When a popular mystery novelist, Roger Kane, dies under suspicious circumstances, his writing partner and lover, Lionel, is forced to figure out the connection to an infamous serial killer. 

Hall of Mirrors by John Copenhaver is a twisty mystery novel that follows two queer couples, Philippa and Judy, and Lionel and Roger, both of which are entangled in a years-long fight to catch a notorious serial killer being protected by the FBI. They come up against rich socialites with secrets to protect, a government that wants them to disappear, and love in the face of fear. 

Lionel’s apartment goes up in flames, with Roger inside. The police rule it a suicide due to gas ignition, but Lionel knows Roger wasn’t suicidal, and now he must risk his life to prove it. He must do this while also picking apart his relationship with Judy Nightingale and Philippa Watson—two newly acquired friends who are clearly keeping secrets. The problem is, those secrets could be deadly. 

Judy and Philippa attended a lecture by Roger about a month prior and befriended him. Shortly afterwards, Roger became a victim of the Lavender Scare. The Lavender Scare is a real life anti-gay witch hunt led by figures like Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, who believed gays were “communists” and therefore risks to national security. Lionel is certain that Judy and Philippa have something to do with him being fired—and maybe the death of Roger—and now he needs to find out how deep it goes. 

While certainly not the best mystery I have read, I found myself engaged in the story, and more importantly, the characters. I do wish we had more chapters from Lionel’s point of view, but it was definitely interesting to get Judy’s unreliable narration frequently in this novel. I always enjoy queer reads as well (duh!).

The book is told from multiple POVs and has a non-linear timeline, and I usually have a hard time following that but I managed well enough here, which is a sign of a job well done. I think some of the chapters could’ve been shaved down a bit and some language could’ve been taken out to avoid being “filler”, but overall Hall of Mirrors is a solid mystery that will keep you engaged and wanting to know the ending. 

Content note: If you are sensitive to child death or animal death, this may not be the book for you. Neither is dealt with in explicit detail, but I feel it is still worth mentioning. 

Hall of Mirrors releases on June 4th, 2024. Thank you to Rylee at Spark Point Studio for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions reflected here are my own.

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