A Charming Crime

Magical Cures Mystery #1

by Tonya Kappes, Karen Savage (Narrator)

Bubble...bubble...

June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems.

Cures and trouble...

Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought... literally.

Magic stirs...

June discovers she was born into a family of psychics, and her homeopathic cures truly are magical. Unfortunately, they are not magical enough to save her from being the number-one murder suspect when a member of the community that she had just had a disagreement with shows up face down in the lake with June's lucky charm in the victim's grasp.

And troubles double...

Add to that an attraction to her high school best friend, Sheriff Oscar Park, and Mr. Prince Charming, her cat, is stealing charms from Belle's Baubles, June is forced to clear her name in more ways than murder. After all, they don't have cauldrons in jail.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy, Magic, Fiction

Audiobook

First published June 3, 2012

About the author

A celebrated Amazon All-Star and USA Today bestselling author, Tonya has written over 180 southern cozy mysteries filled with heart, humor, and unforgettable small-town characters. Her novels, known for their southern charm and rich emotional storytelling, have been praised by readers and critics alike, earning her a coveted spot as a Woman's World Book Club Pick six times.

Writing full-time from her camper, Tonya crafts worlds where mystery, friendship, and a little mischief collide — and now, her stories will come to life for cozy mystery lovers everywhere.

Visit Tonya:
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For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Tonya's newsletter Kappes Krew Weekly via her website or Facebook.For years,

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tonya Kappes has penned an entertaining paranormal cozy mystery with the first book in the Magical Cures Mystery series, A Charming Crime. June Heal took over her deceased mother’s flea market booth that sells natural remedies to heal the body and mind. When her best friend and local police officer, Oscar Park, suggests they move to a town 30 miles away, she’s not sold on it, but ultimately decides to relocate to Whispering Falls, Kentucky. However, soon a member of the community is found murdered and June becomes the main suspect.

June is good in chemistry, has nightmares, and normally tends to see the good in everyone. However, many of her actions don’t seem very believable. Oscar has a bond with June, but didn’t seem to be a great crime solver. I wanted more character depth for him.

While the story is enjoyable, there were several instances when events were over-the-top and unrealistic. Despite this, the story flowed reasonably well and it was a quick read. The idea of a magical village provided a chance to wonder what it would be like to live there; especially with the odd laws they have. Readers are introduced to an eccentric array of characters who will likely show up in future books in the series. Secrets, lies, murder, and trust are threads that are woven into the novel.

Overall, this was an amusing story with magic, murder, discovering more about one’s self, and more.

I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was June 8, 2012.
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My 3.46 review rounded to 3 stars is coming soon.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really don't know how to accurately rate this book, so it gets two stars. The author has a great story line going for the series - the village is an excellent setting, and the premise of a place just for people with "talents" really intriguing. The characters all hold promise, and with further development, this village could become a charming place full of wacky, eccentric characters. Even the mystery was fairly solid for a first book.

BUT - Lord love a duck is the editing of this book BAD!!! And I don't mean "an" instead of "and" or "in" instead of "it". Whole sections of sentences are missing, or sentences just don't make any sense - and I don't mean contextual sense (although there's a fair share of this too), I mean grammatical sense - they aren't actually sentences! And this isn't in just a few place - it's every single page and almost every single paragraph. Seriously shocking editing - or, more likely, no editing whatsoever.

This book would easily have gotten 3.5-4 stars from me if it was in any way readable because I genuinely enjoyed the story itself. I'd like to read more about these characters and the village but I don't think I can slog my way through another story without any editing...

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Charming Crime was interesting and it has some potential.

This first book in the Magical Cures Mystery series was a crazy irritating mystery mess. I felt like I was being thrown all over the place with all the different information coming at me all at once.

Our heroine June was frustrating as a character and all she eats are Ding Dongs. All most every page the author has her picking up a Ding Dong to eat. She’s bothered, lets have her eat a Ding Dong. She’s feeling overwhelmed, lets have her eat a Ding Dong. Does this girl not eat anything else?

June also finds her mother, Darla’s Diary. Does June sit down and read it? Nope. This Diary has a tone of information in it about Whispering Falls, Junes magical abilities, and more. If she had read it, well she would have been better prepared for the weirdness of Whispering Falls.

Then we have the town, Whispering Falls, that is a magical community only for magical people to live in. Ok, so this town sounds cool, but they have all these weird ass laws. They where coming at me left and right and I couldn’t keep up with them. June was given a packet to read about the town and their laws, which she had to sign, and she never sat down and read it. By the end of the story the town is going to change some of the laws. Which is good and for the better, but it felt like the author wanted the storyline to go one way and for it to do that she had to change her laws. Didn't feel well thought out on the authors part.

Last, the murder mystery investigation. Why was her friend, Oscar, who is the police officer of Whispering Falls not investigating? Why was June running around doing the investigation? And, last I have to mention her plan to catch the killer was not thought out. I shook my head at her plan…

All I wanted was a fun paranormal cozy mystery to dive into and A Charming Crime left me feeling frustrated with everything. This book was not for me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you. 

Rated: 2 Stars

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

the main character eats about 100 ding dongs during the story. Every other sentence is about eating a ding dong. its extremely annoying and if she really did eat that much....she has to be obese and would be bed ridden. the story was poorly written and edited. most of the time the story line was lost and I had to piece together what was going on. don't waste your time reading this book. its awful.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whispering Falls was a small town of secrets and magic – but June Heal wasn’t aware of its existence until her friend, neighbour and local police officer Oscar Park informed her. June’s little shed had just burned to the ground after her experiments went a little wrong – A Dose of Darla would have to find another home. So the relocating to Whispering Falls seemed to come at the perfect time…

But things were definitely not what they seemed – June was a little concerned. Finding an already established shop called A Dose of Darla opened some strange and eerie doors to June. Darla Heal was June’s mother who had passed a few months previously, so June had taken over the business her mother had owned – the herbs and concoctions were well received at the local flea market of her town, so the knowledge that her mother’s shop was already established in Whispering Falls was a shock.

But the finding of a body in the lake was the biggest shock of all – and the fact that June was the immediate suspect in the murder; she desperately needed to clear her name. But could she? As the newcomer to town, it seemed everyone pointed in her direction…

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes is a light, magical cosy mystery with some great twists. I loved the characters – especially Mr Prince Charming (the cat!). Recommended for lovers of cosy mysteries, magic and intrigue with a little murder on the side!

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad one of the book clubs I'm in chose this for their March book. It was absolutely so good and very hard to put down at times!

June Heal was happy living in Locust Grove KY and being a homeopathic remedies expert. She made the remedies and sold them at the flea market. One day she was visited by a mysterious woman who along with her lifelong friend Oscar convinced her that nearby Whispering Falls would be a perfect place to open up a shop for her cures. It all sounds perfect until one of the women in that village is found dead holding June's favorite bracelet that she'd lost.

Oscar, who had gotten a job as the police at Whispering Falls was suddenly having to look at June as the only suspect so of course he couldn't help her investigate. June was determined to find out who offed awful Ann but at what cost, hopefully not at the loss of her own life!

Wow things happened so fast for June! A woman named Izzy talked her into moving, her best friend got a job in that same town and very conveniently her house sold for a great price. I'm not sure what I would have done in June's place but Whispering Falls did seem like a really intriguing place and the shops were all so different and interesting. Even though it was a village for magical folks, regular tourists would come and buy cures, jewelry, get facials etc. from the different shop owners. I loved that the pet adoption store had a real tree growing in the center. All the pets seemed really happy there while they waited for their new homes.

I was going back and forth over who the killer might be but at one point I nailed it although as usual, the complete why escaped me. I always love when the sleuth has the presence of mind to record the perp's confession. Some other fun things happened at the end of the book as well so I'm anxious to continue reading this series and find out more about June and Oscar's families and if those two ever become more than just very good friends. For now it's just fun getting to know the different town members and see how this town operates.

[Fable · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes

Magical Cures Mystery #1

How I heard about the book: I found it for free on kindle so I thought "Why the heck not?"

Summary: (from Goodreads)

“Bubble... Bubble... June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems. Cures and trouble... Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought. . .literally.”


My thoughts: Eh, It was a light read, nothing too intense or overwhelming.

Good/Liked-

Mystery- I'll admit I'm a sucker for a mystery story, no matter how cheesy it is.


Bad/Disliked-

Grammar- Where was the editor when this book was written?
Those damned Ding Dongs- Really?! The character must have eaten over 100 ding dongs in the series. We get it, she likes ding dongs. They are her comfort food. No need to state it every other sentence.
Confusing story- I had to admit there was a lacking in descriptions and the characters just seemed to be all over the place here. What?


Overall: A decent filler book but not anything I would truly recommend.


Recommendations: I would recommend this book to ding dong lovers.

Rating: I give this book a 1.5 out of 5.

[Patrea Beard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to cheat and use another persons review... "June was excited for the day to begin. So she ate a ding dong. But then she got nervous. So she ate a ding dong. Mr. Prince Charming 'mewl mewled' and did figure eights around her ankles. So she ate a ding dong. She was afraid she was going to die tonight. If only she could have eaten one last ding dong..."
Seriously... what did I just read? Does the author own ding dong stock shares? If so, fail. After reading the word 'ding dong' 36 times in one book, I hope I never see one again.

And from me... So it wasn't just me who was tired of ding dong's; only think she mentions eating real food twice in the book. That and who would call their cat Mr Prince Charming every single time even when just thinking of him. It would eventually be Mr. or Prince, or just Charming.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes a 2012 publication.
June Heal and her cat, Mr. Price Charming are squeaking out a living selling homeopathic cures at the flea market. Her mother mixed the cures herself until her untimely death. Now both of June's parents are gone, but she still has her best friend Oscar.
When a series of things happen all at once, Oscar gives June a little nudge telling her about a quaint little town called Whispering Falls. Once June sees the town, she find out her mother has a history here and had a shop of her own that June could take over. So, June packs up and moves to Whispering Falls. It seems that not everyone thinks June should reopen her mother's old shop. When June has a public blow up with a local woman, and then the woman is found murdered, June becomes the number one suspect.
Determined to clear her name and find out what connections her mother had to this town, June sets out to investigate on her own. She starts having nightmares that show her glimpses of the the murder and shades of future events that have June very troubled. Not only that, Oscar is behaving rather oddly and June begins to feel as though she has no one to trust and that coming to Whispering Falls wasn't such a good idea after all.

This first book in the series is, well.... charming. A whimsical story that has June discovering her possible destiny in a quaint town she has never heard of or seen, but that both of her parents had strong ties to. While a part of her knows this is the place she belongs, another part doesn't understand the reason why she is so troubled and continues to be accused a crime she didn't commit. Of course, Mr. Prince Charming is a delightful character in his own right.
This is a great book to curl up in your favorite reading spot with and escape into a magical mystery. Overall this one is a B+

[Quenya · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I think this author was wanting to create a sweet heroine who lived in a quirky supernatural village. Well in my opinion the author was short of the goal. This book had several issues for me that I almost couldn’t get past.

I have read other books where I fell in love the characters and the setting but in this one I found the main character slightly annoying, her best friend (maybe love interest) almost a non-player in the story and the village full of dislikable characters. The “village” of Whispering Falls only allows certain kinds of special people in it and they treat other people almost like they are below them and should almost be destroyed. It was quite disturbing and not at all cute. The village folk also kept assuming June was going to just step right into her place and not have any issues. They wouldn’t come clean about what they knew about June and Oscar’s past. I hate that in books.

I almost gave this book 3 stars but then it got to the point of me just wanting the book to hurry up. The mystery was very predictable and so was the ending. About the only think I did like was the cat as a character. I’m not sure yet if I want to give the next a try or not. The narrator was good but the story just annoyed me.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review: Having read other books by the fabulous author Tonya Kappes when this book was chosen as one of my book club books I had to give this series a try. I was not disappointed. The characters are unique, and quirky, and have strong fun personalities. This is of couch humor with just the right amount of magic in the book. I recommend this book to paranormal cozy fans.

UPDATED Review:

This was my 2nd reading experience with this book. This time I listened to the audio version of the book. Narrator Karen Savage is the perfect voice for our protagonist June Heal. She really captures June's voice. She brings out the shock that June is feeling for learning all the secrets that her mother was keeping from her. She also does a fabulous job with the quirky personalities of all the citizens of Whispering Falls.

Re-reading (listening) to A Charming Crime allowed me to pick up small details that I may have missed the first time or forgotten over time. I love revisiting Whispering Falls and being reintroduced to all shops and June's neighbors.

All thoughts and opinions are my own; in no way has anyone influenced my opinion.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was originally a self published ebook and the lack of professional editorial control is apparent. Portions of the book were disjointed. The plot was scattered and not well thought-out. There were errors, contradictions and redundancies. A good editor would have helped the author to plan and focus the work. It's a shame because author Tonya Kappes has the seed of a delightful series here.

The good ideas - a series of "spiritual" villages where gifted individuals (psychics, palm, tarot, and tea-leaf readers, healters, witches, etc.) live together to support each other and, coincidentally, peddle their wares and gifts to visitors and tourists. Oh, and there are fairies so I suppose there could be other magical beings as well.

There were too many Ding-Dongs.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author and I found it very enjoyable..It's a fun,quirky,magical mystery with a satisfying ending..I'll definitely be reading more of her books!!

[Paula Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by Tonya Kappes and I liked this one alot. This little village that only people with special gifts can live in. There is also a few mysteries and of course a murder. I already have book 2 to read.

[Ginny Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

FREE eBook Review

June Heal has inherited more than her mother’s home and homeopathic cure shop and book one is all about discovering the “more” portion of her inheritance.

Magical Cures introduces us to Whispering Falls, a magical town full of quirky and interesting characters, a mystery in need of solving, and a main character that is likable despite her unhealthy obsession with Ding Dongs, her favorite go-to comfort food. I like that June has a lot to learn about her magic and her ancestry so it will be interesting to see how she grows over the series.

Overall, this is a fun, light, and clean read. It is written in first person point of view with June as our narrator. The events move along at a fast pace and the ending wraps up our mystery and offers a promise of more fun and quirky things to come.

Who might enjoy Magical Cures, Book 1 in The Magical Cures Mystery Series, by Tonya Kappes? Cozy mystery lovers looking for a light, fun read with quirky characters and lots of magical woo-woo.

Books in the Magical Cures Series by Tonya Kappes
A Charming Crime #1
A Charming Cure #2
A Charming Potion #2.5
A Charming Wish #3
A Charming Spell #4
A Charming Magic #5

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Charming Crime is the First Book in the Magical Cure Mystery Series and WHAT A FIRST BOOK IT IS!

I love cozy paranormal stories, and I this one does not disappoint. In this book , we meet June Heal and her cat, Mr. Prince Charming, who relocates her homeopathic cures shop, A Dose of Darla, from her home town to a little shot in a rather strange town called Whispering Falls.

Nothing is as it seems in Whispering Falls and on her first day in town, June stands accused of murder.

There is so much to this book that I could go on for pages. The characters are so well developed and the plot so well thought out with so many twists and turns I could not believe who the killer was. I am so looking forward to reading all of the books in this series. I can't wait to see what June and Mr. Prince Charming get into next.

[Sandy Bartles]

A Must Read!

All I can say is "WOW"! This is an EXCELLENT book! It grabbed me right from the beginning. This is the first in the Magical Cures Mystery Series. June Heal has made a career out of homeopathic cures. She and her friend, Oscar Park, take jobs in Whispering Falls, a mystical town, where she she discovers she was born into a family of psychics and her homeopathic cures are magical. Oscar takes the job as the town sheriff. Follow what happens when there is a murder in town and June's charm bracelet is discovered in the deceased's hand. Oh, and did I mention Mr. Prince Charming, June's amazing cat?

[Mary Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. This is a very "charming" mystery. It is light, fun, and easy to read. You will fall in love with June Deal, a quirky girl, who loves a good Ding Dong. You want to see her succeed and get to know her better. Her relationship with Oscar Parks, longtime friend, I think will have interesting developments in the books following. And don't forget about Mr. Prince Charming, her devoted cat, who is always by her side.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

36 mentions of Ding Dongs. 36. 5 mentions might be cute/quirky, but 36? No.
Even if you can put the incessant blathering about snack cakes aside, one cannot suspend disbelief enough for this story to work. Who would sell their house in the spot to a random man that shows up to your door claiming to be a realtor? No one. I could get into more reasons, but honestly- it's not worth it.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of people didn't like this book but I did. I didn't like the people in the town at first but they all seemed to get better as they went along. I was glad that the main character had her best friend with her when she moved to this town. I think it made it easier for her and her situation. I enjoyed the mystery part too and it will be interesting to see what happens next in this town.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining fantasy mystery listening 🎶👒✨😯🎆

This kindle novel is free from Amazon to begin the series book one of seven.

She is living in a town when approached by a woman to move to another village. She does and finds her mother's shop and the fun begins leading to the arrest of a murderer.

I would recommend this series and author to readers of fantasy world adventure mystery novels. 2024

[Carol Engler · Rating 5 out of 5]

quirky characters, helpful pets, and amateur detectives. These are just a few things you'll often find in the popular cozy mystery genre. When you want to curl up with a good whodunit but you don't want the gritty vibe and violence of a thriller or realistic murder mystery, this is one for you. Well written with a mix of young and old spiritualist in a small town of Whispering Falls,Ky. Some are very aware of their power while other were unaware until they find themselves in Whispering Falls. Who is the guilty party in this who done it.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This series was what I needed at the moment with the stresses of moving house. Nothing too hard or that required too much focus. The whole series could so with a really good proof reading or editing though. There are some really bad mistakes, such as the name of the person she's talking to changing in the middle of the conversation, saying she's not been somewhere that she actually visited in the previous book, the cat batting at her bracelet that she left at the jewellery shop in the previous chapter and picks up in the next, calling an A-line skirt an A-frame skirt, using a word that sounds like the one she wants but is actually the other version such as 'break' lights rather than 'brake'. All of these things would have been picked up by a proof reader so it's irritating that they made it through into all the books.

Anyway, as I said, light fluffy brainless reading which is just what's needed sometimes.

[Patrea Beard · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to cheat and use another persons review... "June was excited for the day to begin. So she ate a ding dong. But then she got nervous. So she ate a ding dong. Mr. Prince Charming 'mewl mewled' and did figure eights around her ankles. So she ate a ding dong. She was afraid she was going to die tonight. If only she could have eaten one last ding dong..."
Seriously... what did I just read? Does the author own ding dong stock shares? If so, fail. After reading the word 'ding dong' 36 times in one book, I hope I never see one again.

And from me... So it wasn't just me who was tired of ding dong's; only think she mentions eating real food twice in the book. That and who would call their cat Mr Prince Charming every single time even when just thinking of him. It would eventually be Mr. or Prince, or just Charming

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really?

I got this as a free ebook and was asked to do a review. I have to say this wasn't a chore. I also did not expect to like it. I was so engrossed with this story I finished it in less than 12 hours and still took breaks! up until the last pages of the book I was clueless about who was the killer.

[Becca Tullman · Rating 1 out of 5]

The sentence structure was so simplistic or otherwise out right incorrect, it could have been written by a 7th grader. It was too distracting to really pay attention to the story. I kept getting caught up in incomplete sentences and the like. If the author couldn't write in complete sentences, wasn't there at least an editor?

[Teri Lenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable- one of my faves for this summmer- the characters stayed with me. As we learn about June, she also explores and uncovers much about herself. This makes it so terrific. I just reread this book!

Spirituality > Witchcraft
Fiction > Romance > Paranormal > Cats!!! :)

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book! June is a really interesting and fun character! Plus, Whispering Falls seems fascinating! I can't wait to check out the other books in this series. There is still a lot left to learn about the people in the village, including June.

[Alyssa White · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fun read. I will be picking up the next one for sure. the author has a great way of developing many different characters and making the reader love them all!

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in the mood for a cute witchy cosy crime and thought this might fit the bill. But while it fits the genre it wasn’t a particularly good example. I was interested to start with but unfortunately I was only a quarter of the way in when things began to annoy rather than entertain. For instance:
- the rather obvious ‘reveals’ about the nature of Whispering Falls and June’s previous connection were both heavy handed and somewhat confusing as they weren’t fully explained
- The excessive over consumption of Ding Dongs ( I mean the initial story about Oscar smuggling them to her was cute. June eating them in response to every event in her day not so much)
- The stupid nonsensical rules of the town that seemed solely there to thrown random road blocks into June’s investigation
- The townsfolk were not particularly interesting or appealing
- June was rather over the top and unnecessarily dramatic in her thought and actions
And the bad guy was pretty obvious which is only forgivable if the characters/ setting are good enough to off-set that.