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Point Muse #0.5

The Pernicious Pixie and the Choked Word

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There’s a murder in the stacks, a pernicious pixie stalking victims and a nosy librarian turned sleuth. Let the mayhem begin…


Xandie Meyers never wanted to work with her officious father at Andrews College library but out of work beggars can’t be choosers. Even librarians have to eat. However stumbling over a body wasn’t part of her library duties.

If Xandie wants her and her father to keep their jobs then Sherlock Librarian needs to swing into action. Dodging paranormal investigator Ethan Jackson is just the icing on the murderous cake.

But now her eyes are open to the supernatural around her and a twisted pixie killer is threatening those she cares about.
Can Xandie survive long enough to navigate her freaky new world? Or will things that go bump in the night have her for a midnight snack?

If you like snarky dialogue, murder and mayhem, then you’ll love the first installment in Kelly Ethan’s Point Muse Mysteries, a new cozy paranormal mystery series.

Unlock the mayhem of The Pernicious Pixie and the Choked Word today!

95 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2019

26 people are currently reading
92 people want to read

About the author

Kelly Ethan

48 books32 followers

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5 stars
35 (46%)
4 stars
25 (32%)
3 stars
10 (13%)
2 stars
3 (3%)
1 star
3 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,914 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2019
It shows great promise!

This is the prequel. And while it was light-hearted, which I like, and pleasant and enjoyable, there was something about the writing style that seemed off to me, just a bit weird. Xandie talks or mumbles to herself out loud a lot. Also in situations where silence would have been the logical choice, for example while she was snooping. I thought for a while they were just her thoughts, but no, she was talking out loud to herself all the time. And I believe it’s better to work these sentences into her thought process within the story, not with “”. Example, quote: “A little black book worth killing for?” Xandie flicked through the pages, pausing every so often to read. “Technically, a pink book.” Now this is a situation where she is on her own. If it had been worked into the story it would have flowed better. This kept me from really being pulled into the book. And unlike Xandie, I spotted the villain quite soon. But that could have been a lucky guess.

Having said all this: it does show great promise! The world building was excellent. So please take this as constructive criticism from a paranormal cozy fan. I hope my comments make sense. I really mean well; there is definitely potential!
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
December 17, 2019
A little bit of Sparkle makes the world brighter

Nice to see a fresh approach to the supernatural world and the various groups that inhabit it. The characters are fresh, bright but real and they are perfectly matched to the role they are to play in the read. The plot is all about a plagiarising professor who has a best seller. However when he is found dead in the academic library by our FMC, she finds that his death leads her onto other questions. An illegal drug on campus, a little notebook and an agent from PIG (a special division of the FBI). The more she questions people the more she is drawn into the supernatural world. Another death, the kidnapping of her father and a waitress and then the ransom demand. But who is behind it all? Will she live to tell the tale and why does the agent keep telling her to visit her inheritance?
Terrific action, fast paced but clear and concise - a pleasure to read.
1,352 reviews5 followers
November 7, 2025
I’ve got to admit that the title is almost as long as this cute prequel.
Alexandra (Xandie) has lost her librarian job due to downsizing and has been forced to work with her annoying father at the Andrews College. She is trying to decide if she should go to the small town of Point Muse to accept an inheritance left to her by her aunt.
When she discovers the body of an author who just had a showing at the library, things are changing quickly. All of a sudden, she is learning about a new drug, Sparkle, that is made up of pixie dust. She meets the local PIG (Paranormal Investigator Group) detective.
As she tries to figure out who committed the murder, she comes across pixies, brownies and witches.
This is a fun little book showing Xandie’s exposure to the paranormal world.
There is not really any action, but there is magic, surprises, suspense and some humour.
A quick, light, easy read.
Profile Image for Jae.
901 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2025
Xandie would rather be doing anything but working for her austere father at the library at Andrews College, but she needs a job. As if working for her persnickety father wasn’t bad enough, Xandie stumbles over a dead body in the library. When paranormal investigator Ethan Jackson arrives to investigate, Xandie learns there’s more to this world than meets the eye. Her father won’t tell her anything, and all Ethan will tell her is to go to Point Muse, where her great-aunt Sera lived. First, however, Xandie must survive harmful hexes and murderous pixies if she wants to live long enough to visit Point Muse.

Not a long story, but put together well for all that. Characters came across fine, the plot was sensible and not bogged down with a lot of incidental descriptors.

Lite and lively, four stars!
199 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2020
This is the prequel to the Point Muse Cozy Paranormal Mystery series. It's a nice change from the standard cozy mystery formula and I enjoyed it. Xandie discovers that the paranormal world exists and that she needs to explore her part in it. And, of course, that the paranormal world has a paranormal drug problem and now a murder. The characters are interesting and the story kept my interest until the end. This is a good start to a promising series.

