From bestselling author Patricia Rice, another romantic mystery from the peculiar town of Hillvale, CA. . .A chef who brews magic challenges a mayor with secretsAfter a childhood of being tossed from foster homes for claiming she can detect liars by their scent, Fiona Malcolm McDonald does her best to conceal her secret these days. But when she sniffs a wrongdoer and drives him off with jalapeño … sniffs a wrongdoer and drives him off with jalapeño cheesecake, she loses still another cooking job and is homeless again. She places her last hope on her mentor in Hillvale, a town as weird as she is.
Mayor Monty Kennedy has a secret too. He owns most of Hillvale but hasn’t the cash to repair the only empty cabin. Still, even in his desperation, he refuses to repeat his father’s sins by throwing people out of their jobs and houses just so he can have his own space.
Before either of them can find a solid roof for their heads, Fiona’s mentor dies—and it isn’t accidental. Determined to discover who wanted a good woman dead, Fiona camps out in Monty’s cabin, setting her on a collision course with the mayor—and a killer. With the secret help of the town’s spiritualists, Monty and Fiona must cooperate to solve a puzzle with only a dog, a ghost, and a seemingly useless key as clues to stop a murderous gang who stink of corruption.
If they survive, perhaps a hot chef and a cool mayor might learn to share a roof.
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I loved the characters and the view of the locations where things took place. I love Patricia Rice’s books.
I never tire of Patricia Rice’s writing. I am a historical romance fan and rarely stray from that genre, but I couldn’t resist following the Malcolm and Ives families – from the Magic series to the Unexpected Magic series and now on to the contemporary Crystal Magic series. I’m so very glad that I followed! The series is interesting and filled with lovely, quirky characters that you’ll quickly come to like. I think it might be fun to live in a town like Hillvale – with its welcome sign saying – “Hillvale- population 325 lives and countless ghosts.
The “Lucy’s” of Hillvale welcome new arrival Fiona Malcolm McDonald as one of their own – because she is. As a child who was moved from home to home as a part of the foster care system, Fiona had always longed for a “forever” home. Maybe she’s found it in this small town where she isn’t even the weirdest member of the population. She can learn to open up and be herself there – or can she. After so many years of having foster parents reject her when she says something weird to them – even if it is to their benefit – Fiona has learned to be very guarded in her trust and in what she says. She’s become a master at making herself as invisible as possible. Now, she prays that Hillvale will be safe – and accepting.
On Fiona’s very first morning in Hillvale, she witnesses a horrific hit-and-run – right on the main street in the bright sunlight – and it was no accident. Groan! Fiona had fled from Waterville because she had witnessed a beating and possible murder – she’d even rescued a sweet little pooch named Sukey. Now, this! As she approaches the victim, she realizes it is the very person she came to Hillvale to see.
The first person Fiona meets in Hillvale is Montgomery (Monty) Kennedy, the town Mayor. He’s handsome as sin and evidently very rich given his Rolex watch and designer suit. Monty is also a witness to the hit-and-run and immediately summons the town’s police chief, Chen Ling Walker. (he was the hero in Sapphire Nights, the first book in the series).
Fiona finds employment at the local café where she is quickly accepted by all the residents of the town. Fiona has a ‘skill’ for providing a person with just exactly what they need to eat. Her ability is a hypersensitive sense of smell and she immediately knows what a person’s body needs. That sense also identifies other things – illness, evil, love. She focuses mostly on food because that is the skill she knows – food and cooking.
As the crime she witnessed in Waterville becomes linked with the hit-and-run in Hillvale, Monty becomes more and more protective toward Fiona – and more attracted to her. They’ll have to work together to solve the crime so that Fiona is safe. The ‘Lucy’s’ also get involved and Monty isn’t sure whether he likes that or not, but he knows he can’t fight it, so he might as well accept it.
I highly recommend this book – and you can read it as a standalone – but I highly recommend reading the series in order. The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well executed and you will come to love all of the quirky, unique and very, very special characters who reside in Hillvale.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lots of mysterie and suspense, a mayor, a cook and a dog
Azure Secrets is book 4 in Mrs Patricia Rice’s Crystal Magic serie.
For the readers who likes a fast-pacing paranormal mysterie/suspense book with a touch of romance this one will certainly be enjoyed.
There is more mysterie and suspense than romance in it. The suspense is well built through the story. The romance between the main characters started slower and later in the book. I got the impression that it was written in a rush.
The plot does not have much to do with crystals, Hillvale itself and the people who live there. The main male character is the mayor of the town, but the story could happened everwhere else. The “Lucys” and “Nulls” helped solve the mysterie but it did not feels like they of the town were really part of it.
