My book reviews for The Undetectables series by Courtney Smyth. Please be aware that reviews for later books may contain spoilers for books earlier in the series.

The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth
Published by Titan Books
Age Group: Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Characters, Bisexual Characters, Gay Characters, Non-Binary Characters, OwnVoices Representation, Pansexual Characters, Plus Size Characters, Queer Characters, Sapphic Characters, Chronic Illness, Detective Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Disabled and Neurodivergent Authors, Irish Authors, Diverse Representation, Magic Users, Fae/Fey, Ghosts, Vampires, Witches, Mystery, Whodunnit, Supernatural, Various Magic, Non-Binary Authors
Series: The Undetectables #1
My Rating:
Published on: 26th September 2023
Pages: 416
Disability Representation: Chronic Fatigue, Chronic Health Condition, Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, and Mobility aid.
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Forbidden Planet / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones
Add to Goodreads

Be gay, solve crime, take naps—A witty and quirky fantasy murder mystery if a folkloric world of witches, faeires, vampires, trolls and ghosts, for fans of Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey and T. J. Klune's Under the Whispering Door.

A magical serial killer is stalking the Occult town of Wrackton. Hypnotic whistling causes victims to chew their own tongues off, leading to the killer being dubbed the Whistler (original, right?). But outside the lack of taste buds and the strange magical carvings on the victims' torsos, the murderer leaves no evidence. No obvious clues. No reason—or so it seems.

Enter the Undetectables, a detective agency run by three witches and a ghost in a cat costume (don't ask). They are hired to investigate the murders, but with their only case so far left unsolved, will they be up to the task? Mallory, the forensic science expert, is struggling with pain and fatigue from her recently diagnosed fibromyalgia. Cornelia, the team member most likely to go rogue and punch a police officer, is suddenly stirring all sorts of feelings in Mallory. Diana, the social butterfly of the group, is hitting up all of her ex-girlfriends for information. And not forgetting ghostly Theodore—deceased, dramatic, and also the agency's first dead body and unsolved murder case.

With bodies stacking up and the case leading them to mysteries at the very heart of magical society, can the Undetectables find the Whistler before they become the killer's next victims?

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

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If you read The Disability Blog Tag I posted during GeekDis 2023, you’ll recognise the name of this book. The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth is my most anticipated disability read of the year. It was written by a disabled author and features disabled, LGBTQIA+ and plus-sized representation!

The Undetectables by Courtney Smyth caught my attention straight away with the tag line “Be Gay. Solve Crimes. Take Naps”. The first part of that phrase, (be gay, solve crimes) would have caught my attention, but the addition of “take naps” had me hooked even before I read the synopsis. Written by a disabled author, The Undetectables mixes two of my favourite genres, urban fantasy and murder mysteries, with a huge dollop of representation.

At the annual Broadwick ball, Mallory, Diana and Cornelia attempt to promote their newly opened detective agency, The Undetectables. At fourteen, they’re not taken particularly seriously by the party goers they approach, many of their business cards being tossed aside and forgotten. Whatever the three friends were expecting to happen on their launch night, they certainly didn’t expect to find a dead body. Pulled into their first murder case with the ghost of the victim present, something that is highly unusual, The Undetectables are sure they can solve the case and establish themselves as detectives.

Fast-forward six years, and life has not gone to plan, especially for Mallory. Recently diagnosed with the chronic illness fibromyalgia, she is struggling with, well, everything. Being stuck at home at a point in her life when she wants to be studying forensic science like she dreamed and alone with only ghost Theodore to keep her company. Not that she’s upset with her friends for following their own dreams; she told them to. She just wishes she could do the same and that she could spend time with them rather than struggling every day with chronic pain and fatigue.

When a letter addressed to the Undetectables arrives, the three witches are drawn back together for a new mystery. Hired by someone high up in Wrackton society to find the murderer, things begin to get even more serious when one dead body becomes multiple. They have a magical serial killer on their hands, and they never managed to solve their first case. Are they up for the task?

Smyth has created a fascinating urban fantasy world. They have added their own unique twist to familiar supernatural species such as witches, faeries, ghosts and vampires while mixing in crime-solving and forensic science. The world-building in The Undetectables is rivalled only by its characters and plot, all of which are equally fabulous. The characters are adorable, fully dimensional and realistic. I particularly loved that their friendships are full of ups and downs, including disagreements and arguments. There’s a particular scene where things get so heated that they have a hex battle! Too many books have friendships where friends never argue, and everything is perfect. Sod that! Give me Hex battles any day.

Smyth is writing from their own experience with chronic illness, and as a result,t the character of Mallory is spot on. Her thoughts, feelings and experiences of fibromyalgia are described with careful detail and scream with authenticity that will make many readers feel seen. They definitely made me feel seen. I don’t have fibromyalgia, however, I do have chronic pain, fatigue and other symptoms that cross over with fibromyalgia.

There were a lot of little things here and there in The Undetectables that caught my eye as things that only someone with a chronic illness would know or feel. It always makes me smile when I notice these in books written by authors with lived experience, as it reminds me that I’m not so alone and that other people know what it’s like to live with a chronic illness. I also liked the way that Smyth wove chronic illness into the urban fantasy universe they have created.

