Deadly Coins is the second in the Witch in the Woods series by Jenna St. James. It’s another terrific mystery that brings further insight into the some of the otherworldliness of the island and the creatures that live there, and the history of its inhabitants.
In this story, it’s all about a cold case that hit close to home for one of Shayla’s closest friends. There’s an investigation, suspicion that falls on an older group of people, and a dramatic twist.
Another satisfying story and slow burn romance.
I’m here for it. Plus a grumpy magical flying porcupine !
When game warden, Shayla Loci, and her cousin, Serena Spellburn, stumble upon a wounded dragon guarding gold coins, they have no idea it would lead to a clue about how Serena’s dad, Mac, really died nearly thirty years before. But that’s exactly what happened. Now Shayla and Sheriff Alex Stone must determine if Mac died of suspicious causes, and, if so, who caused his death and why. Between digging for thirty-year-old clues among supposed friends and experiencing a near-death fatality, Shayla is sure Mac’s death was planned. But can she prove it? With the help of Needles her flying porcupine, Shayla is unwavering in her pursuit to find Uncle Mac’s killer. But when things come to a head, and innocent people are in the way, will everyone come out unscathed? Or will Shayla have to make the ultimate sacrifice? If you like paranormal cozy mysteries and midlife main characters, then this series is for you!
Morning Glories & Murder is the sixth novel in Winters’ Willowmere Cozy Mysteries series and I find that, in a 17 book series, there’s elements of this that I still love and others that I find less appealing at this point.
Number one is the gorgeous language and the absolute beauty of the words Winters uses to convey a sense of character or atmospheric magic in her work. Succinct, poetic and witty, I love the expression of her voice here.
Her ability to create a mystical, living almost sentience that flows from the dirt and wood in Willowmere is amazing. It’s believable in feeling both ominous and beautifully ancient simultaneously.
The murder mystery each book is occupied with are also good. But each has felt a bit flat because of there’s been so much time spent on a convoluted, investigative work that apprehending the culprit is a rushed affair, concluded all too briefly.
Relationships too are sparsely linked, dryly written about and even more weakly linked. The reader must infer from bits of information where different relationships might be headed, if anywhere. I’m actually ok with that.
But it’s with the main character of Maeve Everhart where I personally have the most problems connecting. She’s been hinting at having considerable power but time and again she’s attacked. Yet Maeve is passive against violent aggressive tactics or undermining maneuvering.
Throughout story after story, she avoids taking evidence to the town’s sheriff, keeping clues to herself ( sometimes losing the key material), waiting and watching for “the soil” and Whim, the familiar to point to a possible motive or culprit.
It’s frustrating to read. Because essentially it’s wandering around as the culprit continues to escalate “evil doings” right until the last few pages. Then it’s boom, it’s whoever. Done.
Here she’s personally attacked in a number of ways, professionally, personally etc. And again, it’s an approach of “ idk, not sure what I can do about it “.
For me, I’m not sure if this type of character is worth the effort. Love the language, not connecting with any but the cat, a snarky wry individual on his best days.
Think I’ll give it a rest for now. Come back later when I need a hit for sentences like this:
“From his perch atop the hanging planter by the window, Whim offered a disdainful yawn and flexed one white-tipped paw. “It’s not the rosemary. It’s the coming crowd. You can feel the potpourri energy swelling already. Too many amateur aromatherapists. Not enough dignity in the ceramics.”
Sigh.
Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.
Willowmere’s Summer Artisan Faire was supposed to celebrate beauty, craft, and memory. Instead, it begins with the discovery of a beloved potter’s body beneath her own shattered booth.
Maeve Everhart wasn’t looking for another mystery. But the clay doesn’t lie—and neither does the soil. As whispers of sabotage echo through the town’s sunlit streets, she’s pulled into a web of rivalries, forgeries, and unfinished work that someone was desperate to keep buried.
With her greenhouse rattled by secrets and old friendships tested by fire, Maeve must piece together a broken charm, a fractured legacy, and the truth that lives in what Petra left behind.
