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!
Impurrfect Magic (Unfamiliar Magic Book 1) by Paula Lester belongs to that new trope of books where a older woman makes a drastic change in her life, finds her way to magic, mysteries and a feline companion, one who’s often her familiar.
It’s a cozy magical mystery story with cats. And this type of book is hugely popular among readers and writers.
And I’m reading a lot of them.
Impurrfect Magic (Unfamiliar Magic Book 1) by Paula Lester is cute, short and easy to read. The characters don’t have much depth to them and the location of Aurum Falls is descriptively unclear, and there’s no real foundation laid down for the town, characters, and even storylines.
Things just happen like a kid blindly knocking over dominoes. Which when it comes to murder investigation, crimes, and any kind of element that needs detailed support and evidence, this is likely lacking.
The former middle school science teacher decides to ask questions about the murder with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop. Even when she knows the sheriff, is newly back in town, and doesn’t even know what her uncle was involved in. It’s not a whole picture of her that makes sense.
Nor is anything that comes afterwards.
It all comes together quickly with some magical energy that is puzzling.
Anyway, if you’re not going to stop and think about it too closely, it’s a quick fun read.
Never trust a bossy kitten—especially when she comes out of a secret room.
When Ivy Patterson traded her chaotic life as a middle school teacher for the quiet charm of her uncle’s produce market, she never expected her return to Aurum Falls would lead to murder, magic, and a feisty feline companion.
But when her grumpy Uncle Vincent is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Ivy discovers a hidden world she never knew existed—a secret room, a magical kitten named Tabby, and a family legacy steeped in dark magic.
Armed with only her wits, latent magical talents, and a determined familiar, Ivy must uncover the truth behind her uncle’s death while managing a quirky small-town produce market. With danger lurking behind every secret, she’ll need to learn to embrace her imperfect magic—or risk losing everything she holds dear.
Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a magical twist, Impurrfect Magic is a spellbinding tale filled with humor, heart, and a dash of supernatural sleuthing.
This was an excellent read. The fourth book in what I believe is a seven book series, Babin packs so many important series elements and shocking moments into this book, jamming a multitude of various character’s storylines, relationship dynamics, and unexpected events together to make this story a memorable, explosive dramatic and extremely compelling book.
Evie and Caelin’s relationship is one that still stands out as one of powerfully compelling fragility. Each of them has their own unique powers as well as responsibilities and deeply rooted secrets that make any type of permanent connection between them almost untenable. Never more is this made clear than here as events escalate.
But Evie’s friends are ongoing challenges and their own personal relationship issues. Ones that her choices are making an impact.
It’s one thing after another. One dramatic moment that arises when you least expect it. And the author folds every single piece of information and plot effortlessly into the whole, using mythology and fantasy and the richness of the location to bring the characters and wildness of this story to life.
That ending was so satisfying and intense. Which makes me want more immediately!
There’s a bit of a mystery left unanswered that will be carried over to the next book. I can wait for it to be released.
Highly recommended. Grab them up and read in the order they were written.
This is a series that I find absolutely amazing. A winner!
Everything’s a mess. The gods won’t stay out of her business. And Evie? All she wants is a little peace or drowning by bottomless margaritas.
Evie should be basking in the afterglow after her romp with the Shifter Lord. Instead, she’s dodging his increasingly aggressive courtship rituals like a runaway bride carrying dynamite. Not because she doesn’t care about him, but because she’s keeping big secrets.
Cernunnos has decided to retire. On the surface, totally fine. Except … Daddy Dearest wants to hand Evie the keys to the fae kingdom, and he’s been dropping in with divine homework and cryptic warnings about the future.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Caelan is hinting at forever, the Council is sniffing around, searching for answers about Donovan’s untimely demise, and Cliona keeps dropping by, hinting she wants a mother-daughter relationship, while conveniently forgetting she tried to kill Evie a few months ago.
The cherry on top? After a split-second decision to swallow the World Tree seed to keep it out of Chimera hands, Evie is now a bridge to other worlds—a power she has no idea how to use, but one that everyone covets, leaving her to ask the most important question of all…
Little Bean brings Maya’s Blog to a close, with tears, drama and, yes, more growth and more hopeful happiness in the future for her and her growing family and friends.
Maya’s undergone so many dramatic changes from the broken abused human who started a blog she wasn’t sure anyone would want to read to a paranormal being herself with readers in the millions from many realms (it’s listed at the top of every chapter). She’s documented her journey, her fears and the challenges, every milestone and every step backwards. Her successes and her failures.
And each one has been one that’s had resonated with me, deeply, with this remarkable character that the author has framed out in this great blog format.
There’s side stories about women who are victims of domestic violence and abuse. And the organization that offers them and their children more than just food and shelter.
It’s about recovery, healing, and the ability to accept help to move forward when needed. It’s emotional magic and it’s honestly so hard to put into words, what it means to read this series and reach the end.
I’m not ready. Truly I’m not.
So I’ll leave you with this small piece at the end.
From Maya to her readers as she writes as she thinks about what comes next, just one tiny bit.
“You’re allowed to take up space. You’re allowed to want more than survival.
You’re allowed to fall apart and rebuild yourself into something new.
You’re allowed to be scared and brave at the same time.”
I can’t even get past the rest without going back and starting over. With tissues.
Given the current state of our world, especially for women, this character and series hits hard. An emotional gut punch, book by book.
Laughing, crying, recovery, loss, and renewed strength to move forward.
It’s a series I never expected when I first started reading. New author and format. But it’s one that’s stuck with me and it’s been a great read and source of comfort.
Now I’m passing it along to you. It a special kind of treasure, something to share with the next person who you think might be want a special voice in their lives.
The cover has a tag, An Umbrafore novel, which might possibly promise more novels to come in this chaotic universe. I can always hope.
Cover Illustration Main image by Manuka Madushan, Digital Illustrator.
Maya Draven thought marrying a shadow demon warlord was the craziest thing she’d ever do. She was wrong.
As she faces escalating attacks from hate groups, Maya discovers that having a hybrid baby doesn’t make her vulnerable—it makes her dangerous.
And Maya is about to face her biggest challenges yet.
This is the explosive conclusion to Maya’s journey from anxious barista to fierce mother, where she proves that sometimes the best response to people trying to silence you is to speak even louder.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 