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Lake Forest Witches #1
Meows, Magic & Murder
Petunia Patterson’s life was turned upside down when she discovered a body in her new neighbor, Noah Becker's back yard. It’s bad enough that her cat, Pansy, had gotten into his house—especially when Pansy wasn’t a cat at all, but Jeremy Walters, a man she gave a love potion to, which transformed him into a cat.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2015
281 people are currently reading
1028 people want to read
About the author
Madison Johns
69 books186 followersWhen Madison Johns began writing at the age of forty-four, she never imagined she'd make it onto the USA Today best-selling books list with her first cozy mystery, Armed and Outrageous, as an independent author. Sure, this book is an Amazon bestseller, but USA Today?
Although sleep-deprived from working third shift, she knew if she used what she had learned while caring for senior citizens to good use, it would result in something quite unique. The Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths mystery series has forever changed Madison's life, with each of the books making it onto the Amazon bestseller's list for cozy mystery and humor.
Madison is a member of Sisters In Crime. Madison is now able to do what she loves best and work from home as a full-time writer. She has two children, a black lab, and a hilarious Jackson Chameleon to keep her company while she churns out more Agnes Barton stories with a few others brewing in the pot.
Books
Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths Mystery series in order:
Armed and Outrageous
Grannies, Guns and Ghosts
Senior Snoops
Romance
Pretty and Pregnant novella
Redneck Romance (Published by Tirgearr Publishing)
Amazon Author Page
http://www.amazon.com/Madison-Johns/e...
She is actively involved on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Goodreads. She is always willing to chat it up or give advice, and supports other writers whenever she can.
Smiles :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
August 6, 2016
3.5★
Cute & fun cosy mystery with magic, witches, murder and a cat that used to be a boyfriend. A bit silly at times but a fun read
Cute & fun cosy mystery with magic, witches, murder and a cat that used to be a boyfriend. A bit silly at times but a fun read
November 11, 2015
Book Review – Meows, Magic and Murder – Madison Johns
I really wanted to like this book. I like cozy mysteries. I like paranormal/fantasy. I like cats. But I didn't like this book. I had to give up after chapter 1.
I know that everyone has their own opinion and that an author is perfectly entitled to accept or reject feedback as they wish. I also believe it's fair to give context to any bad (or good) score to allow others to better judge for themselves whether or not they are going to like a book.
I know other reviewers have mentioned issues with line edits, but I don't tend to worry about things like that too much unless they're really bad. I can deal with misplaced commas and semicolons that shouldn't be.
It wasn't even the idea, though the handsome stranger falling in love with his new neighbour and helping her out of a perilous situation can become a tad formulaic. It can make a light, unchallenging read which is what I want sometimes.
What I struggled with was the execution. It was all tell and no show and the telling was frequent. In the first chapter alone (4% on my kindle), we were told the heroine had turned a man into a cat by accident at least four times and that she was bad at making potions at least as often. And a body had been discovered. And the heroine was linked to a missing person case. And she was considered the crazy cat lady. And the handsome neighbour had fallen in love with the her green eyes.
I know that's a lot of sentences starting with and, but that's how this book made me feel.
It felt unevenly paced and I believe it would have helped to hold some of those secrets back to reveal later. I would have loved to have more about the setting, something that gave me a better feel for who the main characters were. It was a bit of a shock to find out the crazy cat lady was young enough to be fancied by the new neighbour; I had a picture in my head of an older lady with wispy hair in a bun and sensible shoes. It would have been nice to have something that built the tension and instilled some emotion in me.
I don't like to give up on books but, in this case, it was the kindest thing to do.
I really wanted to like this book. I like cozy mysteries. I like paranormal/fantasy. I like cats. But I didn't like this book. I had to give up after chapter 1.
I know that everyone has their own opinion and that an author is perfectly entitled to accept or reject feedback as they wish. I also believe it's fair to give context to any bad (or good) score to allow others to better judge for themselves whether or not they are going to like a book.
I know other reviewers have mentioned issues with line edits, but I don't tend to worry about things like that too much unless they're really bad. I can deal with misplaced commas and semicolons that shouldn't be.
