Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Death

A Dubious Witch Cozy Mystery #3

by Fiona Grace

When Mia Bold, 30, learns that the pharmaceutical company she works for only cares about money, she quits on the spot, walking away from a high-powered career—and from her long-time boyfriend, who breaks up with her.

With the podcast and TV show taking off, Mia’s career and life are finally starting to bloom again—when her uptight family makes an unexpected visit to Salem, to cast doubts on her passion and to urge her to return home.

At the same time, Mia’s show must try to debunk a notoriously haunted house, now on the market for sale. Mia, unable to explain the phenomena, seems to have met her match—just as the real estate agent drops dead.

Could this house be as insidious as it seems?

Or might there be some other motive?

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

206 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2021

About the author

Debut author Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series which includes MURDER IN THE MANOR (Book #1), DEATH AND A DOG (Book #2) and CRIME IN THE CAFE (Book #3). Fiona would love to hear from you, so please visit www.fionagraceauthor.com to receive free ebooks, hear the latest news, and stay in touch.

Reviews

[Lucinda Race]

Book 3 didn't disappoint - I listened to this an audio and at first was skeptical with the new narrator as I enjoyed the previous one but I really enjoyed her voice over. I can't wait until Mia decided who she wants to be with Johnny or Hugh. I do wish Lydia had some closure... but I know not everything can get wrapped up. Maybe she'll make a return appearance.

[Jennifer M.]

It’s frustrating because I don’t hate the story but the maturity level at times has me irritated. The cops are so stupid that the person who called in the dead body must have done it without question. Please! But again I don’t completely hate it because the story is kind of entertaining. The execution was lacking, however.

[Alisha Carderella]

3.25 ⭐️

I love these characters (even with the dreaded love triangle) but I wish the mysteries and Mia’s involvement in them would be different each time. The books are starting to feel exactly the same. I did enjoy having Mia’s family around in this book however and the Scooby-Doo vibe Mia and her friends give off is great!

[Cathy Wells]

I like the regular characters but the new detectives in each series are enormously frustrating. In each book Mia has NO MOTIVE to commit the crimes and the detectives just refuse to look at motive and solely focus on means and opportunity. With each book Mia not only has no motive to commit the crimes, but has substantial motive to NOT commit the crimes. Then supposed good, honest, and seasoned detectives just fails to look at the arguably most important factor of whether someone should be suspect or not.

I'm probably not going to read any more of this series because I get so frustrated with this aspect of every plot.

If you're the type of reader who gets frustrated when the main character continues to get accused of the crime book after book, this series/author is probably not for you.

[Carol]

There is no denying that the Elmwood House is creepy, but for Mia, the well known skeptic and scientist, it was unexplainable that she should feel a horrible dread in the very pit of her stomach, so much so that she actually felt ill when she was in the house. It didn't seem to affect the other members of the podcast team that way, when they went in to scope the place out. And things turned even stranger when Mia decides to face her fears and go in alone.

These books get better and better. I love the mix of the paranormal/mystical stuff going on in Mia's life with the "mundane" family dynamics. And I especially like the spit in the eye for Mia's ex!!

[Laurie Cole]

Excellent series, kept me reading

Loved this series and the characters. When is book 4 being released,it can't come soon enough...Thank you, Fiona Grace, keep up the good work.

[Emily Pennington]

The Haunted House of Death . . .

After Mia Bold finds out the pharmaceutical company only cares about money, she quits and splits up with her boyfriend. Now the podcast and TV show Bell, Book, and Candle are taking off and she’s very busy. So naturally her family chooses now for an unexpected visit to Salem, trying to sabotage her new career and convince her to come home.

Preparing for her show, Mia is researching and will try to debunk the rumors about a haunted house. Mia is finding she can’t explain the phenomena with this one. She has been trying to reach the woman she is working with on this, Cindy Moore, but no one has seen her. The ghost house is for sale, and she finds the real estate agent Cindy Moore there, dead in her car with the motor still running! Was this a suicide? Did the house do this? What’s going on here? And why, now as she and her dog Tandy are feeling sick and dizzy, can’t she get the garage door open nor get into the car to turn off the engine? Fortunately, Tandy continued barking until she realized she did not have time now to search Cindy’s bag for keys. She was already having trouble thinking clearly. They escaped by going through the house and out the front door. And when Detective Charlie Waite arrived, he wanted her downtown for questioning! Things just weren’t adding up right.

Grab your copy of the exciting story to see if the hauntings are real or if someone is using them to explain strange deaths. Why was Cindy killed if it was not an accident?

[Molli]

Eh, this book was okay, but not at the same level as the first two. The audiobook narrator changed for this book. They had no personality and pronounced things differently than the last two books. The lack of different voices made it difficult to keep track sometimes. At least they had a good narration speed unlike the previous narrator.

I also do not like the direction this book took. The first two were very scientific and factual, with a hint of paranormal that was unexplained. This book leaned heavily on the “unexplained paranormal” bit. Didn’t have enough science or facts in my opinion.