I have read all the books of this serie and I did not enjoyed reading this one as much as the others. Still, I hope Mrs Rice will continue writing about Hillvale, the “Nulls” and the “Lucys”. There are plenty of characters to keep writing about. I would like to read more about Harvey and Aaron. I think Aaron and Sydonia (Teddy’s sister) would make a nice couple. But I have no idea what kind of girl would be the right one for Harvey.
About the story
Hillvale is the hometown of the entertaining and eccentrics “Lucys” (with paranormal gifts and believers of magic, mystic and weirdness), the “Nulls” ( the logical and non-believers in anything that is magical or mystical ) and countless ghosts.
Fiona Malcolm McDonald arrives in Hillvale with a dog, looking for a job as a cook. She has a gift for literally smells what is going on around her. Trouble follows her. A car hits a cyclist in the main street, and do not stop. The cyclist dies. Monty (Montgomerry) Kennedy , the mayor of Hillvale, is the first one to see Fiona in town and is present at the moment that the crime happens.
After that, there is a lot of not nice (with fish smell) characters arriving in town. They are after Fiona and the dog, and more murder attempts are made.
Together, Monty and Fiona try to solve the mysterie with the help of the “Lucys” and “Nulls” of Hillvale.
Apart from the investigation, most of the “Lucys”, specially Dinah, and Monty are also busy with getting everthing ready for the wedding of Teddy and Kurt (the brother of Monty).
I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
Another good book to add to the series.
Fiona Malcolm McDonald is new in town but with her weird ability to smell what others cannot she doesn’t expect that Hillvale will be any different from any of the other places she has been forced to eventually leave. She discovers though that Hillvale has characters odder than her and that here she is accepted and allowed to be herself. Besides the reader learning about Fiona’s ability, we have the obligatory murder mystery that the town must solve with the help of residents met in the other books and a budding romance with Mayor Monty. Recommended read.
There are now a lot of characters in this series and to help with this the author has placed a character list at the beginning of the book though I think readers would benefit from having read the books in order.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Malcolms and Ives are my favorite characters that Patricia Rice has created. I have enjoyed each of the series and really like to see how things have developed over the generations. I definitely recommend reading the Crystal Magic series from start to finish, even though each book can stand alone. They are much better if you know the backstory (you should check out her previous series of characters in the 1800s and follow through the generations, if you haven’t already).
In this book we meet a chef with special powers and see hers and Monty’s interactions. It’s always fun to see a “null” and a “Lucy” fall in love. I was a little surprised that the descriptions of Monty seemed somewhat different than his portrayal in previous novels, but it wasn’t too disparate. The plot has some interesting twists, which kept it moving along quite quickly. This is not my favorite of the series, but is well worth the read.
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
Showing opposites attract, Azure Secrets by Patricia Rice is the story of Fiona McDonald and Monty Kennedy. The story begins with Fiona arriving in Hilldale on her bicycle; her rescue dog in the basket. She witnesses the intentional killing of her mentor and a story of mystery and romance goes from there.
Fiona grew up in the foster system after losing both parents as a young child. She is a cook with the ability to make delicious food by scent rather than by using recipes. She also tends to serve a customer what they need to eat for their heath rather than what they order according to the smell they emit. The human odor helps her to determine if people are good or evil, healthy or unhealthy. Interesting ability.
Monty is one of the privileged Kennedys who is mayor and has the political skills needed to bring investors into the struggling town. He has always tried to stay away from the town “crazies” and their uncanny, paranormal abilities. He soon realizes his “normal” is about to change forever as he begins to accept these differences in the name of justice and love.
Azure Secrets touches on several social issues. The foster system which is so needed in our society but is broken; the danger of rival gangs with the corresponding brutality, drugs and murder; the need to accept people as they are, not as we want them to be. There is also love, romance and the all-important foundation of family.
While this novel is successfully stands alone, there are some references which are clearer if you have read the previous books in the Crystal Magic series. I recommend Azure Secrets if you are looking for a fast-moving story of mystery, romance and good vs evil.
Azure Secrets (Crystal Magic Book 5) is by far my favorite in the series! Hillside, a small town in northern California, is the setting of this quirky series. If you love mystery, romance and a bit of the everyday paranormal, this book is for you! In this book, newcomer “Fee” arrives one night and mayhem seems to follow her. Murder, magic, and romance are not far behind! The ex college football star now Mayor has his eyes on Fee, but so do the “Lucy’s”, the name given to those in town with “special powers”. Will you become a believer, or stay a skeptic? Fee has tried to keep her special power a secret her entire life. She is more than willing to share her love of cooking, but will she divulge any more? Definitely a must read!!
