What do you think?
Rate this book
Mildew & Murder
Willowmere had secrets—buried in moss, whispered by roots, and now one of them just turned up dead.
When Maeve Everhart returned to the fog-draped Oregon town she once called home, she expected grief. She didn’t expect the body of a celebrated truffle forager to be discovered during the festival meant to crown him king of the forest. The town whispers “accident.” Maeve, whose magic stirs beneath her skin like the soil under stormlight, knows better.
With her sarcastic familiar cat as unwanted backup and a reluctant handyman-turned-ally watching her back, Maeve digs into the mystery growing in Willowmere’s woods. The deeper she goes, the more tangled it gets—false trails, altered spores, and someone rewriting the land’s memory for reasons that could turn deadly.
And the moss? It’s not just remembering.
It’s watching.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
When Maeve Everhart returned to the fog-draped Oregon town she once called home, she expected grief. She didn’t expect the body of a celebrated truffle forager to be discovered during the festival meant to crown him king of the forest. The town whispers “accident.” Maeve, whose magic stirs beneath her skin like the soil under stormlight, knows better.
With her sarcastic familiar cat as unwanted backup and a reluctant handyman-turned-ally watching her back, Maeve digs into the mystery growing in Willowmere’s woods. The deeper she goes, the more tangled it gets—false trails, altered spores, and someone rewriting the land’s memory for reasons that could turn deadly.
And the moss? It’s not just remembering.
It’s watching.
Get ready for a whirlwind mystery and cozy thrill ride in this paranormal cozy mystery. Get under a blanket and be prepared to be immersed!
- GenresCozy Mystery
142 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2025
102 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 17, 2025
I enjoy nature, and this cozy mystery hit the spot! It’s a bit witchy, has a sassy talking cat familiar, paranormal twist, and fantasy combined with a cozy murder. I’m reading book two now.
November 19, 2025
Rating: 4.75⭐️
“Willowmere had secrets—buried in moss, whispered by roots, and now one of them just turned up dead.”
If ever there was a perfect example of the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover “ it’s the haunting, beautifully crafted Mildew & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Corrine Winters.
The cover, a brightly colored, almost whimsical comedic Candyland of a piece, complete with a cat that bears no resemblance to the highly intelligent familiar inside, gives a reader a totally different feel than what this novel is about.
The expectations might be for some lighthearted funny cozy mystery. Because that is what the cover infers.
However what author Corrine Winters delivers is entirely different. We immediately get Maeve Everhart and her familiar, Whim, returning to Willowmere after a long absence. She’s not been back since her beloved great aunt died, her grief still very strong, along with other aspects that kept her away, secrets that are buried deep within her and the town.
Winters builds up the town , the atmosphere and tension within it continually throughout the story. It’s a beautifully crafted element of the book, creating the suspense as well as crafting a mystical foundation for the characters and setting.
This is a place where the deep woods and actual dirt talks, it remembers, the mystical nature of the forest breathes here, through moss and mycelium. And it’s sometimes threatening. There’s murder and more threats from many sources.
It’s layers of intrigue, fascinating characters and landscapes that feel simultaneously sinister and ancient.
Winters’ Willowmere, Oregon, a small town famous for its mushroom festival, and its inhabitants has so many hidden secrets and journeys ahead that I can’t wait to read more of these books.
Highly recommended. Just a fabulous read. Just not sure why the disconnect between the book and that cutesy cover. Very jarring.
Willowmere Cozy Mysteries (17 book series):
“Willowmere had secrets—buried in moss, whispered by roots, and now one of them just turned up dead.”
If ever there was a perfect example of the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover “ it’s the haunting, beautifully crafted Mildew & Murder (Willowmere Cozy Mysteries Book 1) by Corrine Winters.
The cover, a brightly colored, almost whimsical comedic Candyland of a piece, complete with a cat that bears no resemblance to the highly intelligent familiar inside, gives a reader a totally different feel than what this novel is about.
