Review: What the Spell?: Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mysteries No. 1 (Spellbooked Mysteries) by Elle Wren Burke

Rating: 4⭐️

Kinley Paigewright, orphan, product of the foster system, suddenly finds herself not only a jilted bride, but someone who has magical powers. Abilities that were unlocked when her ex dumped her on her wedding day and caused a magical explosion of emotions and power. And that caused a very nice paranormal policeman to come wisk her away to Sea Breeze Island, one of the hidden places where magical beings can live in safety and a place she and her family once called home . Not that she remembers.

This was a terrific story. Kinley is a character a reader can empathize with, coming from a foster care system that had her moving multiple times, to the unknown factor that is her history and the mystery of her parents . And who locked her magic?

Those are questions that I expect will be asked throughout the series.

Kinley’s introduction to her magic, the island and the sentient store and all the inhabitants is entertaining to read about .

There’s a mystery. That’s good but it makes little sense for Kinley to investigate and withhold information about what she finds out from the very person, the officer who has gone out of his way to help her along with his familiar. Why doesn’t she just work with Ryland, he and that tiny dragon don’t have an issue with it when they do start communicating. So not doing it to begin with just seems poorly thought out. Especially when you consider she’s new to the island and the magical community .

But it’s got just enough depth to the characters and world building to stand out from the crowd. And the story is interesting so I’ll be picking up the next book in the series

Spellbooked Mysteries (3 book series)

What the Spell? #1

Spell to Pay #2

For The Spell of It #3 – March 15,2027

Buy link

Book 1 of 3: Spellbooked Mysteries

Blurb

Unfairly dumped right before her wedding, can this heartbroken bookworm come to terms with her witchy heritage without getting locked up for murder?

Kinley Paigewright is reeling. But she tries to roll with the punches when a paranormal policeman claims the odd energy that just destroyed her bridal suite means she’s a witch and whisks her off to an enchanted island. And when the jilted bride learns she’s supposed to inherit a snarky sentient bookshop, things seem like they’re looking up…until her obnoxious new upstairs tenant joins the dearly departed.

Pretty sure she doesn’t want to stay at the top of the hunky magical cop’s suspect list, Kinley struggles to find proof of her innocence in a town overrun with puzzles and potions. But unraveling the truth means digging into her absent family’s past, mastering her explosive talents, and trusting an exuberant feline familiar to help rewrite her future.

Can Kinley crack the case before her second chance at happiness vanishes for good?

What the Spell? is the whimsical first book in the paranormal Spellbooked Magical Cozy Mysteries series. If you like immersive settings, charming cats, and twice-hexed mischief, then you’ll love Elle Wren Burke’s enchanting tale.

Buy What the Spell? to conjure up a fresh start today!

Soaring Moon Books LLC

Publication date

June 11, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

282 pages

Book 1 of 3

Spellbooked Mysteries

Review: Hat Out of Spell (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 3) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Hat Out of Spell took the main character of Blythe Fairfield, her family history as well as the paranormal nature of the community of Cauldron Hollow to new levels.

The author does this using the complicated murder of a recently returned and detestable man, using the investigation to examine darker, more intriguing areas of Blythe ‘s ancestry, that of the cemetery she’s renovating, and in-depth interviews into the community of witches and craftsmen who support them.

It’s small town dynamics but powered by a strong paranormal force, The Veil and old laws that Blythe has no understanding of.

I just love this story, all the many complex plots threaded together, some resolved, but many more intense storylines that are just getting out there for Blythe to think about and accept. Like her Aunt Moira, and what her future might look like.

Now to wait for the next book to be released.

What a fantastic series and group of characters.

Just terrific. Great storytelling.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 – June 23,2026

Bear Many Hats #5 – July 21,2026

Buy link

Hat Out of Spell (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 3)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to feel at home.

She has a job at the local grocery store. A talking cat who insults her daily. A date with the sheriff that actually went well. And a cemetery full of dead relatives she’s been restoring one headstone at a time.

Then one of those headstones gets a new neighbor.