Mia’s family dynamic is weird. Who calls their biological mom by their first name consistently? I was also unimpressed by Mia commending Jeffrey at the end. I think the author glossed over the fact that he was controlling/manipulative in lieu of a cleaner ending. Mia’s sister should have left him because he is slightly abusive. Poor choice from the author.

Also, i know it probably couldn’t happen because of music rights/licenses, but they should have closed out the book with the song “Drive” by the cars. It would have really tied the book together vibes-wise, and fit with the ending of the story.

[Michelle]

First off, let me say I love cozy mysteries and this series was not bad but in this book when it came to "solving the crime" I found my self yelling at the main character. I mean what can go wrong going to investigate someone you think might have murdered someone without letting ANYONE know ahead of time where you are going? You can't possibly be that stupid when you have managed to solve 2 previous crimes right? Wrong. Oh and you are frendly(ish) with one of the cops investigating said crime.
So needless to say the book over all is not bad which usually would have meant I would have given it three stars. I mean cozy mysteries are fun usually and 3 or 4 stars is usually where they land on my scale But the fact that I was yelling at it in the last couple of chapters, ehh it got dropped down to two.

[moxieBK]

Skeptic in Salem: An Episode of Death (A Dubious Witch Cosy Mystery—Book 3) — Fiona Grace/Narrator: Quinn Francis (30 chapters + Epilogue) Jan. 3, 2024

This series keeps getting better! Very short review below.

Mia’s large family plus one show up earlier than expected and cause havoc in her personal and professional life. And of course, she again happens upon a dead body.

However, this time it is in a different town and the police are not as caring as Mia’s friends in Salem.

Meanwhile, Jack is showing more signs of liking Mia a little more than friends.

Can’t wait to read the next “episode” in this series.

Five stars.

[Larry]

I have always enjoyed a story where the main character is a skeptic of all things supernatural only to find themselves a sensitive to the very things they are skeptical about. Talk about irony! In this story, the main character is faced with a house that sets her "fight or flight" responses literally ablaze. The plot is easily followed and the premise is finding out who killed the realtor and why. Although the answers were pretty mundane, the ghosts were still present. I definitely recommend this book.

[Jacqui Lynn]

I love the series but someone else needs to be a suspect. This girl has been told time and time again when she's going to a location to call one of the many people available. Not real spoiler spoiler, she goes anywhere alone boom dead body, prints everywhere, now you're a suspect. Production needs to get her a sitter.

[Andrea Olarte]

Enjoyed it just like the other.

Mia as always finds herself in quite the predicament and un the midst of a murder investigation.

I will say this is becoming repetitive but considering the format of these books it should be no surprise.

Again the romance part is bogging things down for me.

I did appreciate the look into Mia’s familial relationships even if the interactions stressed me out.

[Mickey Kay Troxell]

Fantastic!!

I am so grateful that I finally read book 3 in this series! It was fantastic and potentially the best in the series!! I cannot wait to see who she ends up dating (i.e., I hope it’s Johnny)!! Looking forward to book 4.

[Vicki E Larson]

Skeptic in Salem series

I finished the series in 3 days. It was like a feast for the mind. I liked Mia even more than Audrey and Lacey. Please continue the series because I want to know who she chooses, Hugh or Johnny.

[Chris]

I want to just enjoy this quick cozy murder mystery. But the main character is annoyingly stupid. Finding 3 bodies in under 18 months would for sure put her on a FBI list. I enjoy the side characters but now there is a "love triangle" i am losing hope for any followups.

[Sheila Burke]

This book was good. This was the third book in this series I've read. I found it creative, and entertaining. It kept my attention and was hard to put down. Better than expected, and worth the time to read.

[Kelly Faulconer]

A really fun, cute, and cozy murder mystery. A whole bunch of words that are funny to put together. I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was a little slow in the very beginning because I’m not into just dialogue drama. Then some ghost things happens & a murder where it picks up from there.

[Charlie]

Better

Enough better than #2, that I'd be interested in a #4. This addition showed more growth in all of the characters, and the plot had !pre interesting twists.

[Darlena D Doak]

Wonderful

I just love the series. The trouble Mia gets into is amazing. And I cannot wait to see which direction her love life goes now.

[Debbie]

Just finished the series. Not disappointed.

[Kathy Albright]

Good

[Dayle]

Entertaining but the books are starting to feel formulaic?

[Heather Venard]

Another cute entry in the series, but Mia always finding a body to kick it off is getting a little old. I'll read the next book though, if it focuses on her looking for her missing father.

[Sandra (folded.between.pages.of.books)]

3,5 stars

This is such an enjoyable series. I’ve been listening to them on audiobook and they’re so fun!

[Lea]

3.5 stars - lots of family drama and ex madness with a creepy setting and creepier events investigated.

[Emmalynn]

🙄🙄🙄

[Wendy]

Hope she writes more

[Laurel]

3.5

[Kenz Lode]

The best one yet! Can't wait to read more.