Because in Willowmere, every creation carries intention—and some were made to remember what others wanted to forget.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
A New Beginning: A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery by Courtney McFarlin has so much potential in the overall series storyline and engaging characters that I wish I actually enjoyed the book more.
Initially, how McFarlin started to develop her character and her initiation into the small town of Timber Falls, Colorado was a terrific setup.
Olivia Sutton is fleeing Portland, a failed marriage, a recently remarried ex, and lots of memories. She’s made arrangements to buy a bookstore in a small town in Colorado she’s never seen from a woman she’s only talked to on the phone.
She’s got a doubting best friend in Portland telling her to return, and all her belongings packed in her car. Right away I’m invested in this woman who desperately wants a new beginning.
She’s met with drama, murder and a mystery. And a town of strangers, some of whom slowly become friends.
Especially a small group of older women, who I just adore. They rank high as some of the best characters and aspects of the story.
Then there’s Millie, the cat she adopts.
This is the element I feel derailed the book for me.
Take Millie away or change certain parts of this cat’s “personality” and we continue to have a really good mystery series set in a believable place, filled with credible characters a reader can connect with.
Add in Millie, the woowoo factor and you’ll find, imo, a story at odds with itself. Both an emotional journey and interesting mystery series or an over the top “woowoo” tale that rides the line of goofy talking cat from outer space or whatever. Honestly, that element gave me a narrative whiplash when it popped up, because it was so unexpected in the way the author introduced it.
Anyway, for me, Millie kept taking me away from the story and developing relationships with the other characters. Just odd. So much that I’m probably not going forward with the rest of the series .
Check it out and decide for yourself if this is something you might enjoy.
A Millie the Miracle Cat Cozy Mystery (5 book series):
Olivia Sutton just moved to Timber Falls, a little town hidden in the mountains of Colorado, with the goal of starting fresh and leaving her past firmly in the rearview mirror. She’s got a plan and some hard-earned savings. How hard could starting over be?
While she’s scouting locations to start a new bookstore, she discovers a bedraggled stray cat, and something far more sinister.
Will the people in her newly claimed hometown believe she’s innocent? Is she losing her grip on reality or is her new cat capable of strange things?
Join Olivia and Millie the Cat as they work together to save Olivia’s reputation, find a killer, and begin living their new lives.
Im binging a number of new paranormal cozy mysteries at the moment and this is one of the better ones.
Jenna St. James’ Witch in the Woods series already has 35 released books ready to read for new readers which is fantastic. And each is a quick and well plotted story at around 170 pages so they just fly by.
James has also delivered engaging characters and an intriguing setup in a “hidden from normal people“ island that is inhabited by those who are paranormal beings or have parents who are.
Shayla Loci, a 45 year old law enforcement agent is returning home after being away for years working with a paranormal federal agency. Her strange parentage is highly unusual and huge part of ongoing narrative of the series.
She’s a terrific central figure here, and meshes well with all the town folk who have reoccurring roles and become important characters in the series. Especially the new sheriff and his preteen daughter.
There’s mystery and murder. And many developing relationships that bring up past issues and historical events.
The story keeps a fast pace and provides enough insight into the town’s history and new characters that my interest never waned.
Career-driven witch, Shayla Loci, is about to turn forty and is ready for a change. When she retires from capturing criminal supernaturals for the government, she figures her days of chasing bad guys are over. Little did she know her new job as the game warden on Enchanted Island would thrust her right back into harm’s way…and she wasn’t even officially on the clock yet! But when Sheriff Stone enlists her help to find out who killed an island resident, Shayla readily agrees.
Between sorting through alibis, gathering clues, and mentoring a wayward teenager on how to be a witch…Shayla’s life is hectic. If only her estranged dad–the King–wouldn’t insist she take her bodyguard, Needles, with her everywhere she goes. Just when Shayla believes she’s identified the killer, a new threat emerges…leaving her to make a snap decision that may cost her her life.
