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!
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!
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.
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 ]
When I find a new author and a series that makes me swoon as a reader, well, let me tell you, it can keep me up at night thinking about all the amazing stories in my future!
And there are many, many stories ahead of me. I’m so happy.
But first let’s talk about Delemhach’s The House Witch. It’s a no spice , richly crafted humorous fantasy romance. The author’s has an amazing ability to bring this fantasy kingdom to life, with all it’s meriad variety of beings , human and otherwise , pand, as we find out, very compelling problems while simultaneously creating a magical world that has such a unique and wonderful character like Finlay Ashowan in it, was incredible. I was so captivated immediately by everything that was happening.
Fin arrives at the royal castle of the King and Queen of Daxaria. He’s the new head cook. However, he’s hiding the secret that he’s a kitchen witch, perhaps the only known one in the world. And the situation he’s coming into is a tumultuous one. A perilous political time of potential warfare, a royal beloved couple facing a heartbreaking time they’ve faced before, and hidden enemies lurking around in their shadows.
Fin is, also, a prickly personality, but one who, in every sense, fights for those who need him while trying to keep his powers hidden.
What’s truly remarkable is this story deals with topics that require sensitivity and understanding. Women who are being harassed and targeted, miscarriages, horrific physical parental abuse, and even widespread species violence. But the author, instead of focusing on the raw material or specific details, instead uses these storylines as subtly important parts of each character‘a development or another facet of the entire story.
And when it’s revealed, it’s as an impactful moment for the characters and readers. I can’t stress enough how fantastic this element is here.
Not only for Fin but also for many other characters. Ones that end up being characters that the reader will hold just as close to their heart as the main characters, Fin and Annika. And Kraken the Kitchen Cat.
This is witty, hilarious, heartbreaking, beautifully written and a fantastic read. It captures your imagination and heart.
I’m immediately headed to book 2. Read this and follow me there.
One of my finds of the year.
These richly detailed covers! I love them!
Cover design by Podium Publishing
The House Witch series:
All three books of the same title!
Plus semi sequel :
The Princess of Potential series
The Burning Witch trilogy
The Ether Witch trilogy that is due to release it’s final volume in 2026
A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.
When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.
But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .
Filled with fascinating characters, courtly intrigue, political machinations, delicious cuisines, cuddly companions, magical hijinks, and will-they-won’t-they romance, The House Witch is the first in a captivating new series, guaranteed to satisfy the tastes of any reader.
I should have remembered why I didn’t finish the original Splintered Realms series before I picked up this book. In fact, I didn’t make it past book 2 there. And I’m stopping here.
I do like Jileen Dolbeare overall but find I need to be selective about what books or series of hers to read. I just read a prequel book that was terrific and I’m getting ready for the series finale of a paranormal romance thriller that’s highly recommended she’s co-authored with Heather G. Harris.
But her Splintered Realms series just continues to be one that has too many issues. That of problematic characters and plots with storylines that are nonsensical, given the characters status and current events or just seem forced into the plot for the sake of drama itself.
This one is based off history and events that happened in the previous series. A death has already happened. The main character, a dragon rider, is grieving . She’s supposed to be older here but acts younger. Merlin, that Merlin of King Arthur’s Court, is an unpleasant character but not a complete bad person.
The actual story is a bit of a mess if you’re not familiar with the universe and background already set down in previous novels.
But it’s the actions of the main character that I find actionable here as written by Dolbeare. I’m not sure why she’s not thinking a reader will listen and look at this whole woman and wonder why the lack of development.
Granted she’s grieving and yes, Merlin was deeply cruel in his comments. All true. But past that, her dragon is very young and inexperienced in his own way.
Then comes a young dragon mage, who has zero experience because she’s been totally isolated in Scotland, beloved, and given to an equally untrained wanna-be rider.
Megan and Merlin decide to go after the eminently powerful Big Bad Mage with his own dragon who was responsible for her hunny’s death. Guess who they take with them?
Oh no what could possibly go wrong?
That’s a SMH scenario. And of course, it ends in a cliffhanger that anyone could see coming. When a author has her characters who are supposed to be seasoned mages act with all the instincts of first year grade students going into battle with kindergarteners, it destroys any credibility that they have. Including that plot line.
So I’ll try to remember that it is the Splintered Realms series I’m not reading.
Megan’s world has shattered. The love of her life is gone, leaving her hollow and consumed by grief. In the midst of this despair, one venomous remark from Merlin—yes, that Merlin—sends her over the edge, pushing her into a reckless new purpose: bounty hunting across the Splinters of reality with her red dragon, Goch.
One target fuels her obsession: Mordred and his dragon. It’s the only thing keeping her from drowning in sorrow. But the hunter’s guild has left Mordred’s bounty up for grabs, and it’s already claimed lives. Worse, as a realm walker, Mordred’s impossible to track across the splinters, driving Megan mad with frustration and leaving her too much time to think.