It wasn't even the idea, though the handsome stranger falling in love with his new neighbour and helping her out of a perilous situation can become a tad formulaic. It can make a light, unchallenging read which is what I want sometimes.
What I struggled with was the execution. It was all tell and no show and the telling was frequent. In the first chapter alone (4% on my kindle), we were told the heroine had turned a man into a cat by accident at least four times and that she was bad at making potions at least as often. And a body had been discovered. And the heroine was linked to a missing person case. And she was considered the crazy cat lady. And the handsome neighbour had fallen in love with the her green eyes.
I know that's a lot of sentences starting with and, but that's how this book made me feel.
It felt unevenly paced and I believe it would have helped to hold some of those secrets back to reveal later. I would have loved to have more about the setting, something that gave me a better feel for who the main characters were. It was a bit of a shock to find out the crazy cat lady was young enough to be fancied by the new neighbour; I had a picture in my head of an older lady with wispy hair in a bun and sensible shoes. It would have been nice to have something that built the tension and instilled some emotion in me.
I don't like to give up on books but, in this case, it was the kindest thing to do.
June 29, 2015
The first book in a fun new series by Madison James offers some interesting characters, some you probably won’t like, witches and a handsome next door neighbor.
Petunia is an unaware witch living in a small town. She assumes she just makes potions, most of which don’t work or back fire. Her latest failed potion was one that was supposed to be a love potion, but turned the man, Jeremy, in question into a cat which Petunia named Pansy. Pansy and Petunia can communicate with each other. He sneaks out the door and into Petunia’s next door neighbor’s house. On her way over to get her cat and keep him from terrorizing the neighbors dog, she finds the body of an old high school class mate. There have been two other murders, all with the same weapon…three knitting needles. The needles appear to be Petunia’s and she comes under fire for the murder as well as being a witch. The only person other than her aunt who believes she is innocent is the handsome next door neighbor, Noah. What happens through out the book is a fun read. I’ve already bought the second book in the series and am looking forward to reading it. If you like cozy mysteries, with a little witchcraft and romance thrown in, you will enjoy this series.
Petunia is an unaware witch living in a small town. She assumes she just makes potions, most of which don’t work or back fire. Her latest failed potion was one that was supposed to be a love potion, but turned the man, Jeremy, in question into a cat which Petunia named Pansy. Pansy and Petunia can communicate with each other. He sneaks out the door and into Petunia’s next door neighbor’s house. On her way over to get her cat and keep him from terrorizing the neighbors dog, she finds the body of an old high school class mate. There have been two other murders, all with the same weapon…three knitting needles. The needles appear to be Petunia’s and she comes under fire for the murder as well as being a witch. The only person other than her aunt who believes she is innocent is the handsome next door neighbor, Noah. What happens through out the book is a fun read. I’ve already bought the second book in the series and am looking forward to reading it. If you like cozy mysteries, with a little witchcraft and romance thrown in, you will enjoy this series.
July 16, 2018
Wickedly wonderful. Smart and funny, with a strong female protagonist.
December 16, 2015
Madison Johns has the start to a series here...enough for me to give it the benefit of the doubt and try #2, anyway. I hope she gets a better editor for the rest, though...there were typos and grammar mistakes throughout. Maybe it's the kindle formatting? Not sure.
The whole town thinks Petunia Patterson is a witch, and they may well be right! Even Petunia herself isn't sure. She's tried potions before, and while they're worked some magic, it wasn't the magic she intended. Instead of functioning properly, her love potion turned her ex-boyfriend into a cat. Thus, she's a suspect in his disappearance, as she was the last one seen with him. When she and her new neighbor, Noah, find a body in his yard, that kicks off the meat and potatoes of the story.
Will Petunia get on with it and pick already--witch or not? She's so wishy-washy on that front. Also, Petunia gets away with quite a bit...nagging the townsfolk, butting in, etc. She should have been called on impeding an investigation on several counts. Johns could use a thesaurus at times. This read like a submission to a creative writing class. Maybe this was an assignment or something, but it should have been flushed out more before publication. I've read worse.
