Book picks similar to
Hopeless Pocus by Rachel Rivers
paranormal
mystery
first-in-series
cozy-mysteries
Miss Spelled
Morgana Best - 2015
Her boyfriend dumps her when she inadvertently gives him food poisoning. Her workplace, a telecommunications center, fires all their staff as they are outsourcing offshore, and she is evicted due to smoke damage resulting from her failed attempts at baking. Amelia thinks her luck has changed when she inherits her estranged aunt’s store, two mysterious cats, and beautiful Victorian house.Yet has Amelia jumped out of the frying pan into the fire? To Amelia's dismay, the store is a cake store, and she discovers that her aunt was a witch. To add to the mix, the house has secrets of its own. When a man is murdered in the cake store, will Amelia be able to cook up a way to solve the crime? Or will her spells prove as bad as her baking? All Morgana Best books are clean cozy mysteries.
Grave Mistake
Christine Pope - 2020
Her biggest challenge? Avoiding Lucien Dumond, leader of the Greater Los Angeles Necromancers’ Guild, who views her as fresh meat to add to his harem of slavishly devoted groupies.Selena’s not interested in the slimy, celebrity-schmoozing sorcerer, but nobody turns Lucien down without consequences. When he threatens to fit her with magical cement shoes and drop her off the Santa Monica Pier, Selena’s Tarot cards point her to Globe, Arizona, for a new home, a new shop, and a cursed pet cat.Just as she’s settling in and meeting the locals — including Calvin Standingbear, hunky chief of the San Ramon Apache tribal police — Lucien tracks her down…and promptly disappears. When his body turns up on tribal lands, it’s up to Calvin to investigate. Starting with Selena.And when one of Lucien’s acolytes is killed, traces of dark magic and cryptic warnings from the spirits send Selena and Calvin in a race against time — before a too-close-for-comfort evil cuts her own life short.The Hedgewitch for Hire series will continue with book 2, Social Medium, releasing on March 31, 2021. The romance subplot will stretch over the entire series, while each novel will be a self-contained mystery without a cliffhanger.
A Maryland Witch (Witches of Crabtree Bay Book 1)
Catherine Mesick - 2019
While the town is still reeling from the news, Chloe’s high school rival is attacked and another young girl is placed under the infamous Sleeping Beauty Curse. Suspicious eyes soon turn to Chloe, and the whole town believes she is guilty. As Chloe investigates the attacks, with a little help from the handsome but irritating Professor Mike Fellowes, she discovers that there may be a deeper and deadlier plan afoot—one that’s focused on her. Can Chloe unravel the mystery in time? Or will she fall prey to the malevolent figure lurking in the shadows?
The Witching Flour
Samantha Silver - 2021
All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers.However, things start going south for Robin when a man dies at the local diner just after her arrival in town and she's fingered as the prime suspect. With half the town thinking she's a killer, Robin decides to take matters into her own hands. But between a ghost who desperately needs therapy, a snarky familiar who loves to quote literature, and a grandmother who walks to the beat of her own drum, Robin really has her hands full.Will she be able to navigate this new reality and find the killer, or will she crumble like an overcooked brownie?This is the first book in the Spellford Cove paranormal cozy mystery series.
The Flawed Legacy
E.G. Bateman - 2020
Working as a private investigator, her latest case takes her and her partner to Palm Springs, where a shifter is being harassed by a local businessman. But with pack politics and rivalries, this is far more than a property deal gone bad.Far worse, for Lexi, is that her local contact is her long-time nemesis, the gay vampire detective Dick. If the case doesn’t kill her, working with him again might!Note: This book was previously released as part of the Legacy of the Shadow’s Blood.
Grim Tidings
Amanda M. Lee - 2014
Well, actually, she’s having a bad life -- not that she's complaining. Okay, she's totally complaining.After being laid off from her secretarial position, she has no choice but to join the family business, and now she’s a full-time grim reaper. That’s right. She collects and transfers souls to the hereafter.Cool, huh? Not quite.On the second day of her new job, Aisling (literally!) stumbles over a dead body that’s not on her list and the stakes are suddenly raised because, when a name isn’t on the list, that means someone stole it (and that's never a good thing). Aisling’s family, which consists of a tempestuous father and four overbearing older brothers, are hot on the case – but the answers they’re coming up with aren’t exactly soothing. It seems a contingent of wraiths have descended on the area, and they’re not just dangerous for unsuspecting souls and the general populace. The Grimlock family is at risk, too. If that weren’t bad enough, Aisling finds herself inexplicably drawn to Detective Griffin Taylor – the police officer who considers her a murder suspect. Oh, and she's a wraith-magnet -- although, truth be told, she's more interested in Detective Taylor. Aisling is determined to prove that she has what it takes to be a great reaper – even if it means risking her life and proving her father and brothers wrong when it comes to her competence level.When things finally become clear, will Aisling survive long enough to make things right? Or, will she fall prey to the wraiths and the individual controlling them?
Aether Witch (Witches of Mountain Shadow, #1)
Tarah Benner - 2020
Murder in a small town. A killer is on the loose, and the coven fears it might be one of their own.The Grimes sisters aren’t normal — even by witches’ standards. For weeks, Fiona has been having chilling visions of death, and Eleanor sees restless spirits nearly everywhere she goes. It doesn’t help that Mountain Shadow is a strange place to begin with, where rumors of curses fly as fast as salt-water taffy on a warm summer day.When a string of gruesome murders rocks the small town, Fiona and the rest of her coven begin to worry that a fellow witch may be the killer. Even worse? A witch hunter has just moved in next door, and he suspects the coven.When it seems that Eleanor might be the next victim, it will take an unlikely alliance and all the witches’ combined powers to stop the killer before it’s too late.Aether Witch is Charmed meets Gilmore Girls. If you love a dark supernatural mystery with witty banter and unforgettable small-town characters, this book is for you!