Along with a main character with disability and chronic illness representation, there is a lot of other representation, as previously mentioned. Many of the characters are LGBTQIA+, with pansexual, bisexual, gay, queer, and non-binary identities specifically mentioned/identified in the book. In short; this book is wonderfully and unashamedly queer, and I was here for all of it. The cast of characters is racially diverse, which includes one of the main characters, Diana.

The main characters are also physically diverse, with Diana representing plus-sized women, Mallory tall women and Cornelia short-haired women. While plus-sized women are the less represented of these three, I mention the other two because so often do groups of female friends in books end up with the same physical size and description. All long-haired, thin and willowy, whereas if you look at a group of female friends, you’ll find diversity. I appreciated that Smyth made this distinction.

Another part of their friendship I appreciated was the way they cared for Mallory while giving her space. Smyth covers ableism with another character, but for her friends, they have chosen to show what it’s like for disabled people to have a support network. This is especially important as many people who have disabled friends have no idea what to do with a newly diagnosed friend, and many choose to treat disabled people differently. I hope that people reading The Undetectables will learn a lot from Mallory, Cornelia and Diana and how their dynamic works.

Finally, the plot. I loved how Smyth played with many crime and murder mystery tropes, playing with the readers while also playing with their own characters. I did not see the real culprit coming, and that was completely by design. Each new murder is introduced with a ‘Perimortem’ interlude chapter that is written from the perspective of the murder victim moments before their death and during their death. It is a little morbid, but Smyth’s narration lends an air of light humour to the victim’s final moments.

If you’re looking for a mystery that makes you think, mixed with a healthy dose of supernatural, diverse representation and some of the best dialogue I’ve seen in a long time, then this is The Undetectables is the book for you.

If you’re not curious about Theodore the ‘cat’ ghost, then this book is not for you.

The Undead Complex by Courtney Smyth
Published by Titan Books
Age Group: Adult
Format: Fiction
Genres and Categories: Disabled and Neurodivergent Authors, Irish Authors, Non-Binary Authors, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Characters, Bisexual Characters, Gay Characters, Mental Health Representation, OwnVoices Representation, Pansexual Characters, Plus Size Characters, Queer Characters, Sapphic Characters, Detective Characters, Diverse Representation, Magic Users, Fae/Fey, Ghosts, Vampires, Witches, Mystery, Whodunnit, Chronic Illness, Hearing impairment, Mobility Aids, Neurodivergent, Trauma, Detective Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Various Magic
Series: The Undetectables #2
My Rating:
Published on: 24th September 2024
Pages: 528
Disability Representation: Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, mobility aid, neurodiversity, ADHD, and hearing loss (tinnitus).
Buy this Book! Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Blackwells / Forbidden Planet / Bookshop.org US / Bookshop.org UK / Waterstones
Add to Goodreads

A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. Mallory, Diana, Cornelia and Theodore are hired to solve a murder on a TV shoot by the victim herself. Perfect for fans of supernatural mysteries and cosy crime by authors such as Ben Aaronovitch, Josiah Bancroft and Tammie Painter.

Five months after the events of The Undetectables, business is booming – but finding cases that call for magical forensic investigators is not. So when Diana's ex, Taylor, asks them to solve a murder – her own – Diana, Mallory and Cornelia can't say no.

Called to investigate the set of Undead Complex, Diana re-enters the world of TV-show prop making – even in death, the show must go on. Even the appearance of a genuine-article Francine Leon dollhouse can't make up for the fact she's being pulled down a path of crime-solving she maybe doesn't want to walk forever.

Meanwhile, Theodore's coming apart at the seams – literally – in the aftermath of their last case, and Mallory is running out of ways to help him. Especially as he seems to be keeping secrets from her.

As the clues – and the bodies – keep piling up, each one making less and less sense, The Undetectables find themselves in a new race against the clock to find out what, exactly, the killer is up to – before they strike again...

This book was provided for free by NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

The Undetectables was one of my favourite books last year, and I loved returning to this world. There was plenty of mystery to be had again, and once more, I enjoyed how Smyth drew out all the details. The Undead Complex is a slow-paced book, and some readers may become frustrated with how slowly things move, however, I personally consider it a credit to Smyth’s style.

Her characters are wonderfully written, and their fluster as they try to solve their second big case feels very genuine. There were many times when I laughed out loud while reading the dialogue. I also appreciated the authentic look at their friendship, acknowledging that no one and no relationship is perfect.

With regard to disability representation, this book continues the solid representation of Fibromyalgia (Mallory) and introduces the topic of a possible neurodiverse diagnosis for one of the other characters. Another is struggling with hearing loss and tinnitus after the events of the first book. I liked the way that Smyth introduced both of these, especially the hearing loss, as it makes the point that anyone can become disabled at any point.

The one thing I disliked about The Undead Complex was the emphasis placed on the way a character spoke with an accent. I felt that it was completely unnecessary after the first time a word was spelt out to keep doing so. The whole thing felt very ignorant.

About Courtney Smyth

Courtney Smyth is a caffeine fiend, one web search away from their newest fixation, and, most relevantly, a writer of stories. Their work has also appeared in anthologies Into Chaos and The Last Five Minutes of a Storm, and in Paper Lanterns Literary Journal. They have been writing about ghosts, demons and murders since they were ten and have no plans to stop. They are from Dublin, currently living and writing in the West of Ireland with their partner and their pet corn snake, Steve.

Website | Blog | Goodreads | Instagram | Tumblr | Tiktok

Thanks for reading my book review for The Undetectables series by Courtney Smyth!

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