Broomsticks and Burials

Magic & Mystery #1

by Lily Webb

Nothing stays buried forever…

Reporter Zoe Clarke's life has lost its magic. So when she gets a job offer in the middle of nowhere, Zoe jumps at the chance to make a name for herself only to find her new home is teeming with magic and paranormal beings—and those aren't its only secrets.

During a heated election for Head Witch, the most powerful position in town, Zoe’s predecessor was buried alive—and accusations are flying faster than broomsticks. Despite her editor’s orders to leave the story alone, Zoe can’t resist.

From the front-running witch with a secret to the mysterious vampires pulling strings in the shadows, Zoe knows the truth is just under the surface. So after she discovers she has rare telepathic abilities, Zoe realizes she's the only one who can keep digging.

Will Zoe’s powers lead her to the murderer and the scoop of a lifetime? Or will they send her to an early grave?

Broomsticks and Burials is the first book in the Magic and Mystery series of witch cozy mysteries. If you like witty witches, catty talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then you’ll love this lighthearted debut in Lily Webb’s spellbinding series.

Buy Broomsticks and Burials to start solving the mysteries of Moon Grove today!

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

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2019

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately I seem to be on a cozy and classic mystery kick....a bit of murder and amateur sleuthing, spiced up with a smidge of humor and a dash of paranormal or cute side theme --- Perfect. With all the things going on as 2020 closes, I need my reading time to be my Zen moments of the day.

The Magic & Mystery series by Lily Webb has been on my TBR for some time. My To-Read list is vast, and things get lost in the jumble sometimes. As I was looking for my next audio book to start the other day, the bright purple cover of book one of this series jumped right out at me. READ ME! So, I did! And I'm glad -- this book was fun and entertaining!

The basics: Zoe Clarke's life has hit a snag and she finds herself back on her grandmother's farm in NC searching for a job. Then a phone call out of nowhere lands her a reporting job in Moon Grove, NC. She packs up her cat Luna and her few belongings and heads to her new job.....and changes her life forever!

I live in NC, so I love the setting for this mystery series. Zoe is an interesting and capable main character. She goes with the flow, taking magic, supernatural creatures of all sorts and a talking cat pretty much in stride. I'm not sure I would be quite so understanding if my concepts of the world changed that much over night. Although I would LOVE to be able to talk to my cats! Luna is snarky and fun. Flora, too -- just don't ask about her wings! In fact, I liked all the characters!

I listened to the audiobook format of this book (Lily Webb Audio). The Audio is about 6 hours long -- a nice listening length. Erin Parker narrates. Parker does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Her voice is pleasant and she reads at a nice pace. All in all, an enjoyable listening experience.

Right now, this sort of book is just what I need. Nothing heavy. Fun characters, entertaining plot, a bit of magic thrown in. Loved it! Can't wait to find out what happens next in Moon Grove!

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 9% 3 stars... again, nothing really wrong with this one, I just wasn't interested enough to continue... :) a bit silly, but again, I think a lot of you might really love it :) it didn't grab my attention enough to continue so I am moving on :)

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe Clarke is very good at what she does - she's a reporter and she never gives up, no matter what obstacles may come her way. She is relentless when getting to the truth of a story. Those skills will serve her very well when she begins her new job.

Accepting a position in a little place out in the "middle of nowhere", Zoe has no idea what she is in for. The first indication is when her pet cat, Luna, can suddenly speak. That is minor, compared to what is coming her way.

The town is full of people who aren't just human - some can transform into something else. There are vampires and fairies and...well, the list goes on. Zoe thought these beings were the stuff of movies and novels but there they are...up close and (very) personal.

As she begins her new job as a reporter for the local paper, her first assignment is to cover the local governing agency, where a heated race for Head Witch is underway. Before Zoe can take a breath, she is informed the reporter she is placing was murdered covering the same story.

The book is very well written and the characters are well developed. I felt somewhat as I did when I first delved into the Potter series - I want to go there!

Great fantasy novel and the first in a series and I am looking forward to the rest.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars, but for a younger audience

Zoe's 21 and newly downsized from her job as a reporter. An unusual phone call and a job offer out of the blue have her moving to rebuild her life in Moon Grove.

The age of the protagonist, about ten years younger than most cosy heroines, creates a different dynamic in the storytelling. The whole book read to me as being for a young adult audience. To begin with, it doesn't seem logical that a phone call from an unknown number would make anyone just pick up and move. Zoe doesn't research her new job even though she has no idea where the place is on a map. Geography aside, it sounds dangerous in this day and age to blindly accept a job offer over the phone without even an interview. She has no idea of accommodations once she gets there or even how much her salary is. I get it; times are tough and a job is a job, but wouldn't you want to make sure you could afford your new life before you jump heedlessly into it? As someone who has a bit of life experience under her belt, many of the details just asked for too much suspension of disbelief and we haven't even hit the magical part yet!

That being said, the story flowed and was enticing. I wish I could go back to my teen self and read this series. I have a feeling that I would have really enjoyed it.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to start? I had high hopes for this new series but the story fell flat for me. The mystery was OK (hence the 3 stars) but just about everything and everyone else came across as just plain boring. I found central character, Zoe, very immature. Often she reminded me of a teenaged Nancy Drew. Additionally, I found the entire world created by the author to be a pale Harry Potter imitation. The author tried to incorporate modern technology like the internet and cellphones but none of it worked for me. My biggest complaint, however, is how much smirking went on. Characters smirked so much that I finally decided the author did not know what the word meant. It really grated on my nerves. I had hoped I had found a new magical series but I'm taking a pass on the rest of the books.

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in this paranormal cozy mystery series set in North Carolina. It is lighthearted, but deals with serious issues. The main character is witty, intelligent, likeable and shows growth during the course of the novel. This book combines mystery, crime, journalism, magic, romance, politics and paranormal beings. It is a quick and entertaining read with some plot twists and I look forward to reading additional books in the series.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 8/10

Pros:
-all the Halloweentown vibes!
-very intersting mystery set up
-enjoyable main character
-I had such a fun time reading this!

Cons:
-a little predictable
-weird description of a plus sized character (mentions of "sausage fingers" multiple times)
-5 page repetition/recap of the whole book at the end

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, round up to 3

*Sigh* "It's not you. It's me." This is one of those books. It's a fine book....for someone else. As an explanatory example, the love interest is a golden retriever shifter. Can you get anymore pure than that? The whole book is just too cutesy and Mary Sue-like for my taste. There is absolutely no edge to it at all. And yes, I do realize it's a cozy mystery. But cozy doesn't really have to mean naive. (The word I want to use here is bland, but that will sound far more derisive than I mean it to.) This could almost pass for middle-grade fiction, it's that innocent.

Regardless, the writing is fine and the narrator did an excellent job with it. So, if you're the sort of reader who really likes this sort of book, pick it up. If you like a bit of grit in your fantasy/paranormal/mystery books, you won't find it here.

[Cassey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the refrain of magic is in the mundane...it fit the world building in this read. While there were some things that got over played - the "Oh it's like X in the real world" for one - I recognise that it was used to give the readers some easy shorthand. The protagonist was okay...but very much the author's Mary Sue which grated. The back and forth on solving the murders also started to annoy me.

All in all though, there is some great parts, but this is not a read for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny paranormal cozy mystery. A talking cat with an inquisitive owner with an interesting history. The characters are likable. They mystery is well-written. A good start for this series.

[Karen Stallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the Magic and Mystery series of witch cozy mysteries. If you like witty witches, catty talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then you’ll love this lighthearted debut in Lily Webb’s spellbinding series. The protagonist Zoe is strong, intelligent and witty, she finds herself immersed in a world of magic and paranormal beings that she didnt know existed till she took a job she didn't remember applying for in Moon Grove N.C.

I really enjoyed this book, there was Mystery as well as Magic! There were lots of twists, turns, and laughs throughout, I found myself not wanting to put it down. At one point I dozed off with book still in hand only to start right back up at 3am as I had to find out who the killer was. The characters are well developed and story well written, I highly recommend to fellow Cozy Mystery fans who enjoy a bit of magic and paranormal thrown in. Cant wait to read Spellbooks and Stakings (Magic and Mystery Book 2)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe is desperate to find work in the journalism field, when she replies to an ad her Grandma encourages her to reply to - an oddly named town called Moon Grove, looking for a reporter for their political beat.

The adventures begin on a crazy bus, continue with a golden retriever, who turns out to be a shifter, then things just get weirder from there.

Fun, mystery and mayhem follow as Zoe discovers more about herself, her powers, and her new home.

Can her Gran visit? What is she allowed to tell her?

Whatever happens next is magical!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Disney14604 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos for a very well done first book. Story line has suspense to just keep you on the edge of your seat. You want to keep reading to keep the momentum going. What new thing are we going to learn about this paranormal world. Meantime , you are still trying to figure out who did it and why.

Possible romance is not with the police person. Really nice change of pace.

Very well done first in a series. characters are well thought out, believable, and likeable too.

This is my honest and freely give review. I did receive an ARC book.

[Tony Calder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries are generally light, easy reads, and this fits that bill. There is more involvement with other paranormal characters than is the case in many cozy mysteries, and that leads to the book having a lot of moving parts, but it (mostly) hangs together. This also leads to a fairly large cast, which means there are a lot of questions still in need of answers - which is not a bad thing for a series opener. There were a number of times when I detected a Charmed influence.

Overall, a fun read, and pretty much what I expect from a cozy mystery.

[Jenny Zurita · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was a fine fall/October read for Halloween season

[Kimberly]

dnf at 46 pages. just not what I'm wanting atm. I might return to it down the road but currently too Halloweentown for me like Marnie story

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book with a super cool heroine. She's smart, sassy, and daring with loads of humor. Yet, she has doubts and insecurities. As much as we find it odd that she adapts so quickly in the new para world, we can see it's her love for solving a crime that makes it easy.
The story moves from urban to a fantasy setting with witches, warlocks, vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, etc. Wikipedia becomes parapedia, smartphones are paraphones, etc. (you get the drift).
The book does justice as a cozy mystery with almost no gore. The writing is fun and light.

[Boneist · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, but to me it felt unreal quite a lot of the time - I know this is witches, magic, vampires, etc, but I don’t mean unrealistic in that sense. More like would that character really do that, react like that, etc? Probably not.

It wasn’t terrible, but I don’t feel the need to pick up the next in the series.

[AA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is good however, the author went too fast in some aspect: the friendships develop too fast to be credible, Zoe is around 21 years old, but has been in in journalism for « so long », .... unfortunately, it takes away a lot from the story and its characters. I had a hard time getting around that.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh man, that hurt. Thank goodness I didn't pay money to read this.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe Clarke was sitting on the porch with her Grandma Elle, watching the beautiful sunset. She had been laid off from her journalism job and couldn’t seem to find another in this rural area. Her grandma tried to encourage her, but she had little enthusiasm after 3 months. Just then, her cell phone rang and Mitch Harris, editor in chief at the Moon Grove Messenger, identified himself. She didn’t remember applying there, and didn’t know where Moon Grove was either! Mitch said he had an opening for the town and government beat, and the job was hers if she accepted. He told her to be at the bus station at 6 AM and to watch for a big silver bus which she would recognize when she saw it. It would take her to Moon Grove. She did a search on her phone, but Moon Grove wasn’t found. Odd.

The bus was prompt, but the driver and passengers were very strange. When they arrived, someone called her name. She looked down to see that her cat, Luna, was talking to her! As they stood on the grass, a beautiful golden retriever approached. She rubbed his belly and suddenly the dog became a young man – and she fainted! Beau Duncan told her he was a shifter and her boss was a werewolf. He told her that she was replacing Harper Woods as a reporter. It soon became obvious that Zoe was seeing dilapidated buildings and ruin all around, while Luna and Beau saw a much different scene. Beau led her through an old gate, and suddenly a lovely, bustling little town appeared. Beau was relieved because only paranormals can see the town and he was afraid she wasn’t one of them.

Beau walked her to The Messenger and warned her not to ask about Harper. Then Mitch was there and grumpily took her inside the office to get started. At least back in the news world, she would be comfortable navigating and know what she was doing. In short order, Zoe begins to investigate the death of the reporter she replaced, even though it was obvious that her efforts were not appreciated. She even discovers that she has some magical powers that may help her solve this mystery. What is in store for Zoe? Will she solve the mystery or become the next reporter to disappear?

This was a wonderful start to a new series that I fully intend to follow! Zoe is a strong woman who can deal with surprises and still come up smiling. The characters for the most part were very likable and charming. The story line is filled with laughter, fun, and mystery. Twists and turns will keep the reader “buried” in this enjoyable book! Grab your copy and enjoy a fun mystery that never stops -- the Purr-fect Mystery!

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unemployed journalist, Zoe Clarke, had almost given up on ever finding another newspaper job when, out of the blue, the editor of the Moon Grove Messenger, Mitch Harris, phoned and hired her sight unseen. Accepting, she caught the bus to her new town as instructed only to discover on arrival that Moon Grove was a town accessible only to witches, warlocks, vampires, and other supernatural beings. Unknown to Zoe, as her parents had been killed in a car accident when she was a small child, her heritage included witches. And that was not the only surprise greeting her. It turns out, her boss is a werewolf, her new roommate is a fairy, and the reporter she’s replacing was murdered while following a story!

Broomsticks & Burials is the first book in the Magic & Mystery series by author Lily Webb, and it is an impressive start. The characters are delightful, the town of Moon Grove charming, and the plot ticks along like a time bomb. This was a story I didn’t want to put down!

Zoe is a determined and capable young woman from the start. She gets the job done and still has the time and energy to pursue the forbidden story her predecessor was working. Her new roommate, Flora, is a beautiful fairy with a kind heart and a game spirit. I enjoyed their interactions a lot.

Zoe takes her cat, Luna, with her to her new beginning in Moon Grove, and I loved that once they were in town, Luna begins to talk. According to Luna, she was cursed to live life as a cat, and I look forward to finding out about that in the future.

Besides a compelling mystery story with scary vampires and a hard-nosed werewolf police chief and Zoe learning about her witchy powers, I liked the developing relationship with the local Channel 666 news anchor, shifter Beau Duncan. He shifts into a golden retriever, and it was fun seeing that animal’s characteristics represented when he was in his human form.

With its quaint shops and their appropriately supernatural names and offerings, Moon Grove is a charming town to be hidden away out of mortal sight. But I liked that it experiences its own issues with politics and governance like any other small town around.

In all, the story was a fun introduction to the series and an exciting murder mystery. I highly recommend it to cozy mystery readers that enjoy magical and paranormal elements in their stories.

[Riski Oktavian · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It’s so much easier to blame others than to take responsibility for our own actions, don’t you think?” ㅡ(hal. 226)

Aku sekarang lagi pengen mengeksplor satu genre ini yaitu cozy mystery, dan waktu itu sih aku baca satu judul dan kurang nangkep di aku. But for this one, aku suka pakai banget!

Ceritanya cukup sederhana sebenarnya yaitu tentang Zoe, seorang gadis yang mendapat pekerjaan di suatu tempat yang aneh yang nggak pernah dia dengar sebelumnya. Dan setibanya dia di sana, dia disambut oleh makin banyak keanehan yang terjadi di kota itu.

Singkat kata ada sebuah kasus kematian seseorang yang belum terpecahkan dan ternyata kehadiran Zoe di kota baru tersebut juga menimbulkan pengusutan kasus ini lebih dalam lagi. Dan semakin dalam Zoe terlibat dia tanpa sadar juga mulai dihadapkan sama struktur pemerintahan yang sedang memanas di kota tersebut.

Di sini aku suka bagaimana penulis dari bab awal sudah memikat hati pembaca dengan menyodorkan peristiwa yang unik dan aku suka bagaimana penulis membuat "awal" dari semua ini terjadi.

Dan seperti dari covernya, di sini mengandung unsur fantasi yang benar-benar pas porsinya. Aku suka dengan bagaimana kota ini memiliki kehidupan yang gak jauh dari unsur magical. Pokoknya seru dan "enjoy" banget deh baca buku ini.

Dan juga diselipkan adegan romance yang porsinya juga pas di tengah kegentingan dari kasus kematian seseorang itu yang juga menambah unsur manis dari novel ini. Pokoknya aku sampai gak tahu lagi mau ngomong apa karena sesuka itu sama novel ini.

Layak dibaca, dan bisa diakses di Google Play Books.

4,3 stars.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe Clarke has been laid off from her journalism job and is back home on the farm with her grandma Elle. She receives a call to tell her that a job is available at the Moon Grove Messenger as a journalist if she can get herself to the bus station by 6 am the next morning. She is to look for the silver bus and not to be late. The funny thing is that Zoe doesn’t remember applying for the job and can’t seem to locate the town on the map. Things go from strange to stranger as she arrives in Moon Grove in lightning speed with her cat Luna who now is able to talk. She encounters a golden retriever that shifts into a man and then finds out her new boss is a werewolf.

