Witch Doggone Killer?

Superior Bay Witch #1

by Paula Lester

You know you’re in for a doozy of a work day when your first appointment is dead when you get to the exam room.

Willow Morgan lives a quiet life in Superior Bay. Winter lasts for up to nine months there, and the biggest event of the year is the summer dog show. People come from all over to attend. It brings money and prestige to town.

But when Willow’s landlord is poisoned to death, she quickly finds herself in a tricky situation. People are canceling their appointments, afraid when they learn someone was murdered in her clinic. And one of her employees is acting super strange.

Then she’s asked to take over the dead man’s spot as a dog show judge, and she gets even more nervous. After all, she’s the town veterinarian, so is it even okay for her to be a judge? And, oh yeah, she’s a witch who can talk to animals, but only her elderly aunt is in the know on that point.

Before long, Willow is in way over her head. She has to learn the rules for judging the dog show, save her business from financial ruin, and juggle a couple of potential love interests.

But that’s not the worst of it. Willow is pretty sure she may be on the short list for the killer’s next victim. Now, she’s racing the clock to catch the murderer and finds herself having to choose between revealing her secret and possibly losing her life.

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

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2020

Reviews

[Elysian Fields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can a murder mystery be fun? I think so because this was a very fun story! We meet Willow who is living in a small town, who is a vet and had a special gift. One morning while working her landlord comes in an dies!! it seems everyone in town as a reason to dislike this man and so not trusting the police completely, and being a suspect herself; Willow starts her own investigation.

What I loved about this story was beyond the mystery. It was the gift that Willow has they really made this a fun and enjoyable read. I loved seeing the clues come together as well as getting to know the characters in this new series. There is a small hint of a love interest, or two... and I defiantly have a preference, LOL. Fast paced and entertaining this is a wonderful cozy mystery to brighten your day. Recommended for loves of animals and mysteries a like. I will be waiting for book two.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Willow is the lone veterinarian in her town. However, there is a larger veterinatrian office in a nearby town that is taking business away from her practice. A dog owner is poisoned and dies in Willow's offce and as a result Willow and her staff are considered to be murder suspects. This results in a business drop off, so Willow decides to investigate and see what she can learn about the dog owner. Without giving away too much, she learns that the dog owner owned a lot of commerical buildings, was raising rent and could have been receiving bribes as a dog show judge. There are lots of possibilities for why this person was murdered and lots of suspects. I will be looking for more books by this author!

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

[PugMom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun paranormal cozy!

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book. A mystery, dogs and witches are three of my favourite subjects in a story so it was a given that I would love this book and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. I love the fact the main characters is a vet (another break from the norm for this author and the reason I enjoy her books so much because they are different from other books in this genre) and the fact she can talk to animals, who wouldn't want to?It added a different element to a good murder mystery. I hadn't worked who the killer which was great because I hate it when it is to obvious. The characters were interesting and I liked how they interacted with each other. A great start to what I think will be a brilliant and long running series, fingers crossed because I want to visit Superior Bay again.
Willow is a small town veterinarian and despite being able to talk to her patients, the four legged kind, things are not going well. Her land Lord keeps putting up the rent on the building holding the practice and she is losing customers to a bigger and newer surgery that has just opened up in the next town. Things are not helped when her land Lord demands an appointment so his dog can get all his shots and be ready to be entered in to the town's big dog show, as the man dies in her waiting room. As well as being most of the town's land Lord he is also head judge for the show and with his death Willow is asked to step in and take his place. Willow reluctantly agrees and just hopes the show wasn't the reason for his death or she could literally be stepping into his shoes in more ways than one. The main reason she is happy to step in is because with the police suspecting her it gives her a chance to find and question other suspects. Was his death because of the show or was it to do with his buildings and the rent hike? Can Willow solve the murder before the show is over? Or is a dog's bark more dangerous than its bite?
I liked the narrator, she had a good range of voices for the different characters and even managed to voice a chipmunk

[Mary Lou Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

WITCH DOGGONE KILLER? is the first book in the Superior Bay Witch Doctor Mystery series. I believe each book will stand on its own, but it’s always best to read the first book in a series first.

