Thank you Netgalley & Pulp Lit Publishing for an eARC ♥️♥️♥️


Wow, 'Blood and Mascara' is a total thrill ride! I mean, I thought I was in for a typical noir mystery, but this book is so much more. It's like a punch to the gut - it's dark, gritty, and unapologetic. And Bronze Goldberg? He's a total badass with a heart of gold (even if he doesn't want to admit it).

I loved how the story twisted and turned - just when I thought I knew what was going on, BAM! Another surprise. And the setting? Washington, DC in the 90s is the perfect backdrop for this tale of corruption and deceit.

What really got me, though, was the characters. They're so complex and multidimensional - even the "bad guys" have a depth to them that makes you wonder what makes them tick. And the ending? I won't give it away, but let's just say it's a total mind-blower.🔥🔥🔥

The book had a slow start, but no matter how confused and lost I felt, I just couldn’t stop reading. The pace didn’t start picking up until about halfway through, and I consumed the rest of the story rather quickly.

I loved the noir detective vibes, but felt like there was too much going on at one time. The flashbacks were sporadically placed in the middle of present day chapters that had me rereading most parts wondering what’s going on. Also, there were a lot of characters to keep track of which made me stop to reacquaint myself with who’s who.

Overall, I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but wished to get a glimpse into more of Iris’ writing. I’m wondering if she would collaborate with Bronze in writing a memoir, or if she would go out on her own and write a love story that would exemplify the relationship between her and Bronze.

I read this book quite quickly, and even though it was a slow-paced thriller, I really enjoyed the eccentricity of the characters and how the plot and story developed. I believe it's a good book that will be successful with readers who love this genre and are drawn into the whole story.

Blood and Mascara gives me vibes of those action thrillers where the govt agent goes rogue and the entire country is searching for the dude
This book had an interesting plot but not the best execution. I think this book is best for people who are into thrillers and similar genres, but for the life of me, i could not get into it. I think this will be better rated by those who like that genre, rather than me. All in all, the writing is well done, however rushed it seemed.

Read This Book!
"Iris is watching Bronze.
Bronze is following Carolyn.
Carolyn is sleeping with Billy.
Now Billy is dead and a killer is coming for them all."
This very neatly sums up all you need to know about the plot. The writing that tells this story is breathtakingly excellent. At under 300 pages every sentence is exquisite and precise.
The highest compliment a reader can give to a modern hardboiled detective novel is to compare it to the Golden Age of Sam Spade, Lew Archer, Phillip Marlow, and The Continental Op, and rate the novel as worthy. Blood and Mascara brings the classic formula into the 21st century with a protagonist, Bronze, who is flawed, courageous, a sucker for beautiful troubled women; a hero with a target on his back and grief in his heart.
Blood and Mascara is easily one of the best books I've read this year. It's hard to believe this is Colin Krainin's first adult novel, the writing is that good. I can only hope that this is the first in a series of Bronze books.
I was so blown away that I've waited two weeks to write this review to see if the details of the writing remained. It's a book I will certainly reread. Bronze is a palladian for the ages.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. My review is independent of the publisher or the author.
READ. THIS. BOOK!

Bronze Goldberg is a private investigator who gets caught up in a dangerous situation when he takes on a case that seems like the usual. He gets wrapped up in a whirlwind of danger and mystery.


This book was good, but took a long time to get started. I almost quit at about page 100. It was boring up until it finally got going. Once it did, it was interesting, but for me, the payoff wasn’t quite enough.


The multiple point of view didn’t work in favor of this story. It would finally hit an exciting plot point then switch to another character and completely break the rhythm dragging the momentum to a screeching halt. Usually, I like multiple POVs, but this one felt disjointed and I was lost a lot in the beginning. I had a hard time connecting to the characters which impacted how much I cared about what happened to them.


Overall, it was very well written and the mystery wasn’t predictable. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good PI noir mystery.


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early for an honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this copy of an eARC to read and review! All thoughts are my own!

This book follows a couple of different characters throughout the story, and all play vital role. Bronze is a former investigative journalist turned private investigator who has SEEN some things. Iris is Bronze’s neighbor, landlady, writer, and someone he feels fondly for. Roth is our connection to the DC police force within this novel. These are the three main characters whose point of view we follow the most. While this book is set in the 90’s there were times I felt like it could’ve been set in the 50’s, which is fine I love the old time noir feel that books can give off. The writing was impeccable and while at the start of the book there does seem to be a lot said that we don’t understand, those seeds are there to bloom later in the book and it all ties together so incredibly well.

Highly recommend if you enjoy mystery books!

Four stars! I read this in about two days. A detective old school noir type of vibe except it was set in the 90s. The writing was incredible. The character development was amazing. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew all the characters intimately.

The story follows Bronze, a former journalist turned private eye, who accidentally finds himself in a murder investigation via his clients. As he puts the pieces of the murder puzzle together, he finds himself deep in the world of unethical politics and scandals. While Bronze is deeply troubled by a traumatic past (as all good investigators are) and struggles with alcoholism, he is smart, witty, and loveable in an unorthodox way.

The cast of characters are all eccentric including the romance writer landlord who is secretly in love with Bronze and the beautiful yet unfaithful politician's wife.

It could have been a 5 star read for me but it was a bit slow in the beginning. Not much happened for about 90 pages (a lot of insight into Bronze's psyche and his troubled past) but then it really picked up as the plot started to unravel. But the various characters kept me engaged and turning the pages.

Your average PI knows that violence is always a possibility. For Bronze Goldberg, it’s little short of a certainty. Finding himself squarely in the sights of an assassin, Bronze can’t be sure who is really pulling the strings. Key political and industrial figures are caught up in a maelstrom of deception and vested interests and Bronze is the bullet awaiting a target.

Dizzyingly violent and written with such flair and panache, Blood and Mascara is absolutely what I want from a PI novel and a whole lot more. Outstanding.