Unraveling Threads of Magic

The Misadventures of a Cat Detective

by Alice Stone

After inheriting Mr. Livingston’s mansion and solving the death of his estate lawyer, I’ve settled in Picklesquare quite nicely as Detective Grey’s partner against crime. However, the tragic death of a town ruffian shatters my short-lived tranquility in this usually sleepy town. Soon, the town is buzzing with rumors of the man that mysteriously returned to Willowbrook, just in time to stumble on the dead body. I sense there's more to this murder than meets the eye and I must rely on my cat to lead the way. With a mixture of empathy and curiosity, I delve into a world within our world, uncovering hidden spells, spectral whispers, and connections that have remained buried for years. Danger escalates and the clock ticks, drawing Detective Grey and me closer together to solve the murder. A tapestry of magic woven with lies threatens life as we know it. If we don’t catch the killer in time, we might not escape the intricate web before we’re caught in its threads forever…

Join the mystery today!

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2023

About the author

If you have a thing for magic, animals, and murder, you're in the right place! Keep up with my books here - I'd love to hear what your favorite cozy mystery drink companion is! (hint, mine's coffee with cream)

You can also keep up with my latest releases on my mailing list - https://bookhip.com/LXZFCHP

Reviews

[Frederike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unraveling Threads of Magic is a nice enough and thin book with a simple storyline, so if that is what you are looking for: go for it

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Chilling Tale . . .

Charlotte Millers and Detective Grey are solving crimes together and it doesn’t take long for the death of a town ruffian to put them back in action. But first, he arrived to give her a gift, a fluffy white cat with blue eyes named Pearl. She teased him about not having a case for them to solve yet. Just then, the gardener, Joe Abernathy, ran into the library as if he had seen a ghost. He motioned them to follow him and ran out again. They found his sister sitting on a bench, tea leaves spread out beside her, with a strange smile and her left eye twitching and unfocused. She grabbed Detective Grey and said “he’s coming back and brings doom with him!” and she passed out. She woke but had no further information. How would they begin to find what this means without further clues?

Taking a walk, Charlotte stepped over a little bridge and saw a man standing over something ahead. He looked sad and gazed down at the figure of a teenage boy who was obviously dead but not recently. His face had as look of horror and he seemed to be frozen into stone! The stranger quietly said that the boy was captured by the cold hands of evil and the past cannot be undone. Police officer Carl Burton showed up, looked at the body, and arrested the stranger!

Things are even more strange when Charlotte discovers the stranger, George Thompson, is a ghost hunter and Detective Grey’s estranged father! A powerful artifact known as the Soul Eater had been stolen and had to be returned or the boundaries between life and death would blur and possibly be destroyed. The artifact has the power to absorb the souls of the living and turn them into stone. Can they catch the ghostly killer and return the Soul Eater before it is too late and all falls to ruin?

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The young town hooligan is dead and found by a stranger to town. So now there is a case for Detective Gray and Charlotte to investigate. But the weird thing is, the ruffian has been turned to stone with a look of horror on his face. The stranger is arrested for the boy's murder. But a twist is that he is Detective Gray's estranged father and a ghost hunter who helps ghosts get safely into the next realm. He tell Charlotte and Gray someone entered into the ghost realm and stole an artifact called the soul eater and it has to be found and returned in order to keep order between the two worlds. When another person is found turned to stone and Charlotte's cat disappears, she and Gray have their hands full with having to find this evil murdering person using the soul eater and why. Can they save the town before chaos take over? I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Chad Barrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The town mischief maker turns up frozen to stone and the man accused of doing it turns out to be detective Grey’s estranged dad. He tells Charlotte and eventually his son that he is a ghost hunter who escorts ghosts into the next realm after they die only someone has gone to that realm and stolen a stone called the ghost eater which needs to be found and returned to the ghost realm to restore balance between that world and the mortal one. Then another person is found turned to stone and Charlotte’s cat disappears. Chaos will take over the mortal realm if the stone isn’t found. When the culprit is found the perpetrator is one you would never suspect.

I enjoyed this whodunnit and recommend it to everyone who loves cozy murder mysteries!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read continuing the story of Miss Charlotte Millers and Detective Grey. It is intense, caring and suspenseful all at the same time! It has Miss Charlotte and Detective Grey trying to solve two bizarre murders and prevent a third. They travel through a secret passage to a ghost world to find information for what is happening in the real world. They are told Black Magic is afoot and Charlotte, the detective and a new character, George Thompson - a ghost hunter - brainstorm the clues, including determining the meaning of ancient writings until they do what they do best - solve this very complicated and intriguing murder mystery. This is a voluntary and honest review of this book.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and intriguing cozey mystery with murder. The mane characters are vibrant and charming with the supporting characters colorful and quirky and of course this wouldn't be a mystery without a deadly schemer hidden in plain sight with a hidden agenda causing panic in a delightful but strange life town enticing you into an unexpected mystery of ghostly intent with a plot keeping you turning pages while trying to figure out the how come and why before you reach the unexpected and climatic conclusion. Acquire " Unraveling Threads of Magic" book two in the ( Misadventures of a Cat Detective) so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. Kat

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picklesquare is peaceful and quiet till suddenly detective Grey and Charlotte are called by Joe Abernathy to see his sister a seer who had a prophecy to deliver . Then the dead body of a teenager- boy Ben Loman is found at Irnwood West Street. A stranger George Thompson is arrested. He happens to be detective Grey's father. Miss Abernathy is killed. There is a lot of magic involved and has your attention from the start. A chilling read which has you on the edge of your seat. I received this book free and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.

