Miss Spelled

The Kitchen Witch #1

by Morgana Best

Amelia Spelled has had a bad week. Her boyfriend dumps her when she inadvertently gives him food poisoning. Her workplace, a telecommunications center, fires all their staff as they are outsourcing offshore, and she is evicted due to smoke damage resulting from her failed attempts at baking.

Amelia thinks her luck has changed when she inherits her estranged aunt’s store, two mysterious cats, and beautiful Victorian house.

Yet has Amelia jumped out of the frying pan into the fire? To Amelia's dismay, the store is a cake store, and she discovers that her aunt was a witch. To add to the mix, the house has secrets of its own.

When a man is murdered in the cake store, will Amelia be able to cook up a way to solve the crime? Or will her spells prove as bad as her baking?

All Morgana Best books are clean cozy mysteries.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Fantasy, Witches, Fiction, Magic

226 pages, ebook

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

USA Today best-selling author Morgana Best survived a childhood of deadly spiders and venomous snakes in the Australian outback. Morgana Best writes cozy mysteries and enjoys thinking of delightful new ways to murder her victims.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My word but this author has written a lot of books! This is the first one I have tried but there will be more.

I always enjoy a good witchy book and Miss Spelled offered all the requirements - witches, familiars, spells and a sentient house. I must admit I did wish once or twice that the main character was not quite so ditzy and that she would just employ a cook. I have to assume that her inability to make a simple batch of cakes is going to relate to her magic skills when we find out what they are.

So I will be reading on to find out what these skills are. Plus who is the dark stranger who is watching her? This is how a good author makes you want to read the next book.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Amelia Spelled was having the worst day ever – her boyfriend dumped her over a perceived case of food poisoning; she was sacked – along with nineteen others – from her place of work. Then when she arrived home – distraught – it was to find an eviction notice. But with that letter was another and when Amelia discovered she had an inheritance, she thought it was someone’s idea of a sick joke…

On arrival in the small town in New South Wales, Australia, where her aunt had lived, she discovered she was now the owner of a little cottage along with a shop – she, Amelia, who couldn’t cook anything without burning it – owned a cake shop. But there was more to come in this crazy, mixed up town. Had Amelia gone from one bad situation to another that was so much worse? And what was this about her aunt having been a witch?

Miss Spelled by Aussie author Morgana Best is the first in The Kitchen Witch series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Light, entertaining – a quick, easy read with enough twists to keep me on my toes. Miss Spelled is a delightful cosy mystery which I recommend.

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely cosy mystery

Amelia is having a bad day – her boyfriend dumped her and then she is sacked from her job and she is evicted. Then something changes as she realizes that she has an inheritance.
With a little magic and murder, the mystery was cute and enjoyable. Liked it.

[Anna Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like a little magic with your cozy mystery, you're in luck this week here at the desert cities mystery blog. Meet Amelia Spelled, the main character in Morgana Best's story: Miss Spelled. In this fun cozy mystery, when we meet Amelia Spelled things are not going well. She gets dumped by her boyfriend, loses her job, and gets evicted all on the same day! Just when all seems lost, though, Amelia discovers a letter revealing that she's an heiress.

Whoo! That sounds great, but the devil is in the details. In this case mysterious details about her aunt's true identity, and the items Amelia has inherited. That includes two cats, a lovely old Victorian home with secrets, and a cake store. Egads! Cooking is definitely not Amelia's forte as this story suggests in the very beginning. Add to all of that the fact that Amelia discovers secrets about herself, gets mixed up in a murder, and is soon way in over head on many fronts.

All the magic, murder and mayhem unfolds in a light, breezy way that makes for an engaging read. Fans of cozy mystery that comes with a supernatural twist will want to put this one on their TBR. This is only book 1 in the series, so more fun to follow.

[Siobhan (tigress5cubs) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always try to start with something positive. This book was free! It was a great book to read when I was trying to go to sleep, because I didn't care if I fell asleep.

I'm looking for a new cozy mystery series to really sink my teeth into. I love the Wicked Witches of the Midwest. I love Avery Shaw. I love Aisling Grimlock. I like Ivy Morgan. I love Lexi Carmichael. I love Miss Fortune. I think I can love Charlie Rhodes. I love Psychic Eye. I love Stephanie Plum. I like Samantha Rialto. I like Kinsey Milhonne. I love Mystic Circus.

I didn't love the hit woman. I got tired of the mistakes in JJ Graves. I'm tired of Gotcha.

I don't like the Kitchen Witch. The house? Too crazy. Weird. Just no.

The constant whining about her cooking? We get it. She's a bad cook. Move on.

Too much thinking. Too much explaining. We don't need to know every step she takes and every thought that flits through her mind.

Won't be continuing with this one.

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia's life falls completely apart but at the last minute an Aunt passes away and leaves her an out in another town far away. I enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries but they are all starting to feel like the same story. A woman loses her job, boyfriend and home and starts over somewhere else. This book is well written with fun characters. I just wish the author had spent a bit more time providing a plot and mystery that wasn't the same as so many other books in this genre.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author provides a Glossary before the start of the cozy noting,

This book is written in Aussie! Some Australian spellings and expressions are entirely different from US spellings and expressions.

Australian Slang and Terms and Indigenous References are also included.

In the space of a few hours, Amelia Spelled's day has been extraordinary and not in a good way. Her boyfriend has dumped her. She's lost her job. Her landlord has sent her an eviction letter with only 14 days' notice. But wait, there's more mail! Life-changing mail like in dreams come true mail.

In sorting Unread books on my Kindle, I discovered this title. I'm unsure what prompted my purchase last year as I have not read any of the author's cozies, and this isn't a sub-genre of my interest. I read the cozy but didn't warm to the characters. I will not continue reading this series.

[Cass · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5/5

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In one day Amelia lost her boyfriend, job, and apartment only to inherit a house and store in a distant small town. Oh did I mention it is a magic house and she finds out she is a witch? A fun short fast read.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clean, pleasurable reading, cozy mystery

A very good read. Read straight through to solve the mystery. Kept me entertained until the very last word. Ready to read more by Morgana Best.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cozy mystery. I highly recommend it.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The day could hardly get worse: her boyfriend's in hospital with food poisoning from her cooking, her job's been downsized out of the company, and she just been evicted due to the fire damage in her apartment from a cooking accident. But then there's a mysterious letter with a lifeline that could turn Amelia's life around.

When it comes to cooking, Amelia Spelled and I could be twins so it's easy to sympathise with her disasters. (We also share the clumsy gene.) I found our heroine to be quite likeable especially with her proactive do-whatever-it-takes attitude that she adopted to solve the mystery threatening her new life.

Miss Spelled was a pleasant but brief read and I look forward to the next in the series.

[Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Spelled is the first book in an Aussie Series by Morgana Best. Amelia Spelled is dumped by her boyfriend, loses her job and then gets evicted from her apartment. What else could go wrong?

Next Amelia knows, she receives a letter telling her that her aunt has passed and she needs to show up for the funeral and reading of the will. Amelia is in for a lot of big surprises and the worst of it is a murder occurs right in front of her.

This is such a fun, fast easy read. I absolutely loved this story and plan on reading the rest of the books in the series!

[Junkie for the Written Word · Rating 1 out of 5]

How the actual efg did this book even get in my kindle library.

I'm going to assume that I was abducted by aliens and in the waiting room before I got probed they had a selection of free ebooks to download and this was the pick of the lot.

DNF @ 30%

My eyes almost walked off the job, I had to put it down, I was facing optical mutiny.

I'm not even going to go into why it was bad, it just was. There's a kitten on the cover and even that couldn't redeem it.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was short, predicable and full of cliches. Not content on just starting with the trifecta of bad luck trope, the book fully committed to all of them. The action, such as it was, was slow to pick up, and never quite found its stride, and while there one or two enjoyable parts, leading up to an above all predictable climax. The final reveal of the antagonist left such a bad taste in my mouth that it was hard to enjoy the resolution. I will not continue with this series.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

too fluffy for me.

I had the audio as well as the kindle. Big mistake. It’s written for an Australian audience, but read for an American one! Words, and whole sentences are changed! And not always for the better. Then they Leave in Koala’s and kangaroos?
I wanted to Love the story, but it was just too sticky sweet, pun accidental, for me. I wouldn’t enjoy meeting any of these characters in the real world.

[Judith Blaauw-Klaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book. It is a fun, fast read. Lot's of clichés, a very unsubtle plot but it doesn't pretend to be more than it is. The characters are fun, and if you are looking for a nice cozy mystery with a little bit of witchcraft and a touch of baking, this book is for you.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jerri Cachero · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when Amelia Spelled inherits a bakery from an aunt she's never met? Mystery, humor, friendship and murder ensue! Amelia has lost her boyfriend, job and home all in one day. Then a mysterious package arrives and her life is changed forever.

I loved this book and all the twists and turns Amelia, with her new friends, must navigate to solve a death which occurred in her bakery. The fact that Amelia can't bake and is a disaster, in the kitchen, makes you root for her even more. The supporting characters are well-written and could have books themselves. The house Amelia inherits, along with the bakery, has certain "abilities" you'll love!