Griffin Midnight, a witch with more charm than sense, came back to Cauldron Hollow after breaking Blythe’s best friend’s heart. Now he’s dead in the Tallowmere family cemetery with a bottle of wine and two glasses, and the whole town is looking at the two women who had the most reason to want him gone.

One is Anya, Blythe’s best friend, who screamed at Griffin in public. Twice.

The other is Blythe, whose family graves someone turned into a crime scene.

Between a grandfatherly tea shop owner hiding a secret, a council member with a grudge against her house, and a killer whose magic is so subtle nobody knows it’s there, Blythe is running out of time and suspects. Pippin says the answer has been in front of her the whole time. Pippin says a lot of things.

But when Blythe opens her great-aunt Moira’s notebooks, she finds more than clues. She finds a secret that will change everything she thought she knew about her family, her best friend, and the familiar who’s been keeping his mouth shut since the day she arrived.

Some spells you cast. Some spells you inherit. And some hats are harder to take off than they are to put on.

April 27, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

211 pages

Book 3 of 5

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Blue Blood, Black Magic: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Ella Bloom Mysteries Book 3) by Sarah Noffke

Rating 2.5⭐️

It looks as though Blue Blood, Black Magic is where I leave the Ella Bloom Mysteries behind.

The premise is interesting, some of the elements are good but the author’s characterizations, especially when it comes down to the dynamics between the main female character and the prominent male characters in her life have me so irritated that it takes away from the rest of the narrative.

At approximately the 50 percent point, Ella and Malcolm decide to leave the murder mystery investigation in town (and ongoing drama surrounding the inheritance) and head off to look for a mage in the mountains.

Part of the mysteries in the series is who and what is Ella and what happened to Malcolm and his wife when he closed the Gloaming. Ella’s mysterious past is deeply personal and caught up in the death of her mother as well as her years in foster care.

But when Tyler, the farmer whose mother is running his life, get furious at Ella, yelling at her, insisting he had the right to information about her , her powers and origin, without any reason or relationship . And Malcolm? Who Ella would reasonably expect to have her back, would defend her? He, without her consent, quickly tells Tyler all about Ella’s life, her secrets and unknown past. To her absolute shock.

But how does the author have Ella handle being yelled at by basically someone she’s not in relationship with over withholding extremely private information, which is then freely shared by her trusted friend/associate?

“You two are the worst,” I muttered, realizing that they were ganging up on me.”

That’s the extent of it.

Noffke leaves Ella in the wagon, accepting that she’s got no choice, no secrets, and the author still hints that “red flag” Tyler is the romance guy for her.

There’s no apology from the men for their behavior or actions. Instead the expectation, narratively, that the men know better than she does what is good for her. This from a man who has let his mother run his life and another with a faulty memory. That’s two for the Patriarchy column here . Although the story is disguised as a woman’s story. Um no. Not imo.

I’m so irritated at the author at this point, that skimming through to the end is the only option.

So I’ll find another author and series. There’s plenty more out there. But here’s where I stop.

🛑 After Note: I had wondered if I’d been harsh in my evaluation so I jumped ahead to book 6. There I found that the dynamics I disliked and discussed here are still very much in full swing in the story.

Malcolm still has zero reservations about telling anyone , here gnomes, Ella’s “deeply held “ secrets about her magic and origin. All without obtaining any consent beforehand (which she’s very vehemently opposed to). But not once does she find a spine and ask him to obtain prior permission or tell him how uncomfortable or unhappy she is with him doing this. Multiple times.

Spoiler:

Worse later in the plot, Malcolm turns out to be a coward, imo. His wife makes an ultimate sacrifice, believing he can find a way to bring her and The Gloaming back. But instead, acting on baseless assumptions, he commits an act of utter cowardice, that causes him to abandon her and makes him lose his memory .

Not once does Ella think that there was anything wrong with his actions.

It’s a pattern here of excusing the questionable male behavior (Tyler’s, Malcolm’s to name two important characters) throughout the series while having Ella repeatedly telling people that her role in the investigations and relationships is always secondary, less important.

So yes. Right choice to leave the series and author behind. Just no.

