Hazel Bennett has a knack. Several, really. There’s her knack for stealing the limelight. The one for working the red carpet. For charming producers and audiences alike. And the one she’d rather not talk about.The Knack.The one for magic.She’s been ignoring her destiny as a witch since she ran away to Hollywood, but when one very public slip of magic derails her career, she returns to idyllic … she returns to idyllic Vermont.
Only it’s true you can never go home again, and Hazel finds the twenty-first century is fast encroaching upon Bennett Farms, threatening its status as a haven and gateway to the magical world. To top it off somebody is murdered before Hazel can even unpack—crushed by the business end of an antique tractor.
Now Hazel must prove her sister’s innocence without the faintest idea how. There is no script. No direction. And improv has never been her strength. And that Knack she’s been ignoring all these years? It could be the key to saving both her sister and the farm before all its secrets become tabloid fodder.
Down on the Charm is the first in the Farm to Fable Paranormal Mysteries, a cozy mystery series that is packed with spell casters, mythical creatures, and all the things that make Vermont the quirky little state it is. Sometimes deadly serious, sometimes deadly funny, and sometimes just deadly.
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Hazel Bennett runs away from home with the death of her Gammy. At 18, she didn’t want to be chained to maintaining the Bennett family legacy and unable to follow any of her other dreams
Ten years later, coming home to nurse her wounds in the aftermath of another bad breakup, she finds the farm in jeopardy, the magic run a bit amok, and her sister in big trouble
A meddlesome cat looking creature, with a few extra ears, tails and a lot of magic deigns to offer small bits of advice and guidance, very rarely
All kinds of trouble, fun and not so fun but really scarily lethal stuff – all mixed together with compelling characters and a sharp wit. Anxious to read the next book!
Helena is going home after leaving years before. Helena is in middle of a career and relationship issues. Helena has not been home since her Grammy passed. Helena ran from her responsibilities and her magic. Helena will be shocked by what she sees when she gets home.
Her sister Juniper is opening the farm to businesses. She is renovating the barn for this. Helena is upset by this as it is not supposed to be this way. Their lands holds to many secrets. Helena sees so many faces in the building. She sees a face from her past, her best friend Charlie. They both fall into the easy friendship. She also sees her other friend Tyler. Helena knows that things will not be so easy.
When there is an murder at the barn, Juniper is taken in for questioning. Others say she ran the man down. Helena decides to look into the what happened at the barn. Helena will have to start using her magic that she has denied. Helena will also rely on her friends to help her as well.
This book was fun to read, the mystery of murder is really good. You will not see who is really responsible for the crime. Helena having to deal with her running away and coming back. Her dealing with who she really is and what she might want. I recommend reading this book, look forward the next book in series.
I received a complimentary book and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Hazel comes home to escape her life of being Helena Rose, star. While there someone is murdered and her sister accused of it. It’s time for Hazel to learn her magic and clear her sister’s name. With the help of her friend, Charlie, she gets to work.
I’m already in love with this series and it’s only the first book! Charlie is a hoot. I think she’s going to be my favorite character. Also, I did NOT see it coming when the killer was revealed. Such a surprise and so suspenseful!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hazel Bennett has been enjoying the limelight in Hollywood, while ignoring her witchy roots. She has been shying away from anything magical, that is until one day when she makes a very public slip up. She decides to return home after her career goes up in smoke. Only things are not quite what she expects. The gateway to the magic world is her family farm and it is being encroached upon by progress. Then someone is killed by a tractor and her sister is a real suspect. All she knows is that she has to get her sister off, even if she has no idea how.
This is a magical cozy mystery set at the boundary between the magical and non magical worlds. It is the first book in the Farm to Fable series. There are lots of characters introduced, all with great distinctive personalities. The storyline flows well and the mystery is full of surprises, unexpected twists and turns, until the suspenseful unexpected ending. The characters grow and develop as the story continues. I enjoyed this story interesting and I look forward to additional books about these vibrant characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
After the death of her Gammy, Hazel left home to begin a successful career, but after a bad breakup, returns to Bennett Farms. The farm has been going downhill, although her sister is desperately trying to save it. A gruesome murder occurs and Juniper is detained. Hazel and her friends must search for the truth, however, she will have to rely on the Bennett Legacy to fight whatever is coming. Down On The Charm is a solid start to the Farm To Fable Mystery Series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Helena Rose the successful actress has left Hollywood and has returned home, as Hazel Bennett home is the Bennet Family Farm, but leaving stress behind just means she has to face the stresses she left when her beloved Grammy passed away, who like Hazel was born with a rose on her neck which means she has the knack, and the Bennet born with the knack has a job to do, to watch the Tanglewood and keep it safe and hidden from humans, When Gammy died the responsibility fell to Hazel but instead of stepping forward she ran away to Hollywood to act.
On her return things have changed at the farm, it is not the way she remembers. Her sister Juniper is trying to bring it into the 21st century and make the farm pay for itself, there are always developers sniffing around as the property is on a lake with a great big piece of land ripe for the picking, she has made the East Barn into a space for local farmers and producers to sell their wares.
Juniper won’t take Hazel’s money for the farm, it has to pay for itself. But it scares Hazel with the Tanglewood being so close, and seemingly with Gammys death there are more creatures than ever, in the space of a few days she has seen an imp, a Siren and something that looks like a cat with 2 tails and 4 ears! How can they open the farm to the public, when they could SEE anything!!
Before Hazel has even unpacked her bags she goes down to see her sister and discuss the “changes” she has made to the farm, There she meets her childhood friend Charlie, she is working as an apprentice baker at the bakery in the barn. As she catches up with all the changes and see’s her sister, there is an argument with Juniper and the builder, his wife and one of the shop owners about delays and money
Hazel leaves them to it and goes back to checking out the changes, a loud bang and a seemingly broken steam tractor that Juniper is fixing up has come to life and killed the obnoxious builder, with Juniper at the wheel, Hazel now has to use her knack to help solve the mystery of the developers murder, and learn how to use the knack that she has tried to forget about for years!
This is a good intro to a new series, the characters and well written, and the plot well thought out, the murder and solving it was well handled and not an afterthought to the magical aspect of the storyline as is the case in some books in this genre. You get to know the characters well and how they work, I love Charlie, she seems so scared of everything as she discovers the Bennett farm’s secrets but is the first one to push on Hazel and make her do what’s required,
I did enjoy the book and I would have loved to have given it 5 stars, but I did struggle with the lack of info regarding the knack, so I found the first few chapters hard going as I was not always understanding what was going on, I would like to have known and understood more about the Tanglewood and the Portus, it almost felt like there should be a book before it, a prequal, to really understand what it it is that is being protected, I suppose we are “learning” alongside Hazel as she really learns what it is to be Hazel Bennett keeper of the Tanglewood and the Portus.
This was a really great fun cozy mystery. I loved the storyline and characters. Very well written and enjoyable enjoyable. I recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hazel Bennett, otherwise known as the jet-setting actress, Helena Rose, was disguised and hoping no one recognized her. She was running away from a dying career and a bunch of unfortunate tabloid headlines. As the Uber driver looked up toward a sprawling fortress of towers and turrets, slate and weathervanes, he asked if that was her home – to which he replied no – it was the East Barn! It looked more like a fortified castle. When the mansion came into view, the driver suddenly recognized her, but she rushed into the house.
Her mother didn’t say much about her very public breakup with Chet. But she did want to talk about Hazel’s magic, which Hazel denied having. So her mom threw her lunch plate, sandwich, and chips at her – watching her throw her hands up and gently guide it all to the table. She was concerned about what was going on with the farm, why the public would be invited in. But her mom said to let Juniper explain how she was trying to save the farm. With the farm being a guard to the Portal leading to another realm, having the public wandering around was not good. Likewise the imps that were in plain sight would cause some issues, she was sure. When other odd things started to happen, and her sister is arrested for murder, can Hazel track down the real murderer? Who did this and why?
This was a good story with memorable characters. There are mysteries galore about the farm renovation, things being missing, and an unknown killer on the loose. Can Hazel deal with all of these things? Maybe now is a good time to stop denying the magic and make use of it!