Though you can read as a standalone novel, since the characters are all introduced at the beginning of the book, it is more fun if you read the books in the series in order.
DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
I love Patricia Rice’s books. I’ve been reading them for at least fifteen years and this one was great. I really liked the slower build to Fiona and Monty’s relationship and was glad poor Monty found someone to love him. Those Kennedy boys really needed it. I’m looking forward to more books coming out of Hillvale, maybe Amber is next? DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
This was an intriguing story but I wish I had read the beginning of this series. I was a little overwhelmed at times.
I absolutely loved this book. Like the way Patricia Rice builds on the characters in the previous tales. Fee and Malcolm are on opposite sides of the town spectrum. A “Lucy” and a “null”, can they resolve their differences and keep all their friends safe? These are stand alone books, but are richer if you have read the previous books in the series. Can’t wait for the next one.
I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book to read in the Crystal Mountain series. I loved Rice’s historical romances so thought I would give this a try.
This book has a mystery, paranormal aspects (but not scary or too much) as well as humor and romance. It was intriguing and the characters well developed. It made me want to read the previous books in the series but I don’t think not having done so before reading this was a hindrance. It was still delightful, made sense, and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend.
I did receive an ARC but the opinions are all my own.
As always, Patricia Rice has managed to created a story that sucks you in and you do not want to stop reading until you have finished. Like the other books in the Crystal Magic series, things play out in a way that is very satisfying but leave you wanting to find out what happens next. Hopefully, like with the last three books, there will be some follow-up companion books that give a little more information about what happens next.
This was a great story for Mayor Monty, who we have not really gotten to know very well in the previous Crystal Magic books. Mainly we just know that he was a bit more accommodating to the town “Lucy’s” than his brother Kurt was. Fiona (Fee) was a great introduction to the series, and for those of you who have read the historical “Magic” series you will recognize who she descends from. These characters show that they have very complex backstories that most people are not aware of.
If you are new to the series, this is a great book to start with. You will get an introduction to the town and its inhabitants without having too many spoilers to the previous books. If you want to understand some of the backstories to references that are made in this book, then start with Sapphire Nights (Book 1 of the Crystal Magic series).
If you are as hooked as I am sure you will be, you will have a bunch of books to add to your reading list – the entire Crystal Magic series, then all the previous “Magic” books. Each specific “Magic” series is defined and then jump forward in history by a century or so. The only other series that is from present day is the California Magic series. However, the characters that are in that book are not referenced in this current series, at least not yet. As I stated before, it is not a requirement to read all these books; I just cannot imagine that you would not be intrigued enough to check them out. Patricia Rice is one of those rare authors who manages to make a long running series be extremely successful, mainly because she does not try to continue to write about characters in the same time period beyond 6-8 books. So you are always left wanting to hear more about these characters and there lives, and at the same time happy with how things left off.
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DISCLAIMER: I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
Love the way Ms.Rice weave’s her stories together. This one is really good, romantic, suspenseful and fun. Can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.
Azure Secrets returns the reader once again to the quirky town of Hillvale where the Lucies all have a paranormal power. Fiona is looking for a permanent home and enters Hillvale with a bicycle and a few possessions, a small dog, and a very unusual sniffer. When Fi witnesses the hit and run of the friend who recommended Hillvale, Fi begins to see what she has in common with the weird people of Hillvale. Taken under the wing of the cafe’s owner Dinah, Fiona feels free to use her powers. Fi jumps into a brewing relationship with the sexy mundane mayor who reeks of money and safety. Former star athlete, Monty Kennedy keeps the town this side of the legal line as its mayor but all the years of not wanting a Lucy finally catches up to him as the perfect woman for him smells her way to trouble. With someone trying to kill her and steal her dog, Fi’s life turns dangerous fast when she smells something fishy in Hillvale. Funny, weird, and almost more cozy mystery than paranormal romance, Azure Secrets keeps you on your toes as the action builds and the wacky characters of Hillvale almost reach superhero status with their combined detective skills. I love the investigating angle developed in this book and like always the unusual characters weasel their way into your heart. Fi’s sweet HEA will leave you with a grin as she finally finds her forever home.
Monty is the mayor of Hillvale, and Fee arrives there one evening and crashes in an abandoned cabin. Shortly after she arrives in Hillvale, at the behest of her former social worker, she witnesses the social worker get hit by a car, and watches her die. Unsure whether the accident was an accident or murder, an investigation ensues.
Monty is interested in Fee, but then figures out that she is a ‘Lucy’ (a name given to the folks in this town with special abilities). That kind of gives him pause. Fee just wants to find a place that she can call home. She’s always wanted to belong somewhere, and she’s always wanted to be loved. This has not come easy to her. As a result, she’s learned to wall off many parts of herself, and is uncomfortable sharing who she really is with people. However in Hillvale, she finds that people do accept her exactly as she is. This is a true gift to her.