Willow is a witch with a unique ability to speak with animals. This is definitely a plus in her work as a veterinarian. Her life-long friends do not know about any of her skills.

When Willow’s landlord dies in her waiting room, it turns out that there are a lot of suspects for a victim that not many people liked, but there is not an info dump. I liked that everyone was brought in naturally and I felt that I was getting to know them even if Willow has lived in the town all of her life. A well-written mystery, wonderful characters, and a likeable main character makes this a series that I’m looking forward to continuing.

Willow has two potential love interests that were given equal presentation by the author. I know whom I would say is the better choice for her, but we’ll see.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Title: WITCH DOGGONE KILLER?
Series: Superior Bay Witch Doctor Mystery #1
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Recommended for: 16+
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Paula Lester

[Aimee Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow Morgan is a vet that has the the ability to speak to and understand animals. She is working hard in her clinic, trying to keep up with the clients and animals that are there. She is overbooked due to the rush of the upcoming dog show. She is worried about the landlord raising his rent on her again, losing business to another clinic. She is looking forward to the appointment her landlord made to see his dog. When Willow goes out to see him, he looks like he is sleeping. Willow realizes that the Arthur is dead, she calls the police.
Willow has decided to look into the death of her landlord, while running her clinic. She doesn't want this to make things worse for her. She is also asked to be a judge in the dog show. Willow accepts even though she knows that others would be better for the job. Willow also have her best friends to help her with this. She learns something about her best friend Crosby and her vet tech Jeremy that she doesn't know what she will do.

This was a really good book, there is the mystery of the murder, laughs, friendships and the promise of romance for the lead character. I really enjoyed reading this book, look forward to the next book.

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

[Sue-Dee Numb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written great read.

This is a very well written paranormal cozy. I love that Willow is a well fleshed out character, she is a vet, granted she can speak to animals which can help her diagnose, but she is still a well educated professional, all her friends are ( we have the ubiquitous cop, and the will they won't they but that's par for the course in this genre)
I Thoroughly enjoyed Willows escapades as she and her friends decided to clear her name of the murder of local bigshot and slumlord, Arthur Wiggins. He died in her surgery by poison. With an alleged reason to murder him, as he had put her rent rates up...again Willow is convinced people are now going to pull their animals from her clinic which has already been hit hard by the vets office in the next town over. So much to her friend Crosy's (the cop) dismay Willow will use whatever she can to clear her name including listening to the gossip of Chipmunks!

This was a fun cozy set in the curious world of dog shows where people will try and buy the judges favour. and no one seems happy. what ever you do someone is going to be disappointed! -

Well written and well thought out and with a touch of magic I enjoyed reading this one, and can hand on my heart recommend it  

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow Morgan lives in Superior Bay as the town’s veterinarian. Their big annual event is the summer dog show where people from all over come to attend. When Willow’s landlord, Arthur Wiggins – who owns most of the buildings in town and keeps raising the rent -- is poisoned and dies at her office, people start cancelling their appointments as suspicion falls on her clinic. It doesn’t help that one of her employees is behaving strangely.

When she is asked to take the dead man’s job as a dog show judge, she isn’t sure it is even proper or ethical with her knowing many of the “patients”. She is also a witch who can talk to animals, a secret only one person knows. Now she has to learn the rules for judging the dogs, try to save her business from financial ruin since she has already lost enough clients to the vets over in Red River, and deal with a possible love interest. Worse yet, she may be the killer’s next victim. Can she find the murderer before that happens? Will her own secret get out?

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! Willow Morgan our MC is a vet with the ability to talk to animals which is definitely a cool skill.

Willow is a hard working veterinarian trying to keep her little animal clinic afloat as she loses clients to a bigger city and her landlord keeps raising the rent. As a very big dog show in town is about to take place Willow has a full day of appointments set up one of which includes her landlord. She hopes to discuss his latest notice of yet again another rent increase when he suddenly dies in her waiting area. Needless to say this dramatically alters her day as most of her client cancel their appointments.