The expectations might be for some lighthearted funny cozy mystery. Because that is what the cover infers.
However what author Corrine Winters delivers is entirely different. We immediately get Maeve Everhart and her familiar, Whim, returning to Willowmere after a long absence. She’s not been back since her beloved great aunt died, her grief still very strong, along with other aspects that kept her away, secrets that are buried deep within her and the town.
Winters builds up the town , the atmosphere and tension within it continually throughout the story. It’s a beautifully crafted element of the book, creating the suspense as well as crafting a mystical foundation for the characters and setting.
This is a place where the deep woods and actual dirt talks, it remembers, the mystical nature of the forest breathes here, through moss and mycelium. And it’s sometimes threatening. There’s murder and more threats from many sources.
It’s layers of intrigue, fascinating characters and landscapes that feel simultaneously sinister and ancient.
Winters’ Willowmere, Oregon, a small town famous for its mushroom festival, and its inhabitants has so many hidden secrets and journeys ahead that I can’t wait to read more of these books.
Highly recommended. Just a fabulous read. Just not sure why the disconnect between the book and that cutesy cover. Very jarring.
Willowmere Cozy Mysteries (17 book series):
May 11, 2025
TL/DR: If you’ve read the summary, then you are here to see if you should read the book. If you follow the author, yes. If this is your first book by this author, she fits a lot into a book that introduces a new world, and she does it well. It’s a quick, cozy, paranormal read with both a cat and a dog. Go a head and step into this world, the mystery is a good one.
Mildew and Murder by Corrine Winters has a familiar feel to it. Like your favorite sweater or cozy throw. It is book 1 of 7 in the Willowmere Cozy Mysteries.
The FMC, Maeve, has returned to her great-aunts property hoping to find some peace and solace after an unnamed incident in Portland. She hasn’t come alone, a very opinionated cat named Whim has joined her. I am not sure if she considers herself a witch but she can listen to the land and the land is not happy.
How she can hear Whim has not been revealed. What has been revealed is a young girl, Clemmie, cannot only talk and understand Whim, but her own dog and the nature around her. She even has conversations with the flowers (they were happy in case you were wondering).
I guess the MMC would be Silas. Someone who helped her navigate her great-aunts funeral last year. Now they are starting a friendship and maybe something more.
The Murder in the book took place at the annual truffle festival, and its victim, was the loudest resident, always making threats, always threatening to expose secrets.
For the first book in a new series, this book establishes a lot. The town, its inhabitants, routines and how easily one event can change everything. The problem is, Maeve is like her aunt. She listens, when others won’t and asks questions, even if she knows she may not like the answer.
I’m interested in seeing where this series goes. I received a copy of this book from BookSprout. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. Happy reading!
Mildew and Murder by Corrine Winters has a familiar feel to it. Like your favorite sweater or cozy throw. It is book 1 of 7 in the Willowmere Cozy Mysteries.
The FMC, Maeve, has returned to her great-aunts property hoping to find some peace and solace after an unnamed incident in Portland. She hasn’t come alone, a very opinionated cat named Whim has joined her. I am not sure if she considers herself a witch but she can listen to the land and the land is not happy.
How she can hear Whim has not been revealed. What has been revealed is a young girl, Clemmie, cannot only talk and understand Whim, but her own dog and the nature around her. She even has conversations with the flowers (they were happy in case you were wondering).
I guess the MMC would be Silas. Someone who helped her navigate her great-aunts funeral last year. Now they are starting a friendship and maybe something more.
The Murder in the book took place at the annual truffle festival, and its victim, was the loudest resident, always making threats, always threatening to expose secrets.
For the first book in a new series, this book establishes a lot. The town, its inhabitants, routines and how easily one event can change everything. The problem is, Maeve is like her aunt. She listens, when others won’t and asks questions, even if she knows she may not like the answer.
I’m interested in seeing where this series goes. I received a copy of this book from BookSprout. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. Happy reading!
May 14, 2025
You know that feeling when a book wraps around you like a soft, slightly spooky blanket? That’s exactly what Mildew & Murder did to me—and I didn’t want to come up for air until I hit the last page (then immediately wanted book 2).
Willowmere? Instantly obsessed. It's got that deliciously quirky small-town charm I live for—where the bread rises weird if there’s tension in the air, and your neighbors are just as likely to borrow sugar as they are to hex your azaleas. And our leading lady? Perfection. She’s clever, endearing, and just enough of a hot mess to make her feel real. The way she navigates her mildew-infested new cottage (seriously, the place has personality), only to find herself smack in the middle of a murder mystery? Chef’s kiss. I was rooting for her from page one.
Corrine Winters just gets me. Her writing has that ideal blend of snarky humor, eerie mystery, and heartfelt moments that make you actually care about what’s going on—even when there’s a ghostly presence lurking in the garden or an ominous whiff of mildew in the air. And trust me, I didn’t expect a mildew-based mystery to be this fun, but here I am. Fully invested. Slightly paranoid about my own basement.
If you like your cozy mysteries with witchy undertones, a heroine you want to hug (and then hand a cup of tea to), and a setting so rich you can smell the earth and old paper, Mildew & Murder is a must-read. I laughed, I gasped, I dog-eared way too many pages.
It’s spooky without being scary, charming without being too sweet, and mysterious without getting tangled in itself. Basically, it’s everything I want in a cozy witchy read.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a suspicious mildew patch to investigate… and maybe a few more books in this series to devour.
Willowmere? Instantly obsessed. It's got that deliciously quirky small-town charm I live for—where the bread rises weird if there’s tension in the air, and your neighbors are just as likely to borrow sugar as they are to hex your azaleas. And our leading lady? Perfection. She’s clever, endearing, and just enough of a hot mess to make her feel real. The way she navigates her mildew-infested new cottage (seriously, the place has personality), only to find herself smack in the middle of a murder mystery? Chef’s kiss. I was rooting for her from page one.
Corrine Winters just gets me. Her writing has that ideal blend of snarky humor, eerie mystery, and heartfelt moments that make you actually care about what’s going on—even when there’s a ghostly presence lurking in the garden or an ominous whiff of mildew in the air. And trust me, I didn’t expect a mildew-based mystery to be this fun, but here I am. Fully invested. Slightly paranoid about my own basement.
If you like your cozy mysteries with witchy undertones, a heroine you want to hug (and then hand a cup of tea to), and a setting so rich you can smell the earth and old paper, Mildew & Murder is a must-read. I laughed, I gasped, I dog-eared way too many pages.
It’s spooky without being scary, charming without being too sweet, and mysterious without getting tangled in itself. Basically, it’s everything I want in a cozy witchy read.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a suspicious mildew patch to investigate… and maybe a few more books in this series to devour.
May 11, 2025
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a complimentary copy. Maeve Everhart, a witch, moved back to her hometown Willowmere Oregon after her great aunt Hazel passed away, she brought along her snarky familiar cat, Whim.
Maeve finds Emory Highwood dead, but something about his death is not right, and she knows it by listening to magic. Emory is not exactly liked by everyone, so there could be a lot of suspects. There is a possible love interest—Silas Merrick, who has been helping her with her aunt's cottage. Maeve also meets a unique young girl named Clementine Markham, but she prefers to go by Clemmie. Clemmie can talk to Whim.
Will Maeve figure out who killed Emory?
A new series with great characters - I cannot wait to read more about Maeve, Silas, Whim, and Clemmie.
Maeve finds Emory Highwood dead, but something about his death is not right, and she knows it by listening to magic. Emory is not exactly liked by everyone, so there could be a lot of suspects. There is a possible love interest—Silas Merrick, who has been helping her with her aunt's cottage. Maeve also meets a unique young girl named Clementine Markham, but she prefers to go by Clemmie. Clemmie can talk to Whim.