I received an advance copy of the book and this is my honest review.
1,024 reviews19 followers
April 1, 2020
Wow! Pixies, Witches, Brownies and Wizards all in one story. This book was Fun and kept my interest throughout. If you love a touch of paranormal foolery, this is a book for you. The plot is fun and interesting and the characters are great. Cannot wait to read the next book in this series. Definitely found a new author to read.
1,020 reviews9 followers
September 16, 2022
This book is the beginning of Zandie’s discovery of the paranormal. She is an ordinary librarian working with her father at a university campus. A murder happens that is all “tied up” with the paranormal. The investigator keeps on telling her to go to Point Muse & she finally does! An interesting read.
Profile Image for Larry.
3,125 reviews19 followers
January 8, 2024
I liked this story very much. The main character is unassuming and a bit downtrodden by her over zealous father and she had no clue about the magical world before this story started. That is remedied quickly and the race goes on. I am looking forward to the other stories I bought and about a third of the way through the next one. I definitely recommend this book.
Profile Image for Dolly.
267 reviews3 followers
June 5, 2020
This was an engaging tale, featuring fun characters as well as a few agravating ones.  The plot was quite intricate and the setting was interesting as well. This was an enjoyable read. It makes you want to go on the the next book in the series. 
Profile Image for Angel Ballard.
771 reviews5 followers
June 27, 2022
Better late than never
I've read a great many stories from this series but always managed to lose track of the very first book. What a nice into to Xandie and her father. Family eh? For many of us it can be a double-edged sword. I'm glad that I finally got to read it.
99 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2023
Why is it always the last person we don't expect the person who did it in the end? I was surprised by who it was towards the end. Anyway, be careful of who you talk to or trust because they may be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,681 reviews3 followers
September 29, 2023
I read A LOT so finding a new to me author can hopefully be exciting. I'm extremely glad I stumbled across Kelly Ethan. Here's hoping the rest of this series is as good as this prequel was. I liked the way it was written, the characters had good depth and the laughs & snarkiness where perfect.
Profile Image for Eve Hallows.
9 reviews
September 28, 2020
Loved this book! I ordered the other 4 in the series and can’t wait to get started. Great characters and great plot.
Profile Image for Ashley MacNeel.
101 reviews2 followers
October 22, 2025
DNF'd at 20%

The writing is really rough, the character talks out loud to herself, and she responds to things in an unrealistic and bizarre manner.
Profile Image for Justina Bascombe.
367 reviews3 followers
October 23, 2025
cute and cozy

This was a cute little mystery. It was a great intro to the series and I want to read the rest.
Profile Image for Kim Loomer.
625 reviews9 followers
March 16, 2020
Xandie is a Libririan in the same College Library that her very formal and always right Dad which isn't where she wants to work. After a book signing Xandie finds a dead body in the library as she is closing up for the night. Since there are more types of characters than just "humans" going to this college it make a very interesting chase as she tries to figure out who killed the author. The book hooked me right off the bat and I loved the snark....all the different characters and the whole story. I think Kelly has a good series going here. I can't wait to read the next book.
45 reviews
June 16, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. I was drawn to it because of the title which made it sound quirky and fun...just what I was looking for to read. I was not disappointed.

Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.

Although I found Xandie a very likeable character, I will admit that I didn't like her dad very much right from the start but their relationship worked well in the story.

I can't wait until the next book comes out.
230 reviews2 followers
December 18, 2019
Murder in the library. Xandie works at the library in Point Muse with her father. She decides to start investigating after finding a body and let me tell you its not easy to find a killer in a paranormal town, where anyone could be the killer. Magic and mayhem is a great combination in a story and this one does not disappoint. Very fun story with some crazy relatives and a snarky cat. I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Profile Image for Phthon.
2,350 reviews8 followers
December 19, 2019
This is a fun little mystery full of twists and turns! I had a whole lot of fun reading it and definitely want more! Xandie is a hoot and I really like her wit. I look forward to reading more!

Merged review:

This is a fun little mystery full of twists and turns! I had a whole lot of fun reading it and definitely want more! Xandie is a hoot and I really like her wit. I look forward to reading more!
Profile Image for Bea McGhie.
266 reviews12 followers
August 5, 2021
Quirky short prequel to the Point Muse Series by Kelly Ethan.
I read the prequel actually before I read any of the other books, so I went in blind .
Nice introduction to the Point Muse Universe and its main character Xandie Meyers.
It actually made me more curious about the next instalment of the series.
At times the story felt a bit chaotic, rushed, but that did not deter me.
Profile Image for Margarita Rose.
1,207 reviews12 followers
January 7, 2020
This is a good one for relaxing with. Relatable characters and some funny dialogue. You can follow the plot easily. A beginning of the series which gives you the background.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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