[Jean Roehrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Someone is up to no good. They are killing innocent people by turning them into stone. Three deaths and a ghost becomes immortal. It's up to Charlotte and Detective Gray to find the human that is assisting the ghost. Can they uncover the culprit in time to prevent the ghost from becoming immortal? Since I don't believe in ghosts, this was a little hard to follow. Looking upon it as just another mystery, it has it's share of suspence with a surprise ending. If you enjoy the supernatural, this book is for you. Jean, ARC Team

[Christine Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, let me say that this isn't a bad book. The premise is pretty good but I found it "young". In other words, it's a young adult book. I can see this being interesting to the 11 - 14 age group. The book can be read as a stand-alone but knowing that it's book 2 in the series and the characters have the beginning of a relationship, why is Charlotte still calling him Detective Grey? It comes off as stilted.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unraveling Threads of Magic is book #2 in The Misadventures of a Cat Detective series by Alice Stone.

There is an unexplained death and a mysterious man in town. Charlotte and Detective Grey need to see if they are related.

This was an interesting mystery. Charlotte is much braver than I would be during their investigation. I was surprised by several twists. It was a fun, quick read and I look forward to Charlotte and Detective Grey’s next case.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paranormal cozies can be hit or miss with me. I either like it immediately or after a few chapters, I’m done. This one I’m happy to say held my interest the entire way and wow, toward the end I couldn’t read it fast enough. This book is shown as the first but the book following it was published a month earlier. While I won’t be reading that due to it being present tense style, I’ll move along to the third published book eventually. I liked George’s character in this book and hope he’ll be back!

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story although the substance of the story needs strengthening. Instead of a nice flow to the story, I felt like I was riding in a car with a clutch not fully engaged. It was like moving forward a few feet then jerking to move a few more feet and so on. Still, the story is fun to read and the interaction of the characters flows well. The plot is straightforward, and the premise is finding out who is killing people and returning the SoulEater stone to it's rightful place. I do recommend this book.

[Anne Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad I was able to read this book in one go. Otherwise I would have had a late night! Miss Miller is given a kitten by detective Grey. A delicious gift with, it would seem, magical abilities. The town ruffian is discovered by a stranger, he’s been turned to stone. Then someone else is turned to stone as well. It turns out that the stranger has nothing to do with he murders & is known to some of the people in the town. A really enjoyable read, as all the puzzles get resolved.

[Michelle Mclearran · Rating 5 out of 5]

unraveling threads of magic paranormal cozy cat mystery

I loved to read paranormal cozy mysteries. The characters fit together like a glove as read on in the story you meet Charolette then the detective as well as those who follow suit . I knew when the detective brought her the cat he was smitten by her and from there you couldn’t help but to finish reading it because you want to see if they end up together or not . I give the book 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Charlotte's enthusiasm for a new case--its electrifying and polarizing, but contagious!!! This turned out to be so twisted and self serving and from someone who should be trusted?!?! Will they be in time to stop the final evil act or will another life be lost? Intriguing and suspenseful, but Charlotte and Grey are on the case. Check it out .

[Cat B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining quick little read. Unexpected characters popping up and a big surprise at the end. Written in a clear voice that trotted along nicely. The great conclusion to the mystery felt a bit hurried to me but otherwise a fine read.
I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest review of the same.

[Nancy T Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unraveling a puzzle, ghosts, & catching a killer!

The ghosts are in distress, and the stone is gone. Only one person knows for sure how to help & he’s been missing for 15 yrs. Charlotte & Detective Grey find two petrified bodies, Pearl Is gone & finally
Charlotte knows where they have to go and what they have to do to save Picklesquare.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stands on its own although the first book was really good and worth reading. There are the twists and turns that Alice Stone likes to throw in her stories. There were a few good ones. And of course a new cat which was purr-fect for this story. The story was engaging and a fast read. I am looking forward to reading what the author comes up with next.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic!

Such a great book! Totally diabolical too. When I realized who the killer was, omg, so wrong on so many levels! I really wish Charlotte would call Detective Grey by his first name, Alexander. She was doing it in the first book and it’s so obvious they like each other. On to the next book…maybe I’ll get my wish?

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The body of a teenager is found, petrified. Detective Grey's father turns up again after leaving Picklesquare 15 years ago. Is there a connection? A nice, entartaining story, easy to read. A recommendation.
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the next installment of Charlotte and Detective Grey solving crimes. This is another of the supernatural type that makes goosebumps on your arms. Lots of work to solve the murders but everything is back to normal in the end.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun mystery! I loved the characters, the magic mechanics, and the world. There was a lot to this mystery and I enjoyed reading it. I do wonder how they will keep Gwen from trying to obtain the soul eater again. Great story!

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting second book in the series that sees Charlotte and detective Gray solve a ghostly.mystery! The storybos fast paced and quite intriguing. I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Tom Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mysterious death leaves the town of Picklesquare in shock. I found this book to be an exciting read and never knew what was going to happen next.
I enjoy the repour between the characters and the descriptions in this book.
I received this arc for free and I wanted to leave an honest review.

[Jodi Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte is excited to have another mystery to solve with Detective Grey but this one might be more than she bargained for. With Pearl by her side, she will go forth fearlessly to solve the case. This is a good read with a storyline that keeps you entertained until the end.

[S M Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure what to say.

I debated between 4 and 5 stars. There is too much "Look, I'm pulling a rabbit out if a hat!" ( things not previously revealed that make a huge difference) - but the idea of the story is very creative.

[Jennifer Rosenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Rowan Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful cozy mystery that was so enjoyable to read. I love the characters and the storyline.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who has the real Soul Eater and why??? Who stole Pearl and why??? AND who killed Ben Loman and Miss Abernathy and why??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Clarissa Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I read a book from Alice Stone. I loved the story from start to finish. This book had no boring parts to it. I can't wait to read more from Ms. Stone 😊❤️