end.

This was the perfect vacation read, and I will definitely be continuing with the series. Recommend!

I love a good cozy mystery, and this delivered on the cozy and mystery vibes! The characters are lovable, and I liked the twists to the story.

I was hoping for more of the “travel writer” aspect of the story, and I do think the romance overtook the mystery a little bit for me.

The writing was a little difficult for me to follow and stay engaged at times (there were a lot of run on sentences), and a couple scenes rubbed me the wrong way. I was not a fan of Oliver using Joey even when he was uncomfortable with it.

Thank you to Kensington for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This fun, modern mystery was verrrry topical and current! It's humorous and a little satirical. I enjoyed the pace and the plot, and especially the portrayal of Autism as a part of Oliver's life, but not the main story.

I loved the representation in this book. The mystery was also nice. Very well done writing. The plot and characters were well thought out.

chaotic, fun pair of protagonists and a pretty great mystery backing it. the killer was semi-predictable but worked very well. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

I LOVED this! The characters were fully fleshed out and interesting, the plot was captivating, the budding romance was so fun to see unfold -- I want to read 400 more books in this series. It's been a while since I had to physically finish a book in one sitting, and this book had me doing just that. I fantastic debut!

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

Autistic travel writer Oliver Popp’s carefully planned trip to D.C. takes an unexpected turn when he stumbles into a murder investigation. Teaming up with charismatic photographer Ricky Warner, his work trip turns into a whirlwind of mystery, discovery, and an unexpectedly sweet romance.

I was so pleased when I was offered the chance to read this book about a gay, autistic sleuth. I’ve not been diagnosed as neurodiverse, but I definitely recognize some of Oliver’s traits in me - social anxiety, sensory struggles, and being “wrong” for being me. It was really validating seeing that on the page.

Beyond the mystery, I loved how the book explored D.C. - not from a political angle, but through a local’s perspective - that’s definitely my kind of travel experience.

And I have to mention my favorite detail: Mimi asking a dog owner what their dog’s pronouns were 🐶 big lolz!

I technically guessed the killer, but it was pure luck - I had no clue about the why or the how! And while I’m not usually into romance, I adored Oliver’s first-love storyline. He’s just so lovable.

This seems to be the start of a series, and I can’t wait for more. A huge shoutout to the publisher for bringing this book to readers - it’s such a gem.

Thanks to @Netgalley and
@kensingtonbooks for access to this advanced readers copy

- Autism Rep
- Loneliness
- Romance
- Murder
I loved this book! This one was on my list of most anticipated Netgalley reads. What made it even more fun is that I’m from the region but haven’t experienced it like a tourist would. The main character, Oliver, is autistic and seeing how it is for him… I don’t know how to explain in words. It was so realistic (especially since the author pulled from his own experiences) but he’s able to function, he’s not infantilized.
I flew through this book! Again, the autism representation was amazing to read for me. He’s very schedule oriented, doesn’t notice certain cues from people, and shuts down when overstimulated. With that, the only thing that confused me was how willing he was to go off schedule with Ricky, the love interest and photographer. I thought he would’ve been more upfront with how uncomfortable it made him. Some things I can understand he was okay with because it still led to the same result. Now the DC rep! I love it! It did make me laugh with Ricky complaining about Maryland drivers because… it’s like Mario Kart. Then the touching of issues for Ricky being biracial! I’m glad it was added in. This book was such a good balance of mystery and romance. The mystery itself, I felt played because I was like Oh it’s definitely this person… no it’s this person… so it is them… wait no it’s not. And can we talk about how supportive Oliver’s mom and coworker, Drea, are! All the characters were lovely and worked with Oliver without taking away his independence.

This is definitely a slow burn. I loved all the detail regarding Washington D.C. but there was almost too much detail over all. It slowed the pacing of the story down. A very interesting premise and I thought there were some engaging twists and turns. There is rich atmoshere through description The author handled Oliver;s character well and sensitively gave us a look at what his life with autism is like. He and Ricky have some awesome awkward connection from the beginning. A fun read!

I loved this bok.
Fast paced, great characters.
Nice autism representation.
Unpredictable twists.

Highly recomend this book.

Thank you netgalley, and Kensington Publising for a copy.

One of those flawed debuts that also bodes well for the author’s future books, so though I have significant criticism to offer, I want to stress that I enjoyed myself and will be looking out for more of Oliver Popp and Ricky Warner. Oliver’s career as a travel writer should give him plenty of opportunities to happen across suspicious deaths. No doubt he’ll need a photographer colleague who’s also a very, very, very close friend.

Anyway:

Problem #1 is tone wobbles. “How to Have a Killer Time in DC” can’t quite decide whether it’s aiming for hijinks ensue!!! or something more poignant and serious — or maybe it would be better to say that Sam Lumley hasn’t quite worked out how to integrate those tones. So we have Oliver, who’s autistic and not overfond of most physical contact or of unexpected schedule changes, allowing himself to be led into detective shenanigans (and tentative romance) by blithely impulsive Ricky. And then we also have a dead serious episode in which a panicked (for good reason) Oliver accidentally puts Ricky, who’s of mixed race, at risk from the police. Ricky is justifiably upset about it.

This leads me to

Problem #2, believability wobbles. Ricky drives a Corvair, fast. He also isn’t perturbed when he and Oliver are caught doing something extremely illegal at a posh hotel. Applying the usual disclaimers for dissimilar life experiences, as well as awareness that different individuals are different, I can’t say for definite that this is unrealistically inconsistent, but both speeding in a vintage sports car and the hotel episode (trust me on this one) seem likely to invite threatening police attention to a young Black man. So I kind of wanted to know more about why Ricky would apply different metrics in those cases than he did to the episode I mentioned earlier.

That took an amount of explanation disproportionate to how much it threw me out of the story, and besides, Oliver maybe wobbled more than Ricky did. Before he leaves for DC, he writes out an impressively detailed schedule and itinerary, and we see him feeling anxious-plus over the trip itself and also the fact that this is his first feature assignment. Then he meets Ricky and gets derailed pronto, putting up the most minimal resistance and soon cutting loose altogether.

To be clear, I’m not arguing that Oliver’s autism made that unrealistic — but his anxiety and commitment to close scheduling did. I’m anxious, to a lesser degree than Oliver, and I like to control my schedule, again to a lesser degree than Oliver initially seems to. If I was on a work trip and a Ricky-like person tried to do to me what Ricky does to Oliver, I would — well, let’s say I would make my displeasure known. Ricky’s a good guy, but YMMV whether he’s appealing enough to make you buy Oliver’s willingness to tear up his careful plans.

I have autistic friends but am not myself autistic, so I appreciated the perspective Sam Lumley, who is autistic, brought to Oliver’s first-person narration. (And you don’t have to be autistic to dislike the feeling of skin over-moisturized to the point of clamminess! Eeesh.) Also, as a longtime copyeditor, I basked in the sheer cleanness of Lumley’s prose — I found myself wanting to do only minimal tinkering. (Lay/lie tutorials offered free of charge to all comers.)

3.5-4 stars, happily rounded up.