cozy mystery

Review of Spells Like Poltergeist Spirit by Leanne Leeds

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
Astra Arden’s back, and this time, she’s got a poltergeist problem in “Spells Like Poltergeist Spirit,” the 18th book in The Owl Star Witch Mysteries!

When a mischievous poltergeist starts wreaking havoc in Forkbridge, Astra and her sisters must figure out to banish the troublesome spirit. The timing couldn’t be worse for this supernatural upset, too—Astra’s relationship with Lothian is on the rocks after she turned down his proposal, and even her best friend Emma is giving her the cold shoulder.

As the poltergeist’s antics escalate from harmless pranks to dangerous destruction, Astra races against the clock to uncover the source of the spirit’s unrest and send it packing. But with her personal life in shambles, can she keep her focus long enough to solve the mystery?

Packed with humor, heart, and a heaping helping of otherworldly mischief, “Spells Like Poltergeist Spirit” is a must-read for fans of this bewitching series! As always, No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing—only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
One of my favourite things about the Owl Star Witch Mysteries is that they’re a quick, easy, cozy reads with interesting mysteries. This book actually had a lot of good life advice about mistakes and being in love, that you have to do the work, and that love is wanting to be a part of what someone is/doing–not forcing someone to choose between them. I also quite enjoyed the magical lesson Ayla gave about how all energy can be transformed. This particular mystery had a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t necessarily see coming. Did I figure out who the poltergeist was well before it was mentioned? Yes. The why? Not so much. I thought this was a great addition to the mysteries so far, and I absolutely loved the ending!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Lady Avely’s Guide to Lies and Charms by Rosalie Oaks

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
A lady shouldn’t be seen to incite a duel… but Judith wasn’t even there when it happened.

Lady Avely doesn’t know what infuriates her more: that someone used her image to provoke the Duke of Sargen into killing a man, or that the duke actually believed it was her trysting in the maze that night.

Now she and the duke must concoct their own subterfuge to shake out the culprit. Otherwise, Dacian might be arrested for murder, or worse, the shadowy guardians of the Musing might inflict their own cruel punishment for the misuse of his Gift. Judith will need her most respectable mobcap, and unfortunately, the duke will need a false moustache.

With Judith’s ability to detect lies and Dacian’s now carefully contained power, they set out to uncover the truth – but their own hearts make them easy to manipulate. Facing a master of deception, as well as the duke’s renewed determination to win her, Judith will need a stiff drink of chocolate and the help of her cheerful, tiny vampiri companion before she can find her way out of the deadly tangle…

Can Judith and Dacian unmask the killer before more blood is shed? And how many different ways can one disguise a duke?

Review:
This book had everything; magic, sabotage, betrayal, good companions, a great mystery, and a cliffhanger ending that made me rant and rage to my poor husband! There are a slew of new characters introduced that show great depth and are quite enjoyable. Several times I found myself frustrated at the lack of communication between Judith and Dacian because you would think after all they’d been through in the past they’d know it’s best to air their grievances instead of potentially being caught up in someone else’s web of lies; especially if they are supposed to trust each other. Despite the communicative issues, I quite loved the story in whole, especially how far Judith was willing to go once she knew exactly what she wanted/cared about. I cannot wait for the next book to come out!!

*Warning that while this may be considered a “romance” it is chaste, and the biggest slow burn I’ve read to date.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic by Rosalie Oaks

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
A Regency widow shouldn’t be hunting spectres all night.

Lady Judith Avely’s magical gift for divining the truth makes her prodigiously good at lying. To absolve a guilty secret, she travels to the exiled Duke of Sargen’s estate, but the last thing she expects is to run into the duke himself, who is lamentably now even more attractive than in his volatile youth.

The duke has his own concerns: he has returned home to a haunted house, with skulls floating about and a footman apparently bashed by a book. Such vulgar circumstances are best avoided, but the duke needs Judith’s unique talents to help uncover the culprit – even if it might put her in the sights of a killer.

With the help of a tiny vampiric acquaintance and a continuous supply of drinking chocolate, Judith should be able to solve the uncanny mystery…if only the duke will stop making improper remarks about her mobcaps.

A lady who can discern lies, the duke who lied to her, and a gothic cosy mystery full of bats, skulls, and cocoa.

Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic features a mid-life heroine, a slow-burn second-chance romance, and a magical version of Regency England.

