The Best Bad Things

Historical fiction! Violence! Queer characters! Lust! This book has it all!

Katrina Carrasco’s debut novel is set in the 1880s. Centering on Alma Rosales, a former Pinkerton detective who works for smuggling ring leader Dephine Beaumond, The Best Bad Things takes you into the world of opium and smuggling and cross-dressing and so much more. Alma is a deeply compelling and original protagonist — I can’t think of anyone to compare her to. As the blurb summarizes, “One wrong move and she could be unmasked: as a woman, as a traitor, or as a spy.” How fun!!!

I enjoyed how quickly the pace moved, and how surprised I was by some of the plot twists. The only thing that bothered me was the interludes of an interrogation — at first, I was so confused at how it fit into the narrative structure. It eventually made sense, but I kinda wish the story had stuck to Alma’s narration. Because Alma was just that compelling.

All in all, this was truly a remarkable novel. As The A.V. Club wrote, “Katrina Carrasco’s gripping debut novel, The Best Bad Things, is essentially three books in one: a sexy noir, social critique, and historical fiction. That’s quite an undertaking for a first outing, but Carrasco quickly proves she has enough imagination to fill whole shelves.”

Rating: ★★★★

Get it here: https://amzn.to/2LwhyRE