Scheming pirates. Reveling mermaids. When murder crashes the party, can one witch dredge up the killer? Imogen’s personal spellcraft lessons with Prince Hank have sparked a different type of magic between them. So when she’s invited to bake for the mermaid queen’s lavish wedding, she hopes the underwater ceremony will help cool off their growing attraction. But between the temptations of the … temptations of the sea-cave nightlife and the discovery of a murdered royal court member, her emotions are rising higher than the tide.
When one of her signature treats is found in the dead mermaid’s gills, she’ll have to stow her feelings and wade through the clues to clear her name. But surrounded by hard-partying revelers, a scandalous royal court, and a shipload of pirates, the twisted truth may be more elusive than sunken treasure.
With rough waters closing in, can Imogen catch the real killer before she has to walk the plank?
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins is the third book in the Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like underwater kingdoms, magical mysteries, and a splash of romance, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s deep-sea whodunit.
Buy Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins to dive into mysterious waters today!
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This review is for the audio book.
I really enjoyed this book, as you never know what to expect and the story lines are unusual. The stories are always filled with fun and interesting characters, where else would you find pirate’s, vampire’s, mermaids, seerers, princess and shape shifters. Each book contains magic, romance and mystery, all a great combination for a good story.
Imogen and the rest of royal bakery team are invited to cater the wedding between a Mermaid Queen and a Pirate King the problem is the whole wedding is to take place in the under water Kingdom. Over coming no gills or fins soon turns out to be the least of there worries when Imogen is abroad a ship when a Mermaids dead body is found in a fishing net. The ugly bruises on her neck soon has the police looking closer at Imogen, especially when they find a brandy ball that Imogen made stuffed in her mouth. In the process of clearing her name she must learn magic, keep up with partying Mermaids and drunk pirates. All while trying to deny her growing attraction to Prince Hank.
I like the narrator and think she is just perfect for the voice of Imogen and her friends, she also has a nice signing voice to.
All right it’s official….I am completely in love with this series. It started with book one, continued with book two, and this one did not disappoint. For this installments Imogene and the baked get to travel to the Mermaid kingdom which just opens the door for the absolutely incredible world building that can be found in these. The world and characters are so great that the murder investigation is just an added bonus. The rich world of magic, mystery, and romance all blend into an amazing cozy mystery novel that I think everyone should read. I loved each and every page so it gets 5/5 stars.
I love the amateur investigations, in just as unique setting under the sea kind of work. The realms never had such a glitz-glam kind of feel. All with the fun side of baking, pirates, and mermaids!! And a cheeky pet giant squid!
The cast of characters and light love twists are a nice pace to keep you going!! And keeps you wondering ‘what will happen next!’
Love this series!
Imogen has a knack for getting into trouble! I love the plot twists in each installment of the series and the romance that isn’t way over the top. It’s cute and believable. This time, Imogen has to solve the murder of the newly crowned Queen of the Mermaid Kingdom. She grows magically and continues growing as a character in the third installment of the series and the plots get better and better. I couldn’t put this one down and now I’m off to read #4!
This was an sweet and seaful continuation of the series! Imogen goes to the Mermaid Kingdom to bake for the Queen’s engagement party, but as usual, things go wrong and someone turns belly up. Between clubbing, smuggling, secrets, a pirate scandal, and emotions running high and wild, Imogen and her crew are in for another crazy mystery. I liked that the heat level slightly increased in this book and romance had a larger role than the previous books. Hank and Imogen’s relationship continues to grow and so does her control over her powers. Some of her biological past comes to light and we get to learn some more about her witch heritage. The mermaids weren’t your typical ones you’d find in other books- they live to drink, flirt, and party. Erin continues to blow me away with her world building, characters, and creatures.
Hannah did another great job with this narration! I love the different voices that she gives each character and how she can bring the magic, sweets, and story to life.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.
This is the third book in the Spells and Caramels series. It is a standalone story. You could read this book as your first introduction to the series but you would really be missing out on getting to know the characters and their backgrounds. There are numerous references to events which occurred in prior books and there are quick summaries provided to bring you up-to-date.
Here, Imogene and the baking crew travel to cater the wedding between the Pirate King and the Mermaid Queen. After everyone arrives, a request is made by the Queen to make something from a special brandy. Soon after deliverying the special brandy balls, the Queen’s best friend is found dead with a brandy ball lodged in jer throat and she was last seen with the Pirate King. Imogene investigates.
