Murder At Magic Cakes Cafe

English Village Witch #1

by Rosie Reed

In a flash, she had magic. Can she use it to solve a mysterious death in her family?
Climbing a tree in a thunderstorm was always going to be a stupid idea, but when Evelyn Eldritch is struck by lightning, her magical powers are switched on. And she didn’t even know she was a witch!

When Evelyn learns that her biological mother has died under suspicious circumstances, she makes a journey to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon, where the residents consist of werewolves, witches, vampires and one annoyingly handsome-yet-gruff policeman. But who should she suspect? Who can she trust?

And if juggling her magical training, her mother’s café, and the town’s eccentric residents wasn’t enough, another body turning up at the local cricket match shows she’s definitely in well over her pointed hat…

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

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2021

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn (Evie) Eldritch and her nephew Luke, travelled from London to the small village of Maiden-Upon-Avon after she discovered her biological mother, Marilyn, had recently died, and Evie had inherited the Magic Cakes Cafe. The weird and wonderful things that met her when she arrived, had her worried she was either going mad, or the residents of the village were mad. The young woman who ran the Cafe until Evie arrived - Leia - was a big help to Evie, explaining about the village, the inhabitants and Marilyn. With the police declaring her death was suicide, Evie and Leia were determined to prove otherwise. And as Evie learned about the magic she had - was it that lightning strike in London? - she was quite terrified. Would she return to London without resolving Marilyn's death?

Murder At Magic Cakes Cafe is the 1st in the English Village Witch series by Rosie Reed and it was loads of fun! There were plenty of odd creatures in the village - werewolves, vampires, witches and more - and although Evie was definitely a witch, Luke was not! A great first in a new cosy, paranormal, magical series, I'm happy to recommend it to fans of the genre.

[Katreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE by Rosie Reed
The First English Village Witch Cozy Mystery

Life changes after you get struck by lightening. At least it does for Evelyn Eldritch. After that electrifying event Evelyn receives a phone call informing her the birth mother she never knew has just died and Evelyn has inherited a cafe in the English countryside. Happy to get away from London and her annoying older sister for a bit, she takes her nephew and heads to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon. But something is off about the town and its residents. When she learns it's possible her mother was murdered, Evelyn decides to suss out the truth, even if it means taking on a hunky detective and some scary villagers.

There's a lot going on in MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE. Almost too much. It's as if the author thought of almost every wonderful thing she wanted to put into her book and did it...and then added the kitchen sink. It's a bucolic English village, she owns a bakery/cafe, she discovers she's a witch, there are vampires, werewolves, and possibly ghosts! There's also romance. Evelyn is gobsmacked by the detective inspector and it's practically love at first sight between her nephew and her birth mother's assistant. Yet for all of these details, there's not much follow up. We don't get much baking, we don't get much backstory about the other supernatural beings, although the journalist and his wife are a cute couple, and we only get a smidge of Evelyn's training as a witch. I also was a bit dismayed at the prologue. Every Tarot reader worth their salt knows that the death card doesn't mean a literal death. While true in this case, other options should have been presented and Marilyn shouldn't have assumed someone was to die that very night!

If you don't think too hard, the first English Village Witch Cozy Mystery is an enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and if you get past Evelyn's snarkiness, she makes a fine protagonist. I love how Evelyn and the birth mother she never knew use the same euphemism. There are some heavier aspects that are more in tune with a traditional mystery, the detective's drinking problem and the reason behind it, for example, but everything else screams cozy...almost too much.

Fluffy, but fun MURDER AT MAGIC CAKES CAFE is a good escapist read.

