Fans of Ellery Adams and Heather Blake will be charmed by this seaside cozy mystery series full of humor and heart, mermaids and magic Aleksandra Daniels hasn’t set foot in the quiet seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina in over twenty years. Ever since her mother’s tragic death, her father has mysteriously forbidden her from visiting her aunt and cousins. But on a whim, Alex accepts an … Alex accepts an invitation to visit her estranged relatives and to help them in their family business: an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.
Bellamy Bay doesn’t look like trouble, but this is a town that harbors dark secrets. Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of salacious town gossip, and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She brushes this off as nonsense until a local is poisoned and her aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is certain Lidia is being framed, and she resolves to find out why.
Alex’s investigation unearths stories that some have gone to desperate lengths to conceal: forbidden affairs, family rivalries, and the truth about Alex’s own ancestry. And when the case turns deadly, Alex learns that not only are these secrets worth hiding, but they may even be worth killing for.
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This is the first book in the new Enchanted Bay cozy mystery series by author Esme Addison. I enjoyed this book from the first few pages. It is set in the charming small town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. Our protagonist is Aleksandra (Alex) Daniels who is returning home to visit her aunt and her cousins following the death of her father and the loss of her job. I found Alex to be a likable main character along with her dog, Athena. The secondary cast of characters is interesting and has great potential as the series develops and grows. This is a paranormal cozy mystery and it plays heavily into the storyline. I thought the paranormal aspect was interesting. Alex and her family are water witches, descending from a mermaid. The only problem was Alex didn’t know about her heritage until she returns to Bellamy Bay and she has to help clear her aunt, who has been accused and arrested for a murder she did not commit.
The mystery was woven nicely throughout the entire story. There are plenty of suspects to choose from, although one does stand out more than the others. That said, the author does a nice job of trying to deflect attention to other viable candidates with a motive for murder. I did wish that Alex was a little less impulsive in her sleuthing. Having just come into her magical power a bit more caution would have been warranted, especially considering her father was a police officer.
The only aspect of the story, perhaps the books to come, is the potential for a love triangle. I am not a fan of that particular trope, either in my romances or my cozy mysteries. For me, it is something that detracts from the story and something that will cause me to lose interest or discontinue a series. I hope the author chooses not to introduce that angle into this book.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced review copy provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
This book was pure joy to read. It was evident the author did her research and loved the story she was creating. The characters were each individual and worked together to move the story along at an enjoyable pace; lingering where you could appreciate the prose and picking up the pace for the action bits. The mystery was interesting, the setting picturesque, and the backstory intriguing. I highly recommend this book. And if you can listen to it, you’ll find yourself mesmerized.
I enjoyed this new para-witch cozy mystery. The protagonist doesn’t have a clue she’s a witch, and it’s entertaining as she begins to learn how to use her powers! Her aunt and cousins are nice supporting characters, and I loved their shop full of healing products touched by their magic. I look forward to reading more stories in this series.
“A Spell for Trouble” by Esme Addison the first instalment in the “An Enchanted Bay Mystery”. What a great start to a new paranormal cozy mystery series.
I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it over 2 days. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises. I love that it included mermaids, witches and a fur baby . The setting of Bellamy Bay was no e too. I a sucker for a cozy set in North Carolina, I can see this series becoming a favourite.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.
The story about Alex’s mom seems to be one that might be an intricate part of the series.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends. I am looking forward to book two.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison was an intriguing beginning to this cozy series.
I really liked the setting of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina as it seemed to be a warm and friendly small town in spite of the Wesley family. Alex, Lidia, Minka and Kamila form a close bond once Alex moves to town. Alex seemed to be a strong woman but had allowed her former job in risk management to determine how she lived her life until she moved to Bellamy Bay. All of the characters are developing in this story and I felt that I got to know them pretty well. I especially liked how Alex began to push her own self-imposed boundaries to solve the mystery.
The plot is smoothly paced with murder, secrets, rumors and rivalries between magical families. Several suspects, twists, red herrings and magic kept me turning the pages. I will definitely look for the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
I can’t put into words how much I loved this book and I couldn’t put it down. It gave me a Little Mermaid mixed with Practical Magic vibe which I loved, they are both my favorite movies. I am a sucker for books were the main characters reunites with family, then finds out about their magical roots. Alex is a great character but she does do something that could cause trouble not just for herself and family but the case as well. As she starts to understand her lost family a dead body makes them the prime suspect. The town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina is a place I would love to visit and the author did a wonderful job bringing it to life. The writing was very easy to follow and it was fast pace. I could hardly put it down and I would definitely recommend this to my family and friends. I might even have to tell my mom to read it ASAP.
Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Spell For Trouble is the first book in the An Enchanted Bay Mystery series.
Alex Daniels is looking to turn her life around. Her company has passed her up for a promotion and she is still recovering from her father’s recent passing. Then she receives an invitation from her Aunt Lidia to come to Bellamy Bay, NC for a visit with her and her cousins. Alex hasn’t seen them for nearly twenty years, ever since her mother passed and her father didn’t want Alex to have anything to do with them and offering no explanation why.
Alex arrives in Bellamy Bay and while getting reacquainted with Aunt Lidia and her cousins, Minka and Kamila, Alex learns that Aunt Lidia and Minka have a herbal apothecary store. She welcomes the chance to help out at the store when Aunt Lidia asks her. One of the first customers she waits on is Randy Bennett who is looking for a potion that will bring him luck, it seems he is going through a messy divorce. When Lidia comes to
the front of the store she tells him to get and an argument breaks out and it soon escalates and finally, Lidia lifts him and slams him against a wall.
The next morning the body of Bennett is found in his home with the package of tea he had recently purchased from Lidia’s shop beside him. Early in the police investigation, Lidia is considered a possible suspect, but when they also learn of her confrontation and autopsy results showed he died from poisoning from the tea he had recently purchased, Lidia is soon arrested for his murder, but will soon be released on house arrest. Alex will now set out to clear her aunt’s name. She soon finds there is no shortage of suspects.
Shortly after arriving in Bellamy Bay Alex learns that she, her aunt, and family are water witches. She learns that her aunt’s coven has been warring with another faction for years and begins to wonder if they might be responsible for the murder and are trying to blame her aunt’s witches.
The book is well-written and has an enjoyable cast of believable characters. Witchcraft plays a good part in the book, but just lightly touches on the practice of witchcraft.
After her mother’s drowning death in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina more than twenty years before, Alex Daniels father forbade her from coming back to the town. But now after losing her job, Alex accepts an invitation from her aunt and cousin. While there she helps them with their herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.
But then there is a murder, and Alex’s aunt becomes the prime suspect. After Lidia is arrested, Alex decides to do some sleuthing to find out the truth. She also finds out long hidden family secrets, and a long ago rivalry with another family in town that puts a new spin on things. Can Alex figure out the truth before more deaths occur? And can she handle her family’s secret?
This is, without a doubt, one of the best cozies I’ve read this year. Alex is a great character, as are her aunt and cousins. As a matter of fact, the whole town is intriguing. I loved following Alex on her journey. The best part of this is that I didn’t figure out the ending. I thought I had it, then I didn’t, then I did, and then I didn’t. This is one of those books that I hate to give away too much, because I enjoyed discovering it on my own, and I think other readers will, too. I will just say paranormal, and mermaids.
That made the book all the more entertaining to me. I am really looking forward to another book int his series, to see where Esme Addison leaves Alex and her family. It’s sure to be entertaining. I highly recommend this book.
I read a digital copy of this book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Alex Daniels has quit a dead-end job she didn’t love and moved to a small town in NC, Bellamy Bay, where she’d been happy as a child. Her aunt and two cousins welcome her into their home with open arms. She begins helping out at her aunt’s herbal apothecary, Botanika. When a man with whom her aunt has issues is found dead the day after she kicks him out of her store, her aunt is at the top of the suspect list. Alex is compelled to clear her aunt’s name. However, the evidence is strong against her aunt. As Alex investigates, she learns more and more about her own family and is surprised to learn that witchcraft was an important component of her ancestors’ lives.
This book is reminiscent of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic. There are enough twists and turns to the storyline that you’ll quickly forget the similarities with Practical Magic and focus on the author’s writing, her story, and her likable characters. Like other cozy mysteries, the main character is instrumental in solving the case.
If you like your mysteries cozy, your main character a bit flawed, but plucky, and your mystery slightly convoluted, then this is the book for you. When you finish this book, you’ll be looking forward to the second book in this series.
My thanks to Crooked Press and NetGalley for an eARC.
This is the first in a new series and I hope it has a long run. It was the perfect escape. Set in Bellamy Bay, NC and a family owned herbal apothecary, Botanika. Alex lost her mother when she was young and her father has just passed away. Because her father didn’t like Alex’s Aunt Lidia, saying she and her family were ‘not like us’ he made it clear she shouldn’t have anything to do with them. All of Alex’s memories of them are from her early childhood. When she decides to make a life change and quit her job in New York without any backup plan, she heads for Bellamy Bay and a reconnect with Aunt Lidia and her cousins. Things get very interesting and Alex ends up playing sleuth when Aunt Lidia is accused of killing one of her customers.
When I see that a mystery has witchcraft, spells, etc. as a theme, count me in. I love getting lost is spells, potions and the like so this was an easy five stars. There were plenty of threads to follow and they show promise for future books in the series. The mystery itself was well crafted and kept me guessing with a great ending. I’m adding any future books by Esme Addison to my must read list.
When Alex went back home to heal, I doubt she really expected the surprise she got from her family. Of course, they welcomed her with open arms, as families do. I really like Alex and Athena. Alex’s family, her aunt Lidia and cousins Minka and Kamila are pretty neat folks too. I enjoyed getting to know them. Lidia and Minka run the family business, which Alex was fitting right into and enjoying learning their trade. I always love when family sticks up for each other. This storyline is great with several little surprises along the way. If you are looking for a magical story, I think you will love this one. I hope I can make another trip to Bellamy Bay. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
I loved this book. It was so whimsical and cute. Alex and her family are fun and quirky. The premise of witches who are descended from mermaids is fun. It is an actual polish myth which just adds to the appeal of this story. She left Bellamy Bay when she was a little girl and was unaware of her witchy heritage. Her Aunt is accused of murder and Alex is determined to prove her innocence.
There are many suspects. Some mundane (ordinary humans) and others magical. It gets even more twisted when she finds out the murderer is a magical. How can she prove who it is?
Great read. Very entertaining and easy-to-read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my honest opinion.
witches, poisons, polish-heritage, cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, magic, murder, small-town, small-business
Very intriguing start to a new series! Aleks is at loose ends following her father’s death and her escape from a stressful job in Manhattan, so she returns to the family of her mother who died when Aleks was a child. She joins in by working in the family herbal shop and is quickly immersed in issues revolving around her aunt’s arrest for murder and rumors that the family women are witches (courtesy of the neighborhood smarmy journalist). No spoilers, just enjoy this different but interesting cozy mystery!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
A SPELL FOR TROUBLE by Esme Addison is the first book in the An Enchanted Bay paranormal cozy mystery series. The story takes place in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina and the author does a great job of world-building.
Alexandra Daniels lost her mother when she was young and recently lost her father. She hasn’t been to visit her aunt and cousins in North Carolina since she was a child. Instead, she has focused on her career in risk management in New York. However, she decides to accept an invitation and visit her relatives and help them for a few weeks in their family business, an herbal apothecary.
Alex is a compelling character that is engaging and someone you can root for. Her goals were clear and proactive enough to influence the plot with believable motivations. The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. I was immediately drawn into the story and the vivid descriptions of the seaside town gave me a great sense of the place.
There are a lot of themes woven into this story including murder, marital affairs, secrets, rumors, family rivalries, making wrong assumptions, the importance of family, and much more. While I guessed who the murderer was, there were several twists and turns along the way and one very large surprise.
Overall, I enjoyed this well-written novel and recommend the series to those that enjoy this genre. It is the first book that I have read by this author and I am already looking forward to the next one. I liked how magic was weaved into the plot of this cozy mystery without overwhelming it. This was a solid start to a new series that was engaging and entertaining.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Esme Addison for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Just stopped reading and moved on, did not hold my interest, others found it good, not my particular cup of tea I guess.
Aleksandra (Alex) Daniels has not been to Bellamy Bay, North Carolina since her mother’s death over twenty years ago. But when life throws her a curve ball, she accepts an invitation from her aunt and cousins. The small town is enchanting and she loves helping out in the family store. But when her aunt is charged with murder, Alex sets out to prove her aunt’s innocence and uncovers some dark secrets in the process.
This is the first book in a new-to-me series and I loved it. The book’s well-written with wonderful characters whom you’ll enjoy getting to know. I was drawn into this enchanting read from the beginning and kept hooked until the end. The mystery will keep you on your toes and guessing throughout. I really enjoyed the magical aspects of the book and am eager for the next one. I highly recommend this book.
I really liked the concept for this one, water witches who are descended from mermaids and run a herbal apothecary? It sounded so fun and that part I did enjoy, but unfortunately something about this book just didn’t fully click for me. I felt like I kept waiting for this one to really hook me and it never did. In fact the further I got the more I lost interest. Which is a shame as I really wanted to like this one.
