Fans of the lighter end of the crime fiction spectrum have much to celebrate this week with the debut release from Sam Lumley—the launch of a delightful cozy series. How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. is the first book in what is being billed as “Oliver Popp’s Travel Guides to Murder” and from the moment readers open the pages, they will be welcomed in as a madcap adventure ensues.
The protagonist of How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. is—you guessed it—Oliver Popp. Oliver is a young, gay, autistic travel writer who has just scored his first big assignment: take a trip to D. C. and write a travelogue feature recounting his experiences and highlighting favorite hidden gems everyone should visit. Oliver’s editor at the newspaper has set him up with a local D. C. freelance photographer for the article, but what he doesn’t know is that she also hopes he might feel a romantic spark with this Washington insider. The chemistry between Oliver and Ricky oozes off the page and will have readers anxious to see how it develops. The fact that they also make for an adorable crime-solving duo is an added bonus.
On the airplane to D. C., Oliver meets an old friend and finds himself invited to a press event for her company—a leading self-driving car manufacturer that happens to have critics on both sides. Fans of cozy mysteries will correctly suspect this to be the source of the main mystery plot carrying How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. forward. Sam Lumley skillfully allows this mystery to unfold slowly, all the while leaving clues that readers are likely to overlook. This makes for a very satisfying and surprising resolution.
Oliver’s autism is not something readers will have encountered much in crime fiction and Sam Lumley does an excellent job of expressing what it is like to navigate the world as a neurodivergent individual. Oliver is not here on the page as a token representation of his community, he’s here as a fully fleshed out character who just happens to have autism. There are times when things become too overwhelming for Oliver and Ricky needs to learn how best to comfort him, but there are also times when Oliver discovers coping mechanisms for himself, which helps to ease the stigma associated with neurodivergence.
For his article, Oliver Popp does indeed uncover some lesser-known gems of the D. C. landscape, allowing readers to plan their next trip our Nation’s capital. It’s clear this series is going to see Oliver traveling to different locations and that will be exciting for fans of the series. Where are we going next?
All in all, How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. is a fun and engaging debut novel with two lead characters readers will become invested in. Surrounding Oliver and Ricky are a quirky cast of secondary players—each of whom is fascinating in their own right. It’s hard to imagine that most readers of How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. won’t be anxious for Oliver’s next travelogue journey.
BUY LINKS: How to Have a Killer Time in D.C. by Sam Lumley
Disclaimer: A print galley of this title was provided to BOLO Books by the publisher. No promotion was promised and the above is an unbiased review of the novel.