With her future and livelihood hanging in the balance Willow decided to try to help solve this crime with a little help from her friends.

This was a really fun book filled with laughs, friendships and tad bit of murder. I look forward to the next book.

Definitely a good book to add to your TBR pile if you like a fun cozy mystery.

I received this book from Booksprout for an honest review.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the characters. Would love to live in this town. Willow is the only vet in town but competition from a huge vet office in the neighboring town has her business struggling. But when a dog owner dies in her office of poison, she and her employees are suspects. As her business drops off because of it she starts investigating on her own, even though one of her best friends is the police officer investigating the murder. And there are so many suspects. The deceased owned most of the commercial buildings in the town and was once again raising rents, and many people have implied that he was a dishonest dog show judge and was taking bribes for years to give dogs higher marks. And the local dog show, a big event in the area, is in a few days. There are multiple reasons why this man was murdered so many suspects. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading something from this author. I enjoyed the book. It was a fun read with interesting characters. The murderer wasn't revealed until close to the end. Well done mystery. I'm going to read the next one now!


Amazon synopsis:
Willow Morgan is perfectly content with caring for animals and keeping her witch identity secret. But her ability to communicate with people’s pets won’t pay the latest hike on her clinic’s lease. Planning to confront the property owner about his lofty fees during his dog’s appointment, she’s terrified to find him in her lobby… poisoned to death.

With herself and her staff the key suspects, Willow’s determined to investigate the crime and prove their innocence. But when she��s unexpectedly invited to judge the town’s prestigious dog show, Willow fears the event isn’t as innocent as it seems…

Can Willow use her magical talents to tag the culprit before she plays permanently dead?

[Aaleyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I really liked the whole idea of witches talking to animals, and I loved the whole plot and story line. My only "complaints" are that the writing style could have been better and the climax and reveals weren't the best, but those weren't enough to interfere with my enjoyment of the story. The side characters were also really amazing, although I'm a teensy bit partial to Crosby. The "romance" subplot was also done really well and I love how the author presented two amazing options, instead of totally favouring one over the others. There were also a couple spelling and grammar errors that I noticed while reading, but this is an ARC, and those things will probably get corrected before publication. Overall, I give this book 4.7 stars, but I'll round it to 5.

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

[Darla Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow Morgan is a vet with a secret. She's a witch with an ability to talk to animals. That ability comes in handy at her practice but doesn't help pay the bills and it seems her landlord is going to raise the rent again. However, she doesn't wish the man ill and is shocked when she finds his lifeless body in her waiting room. When Willow's asked to replace the man as a dog show judge, she realizes that his death may have something to do with the dog show rather than his rental practices.

I really enjoyed this book which is first in the series. It was a well-written, quick, fun read with wonderful characters. I was drawn in from the beginning and kept hooked while the mystery kept me guessing. I'm looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow is ready to receive a walk in patient but she finds out he will be her last because he died i in her waiting room. Crosby is her best friend and town sheriff so he comes to investigate but he slips up and tells her she is a suspect. Willow decides to investigate to find out who killed him because she wants to extonerate herself and save her business and in the middle of her investigation she is asked to be a judge for the dog show and with the pay that she receives she might be able to survive and save her clinic.

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

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willow is first a veterinary, second a good friend, and third a witch - even if fairly untrained.
She lives in Superior Bay, and struggles to keep her pet clinic open, as her landlord -again - increases her rent. When said landlord is found dead in her clinic waiting room days before the annual dog show, she starts looking into who might have killed him, as she and her staff are part of the suspect list.
A small town cozy, which mostly relies on the typical small-town excentric characters. Fun to read and leading the reader astray a few times thinking one knows who the killer might be. A fun read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series by Paula Lester. This was a paranormal, clean, cozy mystery that was full of fun, flirty, mischief and was a joy to read.

Loved the storyline. Super strong and highly entertaining. The characters were super fun and will definitely grow on me as the series progresses. Engaging dialogue that was quirky and comical. Detailed descriptions were easy to visualize.

Written as a first person, single pov with a compleated mystery ending.