The story gets tense at times, and the pacing is incredibly perfect. The conflicts are readily evident, and the Lucy’s are amazing. There are so many fantastic elements to the story. It is well worth reading and enjoying. I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
I love Hillvale and the people there. The town is full of interesting and quirky people. I was happy for Monty to get his own story. Fee arrives in town with very little. She is used to moving around but has always wanted a forever home. Maybe she will find it here. As soon as she hits town, the friend she was supposed to me is run down and killed. What will she do now? She soon discovers that the town is full of people as strange as she is. Monty doesn’t know what is going on as he sees a woman run down in the street. As he tries to help, he sees the small, beautiful woman standing there looking so lost. With the way his crazy life is going, she seems so normal after knowing all the other Lucy women. The more he knows her, the more he likes her, but she is as crazy as the others. Should he just move on. His brother is getting married and his mother is very hard to handle. His life is out of control. What to do? When a killer is stalking Fee, his protective instincts start showing and he will do anything to protect Fee. Will he be able to keep her? Does he really want to do that?
So far I like this book the best in the Crystal Magic series. Don’t get me wrong, all of them have been good, but in this one the whole town and its various eccentric characters are really starting to gel. Fiona might not seem like the likely person to act as the catalyst to bring the whole town together. She’s basically homeless and untethered, but she is an actual Malcolm, even if she doesn’t know what that means, and has her own special abilities, which include more than her perceptive sense of smell. Monty is the mayor of the town and, whether he realizes it or not, the one person who has done more to hold Hillvale together than anyone else. Together they are able to mobilize the town and really get everyone to work together for a change without focusing so much on the Lucy v. Null dichotomy. I really enjoyed this book and hope that there are many more to come in this series. The town of Hillvale is really shaping up into something special and I’d really like to see what it becomes.
*ARC received*
Azure Secrets by Patricia Rice
Crystal Magic #4
Pedaling furiously on her bike with a dog in a basket Fee is on her way to find a place she hopes might provide her with a job and potentially a home. She has had a rough life and never quite fit in but her social worker mentioned at one time that Hillvale might be the place for her so with another door closed behind her she is off to find out if it is indeed the place for her. Fiona “Fee” Malcomlm McDonald should fit in with the Lucys of Hilldale because she, too, has a “talent” that sets her aside from the normal Nulls in town and found most places in the world. The first morning in town she is looking into Dinah’s Diner window when a hit and run takes place and the town is suddenly embroiled in a whole lot of bad that is happening.
This story has romance, a kidnapping, murders, bad guys, paranormal events, a mystery or two, glimpses of people in town mentioned before as well as those that were stars and found their own partners…and more. I love the Lucys and find the Nulls a nice counterbalance in a town where everyone wants the place to thrive. Mayor Monty is a big lovable hunk of a guy and perfect for Fee. They are great together and watching their romance unfold was a great way to spend the day. There are still so may potential characters to have stories told that I am curious who will be next and can’t wait to find out. You don’t have to read the previous books in the series BUT this one will have more depth with the background from previous books so do recommend reading them first if you can.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Do I want to read more in this series? Definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4.5 Stars
Monty is the mayor of Hillvale, and Fee arrives there one evening and crashes in an abandoned cabin. Shortly after she arrives in Hillvale, at the behest of her former social worker, she witnesses the social worker get hit by a car, and watches her die. Unsure whether the accident was an accident or murder, an investigation ensues.
Monty is interested in Fee, but then figures out that she is a ‘Lucy.’ That kind of gives him pause. Fee just wants to find a place that she can call home. She’s always wanted to belong somewhere, and she’s always wanted to be loved. This has not come easy to her. As a result, she’s learned to wall off many parts of herself, and is uncomfortable sharing who she really is with people. However in Hillvale, she finds that people do accept her exactly as she is. This is a true gift to her.
The story gets tense at times, and the pacing is incredibly perfect. The conflicts are readily evident, and the Lucy’s are amazing. There are so many fantastic elements to the story. It is well worth reading and enjoying. I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
Delicious reading another terrific book by Ms. Rice. As with her other stories I have had the pleasure of reading, the characters are vivid and the story world is so well described that I feel as if I am watching from within their hemisphere of activity. The list of characters is helpful as Ms. Rice’s stories include many characters as you would expect in life. The mystery to be solved is engaging and there is the engaging romance between the mayor and Ms. McDonald to titillate us. I received a review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. I look for more stories from the town of Hillvale to continue the delightful Chrystal Magic series.