It’s Christmas in New York City, and all antique shop owner Sebastian Snow wants is for his business to make money and to save his floundering relationship with closeted CSU detective, Neil Millett. But when Snow’s Antique Emporium is broken into and a heart is found under the floorboards, Sebastian can’t let the mystery rest. He soon finds himself caught up in murder investigations that echo the … that echo the macabre writings of Edgar Allan Poe. To make matters worse, Sebastian’s sleuthing is causing his relationship with Neil to crumble, while at the same time he’s crushing hard on the lead homicide detective of the case, Calvin Winter. Sebastian and Calvin must work together to unravel the mystery behind the killings, despite the mounting danger and sexual tension, before Sebastian becomes the next victim.
In the end, Sebastian only wants to get out of this mess alive and live happily ever after with Calvin.
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I love the Snow & Winter series. C.S. Poe is a very talented writer, and her characters in this mystery series are absolutely wonderful! I love Sebastian Snow, love his grumpiness, his meddling, his quirks and insecurities. Being in his head is so much fun. Detective Calvin Winter makes me swoon, and together with Sebastian, the two are fabulous. They pull at my heartstrings and make me laugh which is always a win for me. I snap these up the minute they’re released.
I adored this mystery by C.S. Poe. It had hints of Adrien English without all the almost unbearable angst. If you enjoy acerbic characters who are sexy while solving mysteries and who just can’t keep themselves out of trouble, then you’ll enjoy this one, too. This book felt like an old friend. It has the vibe of a cozy mystery despite being set in bustling New York City. Maybe it’s because of the heaps of snow? Regardless, this is a lovely read and I recommend it.
I loved this book! Had it on my TBR list for a while and finally got it and had to immediately buy the other books in the series. Definitely recommended!
This wasn’t your typical “Romance/Suspense”. I truly enjoyed this story so much.
We have Sebastian Snow, an antiques dealer, who opens his shop one morning to a disturbing finding. Enter a sexy, ginger detective, Calvin Winter, lead detective. Sebastian is currently in a relationship with a cop, Neil Millet, but Neil isn’t quite ready for the world to see him. As the relationship continues, Sebastian re-evaluates what he’s willing to tolerate.
As Sebastian tries to forget the events of that snowy morning, things get weirder. Events unfold and they start to play out like stories from Edgar Allan Poe. Detective Winter is the knight in shining armor. He’s there when Sebastian needs him and the banter between the two are witty and adorable. While Sebastian wore his heart on his sleeve, Calvin was a bit more mysterious. Calvin was a bit complex and that made the relationship that much more interesting.
The dynamics of Calvin’s and Sebastian’s relationship blurred the lines between professional and personal, but it helped the story progress. With the aid of a few secondary characters, the plot came to a head and you see where Calvin and Sebastian stood with their relationship, and I couldn’t help but wonder, “What comes next for them?” I’m extremely interested to see where they go from here!
This was my introduction to author C S Poe and I found her very entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know Snow and Winter her MM characters and the world viewed through Achromatopsia lenses….Sebastian Snow is unable to see color. What a great twist for a character.
Sebastian Snow is an antique dealer and closet detective. He is targeted in a bizarre series of E A Poe’s stories and well-you can imagine the trouble he gets into.
The set up is great, the characters are real and I thoroughly enjoyed this book and proceeded onto the second one. Can’t wait for more!
The Mystery of Nevermore (and the sequels) is one of my always rereads. I love the sparky romance between Calvin and Sebastian, and the mystery wove cleverly through the story.
I really enjoyed this mystery.
Yes, it has obvious similarities to Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series – which I love – but I won’t speculate in whether this is a rip-off or actually an ode to Lanyon’s writing. Though I’m leaning towards the latter since the book was dedicated to a Josh.
Anyways. This is a super cosy mystery set in a snowy and Christmas-y New York. Well sure, there are a few murders, but strangely enough it’s still really charming and sweet. With some steamy hot shenanigans.
Sebastian Snow is an antiques dealer with his own little shop. When he finds a rotting heart hidden beneath the floorboards, things take a turn for the worse. His boyfriend since four years, a closeted police officer, doesn’t seem to be overly concerned. But then a fellow antiques dealer, and Sebastian’s former boss, gets murdered and Sebastian’s the one who finds the body. Suddenly he’s thrust into a murder investigation led by the hot AF detective Calvin Winter. The murderer seems to be inspired by the writings of Edgar Allen Poe, and Sebastian seems to be a target. And so, the amateur sleuthing begins.
I’m a big fan of the slight, bookish type getting paired with a big, gruff hunk. So I obviously liked the Snow-Winter combo. I also thought it was quite refreshing that Sebastian was already in a relationship with another at the start of the story. The development borders on cheating, and I know many people have hang-ups about that, but it doesn’t bother me at all. I just thought it made the story more interesting and less predictable.
