Murder and Moonstones

Crystal Cove #1

by Cindy Stark

Opal never expected to find a dead body shortly after returning home to Crystal Cove. But there it was, floating in the water. Still, if she’d needed a sign that she was meant to use her magic to help her grandpa solve the town’s troubles, she couldn’t ask for a better one.

Except, her police chief grandfather wants her far from danger, and his assistant police chief, though too sexy to ignore, is keeping some of the evidence to himself.

Either way, Opal’s having none of it. She’s going to prove she’s a valuable asset, and the best way to do that is to solve the crime. The police are dragging their feet, and Opal knows if they don’t crack the case soon, someone might get away with murder. If she needs help, she’ll call her BFF who may just be a psychic.

Grab your copy of Murder and Moonstones today to immerse yourself in murder, magic and mayhem! Murder and Moonstones is the first book in the Crystal Cove Cozy Mystery series. If you enjoy lighthearted, paranormal mysteries with a fun romance, then you’ll love Cindy Stark’s mystical adventures!

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Ebooks, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Magical Realism

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 8, 2019

About the author

Cindy Stark lives with her family and a sweet Border Collie in a small town shadowed by the Rocky Mountains. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romances, and she loves to hear from readers.

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http://www.CindyStark.com
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Thank you!

Reviews

[Jae · Rating 3 out of 5]

After spending six years in Sedona, AZ training in witchcraft and honing her abilities, Opal is returning to her hometown of Crystal Cove, OR. In her eagerness to see her grandfather again, Opal is pulled over by officer Lucas Keller and given a speeding ticket. To calm and center herself, she stops near the water to take a breather. Unfortunately, Opal finds a body floating and calls the police station...which is how her grandfather learns she's home.

Opal is dismayed when her formerly caring grandfather seems cold and distant to her. She's also dismayed when she keeps encountering not only Officer Keller about town, but also her ex-boyfriend, Ryan. It was Ryan who broke her heart and led to her staying away from Crystal Cove for so long. As she settles in, Opal lands a job at a local bed and breakfast, and she convinces her grandfather to allow her to intern part-time at the police station. There, Opal hopes to use her abilities to help solve the murder.

Well now. I enjoyed the premise of the book. Opal was an engaging character, but she did some things I didn't approve of, such as wiping another character's memory with a spell. I liked her BFF, Penelope. The narrative was somewhat choppy; it didn't flow smoothly. Also, there appears to be a budding attraction/romance between Opal and Lucas, and I cannot even. Whyyyyyyyyy must cozy mystery authors make the love interest be someone in law enforcement, and whyyyyyyyy do so many of them have the love interest be an absolute ass to the main character when they first meet? Ugh ugh ugh. Finally, the resolution was very slap-dash, which made all of the sleuthing leading up to it basically useless. Give the characters and the readers a chance to solve the mystery instead of simply dumping the solution on us at the end of the book. Blah.

I liked the story, and I'd like to award four stars, but too much was off-putting. This earns three stars.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book for the most part (because it hit the high notes of a cozy mystery with an otherwise unsuspecting lady in a small town helping solve a suspicious death), but I was REALLY turned off/grossed out by Opal's boneheaded decision to cast that memory spell on her ex. There were some pretty squicky non-consent lines she crossed in doing it that sort of tainted the story for me. However, I'm holding out hope that what she did totally blows up in her face and she'll face the consequences of it down the road.

That said, Opal needs to do A LOT of growing up if she plans on helping her grandfather and the police department in the future. For all she moved away from town specifically to learn about her abilities and hone her skills, she felt very immature in her desire to show her grandfather she was an adult with said abilities. Or maybe not in her desire to be seen as an adult, but in the way she went about trying to show it.

I enjoyed the book for the most part, but I'm mostly moving forward with the series to see if Opal gets her just desserts in crossing that line. The setup for that happening looks promising (and, really, how can you hide that you just wiped your entire existence from someone's memory when the bulk of the town knows you were together in the past) and I'm curious about the ghosts (because ghosts!). In the end, I think Opal needs to grow up a bit if she wants to make the type of difference she wants to make in town.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opal Mayland headed back to Crystal Cove, Oregon, her hometown. She couldn’t wait to hug her grandpa, the town’s police chief. In a hurry, she increased her speed, only to see police lights and siren pull behind her. She tried a redirection spell to turn the cop around, but neither of the two she tried worked. The cop would be even angrier at her making him chase her. And when they stopped, she didn’t recognize him. Her story was so lame that he did not believe her. This was not going well. Sure enough, he gave her a speeding ticket. She drove away slowly and turned toward the beach to perform a cleansing ritual since she had embraced her witch heritage. Writing down what she wanted to release, she burned the page to release the negative energy. The sight of something large bobbing in the water startled her – there was a body floating in the water! She fully intended to now use her magic to help her grandpa solve this mystery.

