Book picks similar to
Potions, Poisons, and Peril by Shéa MacLeod
paranormal
mystery
cozy-mystery
ebook
A Hiss-tory of Magic
Harper Lin - 2014
They run the Brew-Ha-Ha café, and naturally, they’re witches hiding in plain sight along with their three magical cats, Treacle, Peanut Butter, and Marshmallow. When Brew-Ha-Ha's baker is burnt to a crisp, along with their beloved café, Aunt Astrid lets out a big family secret: a powerful spell book, a Greenstone heirloom from the Salem days, has been stolen from its secret hiding spot in the café. If it’s fallen into the wrong hands, black magic could destroy not only Wonder Falls but the world. A secret society… A new detective with a shady past… A once-bullied local returning to town as a multimillionaire. Who in town could know Cath’s family secret? Cath, Bea, and Astrid must use their witch powers to uncover the deadly truth. Cath communicates with their cats, also magically inclined, and they help uncover more than one secret lurking in wonderful Wonder Falls. The first novel in a new cozy mystery series featuring modern-day witches and their magic cats.
Lethal Latte
Jinty James - 2016
Maddie always thought it was a sleepy kind of town, apart from the fact that when she was seven, she found an ancient book, Wytchcraft for the Chosen. Now, twenty years later, she can only cast one spell successfully from the book – the coffee vision spell. But when she peeks into Joan’s future – one of her regular customers – she sees the middle-aged woman lying dead in the kitchen! When the vision comes true, Maddie is determined to investigate – with the help of Trixie and Suzanne. Who would want to kill Joan? Why? And will they be coming after Maddie next? This is a cozy witch mystery of approximately 24,500 words.
The Aura
Carrie Bedford - 2014
SHE KNOWS WHO'S GOING TO DIE! BUT NO ONE WILL BELIEVE HER... Life spins out of control for London architect Kate Benedict when she sees a dancing aura above certain people’s heads that seems to signal death. Suddenly she’s psychic. But that can't be! Psychic’s not acceptable in her circle, where the supernatural is strictly for the superstitious. And yet…people are dying. People close to her. Kate's tentative attempts to talk about her new-found metaphysical gift are met with eye rolls, so much so that she can’t even tell the nice Scotland Yard detective who's investigating the death of a close friend, Rebecca Williams. And now Rebecca’s neighbor has an aura. So what's Kate to do but try to save him by turning detective herself? A break-in and attack on her boyfriend confirm that the murderer’s catching on that Kate knows too much. But he (or maybe she) has no idea that what Kate knows is a little on the paranormal side.
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.
The Guest is a Goner
Carly Winter - 2021
until now.As the owner of Sedona Bed and Breakfast, Bernadette Maxwell has always played up the rumors that her business was haunted. She’s never believed it herself, even though she can’t explain the odd odors that sometimes permeate the room or why a blast of cold air comes out of nowhere… until she has an accident and can suddenly see her resident ghost—her crazy, fun-loving, hippie grandmother, Ruby.When a guest is found dead, the police rule it a homicide. It becomes apparent Bernadette is not only a suspect, but also in the crosshairs of the murderer. With no one to turn to for help, she relies on Ruby to assist her in a search for clues to bring the killer to justice.Will Bernadette and Ruby find the murderer before Bernadette becomes the next victim?
Team Destiny and Gray's Grave
Belinda White - 2020
Team Destiny answered.Who is Team Destiny you ask? Well, we're a rag-tag bunch of witches and werewolves, with a Shaman and a couple of lawmen thrown in for good measure. When the Goddess needs help, we're there for Her.Sounds like some kind of science fiction or fantasy movie flick, doesn't it?Nope. Just my life as I now know it.The last month or so had been pretty quiet. No dead bodies showing up in awkward places. No crazy entities out to destroy the world. You know… the kinds of things that had become our usual challenges. The Universe appeared to be giving us a break for once.Enough so that Mom and Dad convinced my Aunt Opal and her new husband, Ex-Sheriff Orville Taylor, to go on a belated honeymoon. Heaven knows my Aunt was long overdue for some rest and relaxation.But wouldn't you just know that the very night after we dropped them off at the airport, all heck broke loose.Welcome to life as a member of Team Destiny.We just can't catch a break for long.
Murder Above the Fold
ReGina Welling - 2018
Turns out, keeping up with a thousand-year-old coven leader with a penchant for magical mischief isn’t the most exciting item on their agenda. When Mag and Clara stumble over the dead body of a local woman, they refuse to let the ruling of accidental death stand—not when they’re positive it was murder. If you like cantankerous old witches, concealed covens, and unsolved murders, you'll love this humorous magical story full of chaos and intrigue.