Ella Bloom Mysteries (10 book series):

Dying For Magic #1

Magic Can Bee Deadly #2

Blue Blood, Black Magic #3

Verses and Curses #4

Raining Cats and Curses #5

Half-Baked Curses #6

Signed, Spelled, Delivered #7

Murder Spelled in Thread #8

Spelled For Choice #9 – June 19,2026

Born For Magic #10 – July 24,2026

Buy link

Blue Blood, Black Magic: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Ella Bloom Mysteries Book 3)

Blurb

One-Twenty-Six Press

Publication date

November 18, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

276 pages

Book 3 of 10

Ella Bloom Mysteries

Review: Magic Can Bee Deadly: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Ella Bloom Mysteries Book 2) by Sarah Noffke

Rating: 4⭐️

There are many elements that I enjoy about this story. Noffke takes us further outside the town’s boundaries and introduces the reader ,as well as the two main characters, to a variety of different places and magical personalities. Some good and some not so benign.

New information is revealed about the circumstances surrounding Ella Bloom’s birth as well as the mystery behind Malcolm Fawkes’ closing of The Gloaming. Hints and clues, notes from a powerful agency, all leading towards a frustrating path for Ella and Malcolm. This and the storyline of the book is excellent. Really interesting.

But there’s small aspects of the story that made it equally questionable. Early on , the author used an ethnic slur for a certain nomadic culture (substituting a “i” for a “y” doesn’t change name identity) for a someone who was clearly a Romani/Romany seller in the festival. That stood out immediately and it really surprised me that it was used.

Another thing is a secondary male character that feels as though it’s being pushed into play as a potential romantic role for Ella. Those around her keep hinting at her being open to those who want to care for her. Insert romantic relationship trope here.

However, this guy has his mother running his life for him. His mother is actually setting him up on dates, and he’s going through with them because he’s sorry for his mother’s and basically has no spine. But sure, let’s get right on that romantic bandwagon, ugh. There’s so many flags here with him., Unfortunately , I believe that the author has written him into some sort of hero role. Time and the series will see if that’s true.

I certainly hope not. I rather she end up just taking his herd of goats. They seem to like her better.

I had no idea this author was such a prolific writer and this is my first series that I’m reading authored by her. So I don’t have a lot to go on to know how she handles her characters and storylines.

With these several things aside, I do think that Magic Can Bee Deadly is a terrific urban fantasy mystery story. The murder mystery is a good one, the investigation entertaining and detailed, and the town continues to evolve with new otherworldly folk and magical creatures. That’s intriguing!

Moving forward!

Ella Bloom Mysteries (10 book series):

Dying For Magic #1

Magic Can Bee Deadly #2

Blue Blood, Black Magic #3

Verses and Curses #4

Raining Cats and Curses #5

Half-Baked Curses #6

Signed, Spelled, Delivered #7

Murder Spelled in Thread #8

Spelled For Choice #9 – June 19,2026

Born For Magic #10 – July 24,2026

Buy link

Magic Can Bee Deadly: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Ella Bloom Mysteries Book 2)

Blurb

The only thing sweeter than honey, is revenge.

When magic returns to Gloamington, the town holds a Spring Awakening Festival. It should be an opportunity to celebrate. Instead, it becomes the perfect stage for murder.

When the mayor is found dead at the festival, Malcolm Fawkes and Ella Bloom find themselves hunting a killer among the celebrating crowd. The sheriff calls it an accident but the great detective knows better.

The mayor had more enemies than friends.From the baker whose dreams he crushed to the beekeeper he battled, everyone had a reason to want Mayor Estes gone.

As magical races flood back to town demanding permits, properties and long-lost treasures, Ella and Malcolm race to uncover the truth. But in a town drunk on newly returned magic, where honey flows through everything and old grievances run deep, nothing is what it seems.

Can Ella and Malcolm catch a killer before it’s too late? Or will the sweetest revenge claim another victim?

Magic Can Bee Deadly is the second book in the enchanting Ella Bloom Mysteries.

