Greetings Friends!
Today I am participating in a blog tour stop for the cozy mystery
Witch Cake Murders by Zoe Arden.
Rating:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: April 2017
Synopsis:
Witches and humans have always existed peacefully in Sweetland Cove… until now.
Someone is killing humans and drawing unwanted attention to the supernatural residents of Sweetland Cove.
Ava Rose just turned twenty-one and with her birthday came a few surprises.
One: she’s a witch.
Two: she’s part owner of a magical bakery she never knew existed.
Three: Someone wants her dead.
The day Ava arrives in Sweetland Cove, murders begin occurring…
Witches and wizards are quick to blame her, but Ava’s aunts won’t let the town they love turn against her.
But murders follow Ava everywhere.
Soon, she finds herself on the receiving end of the killer’s mad spree. With a crazy wizarding sheriff who wants to lock her up, and an even crazier wizarding detective who wants to lock her whole family up, Ava must solve this case alone.
But as the days pass and the only clues point to her, Ava starts to wonder if maybe the sheriff is right.
Maybe she really is the killer.
The only thing Ava knows for sure is that the witches of Sweetland are not happy with her. Especially those witches who have something to hide.
And they all have something to hide.
Can Ava stop the killer before they strike again… even if that killer is her?
It was from reading Agatha Christie’s mystery books that inspired Zoe to write cozy mystery novels. Zoe liked the fact that cozy mysteries are able to offer readers a form of escapism that typical detective stories can’t.
Like what Marilyn Stasio, who has been the Crime columnist for The New York Times Book Review since the late 1980s, recently wrote: “The abiding appeal of the cozy mystery owes a lot to our collective memory, true or false, of simpler, sweeter times.” It is Zoe’s desire that her writings will evoke that nostalgic memory in all of us; those memories of the good old days.
What sets Zoe apart in her writings is her fusing of Mystery with Paranormal elements, a combination which will bring about fantasies that are intriguing and engaging. Her stories contain unexpected twists and sometimes light-hearted moments that will make one smile at Zoe’s quirkiness, fun, and wittiness in her writings.
Review:
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.
This was a fun and cute cozy read. I really enjoyed the paranormal elements that made this such a a unique cozy mystery. Not only were there witches, but goblins, wizards, fairies, and talking animals were all interacting with one another. While the main hostilities seemed to be between the witches and the humans, there were also darker forces within the supernatural trying to make their presence known as well and it was interesting to see this play out too.
Ava has no idea that she is a witch nor about how powerful she truly is, so I enjoyed seeing her development as she discovers who and what she is. Because she has no clue about being a witch, she is constantly making a mess of things. Everyone seems content on keeping so many secrets, so it wasn’t hard for her to find trouble as needless drama continues to ensue because so much information is withheld! Additionally, at 21, Ava is extremely naive and immature, so while endearing in the beginning, it does gradually become annoying. Many of these personality quirks would have been much more understandable had she been younger.
Aside from those few minor shortcomings, this was definitely an engaging read with no dull moments, so there isn’t a shortage of reasons to believe that anyone could be a potential suspect! I will definitely be checking out the other books in the series. Amusing and entertaining, this book is a great way to escape from the real world for a little while! Just make sure you have some treats nearby because your sweet tooth will be activated reading about all the baked goods! Unfortunately, no recipes included though.
Book Excerpt:
“Let me ask you something,” Brendan said. “You’re a witch. Why do witches like human men?” He was looking at me so earnestly I felt compelled to answer him. I just didn’t know what to say.
“Um…” I stammered. “I don’t know. I grew up around humans, so I guess I’m just drawn to them.” I looked back through the glass patio door at Damon, who was dancing with Megan again. Brendan followed my gaze, looking miserable.
“Love sucks,” he said, then shoved the purple stem he’d been twirling into his pocket and skulked off. I turned back to the stars and sighed.
An earth-shattering scream rose into the night, making me jump.
Through the patio door, I could see a crowd gathering around the perimeter of the room. A woman was screaming. I hurried inside. The crowd had opened up, leaving two people in its center.
Felicity stood there, her mouth hanging open. Campbell was dancing around her, his hands flying unnaturally through the air. His head was tilted at an odd angle and his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, like a thirsty dog. He was making strange grunting noises that almost resembled words.
“He’s drunk!” someone yelled.
Campbell swung his hips around and bumped into Felicity, who stumbled away from him.
“All right, all right, break it up,” Felicity’s boyfriend Lincoln said.
Lincoln was the sheriff of Mistmoor Point, and the crowded parted for him as he came through. Even if he hadn’t been a sheriff, I suspected the crowd would still have parted for him. At six feet tall with bronze hair and blue eyes, he made quite a figure in the middle of a crowd.
“Okay, Campbell. Time to go home,” Lincoln said, clamping one hand down on his shoulder.
Campbell yanked Lincoln hard, sending him flying across the room. Everyone gasped. Campbell stopped, looked around, then let out a strange gurgling sound. He fell to the floor. His face was bright blue.
Felicity hunkered down next to him. She gave him one hard shake then looked up at the rest of the room, her mouth gaping.
“He’s dead,” she cried. “Campbell‘s dead!”
Who would be next?
Zoe Arden is giving away 7 cozy mystery paperbacks by Amanda M. Lee, Agatha Frost, H. Y. Hanna, Joanne Fluke, Leighann Dobbs, Gina Lamanna and Lilian Jackson Brown.
BONUS: All entries will receive a free copy of Cozy Mystery: Cake Spell Disaster by Zoe Arden.
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a 7-pack paperback collection of cozy mysteries by bestselling authors. All entries will receive a free copy of Zoe Arden’s CAKE SPELL DISASTER.
This giveaway ends midnight May 31.
Winner will be contacted via email on June 1.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Many thanks to Zoe Arden and Pump Up Your Book. It was a pleasure providing a review!
I hope you enjoyed this feature and be sure to check out other blog stops on the tour here.
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That's What She's Reading 
I love cozy mysteries. Thanks for the review always looking for new authors.
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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it!
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