It's a fun book that will keep you reading and guessing!

[Sheri Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. There are quite a few funny parts in this book. The concept is fairly unique and I'm going to enjoy getting to know everyone and learn what goes into learning to be a witch.

[Amber Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really cute. I would be interested in reading the next book. I loved the characters but I wanted to know them more.

[John Presler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amelia Spelled has lost her job and been evicted from her apartment. Both happened on the same day. Fearing that things will only get worse when she sees another envelope on the floor, she is hesitant to open it. Determined to face her problems head one, she opens the envelope. Then she gets the shock of a lifetime, her Aunt Angelica Spelled has passed away and she has inherited a house and shop.

When Amelia arrives in Bayberry Creek to meet with Ruprecht Foxtin-Flynn regarding her inheritance, her first stop is the Book & Antique store Ruprecht owns. Ruprecht invites Amelia to meet some of the towns people at a gathering prior to her aunt's funeral. Following the funeral, he shows her the house she has inherited. The next day, Amelia was introduced to Thyme, her aunt's cake shop assistant.

During Amelia's first day in the cake shop, Brant McCallum drops dead after sampling a single bite from a proposed wedding cake. Even though the police found no evidence of wrong doing with the cake shop, gossip has business at almost a stand-still. Now it is up to Amelia and her new friends to unmask the killer to save her business. Since Brant was not the most popular person in town, the list of potential suspects could be quite long.

During their investigation, Amelia learns that not only is she a witch, but her house has a mind of its own.

Can Amelia determine the killer and save her aunt's business? How can Amelia handle her "new found" traits as a witch?

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If things could get any worse, Amelia Spelled has her boyfriend break up with her for putting him in the hospital with food poisoning. She loses her job when her entire department is outsourced on the same day. She already feels bad enough, she gets home to discover her apartment is evicting her for starting a fire in kitchen while cooking. Oh yea, she REALLY can't cook. All of this in the same day.

She receives a letter from a law office letting her know that her estranged aunt has passed away and left everything to her. A fully paid for house, and a income generating business. Remember?Amelia is dangerous in the kitchen unless it can be put into a microwave, She just inherited a bakery.

Join Amelia, and several of the locals in town who help her out, when a customer dies right after taking a bite of one of her cupcakes. It's find out who murdered him, or lose her livelihood and the new business that the town is now treating as a Pariah. There's Ruprecht, the owner of the combined bookstore/antique business, and his grand-daughter Mint, her new assistant and head baker Tyme, and her elderly next door neighbor, Camino.

Be prepared to laugh your way through one kitchen disaster after another, as the gang has help solving this fun romp with the help of an overly protective house that's it's own security system.

[Gina Lorax · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short book, more novella length. The premise is intriguing and the characters likable. The plot was really rushed though. Lots of gaps in the timeline - it wasn’t clear how much time had passed between scenes. I thought maybe an hour in one scene and apparently it was a full day. In another it was multiple days with no reference at all to what had occurred. Countless missed opportunities where scenes were missing that would’ve made the book more suspenseful and cozy.

A lot of focus spent on the house but no actual explanation of why it does what it does. Just a shrug and accept it. Major focus on Amelia’s lack of cooking/baking abilities and how she did Not want to do anything beyond the microwave in the kitchen. Yet, in one scene, she was all gung-ho and confident to do the baking with zero instruction from the last time she tried and there was an incident. Complete change of character with no explanation as to why.

And the solving of the murder, completely rushed. Felt like there was a maximum word count that could not be exceeded, so bip bap boom here’s the killer all tied up in a bow.

[Donna Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this paranormal cozy. I think there is a lot of potential with the characters. The mystery was a bit weak. There was a lot of time spent in the beginning getting to know the characters. I hope we get to see more of Amelia's training as a witch in future books. I would read more in this series.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it all. I guess that's saying something. For me the characters weren't fleshed out near enough. The writing appeared redundant and the storyline far fetched. The story progressed too fast. It wasn't at all the whimsical witch story that I hoped.

[Carolyn Bragg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Miss This

First book ever? This was agonizing to read. Facts often given twice in a paragraph, theories thrown out or accepted for bad reasons. Not understanding simple common things--needing convenient explanations. Glad it's OVER!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick afternoon read

Fun and quick read. Humorous, a bit predictable but that's OK. I'll be reading the second book in the series.

[♥ Joy Joy ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, pretty well written and funny. Definitely can relate to the main character's frustrations of cooking gone wrong.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the series.