I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.
Title: Accused
Series: The Kansas City Warlock Weekly
Author: M.N. Jolley
Published: November 3rd 2020
Publisher: self-published
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Age Range: (NA) Adult
Length: 248 pages
Source: BBNYA contest
Buy links: Amazon: UK | US (also available as an audiobook on audible)
Representation: Gay MC, autistic MC, non-binary SC, mlm
Content Warning
Violence, Murder
My name is Levi. I’m a journalist, I’m autistic, I’m bad at magic, and I swear I didn’t kill her.
Research for the paper usually falls into a few basic patterns. Someone in the city says there’s a troll under Buck O’Neil Bridge, or they’ll call just so a friendly ear will listen to them complain about a pixie infestation.
That sort of content carries me through slow news weeks. It’s rare that I uncover a murder.
Being framed for murder, though? That’s a first.
With the Wizard’s Council hunting me for a crime I didn’t commit, I’ve got no choice but to solve the murder and clear my name. If I don’t unravel this case, nobody will, and I’ll go down for it so hard I might never see the light of day again.
– Goodreads
Reasons to read Accused:
- So much Chaos – so much fun
- Intriguing murder mystery
- brilliant autistic MC
I had so much fun reading this! I swear, if you like this genre (and maybe even if you don’t tend to gravitate towards it) and you are in a reading slump? This one will save you!
I was fully invested in the story basically from the beginning, pulled in by the humour and the writing style. I loved that it was written in two timelines, present-day and flashbacks and one is a little more unreliable as it is Levi telling the story. It really keeps you on your toes trying to guess how everything fits together.
And it got a special place in my heart for the autism rep, which was very well done. I loved that Levi both confidently states that he is autistic but that there are also so many subtle (but still very obvious if that makes sense) little hints! I could see myself in so many tiny things, so relatable!
Also, this is not about autism, he just is who he is and that is so wonderful to read about. Same with the LGBTQ+ rep. It was handled the exact same way.
Levi is such a joy to read about or rather read from his perspective. He is so funny and I truly admire his passion for establishing the KC Warlock Weekly, especially when everyone around him tries to tell him and it won’t work. It’s also quite interesting that he is not a powerful magic-wielding bad-ass, but just a regular guy who kind of stumbles into trouble and is determined to do what he believes is right.
Does he always make the smartest choices? No! Is he still very lovable and charming in his way? Absolutely! Another thing I quite liked was, that not every one he meets like him, in fact, they usually don’t. Both because he asks too many questions but also sometimes because he can ask them in the wrong way?
Since he is the focus of the story, Levi is the most fleshed-out character, and from time to time that means, that some other characters remain more of a mystery. But I didn’t mind. Especially with Ben, since it made me question whether he was trustworthy or not. And I’m looking forward to learn more about both Levi, Ben and all the other characters in future instalments.
There was so much magical chaos, I loved it! So entertaining to read and I am most definitely continuing the series as soon as possible! I’m so happy it got third place, more than deserved!
Would recommend to:
Everyone looking for magical chaos, a murder mystery that pulls you in and some great storytelling!
M N Jolley is a creative professional born and raised in Kansas City, where he still lives. Working with a background in film and cinematography, he began writing seriously in 2016 and has recently completed “The Stone Warrior”, the first book in “The Sacrosanct Records”.
Connect with M. N. Jolley: Twitter
What is BBNYA?
BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or twitter @bbnya_official.
The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!
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