Review:
This book was absolutely amazing. I adored the mystery and the mysteries/backstories wrapped together. Throughout the book there are bits and pieces of advice and truths scattered about how lies work, can be detected, and effect others. One such tidbit is, “One lie can give rise to a cascade of untruths.” (Chapter 9, Page 95)

While there are so many bits and pieces of lies and mistruths and withheld information, it was interesting to see how Judith traversed through everything to find out what was actually happening. I quite enjoyed this mystery and how she had to work both with Dacian and on her own; for who could expect a widowed woman to be good at anything? The ending left me greatly wanting to continue with the second book, which was not yet out at the time of reading. There was both magic and realism, and I quite recommend this book to any who enjoy intrigue, mystery, and a hint of fantasy/magical powers thrown in.

“A lie can last for many years before you stumble across it.” (Chapter 33, page 356)

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Owl Shook Up by Leanne Leeds

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
When Aunt Gwennie’s famous snickerdoodles go missing before the annual cookie competition, Astra and her sisters prepare for a bitter battle over the sweet treats. But the trouble turns deadly when Aunt Gwennie’s rival, Agatha Blackwell, is found dead with a snickerdoodle stuffed in her mouth.

With Archie’s help, Astra dives into the cutthroat competition of Forkbridge’s baking scene. Secrets are simmering about Agatha’s controversial new recipe, stolen ingredients, and suspected poisonings. As she sifts through motives and investigates shifty behavior behind the scenes, Astra discovers that she may be in over her head.

Can Astra clear Aunt Gwennie’s name and crack the case before the cookie crumbles? Or will the sisters watch Aunt Gwennie’s cookie legacy come crashing down like an underbaked soufflé?

Find out in this delectable tale filled with baked goods, betrayal, and bewitching hijinks galore.

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
As always, a decent story, quick read cozy mystery by Leanne Leeds. There were a few parts that I personally felt were a bit jumpy. Clearly a big point of this novel was to show that Astra wasn’t prioritizing the correct things, needs to learn to organize herself better, but it seemed daft that she never really investigated anything regarding the sudden death. She sort of visited the scene and checked her own house, but the whodunit being found out (and her presence when it did) was entirely coincidental. There were many angles and loose ends left out about Carla, Iva, and Clarkson. I really did love the introduction of another magic-tech gadget from her magical military days. I do hope that such things will continue to make appearances. All in all, a good quick read, and I’d recommend to anyone who likes modern fantasy cozy mystiers.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Owl Melt With You by Leanne Leeds

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
When witch Astra Arden agrees to a Valentine’s Day date with Jason Bishop, she expects a romantic evening filled with chocolates and champagne—not bread and water in a jail cell.

Astra is excited to spend Valentine’s Day with handsome local middle school teacher Jason Bishop—but things take a turn for the unexpected when a retired local teacher Unity Priestpoint turns up dead, shot and stuffed in a trunk covered in magical symbols.

As if the murder of a retired local teacher wasn’t enough, Astra’s date Jason becomes the prime suspect.

In order to clear his name and have any hope of going on their first date, Astra must dive headfirst into the investigation even as her best friend, Detective Emma Sullivan, moves to arrest Jason for murder. Will Astra be able to uncover the truth in time and save their budding relationship before it’s too late?

Or will she be left dateless for the next twenty-five to life?

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
This book had a whole slew of twists and turns, though I did think that the ending of this particular mystery had been a bit easy to figure out. There was a slight shift in language at a few points in this book that took me out of reading because they seemed so out of place. I agree with Althea that I would want to be in a coven of chocolate witches. I quite loved the mention of how easy Archie is to bribe now that he knows about Costco’s Extra Thick Steak Strips. (Chapter 6, page 92) I was intrigued and pleased to learn more about what’s going on with Ayla, though it was sad that all happened at Jason’s expense. Astra remains infuriating about the whole “dating and being close” to people thing and I hope that’s addressed in the next book. I will continue on and look forward to seeing what other mysteries wait Emma and Astra.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Owl About Yule by Leanne Leeds

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
Do you remember the Christmas story about the chain-rattling ghosts who taught life lessons? Well, how about a Yule tale involving a beachfront mansion, multiple Greek gods, an Orphic priest, and a kidnapped divine panther?

Witch Astra Arden expects a quiet holiday with her family and persnickety owl, Archie. She does not expect a Dionysian priest on the Ardens’ doorstep bringing news that the Greek god’s beloved panther has gone missing. Even worse? Dionysus is accusing his sister—the goddess Athena—of the prank, causing a divine argument that threatens to ruin Astra’s holiday.

Astra struggles to navigate the drama between the bickering gods while being drawn deeper into a dangerous mystery that threatens the holiday festivities and the life of the Orphic priest—all because her partner Emma can’t contain her excitement over a real paranormal case.

But as they try to restore peace between the gods, Astra realizes that this may be a mystery far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with eccentric gods, a kidnapped divine panther, and a touch of holiday magic, this fantasy cozy mystery will keep you laughing and guessing until the very end.

