Be Still My Unbeating Heart
The sizzling Queer mystery-filled vampire romance, the perfect paranormal romcom for Autumn
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 17 Sept 2026
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
THE NEW DEAD BUT ADORABLE AND SPICY PARANORMAL ROMANCE FROM JOSH WINNING
"Deliciously sexy, atmospheric and so much fun. Vampire fans will devour this one" —Amy McCaw, author of They Own the Night
"Sexy vampires are back – and they’re gay, darling!" — Courtney Smyth, author of The Undetectables
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Bastian may be a vampire, but he doesn’t bite.
. . . Not anymore, at least.
These days, Bastian just wants to live his best undead life: visit charming Italian villages, maybe dance in the square with a cute boy, all with Whitby, his best friend (and magical talking cat) by his side. What he doesn’t want? To stumble across a dead body on the beach, a girl who appears to have been killed by a vampire.
It wasn’t Bastian. He swears—on his own grave. But the local police chief doesn’t trust Bastian, or any vampire, for that matter, so he assigns detective Nico De Luca to keep an eye on him until his trial. And while Bastian normally wouldn’t complain about having a gorgeous, mysterious man by his side, he has more important things to worry about, because the police chief has called the Vampire Council, and if the real killer is still at large when they arrive, the whole town could be in danger.
As more bodies begin to pile up, Bastian, Whitby, and De Luca must get to the bottom of who in Vernazza is framing vampires, before it’s too late.
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"A heartwarming delight in which every page is infused with queer joy. If there is one cosy mystery you pick up this year, make it this one." —Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue
"Josh Winning gives the grumpy/sunshine romance an upgrade . . . pack your Wayfarers, favorite 80s playlist, and maybe grab some garlic, just to be safe!" —Tanya Pell, author of Her Wicked Roots
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A vacationing vampire accused of murder strives to clear his name in this overstuffed paranormal mystery from Winning (Heads Will Roll). British vampire Bastian Emerson, five years sober from drinking human blood, visits an Italian town alongside his prickly familiar Whitby, a talking cat. When the pair discover a body on the beach with its throat ripped out, local police immediately accuse Bastian and place him under house arrest, watched by sullen cop Nicolas De Luca. Bastian convinces De Luca that he's probably not guilty and that they need to investigate on their own, especially since the commissioner has already summoned the vampire council to town to execute Bastian. The colorful locals provide an array of quirky suspects, including a Swedish olive grower pushing her oil as a panacea, a busybody shopkeeper who learns rumors faster than seems possible, and the overly eager "vampire ally" mayor. When another body washes up with Bastian nearby, his guilt seems assured, but myriad twists and revelations complicate easy answers. It's fun to witness the melting of De Luca's walls under Bastian's flirtation, and the silly humor bounces along, but the clutter of red herrings makes the central mystery grow tedious. Delightful characters and thought-provoking commentary on social exclusion can't quite rescue the cumbersome plot.