Unfortunately, her Police Chief grandfather doesn’t want her help. Nor does Lucas, the Assistant Chief of Police. But whether they like it or not, Opal intends to show she can be an asset to them, so she must solve the crime before someone gets away with murder! Will she actually find the murderer? Or will she cause more havoc in her failed attempts to help?

This is a different approach to a mystery series. I am still making my mind up about how I feel about some of the characters. Opal has some good qualities, but then she does things that are annoying and unacceptable. But this is a good start on seeing the town of Crystal Cove and meeting some characters who will most likely be regulars in the series.

[Pam]

I am not interested. I'm tired of mysteries with a relatively new witch who goes around the local law enforcement trying to solve the murder herself.

Amazon synopsis:
When Opal returns to the mystical shores of Crystal Cove, she doesn't expect her welcome home to include stumbling upon a chilling mystery — a dead body floating in the serene waters of her quaint hometown. This grim discovery, however, feels like a bizarre sign, urging her to embrace her newly-honed magical talents to aid in the town's dilemmas alongside her skeptical grandfather, the town's police chief.

Despite her grandfather's reservations about magic and his overprotective instincts to keep her out of harm's way, Opal senses that her abilities might just be the key to unlocking the secrets surrounding the murder. Complicating matters is the enigmatic assistant chief, Lucas Keller, whose undeniable allure is matched only by his mysterious reluctance to share crucial evidence.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd enjoyed several other books by Cindy Stark and characters from this series were mentioned in the Sweet Mountain Witches series, so I thought I'd read this to make sure I got the background. Unfortunately I don't like this book anywhere near as much as the others. It's written in third person, which is the first thing I disliked. I much prefer my cosy mysteries in first person perspective. Perhaps if the book had been directly from Opal's point of view, I might have liked her better - while I sympathise with her to a degree for the way people treat her, she lost a lot of my support when she started using magic to affect people's minds without their knowledge or consent. Perhaps the point of it is that she'll learn better over the later books, but I don't care enough about her to read them and find out.

[Aimee Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opal is excited to finally be able to come home after being away for so long. Her return home doesn't go as planned. She decides to make a stop after a mishap. Opal is enjoying the ocean when she makes a horrible discovery. Opal finds a body of a man. She calls her grandfather about the it. Opal is thrown by her grandfathers attitude. Opal also sees the same cop as before. Opal decides to look into the what happened regardless of what others think.

This is just a little snippet of what occurs. Opal is in for an eye opening experience in her return home. She will have quite a few issues with someone she least expected. Opal also gets to reconnect with some close friends. Opal will have her work cut of for her now. I truly enjoyed this book and look for many more books in this series.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opal discovers her homecoming is nothing like any of the ways she had pictured it.

For starters, as she gets closer to her hometown, a speeding ticket from an irritating but hunky new officer.

Opal seems to wind up walking from one bad or awkward situation to another, discovering a body, a relationship she didn’t know her grandfather had, a really annoying ex and some poor choices trying to make it clear they had no chance- and sadly, the grandfather who raised her no linger seems quite do affectionate and seems to hsve little respect for her

This seems a likely bumpy ride - I am so looking forward to reading it

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

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad first book.

Although this is relatively short, I had fun reading this. Opal is a fairly uncomplicated character, and her return to Crystal Cove is quite memorable, but not for any good reason. Her grandfather is an a$$, and while she falls back into the swing of things, well, she can’t help but use her witchy tendencies to stick her nose into the investigation. So while I enjoyed this, I didn’t love it. I thought the characters would have benefited from a lot of fleshing out, and some characters were used once to great effect, but then put aside (like Malcolm and that ghostly snark). Oh well, I will still pick up book two as I’m curious as to when Opal is going to have a certain ‘chat’ with her grandfather about his behaviour.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opal is back home and her police chief grandfather wants her away from anything dangerous, like a murder investigation. She knows she can help though and with a little help from Lucas, the asst police chief, they can figure this out. The champion swimmer of the town was found floating in the water. The characters are fun and the banter works well. The stress of finding the killer is constant and keeps the pages turning. The ending was right on par and well done. Can not wait to read another by this author.

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

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in a new series

Opal has spent six years away from home, so when she comes back, she shouldn’t be too surprised to find some changes.
She didn’t expect one of the first things she found to be a dead body though!
Since her grandfather is chief of police, Opal really wants to help him solve the case...

This enjoyable book introduces us to a new town, and some new characters.
It’s a quick read, a pleasant way to while away an hour or two, and has a dash of magic to make it more fun!

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure who was behaving worse, Opal or her grandfather, the Chief of Police. Opal arrived with one set of expectations, hoping to surprise her grandfather. The Chief didn’t sound so enthusiastic when he heard that she was back and found a dead body. Not a great homecoming. The speeding ticket she got didn’t help either. I’m hoping to get to know and understand these characters better. There seem to be lots of things hidden so far. On to the next book!

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

[Renee Marski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute start to the series! Coming back to town after being away at school for 6yrs, the first thing Opal does is get a speeding ticket. And then find a dead body. This all leads to her telling her police chief grandfather she wants to be an investigator. He thinks she's kidding or that she cant handle it but she proves that she can and that a little magic goes a long way.

I enjoyed this story although the clash between her and her grandfather was sad to see. Hopefully they resolve that in later books!

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming home

Opal has been away for 6 years attending school to explore her witchy heritage that has been kept secret in her little town of Crystal Cove. Her grandfather, the man who has raised her, is not only the chief of police but also a paranormal hunter that married a witch years ago. As Opal makes her speedy entrance into town, she earns herself a ticket from an all business police officer and stumbles across a dead body to boot. A wonderful series start!!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opal Mayland is returning to Crystal Cove after being away for six years to learn her craft of being a witch.
Her return is not the triumph she thought it would be, rather a not so funny comedy of errors.
She gets a speeding ticket, finds her grandfather to be a bit frosty about her return, and she finds a body all within her first couple of hours of being home.

Developed characters, some humor, and a solid plotline.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting paranormal cozy mystery that was a good introduction to the Crystal Cove series. Opal returns to town and doesn't find the warm reception she was expecting. She finds a dead body before she even returns home and inserts herself into the investigation. She also finds herself using a spell on an ex that will cause more issues later in the series if I am guessing correctly. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

[Shweta · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Opal moves home, she thought she'd start a new life helping her grandfather the chief of police.

But between being a witch, keeping herself safe from witch hunters, doing spells, catching a killer and flirting with Assistant Chief of Police, she's in for a roller coaster ride.

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

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first from this author but from the first page to the very end I was hooked and I am awaiting the second with bated breath. This book is well written and the characters are hilarious. I would recommend this book to everyone.

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

[Susan Royston · Rating 2 out of 5]

???

I absolutely love Cindy Stark. That said, I don't understand why the protagonist and her grandfather have so much tension! As a voracious reader, I have never read a book that made Me tense while reading it. It seemed to jump from one thing to another without any connection. Because I love the author O will try the next book in hopes that I can figure out what is going on.

[Myra Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating from the first page

I was just going to check if I had read this book after I downloaded it and found myself still reading several chapters in. This series has tons of mystery in the overall series that's intriguing. I loved the courage of Opal andand the friend Penelope. Amazing start to a new series.

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leave this one on a shelf

So very negative! There are few bright spots in this entire narrative. Her first encounter returning home, her grandfather, her being a witch in a time where witches were no longer hunted. The killer and suspects all completely negative. Makes you crave a cleansing ritual after reading this!

[Jeanne Jenike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book. Interesting relationships developed . I did think her grandfather was mean, sort of. Could do without old boyfriend etc as it did not add to the book.

[Ann Marie Augustino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

My only complaint was at times it drug along to many repeated images and descriptions, I felt the character was immature and petty. I feel I really do not have enough rapport but I want to know more and I am looking forward to the series to onfold.

[Willow Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read 2 in the series and they were both really good. Imagine being the granddaughter of a witch hunter and being a witch!

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

[Sharon Rockteschel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet ocean smells

Mystery and a budding romance will always find a solution to any problem that pops up. Throw in a handsome cop and a grandfather Chief and there is nothing they can't solve.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in this series. Opal decides to return to her hometown. But things are as she had hoped. Her grandfather, who raised her doesn't seem to be happy that she has returned. A man has died but is it murder? Quite the page turner.

[Patricia A Spring · Rating 4 out of 5]

cosy paranormal murder mystery

The characters were too quick to anger, too sure they were right (when they weren’t) and too stubborn, unable to communicate with others. Everyone is holding a grudge or hard feelings. So much was started or hinted at but then dropped.

[Shannon Colgin fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

I really like this author. I hope more books are on the horizon, great escape for a few hours a day.

[Darlena D Doak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it.

I really liked this book. At places it felt a little drug out but over it is a really nice read.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I‘d love to read more books in this series

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

New enjoyable series. Returning home after a six year absence Opal finds a lot that needs to be explained starting with the change in her grandfather's attitude.