This new paranormal cozy series with a twist on midlife discovery will leave you guessing and hungry for more!
A Pub in the Underworld (The Cozy Abyss #1) by Harmon Cooper was another great find. New terrific author, new entertaining LitRPG adventure story and series to read.
The first book sets up the universe, characters and challenges very quickly. In the beginning of the story Sylas Runewulf , a seasoned warrior, is fighting a losing battle against his kingdom’s old enemy. We’re there on the battlefield, in his mind as it’s all going down. It’s emotional, heartfelt and raw.
It ends with him in the afterlife, in one of the three Realms , and a direct message to head to the town of Ember Hollow and take possession of the town pub.
Sylas meets an Apothecary, Patches a magical pub cat , and starts to form a new life and friends in the afterlife. Even as a threat to his life and new adventures approaches.
It’s well done. For those who aren’t familiar with LitRPG, the game aspect isn’t overly complex or important here. It’s more character driven and storytelling than gameplay oriented.
Those who do enjoy those elements will have plenty to look forward to and appreciate. Characters do level up here.
Absolutely adore Patches. What a fabulous character and all the imagery associated with it makes this story even better. And funnier.
Death is only the beginning for one warrior as he encounters adventure, friendship, and romance in the afterlife in the epic first book of this cozy LitRPG.
There are three levels to the afterlife. The best level is the Celestial Plains at the top. At the bottom is the worst level, known as the Chasm. And in between lies the Underworld. That’s where Sylas Runewulf, a brave soldier who gave all to his kingdom, finds himself after he dies.
Following the guidance of a mysterious blue prompt, Sylas journeys to the town of Ember Hollow to breathe new life into a quaint local pub. Along the way, he meets a clever apothecary named Mira who helps him acclimate to the ins and outs of the realm and Patches, a corpulent cat who’s slightly . . . shall we say, unusual.
Dubbing the pub “The Old Lamplighter,” Sylas hopes it will be a safe haven for other weary souls. Of course, it doesn’t feel that safe when the prompt reappears with a warning: [You have 89 days until the invasion.]
As Sylas works to decipher the troubling message, he faces more challenges, travels far and wide, and befriends wayward demons, magical creatures, and lost warriors. He also builds a community around his humble pub—one that he must soon defend, or they’ll all face a fate much worse than death . . .
Blending fantasy LitRPG with a slice-of-life story about starting over, A Pub in the Underworld is the first adventure in Harmon Cooper’s Cozy Abyss series. Join Sylas and Patches on their charming journey of discovery, friendship, and defense against the unknown in a world where even the smallest decision could shape the fate of a community caught between realms.
From Book 1: “Thanks for your concern, but I don’t need your protection. I have a mystical cat, an unprincipled gnome with a violent streak, and I have my magic.”
Such an excellent series, my only regret being the wait time between releases. But its absolutely worth it as proved by the newest book in C. P. Rider’s Smokethorn Paranormals series, The Wolfing Hour.
In a series already bursting with thoughtfully crafted, complex and compelling storylines about multi dimensional damaged characters, this story took them all to new levels.
Of betrayal, pain, loss, self discovery, recovery and revelation. New depths to their relationships and, of course, a cliffhanger of a twist in one or maybe two of the series plots.
Never has the writing been better or more engrossing, able to pull the reader immediately into the story and the ongoing conflicts and never losing their interest.
Betty’s character here undergoes an extraordinary transformative growth. It’s startling and terrifying. To her, those characters around her and the readers who have come to know her. It’s truly a remarkable piece of her journey and the story. And we’re not done yet.
A thriller of an urban fantasy romance that’s absolutely amazing and satisfying in every way. I’m highly recommending this series. And eagerly awaiting the next one to come.
Cover design by The Book Brander
The Smokethorn Paranormals Series (5 book series):
“Ah, Ronan. This witch is about to make your life a whole lot more complicated.”