A Spell for Trouble follows the point of view of Alex, after losing her job she goes to visit her estranged family in Bellamy Bay for a visit. While there she gets pulled into a murder mystery where her aunt is the prime suspect. Determined to keep her aunt out of jail Alex jumps into investigating, all the while learning that she is a water witch just like the rest of her family and having to get used to her new powers.
It was a bit slow to start, but that also could be because it just felt this book was missing something for me. The mystery started out as interesting, but then went kinda downwards for me. There were only a few suspects and it felt like Alex just kinda switched from person to person who she suspected at any given moment. Then she would think of a new theory and switch gears again. I didn’t like how she jumped to conclusions and even basically accused people of murder without any evidence. There also wasn’t a whole lot of clues and hints and I didn’t really feel for a long time like there was more we uncovered. I wasn’t too surprised by who the murderer was and I am sure plenty of people can guess it right, but at the same time there isn’t that satisfying feeling of looking backwards and really seeing the hints and clues line up. The biggest clue toward this person is unearthed late in the story.
I also struggled with the main character Alex. I just couldn’t fully warm up to her. She seemed nice enough with how she cared about her family and dog, but I just wanted a bit more personality. And the scenes where she does display a lot of personality or emotions are often when she’s being rude or accusing people. I just never really grew to like her. I didn’t really like how she handled the investigating. I also wish we would’ve seen more of the dog as I felt there wasn’t enough of her in it.
There was a bit of a hint of possible romances, but neither really went anywhere yet and I am not a big fan of the way either was set-up. The way the relationships developed in this book didn’t really make me eager for either of one. One of the guys mostly stays professional and annoyed with her as he’s a police officer so we don’t see a lot of what’s between them and how they interact when not on a case. I liked the connection Alex had with Dylan, but after how she treated him I hope he’ll not get together with her. Even while he apologizes and comes clean about some of the things he did, Alex never does so and instead gets angry at him and judges him. While she definitely handled things wrong too.
One thing I did really like about this book was the idea of water witches. Although it seems they have a lot of powers not related to water as well. I liked how they could heal people and control water. Although in some scenes they felt more like typical witches with the big variety of spells they could do. I liked the historical background and how they descended from mermaids. It was such an unique touch and set-up for a cozy and I liked seeing more of the magical aspect. I would’ve liked to see Alex use her magic more during the investigation.
To summarize: this book has a great concept with water witches who run an apothecary, but unfortunately this one didn’t quite work for me. The start was a bit slow and I kept hoping this book would click for me, but it never did. The mystery was interesting enough at first, but there were few suspects and not a whole lot of clues and evidence and it felt like Alex was just putting her focus at potential suspects based on her latest theory. I didn’t quite like Alex and how she treated some people, going so far as to accuse people of murder without evidence. She could be a bit judgemental and jumped to conclusions. The murdered didn’t come as a big surprise, but due to the nature of the murder there also aren’t any good hints to this person either. There are two potential love interest as well, I liked Alex’ connection with Dylan, but after how she treated him at the end of the book I hope he finds someone else. The other guy is a copy and mostly gets annoyed with her interference in the investigation. The water witch theme was fun and unique and I liked that.
OK, there’s the possibility of a love triangle, not my favorite element in a cozy. A lot of things are brought up and not questioned or handled promptly such as Alex’s mother’s death, Alex’s own abilities, the parameters of the witches’ abilities, why do some witches chose to live as a mundane particularly the ones in the story, how to keep one’s thoughts private (OMG, that would have been right on the top of my list!), why Alex’s mother make the decision she did, if she did (hmmm). I realize this is the first book, but they could have been handled economically and added depth to the story and characters.
While Alex is gung ho (except for asking important questions) I would have expected the daughter of a cop and as one who lived in New York to be a bit more savvy. I also would have expected her to team up with Minka, her cousin, due to the fact she’s new to town, the suspects and the whole witch thing. For her family to just let her “have at it” solo is just off.
The story did keep me interested and the writing flowed well. I do have the audio version of the second book which I’m going to give a go.
I received my copy of A Spell for Trouble from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Esme Addison’s debut mystery is a cozy home run: there’s a complex mystery, magical lore, a fun set of quirky characters, family, and a dash of romance. Many scenes made me laugh, and after the mystery wrapped up I was ready to pick up the next book. If you love cozies with a side of magic, this book is not to be missed.
Interesting start to a new series. This was a fun read. I loved the beach town setting. And the Polish mythology as the basis for the magical aspects of the story was a new twist. The mystery had me fooled too. I thought I knew who the killer was, but I was wrong.