One-Twenty-Six Press

Publication date

October 17, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

277 pages

Book 2 of 10

Ella Bloom Mysteries

Review: Under The Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #2) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I really enjoyed Under The Hat more than the first story. The author is really defining her characters and the unique universe of Calderon Hollow here so we get a real sense of the nature of the town, and the magical strength of the powers of the families who live there.

Blythe Fairfield has made her choice to live in the house, accepting the magic and learn her role, whatever it may be. But the unstable Veil and shifting perspectives of the townspeople make it hard for Blythe to get a better sense of them and her new community.

I really liked how the different relationships are evolving here, between Blythe and the magical family on the other side of the ancient power feud, and even more so, between her and the Sheriff who “knows” instinctively that there’s something about her and the town that he can’t see or be involved with but also realizing it’s no less true.

The details, the history behind the old feud, the darker aspects of the town, it’s slowly getting revealed.

And it all gives depth to her and the series.

Just terrific. Great storytelling.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Buy link

Book 2 of 4: Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield chose to stay in Cauldron Hollow. She’s not sure the town has chosen her back.

Her relationship with Sheriff Paine Wilder is in ruins. Her bank account is worse. The only job she can find is running a cash register at the local grocery store, where her boss is a conspiracy theorist, her customers include a woman who screams about paying for eggs, and the one friend who made it all bearable keeps talking her into things she shouldn’t do.

Then a reclusive prepper turns up dead on his rural property, and Blythe finds more than a body. Buried beneath the man’s unfinished root cellar is a book of spells that should not exist, magic that breaks every rule Blythe has been taught to follow. She can’t leave it for the police. She can’t destroy it. And she definitely can’t stop thinking about what’s inside.

Someone killed a man for this book. And Blythe just brought it home.

Review: Dying For Magic: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Ella Bloom Mysteries Book 1) by Sarah Noffke

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Dying for Magic, the first in the Ella Bloom Mysteries by Sarah Noffke, introduced me to another terrific author. I throughly enjoyed everything about this book and characters and anticipate diving into the rest of the series.

The characters and storylines, multiple plots, are very well developed and intriguing. And the more the story progresses, the better the exploration of the world becomes and the history of the Magic of the town of Gloamington.

I think the element I love best is that both of the main characters are enigmas. Ella Bloom, hired to become the 6-month assistant to the town’s favorite detective, has a past life full of questions and no answers.

And she arrives to find that the older gentleman she’s been hired to assist, Malcolm Fawkes, a renowned paranormal detective, has no memory of her or his past life.

So author Noffke builds a narrative around two people, and several animals, who have memory issues. All while struggling with daily tasks like identifying the local community citizens, and conducting a murder investigation that the police sheriff has tabled . It’s funny, compelling, believable, and absolutely engaging watching these two people build a friendship on such a shaky but shared experience.

I can’t think of another book or series quite like it.

I’m highly impressed and recommending this. And quickly going forward with this series.

Ella Bloom Mysteries (10 book series):

Dying For Magic #1

Magic Can Bee Deadly #2

Blue Blood, Black Magic #3

Verses and Curses #4

Raining Cats and Curses #5

Half-Baked Curses #6

Signed, Spelled, Delivered #7

Murder Spelled in Thread #8

Spelled For Choice #9 – June 19,2026

Born For Magic #10 – July 24,2026

Buy link

Book 1 of 10: Ella Bloom Mysteries

Blurb

Ella Bloom can see magic no one else can, and it’s leading her straight to a killer…

When Ella accepts a mysterious job in the picturesque town of Gloamington, all she wants is six months away from the noise of the city and a quiet place to call home. Instead, she finds herself assistant to Malcolm Fawkes, a renowned paranormal detective with no memory of hiring her—or much of anything else.

When magic that only Ella can see leads her to a murder, she discovers Gloamington isn’t the quaint small town it appears to be. Five years ago, it was a magical haven until something went terribly wrong. Now the town’s dormant wellspring—the Gloaming—is stirring again, awakening with Ella’s arrival.