Just when Betty Lennox thought she had a handle on her life—reconnected with her earth magic, brought the saguaros back from the dead, sexy alpha wolf sharing her bed—everything goes sideways.
Turns out she’s not just an earth witch. Thanks to dear old Grandpa Sexton, she’s got a demon side that’s tired of being locked away. A powerful and ruthless demon side with zero qualms about damage control when someone threatens her people. When Demon Betty takes the wheel, Witch Betty ends up doing morally questionable things like killing people who really, really need to die.
Meanwhile, Ronan’s birth father—Alpha Floyd Pallás, certified creep and all-around evil person—has kidnapped his sister to force him into submission. The pack is in chaos, shifters across the county are dying, and Betty’s running out of time to find her before the convocation where Ronan must challenge Floyd for the pack.
But here’s the thing about power-hungry wolves: they cheat. And here’s the thing about Betty: She won’t let the people she loves get hurt—even if it means embracing the monster within.
“It smells like someone overwatered ambition,” Whim muttered from beneath the herb stand, his tail flicking toward a pot of mint that looked more like mush.
It’s Spring Planting Weekend in Willowmere and the commentary is flowing fierce.
My favorite paranormal mystery is back in force. High quality language, mystical imagery, scenes that feel both gothic and cozy along with a haunting landscape follow Maeve and Whim, her familiar, when beloved florist Marigold Bloom is found dead, holding a bouquet of flowers whose language sends a bite instead of a message of love.
We get an excellent story, a serious mystery and series of clues to lead to a complex albeit mystical investigation.
However, the language and phrases by the author just continue to delight me. Clever and creative, conveying a sense of humor and character with a conciseness that is perfect.
Example:
“Good morning, Dorian.”
He tipped his glass. “The garden’s looking well-fed. Much like the town’s curiosity.”
Maeve shook her head and tried not to smile. Dorian was charming, curious, and a little too good at circling truths without landing on them.
That’s Dorian Quinn owner of the Lavender Lantern, one of the several unique community members of Willowmere.
Always a tad too charming, too much, too perfectly put together, even at a murder scene, sipping a cocktail.
There’s an ongoing sense of grief and hidden secrets that are unraveling under Willowmere now that Maeve has returned home. Secrets that her great aunt Hazel knew about and helped seal.
Along with her familiar, Whim, and Silas Merrick, a local beekeeper, one death at a time, (one story at a time) the secrets are being revealed.
It does make me wonder, like that old joke about (Midsomer Murders) Cozy Mysteries, how many people are still living at the end of the series in such a small village?
I’m throughly enjoying the process, the mystical elements, and the fabulous writing.
I’m highly recommending this for anyone who loves great writing, interesting mystery attached to a bit of mysticism. Haunting and poetic.
Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.
The garden blooms again… but something beneath it never died.
Spring in Willowmere is in full swing, and Maeve Everhart is trying to keep her hands in the soil and her heart out of trouble. But when beloved florist Marigold Bloom is found dead among her foxglove and rue, the scent of grief is laced with suspicion. The bouquet wasn’t accidental. And neither is the silence blooming in its wake.
Everyone in town has something to protect—some secrets are personal, some are poisonous, and some are old enough to be buried in the land itself. As whispers curl beneath fresh blossoms and intentions are masked with petals, Maeve finds herself unraveling a plot that roots back generations… and may still be growing.
Because in Willowmere, the soil remembers. And this time, it might not forgive.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
Moss & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 2) by Corrine Winters is another excellent read in this mystical mystery series by Corrine Winters.
I confess to reading them for the lyricism of Winters’ language and the intelligence of her sentences. The beauty and almost poetic nature of the narrative is what continues to draw me to this series.
There’s the very essence of strangeness that wraps around the characters and town from the beginning of each story. The soil itself is hiding dark secrets, rejecting something or someone that is not completely welcome in Willowmere. And it’s talking, in its own way.
Maeve Everhart and her cat, the familiar Whim, are listening.