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
This was an interesting take on A Christmas Carol. There are times when Astra’s defiance and disregard for all that has happened around her becomes incredibly frustrating for the reader, so it was nice to see that some higher powers might think it frustrating as well. I did like that we got to meet/learn more about the deities, however, this book was very much disjointed and different from the others. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it almost read like a dream sequence, which, granted the nature of its inspirational source. The gods relationships with Archie is amazing, and I quite enjoyed seeing Archie change and learning more about his place in the world.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Heavy Meddle Magic by Leanne Leeds

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
When witch Astra Arden and her best friend Detective Emma Sullivan are sent to investigate a string of arson cases in the psychic medium capital of the world, they get more than they bargained for.

Investigating a spate of mysterious arson cases in Cassandra, Florida–the self-proclaimed psychic medium capital of the world—Astra and Emma juggle accusations from the town’s eccentric inhabitants as well as the mayor’s questionable relationship with their boss.

With Halloween tourists flooding the place, ghostly inhabitants of the famous haunted town vanishing, and homes along Main Street going up in smoke, the stakes have never been higher.

Is there a conspiracy wafting through the homes of Cassandra like a poisonous incense? Or is it just filled with super weird people that need to take their heads out of their sage smoke?

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
I absolutely loved how many different parts of the area and Astra’s relationships we got to see more in depth and growth in. This was the first of the “holiday” themed books in the series, starting off strong with Halloween. It’s interesting to see how Astra and her sisters had been truly sheltered/kept from the world in some ways regarding a nearby town and not being able to celebrate a holiday that, while perhaps not Athena’s, is universally known as a witchy one. Ayla, Astra’s 13 year old sister, plays a giant role in this book, but honestly, parts with her were somewhat frustrating to read because of how well the author portrayed a girl who feels uncertain of her place in life and as if no one listens to her or includes her in anything. Seeing more of Jason and the revelations about his life and how he grew up were awesome; now we just need Astra to DO SOMETHING. The proverbs used were spot on, specifically, catching more flies with honey than vinegar. The information about different culture’s use of things such tobacco, and their believe in things such as skinwalkers “a type of witch who can turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as animals” (chapter 13, page 221) was well done/used. The mention of how Athena gets the warriors who died trying to resolve conflict and crazy berserkers hang out with Ares seems on brand for both of them. The snark between Emma, Astra, Archie and the gang is always hilarious. “The library of Alexandria held only a fraction of the knowledge contained within my adorable featherhead.” (Chapter 18, page 302) The best quip came from Ayla in this one, though, “…when you’re completely trapped and there’s no way out, when you don’t know what to do? Truth pops up, and today it popped out of your mouth.” (Chapter 19, page 322)

All in all, quite enjoying this series and looking forward to continuing on! I’m already most of the way through the next book, which is the Yule/Christmas one.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Secrets of the Specter: A Haunted Mystery, A Magical Cat & A Modern-Day Candlestick Maker by Molly Fitz and L. A. Boruff

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment
Secrets of the Specter: A Haunted Mystery, A Magical Cat & A Modern-Day Candlestick Maker (Meowing Medium Book 1) by [Molly Fitz, L.A. Boruff]

Synopsis:
I’m Mags McAllister, and I am an honest-to-goodness modern-day candlestick maker. I work in my family’s shop in the historic district of Larkhaven, Georgia, and also make a pretty penny from sharing videos of my process online.

My life is simple, quiet, and all mine… until a white cat with mismatched eyes shows up outside my shop and refuses to leave. When I take him home, things get really weird. As in, I can now see things and people that were never there before.

It gets even freakier when a voiceless spirit introduces herself to me via a handwritten letter. This specter claims that I share her name and will also share her fate if we can’t solve the mystery that’s haunted our town since 1781… and quickly because she won’t be able to maintain her strength for much longer.

Talk about a cold case! Can I find a way to free my eighteenth-century counterpart? Or has my new feline companion just signed my death warrant by opening my eyes to the secret supernatural plane in our otherwise sleepy small town?

Review:
I decided to switch genres a bit to something modern and quirky in honour of Halloween, and I am oh so glad that I a) managed to finish this in one day and b) read this! I quite love Molly Ftiz’ writing style, and I absolutely adored how she opened the story. In many ways, it reminded me of doing an in character book talk where a character is coming up and telling you everything about themselves, but the way it tied into the story was excellently done and I loved it. I loved all the modern social media/internet tie ins. It’s a very pop/now book, but that’s part of what makes it so neat.

I had ideas on who the mysterious person we were looking for might be but I was constantly (pleasantly) redirected by suggestions of what Mags was thinking, which I found utterly delightful. It’s quite a light read, but quirky and fun. I would highly recommend it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