Cats and Catnapping
Julia Koty - 2021
She moves out of her psychic sister’s house and is on the road to her new life. Her trip to Pennsylvania starts simply, even if her cat, Arnold, can’t stop backseat driving. She refuses to accept that she can hear his kitty voice, until the radio refuses to work. Then, at a rest stop she witnesses a catnapping of the sweet kitty that Arnold has a crush on. Mira promises to chase the catnapper across the northeast and find the cat’s owner all before she must meet her realtor at her new house. Antics ensue.
Die Noon
Elise Sax - 2018
Her insomnia is one more reason to move to the quirky small town of Goodnight, New Mexico, after she inherits a house, a small newspaper, and two old dogs there. But despite the Goodnight name, Matilda still spends hers wide awake, and she has good reason after a reporter is murdered. With a mystery to solve, she begins to investigate the town and uncovers more suspects than she knows what to do with. Meanwhile, the hottie cowboy sheriff is doing his own investigation into Matilda, and the mysterious, handsome stranger, who just happens to live with her, is showing up in all the wrong places. As her investigation continues, danger increases, and it might end up spelling lights out for Matilda.Die Noon is the first installment in the hilarious, romantic Goodnight Mysteries series and a spinoff of the Matchmaker Mysteries.Goodnight… Sometimes sweet dreams end in murder.
Cupcakes and Crime
April Browne - 2020
Sophia Bell, owner of Mama Ginger's Bakery and a not very skilled kitchen witch, is hired to cater the highly anticipated event.But the job is no icing on the cake, especially when she winds up as the prime suspect in the murder investigation. Her mother's legacy on the line, Sophia launches her own investigation. With the help of her southern assistant, some honesty magic, and two fluffy dogs, Sophia uncovers a secret she never thought possible.A murderer is living in Gold Valley, and Sophia is next on the list.
An Imperfectly Perfect Witch
Kate Satori - 2021
Only time will tell. Sit for a spell and enjoy a new cozy mystery with witches, magic, and a snarky cat. Kate Brody’s café serves up enchanted drinks boosted with a touch of magic and tasty treats. Unfortunately, trouble finds its way to her door.Betsy Ambrose is aghast that a witch owns the shop beside her store. She’s made it perfectly clear, she not a fan of witches living or working in Keystone County. Even worse, her daughter is newly engaged to Kate's brother. There's no way she'll let her daughter get tangled up with witches—it would ruin her family’s reputation. She promises to stop the couple from tying the knot, no matter what it takes.When Betsy dies at the newly engaged couple’s party, all eyes are cast on the Brody family. After all, they hosted the fest and prepared the food. If that wasn't enough, Kate's mother threatened Betsy within days of her death. With a police detective convinced the witchy duo had something to do with the murder, and a local reporter digging up dirt that doesn't want to be unearthed, Kate is determined to figure out who the killer is to clear her family name.Will witches be cast out of the small Pennsylvania town they call home? Or can Kate find answers that don't want to be found? An Imperfectly Perfect Witch is the first book in a new paranormal cozy mystery series. Enjoy a fun, easy read that's twisted with magic, mystery, and a cauldron full of mayhem.
Murder by the Cup
Abigail Lynn Thornton - 2021
And she certainly wouldn't have chosen to be cursed at birth and grow up without powers. Nor would she have ever wanted to add 'amateur sleuth' to her resume.It seemed fate left her no choice. Having been hid from the public since birth because of her curse, it isn't until Wynona's grandmother helps her escape on the Spring Equinox that Wynona manages to make a few decisions for herself...that is until a dead body is found in her tea shop.She's only six days away from her grand opening when the police mark off the area as a crime scene, putting her plans on hold.Even with an alibi, the chief of police has Wynona at the top of his suspect list and the grumpy vampire seems determined to put her behind bars. Despite that, it isn't until customers begin cancelling their appointments that Wynona knows she has to step in and solve this crime or lose her dream forever.Without any magical powers, she's going to need all the help she can get. A wingless fairy, a too-handsome landlord and a purple mouse are not exactly the dream team she had in mind.Follow Wynona and her band of misfits as they navigate a city of magic, mystery and danger in this light-hearted, paranormal cozy mystery by Abigail Thornton.