What Maeve is isn’t ever revealed. At least not yet. But human she’s not. Nor are all who live there. Everyone has hidden secrets, hidden agendas, and Willowmere itself a foundation based upon lockes and hidden knowledge. A foundation that’s slowly becoming undone.
The mystery here is who poisoned Howard Fisk. The investigation is one of listening, to the land, the community and all that is left unsaid.
As Whim, the snarky familiar often reflects upon when a certain unpleasant woman makes an appearance.
“Whim made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “She’s the kind of person who alphabetizes her sins.”’
I could actually quote passage after passage. But it’s a quick terrific read at 135 pages. They all are.
I’m highly recommending this for anyone who loves great writing, interesting mystery attached to a bit of mysticism. Haunting and poetic.
Not a fan of the covers, which doesn’t match up with the tone of the book.
The past wasn’t buried. It was sealed. Now the earth wants it back.
Spring has come to Willowmere, but something in the soil still remembers winter’s dead. When a beloved gardener dies under mysterious circumstances, Maeve Everhart senses more than grief clinging to the air. The town whispers heart failure. Maeve hears the hum of old magic—something patient, poisoned, and planned.
As moss curls into forbidden spirals and long-lost artifacts surface from the dirt, Maeve digs deeper into a mystery tangled in land deeds, vanished women, and truths rewritten by those desperate to keep power. Her only allies: a sharp-eyed cat who talks too much, a quiet craftsman who never asks the wrong questions, and the land itself—if she can learn how to listen before someone silences her too.
Because the boundary has cracked.
And what was hidden never meant to stay quiet.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
The Night Vision: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries) by K Sterling really improved upon the previous story and those characters here, especially Lord Smoak who, along with his Park Ranger lover have important roles here and show huge character developments or make that revelations.
The Moon Murder Mysteries is evolving into a group of powerful characters that Demi Sun God/anthropology professor Lennox “Nox” MacIlwraith, and his mate, Agent Nelson, along with Merlin, one of their magikal found family of witches, hellhounds, and medics is gathering together, book by book to help him fight the darkness.
Sterling’s is a rich tapestry of Irish mythology, Celtic lore and language as well as literature . She then matches this with the deep historical context of the American mountain culture and tapping into the world of the paranormal and ancient traditions for a dark, compelling mystical tale.
It can work too well as it does here with the Wolves of the Ossery, a horrific element that needs further foundation as well as exploration to due justice to such a uniquely powerful piece of this narrative. Its introduction is detailed and memorable. Dark and damaging. And pieces of it, history and their culture pops up in the story in various ways. But there’s no resolution, no insight into what happened to them.
What Sterling crafts so beautifully is a mystery. Here with visions from the Oracle (another story and person brought into the circle), is used by Nox and Parks Service investigator, Agent Silas Shelby to locate a mysterious man they believe will be killed soon if they don’t help him, Tighe Ossor.
Silas was featured heavily in the previous story, Dead Air, which was about the Ranger, Niall, and the demon, Cenn, aka Lord Smoak. Here, Lord Smoak becomes the character who is worthy of the name. Here, his character evolves to become the overwhelming threatening force with its own agenda, something that we didn’t see before in his and Niall’s book.
Other characters are showing signs of their own new powerful abilities and adaptations as new threats emerge.
The instant connection between Silas and Tighe Ossor is believable, intimate and even mystical. So the reader is eager to see how this relationship develops between them. I would liked to have had actually less sex and more time spent with them getting to know each other, especially as Tighe is so much a man “out of time “.
The Night Vision suffers from having too much of a narrative agenda to get through and not enough pages with which to get it done throughly and with all the storylines well developed.
Sterling has offered up fantastic content and ideas here. So much to think about and take into consideration. Just the idea of the emergence of a new god, its evolution and what it means for the universe and other realities is mentioned here.How much control does that god have over its own creation?
That’s just a small part of the story.
The villain is barely a part of the book. Blink twice and you will miss him. A dramatic moment and what’s highly anticipated about it is glossed over, but it’s there. One sentence.
