NOCTURNE
Author: Karina Halle
Genre: Dark PNR Romance
Release Date: April 10, 2025
A vampire romance so dark it’ll bite.
He’s not just dangerous—he’s designed to destroy you.
Blood. Obsession. Murder.
And a love story twisted enough to hurt so good.
Los Angeles, 1947.
The city is drowning in secrets and blood—and Lena Reid just lost her best friend to the shadows.
Elizabeth Short is dead. The press calls her the Black Dahlia.
Lena wants answers. Closure. Revenge.
What she finds instead… is him.
Victor Callahan is danger in a three-piece suit. An ex-boxer with fists like thunder and eyes that promise ruin. He’s supposed to help her.
Instead, he haunts her. Follows her. Wants her.
He doesn’t remember what happens after dark.
The blackouts. The blood.
The hunger.
But Lena’s not afraid of monsters.
She falls for them.
She is one.
Now, with a serial killer circling closer and a secret society pulling strings behind the curtain, Lena has one rule
Don’t let a vampire fall in love with you.
Because once he does…
He’ll never let you go.
Seven meets L.A. Confidential with a vampire twist, in this true crime and film noir-inspired standalone dark romance from New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle. This book contains mature content with potential triggers–please consult the Content Warning at the start of the book.
I’m going to ruin you… Ruin you for anyone else.”
I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m a true crime addict. And the Black Dahlia cold case has been one that has fascinated me for years. So when one of my favorite authors writes a dark vampire romance set in 1947 LA, inspired by the Black Dahlia case, you best believe I’m going to devour it in one sitting.
This story was such a vibe. It was a moody, film-noir vibe with some secondary character appearances that those who read Blood Orange will surely appreciate. And I love that Karina is able to combine these worlds so effortlessly.
Nocturne takes a real life cold case and gives it a twist. We meet Lena Reid, a beautiful singer, deeply ingrained in the LA mafia underbelly. When her best friend is gruesomely murdered, she’s determined to find her killer and the answer for the mystery left behind.
Victor Callahan is a retired boxer turned PI who is hired to find Elizabeth’s murderer. But he doesn’t expect to fall for his main witness.
Did I mention that this story was a total vibe? I loved Victor’s intensity almost as much as I loved the aura of mystery around Lena. It was full of suspense, dark secrets and an even darker underbelly of crime. Victor and Lena are thrown into a dark world that neither knew existed. Their chemistry was incendiary and the suspense was an absolute page turner from beginning to end. There are some jaw dropping twists to keep you at the edge of your seat from cover to cover. And if you’re looking for a truly unique read, you definitely need to check this one out.
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