A Mystic Murder

Witches of Hemlock Cove #1

by Kennedy Chase

Grace Angelo, born and bred in the small coastal town of Hemlock Cove is a retired detective… and a witch. She works with her two elder sisters at their old guesthouse converted into a bakery — until the body of the local bar owner is discovered inside their oven.

Faced with mounting bills and no way to fulfill the contract for a huge banquet, Grace has her work cut out for her. Using her magical abilities, and the help of her unusual pets, Grace must find the killer and save the family business if she and her two sisters are to have a future in Hemlock Cove.

A Mystic Murder is the first in a new cozy witch murder mystery series by the best-selling mystery author Kennedy Chase. It does not contain any violence, sex, or profanity but instead features teasing clues, a puzzle the reader can play along with, and adorable animals.

Settle in and relax with a cozy, fun mystery tonight and let Grace Angelo take you on a journey of laughs, brainteasers, and a ripping good yarn.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Audiobook, Witches, Cozy

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2015

About the author

Kennedy Chase was born in New York in 1969 but moved to London when she was a teenager. She now lives in Notting Hill with her grey cat, Monty, and half a dozen Corgis and Pugs. (3 of each).

Kennedy is a writer of women sleuth mystery novels. She loves to bake in her spare time, and specialises in chocolate cake. On the weekends, Kennedy likes to retreat to the country for long walks with her dogs, all the while dreaming up new plots for her characters.

Join Kennedy's Mystery Parlour today for exclusive content, new book releases, and special offers: http://eepurl.com/6ckpj

Reviews

[Deb✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to DNF this at about half way through. The world building was weak and I had trouble getting into the characters. Because of that I was bored and just wanted to move on to something else..

[OMalleycat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book and the author's first two of the Harley Hill series in a very inexpensive Kindle bundle. As is often the case, you get what you pay for. But, oddly, despite innumerable typos, poor grammar, and big continuity errors (in Mystic Murder the main character starts out on an afternoon walk on a beautiful fall day shortly after Halloween. By the time she ends that walk, it's bitterly cold and there are Christmas decorations), I found the books oddly endearing. The characters are engaging (despite the insufferably common cozy plot device of torn-between-two-love-interests) and I finished the books to follow their lives. And I like the cat. I see that I'm mitigating every criticism with faint praise and damning every positive with mention of an irritation so perhaps I should just finish by saying that I'll probably like Chase's books a lot more if she finds a less clumsy way of using pronouns to refer to an unknown person. Using "they" and "them" to refer to a singular person is unnecessary and annoying. Oh, and I can't close without mentioning that A Mystic Murder, set in New England, uses so many Britishisms that I looked back to make sure the book was, in fact, set in Massachusetts. On the other hand, the Harley Hill books, set in London, had many howler Americanisms. I see from her Goodreads bio that Kennedy Chase was born in the USA, but raised in England, so I guess she has cultural identity disorder.

[Sydnie Macelroy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, how hard is it to hire a decent proofreader? Grammar errors, incorrect words and sentences that make no sense are the least of this book's problems, but solving those would have been a good start.

But it's the internal continuity errors that make this book nearly unreadable.

First of all, the characters. The Angelo family and the Donatelli family have been in Hemlock Cove, Massachusetts since their families fled Salem during the time of the witch trials. Um... I'm no expert, but I have done my fair share of reading about the Salem trials. I don't remember a lot of Italians being in the area in 1692.

Grace Angelo, witch and former police detective, finds a body stuffed into the bread oven at her family's in-home bakery. And is immediately hired by her former partner as a consultant on the investigation. I know you have to stretch plausibility to make fiction work but seriously?

She sets out to interview witnesses, and at some point notices that her watch indicates that it's nearing 1PM, when she is supposed to meet her partner for lunch at noon. When she gets there, she discovers that she's not late after all. And complains that her watch is slow? No, if it is noon and your watch says 1:00, that means your watch is fast. Completely different problem there. Guess she's not too bright?

When she meets her detective friend at the restaurant, it is "a few days after Halloween" and the decorations are still up, the Halloween visitors to Hemlock Cove still crowding the town. But by the time she gets to Donatelli's book shop, it's December.

But a couple lost months is nothing! In the first pages of the book, Grace states several times that she is 45. It's repeated. She's 45. Her sister Joy is 55. Her other sister hope is 65. There is 10 years between each of them. Until about two-thirds through the book when she says "Even though I was well into my fifties..." Oops. We just lost another several years.

Then there's the batteries. Her watch was "slow" because it came from a batch of faulty batteries. The fellow at the pawn shop was having problems with his laptop computer because the battery came from the same batch. A clock in the home of a witness is off because it, too, came from the same batch. I can't imagine what kind of battery it would be that would work in a watch, a laptop and a clock.

Furthermore it bears an uncanny resemblance to Any Witch Way You Can published 4 years earlier. Hemlock Cove, Massachusetts vs. Hemlock Cove, Michigan. Family of witches including sisters Grace, Joy, and Hope vs. family of witches including cousins Bay, Clove, and Thistle. Almost uninhabitable guesthouse turned bakery vs. thriving bed and breakfast as the family business.

At least I didn't spend any money on it.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was like it had all the elements of a nice little mystery, but the actual story was sacrificed to fit them all, and the writing was not strong enough to pull it off. I mean, a mystery with witches set in New England should have been my favorite book, but it was both too quirky to take itself seriously...and yet wouldn't commit to the full quirk (like go Gilmore Girls level, or go home).

And maybe this was just an issue with my particular ebook copy, but *spoilers* was Grace 45 or 55 years old? And did her husband die 5 or 15 years ago? Because I was definitely reading these conflicting facts and they distracted me the whole time (like that was the real mystery).

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whomp-whomp. The best thing about this book is that it is over. Flat amateur writing filled with inconsistencies and no real meat to the story. Who forgets their cellphone at home but conveniently has a phone card and finds a working payphone to use it at?And there is no way that any police force is going to invite someone to help them investigate a murder of someone found in their home, regardless of their history. Thank goodness it only took an hour to read this one. I won't be revisiting this series or author.

[Aarann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was... okay. I guess.

A pet peeve of mine is a mystery where the main character talks about how they love watching/reading mysteries, but it drives them crazy when the detectives miss a really obvious clue.

That definitely happened here. At first, I just thought it was sloppy writing, but it was a really obvious clue. The villain took a kiss selfie with their alibi in front of a clock, but 1) the story had already dropped several hints that something was up with the clocks in the story and 2) more importantly, clocks can be set to any time you want so that being an alibi was really sloppy in my opinion.

I'm all about a mystery with a paranormal bent, but there needs to be a point to the mystical stuff, and there really wasn't here. Maybe in future books, the author makes use of the main character's magical abilities, but here, it just felt shoehorned (the main character can talk to her cat and dog, who also contain portions of the souls of her parents, which was a bit... um... what?).

As for the narrator, Gabra Zackman isn't terrible, but she isn't a favorite. Her male voices are on the nasal side, but I did like how her more "mature" (for lack of a better term, it's not a pejorative here, even if it reads like it is) voice fit the main character better than some of the other books I've heard her do.

This was a very short mystery and I finished it in a day, but I don't think I'm interested enough to keep reading the series.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel begins the cozy paranormal mystery of a family of three widows (and Sisters) that share the common trait of being Witches. Their Guest House failed, and now they must depend upon their baking skills to eat.

The Youngest witch, Grace Antonio had been at one time a police officer until her partner/spouse died. Then she quit the force, but, it still used as an consultant on difficult cases.

This case involves a dead man in the Antonio oven.

Well done.

[Natassia Hyduk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Danielle Denbaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. A story of three sisters (witches) dealing with living in a small town. Romance, murder and challenges introduce us to the main characters. The story could have been longer but it sets up the series nicely.

[Jillian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Mystic Murder is book 1 in the Witches of Hemlock Cove series. I picked this audiobook up in an Audible sale and was excited to potentially find a new cozy series to get sucked into. I love cozies, love witches, love when there is a pet as a prominent character- and this book has a dog and cat that help solve crimes, and I love small towns. This book sounded exactly my style. Plus it was a quick listen at only 3 hours and 7 minutes, so I thought it would be a perfect intro to the characters, town, and series. Unfortunately, this book fell flat on most everything. The only reason I finished was because I hate to dnf unless absolutely necessary and really like to finish what I start.