Murder Most Pumpkin
Stella Berry - 2019
He will take whomever he can.
He’ll take an animal each Halloween. But he’d rather have your children if he hears them scream.
So, when resident witch Morgana finds the body of a man with a pumpkin for a head on Halloween, she instantly recognizes what it’s supposed to be. The trouble is that the body in question had upset a lot of people, most notably by destroying everyone else’s pumpkins in order to take first prize at the village show.She knows she should leave it to the police to figure out, but it wasn’t the pumpkin that killed him, it was the knife in his back, and the knife belongs to her.
Hex on the Beach
Gina LaManna - 2016
Lily Locke has never believed in witches and wizards, ghosts and magic, shifters and vampires—especially cute blonde vamps with blood-intolerance issues. A rising star at a hotshot marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all Lily knows is that she’s a PowerPoint guru, an Excel ninja, and a coffee-maker extraordinaire. Not to mention she’s next in line for a huge promotion. All that changes when Lily’s assistant delivers a strange quiz to her, one titled A Magical Assessment for Normal Folks. With it comes the promise of a land she's never known existed. A land where Lily not only discovers her biological family for the first time, but a place where she can make a difference, change lives, and step into the role she’s destined to fulfill. But first, Lily must admit she’s a witch. Then, she has to acknowledge that the tall, dark, and mysterious man who offers his help is strictly focused on business...at least, for now. When a body turns up dead and the next target is Lily, she must trust her powers and accept the help of her newfound friends. Otherwise, she'll never survive the trials of the magical island tucked far, far away in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. Welcome to The Isle. ** ** This novel is a full-length, humorous cozy mystery featuring a splash of magic, a handful of witches, and a dash of romance. It's rated PG-13 due to mild language and some romance.
Pledge
Christina Garner - 2017
Two dangerous secrets. One demon on the prowl. Haunted by her past, Eden sees college as her chance at a fresh start. With a new school, new friends, and the recent discovery she's a witch, life should be getting easier, right?Except she's tormented by nightmares and lighting fires in her sleep.When things turn deadly, it looks like the monster stalking Eden's dreams might just be real after all. Will she face the truth in time, or will her sisters pay with their lives?
Potion Problem
Linnea West - 2019
Along with her twin sister Lavender and niece Diggy, their job is to help the paranormal world with problems, big and small. But their first case isn’t small. The leader of a coven has been murdered and it is up to them to solve it. Just as they are easing into the case, Lavender is kidnapped and Vinnie and Diggy are left to solve the case on their own. The only problem is that Vinnie is a non-magical witch and Diggy is only part way through witch training. Will they be able to solve the case and look for Lavender at the same time? Read Potion Problem, the first book in the four book Halloween Helper’s Cozy Mystery series as Vinnie and Diggy work to get Lavender back while helping the paranormal world.
The Vampire Knitting Club
Nancy Warren - 2018
With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do. Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on? When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?
Mrs Pettigrew Sees a Ghost
Katherine Hayton - 2019
New town. New ghost!Fifty-two-year-old Emily Curtis wants a job so she can rebuild her shattered life. One year ago, a devastating car accident stole her occupation, her home, and half her mind.Working in the charity shop of a small town in rural New Zealand seems ideal... until she awakens a ghost! Since the annoying spirit won't move on until her murderer is found, Emily sets to work. However, the ethereal Mrs Pettigrew doesn't remember dying, let alone who killed her.With family remaining close-lipped and old employees keeping secrets, it'll take more than Emily's newfound ability to talk to the dead to solve the crime.Mrs Pettigrew Sees a Ghost is the first book in a new paranormal mystery series. It contains ghosts and murderers but is free of the following evil spirits:No Swearing No Gore No Graphic ScenesThis series is written in New Zealand English, which features mainly British spelling variants.
Father Knows Death: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Christy Murphy - 2018
New Magic. Double Trouble. Two weeks after their birthday, twins Joy and Didi discover they’re going through “The Change” also known as the time when late-blooming witches get their magic. That would be fun news except they descend from a line of ancient witches with magic that skews evil. To make sure they're not following in their ancestor's footsteps, the Witches High Council demands they prove their innocence by undergoing "a trial." But this is no ordinary trial.In order to prove their innocence, the twins have to help a mortal solve the death of his true love while proving their internal goodness. With the help of their rule-breaking, witch mom, their fairy godparents—the Greek Titaness Themis and Death—and their suicidal client, Didi and Joy find themselves immersed in a world of mortal mob crime, magic, and even a ghost.Will they pass the test, or will they be sentenced to death?If you love paranormal witch cozies with cats, comedy, and a touch of romance, you'll love this new cozy mystery series. Each book complete. Read in any order.
Hexing
Ciara Graves - 2017
Druids. Shamans. Priests. Familiars. Military experiments. Secret councils. Forbidden alliances. Magic and Alchemy will suck you in. Rori’s dream to bake in her mother’s shop went up in smoke when she was pulled into a supernatural school for magic types. On her first day there, she meets two guys. Chas and Brogan. One’s mysterious and brooding. The other one’s sweet and hunky. And Rori’s in the middle of a rock and a hard place when she can’t figure out what type of supernatural she is and what path she should follow. And what does her missing father have to do with any of this? Warning: Unputdownable action-packed fantasy, with necromancers, druids, shamans, and priests.