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Piper Ashwell, Psychic P.I. #1
A Vision a Day Keeps the Killer Away
Piper Ashwell is no stranger to using her psychic abilities to locate missing persons.
But when her father, Detective Thomas Ashwell, and his new partner enlist her help on the latest case searching for Veronica Castell, daughter of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country, Piper struggles to piece together the clues.
Piper’s only sure of one Veronica is running out of time. Her kidnapper is intent on collecting his ransom and disposing of Veronica.
This time, Piper’s visions might not be enough to bring Veronica home alive.
Fans of Joanne Fluke and Victoria Laurie will enjoy this psychic cozy mystery series. Scroll up and grab your copy today!
But when her father, Detective Thomas Ashwell, and his new partner enlist her help on the latest case searching for Veronica Castell, daughter of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country, Piper struggles to piece together the clues.
Piper’s only sure of one Veronica is running out of time. Her kidnapper is intent on collecting his ransom and disposing of Veronica.
This time, Piper’s visions might not be enough to bring Veronica home alive.
Fans of Joanne Fluke and Victoria Laurie will enjoy this psychic cozy mystery series. Scroll up and grab your copy today!
206 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 22, 2018
34 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Hashway
128 books487 followersKelly Hashway fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the planet, but that didn’t stop her from jumping out of an airplane at ten thousand feet one Halloween. Maybe it was growing up reading R.L. Stine’s Fear Street books that instilled a love of all things scary and a desire to live in a world filled with supernatural creatures, but she spends her days writing speculative fiction for young adults, middle graders, and young children. Kelly is also USA Today bestselling romance author Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title that deserves to be capitalized.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 25, 2024
3.5 because Piper is an annoying brat. Yeshhh
February 8, 2023
Something about the covers of the books in this series attracted me. I don’t know what it is exactly, maybe the colours or the image at the front, but I had a feeling I would like them.
Maybe they reminded me of the Claire Rollins series, which I particularly like. And while similar, the vibe is not the same, but I am not disappointed at all.
I saw other reviewers talk about how this is not exactly cosy, and I get that. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of, such as rape, rape drugs, death and sort of gory details, but I feel all this was dealt with in a very surface level way, and even when reading about topics I usually would avoid, I didn’t feel any kind of discomfort.
I really liked how Piper’s powers are very important in the story. I read books before where the main sleuth had powers but were barely even mentioned, and I believe it is due to possibly poor writing. If you have an MC with powers that could make you solve the case in a chapter, there is no plot and no book, so the result is s character with unused skills. Here instead, Piper is constantly having visions, and they do make sense and can be quite clear, but the issue is interpreting them. For example, This means that her visions make sense, they are just cryptic and the plot revolves around trying to get what they mean.
All this doesn't mean the actual writing is excellent. While not the worst ever, I can see a lot of room for improvement. For the most I was really drawn into the story, but at times the writing would be a bit choppy or skip on some details and take me out of it. However, my expectations were very high so I can still enjoy reading this book in the pockets of time I have.
Mitchell definitely grew on me. Not much, but while at first I hated him, now I feel like he isn’t that bad. I still believe he was crossing a bit too many lines and I don’t get how Piper’s dad would listen to that??? Your daughter is being treated poorly by your colleague and you say nothing? Not good. The banter between the two got better at the end, and I started to enjoy seeing them cooperate quite a bit. I also quite liked how Mitchell does like women and dating around, and when Piper is annoyed at that, he just says that’s who he is and there is nothing wrong with that (I hope we will see that even if he likes casual dating, he does respect the women he sleeps with, because otherwise we can cancel him).
I really like learning more about Mitchell’s past though, and I hope we do get some more about Piper as well. I was happy to see a little about the first mystery Piper solved, but I was hoping for something more, which hopefully will come with the next books.
I think this is because Piper is a character I really like. I can totally get her reticence to open to people, and her attitude that pushes everyone away. What I hope to see in the next instalments is her getting a few more friends during her investigations, and softening a bit, while still retaining her strong personality and sharp tongue.
The mystery is so convoluted! There is always something happening, the characters run around all the time and you never have a boring moment. I was very surprised by the ending,
I was somehow worried I would not like this series. I am not sure what brought me to believe that, but I can’t be happier for how wrong I was. I had such a fun time with this book and will definitely start with the next one soon.
Maybe they reminded me of the Claire Rollins series, which I particularly like. And while similar, the vibe is not the same, but I am not disappointed at all.
I saw other reviewers talk about how this is not exactly cosy, and I get that. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of, such as rape, rape drugs, death and sort of gory details, but I feel all this was dealt with in a very surface level way, and even when reading about topics I usually would avoid, I didn’t feel any kind of discomfort.
I really liked how Piper’s powers are very important in the story. I read books before where the main sleuth had powers but were barely even mentioned, and I believe it is due to possibly poor writing. If you have an MC with powers that could make you solve the case in a chapter, there is no plot and no book, so the result is s character with unused skills. Here instead, Piper is constantly having visions, and they do make sense and can be quite clear, but the issue is interpreting them. For example, This means that her visions make sense, they are just cryptic and the plot revolves around trying to get what they mean.
All this doesn't mean the actual writing is excellent. While not the worst ever, I can see a lot of room for improvement. For the most I was really drawn into the story, but at times the writing would be a bit choppy or skip on some details and take me out of it. However, my expectations were very high so I can still enjoy reading this book in the pockets of time I have.
Mitchell definitely grew on me. Not much, but while at first I hated him, now I feel like he isn’t that bad. I still believe he was crossing a bit too many lines and I don’t get how Piper’s dad would listen to that??? Your daughter is being treated poorly by your colleague and you say nothing? Not good. The banter between the two got better at the end, and I started to enjoy seeing them cooperate quite a bit. I also quite liked how Mitchell does like women and dating around, and when Piper is annoyed at that, he just says that’s who he is and there is nothing wrong with that (I hope we will see that even if he likes casual dating, he does respect the women he sleeps with, because otherwise we can cancel him).
I really like learning more about Mitchell’s past though, and I hope we do get some more about Piper as well. I was happy to see a little about the first mystery Piper solved, but I was hoping for something more, which hopefully will come with the next books.
I think this is because Piper is a character I really like. I can totally get her reticence to open to people, and her attitude that pushes everyone away. What I hope to see in the next instalments is her getting a few more friends during her investigations, and softening a bit, while still retaining her strong personality and sharp tongue.
The mystery is so convoluted! There is always something happening, the characters run around all the time and you never have a boring moment. I was very surprised by the ending,
I was somehow worried I would not like this series. I am not sure what brought me to believe that, but I can’t be happier for how wrong I was. I had such a fun time with this book and will definitely start with the next one soon.
April 10, 2021
I'm struggling with how to review/rate this book. I don't consider it a cozy mystery because it's dark, gloomy, and depressing. There is on page violence and blood. I'm not used to reading about those things in cozies and I found it jarring and disturbing encountering them in this book. There is also the gratuitous overuse of foul language and gestures.
The mystery itself is good. The author kept me guessing about who did it and why. I struggled connecting the dots but I suspect that was because I disliked Piper and Mitchell so much and hated them together as partners. I didn't see a ton of errors in the book which is good considering I had to purchase it and it wasn't included in my KU subscription.
I had a hard time warming up to Piper. She's depressing. She's a psychic who has isolated herself. She's only ever kissed one man, she's 28, and has one friend outside her family. The friend isn't really a friend either since she never sees Marcia outside of the bookstore. The reason for this is because if she touches somebody, she gets a vision. Imagine trying to date somebody and you can see all their past partners and sexual encounters? Depressing and unsettling, right? I have no idea why the author did that to her. It made me feel bad for her and uncomfortable. Piper is sassy, I'll give her that. She took that sass to b*tchy often though, maybe that's the real reason she has no relationships?
I had an even harder time warming up to Mitchell. I suspect he's her future love interest, however at the current time he's being set up to be her partner. I don't see that happening. She hates him while he's just looking to score. They are rude to one another and say things that can't be taken back, ever. He is a piece of work. He's a jerk; a womanizing, crude, arrogant jerk. He actually asks Piper about her friend Marcia and shows interest. Piper has a vision of him with some woman that he just picked up, clearly his MO is to pick up strange women for sex. Mitchell is a 30-year old man-child (she even thinks in the beginning that he needed to grow up), I can see why Piper didn't like him.
They did seem to work well together at the end of the book. I suppose they may eventually form some sort of partnership. It would have to be a strictly professional one since I don't know how Piper could ever trust such a womanizer. Since, I prefer my cozies with a touch a romance, I'm not here for a book where there is none. I'm also not here for a book where Mitchell is out there whoring it up while Piper pines away for him or continues her lonely life.
Nope. I'll pass on reading further in this series.
The mystery itself is good. The author kept me guessing about who did it and why. I struggled connecting the dots but I suspect that was because I disliked Piper and Mitchell so much and hated them together as partners. I didn't see a ton of errors in the book which is good considering I had to purchase it and it wasn't included in my KU subscription.
I had a hard time warming up to Piper. She's depressing. She's a psychic who has isolated herself. She's only ever kissed one man, she's 28, and has one friend outside her family. The friend isn't really a friend either since she never sees Marcia outside of the bookstore. The reason for this is because if she touches somebody, she gets a vision. Imagine trying to date somebody and you can see all their past partners and sexual encounters? Depressing and unsettling, right? I have no idea why the author did that to her. It made me feel bad for her and uncomfortable. Piper is sassy, I'll give her that. She took that sass to b*tchy often though, maybe that's the real reason she has no relationships?
I had an even harder time warming up to Mitchell. I suspect he's her future love interest, however at the current time he's being set up to be her partner. I don't see that happening. She hates him while he's just looking to score. They are rude to one another and say things that can't be taken back, ever. He is a piece of work. He's a jerk; a womanizing, crude, arrogant jerk. He actually asks Piper about her friend Marcia and shows interest. Piper has a vision of him with some woman that he just picked up, clearly his MO is to pick up strange women for sex. Mitchell is a 30-year old man-child (she even thinks in the beginning that he needed to grow up), I can see why Piper didn't like him.
They did seem to work well together at the end of the book. I suppose they may eventually form some sort of partnership. It would have to be a strictly professional one since I don't know how Piper could ever trust such a womanizer. Since, I prefer my cozies with a touch a romance, I'm not here for a book where there is none. I'm also not here for a book where Mitchell is out there whoring it up while Piper pines away for him or continues her lonely life.
Nope. I'll pass on reading further in this series.
February 25, 2019
This one is a winner. I loved A Vision a Day Keeps the Killer Away although at first I only like it about 90% but well before the end I was 100% into the characters and the plot. The only negative was the extreme reaction Piper had to Mitch but, in time, that was explained reasonable. I really liked all four of the regular characters and look forward to spending more time with them. First person narrative is not my favorite style but Kelly Hashway handle it well, and it especially worked when Piper was reading an item.
December 5, 2021
I loved A Vision A Day. It balances the gruesome parts of the case with Piper's banter with her new partner, and felt like digging in to the mysteries that Ive loved since I was a kid. It only took me a few days to read and Im jumping on the next one immediately!
February 16, 2020
I’m really enjoying the Piper series. Easy to read mystery with likable characters.
July 11, 2021
Twisty and interesting, just how I like it. This book is a great intro to Kelly Hashway's heroine in Piper Ashwell.
December 5, 2021
A good read. Kelly Hashway delivers interesting characters.
April 26, 2025
3.5. Quick and easy read. Unclear about how she has her visions. The rules were established and then broken. Entertaining but not mind blowing
May 3, 2025
It was .... okay. I liked the mystery, resolution, psychic abilities - but the majority of the story was two the characters bickering, and the MC is not that likeable, so.
October 30, 2024
I had so much fun reading this book. There's humor, snark, banter between two of the characters... and of course a mystery to be solved. The plot and characters were well developed, and I'm looking forward to diving into the next book in the series!
July 29, 2019
A dysfunctional family at it's best
A good read. Fast paced with a storyline that will have you guessing as to who is the real culprit even when the culprit is caught. Good character and the banter between our psychic and her father's detective partner reminds me of the relationship between the two main characters in Bones - fiery and tempestuous.
Her father has come to ask her for help on a missing girl case. A girl from a rich family that disappeared a few days ago. Unbeknownst to her she will have to work with his new partner. A handsome detective that has the local female population in a tizzy but who has his own demons concerning psychic's. The girl's family give her strange vibes - do they love the girl? Add in a kidnapping times two, murder, revenge, greed, drugs and a young girl who has been rebelling for some time. Can they find her? Will she be alive? Will the family secrets come to light? How will she work with her new 'partner'?
A good read. Fast paced with a storyline that will have you guessing as to who is the real culprit even when the culprit is caught. Good character and the banter between our psychic and her father's detective partner reminds me of the relationship between the two main characters in Bones - fiery and tempestuous.
Her father has come to ask her for help on a missing girl case. A girl from a rich family that disappeared a few days ago. Unbeknownst to her she will have to work with his new partner. A handsome detective that has the local female population in a tizzy but who has his own demons concerning psychic's. The girl's family give her strange vibes - do they love the girl? Add in a kidnapping times two, murder, revenge, greed, drugs and a young girl who has been rebelling for some time. Can they find her? Will she be alive? Will the family secrets come to light? How will she work with her new 'partner'?
January 3, 2019
A Fantastic Story
What a great story from start to finish, and the love/hate relationship between private investigator Piper Ashwell, who has physic abilities, and egotistical Detective Mitchell Brennan, her father’s partner, makes the narrative a page-turning, come-to-life, and sometimes amusing. Every character is well-defined, with great dialogue and descriptive backdrops. Piper is a go-getter and a smart PI who speaks her mind defends her talents and doesn’t allow anyone to speak for her. I liked the scene when she said to cocky Brennan, “I’d prefer if you referred to me as Ms. Ashwell. We are on a case.” And what makes the character likable is Piper is not impressed with opulence but Brennan is. Expect some twists and turns, shocking eye-openers, revelations, unrequited love, and an ending you will never see coming.
What a great story from start to finish, and the love/hate relationship between private investigator Piper Ashwell, who has physic abilities, and egotistical Detective Mitchell Brennan, her father’s partner, makes the narrative a page-turning, come-to-life, and sometimes amusing. Every character is well-defined, with great dialogue and descriptive backdrops. Piper is a go-getter and a smart PI who speaks her mind defends her talents and doesn’t allow anyone to speak for her. I liked the scene when she said to cocky Brennan, “I’d prefer if you referred to me as Ms. Ashwell. We are on a case.” And what makes the character likable is Piper is not impressed with opulence but Brennan is. Expect some twists and turns, shocking eye-openers, revelations, unrequited love, and an ending you will never see coming.
January 6, 2019
Read as part of the Death and Damages set. It’s a page turner - I just had to find out what happens next and ended up finishing it in one evening! Great characters and an interesting story. Book 2 going on the “want to read” list :)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews