Murder By Code

The Digital Detective Mystery #1

by P.L. Matthews

Press Start to Solve.

Skye Sanders, tech mage and owner of Digital Sentinel Security, understands machines far better than people. Social cues? A mystery. Small talk? Torture. Thankfully, she has video games—and her wisecracking magpie familiar, Bob—to keep her company.

But when her latest high-profile security job goes sideways, and a body turns up, Skye has to solve the case before her budding reputation goes up in flames. The client—a brooding vampire with a stare that’s way too intense for comfort—wants answers.

Someone tampered with her tech, and that's not just an insult—it's a declaration of war.

Armed with her love of puzzles, a photographic memory, and maybe a little luck, Skye is about to find out if she can pull off a Sherlock Holmes-worthy investigation—or if she’s in over her head. After all, code is predictable. People? Not so much.

 While part of a series, Murder by Code is a standalone adventure — written in Australian English and set in the magic city of Sydney.

If you enjoy books by K M Shea, Heather G. Harris and Kim Harrison, then you’ll love this riveting urban fantasy story with a touch of humour and romance.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 24, 2024

About the author

I love crafting stories that blend humour and romance, featuring strong and vibrant characters. Themes of family, friendship, and personal growth are at the heart of my writing. In my stories, I believe in embracing the light because life is too short for darkness.

When the waves are just right—warm and gentle—I fearlessly plunge into the ocean, catching waves like a pro surfer (lots of splashing anyway). Surfing is my sanctuary and my sweet escape.

The piano is my favourite instrument, but my persuasive husband encouraged me to pick up a guitar and learn to strum along (he needed someone to play the chorus). To my surprise, I now rock the guitar, (enthusiasm counts, right?) playing and singing along to my favourite tunes.

So, if you're ready for a spellbinding journey through the realms of urban fantasy and murder mysteries, buckle up and dive into my captivating stories. Prepare to be transported to a world where supernatural beings walk among us and the line between reality and fantasy blurs in the most mesmerising ways.

Reviews

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

Set in the same world as her Green Witch series, a few of the side characters from that series, turn up in this one. One of those side characters is the love interest in this series.
IMHO you do not need to read the Green Witch series to understand what is going on in this book.

While I liked the story in this book, I much preferred the previous series / first book in that series. I raced through all 5 books of Green witch, while I will read the others in this series, I won't be rushing to do so.

My favourite character in this book is Bob, the magpie. I'm pretty neutral on the MC and the love interest, well I don't hate him.

First time read the author's work?: No

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading

After reading green witch series, I noticed Skye who had a page cameo in that series in one book but has her own series, set after that series it looks like because Rhianne solved the other murder (butler) that Marcus knew and is mentioned.
I did wonder why the vampires did not call her? Is she in fae? Should of said something.

I did find the set up to much like the other series, instead of dog ( who is a bird sometimes but really a elf) we have Bob the bird.Dina is the new doc instead of are pastry loving genie,Jimmy is sweet carl, Luna is probably Marissa the lawyer or alice, fred is Nell. And she is her love interest so the mage is now a vampire in this series.
I did enjoy it I loved the other series but being I just read back to back that series it's fresh in my mind,so this felt to similar like a new cast just slipped in to take the role but with a few different things being different people ish.

I do like Skye so hopefully this series will branch out differently, but didn't Alice get accused of murder in book one of green witch?
Well I'm off to find out about the mystery of fred.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part about finding a new-to-you author's book that you absolutely love, is finding out that this series alone has three more books and there's already a whole other completed series out there. So these last days, I've been flying through these books and those of the other series. I loved every single one of them. I love the characters, the stories and I love how it is written. Just be prepared that it is set in Australia, written by an Australian author complete with, you may guess it, Australian spelling and idioms. No need to call for the typo-police.

If you have read the authors other series, the story will feel a bit familiar as both of the heroines are starting to get into their own. They start feeling comfortable in their own skin and their own abilities and find their own crew (or mob) to hang out with and to rely on.
Despite these similarities, the stories are linked (we meet Sky first in Deadly Forest, the fourth book in the Green Witch series, for example after meeting Sebastian in Blood Debt, book 3, though I must admit that I got a very different impression of him there) but different and unique in their own way and did I mention that I love the beautiful writing as well?
So - nine books, nine days and a bit of a book hangover, now I'm trying to find out if there will be a new book out soon(ish). :-)

[Laura Wardale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4*, maybe even 4.5*. I enjoyed the idea and it was executed well. The characters were likeable and interesting and the plot played out well and kept me guessing. Good potential romance aswell. Looking forward to learning more about her family and heritage and little info given here.
Dropped half a star as I found parkour a little unlikely yet convenient for a techie person (I’m sure it is possible and techie people out there do it but still, it cannot be common), though it was useful in the story and did add a bit more interest to her character. I will read the next one.

[Narelle Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun new series - Three and half stars

Set in the same world as the author’s other series - Skye is a tech mage with an interesting background. There is much to like about this character and her support magpie, Bob. There were just a few things that I wanted to know more about for it to all work for me - particularly Skye’s backstory. However, I definitely enjoy this author’s writing style and a story set in Australia.

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting start to spin-off series.

I really enjoyed the first series by PL Matthews and didn't expect to find a series featuring a character we saw for maybe a few pages, but the author obviously had other plans.

Enjoyed the characters and the premise (although not quite as much as I dis the first books of the authors I read). The mystery was interesting and kept me reading, and I will definitely keep an eye out for more books in this series.

[BookGeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new series by PL Matthews features Skye Sanders, a tech-mage security specialist and her side-kick familiar magpie, Bob. What I love most about this book is the mix of magic, humor, and friendship along with an intriguing cozy mystery. It’s an engaging story about a tech-mage sylph and her vampire client searching for clues to a convoluted murder mystery. But Skye also has the help of some very loyal friends and one wise-cracking magpie. An entertaining read I highly recommend.

[Anne Murvosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy, who done it mystery.

Enjoyed this book. Heroine didn’t do anything stupid like some novels. I like her introverted nature and her bird Bob. No triggers in this, no sex or over the top violence. Light romance with promise of more to come. This is a complete novel with no cliffhanger, however the epilogue has a set up to lead you to the next book.

[Donna Vaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new character by Matthews and boy do I love her. Not only did Matthew’s create a spunky character, but she created a spunky cast which become more like family than paramour companions. But let’s not forget the vampire. This sexy dude adds his own twist.

[Alexandra Ciardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent premier tome ; une belle surprise.
On reste dans l’univers des « Mystères de la sorcière verte », de la même auteure. Elle fait allusion à l’un des personnages au début et, on retrouve des personnages rencontrés dans Dette de sang.
On sait qu’on est en Australie, de nos jours, mais la magie et les êtres surnaturels existent.
Skye Sanders est une sylphide, techno-mage, agoraphobe, qui vit seule avec une pie bavarde. Elle crée des systèmes de sécurité et, est amenée à sécuriser l’exposition de la bague du comte Dracula. Pendant cette exposition, un majordome est assassiné et, elle mène l’enquête avec des amis inattendus et le vampire qui l’emploie.
L’enquête est bien menée et la pie a beaucoup d’humour !