Murder Most Owl

The first in the enchanting new Magical Menagerie mystery series where things are not always what they seem. Georgie Johansen returns to the charming, coastal town of Twilight Cove and quickly finds herself in a whirlwind of romance, magic and murder!

It’s been years since screenwriter Georgie Johansen last visited her Aunt Olivia’s farm in the coastal town of Twilight Cove and things have certainly changed. First of all it’s now an animal sanctuary, and then there’s the new farmhand who’s as mysterious as he is handsome. Her first day on the farm, Georgie encounters the eccentric Dorothy Shale, an older woman who lives in a cabin in the woods. There are rumours that Dorothy’s a witch, but Georgie doesn’t believe that. Although, Dorothy does have an unusual magical presence around her . . . 

When Dorothy ends up murdered, suspicion falls on Georgie – she was the one who found the poor woman’s body, and being new in town doesn’t help with the suspicion. Things only get worse when it turns out that Dorothy left her valuable plot of land to Auntie O!

Georgie must act fast to clear her and her aunt’s names by finding the real killer. But as bodies start to mount up, the pressure rises. With the help of the unusual powers of Dorothy’s two dogs and great-horned owl, can Georgie uncover the truth before she becomes the killer’s next target?

My Review:

Eeeepppp!!!! New stellar cozy mystery alert! Love the animal sanctuary setting and the air of magical mystery. Not solidly paranormal so no worries if that’s not your thing. Just light touches of whimsy. Similar to Sofie Kelly’s ‘Magical Cats’ series or Amanda Flower’s ‘Magical Bookshop’ series. So, very much set in the real world (well, as ‘real’ as a cozy mystery can get!) with gentle enchanting touches that completely charmed me.

Flossie and Fancy (springer spaniels with unique talents) make amazing back up for amateur sleuth Georgie. Love the way the author has written their relationship — and yes, the dogs definitely have big personalities. So much fun! As is Euclid, the wise owl who likes to keep an eye on Georgie. Of course, there are human secondary characters too. Auntie O and the mysterious temporary farmhand top my list of faves.

And then there’s the mystery, complete with enough viable suspects to keep me on the very edge of my sleuthing armchair. I enjoyed the way Georgie’s investigation played out. She doesn’t pull any TSTL stunts (well, maybe one but with a solid reason so I’ll give her a pass.) Kept me turning pages until all was revealed and then I was left still wanting more — like the second book in the ‘Magical Menagerie‘ series to come out asap!!!