Out of options, she grudgingly teams up with Merlin. Powerful, legendary, and hard to ignore, he should be the perfect ally—except she loathes him with the fire of a million burning suns. Then Mordred makes a move, reaching out to both of them.
The hunt is back on, but Merlin’s shadowy past is catching up, turning an already dangerous mission into a deadly gamble. Can Megan capture Mordred, survive Merlin’s demons, and make it out alive? Or will her pursuit lead to her ultimate downfall?
Enjoy this urban fantasy adventure with an older heroine, a slow burn enemies to lovers romance, dragon riding, and tons of action!
Well written but extremely frustrating, Echoed Defiance brings another facet of Jackie Leon’s former life into focus. In this case, her prior human history.
Banet’s characterizations are so compelling and excellent that the reader is often confused between thinking of them as real people rather than fictional beings. Jackie’s former family, especially her twin, which is a huge surprise, are incredibly irritating, entitled, and often ones we want gone.
Paranormals: 1 Humans: 0
And in a truly remarkable bit of plotting and long term series narrative flow, what we see occur here, the events , context, and conversations have enormous implications for Jackie later in the series.
Yes, I’m at book 11. It just gets better and better.
Each book, the events and minute details, no matter how subtle or seemingly random, are adding up to an overall complex rich and devious plot.
I’m so in love. This is an automatic reread.
If shifters, mythology, science, gods, compelling characters and long term planning with plots are your thing, grab the series up.
Funny, heartbreaking, and just glorious. Also violent and deadly. FYI.
My duty to my family is simple. Help maintain order and uphold the Law for my werecat father, Hasan, a member of the Tribunal.
But I’ve always had a defiant streak.
To do what’s right, I’m willing to throw the Law out the window and turn my back on everything I’ve been told. Everyone around me knows I’m willing to risk everything for what I believe in. All I can hope is that my beliefs and the Law don’t clash again.
Because I have another duty. A duty to blood. A duty to the bond between those who once shared a face and a life.
My name is Jacky Leon and my twin has found her way back into my life. My echo, strangely similar and yet different, Gwen is a piece of me that I tried to leave behind.
There’s an author’s note at the beginning where she describes her own fondness for the character of Briec the Mighty , Lord Arrogance. He’s truly convinced of his own high status as a royal dragon and that anyone else isn’t worthy of notice.
Briec, who we met before in the first book when Annwyl hilariously asked if he gave himself the name of Briec the Mighty, is a harder sell here. His personality isn’t one I relate to like the author does. But it’s in the scenes where he’s a subtle surprise, using his arrogance to be a support for his partner and family that ends up winning the reader over.
To begin with, it’s the witch I really connected with , and whose journey I throughly invested in. And what a path she took!
Talaith is the human Chosen one for the goddess Arzhela. Shes lived a very hard life according to her goddess’s wishes, one of deprivation and loss.
It starts out in a village where she’s married to a man she clearly dislikes. And takes a downward turn from there.
One element I just love about G. A. Aiken , a pen name for author Shelly Laurenston, a writer who is an auto read, is her women characters. Strong, well written, multi dimensional, great dialogue that is in accord with what background and culture they’re from. But also with frailties and damage from whatever they have had to endure. That even as witches or shifters, readers like myself can relate to them.
As we do with Talaith and the events and challenges she has to face here.
Albeit not alone, with a sexy Lord Arrogance along side her.
As with the first book, there’s plenty of violence, battles and extremely sexy scenes between the characters.
So if a sweet paranormal love tale is what you’re looking for, this probably isn’t it.
But dragons, witches, warrior women, and battles? All found within! Check out this complete series . A definite winner!
For Nolwenn witch Talaith, a bad day begins with being dragged from bed by an angry mob intent on her crispy end and culminates in rescue by—wait for it—a silver-maned dragon. Existence as a hated outcast is nothing new for a woman with such powerful secrets. The dragon, though? A tad unusual. This one has a human form to die for—and knows it. According to dragon law, Talaith is now his property, for pleasure . . . or otherwise. But if Lord Arrogance thinks she’s the kind of damsel to acquiesce without a word, he’s in for a surprise . . .
Is the woman never silent? Briec the Mighty knew the moment he laid eyes on Talaith that she would be his, but he’d counted on tongue-lashings of an altogether different sort. It’s embarrassing, really, that it isn’t this outspoken female’s magicks that have the realm’s greatest dragon in her thrall. No, Briec has been spellbound by something altogether different—and if he doesn’t tread carefully, what he doesn’t know about human women could well be the undoing of his entire race . . .
I loved Veiled Justice, the first book in this series but feel that this excellent story far exceeds my expectations for the second novel and character development.
Krieg, King of the Orcs and Detective Stacy and her companion caladrius, Loki are back in action in a fantastic new story. Stacy and Krieg are further along in their new relationship. They are getting to know each other, their history as Krieg continues to make himself a part of Stacy’s life, professional and personal.
This is happening, framed around several brutal murders. Each rawly heartbreaking that’s so realistically relayed by the followed investigative scenes to the next of kin.
Writing that shows it doesn’t have to be current fiction or fantasy for losses and brutality to hit hard.