This series just keeps getting better. I really love the clever phrases used by the characters for each magical world and how Imogene uses human cultural references which the non-humans don’t understand creating lots of humor. This story also had an interesting setting – under the sea. Imogene and Hank are still trying to find their way and define their relationship. Imogen really grows in this book as she starts to get more comfortable with her
magical abilities.
I listened to this book – The narrator is terrific. She has the perfect light and personable voice for Imogene. Plus she does voices for all of the different characters.
Audiobook review: I really like this series! Mermaids & pirates, a great combination. In book 3, many of the characters experience growth and changes. The plot line moves along at a steady pace. The mystery is interesting and entertaining. The narrator did a good job! I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
After I read the first book in this series by Erin Johnson, I had to download the second and third, Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins. I read both in the last week so I could stay current on a few series, as there are so many I want to catch up on; however, when it’s about cooking, witches, pirates and set in cozy Europe, who can resist!
Cozy readers have so many options today… every possible setting, background, character, locations (okay, not everything, but a large breadth of choices). I’ve always enjoyed the ones with a unique setting and something to do with baking. In this release, Imogen visits the mermaid and pirate kingdoms to bake for a wedding. When she arrives, it’s no royal palace! As she gets to know the ins-and-outs of the very young queen, her aging grandmother and the staff supporting them, something is fishy among the fins. By embracing her magic skills, dancing the night away in an underground club, and learning about secret monsters and liquor/drugs, she’s fully embroiled in quite a little mystery and unfamiliar environment.
The tone of the book took a slight turn in this book — it got a little more saucy than usual. I liked it, no complaints here — lighthearted, humorous and tasteful. The story was good, but it wasn’t as strong in the middle as I was expecting (needed more understanding of the mermaid world, how the whole place fits together with each kingdom, how many people lived there, et al); however, by the end, it came full circle, added in a few surprises and balanced out the book well.
I finally learned more about Imogen’s biological family, as well as her connection to witchcraft in the past. For those reasons, I definitely gave this one 4 stars — the drama and intrigue have been set. Most kick-off events in cozy mystery novels occur around the 17% to 20% mark, allowing just enough time to get to know the characters, then BOOM – a murder. In these books, it’s happening around the 40% mark. In some ways, it makes the mystery a tad too light for me, but in others, it builds a world with a bunch of side stories that keep your interest. The author balances the main story with everything else quite adeptly.
I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes as there is a lot of potential within the world being created. It’s holding my interest and I will download/buy the 4th book this month as it’s just been published. Hope you enjoy the new series if you take it on.
Another hit in this magical cozy mystery series.
The gang from the Water Kingdom travels to the Mermaid Kingdom to make the pastries and such for the wedding of the Mermaid Queen (Winnie) to the Pirate King (Chuck). To do this, Imogen and the others have to transform into merpeople to be able to get around their world since most of it is under water. It is a new twist for Imogen, as she is still getting used to having magical powers. While there they come across a mermaid that was murdered and Imogen has to solve the crime. I will have to admit that I never guessed who killed Bubbles and the reason why was quite fascinating. So much history between many characters. And there is some interesting twists when it comes to Imogen and Hank and their attraction to each other. Oh and we do learn a little bit more about Imogen’s past and how she didn’t know she was magical. There is still a lot more to come with that aspect, but what we discover is quite shocking – or at least to me it was!
I still can’t explain why I really like this series. Maybe it is the creativity in the characters, worlds and magic; maybe it is the humorous situations; maybe it is the burgeoning love between Imogen and Hank; or maybe it is just the right book at the right time. But whatever reason, this is a must read series for me and I can’t wait for book four that will be out sometime this month.
You must read every book in the series.
This is such a fun series – I gave this one three stars but don’t think I didn’t enjoy it and that the series isn’t one to pick up. My issues this time were probably not entirely a product of the book itself, so much as of the mindset I was in when I read it. You see, I started this one just after finishing Mira Grant’s newest – Into the Drowning Deep (review coming!) – and its tale of mermaids (which are NOT fun and friendly to say the very least) most likely colored my read of this tale of mermaids (which basically are). So my apologies to Erin Johnson for any unfortunate bleed-over…
In this third book, the indomitable Imogen finds herself embroiled in a world of mermaids and, of course, more secrets… The Water Kingdom’s royal baking team has been requested to serve up a feast for the marriage of the Mermaid Queen and the Pirate King. Of course, since this is Imogen’s world, there’s WAY more to it than that – and the hijinks, secrets, and tension are thick on the ground (er, in the water), as per usual in this delightful series.
Frankly, I found the mermaids a little, well, irritating. I suspect that was on purpose. They spoke an amalgamation of regular English and just-off English (wrong verb tenses, mixtures of plural and singular) that was consistent and even throughout, but that I found off-putting for some reason. The flighty and inconsistent nature of the mermaids was a style choice; my lukewarm feelings toward them were (as I mentioned in the opening) probably based at least somewhat in contrast to the other mermaids I’d recently encountered – whatever the reason though, I found the bits of story that featured mermaid conversation and attitudes less able to hold my interest.
I still found Imogen (and her compatriots) to be fun and highly entertaining. There is always at least one reveal in these books that catches me completely off guard – that is no small accomplishment, as I read rather a lot. It’s what will keep me coming back to this series regardless of how I feel about a particular plot line or character. Johnson has a great ability to spin a tall tale that feels somehow still plausible and never over-done or overly reliant on tropes (which are probably getting increasingly difficult to avoid in the supernatural genre, given the number of books published each year). I can’t wait to see where Imogen’s continuing journey to discover her background and the limits of her magic take her – book four is due out soon, and I look forward to seeing where she goes next!
My review copy was generously provided by the author. That provision in no way affected my review.
Imogen and has her friends are suppose to bake for the Mermaid Queen wedding but they will end trying to solve the mysterious murder of one of the Queen’s friends. It will be dangerous but they will catch the perpetrator. And a big surprise in the end. The audiobook is great
With each book I read in this Spells & Caramels series, it becomes my new favorite book in the series. If you have been following the story (which I totally suggest starting from the beginning!) you’ll know that death seems to always be at Imogens door step. The police chief of Bijou Mer isn’t the sharpest or most caring tool in the shed so it is up to Imogen & friends to solve the latest murder.
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins doesn’t disappoint with it’s character development for all of your favorite main characters plus it brings you more information to the magical world that Erin has created. The murder mystery was well placed, and logical for the story. I love Erins world and her story telling.
The perfect cozy mystery for your evening read! Can’t wait to read the 4th installment!
Mermaid Fins, Winds and Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson is the third book in Caramels and Spells series. Imogen Banks has been practicing her magic work with Prince Harry (Hank) since Horace escaped while trying to kidnap her from Bijou Mer. Extra precautions have been put in place to ensure that Horace, leader of the Badlands Army, cannot get onto the grounds of castle. Now, though, the staff of the Royal Bakery are off to the Mermaid Kingdom to bake for the engagement party of Queen Aerwyna (known as Winnie the Finnie) and her fiancé, Captain Charles Walker, the pirate king (known as Good Time Chuck). The first evening the bakers are invited to the Club (a pirate nightclub) and instructed by Bubbles, a close friend of Queen Aerwyna’s, to make brandy balls with a very special pirate brandy. After a long night of drinking and dancing, all Imogen wants to do is sleep the next day. Unfortunately, Queen Aerwyna wants to find out more about humans and summons Imogen (she wishes she had kept that fact to herself). Imogen ends up witnessing the discovery of Bubbles in the ship’s fishing net and becomes embroiled in another murder investigation. Imogen, Prince Harry, Maple, Iggy and their fellow bakers dive into the case and cast their nets to capture a killer.
Mermaid Fins, Winds and Rolling Pins (that’s a mouthful) is a delightful and entertaining cozy mystery. I do recommend reading the prior two books in the series before embarking on Mermaid Fins, Winds and Rolling Pins. The series has great characters that develop and improve with each installment in the series. I am a fan of Iggy, the magical flame, and his witty dialogue. I am especially glad that we are finally getting more details on Imogen’s biological family. The mystery had several elements to it and it was creative (the brandy sounded disgusting). I did identify the killer (and victim) before the crime, but I still wanted to continue reading the story to see how it would unfold. I found the magical elements refreshing and intriguing. The story is nicely written and has a good pace which makes it easy to read and delight in. There are wonderful descriptions of the Mermaid Kingdom, mermaids, pirate ships, unique contraband, sea creatures, the Water Kingdom library and so much more. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story with unique analogies (and innuendo). I did find the romance a little too prominent for my taste. I am happy, though, to see Prince Harry and Imogen’s relationship progress. I am eager to read the next installment in the Spells and Caramels series which will be Cookie Dough, Snow and Wands Aglow.