Instead of running out of town Zoe decides to take the job and puts herself on the case to find out what really happened to her predecessor. Throw in some witches, a few fairies, and a bunch of other mythical creatures and you have the perfect start to a new paranormal mystery series.

I found the book to be easy to read, filled with charm, humor, great characters, and a mystery with just the right amount of twists and turns. I can’t wait to find out what Zoe gets into as the series continues

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy Coles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I was looking for a light mystery to listen to on my way to work, I thought that a cozy mystery could be perfect (this was my first ever cozy mystery)!

I kinda saw this coming, but I wasn't a huge fan. For one, I kept forgetting that the MC was 21 years old - she just seriously sounded like she was written by an older person trying to sound young. The host of cliches and outdated expressions used just really made me feel disconnected from the story and MC in general. In addition, the MC's personality was annoyingly headstrong - in a way where she was consistently pushy and every other character would say "this girl's persistent - I like that", when that pushiness often came across as arrogant, misplaced, or straight up rude.

I did, however, enjoy how fast paced and simply plotted the mystery was. There were lots of plot conveniences and not-completely-believable logic jumps. Sometimes characters would confidently come to a conclusion about a clue, when there could really be so many other possibilities, and at other times characters would be so obtuse about seeing what's right in front of them!

Overall, this was okay, but much too cliche and convenient for my taste. Maybe cozy mysteries just aren't my thing.

2/5

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe has been living with her grandma on the farm for awhile since she lost her job as a reporter. Then one day she gets a call with a job opportunity, they need her to start ASAP and relocate to a place Zoe has never heard of and apparently GPS dont know where this place is either. Zoe needs a job so she takes it and a bus is sent to pick her up. When she arrives she is met by Beau who happens to be a TV Reporter on channel 666. She asks him where is everything, because the town is a shambles, nothing there, not a living soul. He asks her to look again, the town turned into a beautiful place with many odd shops and people, you just need magic to see it.
Zoe discovers that the town is filled with paranormals of all kinds and her first job is to cover the common councils and to interview the two witches running for the Head Witch seat. But digging to deep may get her killed like the recent reporter she has replaced.
This was a great mystery that had me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed this story and would like to continue on with this series...

[Kim Loomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 21 year old newspaper journalist; Zoe and her cat Luna, are living on her grandmother's farm in the backwoods of North Carolina and she has been applying for new jobs when she gets a phone call, is offered a job in the town of Moon Grove and she has to be there the next day. She agrees to take the job and when she arrives, her life will never be the same again as she finds herself in a mystical town where nothing is like anything she has every known before. She gets herself involved in trying to solve the murders in this town and per usual, trouble seems to follow her. The story moves quickly along and is well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, so much so that I read the next very short free story about Zoe's cat Luna called Kittens & Curses. Now I am half way through the next book. I just don't seem to be able to get enough. I really loved the first book and the second is every bit as good so far.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot)

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 3* differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
------------

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes

[Kat Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won't rate a book if I haven't finished it. It's not fair to the author. It's also not fair, because I DNF'd a couple of books a couple times, and once I did finish it, I really enjoyed them. So I read this book. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't great. It was definitely a Mary Sue.

The mystery was pretty humdrum. The main character was pretty blah. She had all these powers, that she didn't have to work for, they just appeared when she needed them. She is a reporter, who pretty much blabbed her sources to anyone she felt like talking to. The mystery aspect just sort of fell in her lap, and she had no real reason to pursue it. There was a token effort to make it seem important to her (whoever killed Hailey might come after me next, obviously, because I'm now working her beat) but without any real basis in the real world.

All in all, it was a book. Not one I'll be reading again. Not one I'll be reading any more of in the series. But it wiled away an afternoon.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to love about this read! Okay, so first I have to admit that I may be a little bias about the location seeing as I live in NC - so automatically I love the location and the southern accent this read / listen provided. Also, since I am reviewing the audio version of this read I have to say how much I loved the narration and the accents and voices for the characters...awesome job! As for the book itself, I felt that it was well written and provided a great introduction to this town and all it's variety of characters and the way they all interact (I can't say too much with out giving bits away) but it was absolutely captivating. I loved the mystery - how it was introduced and solved. I can't help but want to be Zoe...it looks like her life is coming up roses!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.