Would I recommend this book? Yes

Would I read more from this author? Yes

Sassy Beta Reading and Review

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

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgan runs a vet clinic. Things are going really well for her until Willow's landlord dies in her waiting room. It is no secret that he owns a lot of real estate in Superior Bay and has a habit of raising the rent on his properties. When word gets out that someone was found poisoned in her waiting room, the clients cancel, and work fades to a crawl. Totally unheard of especially during the dog show in town that brings in much-needed funds to the town. Can Morgan find out who killed her landlord and why? The animals are helpful in this cute story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Booksprout.

[Shweta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I read a lot of Paula Lester's work, this is a new series that I came across.

A cozy series the plot moves around a vet who happens to be a witch and can talk to animals.

When someone is murdered at her clinic, Willow sets out to find out the murderer and clear her name.

An interesting, light plot. With her signature flair Paula creates a warm Introduction to the new town where a new set of people will be come alive for us.

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

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow may be a witch but the only real magic in the story was her ability to talk to animals--which comes in very handy for a veterinarian. When the most unliked man in town ends up dead, there are plenty of suspects and several possible motives. Willow, along with her best friends and aunt, set out to find the culprit. I was surprised by who that turned out to be. The story is well-written with likable characters, a possible romance, and an engaging plot. Definitely going to read the second book.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Willow Morgan is a vet who discovers her landlord dead in her waiting room. With appointments being cancelled and her the newest judge for the summer dog show, she snoops around trying to find the killer when suspicions point to her. Very interesting and enjoyable read, great characters. Looking forward to the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sherri Geisler Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow who happens to be a vet and a witch and can talk to animals. finds her landlord dead in one of her exam rooms. Of course making her a suspect. Then she is asked to be a judge for the dog show. Someone has to replace the dead guy right? Of course no one else in town knows she can talk to animals so they do not think there is a problem with this. A fun to read mystery.

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

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Paula Lester’s new witch series! Willow is a vet who can communicate with animals! How cool is that? This book was so much fun to read. The characters were all really likable and you could tell that they’d been friends forever. I didn’t guess the killer at all, even though the clues were there for me to find. Makes for a great read!

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

[Victoria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn't every child dream of being able to talk to the animals? For Willow, the dream is real and so helpful in her veterinary practice. And when there is murder? Well, from the dogs in the local dog show to the park wildlife, Willow has a secret advantage that she uses to help trap the killer. There are extra surprises along the way, and maybe the hint of romance. Enjoyed this first book in the series and looking forward to reading the next book.

[Ann Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy a cozy mystery with a sprinkle of magic then you will like Witch Doggone Killer? By Paula Lester. It was a fun, quick read. The main character is veterinarian Willow who can speak to animals. She finds her slum lord dead in the lobby of vet clinic. To save her vet clinic she needs to use a little magic, the help of some talking animals and her 3 childhood best friends to solve the murder.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witch Doggone Killer? by Paula Lester is such a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this brand new start to a series and I loved reading this story and can not wait to read the next book. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about cozy mysteries.

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

[Anne Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow is a witch who can talk to the animals - she is also a vet. When her landlord dies in her waiting room and it turns out that he has been murdered, she has to solve the crime quickly - before it costs her her business!
Who is to blame - and why? Loved it!

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

[Val Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read, not too predictable with some interesting twists. A witchy vet who can talk to animals, who is also a suspect in the murder of her landlord, a dog owner. With a little help from the animals and the good looking cop, can they solve the murder? Will be looking forward to more in this series

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

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 1 of the Superior Bay Witch Doctor Mysteries. What a great new cozy mystery series!! I loved the characters and storyline. Both are well written and hold your interest. I’m looking forward to the next book and recommend reading.

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

[Biggs_bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute read. It’s not really a witchy book like implied and it’s a mystery. There are elements of being a witch but it’s really about a dog show and murder. It’s well written but I just wasn’t drawn in and held captive.

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

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow loves her vet practice in Superior Bay. However, after her crotchety landlord is found dead in her waiting room, she must find the killer to save her reputation and her life. I loved Willow’s special ability to understand her patients and how they helped her.

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