With a reluctant Malcolm by her side, Ella must navigate a web of secrets, suspicious townspeople and her own mysterious connection to Gloamington’s magical past. Someone in town is willing to kill to keep magic buried forever. Ella’s unusual abilities make her their next likely target.

The Gloaming is opening once more. Could Ella Bloom be the key to everything?

Dying for Magic is the first in an enchanting mystery series from the creator of the blockbuster Beaufont universe.

One-Twenty-Six Press

Publication date

September 30, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

262 pages

Book 1 of 10

Ella Bloom Mysteries

‎

Review: If the Hat Fits (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow #1) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4⭐️

I love this author’s Haunted Ranch Mysteries series, so while I was waiting on the next book in that series to be released, I noticed that she had started another series, different location and perspective on a similar type of female character.

The author has a real fondness for older women starting over. I can get behind this.

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries series has the beauty of the Arizona desert and the unique nature that enhances the atmosphere and fantastic storytelling.

I’ve yet to find a similar surrounding landscape here that has the same feel or that is so striking that it acts as a compelling backdrop.

So it’s a nondescript setting that depends heavily on character development and storytelling. Luckily, it delivers on both accounts.

Where certain characters in other series are stereotypical personalities, here Bourgeous takes them outside of the usual configuration into something interesting.

The sheriff and townspeople all have characters that surprise the reader with their depth of personality and the growth they exhibit during the story. This continues throughout the series.

The overall magic system is one that is slowly evolving and being defined as each situation arises, and it’s an unusual one that envelops the entire town.

There’s an ancient witch family feud, a cat familiar, and of course, a sentient house, to go along with the main character of Blythe Fairfield, a woman who is restarting her life after divorce.

The language is one of someone quietly reviewing their past and present options, no panic but a sense of resolve to make things work. You immediately understand Blythe, the circumstances that brought her to Caldron Hollow, and the thought processes as each event comes her way. However, increasing wild each one is.

It ends with Blythe staying true to her values, at the beginning of her journey and a long way to understanding what’s ahead. The author has started to set much in motion but there is so much more that’s needs a foundation or exploration, especially with regard to the town and witch families.

I’m definitely going forward with the series. And recommending this. Great read!

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Buy link

Book 1 of 4: Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Blurb

Welcome to Cauldron Hollow!

Sometimes the worst day of your life is just the beginning.

Blythe Fairfield has officially failed at adulthood. Divorced. Fired. Broke. When she inherits Gallows Gate House in the small town of Cauldron Hollow from her allegedly unhinged great-aunt, she decides it’s a temporary stop. Renovate. Sell. Leave.

Then her cat starts talking.

Cauldron Hollow isn’t just quaint. It was founded by two rival witch families. The Stoneharts stayed. The Tallowmeres were driven out.

Guess which family Blythe belongs to.

Between a house that hums with old magic, a violet streak suddenly appearing in her hair, and a snarky familiar named Pippin who keeps saying “Obviously,” Blythe barely has time to process her new reality before she stumbles over a dead body behind Merlin’s Diner.

The victim made enemies. Unfortunately, Blythe just made the suspect list.

With the town’s frustratingly handsome sheriff watching her every move and a killer determined to protect their secrets, Blythe must decide whether she’s still running from her inheritance or finally ready to claim it.

Turns out, if the hat fits… you might have to wear it.

If the Hat Fits is the first book in the Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow cozy mystery series. Expect humor, heart, magic, and a clean read with no swearing or explicit content.

Cauldron Hollow is an alternate universe to Coventry. You’ll see hints and shadows of our original wicked witches, but this book and series can be read and enjoyed on their own.

March 9, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

207 pages

Book 1 of 4

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Managing the Vampire’s Mansion (Magiford Supernatural City story) by K. M. Shea

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I was absolutely delighted to see K.M. Shea’s new book in the Magiford Supernatural City universe, Managing the Vampire’s Mansion.

It’s a fantastically entertaining read, and the main character of Abi is absolutely endearing. I loved watching Abi slowly embed herself into the community around her and into Beckett’s undead life, changing and challenging him to do better.

And the surprise crossover characters was amazing and great in every aspect of the storyline. And each one made me want to go back and read their series again.