The whole town thinks Petunia Patterson is a witch, and they may well be right! Even Petunia herself isn't sure. She's tried potions before, and while they're worked some magic, it wasn't the magic she intended. Instead of functioning properly, her love potion turned her ex-boyfriend into a cat. Thus, she's a suspect in his disappearance, as she was the last one seen with him. When she and her new neighbor, Noah, find a body in his yard, that kicks off the meat and potatoes of the story.
Will Petunia get on with it and pick already--witch or not? She's so wishy-washy on that front. Also, Petunia gets away with quite a bit...nagging the townsfolk, butting in, etc. She should have been called on impeding an investigation on several counts. Johns could use a thesaurus at times. This read like a submission to a creative writing class. Maybe this was an assignment or something, but it should have been flushed out more before publication. I've read worse.
October 18, 2015
I've read other titles from this author and heard a lot about her talent, but this book left me disappointed. The dialogue and narrative seemed redundant and contrived at times, distracting me from the storyline. The unpolished, published book had so many line edits that were missed that I had to re-read many sections. I love cozies and this left me very disappointed.
July 26, 2015
Had lots of potential but never really panned out
This book was just ok. I really wanted to like it and it had lots of potential but it was just too silly. The premise was great but I felt like I forced myself to finish it. Could have been so much better.
This book was just ok. I really wanted to like it and it had lots of potential but it was just too silly. The premise was great but I felt like I forced myself to finish it. Could have been so much better.
February 5, 2015
Disappointing
The story is entertaining enough, but the writing is simple and unpolished. Not at all up to the quality I would expect from a best-selling author.
The story is entertaining enough, but the writing is simple and unpolished. Not at all up to the quality I would expect from a best-selling author.
April 22, 2015
Not a bad read, the premise was cute but to me it fell short of the mark. I probably will read the next in the series to see if it gets better.
September 9, 2019
Life Happens
Meows,Magic &Murder is true to form cozey mystery, the caracters ar quirky and delightful, well accept the murderer. Petunia lives on her own in a house that's all hers and the four cats that share it with her. Petunia just likes to live a peaceful life in the small town where everyone knows every one else. But this morning that all changed when one the cats visited the new neighbour and Petunia along with said neighbour find a dead body in his backyard, now the town sheriff is looking at Petunia as the number one suspect.Can Petunia and Noah the new neighbour find the real murderer before Petunia ends up in jail for a murder she didn't commit?Oh and something a little wtchy might be happening along the way. 😐🤔🙄😮😏 Kat
Meows,Magic &Murder is true to form cozey mystery, the caracters ar quirky and delightful, well accept the murderer. Petunia lives on her own in a house that's all hers and the four cats that share it with her. Petunia just likes to live a peaceful life in the small town where everyone knows every one else. But this morning that all changed when one the cats visited the new neighbour and Petunia along with said neighbour find a dead body in his backyard, now the town sheriff is looking at Petunia as the number one suspect.Can Petunia and Noah the new neighbour find the real murderer before Petunia ends up in jail for a murder she didn't commit?Oh and something a little wtchy might be happening along the way. 😐🤔🙄😮😏 Kat
May 10, 2018
The missing needles
A fun, quirky cozy. A cat that used to be a boyfriend, a salve that cures arthritis and a serial killer on the loose. Who is trying to frame her and why? Pansy the cat is a really tomcat even before he got turned into a real cat. She is unsure, doesn't believe in magic and hasn't had the greatest track record with men. He is her new neighbour, handsome, a former police officer and has a dog tat is tormented by Pansy. The rest of the characters are lively with all the normal quirks and some have the additional one of having magic. Can our hero and heroine save the day?
A fun, quirky cozy. A cat that used to be a boyfriend, a salve that cures arthritis and a serial killer on the loose. Who is trying to frame her and why? Pansy the cat is a really tomcat even before he got turned into a real cat. She is unsure, doesn't believe in magic and hasn't had the greatest track record with men. He is her new neighbour, handsome, a former police officer and has a dog tat is tormented by Pansy. The rest of the characters are lively with all the normal quirks and some have the additional one of having magic. Can our hero and heroine save the day?
