Book picks similar to
Hopeless Pocus by Rachel Rivers


mystery
paranormal
first-in-series
cozy-mysteries

Killer Bait


Martina Dalton - 2019
     Much to the chagrin of her brother, Zen, a homicide detective, Clarity throws caution to the wind and jumps into the investigation with both feet. Zen’s ultra-handsome detective partner, Hunter, encourages Clarity to learn self-defense—especially since she’s getting closer to discovering who the killer is. Using her social media sleuthing skills, she sets out to bait the murderer. Is she clever enough to entrap the killer? Or will she end up as the catch of the day?

Witch Is When It All Began


Adele Abbott - 2015
    Private investigator, Jill Gooder, has been hired to find a serial killer because, as usual, the police can't buy a clue. Jill, the not so proud owner of a crazy, one-eyed cat, probably can't expect too much help from her PA/Secretary, Mrs V, who spends all day knitting. And just in case all of that wasn't bad enough, Jill's just about to discover she's a witch. ...break out the custard creams.

Spirits, Stilettos and a Silver Bustier


Deanna Chase - 2015
     All Pyper Rayne—medium and coffee shop owner—wanted was the perfect vintage dress. What she got was a dead shop owner and a sexy ghost who’s suddenly everywhere—at her shop, in her car, and even lounging in her bedroom. But he’s not just any ghost. He’s a witch and able to appear in solid form…sometimes. If only he'd stop disappearing on her. And Pyper needs his help. When she becomes target numero uno and the prime suspect in the shop owner’s death, it appears her ghost holds the key to solving the murder. In between stolen kisses, Pyper will need to get to the bottom of all of his secrets if she wants to stay alive and out of jail…and maybe finally get that date he keeps promising her.

Social Medium


Patti Larsen - 2019
    I’d had time, my six months behind bars, to come to terms with my innocence, and subsequent loss of said naiveté. There’d been a time I’d held a grudge, but that time was long gone. The fact she was dead helped. Did it make me a bad person I wasn’t sorry? Sometimes I wondered. Then again, other times? This life—and the afterlife—had a funny way of evening out the scales of justice. I’d seen it happen often enough to know judging myself for what I was thinking at any given minute was a waste of energy better used in other endeavors. Medium and paranormal debunker Alice Moore has found romantic bliss for the first time, but her happy heart does nothing to pay the bills. When a fellow ghost hunter hires her and boyfriend Denver Hatch to investigate the haunting of a Florida plantation house, she reluctantly agrees. Roman Ellis isn’t her favorite person in the world, but the money he’s offering is too much to turn down. If only she’d listened to her instincts… when she stumbles over a freshly dead body—the long ago departed more her forte—she’s suddenly in the middle of a murder investigation and her record makes her a suspect. Can she uncover the killer and prove her innocence? In this spin-off series to the award-winning Fiona Fleming Cozy Mysteries, medium and paranormal blogger/debunker Alice Moore travels the US uncovering truth, fraud and murder!

Potions, Poisons, and Peril


Shéa MacLeod - 2019
    Magical. Deadly.Emory Chastain, owner of Healing Herbs, sells everything from love potions to herbal tea blends. She is also the most powerful witch of the modern era. When a stranger drops dead in her shop, Emory is left with no choice but to investigate.Enlisting the help of her friends and the very handsome Noah, she soon discovers that someone is using magic to poison people, turning them stark raving mad. The clock is ticking, can Emory stop the killer? Or will time run out for the residents of Deepwood?Potions, Poisons, and Peril is the first book in the paranormal cozy mystery series, Deepwood Witches Mysteries.

Storm Crazy


Livia Quinn - 2014
    I’m also a Paramortal like my family, or I’m supposed to be. If I didn’t have a few little talents, I’d think I was adopted. It’s just two weeks until Mardi Gras, and I’m having a bad day. That’s like saying Katrina dropped a little rain on the Gulf Coast. First, River’s amphora went missing—that’s genie bottle to you mere-mortals—and on my first delivery, a handsome scantily clad doctor triggered some sort of hallucination, with just a touch - pheromones? Then, one of my customers had a stroke while reading me the riot act over a piece of mail, but I saved the old grouch with a zap of my Zeus juice! It was the first time I’d actually called my power on purpose, and Destiny’s hunky new sheriff almost saw me use my magic—big no-no—when he responded to the call. He showed up again when the local florist filed a complaint against me for dropping a seventy-five pound box on his foot. Yeah, I did it, but it was kind of an accident. He put his hand where it didn’t belong, and my fingers… sorta slipped. Then, things got worse. I discovered a dead body in the clubhouse and rescued my brother’s amphora from a locker, bashing it in with a Greg Norman wedge. Guess who showed up? Yeah. I’ve denied my heritage for too long. Now, my brother is missing, my mother’s out of pocket, and the sheriff and my ex-lover are squaring off like yard dogs staking a claim over a poodle. I am no one’s poodle. Is it any wonder I’m calling this the worst M.A.L.E day of my life? My friend Aurora says all the chaos is a sign of my quickening Tempestaerie power, and more changes are on the wind. Oh, and the sheriff? He thought he’d settled in a normal small town to raise his teenage daughter—like Mayberry?! We’ll see how that turns out… Things better settle down soon, ‘cause I’m about to go Storm Crazy. “I could read this writer’s beautiful writing all day!” Storm Crazy “Flowing with passion…wow, what a great read.” “A hot read…what more could a reader want?” Undone

Magic and Mystery: Bundle Book 1


Lily Webb - 2019
    So when she gets a job offer in the middle of nowhere, Zoe jumps at the chance to make a name for herself only to find her new home is teeming with magic and paranormal beings—and those aren't its only secrets. During a heated election for Head Witch, the most powerful position in town, Zoe’s predecessor was buried alive—and accusations are flying faster than broomsticks. Despite her editor’s orders to leave the story alone, Zoe can’t resist. From the front-running witch with a secret to the mysterious vampires pulling strings in the shadows, Zoe knows the truth is just under the surface. So after she discovers she has rare telepathic abilities, Zoe realizes she's the only one who can keep digging. Will Zoe’s powers lead her to the murderer and the scoop of a lifetime? Or will they send her to an early grave? 

Spellbooks and Stakings, Book 2:

 Zoe Clarke is going back to school. After learning she’s telepathic and risking her life to solve a paranormal murder, she’s been invited to the prestigious Veilside Academy of Magic to sharpen her newfound powers. But not all the students are spellbound by Zoe, and it isn’t long before she realizes the Academy is brimming with exceptional witches and warlocks—who are as cutthroat as they are talented. So when Zoe’s new favorite vampire professor is found in a pile of ash, all spell breaks loose. Between troublemaking witches and a jealous staff, Zoe knows whoever the murderer is, they aren’t finished handing out suspensions. Can Zoe work her magic to reveal the killer? Or will she fail the ultimate test?

 Alchemy and Arson, Book 3: 

Zoe Clarke’s life just keeps getting better. After repeatedly risking her life to solve a rash of paranormal murders in Moon Grove, Zoe’s become a household name. But her newfound attention isn’t all magic. Zoe knows she’s made enemies along the way and that they aren’t above pouring gas on her troubles. So when one of Moon Grove’s most prominent witches dies in an inexplicable house fire, hysteria ignites—and Zoe finds herself standing in the ashes. From the psychedelic new alchemist in town to the werewolves running shady businesses, Zoe’s certain someone’s trying to torch her reputation. And when another building spontaneously combusts, Zoe knows she’ll have to walk through fire and brimstone to stop the arsonist. Can Zoe stamp out the killer before they strike again? Or will she go up in flames? Other Books in the Magic & Mystery Series: Heists and Homicides, Book 4 Covens and Coffins, Book 5 Voodoo and Vanishings, Book 6

Black Candle


H.P. Bayne - 2018
    The ghost of a murdered woman. And one man racing against time to save them both.The ability to see the ghosts of homicide victims has always been more burden than gift and, for Sullivan Gray, it's never been heavier.As the storm of the century pummels the city, he finds himself sucked into a mystery, struggling to decipher clues from a ghost intent on saving a missing teenage girl.His foster family has had his back since childhood, his older brother Dez acting as both wing man and protector. But as he draws nearer to answers, Sullivan finds himself pulled further from his family and increasingly on his own.With time running out, Sullivan races to fulfill the ghost's desperate quest, a path that will take him into a world of witchcraft, dark secrets and murder.One wrong step will leave him a ghost himself.The Sullivan Gray Series provides mystery and suspense with a ghostly edge, and the brother dynamic of shows like Supernatural. Pick up your copy today.

Voodoo Academy


Theophilus Monroe - 2020
    This girl, however, came with strange abilities bestowed upon her in the after life. When Kalfu, an evil Loa, discovers Annabelle he hopes to use her abilities to his advantage—to escape the spiritual realm and take a corporeal form. When Ogoun, the Loa of War, intervenes he recruits Annabelle to join him as a student at the Voodoo Academy. Will Annabelle master the arts, and fend off Kalfu’s spiritual assaults? Or, is she ultimately a puppet in a battle between Voodoo demigods? Voodoo Academy is the first book in the Gates of Eden: The Voodoo Legacy series. Theophilus Monroe’s Annabelle Mulledy is a snarky badass heroine with attitude. Monroe draws on the legend and myth of Voodoo lore in a way that neither caricatures the arts as “demonic” nor glosses over the dark side of the Voodoo tradition. With dark magic, dragons, vampires, and a slow burn academy romance the Gates of Eden: The Voodoo Legacy series has something for everybody.

The Case of the Power Spell


Amorette Anderson - 2018
     Business is slow for Penny, the only PI in a small box-canyon town nestled in the mountains of Colorado. When the town mayor offers Penny a case, she can’t turn it down. While Penny struggles to unravel the case, she also has to figure out if she’s really capable of working magic. An ancient book told Penny that it was her destiny to become a witch, but if that’s true wouldn’t she be better at it? It’s a good thing Penny’s knitting circle is willing to lend a hand! A hunky vampire, a blue-haired rival witch, and a high-maintenance Chihuahua named Blueberry Muffin help (and hinder!) Penny along the way.

Moonshine & Magic


Bella Falls - 2018
    Now that she’s ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana’s sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play. Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great-uncle (hey, everyone has one). She suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it—starting with Charli herself. With the clock ticking, will Charli’s special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but her own life? Find out now in Moonshine & Magic: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 1!

Ghost of a Chance


Yasmine Galenorn - 2003
    She never set out to be a detective, but once word gets out that she can communicate with the dead, there's no turning back... When the ghost of Susan Mitchell asks for Emerald's help in convicting her own murderer, Emerald can't refuse. Along with her friends-an ex-supermodel and a cop-and her new love interest, Emerald must search for clues to put the killer behind bars, and Susan's tortured soul to rest.

Tides of Time


Luna Joya - 2019
    Or at least as normal as a life in a family of witches can be. She can’t tell her sisters about her violent ex. Or that she broke the first rule of magic to “harm none.” When her youngest sister asks for help unraveling the death of a 1930’s star abused by those she loved, Cami can’t say no. A reformed bad boy who doesn’t know his own family’s secrets…Sam lives for his restaurant and coveted screenplay expertise of Hollywood history. He avoids the entanglements of relationships since even his own parents didn’t want him. But when the enchanting Cami needs his help to crack an unsolved mystery, he can’t resist. The closer they come to finding a killer, the more they crave each other. But someone is determined to stop them.Can they solve the mystery before history repeats itself?

Spell Booked


Joyce Lavene - 2014
    But as the years passed, their magical powers started to fade—leaving them no choice but to conjure up a retirement package…     Before they could blink their eyes or twitch their noses, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia somehow became eligible for AARP. But they can’t fly off to Boca Raton just yet. First they must give up their magic, recruit and train three new witches, and pass on their cherished spellbook.   They’ve barely begun to consider potential practitioners when Olivia winds up dead and their spellbook is stolen. To honor their friend and reclaim their spells, Molly and Elsie are about to go wand-to-wand with a dangerous young witch more powerful than the trio was in their prime. And this time they’re going to need more than magic up their sleeves…

Wisteria Witches


Angela Pepper - 2017
    When she learns a ghost is haunting her new home, she teams up with a local police detective to unravel a mystery!Zara Riddle moved to a charming new house in a small town so her life could be simple. But now that her witch powers have kicked in, life is anything but simple. Long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork. It turns out the family tree is riddled with magic.When a ghost shows up, Zara finds out her powers come with a cost. She must solve the woman's murder. Zara teams up with her handsome neighbor, a wolf shifter who's both mysterious and perfect. Maybe too perfect? He did save her life during an attack, but he's definitely hiding something behind that sly smile.The town of Wisteria may be quaint on the surface, but danger lurks around every corner. To protect her family, Zara must risk her heart and her life. Forces of good and evil will face off in a battle where one side has a secret advantage.One thing's for sure. Zara Riddle is keeping these new powers, blue lightning balls and all.Once you go witch, you never switch.