There’s a mystery and investigation involved here that will pull various elements of the community together that’s very well crafted. And a hilarious bit from the gnome group that wants Beckett to do things for them and has a special way of asking.

The love aspect I thought was rushed but the relationship was built really solidly, through believable interactions and genuine friendship. With some help from special fae tea.

The author has said that this is a standalone and that other characters in this small lakeside town will have their stories told. I look forward to reading every one.

Definitely recommend reading this and the other series in the universe.

Cover Art by Melody Simmons

Magiford Supernatural City is a registered trademark of K. M. Shea LLC.

Related Series Magiford Supernatural City universe series-all fabulous:

Magiford Supernatural City (5 books)

Gate of Myth and Power (3 book series)

Hall of Blood and Mercy (3 book series)

Magic on Main Street (3 book series)❤️

Court of Midnight and Deception (3 book series)❤️

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/K-M-Shea/e/B005ANPMZU/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Blurb

Starting over as a house manager in a charming small town sounded perfect. Until my new boss turned out to be a vampire.

After burning myself out at my corporate career, I take a job managing a mansion in a picturesque tourist town to reset my life.

The house is historic. The town is charming. The locals are welcoming. And, as I accidentally discover, my unfairly handsome employer, Beckett Kinge, is a vampire in hiding.

Beckett prefers order, privacy, and absolutely no supernatural mishaps.

Unfortunately for both of us, a rogue vampire is attacking the locals. The same people who have been nothing but nice to me. As attacks escalate and secrets unravel, staying uninvolved is no longer an option.

And somehow the only person who steps up to find the vampire is me—the mansion manager with poor people skills who knows absolutely nothing about supernaturals.

At least… I think I’m the only one working this case. But somewhere between tracking a killer and trying not to die, I realize Beckett isn’t just protecting his secret. He’s protecting me. And that might be far more dangerous for my emotional well-being.

Regardless, the rampaging vamp has to be found, or no one in town will be safe. Not even me.

This stand alone cozy urban fantasy story is set in the same world as the Magiford Supernatural City trilogies, but is located in a different (real life!) town in Wisconsin. If you’re searching for a stand alone story with cast of characters that will make you laugh while they try to solve a mystery and muddle with the supernatural, pre-order this book today

April 24, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

271 pages

Review: Skulls and Sunlit Secrets (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries Book 7) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries is my first dive into the writings of Sara Bourgeois but I just love what she’s accomplishing here with her characters, location and overall mystical aesthetic.

Skulls and Sunset is one of the best books in the series so far, combining the all the great elements of the series and the haunting emotional aspects of the story into one beautifully crafted tale of motherhood and obsessive love.

This novel moves Claire’s powers and abilities forward as well as resolves a previous storyline about that huge dark mysterious creature that’s seen flying over the desert in the past story.

But the anchor of this tale is the human being who has lost her life. One we meet briefly and yet immediately becomes someone we know and identify with. Amelia Sanders, so happy and bright.

That’s what is so impressive about this author is her capacity to make a character have such impact on the reader and story in such a short time. Like Amelia does. We are heavily invested in Claire’s investigation and want to know what happened.

It’s a heartbreaking mystery, with absorbing side stories to go along with it. And the ending is just as it should be, poignant and moving.

I love this series and story. It’s not a standalone. Each builds upon the previous one .

Highly recommended! Excellent read!

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

Book 7 of 8: The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Blurb

Everyone in Perdido Springs was looking up when Amelia Sanders died.

A total solar eclipse has turned the little desert town into a tourist destination, and Claire Caldwell just wants to survive the weekend without someone asking if her ranch does birthday parties. But when the moon covers the sun, Claire sees things the darkness reveals… creatures, pathways, and the outline of something vast moving through a world layered on top of her own.

Then the light returns. Amelia is dead outside the bar. The sheriff calls it a scorpion sting. Her friends call it impossible. A massive owl that shouldn’t exist keeps circling a house on the edge of town. And Claire is starting to realize that the murder and the owl might have nothing to do with each other, which means she has two problems, not one.