Pawsitively Poisonous
Melissa Erin Jackson - 2019
Amber Blackwood, lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon, has earned a reputation for being a semi-reclusive odd duck. Her store, The Quirky Whisker, is full of curiosities, from extremely potent sleepy teas and ever-burning candles to kids’ toys that seem to run endlessly without the aid of batteries. The people of Edgehill think of the Quirky Whisker as an integral part of their feline-obsessed town, but most give Amber herself a wide berth. Amber prefers it that way; it keeps her secret safe. But that secret is thrown into jeopardy when Amber’s friend Melanie is found dead, a vial of headache tonic from Amber’s store clutched in her hand. Edgehill’s newest police chief has had it out for Amber since he arrived three years before. He can’t possibly know she’s a witch, but his suspicions about her odd store and even odder behavior have shot her to the top of his suspect list. When the Edgehill rumor mill finds out Melanie was poisoned, it’s not only the police chief who looks at Amber differently. Determined to both find justice for her friend and to clear her own name, Amber must use her unique gifts to help track down Melanie’s real killer. A quest that threatens much more than her secret …
Taking the Fall
Laney Monday - 2014
Now, she’s just burned out—and burned by love. She’s ready to retire from competitive judo and pursue a new dream in a new town, with her biggest supporter, her recently divorced little sister, Blythe. But on their first day in town, Blythe falls for local sleaze-bag reporter, Ellison Baxter, and their small-town welcome is stained by Baxter’s murder. The weapon—Blythe Battle’s hair brush. In this fast-paced, fun cozy mystery, Brenna, the proud new owner of the building that formerly housed Bonney Bay’s lone recreational opportunity for kids, Little Swans Ballet, is ready to turn tutu-clad powder-puffs into little warriors by opening a judo school for kids in its place. But now she must clear her sister’s name and save her new dream from ending even more disastrously than her Olympic hopes. Brenna must deal with one crazy member of the local police force, who’s determined to see the sisters pay—and another cop, whose deep brown eyes just might drive Brenna crazy—in a way her battered heart just can’t take.
Chicken Culprit
Vikki Walton - 2018
Discovering an old Victorian for sale in the small mountain town of Carolan Springs may be just what she needs. The beauty of Colorado beckons, so Anne heads west to start her new life.Yet, before Anne'scompletely settled in, her neighbor is found dead in his compost pile. What’s worse is that Anne’s quirky young neighbor, Kandi Jenkins, could be the killer. When Kandi begs for her help, Anne feels she has no choice but to help the young woman. However, she finds herself quickly at odds with the local sheriff. And while she uncovers more of the community's secrets, she's also exploring her awakening feelings for Sam Powers, the town's deputy coroner. Once Anne starts looking at who could be the real killer, the suspect list keeps getting longer and longer. It seems that Carolan Springs is a place of many secrets. But who would want to murder Ralph and who’s willing to kill again to keep their secret? Cast of Characters
Stewart Rogers: Ralph’s nephew who’s always turning up unexpectedly.
Hope Boswell: Doctor and herbalist who’s come home to care for her ailing mother.
Faith Boswell: Dealing with early onset dementia, she still has what some call second sight.
Eliza de French: An Ethiopian woman whose beauty hides an ugly secret.
Jeff Jenkins: Kandi’s goal-oriented husband who often travels for work.
˃˃˃ First Book in The Backyard Farming Cozy Mystery Series Chicken Culprit introduces us to Anne Fremont, a divorcee starting over in the fictional town of Carolan Springs, Colorado. With a diverse cast of characters, the locale isn’t short of personalities and suspects. With a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor that women of a certain age can relate to, Chicken Culprit takes a look at love, loss and the impact of the past in our lives. ˃˃˃ Q&A with the Author 1. Why did you decide to write a mystery series around homesteading?Mysteries have always been my favorite genre since I received my first set of Nancy Drew books. When I finally decided to write my own I knew I wanted to write about something I love and that’s homesteading or backyard farming. I live in the suburbs but our landscaping is a combination of permaculture food guilds, gardens and Xeriscape. We have chickens and are beekeepers. My chicken, Rusty, was a character in her own right. Now she’s one in my first book. 2. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start backyard farming? Decide what you want the most and do that first. Then add to it. Don’t do too much at once. You can use the simple quiz on my website to help determine the top three things for your havenstead. 3. What’s a havenstead? I believe that your home should be your haven. Homesteading has been around for hundreds of years. Now you can create your own havenstead. 4. Can you give us a glimpse into the next book? Sure! Someone and possibly a couple of someone’s are going to die. It will feature another part of homesteading and that’s around the food production side of things. In this case the main star will be the elderberry plant. The book after that will feature bees. 5.