[Kendrea Parsons · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like leaving bad reviews of books. The premise of Murder at Magic Cakes sounded good. I love paranormal murder mysteries. But honestly this book was just not great. First of all there was far too much terminology used that I'm guessing is only found in the UK. There are words like "snog" and "loo" that US readers will know from other UK shows and stuff, buy there was so much in this book where I was really having a difficult time understanding what the author was talking about. It'd be like if I wrote a book and used all southern US slang. Most people wouldn't understand it. Also, the way Evelyn kept suspecting every character, usually more than once, and the way she kept going back and forth on whether magic and magical beings were real, was really annoying. Usually the protagonist will clear a character or keep them on their suspect list, but they don't keep taking them off and putting them back on the list. And they don't literally suspect every character they come across. The plot was horrible and moved way too fast. There wasn't time for the reader to get to know any of the characters at all. The killer was also obvious pretty early on, but the reasoning for it still doesn't make sense. I feel like this author needs to do more on developing their writing skills before publishing another book. However, I won't be reading the next one to see if they improve.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

[Mônica Martins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adorable story... this book has all the elements I love: cozy English village, paranormal mystery, romance, witches and tea of course...

Take a chance , pick a cup of tea and enjoy it!!!

And I am so happy because I had the chance to translate this book into Portuguese... and I am already working the next one...

Rosie Reed is a lovely person and a good writer.

[Jean Oram]

Loved it! So adorable. The first night I was like, “I’m only going to read a few pages.” Well, 20% of the book later...

Great characters in a small town setting loaded with quirky characters and a sprinkling of magical beings. Which naturally makes you wonder who is truly human in the book and who is magical. (The heroine discovers she is a witch.)

Part cozy mystery, part paranormal with a sprinkle of romance and so very charmingly British.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe is the first book in Rosie Reed’s An English Village Witch Cozy mystery series. Prepare to meet Evelyn, a young woman enjoying her life in London, but then she gets news of the death of her biological mother. She has no idea what she’s going to in find in this small English village, but she’s ging to find herself trying to solve two murders, come to grips with who she is, and the uniqueness of the townsfolk.
Murder at Magic cakes Cafe is truly an enjoyable story from beginning to end. This story is full of drama, and a good amount of humor that will leave you eager for more. Evelyn is an interesting character. I really mean that! I mean, how many people do you know would climb a tree in a storm to rescue a cat? I mean, I love my cats, but that’s not something you’ll ever find me doing. LOL! Plus, Evelyn gets to experience quite a shock for her troubles. When I say that, I mean besides learning of the death of her biological mother. The humor of this story quickly captured my attention and I eagerly dove deeper into this story.
As Evelyn is experiencing this new town that her mother called home, I love that Evelyn begins “seeing” things that she believes are impossible. The various clues that are scattered about for Evelyn to pick up on concerning the town are perfectly done. Evelyn thinks she’s seeing things/hallucinating, but she’s seeing the residents for what they really are. Also, the air of mystery that swirls throughout this book is so well done! Trying to puzzle out who the killer is was definitely a feat. I honestly began to suspect a particular character, but then the big reveal went in a totally different direction!
This book is a good start to this series and definitely lives up to the cozy angle with a potential blooming romance and hints of another romance to bloom. I enjoyed this story, and I look forward to the next book in this series. I’m rating this book 5 out of 5 stars.

[Steve Cann · Rating 5 out of 5]

When London-based Evelyn hears that her biological mother Marilyn (whom she has never met) has suddenly died, her life is transformed as she heads out to the quaint English village (that her mother called home) to find out exactly what's happened, and why.
She not only finds that her mother was well-liked, and ran a popular café in the village - but that she was also a witch!
Evelyn desperately wants to find out why her mother died, and if she really was actually murdered, as she now suspects - despite all the evidence to the contrary.
When the local police don't seem to be making much progress, she becomes a bit of an amateur sleuth in order to solve the crime herself. But could the village be holding some extra magical secrets that she hadn't bargained for?

This book was a fun read, and made for a very unusual and entertaining whodunnit. There's a nice dash of humour running throughout, and we get to see this rather unconventional village and its cast of colourful characters as they unfold through the likeable Evelyn's eyes.
Add to that the element of magic that Evelyn discovers - giving this story an extra ingredient of fantasy, where you never quite know what might happen next.
It certainly kept me guessing throughout, and I was genuinely surprised when the murderer was finally revealed! But you'll just have to read it yourself of course if you want to find out.

This has been such an enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to reading more books from Rosie. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good slice of light-hearted whodunnit, and a fun and well-paced paranormal cosy mystery with a deft touch of romance.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fun quirky paranormal mystery. I liked the mystery of who killed Evelyn's mother and with lots of suspects it was hard to guess. But I think it was the paranormal side to the story that really caught my imagination and I loved. Not only is there the usual spells backfiring with new witch's that have just come into there powers but there is also some great supernatural characters, I especially liked the werewolves and had my fingers crossed that they weren't the killer (you will have to read or listen to the story to find out) The other unusual thing with this book, that I quite liked, is it is set In England, although I have never stumbled on a town like this one or should i say that I know of. It is a nicely crafted story that keeps you listening until the end and I hope there are plans for a lot more books in the series.
The same night Evelyn is struck by lightening while rescuing her sister's cat from a free is the same night her birth mother does and her world gets turned upside down. She and her nephew travel to Maiden-Upon-Avon to find out more about the women she never met. It's not long before Evelyn starts to notice that there is something very different about the small town and it's not just because the detective in charge of the case refuses to see the death as a homicide. Why would a woman loved by the whole town commit suicide? Evelyn believes that the quicker she finds out the quicker she can leave the strange little town and all the weirdness behind. Then she mets her Grandmother and anything suddenly becomes possible, like helping to win the cooking competition for her mothers assistant, making friends with werewolves, annoying a certain detective just to try and get him to smile and even catching a killer.
I liked the narrator. I wasn't sure to start with, as it sounded very different to how I think we sound but she soon won me over and by giving each character there own voice, I think she was a good choice.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a really fun paranormal murder mystery and I can't wait for more! We are treated to the murder of Evelyn's biological mother, Marilyn, who she never met, and who the local constabulary and doctor believe it was suicide, lots of snark, sarcasm, doubt, confusion, a good looking but annoying inspector, an annoying newspaper reporter and a new up and coming witch...Evelyn. With her best friend who just happened to be her nephew, she can't believe her death was investigated properly and she is going to do it! It's the least she can do since her mother left her the cafe and huge mansion along with a magic wand and her book of magic. While investigating, she finds everyone apparently loved her mother so who would want to kill her. She sees a talking huge spider in her mother's assistant's bathtub, she sees werewolf fangs on the bar owner and things are strange in this small town, Maiden-Upon-Avon. Things are not what they seem, but she will find out who killer her mother and she and her nephew will get out of there! But things have a habit of getting twisted and as she tries to deal with her magic coming out and the real and other world and the murder will she come out of all that with her sanity? I really liked this book and Evie and can't wait to read more! I received an ARC but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure about it but the more I read it my opinion change. Evelyn has so much to learn about her birth mother. When she receives notice that her birth mother had died and left her a house and business she was curious. She and her nephew Luke travels to Maiden upon Avon to find out what happened. Her travels to the village and description of it reminded me of Harry Potter for some reason.
Evelyn arrives and meets her mother Marilyn assistant Lily who explains her Mom was a witch, Evelyn is also and she believes Marilyn was murdered.
As Evelyn learns about Marilyn and speak to others in the village she's not sure that it wasn't murder and she says out to prove it was.
I loved just about all the characters in the story and can't wait to read more books about Evelyn and her learning more about her family and her witch powers. This book was intriguing,intense and fun at times. The tension between Evelyn and three Inspector was great. I can't wait to see where it leads. This series is certainly worth reading and sharing with others.
I voluntarily agreed to review this book. My review is my own honest opinion.

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love British mystery and this fun and flirty paranormal cozy checked all of the boxes with a great cast of unique characters including witches, vampires and werewolves and a good whodunit that quickly became a page turner. I really liked Evelyn Eldritch who is called to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon after her biological mother, a senior witch, is murdered; and enjoyed her dynamic with the unique residents while she is determined to find the culprit. This is a great start to the English Village Witch Cozy series by new-to-me author Rosie Reed and I look forward to more adventures with Evelyn and the gang. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the way the book started and set the rest of the book up. The main characters (Evelyn and Luke) are very relatable and fun while the other characters of the town, Maiden-Upon- Avon, are an interesting mix of paranormal beings that mix with the human world. The story is well written with a few parts that made you wonder what that was about but otherwise really makes you feel like you're part of the story. I wasn't sure I would like this series but I was pleasantly surprised. I will definitely check out the next book in the series to see what paranormal things happen next.

[Dena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this; great start to a series! Evelyn not only gets hit by lighting but actually seems to have electrified her skills. Evelyn Eldritch is the person you want to hang out with. She may not know exactly where she is going in her life but she knows how to have fun getting there.

The entire bucolic English village is a storybook come to life. The author has taken the time to provide a lot of character development and I look forward to hearing a lot more about the detective, her nephew and the bakery assistant in the subsequent stories.

I feel it is a little too bad that we don’t get to meet her birth mother and love the way that everyone’s lives seem to be woven in around her birth mother.

Looking forward to hearing about her blooming baking skills romance.

I received an advance copy and the opinions are entirely mine.

[Toni Nyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a little trouble getting into the story because of the amount of characters .
.The main character Evie discovers her biological mother has passed away and goes to her charming village to look into her roots. She takes along her nephew Luke who helps her as much as he can. It turns out Evie is a witch but no one can be told. She runs into many interesting characters as she tries to solve what turns out to be her mother's murder. The descriptions of the town and countryside are wonderful. There is also a lot of humor in the story. All in all it was a good read. I look forward to reading the next story

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Rosie Reed‘s book, and won’t be my last. This is the first book in the English Village Witch Cozy Series, a Small Town Cozy Mystery. The characters are very interesting. The storyline is intriguing and captivating, filled with mystery and twists and turns. Stevie Zimmerman did an outstanding job with the narration. She has a beautiful voice, very pleasant to listen to. I enjoyed it. I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily written this review. Looking forward to listening to the next book in the Series.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn Eldritch charms the reader. After her unmet biological mother's murder and being struck by lightning, her magic is released. Unlike many coming into magic stories, she much more realistically initially believes this to all be nonsense. Eventually, the reality sinks in and it can't be denied. Supernatural creatures are real. Magic is real and it's not as easy as it sounds. Evelyn is joined by her childhood partner-in-crime/best friend/nephew in trying to solve the mystery but he's not in on the magic. This book is delightfully British in it's quirky humor. The characters are endearing and their stories grow as you read on. There are plenty of twists and developments that will lead to fun future installments in the series. If you enjoy a mystery, magic, all things British, and hijinks galore this is a book for you. A fun read for a rainy day.

[Brieabella7yahoo.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the characters.
The lead character is very likeable.
Her life changes because she gets struck by lighting and then soon after the event she gets informed her real mother has past away(she did not know her). She is given her mothers cafe in the country and gets magical powers.

Her and her nephew leave London to go to the village of Maiden-Upon-Avon. Something is not right. She soon realizes her mother was probably murdered. so she is is going to find the truth.
a very busy time in the café with lots to keep your attention. after she realizes she is a witch she also sees there is other magical beings. . Was not a lot of history about the other supernatural beings, may come in next book. .
if you are in it for a good light read this is great for you.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series and I’m so excited that I found a new author and series to enjoy. This is an authentic British cozy and definitely made me feel like I was across the pond. (I live in the US.) The characters are off to a great start and the setting is lovely—the town, the tea shop, and even the pub all combine to be a wonderful beginning to a new and “witchy” life. Of course, there are some mysteries to solve, along with little bits of clean romance, or the beginnings of such. I’m eager to read the next book in the series. I was provided a copy of the book, but these opinions are my own.

[Miranda Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely story with an element of mystery and intrigue and a surprise at the end! A great whodunnit, with the paranormal. I felt I knew the characters and wanted to find out more about them as the story unraveled. It had me laughing at the humour, jumping in surprise and loving the magicality!