April 20, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

198 pages

Book 7 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review: Midlife Bounty Hunter (Forty Proof #1) by Shannon Mayer

Rating: 4⭐️

I throughly enjoyed Shannon Mayer’s Midlife Bounty Hunter story about a divorced woman trying to earn money to save her house from her ex husband’s lawyers and earn a living. As a paranormal investigator/bounty hunter in Savannah, Georgia.

She’s of Irish descent, deeply so as she calls her ex “Himself”, and the fact that she’s Irish is a big deal here for other characters. It seems to be an important component of the series magic that’s playing out.

She had an abusive relationship with her ex husband, to the point he had her hospitalized in a mental institution because she saw the otherworldly beings. He didn’t. Instead of fighting the abuse, she gave in. I’ll let this part of the story to the reader.

Fast forward to the present. He’s had his lawyers take everything possible from her in the divorce, including the house her grandmother left her. This aspect of the divorce is a huge part of the series.

She’s in debt, wants her house back, and is in her late 40’s. But also she’s got her magic back, her past defense training and is, for all her trauma, very competent with certain things like guns and knives. Not a pushover. So she’s likable and very engaging as a person.

Except that Shannon Mayer has some very odd ideas about women’s bodies and ages. This was written in 2020, but for all the attitude on ageism it might be written in the 50’s or 60’s. She sees a woman in her mid forties as being middle aged, someone barely creaking along. A crone.

Shannon Mayer writes as if the character being 40ish years old is someone headed for the grave instead of a woman who is at a great age, especially these days where this is a fabulous time of life. Fifty is more accurate to be called middle aged and still people are working, active and motivated to do more than ever before. This has her sounding like she’s ready for aged care.

“If I’d learned anything at the ripe old age of forty-one, it was that no dream could last forever, and no man can save you from yourself.

“Score one for the old broad.”

Its quotes like this for the entire book. Had she made Breena in her 50’s, this might have been a tad more accurate. Or not. I have seen some 50ish women in yoga that would make many people cry.

Shannon Mayer, do better. Hint, she doesn’t in fact do better in the rest of the series.

The plot is great. Fantastic twists and surprises, with characters personalities and where the reader believes they stand in the storyline. That’s a huge plus for me. It it looks to continue as the “baddies” are exposed for who they are.

Ageism aside, and it’s a definite factor here, the book and character is great. And I’m going forward with it and her.

The Forty Proof Series (9 book series):

Midlife Bounty Hunter #1

Midlife Fairy Hunter #2

Midlife Demon Hunter #3

Midlife Ghost Hunter #4

Midlife Zombie Hunter #5

Midlife Witch Hunter #6

Midlife Magic Hunter #7

Midlife Soul Hunter #8

Midlife Vampire Hunter #9

Buy link

Book 1 of 9: The Forty Proof Series

Blurb

When divorce comes your way, don’t let the ex get you down. Get ready for a whole new laugh-out-loud adventure. Because life is just beginning . . . as a midlife bounty hunter of the supernatural! Now a COMPLETED series!

# 1 in Women’s Fantasy Fiction!
#1 in Fantasy & Futuristic Romance
# 1 New releases Werewolf and Shifter Romance

One day I’m married, living in Seattle, and magic isn’t real. The next, I’m divorced and living in the guest room of my ex’s hotter- than-sin cousin’s place in Savannah . . . and talking to an animated skeleton named Robert.

I have to admit, Robert isn’t my worst date.

At forty-one, I didn’t think I’d be starting over. But I’ll be damned if my ex thinks I’m down and out because he pulled a fast one on me.

When a job comes my way that offers me a chance to use my childhood training in the shadow world, I take it—I need the money more than I care about my sanity.

It’s dangerous.

I have to embrace the magic and dark of my past.

And I need Advil to keep me going.

But those who’d hold me back better sit up and take notice, because a new woman is in town, and she’s not about to be counted out by anyone.

Even if she does groan when she rolls out of bed in the morning.

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

February 16, 2020

Language

‎English

Print length

340 pages

Book 1 of 9

The Forty Proof Series

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: