Moths and Moonlight: A Fleur Harkyn Mystery

Fleur Harkyn Mysteries #1

by Krista Fazendin

A ghost with no memory

Lenora Khade is dead. As her spirit rises, her memories are replaced with those of a reluctant spiritualist. To find her killer, Lenora must first find woman in her head.

A medium trying to forget her past

Fleur Harkyn has better things to do than help the desperate spirit haunting her—she's been down that road and no good came from it, until Lenora possesses the body of a fake spiritualist at a séance, revealing secrets Fleur buried long ago.

Hunted by shadow creatures that feed on young spirits and dogged at every step by the skeptical detective assigned to the case, Fleur and Lenora navigate one wrong turn after another, until a mysterious letter forces Fleur to accept that Lenora's missing past is linked to her own.

But discovering the truth behind Lenora's death is only the first thread in an intricate tapestry of magic and betrayal.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

446 pages, Paperback

Published July 10, 2023

Reviews

[Aoife - Bookish_Babbling]

*******

Pre-review - nabbed for FREE from amazon.com on 6/9/23 thanks to the Fussy Librarian email blast putting it on my radar.

In a surprise to no one I was completely caught by the cover & blurb sounds interesting so figured wth not 🤭

(Currently can only select Paperback edition altho I got my greedy grubby mitts on Kindle version 🤷‍♀️)

[Artemisthepinkreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is Ghost Whisperer meets fantasy world! I like thrillers and Fleur Harkyn series started really good. Followed by spirits asking for help, Fleur just wants to be normal. But with her legacy, it seems she is not there yet. This is a layered novel, and when you think you solved it, you get a punch in the face. It is a well thought novel, everything makes sense towards the end. And the ghost seeing girl wants to be normal reminded me of French fantasy series Peggy Sue et les phantoms, so I loved that! If you like thrillers and want to read a fantasy that is not romantasy this is a great novel! Thanks BookSirens and the author for the copy!

[Kaylee ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was thoroughly entertaining, it was a cross between the show ghost whisperer & a witchy fantasy book. I haven’t read anything like this before. I loved the dual POV from the ghost & the seer. There was magick lore, other worlds, the underworld, powerful families with long magical histories. I was fully engrossed the whole way through. The murder mystery that was tied in just added to the atmosphere. You could feel the stress and pressure through the page. I really feel like the emotions were so well written, I found myself connecting to the characters and feeling for them.

Fleur is a really interesting main character, I liked the way she grew. Her self worth/confidence journey was great to witness. Lenora was such an intriguing character, she was left mysterious for a lot of the book which made me even more interested. The relationship between the two really blossomed and I loved their working partnership and how much they helped each other. There was also an element of found family in here which is one of my favourite tropes ever.

The only two reasons this isn’t five stars is because I feel it could’ve been told with a faster pace, as well as the fact that I did find the addition of the extra realms made it a little confusing as it distracted from the ghostly murder mystery plot. The relics make sense because they’re part of it, but sometimes the realms and the ‘bigger picture’ distracted from what you thought the point of the book was. However after learning there will be another book it makes sense to include these things so there next book’s plot hasn’t completely come out of nowhere. I am looking forward to the next one as I genuinely really enjoyed this one.

I received an advance review copy for free via booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moths and Moonlight is the first book in the Fleur Harkyn trilogy. The book is well written, interesting, and perfectly paced. The author does a fantastic job of mixing magical elements with the mundane. In addition, the tension throughout the fantastical mystery drives important plot points and creates stakes that feel real to the characters and the created world.

This is my first fantasy mystery, although I read widely and greatly enjoy fantasy novels. I'm not always a fan of murder mysteries as they too often rely on tropes, have large plot holes, or the main characters have to behave oddly for the mystery to work. This novel suffers from none of these typical issues and can be enjoyed by both the mystery and fantasy fan.

The found family of unlikely mystery solvers headed by Fleur and Lenora are sweet, likable, eccentric and fun. Does their final gambit seem a little far fetched and Mission Impossible adjacent? Perhaps. However, by the time this plan is introduced, the reader is fully invested in a positive outcome that one hopes the impossible is more than likely. I was admittedly less invested in the spirit world plot line, but felt overall this element added an interesting context and backstory for Fleur and a connection to Lenora. I look forward to learning more about the spirit world and Fleur’s background in the next novels

I greatly enjoyed this book and read it quickly. It kept me well entertained on a transatlantic flight and the subsequent early morning hours awake with jet lag. I look forward to reading the next two books and any future world's the author builds in her novels. Thank you to the author and Booksirens for the complimentary copy of this book; I have read it and have provided an honest review voluntarily.

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A genuinely enjoyable, magickal murder mystery that is much more than it seems.

The worldbuilding is great, and I enjoyed most of the characters. I loved Fleur and Lenora's relationship, though I wish certain relationships had been more thoroughly explored but that's just personal preference. In building out the world, Lenora was a great proxy for the reader, giving us a chance to get caught up through her. I'm really looking forward to how the rest of the world fleshes out in the next installments. The overworld feels incredibly cohesive, and it was incredibly satisfying watching all the pieces come together. Almost no details were missed.

My only actual critique is that the actual climax felt somewhat rushed, and the emotional payoff for a particular resolution could have been greater. I think certain events happened too quickly to give the full effect. Additionally, there were a couple characters where it seemed as though the long term plan was not as clear. But even that, realistically, could be considered nitpicking.

Overall, I was all in from the beginning, and I really look forward to whatever trouble Fleur finds herself in next.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and , and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[OldBird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reluctant medium from another dimension reluctantly assists a newly deceased spirit solve her own death despite the afterlife having taken all of her memories and replacing them with said medium's.

Sounds good, don't it? It is. I'm not usually one for portal fantasies however light they are on the actual portal thing, but this one weaves its lore so well with the "real" world events that I found it really enjoyable and easy to understand.

A few frustrations aside (not understanding what happened between Fluer, Javier, and whatever ghost made him hate ghosts; also not understanding why Theda walks out when she told Fleur to embrace her spirit-helping calling other than to create relationship conflict) it's a well constructed world and narrative with compelling characters, an intriguing storyline, and plenty of clues left peppered throughout that tells you this is only the start of a magical mystery series. The action may happen in our world, but the consiquences span the dimensions, plumb their histories and open up a whole new set of realms to explore.

[Pamela Sewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Sirens eARC. Fleur Harkyn is a reluctant seer just wanting to enjoy her job at the library and her life with her companion Theda. When the ghost of Lenora Khade, a heiress recently discovered poisoned asks for her help things get complicated. Lenora has lost her memory but has Fleur's. Finding her killer proves challenging. I enjoy a good ghost story and this narrative had the bones of one with an engaging cast of characters. However the injecting of shadow realms, guardians and the battle for magical relics detracted from the primary plot. It was interesting but this reader felt like the introduction of too many elements muddied the waters of a supernatural thriller. It was interesting and the mystery was wrapped with a positive outcome. I am undecided about reading others in the series as I did like Fleur and the Seattle setting.

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You, BookSirens, for this ARC!!!

3.5 Overall while, I enjoyed the second half of the book quite a bit. The first half ended up dragging down my feelings over it. This slow start to this book and the gradual buildup didn't outright entrap my attention, and it definitely took time for me to really enjoy the plot. When everything was speeding up, I did not want to put this book down and was absurdly invested in the characters, magic system, and, of course, mystery and conflict. In general, I quite liked the characters, with the exception of Theda, who felt quite one-dimensional, but hopefully, that was just because she was unexplored. I would recommend this book to enjoyers of moderate to slow pacing, cozy fantasy, or mysteries, and I did find the world simple to understand while remaining distinct.

[Tracy Quigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit, I was hooked on Moths and Moonlight by the time I finished the prologue, and I finished it the same day. This book is an artful rendering of mystery, magic and self discovery. Fleur Harkyn is a delightful, if broken, main character, whose journey to solve a mystery leads her to accepting, and embracing, her whole self along with uncomfortable and sometimes unpleasant family history. Through her we all get the chance to discover that what we think of as fact is not always truth. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt not accepted and alone. Masterful work Krista. I can't wait for more!

[long2 -`♡´- · Rating 3 out of 5]

⊹ ࣪ ˖𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
ᯓ★★★

⊹ ࣪ ˖𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕
This was a fun blend of ghost mystery and witchy fantasy with an engaging cast and a great setting. I liked Fleur and Lenora’s dynamic, the found family elements, and the emotional growth arcs. However, the pacing dragged in places, and the addition of multiple realms and magical relics sometimes distracted from the main ghostly murder mystery. The ending wrapped things up neatly, but a few parts felt rushed, and some relationships could have been explored more. Overall, it’s an entertaining start to the series, but not quite gripping enough for me to give it higher than 3.

₊˚ʚ Thanks to Booksirens and Krista Fazendin for the ARC.

[Amy Seagrave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a good idea but the execution is lacking. I got this for free on stuff your kindle day and loved the new ideas it brought. However, it feels like a first draft. There were so many typos and inconsistencies that it ruined it for me. The characterization was lacking to where the people weren’t believable. There were some sections that were written really well in descriptions and word choice though.

[Rebecca Davey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Took a bit to get into. Not a big fan of ghosts but this was actually a good story. Didn't really like Fleur but Lenora was an interesting character. Not sure if this is first book in series as felt like I was missing some background info. Was a good mystery story. The heist part was a bit unbelievable in my mind but overall was interesting story and interesting world concept that I'd like to read more about.

[Courtney Bowlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was offered this book from BookSirens as a ebook. I must say, the cover is bloody gorgeous and that what drew me in. The story alone was superb, I really liked all the characters. I especially enjoyed Opals kick to Dugal, that was personal. LOL. It was heartwarming when Fleur materialized Lenora for a brief minute so her brother and boyfriend can have a final goodbye.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for this ARC. I thought this book was really well-written and I loved the characters. The extensive lore was littered throughout the narrative in an easy-to-follow manner, and the plot was great fun. The premise reminded me a little of a videogame I really enjoy, but with better female characters!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Firstly, the cover of this book is absolutely beautiful!
The story follows Fleur, a reluctant medium, and Lenora, a confused spirit seeking answers.

I really enjoyed this book and it reminded me of a show I used to watch (the Ghost Whisperer) but with some interesting fantasy elements.

[Maryann (Mae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written tale, I highly recommend this be in your next to read list. I hope there will be more.