Love and Revenge, by Svetana Wallace

Returning to Bulgaria for her sister Elena’s birthday, Milena Borisova expects awkward family moments, not a body floating in the pool. With a wry eye and a knack for noticing the absurd in the tragic, she finds herself drawn into a world of lingering grudges, Mafia enforcers, and political secrets that have a way of spilling into even the most ordinary spa lunches. Enter George Gospodinov: handsome, infuriatingly confident, and somehow tied to the very shadows Milena hopes to avoid. Together, they navigate the drizzle of Brussels, the countryside of England, and Sofia’s unexpected corners, uncovering danger, corruption, and the occasional scandalous coffee-dreg prophecy along the way. Full of sharp humor, simmering suspense, and the glittering frustrations of post-Communist Europe, Love and Revenge is a detective thriller that balances intrigue, romance, and the delicious chaos of lives lived at the intersection of history, ambition, and desire.