May 10, 2019
This book was lighthearted and funny. There was no "sexy times" in this book, so it's safe for younger audiences to read. The author did a great job of building the characters and keeping your attention. There were issues with editing (I'm not sure if this was due to "autocorrect", but every time the word "imagine" should have been used, it was "image"), and there were some problems with sentence structure, but most people should understand what's implied and still be able to follow along and enjoy what was a very fun and enjoyable read.
December 18, 2017
Lovely Story
I loved the story. It was a funny who-done-it book with cats, potions and possible witches. Loved the characters Noah and Petunia and their surprise meeting and good old Pansy. You want a light hearted book simply for fun reading this is a good one from Madison Johns. There was only one disturbing part in the writing of this book and that was in the proof reading as some of the errors should have been instantly caught. Happy reading.
I loved the story. It was a funny who-done-it book with cats, potions and possible witches. Loved the characters Noah and Petunia and their surprise meeting and good old Pansy. You want a light hearted book simply for fun reading this is a good one from Madison Johns. There was only one disturbing part in the writing of this book and that was in the proof reading as some of the errors should have been instantly caught. Happy reading.
September 27, 2018
Except for Petunia constantly going on and on about not being a witch, the story was good. Also, my rating reflects the fact that after her aunt, Maxine, finally told her she was a witch, she just shrugged it off as if it were no big deal after vehemently denying being one but instead just a person that makes potions and happened to change a person from human to.... I will leave that be for the readers to discover. I definitely will check other books out from this author.
December 16, 2018
Good, but not great.
I’ve read so many of these witch cosy mysteries that they all seem to bleed into one another. However, having a cat who just happened to be the cheating ex-boyfriend was novel 😄
I did enjoy Petunia as a character, although her lack of confidence did frustrate me at times. Her interactions with new neighbour, Noah, and the lacklustre Sheriff were okay, but Noah seemed very direct and insensitive at times, but here’s hoping he’ll mature in time.
I’ve read so many of these witch cosy mysteries that they all seem to bleed into one another. However, having a cat who just happened to be the cheating ex-boyfriend was novel 😄
I did enjoy Petunia as a character, although her lack of confidence did frustrate me at times. Her interactions with new neighbour, Noah, and the lacklustre Sheriff were okay, but Noah seemed very direct and insensitive at times, but here’s hoping he’ll mature in time.
March 13, 2021
Just finished reading book #1 Meows, Magic, and Murder by: Madison Johns. Follow along with Petunia, Nick , Petunia's Grandmother and her two friends searching for clues before Petunias is in jail for 1. disappearance of one cat ( Human ) and 2. Being accused of ( murdering that person who that thought she was my Aunts Grandmother daughter. ).Now with the help of Nick ( sexy honk ex- detective ), her Aunts two friends is all she has to solve this before its to late for Petinia.
June 14, 2017
Was just ok
Story was ok but there were a lot errors that editing should have caught and the word strut ,strutted etc was way over used..I groaned after the tenth time..not sure if I would bother when another book by this author..maybe after author gets a few more books u dear her belt..
Story was ok but there were a lot errors that editing should have caught and the word strut ,strutted etc was way over used..I groaned after the tenth time..not sure if I would bother when another book by this author..maybe after author gets a few more books u dear her belt..
July 3, 2017
Cosy
As always I love this author. Easy reading and lucky I got to read this for free. This lady is a trainee witch and her spells usually go wrong. Add a sexy new neighbour and fun friends and an ex boyfriend she turned accidentally into a cat also a serial murderer who is framing her.
As always I love this author. Easy reading and lucky I got to read this for free. This lady is a trainee witch and her spells usually go wrong. Add a sexy new neighbour and fun friends and an ex boyfriend she turned accidentally into a cat also a serial murderer who is framing her.
February 4, 2018
Amusing Read
This book was very entertaining. The main character was being investigated for murder---she is trying to find the killer and keeps being accused of being a witch by the residents of her town. It is clev er how she and her new neighbor investigate until Petunia learns who is framing her
This book was very entertaining. The main character was being investigated for murder---she is trying to find the killer and keeps being accused of being a witch by the residents of her town. It is clev er how she and her new neighbor investigate until Petunia learns who is framing her
December 15, 2018
Light, enjoyable read
Light hearted cosy mystery for YA. Petunia is determined to convince herself she is not a witch but she fails to convince the rest of the residents of her small town. A murder mystery you will solve instantly even though the author tries to throw you off the scent. Still an enjoyable read.