This is a small narrative suitcase that’s bulging with all important storyline things, the sides are separating as stuff is trying to fall out. But even more is needed.
It ends on a sort of cliffhanger. Which will lead to an explosive start I’m sure to the next in the series.
We’re on the journey of an evolution of a god that started with the first trilogy, now he’s gathering his set of warriors.
I can’t wait to see what happens next.
No, not one is a standalone story.
Definitely recommend. But there’s many trigger warnings for multiple reasons. Read them.
Great covers.
Cover art by @KillerLaurent
Moon Mysteries 1 – 3 (first series)
Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries sequel series)
A vision of a corpse in a stream. A man with a heart too wild and a soul too pure for this world.
Parks Service investigator, Agent Silas Shelby, isn’t supposed to chase prophecies. But when an oracle named Tony shows him the skull of a man he’s never met, obsession takes hold. The trail leads him to Tighe Ossor—a descendant of ancient warrior-hunters hiding in the Appalachian wilds.
Tighe walked away from his brutal pack to live free, only to be hunted by a necromancer bent on power. To protect him, Silas must rely on anthropology professor Lennox MacIlwraith, Agent Nelson, and their magikal found family of witches, hellhounds, and medics.
Together, they must outwit dark sorcery before the oracle’s vision comes true. But with destiny, danger, and desire colliding, can Silas save a man fate has already marked for death?
The Night Vision can be read as a standalone but it includes numerous spoilers for the rest of the series and the original trilogy.
* [ inserting note of my own: imo not one of these complexly interwoven books can be read as a standalone story. Why this author and others seem to be adding this comment to blurbs for their series as a standardized note is puzzling, especially considering taken on their own merits, essentially all the characters foundation and the world building is lost without each others story ]
“Willowmere had secrets—buried in moss, whispered by roots, and now one of them just turned up dead.”
If ever there was a perfect example of the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover “ it’s the haunting, beautifully crafted Mildew & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Corrine Winters.
The cover, a brightly colored, almost whimsical comedic Candyland of a piece, complete with a cat that bears no resemblance to the highly intelligent familiar inside, gives a reader a totally different feel than what this novel is about.
The expectations might be for some lighthearted funny cozy mystery. Because that is what the cover infers.
However what author Corrine Winters delivers is entirely different. We immediately get Maeve Everhart and her familiar, Whim, returning to Willowmere after a long absence. She’s not been back since her beloved great aunt died, her grief still very strong, along with other aspects that kept her away, secrets that are buried deep within her and the town.
Winters builds up the town , the atmosphere and tension within it continually throughout the story. It’s a beautifully crafted element of the book, creating the suspense as well as crafting a mystical foundation for the characters and setting.
This is a place where the deep woods and actual dirt talks, it remembers, the mystical nature of the forest breathes here, through moss and mycelium. And it’s sometimes threatening. There’s murder and more threats from many sources.
It’s layers of intrigue, fascinating characters and landscapes that feel simultaneously sinister and ancient.
Winters’ Willowmere, Oregon, a small town famous for its mushroom festival, and its inhabitants has so many hidden secrets and journeys ahead that I can’t wait to read more of these books.
Highly recommended. Just a fabulous read. Just not sure why the disconnect between the book and that cutesy cover. Very jarring.
Willowmere had secrets—buried in moss, whispered by roots, and now one of them just turned up dead.
When Maeve Everhart returned to the fog-draped Oregon town she once called home, she expected grief. She didn’t expect the body of a celebrated truffle forager to be discovered during the festival meant to crown him king of the forest. The town whispers “accident.” Maeve, whose magic stirs beneath her skin like the soil under stormlight, knows better.
With her sarcastic familiar cat as unwanted backup and a reluctant handyman-turned-ally watching her back, Maeve digs into the mystery growing in Willowmere’s woods. The deeper she goes, the more tangled it gets—false trails, altered spores, and someone rewriting the land’s memory for reasons that could turn deadly.
And the moss? It’s not just remembering.
It’s watching.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 