Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Cosplay Killer
AUTHOR: Dahlia Donovan
SERIES: London Podcast Mystery Series #1
PUBLISHER: Hot Tree Publishing
LENGTH: 211 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2020
BLURB:
What happens when an autistic firefighter and his paramedic boyfriend share a thirst for true crime?
Osian Garey and Dannel Ortea live together in a colourful flat in Covent Garden. They run a podcast and throw themselves wholeheartedly into Cosplay, video games, and musical theatre. This year, they’re all fired up to attend their annual convention with a group of first responders.
When Osian finds a paramedic friend murdered in the middle of the crowded venue, the police immediately turn their attention to him.
They have one question on their mind. Is he the first witness on the scene or the killer?
As the mystery unfolds, Osian has to face the trauma of his last job as a paramedic. Somewhere in those memories, a killer waits to exact revenge. They’ll have to prove Osian’s innocence and fight for their own survival when the killer puts them both in their sights.
REVIEW:
Cosplay Killer is a warm and endearing novel but not a typical romance; it’s more of a British cozy mystery involving an already established couple who clearly love and care for each other very much. That’s not the heart of the novel, though. How leading men Osian and Dannel work together as a couple to solve a murder mystery while working through stress and Dannel’s autism are at its core. You won’t find gushing proclamations of love, and there’s no physical intimacy other than kisses, but their love for each other is evident in how they take care of each other.
Cosplay Killer is set in London where Dannel and Osian live in the Covent Garden district. They are lovable characters who have adored each other forever having grown up as neighbors and dating since their teens. They are now thirty with a close group of friends and congenial relationships with their neighbors. A year ago, Osian walked away from his job as a paramedic after he lost a patient. He’s still anguished over it. He now spends his time running the London Crime Podcast with Dannel.
Dannel is a firefighter – his dream job – but he’s suffering greatly from the inherent stress of life-threatening work, as well as the constant sensory overload of sirens, loud fire engines, and the need to interact with people for twelve hour shifts. He is considering a career change but he’s afraid he’ll disappoint his father. Their favorite hobby is cosplay which they enjoy doing as part of a first responders cosplay group. They all go to a convention together which is where one of their friends is murdered, setting up the whodunit for Osian and Dannel to solve.
The mechanics of the mystery are interesting with quite a few suspects, twists, and lots of false clues to throw the reader off course. My guess of the suspect changed several times. My patience was tested by many of Osian’s reckless actions while investigating the murder. He knowingly – or stupidly – put himself in the path of the murderer. He also naively failed to forward important clues to the police for the duration of the book.
Dannel’s autism is portrayed very accurately. How he deals with life in the context of solving the mystery highlights the difficulties for someone living with autism. That said, every individual with autism has a unique set of behaviors and mannerisms, that’s why it’s called a spectrum disorder. While Dannel realistically represents one individual, it shouldn’t be expected that he’s representative of all. It wasn’t until I read the author’s note at the end that I learned this is an own voices book: Dahlia Donovan has autism herself. I commend her for lending her experience to not only create an enjoyable book, but to do so in a way that educates those less familiar with the disorder, or those with preconceived notions about individuals on the spectrum. I don’t know if that was her objective or not, but either way I’m grateful.
Cosplay Killer is a great murder mystery starring an endearing couple. There is a large cast of secondary characters with a wide range of personalities, most of them offering great support to the couple. The plot is well-thought out and cleverly written with an engaging mystery. I recommend this book and look forward to the next installment in the series.
RATING: 
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[…] strike within their group of acquaintances. I feel it’s necessary to read the first novel, Cosplay Killer, first for a full background on all of the […]