Light hearted cosy mystery for YA. Petunia is determined to convince herself she is not a witch but she fails to convince the rest of the residents of her small town. A murder mystery you will solve instantly even though the author tries to throw you off the scent. Still an enjoyable read.
February 27, 2019
Funny and inventive
This book was pretty good. It was funny and inventive and I loved the way the author gave The character of jeremy voice. It was a good storyline the only problem I had with it was it was not edited well there was quite a few mistakes that should’ve been caught by a proofreader. ButDon’t let that bother you or stop you from reading this cute book.
This book was pretty good. It was funny and inventive and I loved the way the author gave The character of jeremy voice. It was a good storyline the only problem I had with it was it was not edited well there was quite a few mistakes that should’ve been caught by a proofreader. ButDon’t let that bother you or stop you from reading this cute book.
May 14, 2025
Unusual.
I tend to like things that are smoothly thought out and flow well. This is not that, but it is charming, and it reminds me when Wesley says "You truly have a dizzying intellect." in The Princess Bride. At least try a sample, and be aware the charming aspect was not apparent, at least to me, until farther on. Was fun to read.
I tend to like things that are smoothly thought out and flow well. This is not that, but it is charming, and it reminds me when Wesley says "You truly have a dizzying intellect." in The Princess Bride. At least try a sample, and be aware the charming aspect was not apparent, at least to me, until farther on. Was fun to read.
November 6, 2025
A small town killer is on the loose and Petunia Patterson is the prime suspect. But she's sure she's not the killer. Along with her new neighbour, handsome Noah, she sets out to discover who is responsible for the Knitting Needle Murders and clear her name. And she's definitely not a witch, so stop calling her that.
June 5, 2017
Hilariously entertaining! Follow along as Petunia and her neighbor try to clear her name of murder. Her investigation is somewhat hampered by and ex-boyfriend who she accidently changed into a cat. You will love this book!
July 17, 2017
A fun read.
I enjoyed this book of misadventures and mystery and mayhem. LOL. Kept me chuckling and wondering just what was going to happen next. Must admit I wonder if Pansy will ever get changed back.
I enjoyed this book of misadventures and mystery and mayhem. LOL. Kept me chuckling and wondering just what was going to happen next. Must admit I wonder if Pansy will ever get changed back.
August 12, 2017
Really fun story
However, grammar check it having someone read for errors should be strongly considered. There were some obvious errors and would have been found by a competent proofreader. I enjoyed the story very much.
However, grammar check it having someone read for errors should be strongly considered. There were some obvious errors and would have been found by a competent proofreader. I enjoyed the story very much.
October 5, 2017
This was a cute book
This was a cute book. I enjoyed reading this book. The main character is a witch but she doesn’t know it for most of the book. It isn’t really about the occult. Rated G
This was a cute book. I enjoyed reading this book. The main character is a witch but she doesn’t know it for most of the book. It isn’t really about the occult. Rated G
December 25, 2017
A cute witchy murder mystery
This book was a lot of fun to read and is well edited and a toned down romance. (Think clean read). Plenty of mystery to try and solve with a witch coming into and accepting her growing powers. Give this one a try.
This book was a lot of fun to read and is well edited and a toned down romance. (Think clean read). Plenty of mystery to try and solve with a witch coming into and accepting her growing powers. Give this one a try.
December 30, 2017
I was getting into the murder plot but kept on getting distracted by the constant reminder that Petunia changed her ex boyfriend into her cat Pansy almost every five pages . It was not even important to who was doing the murders
March 23, 2018
The writing level in this was about the level of a book for toddlers ("Solve murder, Petunia, solve murder!") but setting that aside I still really enjoyed this. Just gripping enough to hold my interest, without being gory enough to stress me out. I liked all the characters well enough, I enjoyed the mystery and I didn't actually guess the murderer until the reveal! A thoroughly enjoyable book, that was exactly what I needed at that point.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews