ARC Review: “An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder” by K. Valentin

“An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder” by K. Valentin

Publishing Date: October 14, 2025

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, LGBT

Page Length: 336 pages (paperback review edition)

Synopsis:

Mateo Borrero has ninety-nine problems, and all of them hinge on the fact that his terrifying and currently-missing bruja mother trapped a demon in his body when he was born. His mother forbade him from ever using magic, but now that she’s gone, magic’s his only marketable skill, and he’d really like an exorcism—which costs money he doesn’t have. What’s the harm in making a quick buck by calling himself an Occult Specialist and chanting a few half-remembered spells in his crappy Spanish?

Enter Topher, a naive nepo baby with a curse that keeps killing people around him. Most importantly, he’s rich, and too clueless to clock that Mateo–and his (absolutely-not-the-assistant) astral-projecting best friend Ophelia–have never actually had a client before. Lifting Topher’s bad luck curse should be simple, but as luck would have it, nothing is simple, and Topher–who Mateo sort of, kind of likes–might be at the center of a deadly magical conspiracy. 

To make matters worse, the more magic Mateo does, the stronger the demon inside him grows and the more he wants to eat people. But would caving to the urges of an ancient evil really be that bad if it helps him get a payday?

Review:

An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder is a fitting read for the upcoming Spooky Season that’s just around the corner. There are bone-chilling creatures, a possible murder mystery to solve, and an unrelenting curse that reeks havoc. It’s got the right amount of spookiness balanced out with lots of dark humor to make it more of a light-hearted read. Together, the main characters Mateo, Ophelia, and Topher team up as a rag-tag group of sleuths to unravel the magical web that is full of danger before someone else ends up hurt.

This novel is marketed as a Fantasy novel, but felt as more of a Horror mystery novel to me. While it is full of humor and snarky banter, it is very descriptive overall in its descriptions of body horror and violence. Those who are more sensitive to these elements along with some gory scenes that occur in the latter part of the novel, may want to go into this novel with caution. Valentin knows how to create an unsettling atmosphere that is unsettling and characters that you’ll want to root for. The reading experience was not only immersive, but grips the reader from the first chapter. The unanswered questions along with the unknowing eerieness of how Mateo’s journey will end added to the overall suspense.

The characters felt well-developed, and the somewhat open ending gives me a feeling that there may be a sequel in the future. This book is action-packed, full of the paranormal, and also comes with a little bit of romance (but it does not end up being the main focus). , but considering how this book ended, I imagine it’ll show up in future sequels. I recommend this novel to readers who like dark humor, whodunit stories, and characters with a larger-than-life personality.

Final Verdict:

*3.5 book rating*

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.