I don’t know if the author thought the reader wouldn’t be able to keep up or deduce things on our own, but some stuff was repeated in an obnoxious way. The ages of the sisters is one such thing. The main character, I already forgot her name, was 45, her older sister was 55, and their eldest sister was 65. The author really, really wanted us to know their ages. Both the main character and the eldest sister were widowers, and the middle sister married. All the sisters and the one husband lived together in some sort of house with a tower. There was also a bakery on their ground floor. That’s about as descriptive as the world building got in this book. One thing that bugged me enough to mention it now is that one of the cops in the story was introduced and he seemed like he might be a love interest for the main character but he was 39 and that was way too young for a 46 year old woman. She could never look at someone so young as a potential date. That was ridiculous. He was 39, not 19.

The mystery was okay, but there was a big clue early on that I immediately knew who the killer was, yet this intelligent, ex-cop, current cop-consultant, sleuth, main character with witch powers, completely missed it until the end. I liked the dog and the cat and liked how the main character could connect with them and sense what they sense.

The narration was so so. I’m not sure if a more animated narrator could make the book more exciting or if it was really just the narrator working with what she had.

I’m torn on this. Sometimes, really good series can have a disappointing start but quickly take off in the second book. Maybe this is one such series and book 2 will be a lot better. I’m not completely discounting this. If I happen to see book 2 in a sale, I might give it a try, because like I said, the series has all the things I love, this book just didn’t pull them together for me. Overall, I give this book 2.5 stars.

[LittleDeadRedGoddessPersephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long while since I read a cozy mystery and I have been in the mood for one. Since this is about witches and Halloween is next month I figured this would be a fun chose. This book was included in a three pack that was super cheap. I am glad I picked this up.

The story is narrated by Grace Angelo who at 45 is the youngest of three sister that live in a small New England town called Hemlock Cove that happened to be founded by Grace's relatives who left Salem to escape persecution during the witch trials. Grace with the help of her dog Noah & cat Charity gets pulled back into her former life as a detective by Zach, someone she trained when a dead body winds up in the oven used for their baking business. Grace reluctantly agrees to help solve the crime.

It turns out Grace has her hands full with crime solving, her first steps back into the world of dating after the death of her husband and partner as well as dealing with her sisters. Her sister Joy tries to behave but has issues resisting the type of magic they have sworn off and her eldest sister Hope is still grieving the loss of a husband many, many years ago. Hope resides in the widow's walk of the house they all share and barely comes out.

There was some issues with continuity such as the story starting out shortly after Halloween and all of the sudden it was near Christmas when the novel takes place over a few short days. The author states tht Grace is 45 and then she says she is 55 one time. I came to the conclusion that she was 45 and there was just a type O.

Even with the issues this was a cute and fun little mystery. Grace is likable and it was nice to read a story with older characters. Even though "The Cat Who...." mysteries are different than this for some reason it reminded me of those mysteries.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Stars 🌟

This was another first time author for me. This was a fairly short introduction to a new series that sounded interesting and I decided to give it a try. The premise surrounds a family of 3 women who are Witches and whose family has been in the region for a very long time.

The world building was not very strong and I didn't really get a good understanding about the history of these women and the circumstances around their community.

This story introduces us to Grace who is one of the women and apparently, she used to be a police officer. I'm not sure why she isn't one anymore but now the family owns a bakery? Because they owned an Inn but the public turned on them and they closed it? Like I said, the world building was extremely shaky. I even double checked to see if there were other books that I missed (in other words, did I start in the middle of the series?) But this was the first book.

There is another character in this book - who is a love interest for Grace - that we meet with apparently other supernatural powers - similar to a warlock - but not. The witch family was not aware of this ability even though his family has ALSO been in town for centuries. Confused yet?
We haven't even gotten to the murder that is the plot of the book.

By the amount of trouble I'm having just writing this review, it became apparent to me fairly quickly that the substance needed for a firm foundation was lacking. I had a really hard time developing any feelings for the female MC and that was before adding any of the circumstances of the murder.

Needless to say, I'm going to pass on continuing forward with this series. It sounded promising but was disappointing in the portrayal.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grace is a former police detective and current witch. Her protege, Zach, calls on her on often to have her consult in trying to solve the latest murders in her home town of Hemlock Cove. She channels her mother and father through her cat and dog, Charity and Noah, and their special skills help her in her endeavors. She also helps her older sister, Joy, and her husband run the family bakery from their kitchen. Eldest sister, Hope, who sits in her tower room and still suffers from the loss of her husband who died in Viet Nam, helps women mend their broken hearts (yes, there is irony there.) Book one begins with the discovery of a dead body in their kitchen oven. This causes many problems and Grace helps to solve the murder while also figuring out how, with their meager funds, to replace the oven, as they can't very well cook in it anymore. The Hemlock Cove witches books are mysteries and are told in a friendly, warm and non-violent, sex free way. They are not long and are pleasant entertainment for when you want to read and not be tied up for days trying to figure out numerous plot twists and turns. Enjoyable.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short mystery about a retired detective who also happens to be a member of a family of witches. The book starts with the detective discovering a dead body stuffed into her oven. Naturally, she finds this disturbing and unusual and worries a bit about how the small town will react to the news. (Her ancestors helped establish the town after fleeing Salem Massachusetts, and there are those who still think poorly of her and her family.)

What follows is a pretty typical investigation story. The heroine is taken on as a consultant to her old police force despite the body being found in her home. She then questions everyone possibly involved with the dead man as if she were still a cop. For about the first two-thirds of the novel, I wondered why the author bothered to make her heroine a witch. For the last third, I wished she hadn’t as suddenly magic becomes the cause of everything, diverting from an interesting investigation.

That being said, the inclusion of magic does make sense by the end and I suspect gives a clue to how this series will progress.

[Imjussayin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting cosy para mystery. Not least because the beautiful ‘hyper sensitive’ chocolate Labrador Noah slept through a break in at his home. But alerted the household after the fact.

Our protagonist Grace is a 40 something former police officer. Grace is also a witch, a good one. There are some bad ones afoot. And being part of an old family, there are witchy rumours around.

But this is not your ordinary stayed mystery,there is no love affair between the detective and our investigative witch. She is not a nosey or accidental amateur, but paid consultant. Her dog and cat are not her familiars, they are more interesting than that, more would be a spoiler. And it’s good to read women are alive and beautiful at 40 something.

The family set up, three sisters living together is beautiful and unusual.

Well written this book will hold your interest with its originality and satisfactory blend of magic and murder.

It’s a good read

['Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a strange one, it's okay but there are some glaring obvious continuity, punctuation and editing issues.
That said it is a paranormal cosy mystery about a witch ex-detective who with her former trainee set about solving the murder of Greg Pelt, whose body was discovered in the witch's industrial oven of her bakery business. She is also assisted by a love interest who also has special powers and her cat and dog who embody the spirit of her parents. There is also two sisters who, themselves are witches. The murder itself is brought to a conclusion and there is an invitation to read the next book in the series with a little teaser. In short this is not a bad book, 2 or 3 out of 5 (3, if you overlook the continuity issues) but it's just not the best book I've read this year!

[Lisa Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace Angelo is a retired detective now working for the family bakery business. The Angelo family have been witches in Hemlock Cove for generations, but magic comes with a price. Used improperly, what it gains becomes what is lost. The Angelo family once had a thriving guest house that is now falling apart because of the poor decisions and actions of Grace's mother.

The world build and the characters are the main attraction here. The mystery takes a backseat, is a bit simplistic, and over quickly. This is a quick read in general, but an easy going one.

This was an audible listen for me. The narrator went for a Joe Friday, just the facts, style of narration that leaves this a bit dry. The main character was once a detective, so it fits. It's just a little over-done in my opinion.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that this story was bad, per se, but it wasn't for me & usually witchy cozy mysteries are my jam.

I listened on Audible & the narrator wasn't my style. She's supposed to be a 45 year-old witch who is solving this murder but the narrator is giving very masculine vibes, which, if that's the vibe you want, I'm here for it. EXCEPT, the author is seemingly trying to build a love triangle between the MC & two dudes & this narrator is so manly it's not working.

The mystery itself was okay-ish. It felt like we didn't get the opportunity to put pieces together for the whodunit - just said "here's the killer".

Not for me, but I can see it being some great for other people.

[Frank Bertino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witchy Karma

Grace is one of three sister witches. She is competent yet still recovering from the grief of losing her husband as is her eldest sister. A murder on the premises threatens the family business so Grace becomes a police consultant to investigate and solve the mystery so their bakery can reopen. Intriguing actions by Dario an old acquaintance peaks her interest both romantically and as a witch. I like characters and the story. There is some humor and romance. I look forward to the next book.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it

Grace finds a dead body in the kitchen. Inside the bread oven. She used to be a detective and is more than capable to investigate. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention: she is a witch!

An exciting case. I really liked it! A good pace, good ‘attention to the case’ versus ‘attention to cozy stuff’ ratio. A likeable main character in Grace. I really liked that Grace is somewhat older. A little bit of romance going on. I would have liked a bit more witchcraft, but it was entertaining and pleasurable.

[Katie Storer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished in One Day
4⭐️
Cozy Witchy Book
275 pgs.
An Audible Original

This is a short little cozy book that grabbed my attention right away. Three witchy sisters live in a small town (New England?). Many generations of their family have managed to live peacefully with normal humans by doing their best to hide their witchy powers.

Although short, the story was well paced and I felt satisfied with my listening experience. Gabra Zackman did a great job with the narration.

I recommend to all who love cozy mysteries with a side of witchy magic!

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

She maybe a witch , yet, she was still sensitive to murder. The old guesthouse could not be used as that, so they are now using it as a bakery.
Charity and Noah their were both on edge, by passing their treats and went to the oven. The kitchen was a mess, the oven had a ball of a man inside, the owner of the local bar. Another problem with merger funds, having the oven replaced. A short story involving sisters, that are witches, and why the murder. Entertaining to read.

[Heidi Bourbeau · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0
Even taking in account that this is a very short book, I just didn't care about the characters. There were parts that were just odd to me, the ending for one (spoilers her so I will not mention specifics). Even familiars, who generally pull me into a story, just didn't do anything for me. I did buy the physical copy, that I will un-haul. That said if you are new to paranormal mysteries, this wouldn't be a bad on to start with. Seasoned readers, might not enjoy.

[Lori Rector · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from a 3.5.
A light, quick read/ listen. 
What I liked: the cast was older. Not just 20 somethings like most books. Grace, the baby of the family is in her 40s. I liked that Grace could connect with her animals. That would be a super handy skill. 
Why the rating isn't higher: I didn't really connect with any of the characters. They were good, but not a love for me. Though most of this series has pretty high ratings on Audible, so others may love it. For me, it was a good read to pass the time. 

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Mystic Murder by Kennedy Chase is the first book in the Witches of Hemlock Cove Mystery series. Retired detective and witch Grace Angela finds the body of the local bar owner in her family bakery oven and is asked to help with the investigation. A nice quick mystery, but it was rather dificult to get to know the characters and was confusing in parts. It was okay but did not capture my interest enough to want to read further in the series.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and the world that was constructed during the story. I enjoyed learning about Grace's family's background and the rich history of Hemlock Cove. Hope is still an enigma and I don't know if that was on purpose, but it doesn't really fit with the story that was told during this book.

There was some inconsistency in the book that was a little weird, like Graces age and some personality quirks. I feel like it needed maybe another pair of eyes were needed for this book. Since I'm a stickler for consistency it really bothered me when it came up.

I did enjoy the mystery and how well they intertwined the magical aspect of Hemlock Cove into it. It was an interesting story that I will probably continue.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cozy, likeable characters

I liked the family. Kind of a different mystery. I like that the main character was a former police officer. Her investigation was easy to follow. The magic aspect was unique with her pets. All in all, it was a fast, clean read. I also had the audible narration. I thought the narrator did a great job.

[Pam Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cozy mystery!

A great series for a book club to share. The mysteries are well plotted, so it is fun to guess "who done it." A group of mystery lovers might find these book particularly good to discuss or lively debate.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

New twist on witches

Kennedy brings us an interesting group of low-key witches who limit the use of their powers even as they tackle a difficult who-done-it. Fun read with unique characters.