Ya’ll, this book has everything — a golden retriever and black cat sapphic pair, a locked room murder mystery, cannibalism, and more tragic backstory than you can shake a femur at. It is dense, flowery writing concealing trails of expertly hidden bread crumbs. Every question, every puzzle, has either additional pieces or a glorious payoff.

It was in turns brutal and heartbreaking and a beautiful character study on what it means to really give yourself over fully to someone you love, no matter what form and toxicity level that love take.

I adore it. 5/5. I am making this series part of my personality permanently.