Will Maeve figure out who killed Emory?
A new series with great characters - I cannot wait to read more about Maeve, Silas, Whim, and Clemmie.
Read
July 29, 2025See note
Amazon synopsis:
When Maeve Everhart returned to the fog-draped Oregon town she once called home, she expected grief. She didn’t expect the body of a celebrated truffle forager to be discovered during the festival meant to crown him king of the forest. The town whispers “accident.” Maeve, whose magic stirs beneath her skin like the soil under stormlight, knows better.
With her sarcastic familiar cat as unwanted backup and a reluctant handyman-turned-ally watching her back, Maeve digs into the mystery growing in Willowmere’s woods. The deeper she goes, the more tangled it gets—false trails, altered spores, and someone rewriting the land’s memory for reasons that could turn deadly.
Amazon synopsis:
When Maeve Everhart returned to the fog-draped Oregon town she once called home, she expected grief. She didn’t expect the body of a celebrated truffle forager to be discovered during the festival meant to crown him king of the forest. The town whispers “accident.” Maeve, whose magic stirs beneath her skin like the soil under stormlight, knows better.
With her sarcastic familiar cat as unwanted backup and a reluctant handyman-turned-ally watching her back, Maeve digs into the mystery growing in Willowmere’s woods. The deeper she goes, the more tangled it gets—false trails, altered spores, and someone rewriting the land’s memory for reasons that could turn deadly.
May 9, 2025
Things are off when Mauve and Whim return to her grandmothers home because of damage caused by an unusual storm. The weather is unseasonal and the collecting of mushrooms has been scheduled earlier because of the weather. Taking a back trail home she comes across a patch of moss that resists her touch. She sees crescent moons blinking on and off. She has been told the moss carries memories, mostly when a tree is felled, but the root remains Will she get to the bottom of how this started?
May 22, 2025
This is book 1 in the Willowmere Cozy Mysteries series. A quick and easy paranormal cozy mystery. Mauve and her cat Whim return to Willowmere after her great aunt Hazel passes away. Emory Highwood is found murdered at the annual truffle festival. Can Maeve, Silas, Whim, and Clemmie solve the murder? I’m invested in seeing where this series goes from here. On to book two... Definitely recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 11, 2025
This was a quick easy read with one of my favorite elements, a sassy talking cat. There’s a nice mix of magic and science done a little differently than other similar books I’ve read. Maeve uses her magic and knowledge to solve the crime.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 8, 2025
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. It is a nice blend of magic and science with Maeve in tune with the earth. It leads to the one who tried to cheat and corrupt. The killer was exposed.
May 12, 2025
I enjoy this world. The subtle magic usage is nice. It's more green witch than anything else. I'd love to hear more about the land and house she inherited.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 21, 2025
A wonderful book by author Corrine Winters.
Maeve and her cat Whim are awesome characters.
This is book one in a new series and it is so good.
I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read book two...I highly recommend...
Maeve and her cat Whim are awesome characters.
This is book one in a new series and it is so good.
I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read book two...I highly recommend...
July 19, 2025
Lovely & deep
This resonates. Poetry & flow swirl through the dissonance of greed. A soul is lost. Trust is broken.
Listen.
Listen for the resonance.
Focus on rightness & place, roots, you might say,
Breathe, really listen, hear the essence.
Now, go out & do what is right.
This resonates. Poetry & flow swirl through the dissonance of greed. A soul is lost. Trust is broken.
Listen.
Listen for the resonance.
Focus on rightness & place, roots, you might say,
Breathe, really listen, hear the essence.
Now, go out & do what is right.
May 12, 2025
stubborn roots
sometimes a sign of endurance
sometimes a lingering reminder of weeds and ill managed growth or harvests
intense suspense and drama
sometimes a sign of endurance
sometimes a lingering reminder of weeds and ill managed growth or harvests
intense suspense and drama
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews