She talks to the animals. But when they witness a murder, who will squawk first?
Cursed and almost powerless, Jolene’s definitely down on her magical luck. Forced to disguise her taboo shifter abilities, she barely makes ends meet by working as a pretend pet psychic. So she eagerly says, “Oui,” to a job securing testimony from a parakeet that watched a woman’s fatal fall.
Teaming up with a true … fall.
Teaming up with a true blue police officer and his lie-sniffing German Shepherd, Jolene works hard to hunt down suspects. But with an after-hours affair, a disgruntled neighbor, and risqué photos all seemingly connected to the crime, untangling the truth is bound to get hairy.
Can Jolene protect her cover and pluck out the clues before she falls from grace?
Pretty Little Fliers is the first book in the delightful and complete Pet Psychic Magical Mysteries series. If you like charming towns, hilarious heroines, and spellbinding twists and turns, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s pet-friendly tale.
Buy Pretty Little Fliers to swoop into a wild case today!
“I love this series. It has wonderful plots and the characters are amazing. Each person is relatable and likeable. Even the bad guys.” ★★★★★
“Loved it from the start!!! Jolene can talk with animals. I never knew cockroaches could be so funny lol.” ★★★★★
“These are quick reads, clean and funny with mystery and whodunnit wrapped with a completely new take on paranormal. Kid friendly and you will thoroughly get a kick out of the lie sniffing dog.” ★★★★★
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This wonderful title leaves you guessing, but I love the play on words, so I picked it up. I have to say, it is an entertaining read.
The main character, Jolene, is likable and funny. Although she is an “owl shifter” and the townspeople have a prejudice against shifters, she’s still able to pull her life together. Even after being abandoned by her parents as a baby, and becoming a lawyer on a fast track. That is until she’s cursed, exposed as a shifter, and has her powers stolen. After that, her life has a downturn. Being left with no magic, except the ability to communicate with animals, she has limited options, career-wise, and settles on the prestigious job of pet psychic. In this line of work, she meets Peter Flint, and that starts a turnabout on her outlook. Peter is a good guy from the very beginning, and he gives Jolene a glimmer of hope that someone could like her for who she really is and not care about who or what she was. Even though Jolene still feels compelled to hide her secret, Peter seems like the kind of person who won’t care.
The story itself is unique. I can’t say that I’ve read many books that had characters that shift from anything other than wolves, and I like that this one is different. I think it’s an interesting idea to have her change into something unique and have special abilities related to it. Although reading animals’ minds for their owners seems like a fulfilling gig, Jolene gets a new outlook on life when Officer Peter Flint asks her to be a consultant on a murder investigation. There are many twists and turns along the way that will leave the reader laughing out loud, wondering whodunit, and wanting to know if Jolene and Peter will be more than work buddies.
If you are looking for a book that has murder, intrigue, humor, and a potential love connection, I think Pretty Little Fliers could be for you.
This review is for the audio book.
I really enjoyed Erin’s Spells and Caramels series so thought I would give this series ago to. So glad I did because I just loved it. It contains the same fun, colourful, and entertaining plot which with different characters. So if you love one you will love the other series too. In this book it is the dog that says the snarky great one lines and I loved the banter between the dog and the main character. The mystery was good and had a numbers of very plausible suspects. Just loved everything about this book and it is a great book to bring a smile to your face and am off to start listening to book two.
When Jolene had to give up her career as a lawyer because of a curse she became a pet psychic. It is easier to explain being psychic to her customer than she was a hated shifter and is actually talking to them. However this job doesn’t pay much and she is about to get evicted by her land lady. Which explains how gets talked into helping a handsome police officer and his annoying dog, there has been a murder in the building opposite and the only witness is a parakeet. The parakeet unfortunately didn’t see anything and the three of them must go against orders and question more suspects to unearth the killer. Jolene needs to solve the case to get paid and pay the rent but the more she investigates the more she enjoyed spending time with the policeman, especially as she is sure he isn’t going to arrest her….well fairly sure.
I really liked the narrator. It is the same narrator for both series so it took me a while to get the characters straight but she is such a talented artist and uses sound effects to enhance the enjoyment.
I listened to the audio version.
FUN STORY!!! And WHAT AN AMAZING NARRATOR!!!
First of all: I love the narrator! Very bubbly, young, fitting for the genre! Her narration was top-notch. The voices she had to do, of the different characters, were all very easy to understand. And with all the animals noises she had to make, it was quite the challenge, I can tell you that! She did such a good job, really amazing!
There is a sneak peek of book 2 in this series, so the book is 44 minutes shorter than I had thought. I’m only mentioning this to anyone who, like me, might be relatively new to audio books.
And then the story. How FUN!!! Loved it from the start!!! Jolene can talk with animals. I never knew cockroaches could be so funny lol. And I’m such a softie for a guy who loves his pet! In this case, the police officer who’d do anything for his dog. But the dog doesn’t like shifters… and Jolene used to be one… still is I guess, only without the ability to shift. The case: a woman falls to her death. Jolene’s help is needed as a police consultant, as the only witness is a parakeet. What follows is an unorthodox investigation, to say the least…
What an excellent book! Oh My Goodness, I loved it so so so much!!! I’m really very enthusiastic about it!!! I am so going to read/listen to more books by Ms Johnson!
Pretty Little Fliers by Erin Johnson is the debut of the Magic Market Mysteries. I enjoyed reading this creative new tale. The authors writing style is casual and friendly. I was quickly immersed into the story. We return to Bijou Mer from Erin Johnson’s Spells & Caramels series where we enter the seedy section of the island. Darkmoon Night Market is where the poor live and criminals conduct their activities. Jolene used to a well-paid lawyer until a certain co-worker revealed that she was an owl shifter (shifters get a bad rap). A curse has taken away her ability to shift as well as her magical powers. She can, though, talk to animals and insects which is why she hung out her shingle as a pet psychic. When a woman is murdered across the street, Jolene gets hired by Officer Peter Flint. Jolene is eager for the work because she is close to being evicted and she does like to eat. I found myself laughing frequently while reading Pretty Little Fliers. It is an entertaining story. We meet a variety of unique characters as Officer Flint, Daisy (Officer Flint’s canine partner) and Jolene investigate the murder. There are a variety of suspects and they uncover some unusual information. Daisy and Jolene do not get along which led to some witty exchanges. This case may be just what Jolene needs since she has just been going through the motions the last four and half years. I enjoyed reading this magical cozy mystery and am eager to read Friday Night Bites. Pretty Little Fliers is a spellbinding tale with a saucy secretary, peculiar plants, secret snapshots, and a bewildering botanist.
This was a fun, easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters (which included animals). The development of the main character was good and I hope the secondary characters get more fully developed in the next books. It was a good start to the series. I’ve purchased the next three books in the series.
Sometimes I pick up a book because it intrigues me in some way. This one had me chuckling over the blurb.Jolene is using the term pet psychic to cover the fact she is a shifter. Unfortunately, she can’t shift into the owl she once was since she was cursed. A side effect of this is she can talk to all animals not just other owls.
She’s in the midst of a ‘reading’ when a police officer interrupts. He’s carrying his dog who appears to be in a bad way.
Jolene gets to know Officer Peter Flint on their way to her friend Will’s. Will is not going to be happy, his clinic isn’t exactly legal.
From helping Daisy (the dog) to witnessing a woman falling from a window are the occurences that will change Jolene’s financial outlook.
Peter remembers she is a pet psychic and enlists her services as a consultant to see if the parrot in the office saw anything to solve this murder. He also discovers she has quite the analytical mind.
He has no idea of her past and she’s not about to tell him either.
Fun, intriguing, suspenseful and even a little romantic.
I enjoyed this book! The writing is good and keeps the reader entertained. The main characters are believable and grow endearing to the reader. The plot is easily followed and the story is a good one. I can easily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the paranormal genre.
This was a fun story with a happy ending
This book pulled me in right from page 1. I read it in every free moment I had. All the characters were amazing, even the bad guys. The story progressed well. The characters had growth. There were some twists. The Darkmoon area that Jolene lives in sounds scary. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, paranormal, or pet stories. I look forward to reading book 2.
I loved this first book in the Magic Market Series on the island of Bijou Mer where we meet Jolene, a down and out shifter whose been cursed by a former colleague. The curse took away her magic and outed her as an owl shifter. She lost her job as a lawyer, her fiance, and her life as she knew it all in one fell swoop. During a fake reading as an animal psychic and desperate to pay rent to her Dragon landlord in the Dark Moon District, she agrees to help a cop with his K-9 partner. It turns out the curse took everything but gave her the ability to communicate with all animals and insects which she disguises as being psychic. Peter, nice guy that he is, hires her to “read the mind” of a bird witness to a murder across the street. Thus begins Jolene’s new job as a police consultant, now if only the shifter community that is described like the mob doesn’t find out. The author’s vocabulary of curse words is hilarious. Trust me, you will have shell of a time.
I enjoyed Pretty Little Fliers. I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request in exchange for an honest review. Meet Jolene a woman with a secret and advertised pet psychic. She gets involved with police officer Peter who needs help talking to a bird witness. Peter also has a partner, a dog named Daisy who can tell if someone is lying and can tell that Jolene is doing plenty of that. There are laugh out loud parts of this book and it is usually the bickering between Jolene and Daisy. The narrator is great. I recommend this book.
Jolene had fallen a long way down life’s ladder until she helped a cop and his dying g dog. Then a murder see witnesses across the street changed things in her life. But could she really help to solve this case with her special talent? An awesome read and really looking forward to book two.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and any opinions expressed herein are my own.
This book is the first in the Magic Market Mysteries. It does have a crossover with her Spells and Caramels series in that it takes place in the same locale [well, the less desirable area of Spells and Caramels].
Absolutely adorable! The MC Jolene has the ability to speak/understand animals. And several of these animals/insects have some pretty humorous thoughts. She becomes a police consultant (after helping an officer [Peter] with his lie-detecting German shepherd [Daisy]) to investigate a death. The relationship between Jolene and Daisy was entertaining. Just really fun and I enjoyed it from the start – sure to put a smile on your face.
The narrator, Hannah Somerville, was absolutely fantastic. She has a fun perky voice which suits Jolene perfectly. Then, she does various animal sounds and different voices for the animal thoughts [cockroaches were pretty funny]. Perfect fit.
Even though she had been cursed and could no longer change, Jolene is an owl shifter and a witch. She teams up with a hunky policeman and his partner, a dog, after she witnesses the death of a woman. Although I figured out who the murderer was, I still liked reading this book because of the humor and I like the characters. I will continue reading this series.
Really Good Story! Not heavy on the romance, but noticeable. Characters seem to be real and alive. While Jolene has been in a crumby situation for years, after being cursed, she isn’t a victim. She seems strong and determined… willing to do a lot in order to survive, but still has standards and morals. Great MC for any book. And Peter and Daisy are good, strong characters too. Instead of being a hardened cop, he’s somewhat social and intuitive and smart. And he really wants to help. Daisy is protective of her human. She’s happy being Peter’s partner and totally not thrilled with his shifter friend, Jolene. Really amazing start to what I hope is a long series!
I’ve been waiting for Erins next series with serious anticipation since finishing Spells & Caramels. If you haven’t read Saved by the Spell yet, I suggest picking it up as it will give you some fun backstory for Officer Flint and Daisy.
I am in love with the characters in this series! It seems to be a the writing style of Erin to make all characters feel like main characters and I absolutely adore it! Give the story so much depth! I can’t wait to get more information on all of the key players.
If you’ve read her previous series, then you know that shifters aren’t well loved by the magical community and I am so thrilled that Erin choice this as the focal point for her next dive into the vast magical world she built for us.
If you love cozy mysteries, you will love all of Erins books, she takes the genre to a next level that I am so impressed with.
Pretty Little Fliers by Erin Johnson is a magnificent first book in this new series by Ms. Johnson. I love these new characters and a different outlook on Bijou Mer’s citizens.
Can Jolene help Peter and Daisy find the killer?
Jolene
Jolene is our main character and point of view character throughout the whole book. She is a cautious and thoughtful character as we were first introduced to shifters in the Spells and Caramels series, and now we have one as our main point of view character. Jolene was cursed, which is a huge thing since now she can’t shift and lost most of her powers. Well, except for the ability to talk to animals and now to hearing and talking to all the animals. She was a lawyer before she was cursed, but now she is a pet psychic that is working with the police for her ability to hear the animals’ thoughts.
I like this character a lot, and she is different than Imogen. However, they are both orphaned, but for Jolene, she grew up in this world while Imogen wasn’t. I don’t have a dislike for her, but I hope that she does trust Phil enough at some point to tell him the truth about herself.
Peter Flint and Daisy
Peter Flint is the police officer and Jolene’s love interest in this series. These two will be interesting as he is a police officer through and through. By that, I mean that he wants to do well with his job, but he also wants the truth about it. His dog is Daisy, who is a golden lab, can tell when someone is lying or telling the truth. Daisy’s attitude when she realizes that Jolene is a shifter is pretty hilarious. Daisy is the Iggy of this series, and I adore it.
I love these two a lot, and I can see some things, not going too well with the three of them. Peter is a great guy, and Daisy is a wonderful girl who only wants what is best for Peter.
Five Stars
Pretty Little Fliers by Erin Johnson is another fantastic book and the start of another excellent series. I can’t wait to get back into the world of Jolene, Peter, and Daisy so that I can be laughing out loud all over again. I am giving this book five stars as I adore anything from Ms. Johnson, and this book is no exception. Along with my rating, I am recommending it to anyone that loves cozy paranormal mysteries.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Pretty Little Fliers by Erin Johnson.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
The start of another fun series!
We are back in Bijou Mer but the seedy side of town. Our main characters are a shifter that has lost most of her powers to a curse, a sweet police officer and a somewhat snarky dog that can detect lies. Jolene can communicate with animals and uses these powers to try to help solve a murder. Her and the German Shepard Daisy don’t see eye to eye. Daisy doesn’t like shifters. Murder, risqué pictures, talking animals, what’s not to like? Fun start to a new series.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
Such fun to read! Can’t wait to read the next one to come out.
What a fun story. We return to the Water Kingdom with new characters to fall in love with! Highly recommended!
A shifter without her powers, a handsome and gentleman police officer and a big dog that can smell lies. CAn Jolene, Peter and Daisy work together to find the murder? Darkmoon Market is a tricky place but Jolene is used to it, even if she has a better life before, and Peter Flint is set to find the truth. A sweet and funny magical cozy mystery.