This type of storytelling continues throughout this book.
As all involved, Stacy and her team, race to uncover the killer before another is kidnapped, the suspense is ratcheted up and the tension is heightened.
Towards the end, we see exactly the toll this case has taken on Casey, and a hidden part of her story is partially revealed.
There is also something going on with Loki that’s subtly disturbing. I don’t believe it was part of this storyline. So now I can’t wait for the next book to come.
Harris has a fantastic series here that’s complicated and getting better with each new story.
This might be my favorite series in a multi-series universe.
Highly recommend this and dive into this universe if you’re not familiar with it already. I’ve listed the reading order below.
Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.
The Other Realm Universe: Should be read in order to understand the world and characters .Events and relationships build upon each other.
The Other Realm series
⭐️Glimmer of Dragons- Book 0.5 (a prequel story),
Glimmer of The Other- Book 1, Glimmer of Hope- Book 2,
Glimmer of Christmas – Book 2.5 (a Christmas tale),
Glimmer of Death – Book 3,
Glimmer of Deception – Book 4,
*It is recommended that you read The Other Wolf books 1 to 3 before continuing with
Challenge of the Court– Book 5,
Betrayal of the Court– Book 6
Revival of the Court– Book 7.
⭐️The Other Wolf Series
Defender of The Pack– Book 0.5 (a prequel story),
Protection of the Pack– Book 1, Guardians of the Pack– Book 2, Saviour of The Pack– Book 3, Awakening of the Pack – Book 4, Resurgence of the Pack – Book 5; and Ascension of the Pack – Book 6.
⭐️The Other Witch Series
Rune of the Witch – Book 0.5 (a prequel story),
Hex of the Witch– Book 1,
Coven of the Witch;– Book 2,
Familiar of the Witch– Book 3; and Destiny of the Witch – Book 4.
A drowned dryad. Ritual markings. A killer who isn’t finished.
They pulled her from the lake – young, beautiful, and very, very dead. As Chester’s only magical Detective Inspector, I get the cases the Common police can’t handle, and this one has Other Realm written all over it.
When the medical examiner discovers runes carved into the corpse’s bones, I know we’re in for a bumpy ride. Elemental runes. First victim drowned. My gut says there’s more coming, and my gut is rarely wrong.
Then a centaur drops out of the sky, literally, and my theory’s confirmed. The only link between the victims? Botany, a vampire-owned bar that serves the magical and the mundane… and never seems short of trouble.
I’ve got a new unit at my back, Unit 13, and we’re still figuring out how to work together. Add Krieg, the King of Ogres – deadly, smart, and far too good at getting under my skin – and things get complicated fast.
With a killer on the loose and the clock ticking, we’ll have to move quickly… or the next body that drops may well be one of ours.
Immerse yourself in The Other Detective Series – perfect for fans of supernatural crime, complete with a fierce heroine, gritty murder investigations, and a slow-burn romance.
My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston is a paranormal shifter romance that was previously written for and published in another anthology. I didn’t read that one. And it was the cover and the author’s fantastic honey badger series that drew me here.
I liked this but found that it’s the promise of its elements for future books the most intriguing. The main couple is engaging if not fully explored.
Thats primarily the issue with this story. Great ideas, an interesting storyline with fascinating magical characters and elements but none of those are really explained or given any meaningful foundation here. A coven with their powerful dark magic and found family ? Absolutely to know more.
A dying coven with different powers and magical abilities? Ok, so what happened to them?
The story offers up more questions than answers about the characters and never answers the original story plot about what brought Emma Luchessi, the Long Island witch down to the southern town of Smithville.
That gets forgotten totally.
So yes, I enjoyed it. Saw so much promise, and hope that the author ventures back to Smithville to finish what this story begins.
Pretty much instant sex, instant lust, well, you get it.
Emma Luchessi may be a witch from Long Island but she is used to her life being quiet. Some may even say boring. She doesn’t mind boring. Boring is safe. Calm. Peaceful. Like beige. One doesn’t get into trouble with beige. But a wrong turn off a southern highway is about to turn Emma’s beige life into everything but boring.
Kyle Treharne’s a good ol’ boy with a sheriff’s badge and a difficult population to manage. He wishes he had to worry about gangs and drugs and car-jackings. Instead, he has to worry about big cats fighting with wolves, bears fighting over honey, and hyenas fighting with everyone. And now, out of nowhere, he’s got a human outsider riling up all the locals by asking too many questions. She’s just so paranoid. And doesn’t trust Kyle a lick. These city gals. They just don’t know how to relax, do they?
Of course, Kyle is a big cat. He knows how to relax and he’d be more than willing to help Emma learn how. He’d be willing to help Emma do all sorts of things if she’d just give him half a chance.
But it turns out Emma coming to Smithville isn’t a simple accident. She’s been brought here and she’s bringing change and danger right along with her. Lucky for Emma, Kyle and the rest of the town like a bit of danger…
This story was previously available in the Sun, Sand and Sex anthology.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 