Description:
Queenie Rivers was raised by her grandparents in coastal Los Angeles. As she approaches thirty, her erratic lifestyle is forced back on course by a car accident and her grandmother’s intervention. But her recovery is interrupted by a break-in and Gran’s death. Gran’s last act was to set Queenie up with a job at an upscale seaside bistro with a shady reputation—the owner of which, it turns out, was once a close friend. As Queenie digs into Gran’s past for answers about the break-in, the murder, and the unnerving circumstances surrounding the restaurant and her new boss, she discovers that her grandmother, a Romani Holocaust survivor, kept many secrets, some of them otherworldly—secrets that become hers to unravel when she becomes a suspect in Gran’s murder case.
ADVANCED PRAISE
“A delightful and inventive novel of hidden roots, unseen worlds, magical alliances, and personal reinvention, bringing the many layers of Los Angeles to life.”
—Andromeda Romano-Lax, author of The Deepest Lake and Annie and the Wolves
“A beautifully written, heartfelt novel that explores what it means to lose and find oneself through grief. As a woman struggles to solve the murder of her beloved grandmother, the shocking truth she discovers about her family’s history upends her world and leaves her questioning the very fabric of her existence. Both wondrous with mythology and rich with insight, Márquez weaves together a fabulist tapestry of belonging and family that’s absolute magic on the page.”
—Carolyne Topdjian, author of The Hitman’s Daughter
“City of Smoke and Sea is part mystery, part magical, and completely captivating. Malia Márquez weaves an enchanting modern-day fable set in twenty-first-century Los Angeles. Strange, layered, and wonderful.”
—Karen Winn, author of Our Little World
“Lost in the captivating world of City of Smoke and Sea, I found myself enthralled by a compelling mystery that weaves seamlessly through the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters. The complexities of life and the eternal quest for belonging come alive in Malia’s masterful hands, creating a narrative that resonates with a mesmerizing touch of magical realism. From the opening page to the final chapter, the book beckoned me to immerse myself in a world where mystery and history dance in perfect harmony. It’s an enchanting and thought-provoking journey, where the answers to life’s questions emerge from the most unexpected corners.”
—Oksana Marafioti, author of American Gypsy