As to the mystery itself, it felt more as a backdrop to the personal development between Sebastian and Calvin. Or rather, to me, that was the perfect balance between character driven storytelling and the mystery of whodunnit. The resolution wasn’t immediately obvious, but I could guess who the murderer was about 70% in.
Sebastian did act a bit careless (read stupid) at times. And that was actually a concern I had before starting, since several reviews mentioned Sebastian doing stupid shit. But thankfully it wasn’t to an extent that bothered me – and I’m usually hyper allergic to stupid acting MCs. So that was a relief.
Basically, this is a delightful read and I will definitely continue with the next book in the series.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/the-mystery-of-nevermore-snow-and-winter-1-by-c-s-poe/
What a thrill and delight to revisit the work of the great Edgar Allan Poe in this wonderful mystery, given that he is generally considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. In C. S. Poe’s book, Sebastian Snow–an antique shop owner–discovers a decaying heart under the floorboards and it is the start of a mystery that sees him embroiled in a murder investigation. It becomes clear that the perpetrator is seeking Edgar Allan Poe’s first published work, Tamerlane–of which there were only twelve surviving copies. Snow bumps heads (Hehe…) with the lead detective on the case–a highly decorated Army veteran by the name of Calvin Winter who seems to reciprocate Sebastian Snow’s interest. But Snow is in a relationship with the very closeted Neil Millett of the New York Police Department’s Crime Scene Unit. The writer does a fabulous job making the reader feel the anguish of Snow’s relationship to Detective Millett and has us pulling for Detective Winter very early in the story. I love that she moves the action along at an optimal pace that gives the reader full enjoyment of every aspect of the book. The characters are well developed and Poe shows us their growth throughout. Brilliant! Just brilliant!
I love an amateur sleuth story. Especially when coupled with a closeted cop. Sebastian was mischievous and fun to read. Always getting in trouble and keeping Calvin on his toes. His character is well developed and his vision condition fascinated me. Highly recommend this whole series.
Look, you had me at Poe.
Knowing this was an E.A. Poe-based mystery drew me to this book, but my sticking with it was all C.S. Poe. Engaging characters, creepy developments, the double-headed drama of suspense and rising peril and Sebastian trying to navigate the end of one romance and the possible start of another all come together beautifully.
This was my first read from this author a few years ago now, and certainly wasn’t my last. Thoroughly enjoyable from dialogue you can actually hear to small details that set scenes so well.
Five stars for mystery, five stars for the details of Seb’s disability, particularly the joking, four stars for romance, five stars for the writing quality, and five stars for each of these two characters. I am really glad I bought the second book already.
I am visually impaired, very differently from Sebastian, but yes, some similarities. And a lot of sympathy, and LOL’s that he can joke about it.
My one quibble is something another reviewer noted: the early and continuous endearments were excessive, and at least in this book we don’t have any reason Calvin would do that. I am hoping for a revelation in book 2.
What a wonderful story! I was entranced with Sebastian from the very beginning, as was Calvin. These two made each other happy, and it was lovely to see. Poor Calvin soon found out how reckless and impetuous Seb could be when he got involved in a real life mystery. I could feel Cal’s frustration, even though the book is told from Sebastian’s POV. I found the Edgar Allen Poe aspect of the story very interesting. The mystery, the interactions between characters, the romance- it was all great. This is going to be a fantastic series!
Honestly, this was a perfect mix of romance and mystery – one does not overshadow the other. The characters are interesting and well crafted, with very diferent quirks and flaws. The flow of text is pleasantly equal and not jumpy, I liked that. All in all, it’s a great read, recomended to anyone, who enjoys a little mystery and romance. I’m on the lookout for the second book already!
Really enjoyed this book; will purchase the other books in this series.
Liked the characters. Good story.
This book is part of a fascinating series. I’m eagerly awaiting the next novel.
The skill demonstrated by the author is astounding and impressive on every level. Many of her personal favorites and quirks are delightfully interwoven into the plot. The murder mystery element kept me on edge as the whodunnit factor unfurled in a brilliant, and yes, diabolically disconcerting manner. This is Sebastian Snow’s story and he presents it in his distinctly cheeky, impetuous and yet at times, wary, style. I became an instant fan of his on page one as he’s confident yet vulnerable, smart yet needs a kick or two, and he sure rocks his glasses 😉
The complexities of the mystery in this book are wonderful, however the achingly raw and real relationship dynamics and conflicts were my favorite part of the story. Sebastian and Cal’s involvement is messy, complicated and the best thing that ever happened to either of them.
HIghly recommended!