[Heather Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn doesn't know she's a witch, until a freak lightning storm brings to light her powers. Then, she immediately learns her biological mother is dead of an apparent suicide. So she's leaving the hustle and bustle of London for a small English village to find out what really happened. I love the village atmosphere in the book, and imagining the tea and sweets Evelyn partakes in. Did I mention she also inherited a cafe?
Along the way she and her nephew meets a cast of friendly and not so friendly characters that includes vampires, werewolves and other witches. The mystery was light and frothy. A very enjoyable, non-taxing read that was perfect for the spooky season.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect book if you love light-hearted, funny and lovable characters - this book was chock full of action and charm...Rosie is a very talented writer and I was drawn in to the story from the start...it's fast read because it's just so addicting. Love the English country village setting and the magical elements...even the non-magical beings like the mortal, hunky detective. Oh, and there's a cat with an attitude. I read and edit a lot of cozy mysteries and this should be a top pick if you like some flirty romance, a solid mystery and a little witchcraft!

[Edyee Stocks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read! I loved the location, characters and the little bit (for now) of magic and mystical creatures! Who doesn't like books with witches, werewolf's, vampires and of course ghosts in it. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

[Vickie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute and fun!

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe was a quirky, paranormal cozy mystery and I loved every minute of it! Set in the beautiful English countryside we meet Evelyn Eldritch who journeys to the quaint village of Maiden-Upon-Avon, after discovering her biological mother Marilyn has passes away. Having never know her mother, she discovers she was the owner of the Magic Cakes Café - which she left to Evelyn. Everyone in the village knows about Evelyn, yet she has no idea about anything to do with her late mother. When it comes to light that Marilyn may have been murdered, Evelyn decides to stay in Maiden-Upon-Avon to get the bottom of her death.

Along the way Evelyn discovers the supernatural aspects of Maiden-Upon-Avon and that her mother was a witch! Does that mean Evelyn is also a witch? Can she find out what really happened to her mother? You will just need to read on to find out!

This was a great start the English Village Witch Cozy series, and I look forward to reading more from Rosie Reed.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about quaint English villages and witchcraft? In Murder at Magic Cakes Café we have the start of a delightful series, guaranteed for quirky characters, light romance, laugh out loud humor and a touch of murder. Evelyn and Luke's adventures are a blast, you will laugh and wonder what could possible happen next. Add a cast of bizarre supporting characters and it is a recipe for fun. Brew a cuppa, curl up and enjoy a wonderful adventure.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosie Reed puts me under a spell!
Cozy mystery with a dash of paranormal...exactly what I was looking for this year! This book start a series with just the right amount of characters, and a great introduction with tidbits of background story. Nothing too scary here, just cozy with undercurrents of mystery and perhaps love?! Can't wait to start the next one!!!

[Alisha Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe the first in a wonderful paranormal cozy series by Rosie Reed was a great new start to a new series that I can’t wait to read more in. I highly recommend this book to everyone needing a little laugh out loud escape.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe was such a delightful break from the real world! I know we all desperately need one! This enchanting tale takes place in a small English village, and I adore those! I love watching British television and dreaming of living in an idyllic village. Of course, those don't exist without real world problems, and Maiden-Upon-Avon has its own set of problems - namely the murder of one of its favorite town dwellers. That's where Evelyn's problems, and unbelievable adventures, begin!

Murder at Magic Cakes Cafe is filled with colorful, quirky characters. When Evelyn arrives in Maiden-Upon-Avon, she finds out that her birth mother Marilyn, who has died and left Evelyn her cafe, was a witch, that Evelyn herself is a witch, that werewolves and vampires are real...it's quite a lot to take in. And some of the actual human residents are even more bizarre. One of the characters is a bit sex-crazed which I'd rather not have in a cozy, but she's not in the story too much. The non-magical people aren't allowed to know about the magical people because it puts them in danger though Marilyn's assistant knows about the magical world. And she believes Marilyn didn't just die, she was murdered.

There are multiple suspects from both "worlds" but Evelyn is determined to find out the truth. She might irritate the detective on the case, but she won't rest until the case is solved. This book was a really fun one to read, so if you're a fan of magical cozy mystery books, I think you'll enjoy it!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun story filled with mystery, romance and magic. I enjoyed following Evelyn how she tries to solve a murder and figure out her new found magic abilities. Had some real laugh out loud moments!