Why be normal when you can be paranormal?
Welcome to Mystic Springs, where things definitely go bump in the night. As the town’s medium, Connie Winters is the only person who can see the ghosts who call Mystic Springs home. When young temptress Lola is killed, the dead Mayor and the dead Sheriff are determined to investigate, and since they’ve never been replaced, they’d better get on with it. … investigate, and since they’ve never been replaced, they’d better get on with it. But they need Connie’s help. And if Connie’s helping, her sister Sage is going to get involved too – she’s beautiful, slim, and twenty years dead.
It may be the first time in history that a murder-solving squad is a mixture of real live people and real dead ghosts. Connie, and the residents of Mystic Springs, will be forced to question everything they thought they knew.
This is a full-length paranormal cozy mystery. Spooky not scary. Lighthearted and fun.
First in series by Mona Marple, author of the Waterfell Tweed cozy mystery series.
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This story is a little darker than some of the others I’ve read in the cozy mystery genre. It has some wonderful levity throughout, but the overall essence has a touch of the grim – which is intriguing – but may not appeal to all cozy lovers.
That being said, the storyline is captivating, and draws you right into the tale. There is some necessary world-building in the beginning and it takes a bit to really connect with the reader, but push through, I promise it is worth it. This book offers a ton of mystery and an overall good plot. I feel it is well thought out with some unique ideas that I appreciated.
There were times when I felt the main character, Connie, was a little too self-deprecating when it came to her appearance. However, I definitely got some of the “I am comfortable in my own skin” vibe, which I do applaud. That bit aside, I did like the rest of her character’s traits. She is smart and caring, which allows the reader to connect with her. To be honest though, her sister Sage, is the one who really stole the show for me. Sage was likable, funny, innocent (in the best way), and somewhat intuitive. I enjoyed the dynamic between Connie and Sage, and I think Sage made Connie more relatable. Another thing I liked about this book was the diversity in the characters. I appreciate reading a story that has positively portrayed minorities. That is just a side note, but I feels worth mentioning.
Overall, this series is bursting with potential. Despite a slower start, once it picked up speed it was a joy to read. Well worth checking out and I’m sure the next book will jump feet first.
Quirky quirky!
This cozy has a paranormal element. And I just loved that! Ghosts, suspense, but never nightmarish scary. Exactly how I like it! Some quirkiness thrown in for good measure 🙂
This is the first book by Mona Marple that I have read. It’s also a new genre for me as a reader.
And I blooming’ loved it! Easy to read but really engaging too.
Sometimes I wonder why of buy paranormal mysteries. Maybe it’s my state of mind during this not normal time of life (pandemic). The story of ok except for the swearing which I don’t like or think adds anything to the story. I had a hard time keeping up with all that happens in this story so marked it down.
The Ghosts of Mystic Springs (Mystic Springs #1) was a good read by Mona Marple. Connie Winters is the town medium of Mystic Springs. She is the only person who can see the ghosts of Mystic Springs. A young temptress is killed and the dead Mayor and dead Sheriff are determined to investigate. They involve Connie in the investigation. I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book but didn’t see the end coming. I haven’t read a story by this author before but the blurb sounded interesting so I gave it a go, it is a very unusual plot and I quite liked it. The story is told by two character, so you have to make sure you listen well because at the start of each chapter it tells you who perspective you are listening to, either Connie the Medium or Sage the ghost of her sister. The mystery is fun and I liked the way the ghosts help to solve it. There are plenty of suspects to keep you guessing and the book takes a twist at the end which could lead to some interesting stories in the series. A series I will be keeping an eye out for.
Connie is a medium and finds it hard being the only person in town the can speak to both the living and the dead. So when it comes to arranging a Halloween party that both could attend she hesitates it could so easily go wrong but Sage her sister and a ghost knows how to get what she wants. It turns out Connie had good reason to worry there is a murder and a young girl is murdered before the party ends. Mystic springs is a small town and when there only policeman and mayor died they never replaced them. The two men, with the help of Sage convince Connie that they need her help to find the murderer before anyone else gets hurt. Not everything is what it seems at Mystic Springs.
I liked the narrator and the hours listening to the story just flew by.
I actually read a newer installment of Mystics Springs before starting at the beginning. The characters are so endearing that I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get to know them better, and to learn more about the “history” of Mystic Springs. I’m so glad I did! I’ll be binge reading this series till I’m all caught up. Then I’ll wait impatiently for “the next one”! If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend you do! A great fun read!
Fun read, I enjoyed the characters who were very humorous.
Great Start to New Paranormal Cozy Series
This book is the first book in a new series. The cozy murder mystery was very good with many suspects and a pathetic victim. The paranormal interactions were neat and should lead to a very interesting series. I bought this book and can’t wait to read the next book.
A new cozy mystery series is out. The twists and turns are gentle not break neck speed. This one contains themes of sisterhood, community and spirits among us. I recognize in all family relationships we tend to repeat ourselves and our arguments but at times its redundant to point I could finish the quote because I heard it before multiple times already. There is a surprising and very good work around for the mystery.
There are pieces of backstory that help but I really was disappointed where a couple of them were sorely lacking. I’m not changing the stars for it because it’s my hope the author will address them in the next book. This book is not a cliffhanger but left many doors open to go through.
The Narrator was excellent and I will be looking for her other works. She does excellent male voices and multiple characters with ease.
I received this book for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.
This is the first book in the Mystic Springs cozy mysteries series. It is a standalone book with no cliffhanger ending.
Here, in the very small town of Mystic Springs, Connie is a medium. She is able to see and communicate with her deceased sister Sage, the deceased former Sheriff of the town and the deceased former Mayor, among others. Since the town’s Sheriff died, Mystic Springs has no law enforcement. So, when a murder occurs at an April Fool’s Day party, there is no one to investigate. The spirits of the Sheriff, the Mayor, Sage begin to investigate with Conmie’s help.
I love this premise – spirits investigating and using a medium – lots of fun. There were some distractions to the story such as the Connie’s constant whining about her weight/poor self image; that law enforcement would simply ignore an entire town and not investigate a murder [??] – it’s not a traffic ticket; Sage being a bit self-centered. Overall I enjoyed Connie’s interactions with the main spirits as well as the spirits who she called upon as part of her medium business. The mystery was decent and a nice twist regarding the murderer. There are some unanswered questions regarding some of the MC’s but it is the first book in the series so plenty of time to resolve these issues. Overall, I enjoyed it and would be interested in seeing what else transpires in Mystic Springs.
I listened to this book – The narrator has a very nice bright pleasing voice. She did a very good job with the narration. My only quibble – Connie and Sage are both described as being from England but neither had an English accent.
This is my first intro to Mona Marple’s books and I can safely say that I have found another favourite author! How wonderful to pick up a book, read it and not want to put it down! For many years I stopped reading as the choices were not that good to me. The Ghosts of Mystic Springs is well written and has full characters with loads of intrigue, mystery, twists and turns! Fantastic read and I can’t wait to read more of her books!
A fun book to read. Told from two points of view, this book follows the two main characters back to their alma mater for a reunion. While there, the headmaster is found murdered. The two must locate the murderer by interviewing the suspects who include the wife, the mistress, a necromancer, and witches.
Great for those that love reading paranormal cozies.
I’ll give it five stars. Was it perfect? No, but as close as many books I’ve read on e-reader. My only suggestion would be for the author to write Connie getting healthy in a future story, or to at least stop putting herself down and embrace her own beauty. Otherwise, the characters were entertaining as was the story. I love all kinds of novels, gritty or fun, and this was perfect for the fun mystery genre I often read.
OMG! Such a great start to the series. The characters, the plot, the writing. Although I couldn’t expect anything less from the marvelous Mona Marple.
A must read, for sure!
Quick, easy, and enjoyable read.
Can not wait for the next in this great series. This author never disappoints.
A series about 2 sisters, one a medium and one a spirit who doesn’t know how she died. A young woman dies and there are several suspects but there is no police in Mystic Springs and the nearest towns have there own cases. The 2 sisters decide to solve the murder themselves with the help of other spirits one of which was the sheriff.
In the beginning I was a bit confused but quickly got over it and started enjoying the story. I was wishing I could have some of my loved ones around that left too soon pop in to talk to me, that would be so cool. Looking forward to Book 2.